JP2011046387A - Beverage dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a beverage dispenser that prevents a different ingredient from being mixed in a beverage to be discharged, while suppressing a product cost increase by discharging a plurality of beverages by means of a single discharge nozzle. <P>SOLUTION: The beverage dispenser 1 includes a single discharge nozzle 51. The discharge nozzle 51 includes a nozzle body 52 having four ingredient passages 56 and a single dilution water passage 60 therein, a nozzle cover 53 attached to the nozzle body 52, and a diffuser 54 disposed between the nozzle body 52 and nozzle cover 53. Each ingredient passage 56 is provided with an ingredient check valve 55 for opening/closing its opening 56b. The dilution water passage 60 is also provided with a dilution water check valve 61 for opening/closing its opening 60d. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a beverage dispenser, and more particularly to a configuration of a dispensing nozzle in a beverage dispenser that dilutes raw materials to produce a beverage.

  In a beverage dispenser of the type that dilutes ingredients to produce a beverage, the ingredients and dilution water are generally mixed in a dispensing nozzle for dispensing the produced beverage. For example, the beverage dispenser described in Patent Document 1 includes a beverage mixing device corresponding to a dispensing nozzle, and generates hot beverages and raw materials therein to produce a beverage. The beverage mixing apparatus includes a mixing ball, which is a hollow member, and a disc-shaped mixing plate provided in the mixing ball. The mixing ball has an upper opening. Above the upper opening, a hot water pipe for supplying hot water into the mixing ball and a raw material pipe for supplying raw material are opened. When the beverage is poured out, the hot water and ingredients are discharged onto the mixing plate and first premixed on the mixing plate. Next, the hot water and ingredients that have flowed out of the mixing plate flow down along the inner wall surface of the mixing ball, and are further mixed to form a beverage. The beverage thus produced is poured out through a spout formed at the bottom of the mixing ball.

JP 2008-27054 A

  Here, in the beverage dispenser described in Patent Document 1, when a plurality of types of beverages are to be poured out by a single beverage mixing device, one hot water pipe and a plurality of raw material pipes are arranged above the mixing balls. It is necessary to do. However, since each raw material pipe is opened on the mixing ball, when different types of beverages are continuously poured out, the raw material remaining in the raw material pipes at the time of the previous beverage extraction will be There was a problem that it dropped into the mixing ball and mixed. On the other hand, in order to avoid the above problem, when a plurality of beverage mixing devices are provided according to the number of beverage types, there is a problem that the cost of the product increases.

  This invention was made in order to solve such problems, and it is possible to pour a plurality of types of beverages with a single pour nozzle so as to reduce the cost of the product and to pour out the beverage. An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage dispenser in which different types of raw materials are prevented from being mixed.

  The beverage dispenser according to the present invention is a beverage dispenser having a single dispensing nozzle for dispensing a produced beverage while mixing the raw material and dilution water, and the dispensing nozzle is a raw material A nozzle body having a plurality of raw material passages to be supplied with a single dilution water passage to which dilution water is supplied and a spout for pouring out a beverage, and attached to the nozzle main body to provide a raw material And a nozzle cover that divides the space for mixing the dilution water and a raw material check valve for opening and closing a raw material discharge port for discharging the raw material into the space. The dilution water passage is provided with a check valve for dilution water that opens and closes a dilution water discharge port for discharging the dilution water into the space.

  In beverage dispensers equipped with a single dispensing nozzle, a raw material check valve for opening and closing the raw material discharge port is provided in each raw material passage, and a dilution water check valve for opening and closing the dilution water discharge port is provided in the dilution water passage Therefore, when these valves are opened, the raw material and the dilution water are mixed in the space to produce a beverage. The produced beverage is poured out from the spout. In addition, if the check valve for raw materials and the check valve for dilution water are closed when the dispensing of beverage is stopped, the raw material discharge port and the dilution water discharge port are closed. There is no inflow. Since a plurality of raw material passages configured as described above are provided, when different types of beverages are continuously poured out, the beverage raw material previously poured out is not mixed into the beverage to be poured out later. Accordingly, in the beverage dispenser, it is possible to dispense a plurality of types of beverages with a single dispensing nozzle, thereby suppressing an increase in the cost of the product and preventing different types of raw materials from being mixed into the beverage to be dispensed. .

  A diffuser is further provided to divide the space in the dispensing nozzle into a first space on the raw material discharge port side and a second space on the discharge port side, and the dilution water discharge port and the first space are disposed between the nozzle body and the diffuser. A dilution water introduction passage communicating with one space may be formed, and the dilution water may be discharged to the periphery of the raw material check valve through the dilution water introduction passage.

  The nozzle cover has a substantially cylindrical shape and is rotatably attached to the nozzle body. The diffuser has a first protrusion protruding toward the nozzle cover and a second protrusion protruding toward the nozzle body. The first protrusion and the nozzle cover are held in contact with each other, and the second protrusion and the nozzle body are held in contact with each other. The first protrusion and the second protrusion are held in the axial center line of each other. May be arranged so as not to be on the same straight line.

The diffuser may have a guide member that increases or decreases the cross-sectional area of the dilution water introduction passage.
In addition, the diffuser may have an injection hole having a passage cross-sectional area smaller than a passage cross-sectional area of the dilution water introduction passage while communicating the dilution water introduction passage and the first space.

