JP2012001219A - Beverage cooling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a beverage cooling device wherein an internal structure or arrangement of a cooling water tank is suitably constituted, and a beverage passing through a beverage cooling coil can be sufficiently and effectively cooled by the cooling water.SOLUTION: In the beverage cooling device, an evaporation coil 8, a beverage cooling coil 5, an agitator 9 of cooling water, a cylindrical water feed guide 15 surrounding the agitator 9, and a carbonator 6 are dipped in the cooling water tank 3, and the beverage passing through the beverage cooling coil 5 and the carbonator 6 are cooled by accumulated heat of ice generated around the evaporation coil 8 by operation of a refrigerator. The beverage cooling coil 5 is spirally arranged in a lower region in the cooling water tank 3, and the agitator 9 surrounded by the water feed guide 15, the carbonator 6, and the evaporation coil 8 surrounding them are arranged on the upper part thereof in such a manner as to confront the beverage cooling coil 5. By the driving of the agitator 9, the cooling water is delivered to the beverage cooling coil 5 from the lower part of a water feed guide 15, and is circulated.

Description

  The present invention relates to a beverage cooling apparatus applied to a beverage dispenser, a cup-type vending machine, and the like, and in particular, generates ice blocks around a cooler disposed in a water tank in which cooling water is stored, and cools the beverage by its latent heat. The present invention relates to a beverage cooling apparatus.

As such a conventional beverage cooling device, there is known a cooling water tank as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-34395 (Patent Document 1) previously filed and published. The cooling water tank described in Patent Document 1 has a hollow cylindrical evaporation coil 8 for cooling the cooling water stored in the water tank 3 as shown in FIG. 2, and an ice block is formed around the evaporation coil 8. And a cooling water tank in which the cooling water is stirred by a stirrer 9 in which the propeller 9a rotates inside the evaporation coil 8, and between the evaporation coil 8 and the propeller 9a, ice blocks formed in the evaporation coil 8 and the propeller A hollow cylindrical propeller guard 17 for preventing contact with 9a is installed. The propeller guard 17 is provided with a large number of slits 17a except around the propeller 9a, and the cooling water circulates in the water tank 3 through the slits 17a (as indicated by arrows) by the rotation of the propeller 9a. It is configured as follows. And according to this, since the contact between the ice block abnormally grown around the evaporation coil 8 and the propeller 9a of the stirrer 9 can be prevented by the hollow cylindrical propeller guard 17, the evaporation coil 8 and the propeller 9a The evaporative coil 8 can be reduced in size by minimizing the gap between them and the size of the beverage cooling device can be reduced as a whole. 9b can be reliably prevented from being damaged.

JP 2003-34395 A

By the way, in such a conventional cooling water tank, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 2, the cooling water is directed downward inside the propeller guard 17 by the rotation of the propeller 9 a and rises through the outside of the evaporation coil 8. Then, the air is sucked into the propeller guard 17 through the slit 17a. In this circulation process, when the cooling water rises outside the evaporation coil 8, the surface of the ice block formed around the evaporation coil 8 is washed away and cooled to a low temperature. The beverage cooling coil 5 disposed outside is cooled to cool the beverage passing through the inside. Here, the cooling water cooled by washing the surface of the ice block generated around the evaporation coil 8 does not directly cool the beverage cooling coil 5, but is once sucked into the inside through the slit 17a of the propeller guard 17. When it goes down and rises outside the evaporation coil 8 again, a part of it comes into contact with the beverage cooling coil 5 arranged outside the evaporation coil 8 to cool it, so that a decrease in flow velocity is also added. And the cooling efficiency fell and there existed a problem which does not cool enough, if a drink passes the drink cooling coil 5 continuously. Further, in the lower region of the propeller guard 17, a part of the water flow discharged downward by the propeller 9a is returned to the suction side by short circuiting the peripheral region near the propeller 9a by centrifugal force action, and evaporated from the lower side. There was also a problem that the flow rate and flow rate of the cooling water flowing through the normal circulation path via the coil 8 and the beverage cooling coil 5 were reduced, and the cooling capacity of the beverage passing through the beverage cooling coil 5 was lowered.

