JP2018038756A - Beverage producing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a beverage producing device having a milk former to which a removed component can be reliably attached.SOLUTION: In a beverage producing device, a case 741 is fixed to a body 2 by a fixing member 400 including a pressing member 402 for applying pressure in a direction of the body 2 relative to a face on a near side in plan view of the case 741; and a locking member 401 for locking the pressing member 402 so as to push in the direction of the body 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14A

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a beverage manufacturing apparatus that uses milk.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, beverage production apparatuses that produce and / or supply coffee beverages and soft drinks have become widespread. Such a beverage production apparatus includes a device for producing a coffee beverage by mixing foamed milk or steamed milk with coffee, for example. Note that the foamed milk is a whipped milk. Steamed milk is milk that has been warmed with steam, and is in a state where milk foam and liquid are mixed.

  As a beverage production apparatus provided with an apparatus (milk former) capable of producing foamed milk or steamed milk, there is a technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. Patent Document 1 discloses the following milk former. That is, the milk sent out from the milk container is mixed with air in the first mixing chamber, and a mixture of foamed milk and air (ie, foamed milk) is generated. The foamed milk produced in the first mixing chamber is compressed by a milk pump and then heated by high-temperature steam in the second mixing chamber as necessary. The foamed milk that has flowed out of the second mixing chamber flows into the tempering device. The conditioner homogenizes the foamed milk, whereby the bubbles in the foamed milk are refined and more uniformly distributed in the milk.

JP 2014-213209 A

  In such a beverage production apparatus, it is desirable to periodically remove and clean the milk former in order to maintain the hygienic condition in the milk former. However, when each part of the removed milk former is attached after cleaning, the milk former may not operate normally unless it is securely attached.

  An object of the present disclosure is to provide a beverage production apparatus having a milk former that can securely attach a removed part.

  The present disclosure includes a first gear and a second gear, a case for accommodating the first gear and the second gear in an internal space, a pump-side magnet provided on one of the first gear and the second gear, and the pump side. A milk former having a motor-side magnet that is magnetically coupled to a magnet, and a motor to which the motor-side magnet is attached to a rotating shaft, a main body that holds the milk former, and a surface perpendicular to the rotating shaft of the case And a fixing member having a pressing member that applies pressure in the direction of the main body and a locking member that locks the pressing member so as to press the pressing member in the direction of the main body.

  According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reliably attach the removed milk former part.

The perspective view of the beverage manufacturing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this indication Diagram showing the configuration of the coffee extraction unit The figure which shows the structure of a steam supply part, a milk supply part, and an air supply part Enlarged perspective view of the nozzle unit Exploded view of nozzle unit The figure when the longitudinal section of the milk former along line V-V 'in FIG. 4 is viewed from the front. Exploded view of gear pump and surrounding components Diagram showing the dimensions of the large and small diameter gears and the internal space of the case This is a left side view of the milk former, with the inside partially partially seen through FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a branching portion, a valve, and a motor side gear as viewed from the left side, and shows switching between a first outlet and a second outlet Bottom view of nozzle unit and valve motor Perspective view of milk former and main body with fixing member open Exploded perspective view of milk former and body with fixed member open Perspective view of milk former and main body with fixed member closed Front view of milk former and main body with fixed member closed Top view of milk former and main body with fixed member closed

  Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, a more detailed description than necessary, for example, a detailed description of already well-known matters or a duplicate description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted.

  The following description and the drawings referred to are provided for those skilled in the art to understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims of the present disclosure.

<1-1. Definition of direction>
First, directions in this embodiment will be defined. The direction along the axis from left to right or right to left when the front surface of the beverage production apparatus 1 faces the user is defined as the left-right direction. In addition, a direction from the front to the back of the beverage production apparatus 1 or from the back to the front when the front of the beverage production apparatus 1 faces the user is defined as the front-rear direction. In addition, a direction from the bottom surface to the top surface or the top surface to the bottom surface of the beverage production device 1 when the front surface of the beverage production device 1 and the user face each other is defined as a vertical direction. Hereinafter, the axes along the left-right direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction may be referred to as an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, respectively.

<1-2. Schematic configuration of beverage production apparatus 1>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1. The beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 is for business use, for example, and is installed in a store or the like. The beverage production apparatus 1 includes a main body 2, a door 3, a button group 4 (see a portion surrounded by a dotted line), a canister 5, a milk cool box 6, a nozzle unit 7, and a drip tray 8. I have.

  The door 3 is attached to the front surface of the main body 2 so as to be freely opened and closed. The button group 4 is disposed on the front surface of the door 3. The plurality of buttons included in the button group 4 include beverage types (espresso coffee, drip coffee (hot ice), latte (hot ice), cappuccino (hot ice), etc.) that the beverage production apparatus 1 can provide. Are assigned to each. When a button to which a desired beverage is assigned is operated by the user, the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 manufactures and provides the beverage assigned to the operated button. In addition, the drink manufacturing apparatus 1 in this Embodiment shall manufacture the drink using coffee.

  The canister 5 is attached to the upper surface of the main body 2 and stores coffee beans. The milk cooler 6 stores at least one milk pack 9 (see FIG. 3 described later) and stores it at a low temperature.

