JP2002140761A - Beverage dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a beverage dispenser capable of reducing the power con sumption of an exhauster and extending the durability of the exhauster. SOLUTION: The exhauster 85 for exhausting steam generated in generating a hot beverage by a mixing-type mixed beverage generation part 50 and a brewer type extracted beverage generation part 60 is operated simultaneously with the start of sales operation by an exhauster control part 87 and stopped by delaying by a prescribed time after finishing the sales operation to improve the operation efficiency of the exhauster 85.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a beverage vending machine for producing a hot beverage using raw materials and hot water and selling the beverage in a cup.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A beverage vending machine of this type includes a raw material storage section for storing raw materials such as coffee powder, a hot water tank for heating water introduced from a water supply source with a heater and storing the same as hot water at a predetermined temperature, A beverage generating unit that generates a predetermined hot beverage by introducing a predetermined amount of raw material and hot water from the storage unit and the hot water tank, and the hot beverage generated by the beverage generating unit is supplied to the user via a cup. Provided and sold to

[0003] The beverage producing section is divided into a mixing type in which raw materials and hot water are mixed, and a brewer type in which raw materials and hot water are introduced into a brewer (extractor), and a beverage is extracted therefrom. Further, the mixing type is divided into a mixing ball type in which the raw material and the hot water are introduced into a mixing ball, where the two are mixed, and a mixing type in a cup, in which the raw material and the hot water are directly introduced into the cup, where the two are mixed. In addition, a beverage vending machine having both a mixing type and a brewer type beverage generation unit is also known.

[0004] In the above-mentioned beverage vending machine, when a hot beverage is produced from a raw material and hot water in a beverage producing section, that is, a mixing ball, a cup in a mixing type in a cup, or a brewer, steam is generated in these beverage producing sections. But,
If the steam is left as it is, the raw material gets wet and adheres to the raw material chute, the raw material nozzle, etc., and has an adverse effect such that the mixing ratio of the raw material becomes uneven or the internal mechanism of the vending machine is corroded. Therefore, conventionally, the following exhaust mechanism is provided to discharge steam generated in the beverage producing unit to the outside of the vending machine.

That is, the exhaust mechanism has an exhaust duct having one end open to the beverage producing section as an intake port, and the other end opening to the outside via the back of the vending machine main body as an exhaust port, and an exhaust duct. And an exhaust device (exhaust fan) provided in front of the exhaust port of the duct. By operating the exhaust device, steam generated in the beverage producing unit is sucked in from the intake port, and is discharged from the exhaust port through the exhaust duct to the outside of the machine.

[0006]

However, in a conventional beverage vending machine, the exhaust device is always operated regardless of whether or not hot beverages are sold. Therefore, when the hot beverage is not sold for a long time, there is a problem that the power consumption of the exhaust device is wasted, or the service life (life) of the exhaust device is shortened by the continuous operation.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage vending machine capable of reducing the power consumption of the exhaust device and extending the service life of the exhaust device.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hot beverage producing section for producing a hot beverage from raw materials and hot water, and steam generated in the hot beverage producing section is discharged. A beverage vending machine provided with an exhaust device for operating the exhaust device every time a hot beverage is sold.

[0009] According to the present invention, the exhaust system, which is stopped during standby for hot beverage sales, is operated simultaneously with the start of hot beverage sales by the exhaust system control unit, so that the exhaust system is operated in accordance with the sales frequency. It is possible to drive efficiently.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the exhaust device control section stops the exhaust device after a lapse of a predetermined time from the end of the hot beverage selling operation. According to the present invention, a sufficient steam exhaust time can be ensured by operating the exhaust device by the exhaust device control unit until a predetermined set time has elapsed even after the end of the hot beverage selling operation. In addition, this set time can be set as desired according to the weather and environmental conditions of the installation location of the vending machine, and when a new hot beverage selling operation is started during this set time. The operation of the exhaust system is continued until the new selling operation is completed and the set time has elapsed.

[0011]

1 to 4 relate to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a main structure in a beverage vending machine, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a control system of an exhaust device. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a control operation of the exhaust device, and FIG. 4 is a time chart of a product selling operation and an operation of the exhaust device.

