JP2004248914A - Beverage dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inhibit generation of due condensation inside/outside a body caused by the steam rising up from a high-temperature beverage. <P>SOLUTION: The beverage dispenser has a curved surface part 24 formed as a curved surface protruding forward as rising upward in the rear of a beverage container 42 mounted in a storage area 27 recessed from the front to the rear of a dispenser body 18. The high-temperature beverage inside a tank 25 stored in the dispenser body 18 is fed to the beverage container 42 mounted in the storage area 27 via an injection nozzle 35 disposed above the beverage container 42. The steam rising up from the beverage fed to the beverage container 42 at the time is made to escape upward in front along the curved surface part 24. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a beverage dispenser for discharging a high-temperature beverage stored in a tank disposed inside a dispenser main body through a discharging nozzle.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a conventional beverage dispenser 1 for supplying a hot beverage. The housing 2 that constitutes the beverage dispenser 1 includes an upper housing 2a and a lower housing 2b, and the upper housing 2a protrudes forward by a predetermined length from the lower housing 2b. A raw material storage chamber 5 for storing a raw material pack 4 is provided on the front side inside the upper housing 2a, and a tank for storing hot water obtained by heating water to a predetermined temperature with a heater in the lower housing 2b. 3 are provided. The raw material storage room 5 is closed and opened and closed by a stainless steel front panel 5a provided on the front surface of the upper housing 2a, and the raw material storage room 5 is opened to exchange the raw material pack 4. Be composed. A pouring mechanism 6 is provided below the raw material storage chamber 5.
[0003]
The pouring mechanism unit 6 pours a required amount of undiluted solution from the raw material pack 4 and dilutes the undiluted solution with warm water introduced from the tank 3 and then pours the diluted beverage into a beverage container 12 such as a cup or a bowl. (See FIG. 7). That is, as shown in FIG. 6, a tip 7b of a joint 7 connected to an outlet 4a of the raw material pack 4 via a nut 7a is inserted into a raw material connection port 8 provided at an upper end of the pouring mechanism 6. Thus, the raw material pack 4 and the pouring mechanism 6 are connected. At the lower end of the pouring mechanism 6, a pouring nozzle 9 for pouring the diluted beverage into the beverage container 12 is provided, and at the central portion of the pouring mechanism 6, the stock solution of the raw material pack 4 is sucked and squeezed. A positive displacement pump 10 is provided. In addition, the receiving tray 13 is provided in the lower part of the front surface of the lower housing 2b so as to protrude forward, and the beverage container 12 is placed on the receiving tray 13 so that the beverage container 12 faces below the pouring nozzle 9. It has become.
[0004]
A pump motor 11 is provided on the front side of the tank 3 and is configured to be started at the time of dispensing a beverage and to supply hot water or the like in the tank 3 to the dispensing nozzle 9 of the dispensing mechanism 6. An electrical box 14 is provided on the rear side of the raw material storage room 5 to house a drive power supply unit and a control circuit for electrical components of the beverage dispenser 1 (the drive motor of the pump 10, the pump motor 11, etc.). It is. Further, a counter 15 for counting the number of times of dispensing is provided at a predetermined position on the front surface of the lower housing 2b (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-8-239178
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above-described beverage dispenser 1, when a high-temperature diluted beverage is supplied from the dispensing nozzle 9 to the beverage container 12, the steam rising from the beverage flows from the front surface of the lower housing 2b to the overhang portion in the upper housing 2a. It flows forward along the bottom surface. In this case, since the front surface of the lower housing 2b and the lower surface of the overhanging portion of the upper housing 2a are substantially perpendicular to each other, the steam does not flow forward along the lower surface of the overhanging portion but stays there. Condensation was formed on the lower surface, and there was a fear that the condensed water dropped into the beverage container 12.
[0007]
Further, a front panel 5a that can be opened and closed is disposed in front of the raw material storage room 5 in which the raw material pack 4 and the discharging mechanism unit 6 are disposed, and the front opening of the raw material storage room 5 is closed. I have. By the way, when the raw material pack 4 is replaced or the like, if foreign matter is caught between the front panel 5a and the opening edge of the raw material storage chamber 5 or the front panel 5a or the like is distorted over time, the raw material storage is performed. A slight gap is formed between the chamber 5 and the front panel 5a (see FIG. 7). For this reason, the steam enters the inside of the raw material storage room 5 through the gap between the raw material storage room 5 and the front panel 5a, and dew forms on the inner wall surface of the raw material storage room 5 and the like. Further, if dew condensation occurs on the pouring mechanism 6 and other electric components, there is a fear that the pouring mechanism 6 and the like may be damaged.
