JP2005071254A - Container for powder raw material and dispenser for drink - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dispenser for drink to which refill of powder raw materials is easy, decomposition and cleaning of a container for powder raw material is unnecessary and with which labor and space can be saved. <P>SOLUTION: The container 1 for powder raw material constituted so that powder or granular raw material 6 is poured from a content storage part 4 of a foldable packaging bag 2 to a raw material supply part 5 by providing a pouring port 3 which attachably/detachably links the content storage part 4 and the raw material supply part 5 together on an upper end of the content storage part 4 and a dispenser for drink having the same are used. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a powder raw material container and a beverage dispenser mounted on a beverage dispenser.

Conventionally, powder or granular raw materials (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “powder raw materials”) such as powdered tea, instant coffee, cocoa, and sugar are used as beverage dispensers such as tea dispensers and beverage vending machines. There is known a device that supplies a quantity and a stirring device, mixes it with a liquid raw material such as hot water or water, produces a beverage in the machine, and provides it in a drinking device such as a cup.
For example, Patent Document 1 describes a powder and granular material vending machine that stores granular materials in a transparent container that can be detached in a cassette manner, and releases the granular materials for sale.
Patent Document 2 is a cup-type beverage that includes a powder raw material container having an opening on the top surface, takes a powdered or granular raw material from the powder raw material container, manufactures a beverage, and sells it in a cup A vending machine is described.
In a cup-type beverage vending machine, Patent Documents 3 to 6 and the like are described as powder raw material containers for storing raw materials such as powder.
JP-A-53-74099 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-137195 JP-A-7-57149 JP-A-7-160944 JP 2000-93316 A JP 2002-288733 A

In the dispenser as described in the above-mentioned patent documents 2 to 6, the procedure for replenishing the powder raw material in the powder raw material container is to open the bag-packed powder raw material, remove the lid of the powder raw material container, and It is by putting powder raw material from. When the powder raw material is introduced after the powder raw material container is removed, it is troublesome to remove and reattach the powder raw material container. Therefore, a working space is secured above the powder raw material container so that the powder raw material can be put directly into the powder raw material container from the packaging bag without removing the powder raw material container from the dispenser. For this reason, the volumetric efficiency of the dispenser is deteriorated.
The lid has a structure that can be easily opened by hand, resulting in poor sealing. Especially when the dispenser is installed outdoors in hot and humid seasons, moisture can enter the powder raw material container. The powder raw material may be solidified or deteriorated. In order to prevent solidification of the powder raw material, there are also devices such as a screw for stirring the powder raw material, a heater for drying the powder raw material, or a dry air inlet, but the structure of the powder raw material container is It becomes complicated.

In order to maintain hygiene, the powder raw material may adhere to the side of the powder raw material container, the discharge port, or the vicinity of the powder raw material. At least once a week, it is necessary to remove the powder raw material container from the vending machine and remove the powder raw material by cleaning or clean the powder raw material container. When cleaning the powder raw material container, if the powder raw material remains in the powder raw material container, discard the powder raw material or transfer it to another container once, and after cleaning or cleaning is completed, the powder raw material container It is also necessary to return the item. Thus, the work for maintaining hygiene is complicated.
As described above, the conventional dispenser is troublesome and troublesome, such as replenishment and cleaning of the powder raw material, and requires more space for refilling the powder raw material. Yes.

  Accordingly, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a dispenser that can be easily refilled with powder raw materials, does not require disassembly and cleaning of the powder raw material container, and can save labor and space.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is a powder raw material container that is mounted on a beverage dispenser and supplies a powder or granular raw material of a beverage, and is provided at the upper end of a foldable packaging bag content storage unit. , Providing a spout for detachably connecting the content container and the raw material supply part of the dispenser so that the powder or granular raw material can be poured from the powder raw material container to the raw material supply part. A powder raw material container is provided.
In this powder raw material container, it is preferable that the packaging bag has a gusset portion that can be expanded at the bottom and / or the side. Moreover, it is preferable that a packaging bag has a gusset part which can be expanded in a bottom part and a side part.
As the packaging bag, one in which a content item guide seal is formed so as to be funnel-shaped toward the spout can be used.
Further, the present invention replenishes the raw material by replacing the powder raw material container by detachably connecting a powder raw material container comprising a foldable packaging bag filled with powder or granular raw material to the raw material supply unit. A beverage dispenser characterized by being made possible is provided.