  The nozzle unit 7 is provided on the front surface of the main body 2 and discharges the beverage produced inside the main body 2 downward. Further, the nozzle unit 7 generates foamed milk (hot / cold), steam milk (hot), cold milk and the like using the milk supplied from the milk cooler 6 and discharges it downward. These milk and beverages produced inside the main body 2 are separately discharged from the nozzle unit 7 and mixed in the container 10 to produce various beverages.

The drip tray 8 projects forward from the lower end of the main body 2. The beverage discharged from the nozzle unit 7 is provided to the beverage container 10 placed on the drip tray 8. Also,
The drip tray 8 collects and stores beverages dripping from the nozzle unit 7 or spilling from the container 10.

  As shown in FIG. 2, which will be described later, inside the main body 2, a coffee extraction unit 21 that generates coffee using coffee beans stored in the canister 5 is provided. Further, as shown in FIG. 3 described later, a steam supply unit 22, a milk supply unit 23, and an air supply unit 24 are further provided inside the main body 2. The applicant of the present application discloses a coffee extraction unit, a steam supply unit, a milk supply unit, and an air supply unit in JP2013-165814A. Therefore, in this embodiment, the part corresponding to the disclosed content of JP2013-165814A will be described briefly.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the coffee extraction unit 21. As shown in FIG. 2, the coffee extraction unit 21 includes a hot water tank 211, a hot water pump 212, a filter 213, a hot water supply valve 214, a coffee side hot water supply pipe 215, an elevating device 216, a cylinder unit 217, a cap 218, a coffee liquid pipe 2212, and a mill 2213.

  The hot water tank 211 is a tank open to the atmosphere, and stores a predetermined amount of drinking water in a state heated to a predetermined temperature by a built-in heater (not shown).

  The hot water pump 212 is a pump that pressurizes and discharges hot water in the hot water tank 211. The upstream end of the coffee side hot water supply pipe 215 is connected to the discharge port of the hot water pump 212. The coffee side hot water supply pipe 215 is provided with a filter 213 and a hot water supply valve 214 made of an electromagnetic valve or the like in this order from the upstream side. The downstream end of the coffee-side hot water supply pipe 215 is detachably connected to a hot water supply port of a cylinder 219 described later.

  The cylinder unit 217 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction, and includes a cylinder 219 and a piston 2210. The upper surface of the cylinder 219 is open, and a hot water inlet is formed on the side surface near the lower end of the cylinder 219. The piston 2210 has water permeability and can move in the internal space of the cylinder 219.

  The cap 218 is provided above the cylinder unit 217 and is fitted into the rising cylinder 219 to close the opening. A space surrounded by the lower surface of the cap 218 blocking the cylinder 219, the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder 219, and the upper surface of the piston 2210 forms a coffee liquid extraction chamber.

  The cap 218 is formed with an extraction hole 2211 that penetrates from the lower surface to the upper surface of the cap 218. The coffee liquid obtained in the extraction chamber passes through the extraction hole 2211. The upper end of the extraction hole 2211 is connected so as to be in fluid communication with the coffee nozzle 72 via the coffee liquid pipe 2212.

  A mill 2213 is provided above the inside of the main body 2. The mill 2213 pulverizes the coffee beans stored in the canister 5 to generate ground beans.

  Next, the operation of the coffee extraction unit 21 will be described. When a specific button in the button group 4 (see FIG. 1) is operated, the mill 2213 generates ground beans. The produced ground beans are put into the above-described extraction chamber.

  Next, the cylinder unit 217 is raised by the lifting device 216, and the cap 218 is pushed into the opening of the cylinder 219. Thereby, the ground beans in the extraction chamber are compressed between the piston 2210 and the cap 218.

  Next, the hot water pump 212 is operated, the hot water supply valve 214 is opened, and a predetermined amount of hot water is pressurized and supplied from the hot water tank 211 into the cylinder 219. As a result, a high concentration coffee liquid is obtained. Here, a flow meter (not shown) is provided between the filter 213 and the hot water supply valve 214, and this flow meter measures the amount of hot water supplied to the cylinder 219. The obtained coffee liquid is sent out from the cap 218 and discharged from the coffee nozzle 72 via the coffee liquid pipe 2212. Then, it is poured into the container 10 placed on the drip tray 8 (see FIG. 1).

  Next, the structure of the vapor | steam supply part 22, the milk supply part 23, and the air supply part 24 which were provided in the inside of the main body 2 is demonstrated. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the steam supply unit 22, the milk supply unit 23, and the air supply unit 24. As shown in FIG. 3, the steam supply unit 22 includes an electromagnetic pump 221, a milk-side hot water supply pipe 222, a boiler 223, a steam pipe 224, and a three-way valve 225. The hot water tank 211 may be shared with the coffee extraction unit 21.

  Hot water in the hot water tank 211 is supplied to the boiler 223 via the milk-side hot water supply pipe 222 by the operation of the electromagnetic pump 221. The boiler 223 is controlled so as to always have a constant temperature by a built-in electric heater (not shown), and generates steam using hot water supplied by the operation of the electromagnetic pump 221. The generated steam is supplied to the hot milk nozzle 710 via the steam pipe 224 and the three-way valve 225.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3, the milk supply part 23 has the milk supply piping 231 in addition to the above-mentioned milk cold storage box 6. As shown in FIG.