[0008]
[Object of the invention]
The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems inherent in the related art, and has been proposed to solve the problem suitably. The steam rising from a high-temperature beverage causes dew condensation inside and outside the main body. It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage dispenser capable of suppressing the above.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to overcome the above-described problems and appropriately achieve the intended purpose, the beverage dispenser according to the present invention includes:
A tank that is housed inside the dispenser main body and stores a high-temperature beverage, a storage area that is recessed rearward from the front of the dispenser main body and in which a beverage container is placed, and provided in the dispenser main body. In a beverage dispenser comprising a dispensing nozzle that faces the upper side of the beverage container placed in the storage area and supplies the beverage in the tank,
At the rear of the housing area, a curved surface portion is formed that forms a curved surface that protrudes forward as it goes upward,
The steam rising from the beverage poured into the beverage container from the pouring nozzle is configured to escape upward and forward along the curved surface portion.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Next, a beverage dispenser according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of preferred embodiments.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 1, a beverage dispenser 20 according to the embodiment includes a box-shaped housing 21 that opens to the front, and a substantially rectangular plate-shaped front panel 22 that closes the front opening of the housing 21. A main body (dispenser main body) 18 is constituted by an openable / closable cover 36 rotatably disposed on the front side of the front panel 22. The openable / closable cover 36 has a substantially box-like shape with an open rear side (front panel 22 side). Is formed. A transparent raw material pack (raw material container) 40 for storing the concentrated raw material in a storage portion 37 defined between the opening / closing cover 36 and the front panel 22 (housing 21), and a concentrated raw material pack The dispensing mechanism 30 for dispensing is provided. Further, a tank 25 having a heat insulating structure for storing dilution water (beverage) in communication with an external water source (not shown) is housed inside the housing 21. The tank 25 is provided with an electric heater (not shown), and the electric heater is energized to heat the dilution water in the tank 25 to a predetermined temperature (for example, approximately 90 ° C.). ing. A display panel 29b having a display section for displaying various information such as the temperature of the dilution water and the amount of the dispensed water, a setting switch, and the like are provided at the left and right positions sandwiching the dispensing mechanism section 30 in the storage section 37, and a power supply. Electrical components such as the switch 29a are arranged (see FIG. 2).
[0012]
The dispensing mechanism 30 includes a joint 31 connected to the raw material pack 40, a positive displacement pump 34 connected to the joint 31, a connection pipe 26 connected below the pump 34, and a connecting pipe 26 and a pump motor (see FIG. And a pouring nozzle 35 connected to the tank 25 via a not shown). That is, the pouring nozzle 35 communicates with each of the raw material pack 40 and the tank 25. On the front side of the bottom of the housing 21, a receiving tray 21a on which a beverage container 42 such as a bowl or a cup to which a high-temperature diluted beverage obtained by mixing the concentrated raw material and the dilution water is supplied is placed. It is attached at a position facing below the ejection nozzle 35. That is, in the main body 18 of the beverage dispenser 20, the front panel 22, the opening / closing cover 36, and the receiving tray 21a allow the housing area 27 on which the beverage container 42 is placed to be located behind the front surface of the main body 18 (the front surface of the opening / closing cover 36). It is designed to evacuate.
[0013]
In the beverage dispenser 20, when the positive-displacement pump 34 is driven by operating a dispensing switch 38, which will be described later, of the front panel 22, the concentrated raw material in the raw material pack 40 is supplied to the pump 34 via the joint 31. And is supplied to the pouring nozzle 35, and high-temperature dilution water is supplied from the tank 25 to the pouring nozzle 35 via the connecting pipe 26. A high-temperature diluted beverage mixed with dilution water is poured into a beverage container 42 placed on the tray 21a. In addition, inside the housing 21, near the front opening thereof, an electric heater in the tank 25, a pump motor for sending out dilution water from the tank 25 to the pouring mechanism 30, and other beverage dispensers 20 are provided. An electrical box 21b for controlling the energization of each constituent member is housed.