  According to this invention, in a beverage dispenser, a plurality of types of beverages can be dispensed with a single dispensing nozzle so that the cost of the product is suppressed and different types of ingredients are mixed into the beverage to be dispensed. Is prevented.

It is a cross-sectional side view which shows the structure of the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a top view for demonstrating the structure of the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the structure of the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of the extraction nozzle in the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a cross-sectional side view which shows the structure of the extraction nozzle in the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the nozzle main body in the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a cross-sectional perspective view which shows the structure of the extraction nozzle in the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a cross-sectional perspective view for demonstrating operation | movement of the extraction nozzle in the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a cross-sectional perspective view for demonstrating operation | movement of the extraction nozzle in the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a cross-sectional perspective view which shows the extraction | pouring nozzle in the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. (A) is a side view which shows the guide member in the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. (B) is a front view (b) which shows the guide member in the drink dispenser concerning Embodiment 2. It is a perspective view which shows the nozzle main body and diffuser of the extraction nozzle in the drink dispenser which concern on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a cross-sectional perspective view which shows the extraction | pouring nozzle in the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a front view for demonstrating operation | movement of the extraction | pouring nozzle in the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a cross-sectional side view which shows the structure of the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a front view for demonstrating the structure of the drink dispenser which concerns on Embodiment 4. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the check valve of the extraction nozzle.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 shows a beverage dispenser 1 according to the first embodiment. In addition, the up-down direction and the front-back direction in the drink dispenser 1 are prescribed | regulated by the arrow shown in FIG.
The beverage dispenser 1 is provided with a box-shaped casing 2 having a front opening, and inside the casing 2 is formed a refrigerator unit 11 surrounded by a foam 3 that is a heat insulating material except for the front side. A door 4 for opening and closing the refrigerator unit 11 is provided on the front surface of the housing 2. The door 4 is connected to the housing 2 so as to be rotatable about its upper end, and the refrigerator 11 is opened and closed by rotating the door 4 in the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. It has become so.

  A raw material container 13 is disposed on a container table 12 provided in the refrigerator unit 11, and syrup, which is a raw material for producing a beverage, is stored inside the raw material container 13. Further, below the raw material container 13, a dispensing nozzle 51 is disposed for diluting the syrup in the raw material container 13 to produce a beverage and for dispensing the produced beverage. As will be described in detail later, the dispensing nozzle 51 is detachably attached to the base 14 provided on the bottom wall of the refrigerator unit 11. The raw material container 13 and the dispensing nozzle 51 include an internal passage 14 a formed in the raw material supply hose 15 extending from the upper part of the raw material container 13, a pump motor 16 provided on the lower rear side of the raw material container 13, and the base 14. Connected through.

  Behind the refrigerator unit 11 is formed a water tank unit 21 for cooling diluted water for diluting the syrup and the refrigerator unit 11. The water tank portion 21 is provided with a cooling water tank 22 whose periphery is covered with a foam 22a and in which cooling water is stored, and a coiled evaporation pipe 23 is provided along the inner wall surface. The evaporation pipe 23 is connected to a refrigeration apparatus 24 disposed below the cooling water tank 22, and the coolant supplied from the refrigeration apparatus 24 flows through the evaporation pipe 23, so that the cooling water in the cooling water tank 22 is supplied. It is designed to be cooled.

  A cooling coil 25 through which dilution water flows is provided inside the coiled evaporation pipe 23. One end of the cooling coil 25 is connected to an external water system (not shown) so that the dilution water supplied from the external water system into the cooling coil 25 is cooled by the cooling water in the cooling water tank 22. The other end of the cooling coil 25 is connected to a water supply pipe 27 extending from the water tank unit 21 into the refrigerator unit 11, a solenoid valve 17 provided in the refrigerator unit 11, and an internal passage 14 b formed in the base 14. Connected to the dispensing nozzle 51.

  Here, the beverage dispenser 1 is provided with four raw material containers 13, and these are arranged in the refrigerator unit 11 in a state where they are arranged in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 2). Although not visible in FIG. 1, four internal passages 14 a, raw material supply hoses 15 and pump motors 16 of the base 14 are provided so as to correspond to the respective raw material containers 13. That is, the beverage dispenser 1 has four raw material containers 13 connected to a single dispensing nozzle 51, and can dispense four different types of beverages. Below the pouring nozzle 51, a cup stage 6 on which a container such as a cup 5 for receiving the poured beverage is placed.

  Above the cooling water tank 22, a stirring motor 26 for stirring the cooling water in the cooling water tank 22 is provided. The agitating motor 26 has a rotating shaft 26a extending into the cooling water tank 22 and an impeller 26b fixed to the tip of the rotating shaft 26a. The impeller 26b rotates to rotate the inside of the cooling water tank 22. The cooling water is agitated. Further, a pump motor 26c for cooling the inside of the refrigerator unit 11 is provided in the vicinity of the intermediate portion of the rotating shaft 26a. The pump motor 26c is a motor having an impeller (not shown) driven by the rotating shaft 26a inside, and can suck and discharge the cooling water in the cooling water tank 22.