A beverage vending machine denoted by reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1 is composed of a plurality of types of hot beverages (hereinafter referred to as "mixed beverages") produced by mixing and dissolving powdered raw materials such as coffee powder and hot water, and coffee. The beans can be ground at the time of selling operation, and the ground coffee and hot coffee (hereinafter referred to as “extracted beverage”) extracted from hot water can be provided according to the user's selection. In the vending machine 10, a powder raw material storage unit (raw material canister) 20 in which coffee powder, tea powder, cocoa powder, and the like, which are raw materials of the mixed beverage, are stored by type,
A coffee bean storage unit 30 in which coffee beans for an extracted beverage is stored, a coffee mill 31 for grinding coffee beans, and tap water introduced from outside the machine are heated by a heater (not shown), and heated to about 95 degrees. A hot water tank 40 for storing hot water, an in-cup mixing-type mixed beverage generating unit 50 for generating a mixed beverage, and a coffee brewer (hereinafter referred to as an “extracted beverage generating unit”) 60 for generating an extracted beverage are provided. I have.

Reference numeral T in FIG. 1 denotes a cup conveying path through which one cup 1 for sale is conveyed. Although not shown, the cup 1 is moved from the cup housing to the bend stage at the start of the selling operation. While being supplied, it is transported along the cup transport path T via this bend stage. The mixed beverage generation unit 50 is set at the right end of the cup transport path T, and the left end of the cup transport path T corresponds to the product outlet 11 from which a user takes out a product.

In the vending machine 10, a mixed beverage is produced and sold as follows. That is, when the user selects the mixed beverage, the cup 1 firstly moves a predetermined powder material from the powder material storage unit 20 at a position P in the middle of the cup transport path T,
It is received via the raw material shooter 21. This cup 1 is then transported to the mixed beverage production section 50. Here cup 1
A predetermined amount of hot water is supplied from the hot water tank 40 via the first hot water supply pipe 42a, and auxiliary materials such as sugar and cream powder are appropriately added from an auxiliary material supply unit (not shown). Next, the paddle 71 of the beverage mixing device 70 is lowered into the cup 1, and the raw material and the hot water in the cup 1 are mixed and dissolved by the paddle 71 to produce a predetermined mixed beverage.
Thereafter, the cup 1 is transported to the product outlet 11. still,
Reference numeral 41 denotes an electromagnetic hot water supply valve.

[0015] The extracted beverage is produced and sold as follows. That is, when the user selects the brewed beverage, the cup 1 is transported to the mixed beverage producing unit 50, where it is on standby. At the same time, a predetermined amount of coffee beans is put into the coffee mill 31 from the coffee bean storage unit 30, where the coffee beans are ground.
2 and is introduced into the brewed beverage generator 60. The extracted beverage generator 60 also includes a second hot water supply pipe 42 from the hot water tank 40.
A predetermined amount of hot water is supplied via b, and a predetermined extracted beverage is extracted from the raw material and the hot water by an air pressurization method. The extracted beverage is mixed with the mixed beverage producing unit 50 via the beverage supply pipe 61.
Is supplied to the waiting cup 1, where sugar and the like are added as appropriate. Thereafter, the cup 1 is transported to the product outlet 11.

Steam is generated in the mixed beverage generating section 50 and the extracted beverage generating section 60 when the beverage is generated. In order to discharge the steam outside the machine, the vending machine 10 is provided with the following exhaust mechanism 80. That is, the exhaust mechanism 80
First intake port 81 opened corresponding to mixed beverage generating section 50
And a second opening connected to the upper part of the extracted beverage generating unit 60
An intake port 82, an exhaust port 83 opening outside the machine at the back of the main body of the vending machine 10, extending from the exhaust port 83 and branching from the middle to communicate with the first intake port 81 and the second intake port 82. And an exhaust device (exhaust fan) 85 installed in front of the exhaust port 83.

