JP4190266B2 - Coffee beverage production equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  The present invention,Regarding milk beverage manufacturing equipment, in particular, milk formers that are reduced in size and cost.-The present invention relates to a coffee beverage manufacturing apparatus that is miniaturized and simplified in configuration.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a conventional coffee beverage manufacturing apparatus, by supplying ground coffee beans ground to a predetermined particle size to an extraction chamber having a pressure-resistant structure, and passing the ground hot beans pressurized by a pump through the ground beans Some extract coffee.
[0003]
According to this coffee beverage manufacturing apparatus, elution of coffee components is promoted by using hot water during extraction of ground beans. Moreover, when hot water is pressurized and supplied, the hot water penetrates into the ground bean structure, and as a result, a dark coffee liquid is obtained. Espresso coffee is known as coffee extracted in this way.
[0004]
In addition, recently, it has been considered that taste and visual preference is given to sufficiently forming fine, fine bubbles in the coffee liquid poured into the cup. One of the conditions for forming the bubbles is the pressure at the time of extraction, and it is necessary to increase the extraction pressure in the extraction chamber to a predetermined high pressure from the start of extraction.
[0005]
As a coffee beverage production apparatus that extracts hot coffee water through coffee grains (ground beans), for example, hot water is heated in a hot water tank section with a heater to generate hot water, which is stored in the hot water tank section. There is a coffee beverage production apparatus configured to supply ground coffee from a coffee mill to a coffee extractor and supply the coffee liquid extracted by the coffee extractor to a cup (for example, patents) Reference 1).
[0006]
In Patent Document 1, coffee bubbles can be generated by a valve mechanism (electromagnetic valve, check valve, etc.) that controls the flow and opening of the extracted hot water on the downstream side of the coffee extractor.
[0007]
In addition, coffee beverage vending machines equipped with milk formers and coffee beverage production apparatuses have been proposed. Conventionally, in a coffee beverage manufacturing apparatus, powdered milk and hot water are mixed to create a cream, and this is put into coffee extracted by a coffee extractor. However, with the improvement of beverage quality, milk formers that produce milk foam from raw milk have come to be used. The milk former is a device for mixing milk and air when supplying milk to the coffee extractor and supplying the milk to the coffee extractor in a foamed state (aeration). In the milk former, the milk is cooled by a cooling device so that the milk can be stored for a long time. Therefore, if milk is supplied to the coffee extractor as it is, the temperature of the coffee in the coffee extractor is lowered, and the taste and feel are impaired. Therefore, the milk from the milk reservoir is mixed with air using the steam generated by the steam generator or steam supply when it is supplied to the coffee extractor while being stored in a cold state, foamed and steamed. An apparatus for supplying a milk mixture to a coffee extractor has been proposed (see Patent Documents 2 and 3).
[0008]
The mixing of milk and air uses a structure in which milk is forcibly supplied to a mixing unit by a pump from a steam supply unit (see Patent Document 3), and the principle of a sprayer is applied to generate negative pressure at the milk supply port. Thus, the milk is sucked, the sucked milk is warmed, and further foamed and discharged (see Patent Document 4).
[0009]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-076244
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-22856
[Patent Document 3]
JP 2000-157231 A
[Patent Document 4]
JP-A-6-189854
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, according to the conventional milk former, since the steam is generated from the water stage in the configurations of Patent Documents 2 and 3, a dedicated steam generator and a steam feeder are required, and the milk former is used as a coffee. When used in a beverage production apparatus, the coffee beverage production apparatus is enlarged. In addition, it is necessary to provide heating units at two locations for generating steam and extracting coffee, which increases power consumption and maintenance costs. Furthermore, since it is necessary to store milk directly in a dedicated tank, handling of replenishment and replacement of milk in a store or the like is troublesome, and hygiene management is not easy.
[0011]
In addition, according to the conventional coffee beverage production apparatus, in the configurations of Patent Documents 2 and 3, two tanks for a milk foamer and a tank for coffee extraction are required, so the apparatus is enlarged and the configuration is complicated. The cost increases due to an increase in power consumption.
[0012]
  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a milk foamer that can be simplified in structure, reduced in size and reduced in cost, and can be easily replenished and replaced with milk.Use a coffee beverage production device that can be used to reduce the overall size, simplify, reduce power consumption, and reduce costs.It is to provide.