  In the rear part of the refrigerator unit 11, an internal cooling unit 31 that cools the inside of the refrigerator unit 11 using cooling water discharged by the pump motor 26c is disposed. The internal cooling unit 31 includes a cooling coil 32 and an internal fan motor 33 provided on the upper portion thereof. One end of the cooling coil 32 is connected to the pump motor 26c, and the cooling water supplied from the pump motor 26c flows through the cooling coil 32 so that the inside of the refrigerator unit 11 is cooled. The internal fan motor 33 circulates the air in the refrigerator unit 11 by rotating, thereby cooling the inside of the refrigerator unit 11 as a whole. The other end of the cooling coil 32 extends and opens above the cooling water tank 22 so that the cooling water flowing through the cooling coil 32 is returned to the cooling water tank 22.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the internal cooling unit 31 includes a coil cover 34 that covers the cooling coil 32 and the internal fan motor 33 (see FIG. 1). The front surface of the coil cover 34 has a pair of flat standing portions 35a, and four metal holders 35 such as stainless steel for holding the raw material container 13 are provided therebetween. As shown in FIG. 3, the width dimension between the standing portions 35a facing each other is formed such that the rear side has the same width W1 as the raw material container 13 and the front side has a width W2 smaller than the width W1. Yes. That is, the raw material container 13 is held and fixed to the holder 35 from the lateral direction. Therefore, when the syrup in the raw material container 13 decreases, the raw material container 13 is prevented from floating above the container base 12 by the elastic force of the raw material supply hose 15 (see FIG. 1). Further, by holding the raw material container 13 with the holder 35 attached to the coil cover 34, the raw material container 13 is efficiently cooled by heat transfer of the holder 35.

Next, the configuration of the dispensing nozzle 51 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 4, the dispensing nozzle 51 has a substantially cylindrical nozzle body 52, a beverage spout 53a, a hollow nozzle cover 53 attached to the nozzle body 52, and the nozzle body 52 and the nozzle cover. A diffuser 54 provided between the main body 53 and the projector 53 is provided.

  The nozzle body 52 is a member that is detachably attached to the base 14 (see FIG. 1) in the refrigerator unit 11, and inside thereof is a raw material check valve 55 provided on the front side, respectively. Four raw material passages 56 (see FIG. 7) that are opened and closed are provided. Each raw material passage 56 is disposed at a position along the circumferential direction of the nozzle body 52, and is connected to the four internal passages 14 a of the base 14 via connection pipes 57 provided on the rear side thereof. That is, the syrup from the corresponding raw material container 13 is supplied into each raw material passage 56, and the syrup is discharged from the nozzle body 52 by opening the raw material check valve 55. It has become so.

  On the front surface of the nozzle body 52, a circular groove 60a that is recessed in a cylindrical shape is formed at a position located below the axial center line. As shown in FIG. 5, a dilution water check valve 61 that opens and closes a dilution water passage 60 (see FIG. 7) provided in the nozzle body 52 is provided at the bottom of the circular groove 60 a. The dilution water passage 60 is connected to the internal passage 14b of the base 14 via a connection pipe 62 (see FIG. 4) provided on the rear side of the nozzle body 52. That is, the dilution water from the water tank section 21 is supplied into the dilution water passage 60, and the dilution water is discharged into the dispensing nozzle 51 by opening the dilution water check valve 61. It has come to be.

  Further, a parallel groove 60b is formed on the front surface of the nozzle body 52 so as to extend downward from the vicinity of the central portion thereof and connect to the circular groove 60a. A bottomed hole 52 a for holding the diffuser 54 is formed on the upper side of the parallel groove 60 b, that is, on the upper side from the axial center line of the nozzle body 52.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the nozzle cover 53 has a fitting portion 53 b having a substantially cylindrical shape. The nozzle cover 53 is attached to the nozzle body 52 by fitting the fitting portion 53 b into the outer peripheral portion of the nozzle body 52. It is supposed to be. The spout 53a is formed so as to extend downward from the front end of the fitting portion 53b. By attaching the nozzle cover 53 to the nozzle body 52, a mixing space 63, which is a space for mixing syrup and dilution water, is formed inside the dispensing nozzle 51. An O-ring 64 is provided on the front side of the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle main body 52, and seals between the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle main body 52 and the inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 53b.

  The diffuser 54 is a substantially disk-shaped member, and the outer peripheral surface thereof is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 53 b of the nozzle cover 53. Further, the diffuser 54 is formed such that the upper side and the lower side are stepped from each other when viewed from the side, and the upper disk portion 54a which is the upper side is in a state of protruding to the front side. The upper disk portion 54a divides the mixing space 63 into a first space portion 63a on the rear side and a second space portion 63b on the front side. In the first space portion 63a, for the raw material of each raw material passage 56 The check valve 55 is disposed. In addition, a plurality of through holes 54c are formed in the upper disk part 54a, and the first space part 63a and the second space part 63b communicate with each other through these through holes 54c.