  The upstream end of the milk supply pipe 231 is inserted into the milk pack 9 stored in the milk cool box 6. Further, the downstream end of the milk supply pipe 231 is connected so as to be in fluid communication with the milk inlet 746 of the gear pump 74 (see FIG. 4 and the like).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the air supply unit 24 includes an air pump 241, an air supply pipe 242, and an air valve 243.

  The air pump 241 is driven by a motor (not shown), sucks external air, and sends it out to the air supply pipe 242. The downstream end of the air supply pipe 242 is connected so as to be in fluid communication with the air inlet 747 of the gear pump 74. Further, an air valve 243 composed of an electromagnetic valve or the like is provided in the middle of the air supply pipe 242. When the air valve 243 is opened, the air sent from the air pump 241 is supplied to the air inlet 747 via the air supply pipe 242.

<1-3. Nozzle unit and related configuration>
Next, a detailed configuration of the nozzle unit 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4 to 11. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the nozzle unit 7 is held on the front surface of the main body 2 and includes a cover 71, a coffee nozzle 72, and a milk former 73. In FIG. 4, the cover 71 is not shown. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 11, the milk former 73 includes a gear pump 74, a branching section 75, a valve 76, a cold milk nozzle 77, a tempering device 78, and a milk flow path 79 in the milk former. And a hot milk nozzle 710.

  The gear pump 74 is a transfer pump that transfers milk, and includes a case 741, a large-diameter gear 742, a small-diameter gear 743, and a lid 744, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

  The large diameter gear 742 and the small diameter gear 743 are examples of a first gear and a second gear. The large-diameter gear 742 and the small-diameter gear 743 are accommodated in the case 741 in a state where they mesh with each other. The large-diameter gear 742 incorporates a pump-side magnet 745.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the dimensions of the large-diameter gear 742 and the small-diameter gear 743 and the dimensions of the internal space of the case. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the diameters of the addendum circles of the large-diameter gear 742 and the small-diameter gear 743 are OD1 and OD2, and the root circle diameters of both gears 742 and 743 are RD1 and RD2. Further, the tooth widths (y-axis direction widths) of both the gears 742 and 743 are substantially the same, and are W (not shown). The large-diameter gear 742 rotates clockwise when viewed from the front of the beverage production apparatus 1 (see arrow a), and the small-diameter gear 743 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the same direction (see arrow b). reference). In the present embodiment, the small diameter gear 743 rotates following the large diameter gear 742.

  The case 741 is made of a nonmagnetic material such as a resin. The case 741 is formed with an internal space IS1 for accommodating both gears 742 and 743. As shown in FIG. 8, the internal space IS1 is defined by a large-diameter side arc surface S1, a small-diameter side arc surface S2, a bottom surface S3, an upper surface S4, and a front surface S5.

  The arcuate surfaces S1 and S2 are arcuate surfaces including sides forming an arc having radii of approximately OD1 / 2 and OD2 / 2 when viewed from the front in the y-axis direction.

  The bottom surface S3 is a surface including two lower tangent lines (line segments perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 8) in contact with the tooth tip circles of the circular arc surfaces S1 and S2 when viewed from the front. On the other hand, the upper surface S4 is a surface including two upper tangent lines (a line segment perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 8). The front surface S5 is a surface that closes the space IS1 surrounded by the surfaces S1 to S4 on the front surface side (front side in FIG. 8) of the main body 2.

  Note that the internal space IS1 may have a difference of about tolerance with respect to the above dimensions. Further, the gear pump 74 may be designed to have a slight margin with respect to the above dimensions at the design stage.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the case 741 has a milk inlet 746, an air inlet 747, and a milk outlet 748. The milk inlet 746 is a cylindrical or tubular member capable of fluid communication with the suction side of the gear pump 74 through a through-hole formed in the upper surface S4 of the case 741. The downstream end of the milk supply pipe 231 is connected to the milk inlet 746 so that fluid communication is possible.

  The air inlet 747 is a cylindrical or tubular member capable of fluid communication with the internal space IS1 of the gear pump 74 through a through hole formed in the case 741. The air inlet 747 is connected to the downstream end of the air supply pipe 242 so as to be in fluid communication.

  In the present embodiment, the air inlet 747 is configured to be in fluid communication with the suction side of the gear pump 74, similarly to the milk inlet 746. The milk inlet 746 and the air inlet 747 are preferably formed at or near the center of the upper surface S4.

  The milk outlet 748 is an example of an outlet and is a through hole formed in the bottom surface S3 of the case 741. The milk outlet 748 can be in fluid communication with the branch 75. The milk outlet 748 is preferably formed at the center of the bottom surface S3 or in the vicinity thereof.

  The case 741 is attached to the front surface of the main body 2 so that the bottom surface S3 of the internal space IS1 is parallel to the xy plane, as shown in FIG. The lid 744 closes the opening of the case 741 in which both gears 742 and 743 are accommodated.

  In order to rotate the large-diameter gear 742, the main body 2 incorporates a gear pump motor 25 as shown in FIGS. The gear pump motor 25 is an example of a motor, and includes a rotating shaft 251 and a motor-side magnet 252. The motor-side magnet 252 is coupled with a pump-side magnet 745 (see FIG. 6) built in the large-diameter gear 742, and transmits the drive torque generated by the gear pump motor 25 to the pump-side magnet 745.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the branch part 75 is a cylindrical or tubular member extending in the front-rear direction. A cylindrical internal space IS2 is formed in the branch portion 75. An inlet 751 that is in fluid communication with the milk outlet 748 is formed near the front of the branch 75. A first outlet 752 that is in fluid communication with the cold milk nozzle 77 is formed on the lower rear end side of the branch portion 75. A second outlet 753 is formed at the front end of the branch portion 75 so as to be in fluid communication with a milk flow path 79 described later. An opening 754 into which a later-described valve 76 is inserted is formed at the rear end of the branch portion 75.