  In order to cope with such a problem, the present invention provides the cooling water tank 3 so that the beverage passing through the beverage cooling coil 5 can be sufficiently and efficiently cooled by the cooling water cooled by the ice blocks of the evaporation coil 8. When the beverage passes through the beverage cooling coil 5 continuously, it can be sufficiently cooled, and the agitator is improved by improving the stirring efficiency in the water tank 3. It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage cooling device that can reduce the size of the motor 9b, reduce power consumption, and reduce the cost.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, an invention according to claim 1 is provided in a cooling water tank storing cooling water, an evaporating coil of a refrigerator, a beverage cooling coil, an agitator for stirring the cooling water, and an agitator A cylindrical water supply guide disposed so as to surround the propeller and a carbonator that generates carbonated water are immersed and disposed, and the beverage stores the heat of ice blocks generated around the evaporation coil by the operation of the refrigerator. In the beverage cooling device that cools the beverage passing through the cooling coil and the carbonator, the beverage cooling coil is spirally wound around the lower region in the cooling water tank, and above the lower region, The agitator surrounded by the water supply guide and the carbonator so as to face the beverage cooling coil, and spirally arranged around the periphery so as to surround them And a said evaporator coil, by the drive of the agitator, the cooling water discharged from below the water guide and water toward the beverage cooling coil in which circulates.
According to this, the cooling water cooled by the ice lump generated around the evaporation coil is directly circulated to the spiral beverage cooling coil below it and passed through the beverage cooling coil. Since the beverage to be cooled can be cooled, the cooling efficiency can be improved.
The invention according to claim 2 is the beverage cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling water discharged from below the water supply guide by driving the agitator is directed toward the spiral beverage cooling coil. The water supply guide extends below the propeller of the agitator so as to flow down vertically.
According to this, the cooling water discharged from the lower part of the water supply guide flows down vertically and efficiently supplies water to the spiral beverage cooling coil, and the beverage passing through the beverage cooling coil is supplied. Since it can cool, the cooling efficiency can further be improved and the cooling capacity of a drink cooling device can be improved.

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the cooling water is directly fed to the spiral beverage cooling coil and circulated to improve the cooling efficiency of the beverage passing through the beverage cooling coil. Therefore, it is possible to provide a beverage cooling device that can sufficiently cool a beverage even when the beverage continuously passes through the beverage cooling coil.
Moreover, according to the invention which concerns on Claim 2, the cooling water discharged from the downward direction of a water supply guide flows down vertically, and it supplies water efficiently toward a helical drink cooling coil, and, thereby, the inside of a drink cooling coil is carried out. Since the cooling efficiency of the beverage cooling apparatus can be improved by further improving the cooling efficiency of the beverage passing therethrough, for example, even when beverages are continuously sold, the beverage passing through the beverage cooling coil can be stably cooled. It is possible to provide a high-quality beverage cooling device that can be used.
Further, according to the invention according to claim 1 or claim 2, the cooling water in the cooling water tank can be agitated and the circulation efficiency can be improved. For example, by reducing the size of the agitator motor, the power consumption is reduced. A beverage cooling apparatus that can reduce the cost can be provided.

It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the drink cooling device of embodiment of this invention, Comprising: (a) is a top view, (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which illustrates the structure of the cooling water tank of the conventional drink cooling device.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Drawing 1 is a figure showing typically the structure of the beverage cooling device of an embodiment of the invention, (a) is a top view and (b) is a longitudinal section. In the figure, components having the same or similar functions as those of a conventional beverage cooling apparatus are denoted by the same reference numerals.
As shown in the figure, the beverage cooling device 1 is used as a device for cooling drinking water or the like discharged and supplied to a cup in a cup-type vending machine or beverage dispenser and filled with cooling water. A cooling water tank 3, a beverage cooling coil 5 immersed in the cooling water tank 3, a carbonator 6, an evaporation coil 8 of a refrigerator (not shown), and an agitator 9 for stirring the cooling water are provided. Here, the beverage cooling coil 5 cools the drinking water supplied from a water reservoir tank (not shown) by passing the cooling water filled in the cooling water tank 3 and discharges it to a cup or the like on a bend stage (not shown). To supply. In addition, the carbonator 6 produces carbonated water by efficiently melting carbon dioxide gas in water in a state where it is immersed and cooled in the cooling water in the cooling water tank 3, and similarly to a cup or the like on a bend stage not shown. For discharging and supplying.

In the cooling water tank 3, as shown in the figure, the evaporator coil 8 of the refrigerator is spirally wound along the outer periphery 3a of the upper region and piped, and the carbonator 6 and the cooling water are stirred on the inner periphery side thereof. The agitator (propeller type axial flow pump) 9 is arranged substantially in parallel in the horizontal direction. Further, a hollow water supply guide 15 is provided around the agitator 9 so as to surround the propeller 9a.
Furthermore, the lower part area | region below the evaporation coil 8 wound helically is provided with the drink cooling coil 5 arrange | positioned similarly to the evaporation coil 8 helically. And the inlet pipe 5a and the outlet pipe 5b provided in the edge part of this drink cooling coil 5 are extended in the up-down direction on the outer peripheral side of the evaporation coil 8 in the cooling water tank 3 at a predetermined interval. Is provided. It should be noted that there is an interval between the bottom of the spiral evaporating coil 8 and the upper part of the helical beverage cooling coil 5 so that the ice mass generated around the evaporating coil 8 does not reach the lower beverage cooling coil 5. Is provided.