  On the other hand, the lower disk part 54b, which is the lower side of the diffuser 54, is in contact with the front surface of the nozzle body 52 and blocks a part of the circular groove 60a and the parallel groove 60b formed on the front surface of the nozzle body 52. It is in a state. Further, in the lower disk portion 54b, a portion located on the front side of the dilution water check valve 61 has a dispensing hole 54d which is a through hole communicating the inside of the circular groove 60a and the inside of the second space portion 63b. Is formed. As will be described later, the dilution water check valve 61 is opened by advancing to discharge the dilution water into the circular groove 60a, and the dispensing hole 54d is provided with the advanced dilution water check valve. 61 is closed.

  Here, the parallel groove 60b of the nozzle body 52 extends to a position where an upper end portion thereof opens into the first space portion 63a. That is, when the discharge hole 54d is closed by the dilution water check valve 61, the direction in which the discharged dilution water flows is changed from the front side to the upper side in the circular groove 60a, and the parallel groove 60b is interposed. Then, it flows into the first space 63a and is discharged to the periphery of the raw material check valve 55. Here, the parallel groove 60 b closed by the diffuser 54 constitutes a dilution water introduction passage in the beverage dispenser 1.

  The upper disc portion 54a of the diffuser 54 is provided with a cylindrical first protrusion 54e that protrudes forward from the front surface thereof. On the other hand, on the rear surface of the upper disk portion 54a, a cylindrical second protrusion 54f that protrudes rearward is provided at a position shifted upward from the axial center line of the first protrusion 54e. The first protrusion 54e is located in the vicinity of the center when the diffuser 54 is viewed from the front. The tip of the first protrusion 54e is in contact with the inner wall surface of the nozzle cover 53, and the tip of the second protrusion 54f is inserted into the hole 52a on the front surface of the nozzle body 52. That is, in the diffuser 54, the first protrusion 54e is in contact with the inner wall surface of the nozzle cover 53, and the second protrusion 54f is in contact with the bottom of the hole 52a of the nozzle body 52. Held in between. Accordingly, the diffuser 54 can be easily removed by removing the nozzle cover 53 from the nozzle body 52.

  Further, since the nozzle body 52 and the fitting portion 53 b of the nozzle cover 53 fitted into the nozzle body 52 both have a substantially cylindrical shape, the nozzle cover 53 is at an arbitrary angle with respect to the nozzle body 52. It can be rotated. Further, since the first protrusion 54e and the second protrusion 54f of the diffuser 54 are provided at positions where their axial centerlines are not on the same straight line, when the nozzle cover 53 is rotated, the diffuser 54 becomes the nozzle. Rotation with the cover 53 is prevented.

Next, the structure of the pouring nozzle 51 will be described with reference to the cross-sectional side view shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the raw material passage 56 and the dilution water passage 60 on the same cross section. .
As shown in FIG. 7, the nozzle body 52 includes a body portion 71 having a substantially cylindrical shape, and a raw material passage 56 and a dilution water passage 60 are formed therein. A disc-shaped holding portion 72 is provided at the rear portion of the main body portion 71, and the main body portion 71 and the holding portion 72 allow the rear surface 4 a (see FIG. 1) of the door 4 to be on the front surface of the nozzle cover 53. It is regulated by making it contact.

  The connecting pipe 57 of the raw material passage 56 includes a large diameter portion 57a held in the raw material passage 56 by the holding portion 72, and a small diameter portion 57b that penetrates the holding portion 72 from the rear portion of the large diameter portion 57a and protrudes rearward. have. The raw material passage 56 and the internal passage 14a of the base 14 are connected by inserting a small diameter portion 57b into the internal passage 14a. Further, an O-ring 73 that seals between the raw material passage 56 and the internal passage 14a is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the internal passage 14a.

  Similarly, the connection pipe 62 of the dilution water passage 60 also has a large diameter portion 62 a and a small diameter portion 62 b, and the large diameter portion 62 a is held in the dilution water passage 60 by the holding portion 72. Further, the small-diameter portion 62b penetrating the holding portion 72 is inserted into the internal passage 14b of the base 14, whereby the internal passage 14b and the dilution water passage 60 are connected. An O-ring 74 that seals between the internal passage 14b and the dilution water passage 60 is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the internal passage 14b.

  Thus, the pouring nozzle 51 is attached to the base 14 by inserting the connecting pipe 57 and the connecting pipe 62 provided at the rear part of the nozzle body 52 into the internal passage 14a and the internal passage 14b, respectively. . Accordingly, the dispensing nozzle 51 can be attached to and detached from the base 14 by moving the dispensing nozzle 51 in the front-rear direction. Further, when the dispensing nozzle 51 is not attached or detached, the dispensing nozzle 51 attached to the base 14 moves forward with respect to the front surface of the nozzle cover 53 on the rear surface 4a (see FIG. 1) of the door 4. It is regulated by being brought into contact with the surface. That is, the dispensing nozzle 51 can be easily removed from the base 14 simply by rotating the door 4 upward.

  On the contrary, when attaching the pouring nozzle 51 to the base 14, the connection pipe 57 and the connection pipe 62 may not be sufficiently inserted into the internal passage 14a and the internal passage 14b. In such a case, the connection pipe 57 and the connection pipe 62 are pushed into the internal passage 14a and the internal passage 14b, respectively, by closing the door 4. That is, the dispensing nozzle 51 is positioned at the proper mounting position simply by closing the door 4. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a mechanism for fixing the dispensing nozzle 51 to the base 14, and the cost of the beverage dispenser 1 can be reduced.