  The valve 76 is inserted into the opening 754 of the internal space IS2 of the branch portion 75, and has a substantially cylindrical rotator 761. A first ring groove 762 and a second ring groove 763 are formed on the outer peripheral surface (in other words, the side surface) of the rotating body 761. The axis of the first ring groove 762 is parallel to the y axis, but the axis of the ring groove 763 is not parallel to the y axis and is oblique to the y axis in plan view from the x axis direction. As shown in FIG. 10, a first O-ring 764 and a second O-ring 765 are attached to the first ring groove 762 and the second ring groove 763 described above. 9 does not show the O-rings 764 and 765 for the sake of convenience, and FIG. 10 does not show the ring grooves 762 and 763 for the sake of convenience.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 10, a spatial distance d (hereinafter referred to as an inter-ring distance) d between the O-rings 764 and 765 is a position on the circumferential surface of the valve 76 (in other words, the valve 76. Depending on the orientation from the central axis of Accordingly, when the shortest part of the distance d between the rings faces upward due to the rotation of the rotating body 761, the inlet 751 and the second outlet 753 are in fluid communication (as indicated by the dashed line arrow). 10), as shown in the lower part of FIG. 10, when the shortest portion is directed downward, the inlet 751 and the first outlet 752 are in fluid communication (see the dashed-dotted arrow).

  Further, for rotation of the valve 76, a valve side gear 766 is attached to the rear end of the valve 76 as shown in FIG. More specifically, the valve-side gear 766 is attached in a state where its own rotation axis and the central axis of the valve 76 are aligned. Here, in order to make it easy to attach the milk former 73 to the main body 2, it is preferable that the valve side gear 766 can be inserted into and removed from the main body 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the valve motor 26 is built in the main body 2 for the rotation of the valve 76. As shown in FIG. 11, the valve motor 26 has a rotating shaft 261 and a motor side gear 262. As shown in FIG. 11, the motor side gear 262 is fixed to the tip of the rotating shaft 261 and meshes with the valve side gear 766.

  The cold milk nozzle 77 is integrally attached to the case 741 via the branch portion 75. As shown in FIG. 9, the cold milk nozzle 77 is a cylindrical or tubular member extending in the vertical direction. The cold milk nozzle 77 is formed with a cylindrical internal space IS3. At the upper end of the cold milk nozzle 77, an inlet for fluidly communicating the first outlet 752 and the internal space IS3 is formed. Further, the lower end of the cold milk nozzle 77 is opened so as to be in fluid communication with the internal space IS3, and the tempering device 78 is inserted into the internal space IS3 from this opening.

  The upstream end of the milk flow path 79 is connected to the second outlet 753 so as to be in fluid communication, and the downstream end thereof is connected to the hot milk nozzle 710 so as to be in fluid communication. As shown in FIG. 5, the hot milk nozzle 710 is connected to the downstream end of the steam pipe 224 so as to be in fluid communication.

  The components of the milk former 73 described above are not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 but are fixed to the main body 2 by a fixing member 400 described later. Details of the fixing member 400 will be described later.

<1-4. Milk Former Operation (when creating Steam Milk)>
Next, an operation example of the milk former 73 having the above configuration will be described. First, when a specific button in the button group 4 is operated and the operated button is a beverage using steam milk, a microcomputer (not shown) provided inside the main body 2 has the above-described configuration. Control each part.

  The microcomputer drives the valve motor 26. Thereby, the rotating shaft 261 rotates. The force generated in the rotating shaft 261 is transmitted to the valve 76 via the front motor side gear 262 and the valve side gear 766. When producing steam milk, the microcomputer controls the valve motor 26 to rotate and stop the valve 76 so that the shortest portion of the distance d between the rings faces upward. As a result, a flow path (see an arrow of an alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 10) from the inlet 751 to the second outlet 753 is formed in the internal space IS2 of the branch portion 75.

  The microcomputer further operates the electromagnetic pump 221 to energize the three-way valve 225. Thereby, the hot water in the hot water tank 211 starts to flow into the boiler 223 via the milk side hot water supply pipe 222. The flowing hot water becomes steam by the boiler 223 and is supplied to the hot milk nozzle 710 through the steam pipe 224.

  The microcomputer further drives the gear pump motor 25. As a result, the rotational force generated in the rotating shaft 251 is transmitted to the large-diameter gear 742 by a magnet coupling between the motor-side magnet 252 and the pump-side magnet 745. As a result, the large diameter gear 742 begins to rotate, and the small diameter gear 743 rotates following the large diameter gear 742. At this time, both gears 742 and 743 rotate in the opening direction (see arrows a and b in FIG. 8) on the suction side of the internal space IS1. By this rotation, a negative pressure is generated on the suction side of the internal space IS1, and the milk in the milk pack 9 passes through the milk supply pipe 231 and the milk inlet 746 to the internal space IS1 (more specifically, the gear pump 74). Begins to be supplied to the suction side). The milk on the suction side is sent to the discharge side by rotating both the gears 742 and 743 and is discharged from the milk outlet 748 by the meshing of both the gears 742 and 743.