Here, the agitator 9 surrounded by the water supply guide 15 is disposed above the beverage cooling coil 5 so as to face it. Further, the water supply guide 15 has its lower end at the propeller 9a of the agitator 9 so that the cooling water discharged from below by the rotation of the propeller 9a of the agitator 9 flows down vertically toward the spiral beverage cooling coil 5. It is formed to extend downward. A plurality of slit portions 15a for taking cooling water into the inside thereof are formed on the peripheral surface of the upper part of the water supply guide 15. Further, around the evaporation coil 8, ice blocks generated therearound are formed. A plurality of electrode-type control sensors (not shown) are provided. These electrode-type control sensors use the property that the electrical conductivity (resistance value) of ice and water is different (ice has a higher specific resistance than water), and ice blocks generated around the evaporation coil 8 Control ice thickness (size). Then, with the ice mass generated around the evaporation coil 8 as a heat storage source, the cooling water filled in the cooling water tank 3 by the operation of the agitator 9 is stirred and circulated, and the drinking water passing through the beverage cooling coil 5 and the carbonator 6. And the carbonated water produced | generated by this is cooled.

 In such a configuration, when the propeller 9a of the agitator 9 is rotationally driven, the water flow of the cooling water generated by the rotational force of the propeller 9a flows down substantially vertically and is directly spirally piped to the lower region of the cooling water tank 3. The beverage which passes through the beverage cooling coil 5 is cooled by spreading toward and around the beverage cooling coil 5 and contacting the beverage cooling coil 5 to exchange heat. After that, the cooling water rises along the side surface in the cooling water tank 3 and exchanges heat by contacting the ice blocks generated around the evaporation coil 8 spirally piped in the upper area of the cooling water tank 3. To be cooled. Then, it flows downward inside the evaporation coil 8 that is inverted downward and has generated ice blocks, and circulates so as to return to the propeller 9a while cooling the carbonator 6 disposed therein. Here, the cooling water discharged downward by the propeller 9a is restrained by the water supply guide 15 surrounding the periphery thereof, and the total amount of water is discharged downward, and does not flow back in the vicinity of the end of the propeller 9a.

That is, since the quantity of the circulating cooling water increases by this, the heat transfer between the cooling water and the beverage cooling coil 5 is enhanced, and the beverage passing through the beverage cooling coil 5 is efficiently cooled. If the ice storage amount of the ice blocks generated around the evaporation coil 5 decreases, the refrigerator starts based on the detection signal of the electrode-type control sensor (not shown) and starts the ice making operation. To recover.
As described above, the beverage cooling device 1 of the present invention feeds and circulates cooling water directly toward the spiral beverage cooling coil 5 to improve the cooling efficiency of the beverage passing through the beverage cooling coil 5. Therefore, it is possible to provide a beverage cooling device that can sufficiently cool a beverage even when the beverage passes through the beverage cooling coil 5 continuously. In addition, substantially the entire amount of cooling water discharged from below the water supply guide 15 flows vertically and efficiently supplies water to the spiral beverage cooling coil 5, thereby allowing the beverage to pass through the beverage cooling coil 5. Since the cooling efficiency can be further improved and the cooling capacity of the beverage cooling device 1 can be improved, for example, even when beverages are continuously sold, the beverage that passes through the beverage cooling coil 5 can be stably cooled. A quality beverage cooling device 1 can be provided. Moreover, since the stirring and circulation efficiency of the cooling water in the cooling water tank 3 can be improved by these, a beverage cooling device that can reduce the power consumption and the cost by reducing the size of the agitator motor 9b. Can be provided.
Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the apparatus shown in this embodiment mode, and application changes can be made within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. For example, the configuration and shape of the cooling water tank 3, the evaporation coil 8, the beverage cooling coil 5 and the like constituting the beverage cooling device 1 and the arrangement and shape of the water supply guide 15 are limited to those shown in this embodiment. is not.

1 Beverage Cooling Device 3 Cooling Water Tank 5 Beverage Cooling Coil 6 Carbonator 8 Evaporating Coil 9 Agitator 9a Propeller 15 Water Supply Guide

Claims (2)

In a cooling water tank storing cooling water, an evaporating coil of a refrigerator, a beverage cooling coil, an agitator for stirring the cooling water, and a cylindrical water supply guide disposed so as to surround the propeller of the agitator A carbonator that generates carbonated water, and cools the beverage passing through the beverage cooling coil and the carbonator by heat storage of ice blocks generated around the evaporation coil by the operation of the refrigerator. In the beverage cooling device, the beverage cooling coil is spirally wound around the lower region in the cooling water tank and piped, and the water supply guide is surrounded above the lower region so as to face the beverage cooling coil. The agitator, the carbonator, and the evaporation coil spirally disposed around the agitator so as to surround them. Moving the beverage cooling device for causing the cooling water discharged from below the water guide and water toward the beverage cooling coil to circulate. The water supply guide extends below the propeller of the agitator so that the cooling water discharged from below the water supply guide by the drive of the agitator flows vertically toward the helical beverage cooling coil. 2. The beverage cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

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