JPH0877453A - Beverage dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To stabilize the attitude of an equipment by lowering the center of gravity. CONSTITUTION: A hot water storage tank 10 which contains a heater 13 is fixed to the bottom part of a main body 2, and a detachable feed water tank 12 is arranged above it. Both the tanks 10 and 12 are considerably heavy when containing water, so they are arranged at the lower part to lower the position of the center of gravity of the whole dispenser. A pump 16 is mounted on the hot water storage tank 10 and the hot water in it is pumped up to the mixing bowl 9 through a hot water feed pipe 11 and dissolved and mixed with powdery tea in the mixing bowl 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a beverage dispenser having a low center of gravity.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a dispenser for dissolving and mixing powdered tea put into a mixing bowl with hot water and pouring it out. In this type, a removable water supply tank and a heating tank that heats the water supplied from this tank to supply hot water to the mixing bowl are provided. Generally, the hot water storage tank is a mixing tank. It was placed above the bowl, and it was usual to open the valve by operating the pouring button and to supply hot water to the mixing bowl by the action of gravity.

[0003]

By the way, recently, beverage dispensers have been required to be slimmer (narrower width) due to the installation space. To meet such demands, it is necessary to install the equipment when the equipment is installed. It is essential that the posture of the entire device is stable. However, considering that the hot water storage tank is arranged above the equipment like the conventional one and the hot water storage tank itself has a considerable weight when full, the conventional arrangement has to have a high center of gravity. , Slimming cannot be achieved easily. The present invention has been devised in consideration of the above circumstances,
The purpose is to provide a slim beverage dispenser with a low center of gravity of the device.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, a beverage dispenser for dissolving and mixing a powder raw material with a liquid in a mixing bowl and pouring it out of the machine is provided. The side tank and the receiving side tank for heating or cooling the liquid supplied from the supplying side tank and causing the liquid to flow into the mixing bowl are arranged at the lower part of the dispenser body. In the invention of claim 2, in the invention of claim 1, the mixing bowl and the receiving side tank are connected by a liquid supply pipe, and the liquid in the receiving tank is pumped up to the liquid supply pipe. It is characterized in that the pump of 1 is interposed.

[0005]

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the heavy tanks of the supply side tank and the reception side tank are arranged in the lower part of the dispenser body so that the center of gravity of the entire dispenser is low. Further, according to the invention of claim 2, even when the mixing bowl is above the receiving side tank, the liquid in the receiving side tank is pumped up by the drive of the pump and the liquid flows out to the mixing bowl through the liquid supply pipe. It will be possible.

[0006]

The effects of the present invention are as follows. According to the invention of claim 1, by disposing both the supply-side tank and the receiving-side tank in the lower portion of the dispenser body, it is possible to achieve a lower center of gravity of the entire dispenser, which can contribute to a narrower width of the dispenser.

Further, according to the second aspect of the invention, since the liquid is pumped up by the pump, the degree of freedom in the arrangement can be enhanced, for example, by disposing the mixing bowl above the receiving tank.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the beverage dispenser of this example is of a thin type, and is installed on a table (not shown) so that the height can be easily operated. As shown in FIG. 2, this beverage dispenser is composed of a dispenser body (hereinafter, simply referred to as body 2) and a front door 1 mounted on the front surface of the dispenser body so as to be openable and closable by a hinge. On the front upper part of the front door 1, there is provided an operation panel 3 on which buttons for pouring operation (button 47 for tea and button 48 for hot water in this example) or display lamps are arranged. On the other hand, a pouring portion 4 is formed in a lower portion of the front door 1, and a lower surface thereof is provided with a saucer 49 which is capable of holding a cup or the like and is formed in a saw-like shape. Is covered.

A canister 6 for storing powdered tea is arranged on the upper portion of the main body 2, and the canister 6 is mounted so that its front portion projects toward the front door 1. The canister 6 is narrow in the left-right direction toward the device (see FIGS. 3 and 4) and is formed in a funnel shape in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 2), and its bottom portion projects toward the front door 1 side and its tip end. The discharge port 50 is opened in the opening, and is always closed by the lid plate 7 that can be opened and closed. Then, the lid plate 7 is opened by operating the above-described tea button, and at the same time, a fixed amount of powdered tea can be dropped and supplied from the discharge port 50. On the other hand, a funnel-shaped guide 8 is attached to the center of the inner surface of the front door 1 and below the discharge port 50. The guide 8 receives powder tea from the discharge port 50 of the canister 6 and mixes it. It can be guided to the bowl 9. The mixing bowl 9 has a front door 1
It is arranged on the inner surface of the guide 8 and directly below the guide 8. A tip of a hot water supply pipe 11 connected to a hot water storage tank 10 described later faces here, and in the mixing bowl 9, the powdered tea supplied from the canister 6 via the guide 8 is dissolved and mixed with hot water. It is like this.