  Note that when the steam milk is produced, the air pump 241 is stopped and the air valve 243 is closed. That is, the gear pump 74 is not supplied with air from the air supply unit 24.

  The milk discharged from the milk outlet 748 is supplied to the inlet 751 of the branch portion 75. The milk flowing into the internal space IS2 from the inlet 751 is discharged from the second outlet 753 through the internal space IS2, and then flows into the hot milk nozzle 710 via the milk flow path 79. As described above, steam is supplied from the steam pipe 224 to the hot milk nozzle 710. Inside the hot milk nozzle 710, the milk is heated with steam, thereby producing steam milk. The generated steam milk is discharged from the hot milk nozzle 710 toward the container 10.

<1-5. Milk Former Operation (when creating cold milk)>
Further, when a specific button in the button group 4 is operated and the operated button is a beverage using cold milk, a microcomputer (not shown) provided in the main body 2 has the above-described configuration. Control each part.

  First, the microcomputer controls the valve motor 26 to rotate and stop the valve 76 so that the shortest part of the inter-ring distance d is directed downward. As a result, a flow path from the inlet 751 to the first outlet 752 (see the dashed line arrow in FIG. 10) is formed in the internal space IS2 of the branching portion 75.

  The microcomputer further drives the gear pump motor 25. As a result, the milk in the milk pack 9 starts to be supplied to the internal space IS1 (more specifically, the suction side) of the gear pump 74, as described in the section 1-4. The cold milk on the suction side is discharged from the milk outlet 748 by the rotation of both gears 742 and 743.

  During the cold milk production, the gear pump 74 does not receive air supply from the air supply unit 24.

  Milk from the milk outlet 748 is supplied to the inlet 751 of the branch 75. The milk that has flowed into the internal space IS2 from the inlet 751 is discharged from the first outlet 752 through the internal space IS2, and flows into the internal space IS3 from the upper end of the cold milk nozzle 77. The milk that has flowed in is discharged toward the container 10 from the lower end of the cold milk nozzle 77 while maintaining the cold state.

<1-6. Milk foamer operation (when creating cold foamed milk)>
Further, when a specific button in the button group 4 is operated and the operated button is a beverage using cold foamed milk, a microcomputer (not shown) provided in the main body 2 is as follows. Each part of the above configuration is controlled.

  First, the microcomputer controls the valve motor 26 to rotate and stop the valve 76 so that the shortest part of the inter-ring distance d is directed downward. As a result, a flow path from the inlet 751 to the first outlet 752 (see the dashed line arrow in FIG. 10) is formed in the internal space IS2 of the branching portion 75.

  Next, the microcomputer opens the air valve 243 and drives the air pump 241 when producing cold foamed milk. As a result, external air is taken into the air pump 241 and supplied to the internal space IS1 of the gear pump 74 via the air supply pipe 242 and the air inlet 747 of the gear pump 74.

  The microcomputer further drives the gear pump motor 25. Accordingly, the milk in the milk pack 9 starts to be supplied to the internal space IS1 (more specifically, the suction side) of the gear pump 74 in the same manner as described in the section 1-4.

  In the gear pump 74, the milk and air on the suction side are mixed by the rotation of both gears 742 and 743, thereby producing cold foamed milk. The produced cold foamed milk goes outside the rotating gears 742 and 743 and is discharged from the milk outlet 748.

  The cold foamed milk discharged from the milk outlet 748 is supplied to the inlet 751 of the branch portion 75, and then discharged from the first outlet 752 through the internal space IS 2, from the upper end of the cold milk nozzle 77. It flows into the internal space IS3. In the internal space IS3, the tempering device 78 is provided as described above. The conditioner 78 homogenizes the characteristics of the inflowed cold foamed milk, and is discharged toward the container 10 from the lower end of the cold milk nozzle 77.

<1-7. Milk Former Operation (when creating hot foamed milk)>
Further, when a specific button in the button group 4 is operated and the operated button is a beverage using hot foamed milk, a microcomputer (not shown) provided in the main body 2 is as follows. Each part of the above configuration is controlled.

  First, the microcomputer controls the valve motor 26 to rotate and stop the valve 76 so that the shortest portion of the distance d between the rings faces upward. As a result, a flow path (see an arrow of an alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 10) from the inlet 751 to the second outlet 753 is formed in the internal space IS2 of the branch portion 75.

  Further, as described in the column 1-4, steam is supplied to the hot milk nozzle 710 through the steam pipe 224.

  Further, as described in the column 1-6, in the gear pump 74, cold foamed milk is generated and discharged from the milk outlet 748.

  The cold foamed milk discharged from the milk outlet 748 flows into the inlet 751 of the branch 75 and is discharged from the second outlet 753, and then to the hot milk nozzle 710 via the milk flow path 79. Inflow. As described above, steam is supplied from the steam pipe 224 to the hot milk nozzle 710. Inside the hot milk nozzle 710, the foamed milk is heated with steam, thereby producing hot foamed milk. The generated hot foamed milk is discharged from the hot milk nozzle 710 toward the container 10.

<1-8. Detailed Description of Fixing Member 400>
Next, the fixing member 400 for fixing each component of the milk former 73 to the main body 2 will be described in detail.