[0014]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The present invention, YieldA milk cooler that cools one or more stored milk packs, a pump that discharges hot water from a hot water tank of a coffee beverage production apparatus, a boiler that generates steam based on the hot water from the pump, and the boiler A milker is provided that sucks milk from the milk cold storage by steam and sucks air, and mixes and discharges the sucked air and the sucked milk.The
[0015]
According to this configuration, since the hot water tank of the coffee beverage production apparatus can be used as a hot water source for the milk former, there is no need to provide a dedicated hot water tank for the milk foamer, and the boiler can be small-scale. Simplification, downsizing, and cost reduction can be achieved. Furthermore, since commercially available milk packs available everywhere can be used, handling such as replenishment and replacement of milk becomes easy, and convenience, workability, and hygiene can be improved.
[0016]
  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention stores hot water of a predetermined temperature in a hot water tank, supplies the ground coffee beans crushed to a predetermined particle size to a coffee extractor, and pumps the hot water tank. In a coffee beverage production apparatus for extracting the coffee liquid by supplying the hot water to the coffee extractor from a pipe, a pump for discharging the hot water from the hot water tank, and generating steam based on the hot water from the pump A steam generator, and the steam generated by the steam generator sucks milk from one or more milk packs and sucks air, and mixes the sucked air and the sucked milk into the coffee liquid from the coffee extractor. A milk foamer including a milker to be injected, an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the pressure of the extraction unit of the coffee extractor to be equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure, PipingA first pressure sensor arranged in theAnd the arrangement on the extraction side of the coffee extractorOn the tubeDistributedSecondA pressure sensor;First and secondBased on the detection result of the pressure sensor, the extraction unit is maintained at a predetermined pressure or higher, and the pressure in the pipe and the extraction side pipe is reduced.And flow rateAnd a control unit for adjusting the coffee beverage production apparatus.
[0017]
  According to this configuration,At the same time as fine bubbles are generated, coffee with a rich and rich taste and aroma can be obtained. If the detection result of the pressure sensor is displayed on the coffee beverage manufacturing apparatus and can be notified to the outside, the adjustment work can be easily performed at the manufacturing factory or maintenance. Also,The milk former does not generate steam from the water stage, but steam is generated by the boiler using hot water in the hot water tank for the coffee extractor, so the milk foamer tank is no longer required and the equipment is downsized. Simplification, low power consumption, and cost reduction are possible. Furthermore, since a milk pack available everywhere is used, convenience, workability, and hygiene can be improved.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a milk foamer of the present invention and a coffee beverage production apparatus using the same.
The hot water tank 1 can store several liters of drinking water, and the drinking water is heated to, for example, 97 ° C. with a heater (not shown) and kept warm. One end of a pipe 2 is connected to the hot water tank 1, and an electromagnetic valve 3 is disposed in the middle of the pipe 2. A gear pump 4 that pressurizes and discharges hot water is attached to the bottom of the hot water tank 1, and a bypass pipe 5 is connected between the gear pump 4 and the pipe 2. A relief valve 6 is provided for returning the hot water in the hot water tank 1. One end of a pipe 7 is connected to the discharge port of the gear pump 4, and a flow meter 8 is provided in the middle of the pipe 7. One end of a pipe 9 is connected to the other ends of the pipes 2 and 7, and a needle valve 10 serving as a valve mechanism for controlling the hot water supply flow rate is provided in the middle of the pipe 9, and a reverse flow for preventing backflow of hot water. A stop valve 19 is provided. A coffee extractor 11 is connected to the other end of the pipe 9, and a chute 12 is installed above the coffee extractor 11, and ground beans are ground by a grinding blade (not shown) that rotates the ground beans at a high speed. Then, a coffee mill 13 having a predetermined particle size is installed, and a beans storage container 14 for storing the ground beans and supplying the ground beans to the coffee mill 13 is installed above the coffee mill 13. A pipe 17 that forms an extraction system is connected to the lower part of the coffee extractor 11, and an extraction electromagnetic valve 15 and a needle valve 16 that control the discharge of coffee liquid are provided in the middle of the pipe 17. The extraction electromagnetic valve 15 and the needle valve 16 form an adjustment mechanism. A cup (not shown) is disposed below the pipe 17.