Next, the water supply tank 12 and the hot water storage tank 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, both of them are arranged in the lower half area of the main body 2, whereby the center of gravity of the main body 2 is lowered. Has been planned. First, the hot water storage tank 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The hot water storage tank 10 is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having an open top surface, and is fixed to the bottom surface of the main body 2 via a bracket 10a. Also,
The hot water storage tank 10 accommodates an electric heater 13 (pour-in type sheathed heater) for heating the water in the tank 10 below the inside thereof. On the front of the tank 10, the heater 13
The three thermostat terminals 14a to 14c shown in the figure, to which different temperatures to be detected (for example, an empty heating detection temperature and an upper or lower detection temperature suitable for a beverage) are set, are projected. Each of these terminals 14a-
14c is connected to an electric circuit (not shown), and the hot water storage tank 1
The energization of the heater 13 is controlled according to the amount of water in 0, the hot water temperature, and the like. Furthermore, hot water storage tank 1
Limit switch 1 on the front of 0 via mounting piece 15a
5 is attached, and the contacts are switched so that energization to the heater 13 is started when the water level in the tank 10 reaches a certain level (a level slightly higher than the position where the heater 13 is provided). (The switching operation will be described later).

Further, the lower rear side of the hot water storage tank 10 is cut out in a step shape, and a pump 16 for pumping up the hot water in the hot water storage tank 10 and guiding it to the mixing bowl 9 is attached to the tea tank. Button, hot water button 47, 48
The pumping operation is controlled by an electric circuit (not shown) based on the above operation. This pump 16
The hot water storage tank 10 has an inflow port opened, and a hot water supply pipe 11 is connected to the discharge port. The hot water supply pipe 11 is the main body 2
After being piped along the inner side wall, the hose 11a having flexibility and heat resistance is connected to the front door 1 and extends to the mixing bowl 9.

The upper surface of the hot water storage tank 10 is covered with a tank cover 17 and is fixed with screws or the like. A circular insertion hole 18 is opened on the upper surface of the tank cover 17 at a position closer to the front, and a supporting frame 19 for supporting the water supply tank 12 side is attached so as to surround the insertion hole 18. The supporting frame 19 projects in a rectangular shape with a predetermined height and is formed to have substantially the same width as the tank cover 17. Further, a projecting plate 21 for fixing a tank cradle 20 described below is provided on the front edge of the support frame 19.
Is mounted so as to extend over its entire width and project forward.

As described above, the water supply tank 12 is supported on the support frame 19 via the tank pedestal 20, and is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. Are formed. A water supply cylinder 23, which communicates with the inside of the tank 12, is formed so as to hang down near the front surface of the bottom surface of the water supply tank 12. A screw 23a is engraved on the outer peripheral surface of the water supply cylinder 23, and as shown in FIG. 9, a valve cap 25 containing a valve 24 is screwed therein in a sealed state with a packing 26 interposed. The water supply cylinder 23 and the valve cap 25 are formed so as to be inserted into the insertion hole 18 of the tank cover 17 with a sufficient clearance. Further, as shown in the figure, the central portion of the bottom surface of the valve cap 25 bulges into a cylindrical shape and the convex portion 2
5a, the outlet 27 is concentrically opened on the upper surface of the convex portion 25a. A valve 24 for opening and closing the outlet 27 is housed in the valve cap 25, and the valve 24 is composed of a valve body 28 and a valve shaft 29 that coaxially penetrates the valve body 28. There is. Further, a spring 30 is fastened to the valve shaft 29, and the spring 30 is interposed between a spring receiver 31 protruding from the lower end of the valve shaft 29 and a portion around the outflow port 27 of the convex portion 25a. It is urged in a direction to pull down the whole so that the outlet 27 is closed by 28.

The tank pedestal 20 is formed so that the water supply tank 12 can be placed thereon, and a relief recess 32 for avoiding interference with the water supply cylinder 23 and the valve cap 25 is provided in the front portion thereof.
However, the notch is formed so that the front edge of the tank cradle 20 is opened. The rear edge of the escape recess 32 is bent downward at a substantially right angle to form a hooking edge 33,
It can be locked to the corresponding inner wall surface of the support frame 19. On the other hand, a pair of guide pieces 34 for guiding the attachment / detachment operation of the water supply tank 12 are provided upright on both sides of the escape recess 32 at the front edge of the tank cradle 20. Each of the guide pieces 34 is formed in an inverted U shape, and its free end side extends further downward than the lower surface position of the tank holder 20 and can be screwed to the above-mentioned protruding plate 21 of the tank cover 17. Has become. The tops of the two guide pieces 34 serve as guide surfaces 34a for sliding or pulling out the lower surface of the water supply tank 12 when the water supply tank 12 is attached or detached. Also, both guide pieces 3
The inner surface side of 4 functions as a restriction surface 34 b for positioning the water supply tank 12 together with the stopper edge 35 formed by bending at the rear edge of the tank pedestal 20.