[0014]
A hinge 22a is attached to an upper end of the front panel 22, and an upper end of the opening / closing cover 36 is pivotally supported by the front panel 22 via the hinge 22a (see FIG. 1). That is, by rotating the open / close cover 36 forward with the hinge 22a as a fulcrum, the front surface of the front panel 22 (the pouring mechanism 30 and the raw material pack 40) is opened. The vertical dimension of the opening / closing cover 36 is set such that the beverage container 42 placed on the tray 21a does not contact the opening / closing cover 36 when the cover 36 is closed.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 4, a concave curved guide portion (second curved surface portion) 36c is formed on the lower portion 36b of the opening / closing cover 36 so as to approach the front side from the lower side to the upper side, and the beverage container 42 is placed thereon. It defines an upper part of a storage area 27 (described later) in which the storage area 27 is placed. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a cover portion 44 for accommodating the pouring nozzle 35 is formed at a position corresponding to the pouring nozzle 35 on the opening / closing cover 36. The cover portion 44 has a cutout portion 44a that opens rearward, and when the opening / closing cover 36 is closed, a part of the pouring nozzle 35 is inserted into the cutout portion 44a and the cover 44 is closed. It is accommodated in the section 44, and a part of the ejection nozzle 35 is configured to extend below the lower portion 36 b of the opening / closing cover 36. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the pouring mechanism 30 is longer than at least the left-right width of the notch 44a at a position facing above the lower portion 36b with the opening / closing cover 36 closed. A shielding member 28 for sealing the front panel 22 and the discharge nozzle 35 over the range is provided, and when the cover 36 is closed, the storage portion 37 and the outside are shut off. ing.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 3, a stepped portion 22c that is recessed rearward is formed on the front surface of the front panel 22 at a position corresponding to the open end of the opening / closing cover 36. With the cover 36 closed, the left and right sides of the cover 36 and the open end of the lower portion 36b are surrounded by a rising portion 22d rising from the step 22c of the front panel 22 (FIG. 2). In addition, at a position facing the front side of the raw material pack 40 in the opening / closing cover 36 when the opening / closing cover 36 is closed, a see-through confirmation window 36a made of transparent resin or the like is provided. Is configured so that the raw material pack 40 can be visually recognized without opening the container. At a substantially central position of the opening / closing cover 36, a pouring switch 38 for driving the pouring mechanism 30 is provided. By operating the pouring switch 38, as described above, the material The concentrated raw material in the pack 40 and the high-temperature diluted water in the tank 25 are supplied to a discharging nozzle 35, and the diluted beverage mixed by the nozzle 35 is discharged to the beverage container 42. Projecting portions (not shown) projecting in the left-right direction are formed at upper portions on both right and left sides of the opening / closing cover 36. When the opening / closing cover 36 is closed, each projecting portion is raised. The opening / closing cover 36 is held in the closed position by engaging with the corresponding inner surface of the portion 22d.
[0017]
On the front surface of the front panel 22, a lower concave portion (curved surface portion) having a substantially arc-shaped cross-section recessed rearward is formed in a portion facing the closed opening / closing cover 36 and the receiving tray 21a (the rear portion of the storage area 27). ) 24 are formed, and define the back surface of the accommodation area 27. When the beverage container 42 is placed on the receiving tray 21a, the lower concave portion 24 functions as an escape portion for accommodating a part of the beverage container 42, and vertically overlaps with a part of the beverage container 42 to be on the upper side. Is displaced so as to approach forward as it goes upward, and has a curved surface shape protruding backward. That is, the steam rising when the high-temperature diluted beverage is poured into the beverage container 42 escapes to the upper front along the curved surface of the lower concave portion 24. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the guide portion 36c is formed above the lower concave portion 24 in a stepped shape that is continuous with the lower concave portion 24. When steam reaches the front surface of the front panel 22 (the front surface of the rising portion 22d), the steam smoothly escapes to the upper front along the guide portion 36c of the opening / closing cover 36 toward the front of the cover. I have. The thickness of the lower edge of the guide portion 36c is set to be substantially the same as the height of the rising portion 22d (see FIG. 4), and when the opening / closing cover 36 is closed, the height of the rising portion 22d is reduced. The front surface and the lowermost part of the curved surface of the guide portion 36d are located on substantially the same plane, and steam rising from the lower recess 24 is smoothly transferred to the guide surface 36d.
[0018]
Operation of the embodiment
Next, the operation of the beverage dispenser according to the above-described embodiment will be described.
[0019]
In the beverage dispenser 20 according to the present embodiment, when the diluted beverage obtained by diluting the concentrated raw material with the dilution water is poured into the beverage container 42, a part of the rear side of the beverage container 42 has a lower recess 24 of the front panel 22. After being placed on the tray 21a defining the storage area 27 in a state of being covered by the cover 36, the pouring switch 38 provided on the opening / closing cover 36 is turned on. As a result, the control circuit in the electrical box 21b outputs a required pouring drive command to the motor drive unit of each pump, and each motor drive unit that receives this command supplies DC power to the corresponding motor. And rotate each motor by the required amount.