<1-8-1. Background to Invention>
Each component of the milk foamer 73, that is, the gear pump 74, the branching portion 75, the valve 76, the cold milk nozzle 77, the tempering device 78, the milk flow path 79 in the milk foamer, and the hot milk nozzle 710 are main bodies. For example, there is a method using a claw-like fixing member or a screwing member provided on the case 741 of the gear pump 74 (not shown). Such a fixing method has the following problems.

  First, when the milk former 73 is fixed to the main body 2 by the screwing member, a tool (driver or the like) for removing the screwing is required when the inside of the gear pump 74 of the milk former 73 is cleaned. For this reason, the maintainability of the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 is low.

  Second, in the fixing with the claw-shaped fixing member, play occurs between the case 741 and the lid 744 and the main body 2. This play is necessary to absorb tolerances due to the precision of the fixing member. However, due to this play, there may occur a situation in which the case 741 and the lid 744 are not necessarily closely contacted and fixed to the main body 2 (not fixed securely). If the case 741 and the lid 744 are not tightly fixed to the main body 2, the following disadvantages occur.

  The gear pump 74 of the milk former 73 has the pump-side magnet 745 that is magnet-coupled with the motor-side magnet 252 and transmits the driving torque of the pump motor 25 as described above. Thus, the gear pump 74 obtains the drive torque by the magnet coupling, and in order for the gear pump 74 to obtain the drive torque intended for the predetermined design, the distance between the pump-side magnet 745 and the motor-side magnet 252 is set in advance. Must be a predetermined distance set. However, if the case 741 and the lid 744 are not fixed in close contact with the main body 2, the distance between the pump-side magnet 745 and the motor-side magnet 252 is not a predetermined distance, so that the gear pump 74 obtains a predetermined driving torque. May become impossible.

  The fixing member 400 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure described below solves the problem of the method for fixing the milk former 73 as described above.

<1-8-2. Description of Fixing Member 400>
12 to 15 exemplify a fixing member 400 that fixes the milk former 73 to the main body 2. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the milk former 73 and the main body 2 with the fixing member 400 open. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the milk former 73 and the main body 2 with the fixing member 400 open. FIG. 14A is a perspective view of the milk former 73 and the main body 2 in a state where the fixing member 400 is closed. FIG. 14B is a front view of the milk former 73 and the main body 2 with the fixing member 400 closed. FIG. 15 is a plan view of the milk former 73 and the main body 2 in a state where the fixing member 400 is closed. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ in FIG. 14B.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the fixing member 400 includes a locking member 401, a pressing member 402, and a pressing member holding portion 403.

  The locking member 401 is a substantially plate-like member formed in, for example, an S shape in a side view. The locking member 401 is connected to a pressing member 402 described later at substantially the center of the side surface, and is fixed to the pressing member 402 so as to be rotatable. Both end portions in the side view of the locking member 401 are formed in a hook shape, and as shown in FIG. 14A, the locking receiving portion 27 formed so that the tip of the main body 2 has a hook shape. By engaging and locking, the pressing member 402 can be locked so as to press in the direction of the main body 2. The locking member 401 may be formed of, for example, resin. In the present embodiment, the state where the locking member 401 is locked to the locking receiving portion 27 is referred to as a state where the fixing member 400 is closed, and the locking member 401 is locked to the locking receiving portion 27. The state where the fixing member 400 is not open is referred to as a state where the fixing member 400 is opened.

  Both ends of the pressing member 402 are connected to the locking member 401 and the pressing member holding unit 403, respectively, and are members that apply pressure in the direction of the main body 2 to the front side surface of the case 741 in plan view. . The pressing member 402 is bent so that, for example, two metal bars having a certain degree of elasticity are substantially U-shaped (in a U-shaped cross section) when viewed from the upper side of the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1. It is formed. The portions corresponding to the upper line and the lower line in the U-shape of the pressing member 402 (that is, the portions in the vicinity of both ends of the pressing member 402) are respectively connected to the locking member 401, and This is a part connected to the pressing member holding part 403. The portion corresponding to the vertical line in the U-shape of the pressing member 402 is the case of the gear pump 74 when the locking member 401 is locked to the locking receiving portion 27 as shown in FIGS. 14B and 15. It adheres to the surface of 741 and applies pressure to the case 741 in the direction of the main body 2. A portion corresponding to the vertical line in the U-shape of the pressing member 402 is provided along two guide members 7412 provided on the surface of the case 741. In the following description, the portions corresponding to the upper and lower lines in the U-shape of the pressing member 402 are the side portions of the pressing member 402, and the portions corresponding to the vertical lines are the front of the pressing member 402. It may be called a side part.

  As shown in FIG. 14B and the like, the guide member 7412 is a protruding member provided on the front surface of the case 741 in a plan view in a state substantially along the upper and lower lines of the case 741. The guide member 7412 is a member for uniquely determining the positional relationship between the case 741 and the pressing member 402 so that the case 741 and the pressing member 402 do not shift in the vertical direction of the beverage production apparatus 1.