[0019]
In addition, although a sugar and cream are inject | poured into a cup by a buyer's request | requirement with injection | pouring of coffee liquid, illustration and description are abbreviate | omitted about these supply systems. Further, when the ground beans are supplied from the coffee mill 13 to the chute 12, the weighing is performed by a measuring instrument, which is not shown.
[0020]
A pressure sensor 18 a is attached to the outflow side of the needle valve 10, and a pressure sensor 18 b is attached to the inflow side of the extraction electromagnetic valve 15. A controller 40 is connected to the pressure sensors 18a and 18b. The control unit 40 controls the entire coffee beverage production apparatus, and includes a memory that stores programs and data, a timer that generates a clock signal, and a CPU that operates based on the clock signal and the program. . The control unit 40 is also connected with an electromagnetic valve 3, a gear pump 4, a relief valve 6, a flow meter 8, an extraction electromagnetic valve 15 and the like, and is a control target.
[0021]
The milk former 30 includes a pipe 31 serving as a passage for taking out hot water from the hot water tank 1, an electromagnetic pump 32 provided in the middle of the pipe 31, a steam boiler 33 provided at a subsequent stage of the electromagnetic pump 32, and an end of the pipe 31. The milk nozzle 34 provided in the section, the mixing section 35 provided in the pipe 31 in the vicinity of the milk nozzle 34 to mix milk and steam, the milk cooler 36 that contains a plurality of milk packs 37 and is kept cool, the milk pack 37 and the tube 38 which connects the mixing part 35 are comprised. A milker 50 is formed by the milk nozzle 34 and the mixing unit 35.
[0022]
FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the coffee extractor 11. The coffee extractor 11 includes a cylinder 21 that stores ground beans supplied from the coffee mill 13 via the chute 12, a piston 22 that is inserted into the cylinder 21, a piston drive motor 23 that drives the piston 22, and the motor 23 and the piston. The torque transmission part 24 which connects 22 is provided, and these form the cylinder unit D. The coffee extractor 11 further includes a motor 25 for tilting the entire cylinder unit D at a predetermined angle, a cap 26 attached to the cylinder 21 when the cylinder unit D is tilted, and driving the motor 25 with the cap 26. A gear 27 to be engaged with the cylinder 21 is provided as a source. The gear 27 is supported by a rotating shaft 27a. The pipe 9 passes through the cap 26. Note that W is a wiper provided at the lower portion of the chute 12.
[0023]
FIG. 3 shows a detailed configuration of the milk former 30 and the milker 50.
The hot water tank 1 is provided with a heater 1A, and the stored hot water 1B is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater 1A and kept warm. An electromagnetic valve 39 is arranged in front of the electromagnetic pump (steam pump) 32 of the pipe 31, and the valve opens and closes under the control of the control unit 40 in accordance with the supply of hot water and ground beans to the coffee extractor 11. Is done. The steam boiler 33 heats the hot water from the hot water tank 1 by the heater 33 </ b> A (for example, about 170 ° C.) to generate steam, and supplies this steam to the milker 50. A temperature sensor (not shown) is attached to the steam boiler 33, and temperature control is performed by the control unit 40 so that the hot water temperature is set based on the detection value of the temperature sensor. A heat insulating tube 31 </ b> A is externally attached to the pipe 31 in the part of the milker 50 from the steam boiler 33 of the pipe 31 so that heat does not escape.
[0024]
The milker 50 includes a milker body 51 having a milk nozzle 34, a lid 53 attached to the milker body 51 via an O-ring 52, a steam nozzle 55 attached to the milker body 51 via two O-rings 54, and this steam. An air suction port 56 provided in the upper part of the milker main body 51 in the vicinity of the end of the nozzle 55, a milk suction port 57 provided at a position opposite to the air suction port 56 and connected to the end of the pipe 31, and the pipe 31. Is provided with a milk flow rate adjusting mechanism 58.