According to the present invention, since the powder raw material container can be detachably connected to the raw material supply part of the beverage dispenser via the spout, the refilling operation of the powder raw material can be performed by replacing the powder raw material container with a new container (the powder raw material is It can be carried out simply by exchanging it with an unused one that has been filled. As a result, labor is not required and work efficiency is improved. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide an opening for refilling the raw material in the container, the container can be hermetically sealed, and inconveniences such as solidification and alteration of the powder raw material due to mixing of moisture and the like are suppressed, and the container is decomposed and washed Is not required, and a hygienic state can be easily maintained for a long time.
Further, since the powder raw material container can be folded, it is not bulky at the time of disposal. For example, even when an operator or the like collects and turns around a used powder raw material container, it does not get in the way.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a state where the powder raw material container of the present invention is mounted on a raw material supply unit of a beverage dispenser. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the vicinity of the spout of the powder raw material container.
In a preferred form of the present invention, the powder raw material container 1 is provided with a spout 3 at the upper end of the content storage section 4 of the foldable packaging bag 2 that stores and stores the content 6, and the content is provided by the spout 3. The product storage unit 4 can communicate with the ingredient supply unit 5 of the beverage dispenser.
In this embodiment, the connecting portion 5a communicated with the spout 3 of the raw material supply unit 5 is opened upward, and the spout 3 is directed downward by connecting the spout 3 to the connecting portion 5a. The contents 6 are poured out from the storage part 4 toward the spout 3.
The content product 6 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include powdered or granular beverage materials (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as “powder materials”) such as powdered tea, instant coffee, cocoa, and sugar. It is done.

The packaging bag 2 of the powder raw material container 1 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a film-shaped or sheet-shaped base material formed into a shape such as a bag or a tube by heat sealing or adhesion.
Examples of the film-like or sheet-like substrate include a plastic film and a sheet (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “film”). Examples of these substrates include a plastic film single layer, a laminate in which a plurality of plastic films are laminated, or a laminate film obtained by laminating a metal foil such as aluminum foil or a substrate such as paper with a plastic film. The plastic film is not particularly limited, and at least one surface is preferably composed of polyolefins such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP) having heat-fusibility. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is preferably used as the polyolefin. Various materials obtained by laminating polyesters such as nylon and polyamides such as nylon can be used.
These base materials are flexible and foldable, are not bulky after use, and become a container with excellent discardability. In order to suppress deterioration and alteration of the powder raw material, it is preferable to use a base material having low oxygen and water vapor permeability.

When the said base material has transparency, there exists an advantage which can confirm the residual amount of the powder raw material which is a content item from the exterior of a container visually. When a base material has light-shielding property, deterioration of the powder raw material by light, such as sunlight and a fluorescent lamp, can be suppressed.
From the viewpoint of ease of powder filling, an air circulation port should be provided near the end of the packaging bag 2 opposite to the spout 3 so that air can be circulated by a small hole or mesh. You can also. In this case, since excess air in the container is discharged from the air circulation port at the time of filling, the filling efficiency is improved. After filling, the air circulation port can be closed with a seal or the like.

Examples of the shape of the packaging bag 2 include gusset bags, standing pouches, pillow type packaging, three-side seal packaging, and four-side seal packaging.
The packaging bag 2 shown in FIG. 1 is a gusset bag in which the bottom 2b and / or the side 2a of the packaging bag 2 is provided with a gusset portion 2g that can be folded and expanded in a crease shape. In this case, when the packaging bag 2 is filled with the content item 6 in the content item storage unit 4, the content item storage unit 4 is expanded by expanding the gusset portion 2 g, so that a larger amount of the content item 6 can be stored. It becomes like this. When the content item 6 is discharged, the gusset portion 2g is folded inward of the packaging bag 2 so that the content item storage portion 4 is smoothly deflated. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, as the powder raw material 6 is poured out, the content storage unit 4 is changed from 2A (indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1) to 2B (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1). Thus, the gusset portion 2g is folded, and as a result, the height of the bottom portion 2b from the spout 3 (the vertical dimension in FIG. 1) hardly increases. Accordingly, the space for accommodating the powder raw material container 14 is smaller.
Moreover, when the bottom part 2b of the packaging bag 2 is a square gusset bag, an internal volume can be enlarged.
It is more preferable that the gusset portion 2g is on the bottom portion 2b and the side portion 2a of the packaging bag 2.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the packaging bag 2 is heated diagonally toward the spout 3 at the corners 2 c on both sides of the edge on the spout 3 side of the packaging bag 2. By sealing, the content item induction seal 2d can be provided. Although this content item guide seal 2d is shown as a straight line in FIG. 2, if the shape is such that the content item storage portion 4 is reduced in a funnel shape toward the spout 3 and the content item 6 can be guided, the straight line Any shape such as a shape, a circular arc shape, a polygonal line shape, or a curved shape may be used. When the corner portion 2c of the packaging bag 2 is completely partitioned from the content item storage portion 4 by the content item guide seal 2d, the corner portion 2c can be cut and removed. Of course, the corner 2c may be left without being removed.
When the content item guide seal 2d is provided, if the content item storage part 4 is formed in a funnel shape toward the spout 3, the powder raw material stored and stored in the content item storage 4 is discharged from the spout 3. Pouring is easy and the powder raw material is less likely to stay in the vicinity of the spout 3, which is preferable.