  The raw material check valve 55 has a valve body 75 provided in the raw material passage 56 so as to be able to advance and retract. A protrusion 75 a that protrudes radially outward is formed at the rear end of the valve body 75, and is provided between the protrusion 75 a and a step 56 a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the raw material passage 56. The valve body 75 is urged rearward by the coil spring 76. An O-ring 75 b is provided on the outer peripheral surface at the front end of the valve body 75. When the raw material check valve 55 is closed, the valve body 75 is retracted by the spring force of the coil spring 76, and the raw material is brought into contact with the O-ring 75b and the opening 56b which is the raw material discharge port of the raw material passage 56. The passage 56 is in a closed state. When the pressure of the syrup supplied into the raw material passage 56 rises and the load pushing the valve body 75 forward exceeds the spring force of the coil spring 76, the valve body 75 moves forward. When the valve body 75 moves forward and the O-ring 75b is separated from the opening 56b, the raw material check valve 55 is opened.

  Similar to the raw material check valve 55, the dilution water check valve 61 also includes a valve body 77 and a coil spring 78. The coil spring 78 urges the valve body 77 rearward by being provided between the step 60 c of the dilution water passage 60 and a protrusion 77 a formed at the rear end of the valve body 77. Further, the O-ring 77 b provided on the outer peripheral surface at the front end portion of the valve body 77 closes the dilution water passage 60 by contacting the opening 60 d that is the dilution water discharge port of the dilution water passage 60. Yes. When the pressure of the dilution water supplied into the dilution water passage 60 rises and the load pushing the valve body 77 forward exceeds the spring force of the coil spring 78, the valve body 77 moves forward, and the dilution water check valve 61 is moved forward. Is opened.

Next, the operation of the beverage dispenser 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the coolant supplied from the refrigeration apparatus 24 flows through the evaporation pipe 23, thereby cooling the cooling water around the evaporation pipe 23. Further, the cooling water is stirred by the impeller 26b that is driven by the stirring motor 26 and rotates, whereby the inside of the cooling water tank 22 is cooled as a whole. The dilution water supplied into the cooling coil 25 from an external water system (not shown) is cooled by exchanging heat with the cooling water in the cooling water tank 22.

  The pump motor 26 c driven by the stirring motor 26 sucks the cooling water in the cooling water tank 22 and supplies it to the internal cooling unit 31 of the refrigerator unit 11. The cooling water supplied from the pump motor 26c flows through the cooling coil 32 and cools the surrounding air. The air in the refrigerator unit 11 is agitated by the internal fan motor 33, whereby the interior of the refrigerator unit 11 is cooled as a whole. Here, a holder 35 is provided in the coil cover 34 (see FIG. 2) of the internal cooling unit 31, and each raw material container 13 is held by a pair of standing portions 35 a of the holder 35. Therefore, the syrup stored in each raw material container 13 is cooled efficiently.

  In the state as described above, when an operation for starting the dispensing of the beverage is performed by the user, the pump motor 16 corresponding to the beverage selected by the user is operated. When the pump motor 16 is operated, the syrup in the raw material container 13 is supplied into the internal passage 14 a of the base 14 through the raw material supply hose 15 and the pump motor 16 in order. The syrup in the internal passage 14a is supplied into the raw material passage 56 via the connecting pipe 57 (see FIG. 7). At the same time, the electromagnetic valve 17 starts to operate, and the diluted water in the cooling coil 25 is supplied into the internal passage 14 b of the base 14 through the water supply pipe 27 and the electromagnetic valve 17 in this order. The dilution water in the internal passage 14b is supplied into the dilution water passage 60 via the connecting pipe 62 (see FIG. 7).

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the dilution water from the electromagnetic valve 17 is supplied into the dilution water passage 60, the dilution water check valve 61 is opened by the pressure. The pressure of the dilution water in the dilution water passage 60 advances the valve body 77 as shown by the arrow B against the spring force of the coil spring 78, and is thereby closed by the O-ring 77 b of the valve body 77. The opening 60d is opened. The dilution water is discharged into the circular groove 60a from the opened opening 60d.

  Here, in the lower disc part 54b of the diffuser 54, a pouring hole 54d that connects the inside of the circular groove 60a and the inside of the second space part 63b is formed in a portion located on the front side of the circular groove 60a. The pouring hole 54d is closed by the advanced valve body 77. The parallel groove 60b of the nozzle body 52 is closed by the lower disk portion 54b, and the upper end portion thereof is the first space. It opens in the part 63a. Therefore, as shown by the arrow C, the dilution water discharged into the circular groove 60a is discharged into the first space portion 63a through the parallel groove 60b.

  Similarly, when the syrup from the pump motor 16 is supplied into the raw material passage 56, the raw material check valve 55 is opened by the pressure. The pressure of the syrup in the raw material passage 56 advances the valve body 75 against the spring force of the coil spring 76, thereby opening the opening 56 b of the raw material passage 56. As shown by the arrow D, the syrup is discharged into the first space 63a from the opened opening 56b.