[0025]
Here, the operation of the milk former 30 will be described. When there is a request to put milk into the coffee extracted by the coffee extractor 11 and poured into the cup, the controller 40 opens the electromagnetic valve 39 and then operates the electromagnetic pump 32 for a predetermined time. By this operation, hot water is discharged from the hot water tank 1. However, since the hot water temperature in the hot water tank 1 is set to a temperature suitable for use in the coffee extractor 11 (for example, 97 ° C.), it is not the steam required by the milk former 30. Therefore, the hot water from the electromagnetic pump 32 is heated by the steam boiler 33 to generate steam. Since the hot water in the hot water tank 1 has a temperature close to 100 ° C., the heat capacity of the steam boiler 33 may be low. Therefore, the steam boiler 33 may be a small device, and the installation space may be small. The steam from the steam boiler 33 is injected from the steam nozzle 55 into the milker 50. When the vapor passes through the vicinity of the air suction port 56 and the milk suction port 57 (mixing unit 35), a negative pressure is generated in the mixing unit 35, air is sucked from the air suction port 56, and milk is sucked from the milk suction port 57. Is inhaled. The sucked milk is mixed with air by the vapor passing therethrough, so that it is discharged from the milk nozzle 34 in a foamed state and supplied to the coffee cup.
[0026]
FIG. 4 shows the detailed configuration of the milk cool box 36, and FIG. 5 shows the appearance of the milk cool box 36. In FIG. 4, (a) shows a front cross section, and (b) shows a side surface.
The milk cooler 36 has a space in which two 1-liter commercial milk packs 37 can be accommodated, and is formed by, for example, resin molding in which a main body portion 61 made of stainless steel and a hinge portion 62A are coupled to the upper portion thereof. The lid 62 forms a housing part. In order to fix the hinge portion 62A, a lid support portion 61A is provided on the upper portion of the main body portion 61. A packing 61 </ b> B made of silicon or rubber is provided on the upper surface of the main body 61 in order to maintain hermeticity with the closed lid 62. Further, the main body 61 incorporates a milk pack storage case 63 made of an aluminum material or the like, and the periphery thereof is filled with a heat insulating material 64 made of urethane foam or polystyrene foam.
[0027]
A part of the heat insulating material 64 facing the side surface of the main body is removed, and a cooling device 65 is disposed in this part to cool the milk pack 37 and the milk pack storage case 63. The cooling device 65 is composed of an electronic refrigeration unit 65A using a Peltier effect in which dissimilar metals are joined and heat is absorbed when both surfaces are energized, and aluminum or an aluminum attached to the electronic refrigeration unit 65A. A copper radiator 65B is provided. By using the electronic refrigeration unit 65A, the installation space can be reduced as compared with the cooling device using the refrigerant liquid, and the milk cooler 36 can be downsized. The electronic refrigeration unit 65A is not limited to the configuration using the Peltier effect, and may be configured using other principles such as the Seebeck effect.
[0028]
An electric fan 66 is provided facing the radiator 65B in order to cool the radiator 65B heated by heat exchange by the electronic refrigeration unit 65A by applying outside air. Further, a power supply circuit 67 and a control circuit 68 for supplying power to the electronic refrigeration unit 65 </ b> A and the electric fan 66 are built in the main body 61. Facing the control circuit 68, the main body 61 is provided with a vent hole 61D. In addition, four rubber feet 61 </ b> C are attached to the four corners of the bottom surface of the main body 61.
[0029]
As shown in FIG. 5, a drawer hole 61 </ b> E for pulling out the milk suction tube 69 such as a rubber tube is provided on the upper surface of the main body 61. One end of the milk suction tube 69 is connected to the pipe 38, and a branching device 70 is connected to the other end. A pack tube 71A is connected to the first branch port of the branching device 70, and a pack tube 71B is connected to the second branch port. Puncture pipes 72A and 72B (pipe members) are attached to the pack tubes 71A and 71B. The piercing pipe 72A is pierced on the upper surface of the milk pack 37A, and the piercing pipe 72B is pierced on the upper surface of the milk pack 37B. The piercing pipes 72A and 72B are inserted until their tips reach the vicinity of the bottom surfaces of the milk packs 37A and 37B, so that the milk in the milk packs 37A and 37B can be almost completely used.
[0030]
The milk cooler 36 according to the present invention can use a commercially available milk pack 37 that can be easily obtained from a convenience store. The replacement work is completed simply by inserting the piercing pipes 72A and 72B. There is no hygiene problem because the milk in the milk pack is not exposed.