A valve opener 36 for holding the valve 24 in an open state is fixed near the insertion hole 18 on the lower surface of the tank cover 17. The valve opener 36 is formed in a generally L-shape as a whole, and its tip is bent upward to form a push-up piece 36a. As shown in FIG. 9, the push-up piece 36a pushes up the spring bearing 31 of the valve 24 to open the outlet 27 when the water supply tank 12 is incorporated.
It serves to push up the valve 24. Further, the valve opener 36 is provided with a water supply amount adjusting unit 37 with a float as shown in FIG.

The water supply amount adjusting unit 37 with a float is provided with a replenishing cup 38. The replenishing cup 38 opens upward to temporarily receive the water dropped from the outlet 27 of the valve cap 25 to adjust the flow rate. Meanwhile, the water is supplied to the hot water storage tank 10. That is, one end of an arm 40 to which a float 39 is attached is fixed to the lower surface of the replenishing cup 38, and with the valve opener 36 accommodated therein, it is rocked by a support pin 41 with respect to the side surface of the valve opener 36. It is movably supported. And a replenishing cup 38
The balance setting is such that when the hot water storage tank 10 is empty, one side of the upper edge of the hot water storage tank 10 is supported in an inclined posture in which it contacts the lower surface of the tank cover 17. Also, a replenishing cup 3
A side of the upper edge of the No. 8 opposite to the side in contact with the tank cover 17 is cut out in a substantially U shape to form an overflow edge 42. The overflow edge 42 overflows the water in the replenishing cup 38 when the water level in the hot water storage tank 10 is below a certain level, and enables rapid water supply together with the pores 43 described below. The pores 43 penetrating lower than the overflow edge 42 on the surface on the side where the overflow edge 42 is provided enable slow water supply when the water level in the hot water storage tank 10 is within a certain level range. The temperature is kept from dropping sharply. Further, in the replenishing cup 38, a support shaft 44 projects from the surface opposite to the side where the support pin 41 is inserted, and a locking groove 45 cut out at the upper edge of the hot water storage tank 10.
(See FIG. 7), the replenishing cup 38 is supported together with the support pin 41. The tip of the support shaft 44 projects to the outside of the hot water storage tank 10, and a movable piece 46 is attached to the tip. The movable piece 46 extends obliquely forward along the side surface of the hot water storage tank 10,
The contact of the limit switch 15 can be switched only when the water level of the hot water storage tank 10 becomes higher than at least the heater 13 in accordance with the swinging posture of.

Next, the function and effect of this embodiment having the above-mentioned structure will be described. As mentioned above, the water tank 12
Since the hot water storage tank 10 is arranged in the lower region of the main body 2 and the weight of the hot water storage tank 10 when water is contained therein is considerably large, the center of gravity of the entire dispenser is lower than that of the conventional one. It is clear that it exists in. Therefore, the posture of the dispenser can be stabilized, a narrow design is possible, and the installation space can be reduced. The operation of the dispenser of this embodiment will be briefly described below. When water is supplied to the water supply tank 12, first, the front door 1 is opened and the handle 22 of the water supply tank 12 is held and the whole is pulled up. Then, the water supply cylinder 23 of the water supply tank 12 is pulled out together with the valve cap 25 from the insertion hole 18, and the water supply tank 12 is guided to the guide surfaces 34a of both guide pieces 34.
Place it on the top and slide it out along the guide surface 34a. The water supply operation to the water supply tank 12 is performed through the water supply cylinder 23 with the valve cap 25 removed. When the water supply is completed and the valve cap 25 is tightened again, the outlet 27 is closed by the valve 24, so that the water inside does not spill out.

When assembling the water tank 12 which is almost full of water into the main body 2, the lower surface of the water tank 12 is placed on the guide surfaces 34a of both guide pieces 34 in the reverse order of the above and is pushed in as it is. During this period, the rear end of the water supply tank 12 is on the tank pedestal 20, and the front lower surface is the guide surface 3.
They are respectively supported on 4a and are pushed in while the front side is lifted as a whole. When the rear edge of the water tank 12 reaches the stopper edge 35, the water tank 12
Since the water passes through both guide pieces 34, the water supply tank 12 is placed on the tank pedestal 20 in a state of being positioned by these, and therefore the water supply cylinder 23 and the valve cap 25 are automatically fitted to the insertion hole 18. Inserted inside. When the water supply tank 12 is set in this way, the valve 24 is lifted by the push-up piece 36a of the valve opener 36.
Is pushed up and the outlet 27 is opened, so that the water in the water supply tank 12 flows out through the outlet 27 to the replenishing cup 38 in the hot water storage tank 10.