  Here, as shown by an arrow C, the dilution water discharged from the dilution water passage 60 is guided upward from the parallel groove 60 b, that is, toward the periphery of the raw material check valve 55. Accordingly, the dilution water is released from the syrup discharged from the raw material passage 56, whereby the syrup and the dilution water are agitated and efficient mixing is performed. Further, since the dilution water hits the valve body 75 of the raw material check valve 55 from below, the dilution water does not affect the operation of the valve body 75, and the water pressure of the dilution water This prevents the valve body 75 from moving.

  In this way, the syrup and dilution water mixed in the first space 63a are further stirred when passing through the through hole 54c of the diffuser 54 as shown by the arrow E to become a beverage. The beverage that has passed through the through hole 54c flows down along the inner wall surface of the nozzle cover 53, and is poured out from the spout 53a into the cup 5 (see FIG. 1).

  Next, when the user performs an operation to stop the dispensing of the beverage, the operation of the pump motor 16 that has supplied the syrup into the dispensing nozzle 51 and the solenoid valve 17 that has supplied the dilution water are stopped. The As shown in FIG. 9, the operation of the electromagnetic valve 17 is stopped, so that the pressure of the dilution water in the dilution water passage 60 decreases. Therefore, the valve body 77 of the dilution water check valve 61 is a coil spring 78. The spring 60 is retracted as indicated by arrow F, and the opening 60 d of the dilution water passage 60 is closed by the O-ring 77 b of the valve body 77. Thus, since the valve body 77 has closed the opening part 60d of the dilution water channel | path 60, after operation which stops the extraction | pouring of a drink is made by the user, the dilution water in the dilution water channel | path 60 becomes circular groove | channel. It does not flow into 60a.

  Similarly, when the operation of the pump motor 16 is stopped, the pressure of the syrup in the raw material passage 56 decreases, so that the valve body 75 of the raw material check valve 55 is a spring of a coil spring 76 (see FIG. 7). Due to the force, it moves backward as shown by arrow G in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, since the valve body 75 closes the opening 56 b of the raw material passage 56, the syrup in the raw material passage 56 is first after the user has performed an operation to stop the dispensing of the beverage. It does not flow out into the space 63a. Therefore, when different types of beverages are continuously poured out, it is possible to prevent the beverage syrup poured out from being mixed into the beverage to be poured out later.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, when the valve body 77 of the dilution water check valve 61 is retracted, the pouring hole 54d of the diffuser 54 is opened. Therefore, the beverage remaining in the first space portion 63a after stopping the beverage dispensing is placed in the second space portion 63b sequentially through the parallel groove 60b, the circular groove 60a, and the dispensing hole 54d as indicated by an arrow H. And is discharged from the outlet 53a. In this way, since the beverage is prevented from remaining in the first space 63a after the beverage is stopped, different types of beverages are mixed when the beverage is continuously poured out. Is prevented.

  As described above, in the beverage dispenser 1 having the single dispensing nozzle 51, the check valve 55 for raw material that opens and closes the opening 56b is provided in each raw material passage 56, and the check for dilution water that opens and closes the opening 60d. Since the valve 61 is provided in the diluting water passage 60, when these are opened, the raw material and the diluting water are mixed in the mixing space 63 to produce a beverage. The produced beverage is poured out from the spout 53a. Further, if the raw material check valve 55 and the dilution water check valve 61 are closed at the time of stopping the dispensing of the beverage, the opening 56b and the opening 60d are closed. 63 does not flow into. Since the plurality of raw material passages 56 configured as described above are provided, when different types of beverages are continuously poured out, the beverage raw material previously poured out does not mix into the beverage to be poured out later. . Therefore, in the beverage dispenser 1, a plurality of types of beverages can be dispensed by the single dispensing nozzle 51, and the increase in the cost of the product is suppressed, and different types of ingredients are prevented from being mixed into the beverage to be dispensed. Is done.

  The mixing space 63 further includes a diffuser 54 that divides the mixing space 63 into a first space portion 63a on the raw material check valve 55 side and a second space portion 63b on the spout 53a side, and the parallel groove 60b and the diffuser of the nozzle body 52 are provided. 54, since the dilution water is introduced into the first space 63a, the dilution water is discharged around the raw material check valve 55 through the parallel groove 60b. Therefore, mixing of the raw material and dilution water in the first space 63a can be performed efficiently.

  Furthermore, since the nozzle cover 53 having a substantially cylindrical shape is rotatable with respect to the nozzle body 52, the direction in which the beverage is dispensed can be arbitrarily changed. The diffuser 54 is held in the dispensing nozzle 51 by a first protrusion 54e and a second protrusion 54f, and the first protrusion 54e and the second protrusion 54f have their axial center lines on the same straight line. Since the nozzle cover 53 is rotated, it is possible to prevent the diffuser 54 from rotating when the nozzle cover 53 is rotated.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
Next, a beverage dispenser according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described.
In the following embodiments, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 9 are the same or similar components, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.
The beverage dispenser according to the second embodiment is obtained by changing the diffuser of the dispensing nozzle with respect to the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 shows a dispensing nozzle 81 of the beverage dispenser according to the second embodiment.
The dispensing nozzle 81 includes a nozzle body 52 and a nozzle cover 53, and a diffuser 82 provided therebetween. The diffuser 82 has an upper disc portion 82a and a lower disc portion 82b that are stepped from each other when viewed from the side. Like the diffuser 54 in the first embodiment, the diffuser 82 is provided on both sides of the upper disc portion 82a. The first projection 82c and the second projection 82d are held in the dispensing nozzle 81. In addition, a pour hole 82e that is opened and closed by the dilution water check valve 61 is formed in the lower disk portion 82b.