[0020]
When the positive displacement pump 34 of the discharging mechanism 30 rotates, the pump 34 discharges the concentrated raw material from the raw material pack 40 by a single required amount, and discharges the concentrated raw material to the discharging nozzle 35. At this time, at the same time, the pump motor connected to the tank 23 sucks hot diluting water from the tank 25 by the amount corresponding to one cup of the beverage container 42, and the diluting water is discharged through the connecting pipe 26 to the discharging nozzle. The diluted beverage is discharged into the beverage container 35 and the concentrated raw material diluted with the dilution water is discharged into the beverage container 42 in the dispensing nozzle 35.
[0021]
Here, when a high-temperature diluted beverage is poured into the beverage container 42, steam rises from the beverage container 42 (see FIG. 1 or FIG. 4). At this time, steam rising from the front side of the beverage container 42 that is not covered by the lower recess 24 rises along the front surface of the opening / closing cover 36 and is diffused outward. The steam rising from the rear side of the beverage container 42 escapes upward and forward along the curved surface of the lower concave portion 24 of the front panel 22 facing the upper side of the beverage container 42, and then the guide portion of the opening / closing cover 36. It rises along 36c and escapes to the upper front of the storage area 27, so that the escape of steam is promoted. That is, a part of the beverage container 42 to which the hot diluted beverage is supplied is removed. By allowing the steam to escape to the upper front along the curved surface of the lower recess 24 to be covered, the steam can flow smoothly to the front of the opening / closing cover 36, and the dew forms on the lower recess 24 and the guide portion 36 c. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the condensed water adhered to the lower concave portion 24 and the guide portion 36c from dropping into the beverage container 42. Further, even when the dew is generated in the lower concave portion 24, Lower recess 2 Is formed to have a curved surface shape that protrudes rearward as it goes upward, and condensed water flows down along the curved surface of the lower concave portion 24, so that the condensed water flows into the drinking container 42. Drip is prevented.
[0022]
Further, by forming the lower concave portion 24 to have a substantially arcuate cross section, the steam that moves upward can be smoothly diffused outside the lower concave portion 24 (the main body 18). It is possible to suppress entry. That is, it is possible to prevent the confirmation window 36a of the opening / closing cover 36 from being fogged due to steam entering the storage section 37, so that the operator can always clearly recognize the remaining amount of the raw material in the raw material pack 40 and perform the pouring operation. The beverage dispenser 20 can be operated in a good state without dew condensation adhering to the mechanism section 30, the display panel 29b, and the switch 29a to cause malfunction. Further, since the dirt or the like due to the dew condensation water does not occur, the burden of cleaning the storage unit 37 can be reduced.
[0023]
A part of the steam rising along the lower concave portion 24 rises along the rising portion 22d of the front panel 22, as shown in FIG. Here, since both sides and the lower portion 36b of the opening / closing cover 36 are configured to be surrounded by the rising portion 22d, steam rising along the rising portion 22d causes a step between the opening / closing cover 36 and the front panel 22. Since it is difficult to enter the storage portion 37 from between the portion 22c and the storage portion 37, it is possible to further suppress the entry of steam into the storage portion 37. The thickness of the lower edge of the guide portion 36c is set to be substantially the same as the height of the rising portion 22d, and when the opening / closing cover 36 is closed, the front surface of the rising portion 22d and the curvature of the guide portion 36d are curved. Since the step with the lowermost portion of the surface is eliminated, the steam rising from the lower concave portion 24 can smoothly rise and diffuse along the guide surface 36d without entering the storage portion 37. Further, a shielding member 28 is provided between the discharge nozzle 35 and the front panel 22 to seal the space between the discharge nozzle 35 and the front panel 22. Steam is prevented from entering the section 37.
[0024]
Since the opening / closing cover 36 is provided with a confirmation window 36a so that the inside of the storage section 37 can be visually recognized from outside, the operator can easily open the opening / closing cover 36 to check the remaining amount of the concentrated raw material in the raw material pack 40. The replacement time of the raw material pack 40 can be easily recognized.
[0025]
[Modification example]
The configuration of the beverage dispenser is not limited to that of the embodiment, and various changes can be made. For example, in the beverage dispenser of the embodiment, a lower concave portion which is entirely formed in the front panel as a curved surface portion provided in a rear portion of the accommodation area, and when a container for supplying a high-temperature beverage is arranged, the lower concave portion is formed. The upper curved surface covers the upper part of the container so that steam rising from the container escapes to the upper front, but is formed at a lower position on the front panel 22 as shown in FIG. Only the upper surface of the lower concave portion 50 that vertically overlaps a part of the beverage container 42 may be a curved surface (curved portion) 50a that is displaced upward from the rear toward the front. In FIG. 5, the same members as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.