At this time, the water supply cylinder 23 (the valve cap 2
Since the height difference between the lower end of 5) and the overflow edge 42 becomes the head difference,
Water is rapidly supplied to the hot water storage tank 10 through the overflow edge 42 and the pores 43. While the water level in the hot water storage tank 10 is lower than that of the heater 13, the movable piece 46 holds the limit switch 15 in the OFF state, so that the heater 13 is not energized. However, when the water level in the hot water storage tank 10 rises and exceeds the L1 level shown in FIG. 10,
Since the float floats accordingly, the supply cup 38 swings in the horizontal direction. As a result, the movable piece 46
Switches the limit switch 15 to the ON state, so that energization of the heater 13 is started. Then, when the water supply to the hot water storage tank 10 is continued as it is and the water level in the hot water storage tank 10 reaches the L2 level, the replenishment cup 38 has a height position of the overflow edge 42 and a height position of the lower end on the water supply cylinder 23 side. The posture becomes uniform. Overflow edge 4 at this point
Since there is no water head difference between the water and water, the water is no longer supplied from the overflow edge 42. But still the pores 43
Since there is a water head difference between the water and the water, the water is slowly supplied through the pores 43. However, if the water level rises to the L3 level where there is no water head difference with the water holes 43, the water tank 12
Water supply from will stop. That is, this L3 level is maintained as the reference water level to be restored.

The inside of the hot water storage tank 10 is gradually heated by energizing the heater 13, and when the thermostat detects that the hot water temperature has reached the set upper limit temperature, energizing the heater 13 is stopped. When the tea button is operated in this state, the lid plate 7 of the canister 6 is opened and a certain amount of powdered tea is discharged from the discharge port 50 (not shown),
It is supplied to the mixing bowl 9 through the guide 8.
On the other hand, the hot water in the hot water storage tank 10 is pumped up by driving the pumping pump 16 and is supplied to the mixing bowl 9 through the hot water supply pipe 11. As a result, the powdered tea is dissolved and mixed in the mixing bowl 9 and poured into the cup on the drain pan 5.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the hot water storage tank 1
The system in which the hot water in 0 is pumped up by the pump 16 is used, and both the water supply and hot water storage tanks 10 and 12 can be arranged at the lower part, so that the posture of the dispenser is stabilized. In particular, in this example, the water supply tank 12 is set to have a relatively large capacity, but the guide piece 34 guides the attachment / detachment operation.
Good operability is maintained even if the full water weight of 2 is increased. Therefore, also from this point, it can contribute to the lowering of the center of gravity. The present invention can be modified in various ways, and the following modifications are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

It suffices that the water supply tank 12 is guided by the guide piece 34 for attachment and detachment, and the shape of the guide piece 34 is not particularly limited. For example, it may be an inclined surface that can be guided to the tank pedestal 20 while avoiding interference with the water supply cylinder 23 and the like. In the present example, the one applied to the type in which the heater 13 is provided in the tank is shown, but the present invention can also be applied to the one provided with the cooling device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 Front view of dispenser

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a layout relationship of internal structures.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which a front door is opened.

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing a state in which a front door is omitted.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a water supply tank.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a tank pedestal.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a hot water storage tank and a cover plate.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a water supply amount adjusting unit with a float.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a peripheral portion of a valve plate.

FIG. 10 is a schematic side view when the water level of the hot water storage tank is at the L1 level.

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view when the water level of the hot water storage tank is at the L3 level.

FIG. 12 is a schematic side view when the water level in the hot water storage tank is at the L2 level.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 ... Main body 6 ... Canister 9 ... Mixing bowl 1
0 ... Hot water storage tank 11 ... Hot water supply piping 12 ... Water supply tank 13 ... Heater (heating means) 16 ... Pumping pump

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A beverage dispenser for melting and mixing a powder raw material with a liquid in a mixing bowl and pouring it out of the machine, wherein the supply side tank and the liquid supplied from the supply side tank are heated or cooled to perform the mixing. A beverage dispenser characterized in that a receiving side tank to be discharged into a bowl is arranged at a lower portion of a dispenser body. 2. The mixing bowl and the receiving side tank are connected by a liquid supply pipe, and a pump for pumping up the liquid in the receiving side tank is interposed in the liquid supply pipe. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1.