  The step between the upper disc portion 82a and the lower disc portion 82b has a shape in which both sides thereof are inclined downward (see FIG. 12) with the central portion as an apex. A guide member 83 for changing the cross-sectional area of the parallel groove 60b of the nozzle body 52 is placed on the support surface 82f formed on the first space 63a side by the step portion. The guide member 83 (see FIG. 11) is a fan-shaped member when viewed from the front, and a projection 83a that projects into the parallel groove 60b of the nozzle body 52 is provided at the center thereof. Further, the upper disk portion 82a is provided with a screw member 84 for moving the guide member 83 in the front-rear direction. By rotating the screw member 84, the parallel groove 60b and the protruding portion 83a of the guide member 83 are provided. The gap d between the two is changed. By increasing or decreasing the gap d, the momentum of the diluted water discharged from the parallel groove 60b when the beverage is dispensed is changed.

  In the guide member 83 shown in FIG. 11, the periphery of the protrusion 83a is formed in a flat plate shape, and the bottom 83b has a shape in which both end portions are inclined downward along the shape of the support surface 82f. Yes. Further, a through hole 83c is formed in a portion located above the protruding portion 83a, and the second protrusion 82d of the diffuser 82 is inserted into the through hole 83c. By holding the guide member 83 with the support surface 82f and the second protrusion 82d inserted into the through hole 83c, the guide member 83 is prevented from vibrating due to the momentum of the diluted water released.

The outer peripheral portion of the upper disk portion 82 a is bent rearward and is in contact with the front surface of the nozzle body 52. A through hole 53c is formed in the nozzle cover 53 on the upper side of the bent portion. The through-hole 53c is used as an air hole for smoothly pouring the beverage stored in the dispensing nozzle 81 at the time of dispensing the beverage.
Also, as shown in FIG. 12, the diffuser 82 is formed so that both sides thereof are linear, and a gap is formed between both sides of the diffuser 82 and the inner peripheral surface of the nozzle cover 53. It is like that. The beverage stirred in the first space 63a flows into the second space 63b through this gap. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  As described above, since the guide member 83 capable of changing the passage cross-sectional area of the parallel groove 60b is provided, the momentum of the diluted water discharged into the first space portion 63a when the beverage is poured out depends on the type and characteristics of the syrup. Can be changed.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
Next, a beverage dispenser according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described.
The beverage dispenser according to the third embodiment is obtained by changing the diffuser of the dispensing nozzle with respect to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 13, the dispensing nozzle 91 includes a diffuser 92 that is held between the nozzle body 52 and the nozzle cover 53. Similar to the diffuser 54 in the first embodiment, the diffuser 92 includes an upper disk portion 92 a that forms a first space 63 a between the diffuser 92 and a lower disk portion 92 b that contacts the nozzle body 52. Have. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, a part of the upper disk portion 92 a protrudes upward to form a thick injection portion 92 c that comes into contact with the front surface of the nozzle body 52.

  An injection hole 92d, which is a through hole that communicates the parallel groove 60b of the nozzle body 52 and the first space portion 63a, is formed inside the injection unit 92c. By communicating the parallel groove 60b and the first space 63a through the injection hole 92d, the dilution water discharged from the dilution water passage 60 is vigorously injected into the first space 63a. Yes. Moreover, the outer peripheral part of the upper disc part 92a is refracted to the rear side, and forms a diffusion plate 92e for diffusing the dilution water injected from the injection hole 92d into the first space part 63a.

  As with the diffuser 54 in the first embodiment, the diffuser 92 is poured out by a first protrusion 92f provided on the front surface of the injection part 92c and a second protrusion 92g provided on the rear surface of the injection part 92c. It is held in the nozzle 91. In addition, a pour hole 92h that is opened and closed by the dilution water check valve 61 is formed in the lower disk portion 92b. Both sides of the diffuser 92 are formed in a straight line, and a gap is formed between both sides of the diffuser 92 and the inner peripheral surface of the nozzle cover 53. The beverage stirred in the first space 63a flows into the second space 63b through this gap. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  In the dispensing nozzle 91 configured as described above, the dilution water discharged from the dilution water passage 60 is jetted into the first space portion 63a through the circular groove 60a, the parallel groove 60b, and the injection hole 92d sequentially ( (See arrow J1 in FIG. 14). The injected dilution water strikes the diffusion plate 92e and diffuses left and right (see arrow J2 in FIG. 14), whereby the dilution water and the syrup discharged from the raw material passage 56 are agitated. Furthermore, due to the fact that the dilution water is jetted vigorously from the jet hole 92d, a negative pressure region having a lower pressure than the other regions is formed around the jet hole 92d. The once agitated beverage is attracted to the negative pressure region, thereby generating a flow in which the beverage rotates as indicated by an arrow J3 in FIG. When such a flow occurs, the beverage is further agitated. The beverage agitated in this way flows into the second space 63b through the gap between the both sides of the diffuser 92 and the inner peripheral surface of the nozzle cover 53 (see arrow J4 in FIG. 14), Is issued.