[0031]
Next, operation | movement of a coffee drink manufacturing apparatus is demonstrated.
As described above, in espresso coffee, it is considered that taste and visual preference is good that fine, fine bubbles are sufficiently formed in the coffee liquid poured into the cup. In order to form bubbles in the upper part of the coffee extracted by the coffee extractor 11 and poured into the cup, a flow rate adjusting mechanism such as a needle valve is provided on the downstream side of the coffee extractor 11, and the coffee extractor 11 is provided at the initial stage of extraction. Constant pressure (0.4 MPa: about 4.0 kgf / cm²) At the above time, the valve may be opened and decompressed. However, only by performing this control, a large amount of foam can be generated, but it becomes a large-sized foam and does not become a fine foam.
[0032]
However, during the coffee extraction after opening the valve, the inventor applied the extraction part (P3 shown in FIG. 1) to a predetermined pressure (0.30 MPa: about 3.0 kgf / cm).²) While maintaining the above, it was found that fine high-quality bubbles can be formed by continuing a predetermined pressure reduction (0.05 to 0.20 MPa) before and after the extraction part (P2 and P3 shown in FIG. 1).
[0033]
The above extraction control is achieved by controlling the extraction electromagnetic valve 15 and the needle valve 10. The control of the extraction solenoid valve 15 is performed by the control unit 40 based on the detection results of the flow meter 8 and the pressure sensors 18a and 18b. The needle valve 10 is adjusted manually by a maintenance manager or the like, for example.
[0034]
In espresso coffee, in which high-temperature hot water is supplied under pressure to ground coffee beans and the coffee liquid is extracted, taste, aroma, and vision are important. That is, (1) fine coffee bubbles are extracted and retained above the extracted coffee liquid, and (2) there is a rich and rich taste and aroma. As mentioned above, fine-grained coffee bubbles only require P3 to have a pressure value of 0.30 MPa or more, but in order to obtain a coffee with a richer rich taste and fragrance, the conditions must be tightened. Confirmed that it can be achieved. That is, during the coffee extraction, the pressure (P3) of the coffee extractor 11 is set within a predetermined pressure range (0.35 to 0.71 MPa: about 3.5 to 7.1 kgf / cm.²And the flow rate during the extraction is controlled within a predetermined flow rate range (3.5 to 6.5 ml / second).
[0035]
As described above, the valve mechanism (the needle valve 10 in the present invention) is provided at the rear stage of the gear pump 4 and the front stage of the coffee extractor 11, and the adjustment mechanism (the extraction electromagnetic wave in the present invention is provided) at the rear stage of the coffee extractor 11. By providing the valve 15 and the needle valve 16) and setting them to the above pressure value and flow rate value, it is possible to obtain a coffee with a rich and rich taste and aroma along with the generation of fine bubbles. A check valve may be used instead of the needle valve 16. Further, the adjustment mechanism may be configured by only the extraction electromagnetic valve 15 or the needle valve 16 or may be configured by “extraction electromagnetic valve 15 + needle valve 16”. Alternatively, an electric valve may be used. The motor-operated valve has both functions of an electromagnetic valve and a needle valve, and the opening degree can be adjusted during the opening operation. From this, the control part 40 can perform the automatic control which makes the said pressure value and flow volume value based on the detection result of the flowmeter 8 and pressure sensor 18a, 18b.
[0036]
(A)-(h) of FIG. 6 shows the main operation | movement in the coffee extractor 11 in a coffee extraction process in order. The operation will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 6A shows the stage of supplying ground beans P to the cylinder 21. The cylinder 21 is in an upright state, and the ground beans P are supplied from the coffee mill 13 through the chute 12 to the cylinder 21.
[0037]
FIG. 6 (b) shows the first state of the extraction preparation process. The cylinder 21 after the supply of the ground beans is in an upright state, but the piston drive motor 23 is energized to drive the gear 27 and operate. As a result, the entire cylinder unit D is rotated in the direction of the arrow, and the cylinder 21 is inclined at a predetermined angle. And the head of the cylinder 21 is sealed with the cap 26, and it will be in the state of (c) of FIG.