The spout 3 can be detachably connected to the raw material supply unit 5, and the content storage unit 4 and the raw material supply unit 5 communicate with each other to discharge the powder raw material 6 from the content storage unit 4 to the raw material supply unit 5. Anything can be used. For example, known one-touch couplers and fluid couplings used for connecting powder flow paths can be used. The spout 3 easily connects the powder raw material container 1 onto the raw material supply unit 5 at the time of mounting by a connecting portion 5a provided on the raw material supply unit 5 side and an appropriate mechanism such as fitting, engagement, and screwing. It is preferable to use one that can be connected so as not to fall off.
In addition, the spout 3 may be formed by forming the end of the container in a tube shape, and when not in use, the spout 3 is closed with a partition wall such as rubber or plastic film and connected to the raw material supply unit 5. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the partition is broken and the contents storage unit 4 and the raw material supply unit 5 communicate with each other.

Here, the raw material supply unit 5 includes a connecting part 5a connected to the spout 3 of the powder raw material container 1, and a screw feeder 5c inserted into a pipe line 5b communicating with the lower side of the connecting part 5a. ing. The screw feeder 5c is rotationally driven by the drive motor 5m, and conveys the powder raw material 6 from the connection part 5a to the discharge port 5d along the pipe line 5b. The raw material supply unit 5 discharges a fixed amount of the powder raw material 6 from the discharge port 5d at the tip of the pipe line 5b based on the rotation amount of the screw feeder 5c.
In addition, the raw material supply part 5 is not limited to said structure, The suitable apparatus which measures and discharges a predetermined amount of powder raw materials can be employ | adopted. The measuring method of the powder raw material is not particularly limited, and may be measured by volume, mass, weight or the like.

By using the powder raw material container of this embodiment, the powder raw material is filled in the powder raw material container in advance, and the powder raw material container is replaced with a new container (unused one filled with the powder raw material) by desorption of the spout. By simply exchanging it, it is possible to carry out refilling work of the powder raw material, and no effort is required.
Furthermore, since the powder raw material container can be folded, it is not bulky and is excellent in discardability by folding it when it is collected and discarded after use. For example, even when an operator or the like collects a used powder raw material container from a dispenser installed outdoors, it does not get in the way.
By making the powder raw material container disposable, workers and users do not need to clean the container. Of course, it is possible to collect used containers for reuse and reuse.

Since there is no need to provide an opening for refilling the raw material in the container, the container can be hermetically sealed, and inconveniences such as solidification and alteration of the powder raw material due to mixing of moisture etc. are suppressed, and the container can be disassembled and cleaned. It becomes unnecessary and can maintain a hygienic state easily and for a long time.
Furthermore, since the lid for opening and closing the opening for refilling the raw material can be omitted, it is not necessary to secure a space for opening and closing the lid above the container for the powder raw material, improving the space efficiency in the beverage dispenser, The beverage dispenser can be downsized and installed compactly.