  Thus, since it comprised so that dilution water might be jetted vigorously in the 1st space part 63a by the injection hole 92d, the flow which a drink rotates in the 1st space part 63a generate | occur | produces. Therefore, stirring of the raw material and the dilution water can be performed efficiently.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
Next, a beverage dispenser according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described.
The beverage dispenser according to the fourth embodiment is obtained by changing the cooling coil and the coil cover of the internal cooling unit with respect to the first embodiment, and the amount and dirt of the cooling water in the cooling water tank 22 are changed. It can be easily confirmed. In addition, since it is the same as that of the drink dispenser 1 which concerns on Embodiment 1 about structures other than said cooling coil and a coil cover, the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.
As shown in FIG. 15, in the internal cooling unit 31 arranged in the refrigerator unit 11, a part of the cooling coil 101 to which the cooling water from the cooling water tank 22 is supplied is a transparent member such as glass or plastic. A transparent tube 102 formed in such a manner is provided so as to extend in the vertical direction.

  In the cooling coil 101, the end 101 a on the side where the cooling water is returned into the cooling water tank 22 is disposed above the cooling water tank 22, that is, at a position higher than the cooling water level in the cooling water tank 22. Therefore, when the pump motor 26c for supplying the cooling water to the cooling coil 101 is stopped, air flows into the cooling coil 101 from the end portion 101a. Therefore, the cooling water level in the cooling water tank 22 and the transparent tube The water level of the cooling water in 102 becomes the same height.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the transparent tube 102 is visible through the long hole 104 provided in the coil cover 103 of the internal cooling unit 31, so that the contamination of the cooling water can be confirmed. It is possible. The coil cover 103 is provided with a mark 105 for confirming the amount of the cooling water in the cooling water tank 22. Based on this mark 105, the amount of the cooling water in the cooling water tank 22 can be confirmed. It is like that. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

In Embodiments 1 to 4, the check valve for raw material and the check valve for dilution water are configured as persons having a valve body and a coil spring, but the configuration of these check valves is not limited. For example, a check valve generally called a duckbill can be used.
Further, in the valve body of the check valve, a handle 110a can be provided on the front surface of the valve body, for example, as shown in FIG. As a result, the handle 110a can be pinched and the valve body can be pulled forward, so that maintenance such as cleaning can be easily performed.
In Embodiments 1 to 4, the door that holds the dispensing nozzle inside the housing is provided so as to rotate around its upper end, but is limited to rotating the door. is not. For example, the same effect can be obtained by using a door that opens and closes the front opening of the housing by sliding in the vertical direction.

  1 Beverage Dispenser, 51, 81, 91 Dispensing Nozzle, 52 Nozzle Body, 53 Nozzle Cover, 53a Spout, 54, 82, 92 Diffuser, 54e, 82c, 92f First Projection, 54f, 82d, 92g Second Projection, 55 Check valve for raw material, 56 Raw material passage, 56b Opening portion (raw material discharge port), 60 Dilution water passage, 60b Parallel groove (dilution water introduction passage), 60d Opening portion (dilution water discharge port), 61 Reverse for dilution water Stop valve, 63 mixing space (space part), 63a first space part, 63b second space part, 83 guide member, 92d injection hole.

Claims (5)

In a beverage dispenser comprising a single dispensing nozzle for dispensing a beverage by producing a beverage by mixing raw materials and dilution water,
The dispensing nozzle is
A nozzle body having a plurality of raw material passages to which the raw material is supplied and a single dilution water passage to which the dilution water is supplied;
It has a spout for pouring out the beverage, and is provided with a nozzle cover that partitions the space for mixing the raw material and the dilution water by being attached to the nozzle body.
Each of the plurality of material passages is provided with a material check valve for opening and closing a material discharge port for discharging the material into the space,
A beverage dispenser characterized in that the dilution water passage is provided with a dilution water check valve for opening and closing a dilution water discharge port for discharging the dilution water into the space. Further comprising a diffuser that divides the space in the pouring nozzle into a first space on the raw material discharge port side and a second space on the pouring port side,
A dilution water introduction passage is formed between the nozzle body and the diffuser to communicate the dilution water discharge port and the first space.
2. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the dilution water is discharged to the periphery of the raw material check valve through the dilution water introduction passage. The nozzle cover has a substantially cylindrical shape and is rotatably attached to the nozzle body.
The diffuser is
While having a first protrusion protruding to the nozzle cover side and a second protrusion protruding to the nozzle body side,
The first protrusion and the nozzle cover are in contact with each other, and the second protrusion and the nozzle body are in contact with each other, and are held in the dispensing nozzle.
The beverage dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion are arranged such that the axial center lines of the first protrusion and the second protrusion are not on the same straight line.   The beverage dispenser according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the diffuser includes a guide member that increases or decreases a cross-sectional area of the dilution water introduction passage.   The beverage dispenser according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the diffuser communicates the dilution water introduction passage and the first space, and has an injection hole having a passage cross-sectional area smaller than a passage cross-sectional area of the dilution water introduction passage.

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