  Of the two metal bars constituting the pressing member 402, the front side portion of the upper metal bar in the beverage production apparatus 1 is formed by bending in the vertical direction. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14B, the portion on the near side of the upper metal rod of the pressing member 402 extends horizontally from the pressing member holding portion 403 in a front view with the fixing member 400 closed. It extends and bends upward at the position inside the outer periphery of the case 741 and bends again in the horizontal direction near the outer periphery of the case 741. On the other hand, of the two metal bars constituting the pressing member 402, the front side portion of the lower metal bar in the beverage production apparatus 1 is formed without bending in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 14B. With such a shape, the front side portion of the pressing member 402 can come into contact with the case 741 in a wide range, and the pressing member 402 is in the case 741 in a state where the locking member 401 is locked to the locking receiving portion 27. And the case 741 can be suitably pressed in the direction of the main body 2.

  12 to 15, the near side portion of the pressing member 402 is formed to be bent in the front-rear direction in the beverage production apparatus 1. With such a shape, the pressing member 402 is preferably in close contact with the case 741, and the case 741 can be suitably pressed in the direction of the main body 2.

  The pressing member holding part 403 is formed in a part of the main body 2 and holds the pressing member 402 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal plane of the beverage production apparatus 1. As shown in FIGS. 12 to 15, the pressing member holding portion 403 is provided near the end portion of the main body 2 in plan view.

  As described above, the locking receiving portion 27 is a receiving member formed in a hook shape so as to be able to mesh with a locking member 401 formed in a hook shape in a part of the main body 2. As shown in FIGS. 12 to 15, the latch receiving portion 27 is provided in the vicinity of the end portion of the main body 2 opposite to the pressing member holding portion 403 in plan view.

  The manner in which the milk former 73 is fixed to the main body 2 by the fixing member 400 as described above will be briefly described. When all the components of the milk former 73 as shown in FIG. 13 are combined, the case 741 of the milk former 73 is overlaid on the main body 2 as shown in FIG. However, in this state, the case 741 and the lid 744 of the milk former 73 are not in a state of being firmly fixed to the main body 2.

  In this state, when the locking member 401 of the fixing member 400 is rotated in the horizontal plane of the beverage production apparatus 1 with the pressing member holding portion 403 as a fulcrum, the locking member 401 reaches the position of the locking receiving portion 27. 14A, 14B, and 15, when the locking member 401 is locked to the locking receiving portion 27, the pressing member 402 presses the case 741 and the lid 744 of the milk foamer 73 toward the main body 2 side. Directional pressure is applied. The length of the side portion of the pressing member 402 is such that the front side portion of the pressing member 402 is in close contact with the case 741 in a state where the locking member 401 of the fixing member 400 is locked to the locking receiving portion 27. It is said that the length.

  In this manner, when pressure is applied in the direction of the main body 2 to the front surface of the case 741 in plan view by the pressing member 402, the case 741 and the lid 744 are pressed in the direction of the main body 2. Even if the lid 744 is not firmly closed with respect to the case 741 before the fixing member 400 is closed, this pressure causes the lid 744 to be firmly closed with respect to the case 741. Although not shown in FIG. 13 and the like, the lid 744 has a seal member 744S at a position in contact with the case 741 in a closed state. This seal member 744S can prevent milk leakage from the gear pump 74 when the lid 744 is closed with respect to the case 741.

  In addition, when the fixing member 400 is closed, pressure in the direction of the main body 2 is constantly applied to the case 741 and the lid 744, so that the case 741 and the lid 744 are fixed in close contact with the main body 2. It does not move in the direction opposite to the main body 2. Thereby, the distance between the pump-side magnet 745 in the case 741 and the motor-side magnet 252 on the main body 2 side is maintained at a predetermined distance.

  With reference to FIG. 15, it will be described that the distance between the motor-side magnet 252 and the pump-side magnet 745 is a predetermined distance set in advance. As described above, in order to suitably transmit the driving torque of the pump motor 25 to the gear pump 74, the distance between the motor-side magnet 252 and the pump-side magnet 745 must be a predetermined distance set in advance. In the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the case 741 is pressed toward the main body 2 by the pressing member 402 in a state where the fixing member 400 is closed, and the case 741 and the lid 744 are pressed. Is in close contact with the main body 2 and fixed. For this reason, the distance between the motor-side magnet 252 fixed in the front-rear direction with respect to the main body 2 and the pump-side magnet 745 in the large-diameter gear 742 housed in the case 741 is a predetermined distance and varies. There is no.

  FIG. 15 shows a state where the cover 71 of the nozzle unit 7 is covered when the milk former 73 is fixed to the main body 2 by the fixing member 400. As shown in FIG. 15, the width of the fixing member 400 in the state in which the fixing member 400 is closed (the width in the horizontal direction of the beverage production apparatus 1 from the locking member 401 to the pressing member holding portion 403) is It is comprised so that it may become substantially the same as the distance in the horizontal direction of the drink manufacturing apparatus 1, ie, the horizontal width of the main body 2, or a little small. With such a configuration, the fixing member 400 can be provided without increasing the size of the main body 2. In addition, since there is almost no gap between the fixing member 400 and the cover 71, it is possible to prevent the fixing member 400 from being detached during the operation of the milk former 73.

<1-9. Action / Effect>
As described above, the beverage production apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is in the direction of the main body 2 with respect to the front side surface (a surface perpendicular to the rotation shaft 251) of the case 741 in plan view. The case 741 is fixed to the main body 2 by a fixing member 400 having a pressing member 402 that applies pressure and a locking member 401 that locks the pressing member 402 so as to press it toward the main body 2.