[0038]
FIG. 6C shows a second state of the extraction preparation step. The cap 26 is lowered and inserted into the cylinder 21 in synchronization with the inclination of the cylinder unit D, and the drive of the piston drive motor 23 is stopped. At this time, the gear 27 stops at a position rotated 180 degrees from the state shown in FIG.
[0039]
FIGS. 6 (d) and (e) show the first and second stages of coffee extraction, respectively. In FIG. 6D, the piston drive motor 23 is operated, the piston 22 is pushed up via the torque transmission unit 24, and the ground beans in the cylinder 21 are compressed. Further, hot and pressurized hot water is supplied to the cylinder 21 sealed with the cap 26 through the pipe 9, and coffee liquid is extracted from the compressed ground beans.
[0040]
Before supplying hot water through the pipe 9, the gear pump 4 is operated for a short time, and the lukewarm water in the gear pump 4 is returned to the hot water tank 1 through the bypass pipe 5 and the relief valve 6. The operation to send to 9 is performed. When the exchange of hot water in the gear pump 4 is finished, the gear pump 4 is temporarily stopped and the relief valve 6 is closed. With the relief valve 6 closed, hot and pressurized hot water is supplied from the pipe 17 to the cylinder 21 as shown in FIG.
[0041]
In (e) of FIG. 6 which shows the 2nd state of an extraction process, piston 22 is further pushed up, the coffee liquid in the cylinder 21 is sent to the piping 17, and the extraction basket of ground beans is compressed. At this time, the pipe 9 is opened to the atmosphere by an unshown open valve.
[0042]
FIG. 6 (f) shows a disposal preparation process (stage for depressurizing the cylinder 21) of the extraction basket. The piston 22 is pushed down by the reverse rotation of the piston drive motor 23, and the hot water in the pipe 9 and the pipe 17 Of coffee is sucked into the cylinder 21.
[0043]
FIG. 6G shows the step of removing the cap 26 from the cylinder 21. The cap 26 is separated from the head of the cylinder 21 by the operation of the motor 25 and the gear 27, and the piston 22 is pushed up again by the operation of the piston drive motor 23, so that the ground bean extraction basket R is pushed up from the cylinder 21.
[0044]
FIG. 6 (h) shows the stage of discarding the extracted soot. The cylinder unit D is rotated in the direction of the arrow by the operation of the motor 25 and the gear 27, and the cylinder 21 is brought into an upright state. During this rotation, the extracted soot pushed out from the cylinder 21 is scraped off by the wiper W under the chute 12, falls into a bucket (not shown), and is discarded.
[0045]
Next, operation | movement of a coffee drink manufacturing apparatus is demonstrated. Here, after the end of the supply, the ground beans to be used in the next supply operation are supplied to the cylinder 21 and compressed by the cap 26 and the piston 22 as one process.
[0046]
When the operator inputs an extraction start by operating an operation unit (not shown), a corresponding signal is output to the control unit 40 and the electromagnetic valve 3 is opened. At the same time, the gear pump 4 is driven at a low speed, and a small amount of hot water is delivered to the pipe 7. Thereby, hot water staying in the pipe 7 is pumped to the pipe 2 through the solenoid valve 3 and returned to the hot water tank 1, and at the same time, the pipe 7 is heated with hot water of about 90 ° C. to 95 ° C. supplied from the hot water tank 1. To warm up. When the warming of the pipe 7 is completed, the driving of the gear pump 4 is stopped, and then the electromagnetic valve 3 is closed.
[0047]
Ground beans are supplied to the cylinder 21 after the previous supply operation, and the motor 25 is driven to incline the cylinder unit D of the coffee extractor 11 to the extraction position. The cap 26 is inserted into the cylinder 21 in synchronism with the tilting operation, and then the piston drive motor 23 is driven. Thereby, piston 22 raises and the ground beans accommodated in the cylinder 21 are tamped. The current value of the piston drive motor 23 at the time of tamping is detected by a current detection circuit (not shown). When a predetermined current value corresponding to the coffee liquid to be sold is detected, the piston drive motor 23 is braked and then energized. Stops.