Referring to FIG. 2, the beverage vending machine 10 comprises:
An exhaust device control unit 8 composed of a microcomputer for controlling the operation of the exhaust device 85 via a motor drive circuit 86
7 is provided. The exhaust device control unit 87 controls the exhaust device 85 based on the sales start signal and the sales end signal transmitted from the main control unit 90 of the vending machine 10 as described later. The main control section 90 controls the customer service control, sales control, coin mech control, and the like of the vending machine 10 through each terminal control section.
1. The start point and end point of the selling operation are recognized via the customer service control unit 92 and the like. Further, an off-delay timer (hereinafter simply referred to as “timer”) 88 is provided to the exhaust device control section 87.
Is connected. The timer 88 is for delaying the stoppage of the exhaust device 85 for a predetermined set time (t (see FIG. 4)) from the end of the sales. Steam generated from the portion that remains wet in the portion 50 and the extracted beverage generating portion 60 can be reliably discharged. Note that this set time t
Depends on the climatic conditions of the installation location of the vending machine 10, etc.
30 seconds, 1 minute, several minutes, etc. can be set as desired.

Next, based on the flowchart of FIG.
The control operation of the exhaust device 85 will be described. In the sales standby state, the exhaust device 85 is in a stopped state (S1), and from this state, the user selects the mixed beverage or the extracted beverage product selection button 9
When 1 is pressed, the exhaust device control section 87 receives a sales start signal from the main control section 90 (S2), and operates the exhaust apparatus 85 (S3). Thereby, steam generated in the mixed beverage generation unit 50 and the extracted beverage generation unit 60 is sucked into the exhaust duct 84 from the first intake port 81 and the second intake port 82, and is discharged outside the machine from the exhaust port 83. (S4).

Next, the main controller 90 sends the exhaust device controller 8
When the sales end signal is sent to 7 (S5), the timer 88 operates and starts measuring the set time t (S6). Then, there is no new sales command during the operation of the timer 88 (S
7) When the measurement of the set time t is completed (S9), the exhaust device control section 87 stops the operation of the exhaust device 85 (S1).
0). FIG. 4 is a time chart of a one-off sales operation in which no new sales are performed during the operation of the timer 88 and a corresponding ON / OFF operation of the exhaust device 85.
(A).

On the other hand, if a new sales command is issued while the timer 88 is operating (S7), the timer 88 is reset (S8) and the exhaust device 85 is continuously operated. As described above, a continuous selling operation in which a new sale is performed while the timer 88 is operating, and the ON / OFF of the exhaust device 85 corresponding to the continuous selling operation.
A time chart of the OFF operation is shown in FIG.

As described above, in this embodiment, the exhaust device 85 can be efficiently operated according to the sales frequency. Further, the control operation of the exhaust device 85 described above is set to the energy saving mode, and the continuous operation of the exhaust device 85 is set to the normal mode, and any one of the operation modes can be selected as desired. Further, in the above embodiment, the mixing type in the cup has been described as an example of the mixing type, but the present invention can be similarly applied to a mixing ball type.

[0022]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the exhaust device, which is stopped during standby for hot beverage sales, is controlled by the exhaust device control unit in accordance with the start of hot beverage sales. By operating the exhaust device, the exhaust device can be operated intermittently to reduce its power consumption and extend its useful life.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the exhaust device control section operates the exhaust device until a predetermined time elapses even after the end of the hot beverage selling operation, thereby ensuring a sufficient steam exhaust time. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a main configuration in a beverage vending machine.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing a control system of the exhaust device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a control operation of the exhaust device.

FIG. 4 is a time chart of a product sales operation and an operation of an exhaust device.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... cup, 10 ... beverage vending machine, 20 ... powder raw material storage part, 30 ... coffee bean storage part, 31 ... coffee mill, 4
0: Hot water tank, 50: Mixed beverage generator, 60: Extracted beverage generator (coffee brewer), 81: First inlet, 82
... Second intake port, 83 ... Exhaust port, 84 ... Exhaust duct, 85
... exhaust system, 87 ... exhaust system control unit, 88 ... off-delay timer

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A beverage vending machine comprising a hot beverage generating unit for generating a hot beverage from raw materials and hot water, and an exhaust device for discharging steam generated in the hot beverage generating unit, wherein a hot beverage is sold. A beverage vending machine comprising an exhaust device control section for operating an exhaust device every time. 2. The beverage vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust device control section stops the exhaust device after a lapse of a predetermined time from the end of the hot beverage selling operation.