  In the following description of the embodiment, in FIGS. 3 to 8, the same reference numerals as those used in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicate the same or similar configurations as those shown in FIGS. Description to be omitted is omitted.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing Example 1 of the powder raw material container of the present invention. In the powder raw material container 11 shown in FIG. 3, the packaging bag 2 is a gusset bag having fold-like gusset portions 2 g on both side portions 2 a and a bottom portion 2 b having a square bottom, and further toward the spout 3. A content product induction seal 2d is formed at the corner 2c to form a funnel shape. Moreover, the corner | angular part 2c is removed.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing Example 2 of the powder raw material container of the present invention. In the powder raw material container 12 shown in FIG. 4, the packaging bag 2 has a pair of body film 12a and a bottom film 12b folded in a mountain fold between the body film 12a to heat the periphery. It is a self-supporting packaging bag (standing pouch) that is made by sealing.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing Example 3 of the powder raw material container of the present invention. In the powder raw material container 13 shown in FIG. 5, the packaging bag 2 has a fold-like gusset portion 2g on both side portions 2a and a bottom portion 2b folded into a ship shape. The gusset portion 2g is formed on the bottom portion 2b. An inclined contents guide seal 2d is formed at the corner 2c on the spout 3 side so that the inner surface of the contents storage section 4 has a funnel shape toward the spout 3 ing. In the powder raw material container 13, the corner 2 c is left outside the content item induction seal 2 d.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing Example 4 of the powder raw material container of the present invention. In the powder raw material container 14 shown in FIG. 6, the packaging bag 2 is a gusset bag having fold-like gusset portions 2g on both side portions 2a and a bottom portion 2b having a square bottom.

FIG. 7: is a schematic block diagram which shows the form example of a drink vending machine as Example 1 of the dispenser for drinks using the container for powder raw materials of this invention.
In the vending machine 20 shown in FIG. 7, reference numeral 21 denotes a water pump that sends water from a water reservoir 22 that stores tap water to various places in the machine, and reference numeral 23 denotes boiling water supplied from the water reservoir 22. Reference numeral 24 denotes an ice making machine for making and storing water supplied from the water reservoir 22, and reference numerals 25a and 25b are valves for supplying hot water from the hot water tank 23 to various places in the machine. Reference numerals 26a and 26b are pipes for supplying hot water from the hot water tank 23 to various places in the apparatus.

  Reference numerals 30a and 30b denote powder raw material containers for storing various beverage raw materials. Reference numerals 31a and 31b denote raw material supply units that measure and discharge a predetermined amount of beverage raw materials from the powder raw material containers 30a and 30b, respectively. Reference numeral 32 denotes a mill that turns coffee beans into ground beans. Reference numeral 33 denotes a coffee extractor that extracts coffee from ground beans using hot water supplied from the hot water tank 23 via a pipe 26a. Reference numeral 34 denotes a mixing ball that stirs and mixes beverage ingredients and cooks them. Reference numeral 35 denotes a pipe for feeding the coffee extracted by the coffee extractor 33 to the mixing ball 34. Reference numeral 36 denotes a nozzle for pouring a beverage cooked by the mixing ball 34 into the cup 37. Reference numeral 38 is a pipe for supplying ice from the ice making machine 24 to the cup 37.

As the powder raw material containers 30a and 30b, a spout is provided at one end of a foldable content storage section for storing and storing the powder raw material, and the content storage section of the container is formed by the spout into the raw material supply section 31a, For example, the one shown in FIG. 1 can be used.
The type of the powder raw material stored in the powder raw material containers 30a and 30b is not particularly limited, but here, the powder raw material supplied from the powder raw material container 30a to the coffee extractor 33 is exemplified by coffee. . Examples of the powder material supplied from the powder material container 30b to the mixing ball 34 include sugar and cream. In addition, various powdered beverage materials such as powdered tea, powdered fruit juice, and instant coffee can be used.
The raw material supply units 31a and 31b are suitable for the user to drive a motor or the like based on operation of operating means (not shown) such as push buttons, dials, and levers, and to discharge a predetermined amount of powder raw material to the cooking apparatus. Device. The method for measuring the powder raw material is not particularly limited, and it can be measured by volume, mass, weight or the like.

Operation | movement of the drink vending machine 20 of a present Example is demonstrated.
The provision of the coffee drink is performed as follows. First, coffee (ground beans) ground by the mill 32 is discharged to the coffee extractor 33, the valve 25a is opened, and hot water is supplied to the coffee extractor 33 through the pipe 26a. The coffee extract extracted by the coffee extractor 33 is sent to the mixing ball 34 via the pipe 35. In the mixing ball 34, coffee is cooked by stirring and mixing the coffee extract and sugar or cream discharged from the powder raw material container 30b by the raw material supply unit 31b. Cooked coffee is poured from the nozzle 36 into the cup 37.
In the case of providing iced coffee, ice is further supplied from the ice making machine 24 to the cup 37 via the pipe 38 and mixed with the coffee.