[0048]
Subsequently, the gear pump 4 is driven, and hot water heated to about 90 ° C. to 95 ° C. at a pressure of 6 to 8 atm is supplied to the cylinder 21. In this coffee liquid extraction operation, the ground beans in the coffee extractor 11 are exposed to hot water having a pressure corresponding to the pressure resistance of the check valve 19. As a result, a dark coffee liquid from which coffee components are sufficiently eluted from the beginning of extraction is extracted. The check valve 19 is opened when the supply pressure of the coffee liquid exceeds the pressure resistance, and the coffee liquid is poured into the cup (not shown) via the pipe 17. At this time, fine bubbles are formed on the top of the coffee liquid poured into the cup. In addition, when the solenoid valve 39 is energized and the solenoid pump 32 is energized, the milk former is operated, and the steamed foamed milk is poured into the cup and mixed with the coffee liquid.
[0049]
When the extraction of the coffee liquid is completed, the driving of the gear pump 4 is stopped. The piston drive motor 23 is driven to further raise the piston 22. Packing the extracted mash based on the upward movement of the piston 22 squeezes the coffee liquid in the mash.
[0050]
To discard the extractor, after the motor 25 is driven and the cap 26 is separated from the cylinder 21, the piston drive motor 23 is driven to rotate forward to raise the piston 22, thereby pushing the extractor upward and the top of the cylinder 21. In this state, the motor 25 is driven to rotate the cylinder unit D to the upright position. By this rotation, the extraction basket comes into contact with the wiper W provided on the lower side wall of the chute 12 and is removed from the cylinder unit D. After removing the extractor, the piston drive motor 23 is driven in reverse to lower the piston 22 to complete one sales operation.
[0051]
As described above, according to the coffee beverage manufacturing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the milk former 30 generates steam by the steam boiler 33 using the hot water in the hot water tank 1 for the coffee extractor. This eliminates the need for a tank, and enables downsizing, simplification, low power consumption, and cost reduction of the apparatus. Furthermore, since a milk pack available everywhere is used, convenience, workability, and hygiene can be improved.
[0052]
Further, a flow rate adjusting mechanism by the needle valve 10 is provided at a position after the gear pump 4 and before the coffee extractor 11, and a flow rate control by the solenoid valve 15 and the needle valve 16 is provided at the subsequent stage of the coffee extractor 11. By providing a mechanism and adjusting or controlling the pressure of the extraction part of the coffee extractor 11 to 0.3 MPa or higher, preferably within the range of 0.35 to 0.71 MPa, simultaneously with the generation of fine bubbles A rich and rich flavor and aroma of coffee can also be obtained.
[0053]
In the said embodiment, since it was set as the structure which provided the pressure sensors 18a and 18b, if it is set as the structure which can display the detection result of a sensor in a coffee drink manufacturing apparatus, or it can notify outside, in the case of a manufacturing factory or a maintenance Adjustment work can be easily performed.
[0054]
Further, in the above configuration, the gear pump 4 is used for hot water supply from the hot water tank 1, but this is adopted because it is small in size and can avoid poor pumping of hot water due to pressure increase in the piping and is small. However, other types of pumps may be used as long as they have similar performance. The electromagnetic pump 32 can similarly use other types of pumps.
[0055]
Moreover, in the said embodiment, although manufacture of hot coffee was demonstrated, this invention is applicable also to the coffee drink manufacturing apparatus which sells ice coffee.
[0056]
【The invention's effect】
  As described above, the present inventionSuitable for use in coffee beverage production equipmentAccording to the milk foamer, the hot water tank for the coffee extractor is used as the hot water supply source for the milk foamer and the dedicated hot water tank is not required for the milk foamer. In addition, the structure of the milk former can be simplified, downsized, and cost can be reduced. Furthermore, since a commercially available milk pack available everywhere can be used, handling such as replenishment and replacement of milk becomes easy, and convenience, workability, and hygiene can be improved.