[0026]
In the embodiment, a curved surface portion that protrudes forward and projects rearward as it goes upward on the front panel is formed.However, the curved surface portion is formed as a separate member, and the member is placed in the accommodation area. It can also be configured to be placed behind a beverage container that has been set up. Further, the curved surface portion is formed in a concave shape, but is not limited to this, and may be curved in a concave shape protruding forward as it goes upward. Then, the beverage container is accommodated in the lower position of the dispenser body so as to retract the accommodation area of the beverage container to the rear, but the invention is not limited to this, and the beverage container is defined at a required position according to the size of the dispenser body. What is necessary is just to define it so that the said accommodation area may open at least to the front side of a dispenser main body. In the above-described embodiment, the concentrated raw material is stored in the raw material pack. However, the concentrated raw material may be stored in another box. In addition, the high-temperature dilution water and the concentrated raw material are mixed, but only the high-temperature beverage stored in the tank is directly supplied to the container, or the high-temperature beverage and the cooled beverage are selectively supplied. It may be a beverage dispenser configured to do so.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the beverage dispenser according to the present invention, the steam rising when the high-temperature beverage is supplied to the container, along the curved surface portion provided at the rear of the accommodation area where the beverage container is placed. Since it is made to escape to the upper front, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of dew condensation above the beverage container, and it is possible to effectively suppress the entry of steam into the storage section. Further, even if dew condensation occurs on the curved surface portion, the dew water flows down along the curved surface portion, so that dripping of the dew condensation water into the beverage container is prevented. Furthermore, the dispenser main body which defines the upper part of the accommodation area which accommodates the beverage container has a stepped second curved surface part which is curved toward the front as it goes upward, so that the beverage container can be more efficiently used. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of dew condensation on the upper side.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a beverage dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view showing the beverage dispenser according to the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of a dispensing mechanism of the beverage dispenser according to the embodiment, and is a side sectional view schematically showing a flow of steam when a high-temperature diluted beverage is poured into a beverage container.
FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a main part of the beverage dispenser according to the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a curved surface portion according to a modification in which a part of the beverage container is covered on the upper side.
FIG. 6 is a schematic side sectional view showing a beverage dispenser according to the related art.
FIG. 7 is a side sectional view schematically showing a flow of steam when a hot beverage is poured into a beverage container, showing a pouring mechanism of a beverage dispenser according to a conventional technique.
[Explanation of symbols]
18 main body (dispenser main body), 21 housing, 22 front panel 24 lower concave portion (curved surface portion), 25 tank, 27 housing area, 35 discharging nozzle 36 openable cover (cover body), 36c guide portion (second curved surface portion) , 37 storage section 40 raw material pack (raw material container), 42 beverage container, 50a curved surface (second curved surface portion)

Claims (6)

A tank (25) that is stored inside the dispenser body (18) and stores hot beverage, and a beverage container (42) that is recessed from the front to the back of the dispenser body (18) and is placed thereon. And a beverage container (42) provided in the dispenser main body (18) and placed on the beverage container (42) placed in the storage region (27) to supply the beverage in the tank (25). A beverage dispenser comprising a delivery nozzle (35);
At the rear of the accommodation area (27), a curved surface portion (24) is formed that forms a curved surface that protrudes forward as it goes upward.
A beverage dispenser characterized in that steam rising from the beverage poured from the dispensing nozzle (35) into the beverage container (42) is allowed to escape upward and forward along the curved surface portion (24). The beverage dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the curved surface portion (24) is formed so as to be curved rearward as it goes upward from below the rear portion thereof, and then bend so as to be inverted and protrude forward. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the curved surface (24) defines a back surface of the storage area (27). A second curved surface portion (36c) is formed in a stepped shape on the upper portion of the curved surface portion (24) so as to protrude forward as it goes upward upward, whereby the steam is formed on the curved surface portion (24). 4. A beverage dispenser according to any of the preceding claims, further facilitating escape along the upper front. The dispenser body (18) includes a housing (21) that houses the tank (25), a front panel (22) that covers the front of the housing (21), and a front side of the front panel (22). The beverage dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a cover body (36) disposed below and defining an upper side of the storage area (27). The storage material (37) defined between the front panel (22) and the cover body (36) communicates with the discharging nozzle (35) to allow the concentrated material to flow through the discharging nozzle (35). A raw material container (40) that can be supplied is disposed, and the high-temperature beverage supplied from the tank (25) and the concentrated raw material are mixed at the pouring nozzle (35), and then mixed into the beverage container (42). A beverage dispenser according to claim 5, wherein

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