  For this reason, according to the present disclosure, when pressure is applied in the direction of the main body 2 to the front surface of the case 741 in a plan view by the pressing member 402, the case 741 and the case 741 are interposed between the main body 2 and the case 741. A lid 744 having a sandwiched shape is pressed in the direction of the main body 2 and is in close contact with the main body 2 and securely fixed. For this reason, even if the lid 744 is not firmly closed with respect to the case 741 before the fixing member 400 is closed, this pressure ensures that the lid 744 is securely closed with respect to the case 741.

  Further, according to the present disclosure, when the fixing member 400 is closed, pressure in the direction of the main body 2 is applied to the case 741 and the lid 744, so that the case 741 and the lid 744 are in close contact with the main body 2. And is not moved in the direction opposite to the main body 2. Thereby, the distance between the pump-side magnet 745 in the case 741 and the motor-side magnet 252 on the main body 2 side is maintained at a predetermined distance. For this reason, the driving torque of the pump motor 25 intended by design is suitably transmitted to the gear pump 74 side by the magnet coupling between the motor side magnet 252 and the pump side magnet 745.

  Moreover, in the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the pressing member 402 is formed in a U-shaped cross section, and the locking member 401 and the pressing member 402 are attached to the main body 2 at both ends. A pressing member holding portion 403 provided in a part of the main body 2 that is rotatably held is connected. For this reason, according to the present disclosure, the case 741 can be easily fixed to the main body 2.

  Moreover, in the drink manufacturing apparatus 1 which concerns on embodiment of this indication, the pressing member 402 is formed with the raw material which has elasticity. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, when the fixing member 400 is closed, the pressure in the direction of the main body 2 is always applied to the case 741 and the lid 744, so that the case 741 and the lid 744 are in close contact with the main body 2. And is not moved in the direction opposite to the main body 2.

<1-10. Addendum>
In the above-described embodiment, the fixing member 400 is configured to include the pressing member 402 that is formed to be rotatable with the pressing member holding portion 403 as a fulcrum, and the locking member 401. It is not limited to this. The fixing member does not necessarily need to be connected to the main body 2. For example, a hook-shaped locking receiving portion is provided at both ends in the horizontal direction of the main body 2, and the shape is such that the case 741 is preferably in close contact with the locking member. The locking member that is locked to the locking receiving portion at both ends of the U-shape in a plan view so that the fixing member formed on can be fitted from the front side to the back side in the beverage production apparatus 1. The fixing member which formed the shape-shaped locking member may be sufficient.

  In the embodiment described above, the fixing member 400 applies pressure to the case 741 by the rod-shaped pressing member 402, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the pressing member 402 may be formed of an elastic member having a substantially band-like surface that can be suitably brought into close contact with the front surface of the case 741 instead of the rod shape.

  The present disclosure is useful for a beverage production apparatus having a milk former.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Beverage production apparatus 2 Main body 3 Door 4 Button group 5 Canister 6 Milk cold storage 7 Nozzle unit 8 Drip tray 9 Milk pack 10 Container 21 Coffee extraction part 211 Hot water tank 212 Hot water pump 213 Filter 214 Hot water supply valve 215 Coffee side hot water supply piping 216 Elevation Device 217 Cylinder unit 218 Cap 219 Cylinder 2210 Piston 2211 Extraction hole 2212 Coffee liquid piping 2213 Mill 22 Steam supply unit 221 Electromagnetic pump 222 Milk side hot water supply piping 223 Boiler 224 Steam piping 225 Three-way valve 23 Milk supply unit 231 Milk supply piping 24 Air Supply unit 241 Air pump 242 Air supply pipe 243 Air valve 25 Gear pump motor 251 Rotating shaft 252 Motor side magnet 26 Valve motor 261 Rotating shaft 2 62 Motor side gear 27 Lock receiving part 400 Fixing member 401 Locking member 402 Pressing member 403 Pressing member holding part 71 Cover 72 Nozzle for coffee 73 Milk former 74 Gear pump 741 Case 742 Large diameter gear 743 Small diameter gear 744 Cover 745 Pump side magnet 746 Milk inlet 747 Air inlet 748 Milk outlet 75 Branch 751 Inlet 752 First outlet 753 Second outlet 754 Open 76 Valve 761 Rotating body 762 First ring groove 763 Second ring groove 764 First O-ring 765 Second O-ring 766 Valve side gear 77 Cold milk nozzle 78 Conditioner 79 Milk flow path 710 Hot milk nozzle

Claims (3)

A first gear and a second gear, a case for housing the first gear and the second gear in an internal space, a pump-side magnet provided on one of the first gear and the second gear, and a magnetic coupling with the pump-side magnet A milk former having a motor-side magnet to be mounted, and a motor to which the motor-side magnet is attached to a rotating shaft;
A main body for holding the milk former;
A fixing member having a pressing member that applies pressure in the direction of the main body with respect to a surface perpendicular to the rotation axis of the case, and a locking member that locks the pressing member so as to press it in the direction of the main body. When,
A beverage production apparatus having The pressing member is formed in a U-shape, the locking member is connected to one tip portion, and the pressing member is rotatably held to the main body on the other tip portion. A pressing member holding portion provided in a part of the
The beverage production apparatus according to claim 1. The pressing member is formed of an elastic material,
The beverage production apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

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