[0057]
  Moreover, according to the coffee beverage production apparatus of the present invention,At the same time as fine bubbles are generated, coffee with a rich and rich taste and aroma can be obtained. If the detection result of the pressure sensor is displayed on the coffee beverage manufacturing apparatus and can be notified to the outside, the adjustment work can be easily performed at the manufacturing factory or maintenance. Also,The included milk foamer does not generate steam from the water stage, but generates steam using the hot water in the hot water tank for the coffee extractor, so the milk foamer tank is no longer necessary, Miniaturization, simplification, low power consumption, and cost reduction are possible. Furthermore, since a milk pack that can be obtained anywhere is used, convenience, workability, and hygiene can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a milk former and a coffee beverage production apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a detailed configuration of the coffee extractor of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing details of the milk former of FIG. 1;
4 shows a detailed configuration of the milk cooler of FIG. 1, in which (a) is a front sectional view and (b) is a side view.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the milk cooler shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining main operations of the coffee extractor in the coffee extraction process of the coffee beverage production apparatus of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Hot water tank
1A, 33A heater
1B hot water
2,7,9,17 Piping
3 Solenoid valve
4 Gear pump
5 Bypass pipe
6 Relief valve
8 Flow meter
10,16 Needle valve
11 Coffee extractor
12 Shoot
13 Coffee mill
14 Bean storage container
15 Extraction solenoid valve
18a, 18b Pressure sensor
19 Check valve
21 cylinders
22 piston
23 Piston drive motor
24 Torque transmission section
25 motor
26 cap
27 Gear
27a Rotating shaft
40 Control unit
31 Piping
31A heat insulation tube
32 Electromagnetic pump (steam pump)
33 Steam boiler
34 Milk nozzle
35 mixing section
36 Milk cold storage
37 milk pack
38 tubes
39 Solenoid valve
50 Milker
51 Milker body
52,54 O-ring
53 lid
55 Steam nozzle
56 Air inlet
57 Milk inlet
58 Milk flow rate adjustment mechanism
61 Body
61A lid support
61B packing
61C rubber feet
61D Vent hole
61E Drawer hole
62 lid
62A Hinge part
63 Milk pack storage case
64 Thermal insulation
65 Cooling device
65A Electronic refrigeration unit
65B radiator
66 Electric fan
67 Power supply circuit
68 Control circuit
69 Milk suction tube
70 turnout
71A, 71B Pack tube
72A, 72B Piercing pipe
D Cylinder unit
W Wiper

Claims (8)

Hot water of a predetermined temperature is stored in a hot water tank, ground coffee beans ground to a predetermined particle size are supplied to a coffee extractor, and the hot water is supplied from the hot water tank to the coffee extractor by a pump. In a coffee beverage production apparatus for supplying coffee to extract coffee liquid,
A pump for discharging hot water from the hot water tank, a steam generator for generating steam based on the hot water from the pump, and sucking milk and sucking air from one or more milk packs by the steam generated by the steam generator And a milk foamer comprising a milker that mixes the sucked air and the sucked milk and injects the sucked milk into the coffee liquid from the coffee extractor,
An adjustment mechanism for adjusting the pressure of the extraction unit of the coffee extractor to be equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure;
A first pressure sensor disposed in the pipe, and a second pressure sensor disposed in the piping of the extraction side of the coffee extractor,
And a controller that maintains the extraction unit at a predetermined pressure or higher based on the detection results of the first and second pressure sensors and adjusts the pressure reduction and flow rate in the piping and the extraction-side piping. A coffee beverage production apparatus characterized by the above.   2. The coffee beverage production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the milk former includes a milk cooler in which a cooling device for cooling the one or more milk packs stored therein is installed.   The said adjustment mechanism adjusts the pressure of the said extraction part so that it may become 0.30 Mpa or more, The coffee drink manufacturing apparatus of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.   4. The coffee according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a valve mechanism provided in the pipe and a pressure / flow rate adjustment mechanism provided in the extraction side pipe of the coffee extractor. Beverage production equipment. The valve mechanism is a needle valve;
5. The coffee beverage production apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pressure / flow rate adjusting mechanism is a needle valve, an electromagnetic valve, an electric valve, or a combination of a needle valve and an electromagnetic valve.   3. The coffee beverage manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cooling device is configured using the principle of the Peltier effect.   The milk cooler includes a pipe member that is inserted into one or a plurality of stored milk packs and used to suck milk, and a milk suction tube that is used to connect the pipe member and the milker. The coffee beverage manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2.   The milk suction tube is connected to a branching device having a one-to-multiple configuration at an end, and the pipe members inserted into the milk packs are connected to each other through the plurality of ports of the branching unit. 8. The coffee beverage production apparatus according to claim 7,

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