  In addition, when providing a fruit juice drink or the like, the raw material supply unit 31b discharges the powdered fruit juice from the powder raw material container 30b to the mixing ball 34 and opens the valve 25b to supply the hot water from the hot water tank 23 to the mixing ball 34. In the mixing bowl 34, the powder raw material is dissolved in warm water to prepare a beverage. The cooked beverage is poured from the nozzle 36 into the cup 37. In the case of providing a cold beverage (cold beverage), ice from the ice making machine 24 is further supplied to the cup 37, mixed with the beverage cooked by the mixing ball 34, and cooled.

FIG. 8: is a schematic perspective view which shows the form example of the tea dispenser 40 as Example 2 of the dispenser for drinks of this invention. In FIG. 8, the code | symbol 41 is the housing | casing which equips the upper part with the shelf 42 in which the powder raw material container 1 and the raw material supply part 5 are mounted, and equips the lower part with the cup holder 43. Reference numeral 44 denotes a lid that covers the front surface of the housing 41. The lid 44 is attached to one side edge of the housing 41 so as to be opened and closed by a hinge 44a or the like.
The powder raw material container 1 and the raw material supply unit 5 have the above-described configuration, and for example, the one shown in FIG. 1 can be used.
As shown in FIG. 8, when the powder raw material container 1 is mounted or replaced, the operation can be easily performed by opening the lid 44 and removing the powder raw material container 1.

Reference numeral 45 denotes a shooter that guides and drops the powder raw material (such as powdered tea) discharged from the discharge port of the raw material supply unit 5 to the mixing ball 46. The shooter 45 is attached to the front edge portion 42 a of the shelf 42.
The mixing ball 46 stirs and mixes a predetermined amount of powder raw material supplied via the shooter 45 with hot water (hot water) or cold water supplied via a pipe 46a from a water heater (not shown), thereby mixing the powder raw material. Dissolve and cook the beverage. A nozzle 47 for pouring a beverage cooked with the mixing ball 46 into the cup 48 placed on the cup cradle 43 is suspended from the lower portion of the mixing ball 46.

Operation | movement of the tea machine 40 of a present Example is demonstrated.
When the user operates an operation unit (not shown) such as a push button provided on the front surface of the lid 44, the supply of the beverage is started.
The raw material supply unit 5 discharges a predetermined amount of the powder raw material from the powder raw material container 1 to the mixing ball 46 via the shooter 45. In the mixing ball 46, the powder raw material is stirred and mixed with hot water or cold water to cook a beverage. The cooked beverage is poured from the nozzle 47 into the cup 48.

It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the state with which the container for powder raw materials of this invention was mounted | worn with the raw material supply part of the dispenser for drinks. It is a front view which shows the spout vicinity of the container for powder raw materials of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows Example 1 of the container for powder raw materials of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows Example 2 of the container for powder raw materials of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows Example 3 of the container for powder raw materials of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows Example 4 of the container for powder raw materials of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows Example 1 of the dispenser for drinks of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows Example 2 of the dispenser for drinks of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,11,12,13,14 ... Container for powder raw materials, 2 ... Packaging bag, 2a ... Side part of packaging bag, 2b ... Bottom part of packaging bag, 2d ... Content item induction seal, 2g ... Gusset part, 3 ... Note Outlet, 4 ... Contents storage unit, 5 ... Raw material supply unit, 6 ... Beverage powder or granular raw material (powder raw material, content product), 20 ... Beverage dispenser (beverage vending machine), 40 ... Beverage dispenser ( Tea machine).

Claims (5)

A powder raw material container that is mounted on a beverage dispenser and supplies powder or granular raw material for beverage,
At the upper end of the foldable packaging bag content storage section, a spout is provided for detachably connecting the content storage section and the material supply section of the dispenser, and the powder or granular material is used for the powder raw material. A powder raw material container which can be poured from the container into the raw material supply unit.   The container for powdery raw materials according to claim 1, wherein the packaging bag has a gusset portion that can be expanded at a bottom portion and / or a side portion.   The container for powder raw materials of Claim 2 which has a gusset part which the said packaging bag can expand at a bottom part and a side part.   The container for powder raw materials in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3 with which the content-item induction | guidance | derivation seal | sticker is formed so that the said packaging bag may become a funnel shape toward the said spout.   A powder raw material container consisting of a foldable packaging bag filled with powder or granular raw material is removably connected to the raw material supply part, and the raw material can be replenished by replacing the powder raw material container. Beverage dispenser characterized.

Images