JP2018173408A - Liquid detector, beverage dispenser having the same, and beverage dispenser control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid detector that can detect a larger variety of types of liquids and also can detect dirt of a pipe line.SOLUTION: The liquid detector is attached to a light transmissive pipe line through which a liquid flows, and includes: a body case attached to the pipe line; a light emission unit arranged in the body case to emit light to the pipe line from a side; a light emission unit having a light emission element made of LEDs; and a light receiving unit arranged in the body case to face the light emission element to receive light emitted from the light emission element through the pipe line, the light receiving unit having a light reception element made of at least one of a red sensor, a green sensor, and a blue sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical liquid detection device that identifies liquid in a pipeline, a beverage dispenser including the device, and a beverage dispenser management system.

  Beverage dispensers such as beer dispensers, which are installed in restaurants and the like and supply beer, are widely used. And about beer dispenser, if maintenance, such as the washing | cleaning of the pipe line, is not implemented exactly, it will be known that the quality of the beer supplied from it will fall. Usually, a serviceman of a beverage sales company visits a restaurant once every few months to check the maintenance status such as beer quality and pipe cleaning. Therefore, beverage sales companies that sell beverages to restaurants are expected to be able to obtain maintenance information such as cleaning beer dispensers installed at each restaurant in real time from the standpoint of maintaining the quality of beverages sold by the company. It was rare.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid detection sensor applicable to a beverage dispenser. The liquid detection sensor optically detects the type or state of the liquid flowing through the pipe using infrared rays.

JP 2008-180643 A

  Using the liquid detection sensor described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of liquid in the liquid pipe, the type of liquid, the presence or absence of deterioration of the liquid pipe made of synthetic resin, and the like. However, according to the liquid detection sensor of Patent Document 1, when it is applied to a beer dispenser, it is possible to identify water and beer used for cleaning and to detect light brown stains on the pipeline caused by beer components. It was difficult.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid detection device that enables detection of a wider variety of liquids and detection of dirt on a pipeline.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a beverage dispenser equipped with the above-described liquid detection device, and a beverage dispenser management system capable of remotely monitoring the liquid flowing through the conduit of the beverage dispenser.

  In order to achieve the aforementioned object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid detection device attached to a light transmissive conduit through which a liquid passes, and a main body case attached to the conduit; A light emitting unit including a light emitting element composed of LEDs arranged in the main body case so as to irradiate light from the side of the pipe, and a light emitting element so as to receive light emitted from the light emitting element through the pipe There is provided a liquid detection device including a light receiving unit including a light receiving element including at least one of a red sensor, a green sensor, and a blue sensor, which are disposed in the body case so as to face each other.

  Furthermore, according to the 2nd aspect of this invention, the drink dispenser provided with the liquid detection apparatus by the 1st aspect is provided.

  Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the beverage dispenser according to the second aspect and a management device that receives light reception intensity data from the liquid detection device via the communication network, based on the light reception intensity data. And a management device including a determination unit that determines the type of liquid and the presence or absence of dirt on the pipeline.

  According to the present invention, a combination of an LED light emitting element and a light receiving element composed of at least one of a red, green, and blue sensor can identify a liquid that could not be identified conventionally. For example, according to the present invention, in the beer dispenser, it is possible to identify washing water and beer, which is difficult in the past, detection of dirt on the pipeline caused by beer components, and identification of beer brands. Therefore, for example, if a liquid detection device of a beer dispenser installed in a restaurant is connected to a beverage dispenser management device of a beverage sales company, the management device can detect the frequency of water washing of the beer dispenser and the contamination of the pipeline. It is possible to remotely monitor the presence or absence or the brand of beer flowing through the beer dispenser.

It is a typical perspective view of the beer dispenser with which the liquid detection device by a 1st embodiment of the present invention was equipped. It is a typical front view which shows the inside of the liquid detection apparatus by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a graph which shows the light reception intensity regarding the beer etc. in the clean pipe line detected with the liquid detection device by a 1st embodiment of the present invention to a light source output, and is a graph by combination of blue LED and a green sensor. is there. FIG. 4 is a graph similar to FIG. 3, but is a graph showing the received light intensity with respect to the light source output with respect to the beer in the pipeline that is contaminated with the beer component, and is a graph by a combination of a blue LED and a green sensor. . FIG. 4 is a graph similar to FIG. 3 when a clean line and a combination of a green LED and a blue sensor are used. FIG. 4 is a graph similar to FIG. 3 when a clean pipeline and a combination of a blue LED and a red sensor are used. It is the same graph as FIG. 3 at the time of using the clean pipe line and the combination of green LED and a red sensor. It is a graph which shows the time-dependent change of the light reception intensity | strength regarding the water detected by the liquid detection apparatus by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a graph which shows the time-dependent change of the light reception intensity | strength regarding the beer of the brand A detected by the liquid detection apparatus by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a graph which shows a time-dependent change of the light reception intensity | strength regarding the beer of the brand B detected by the liquid detection apparatus by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a graph which shows a time-dependent change of the light reception intensity | strength regarding the black beer of the brand C detected by the liquid detection apparatus by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a graph which shows a time-dependent change of the light reception intensity | strength regarding the 3rd beer of the brand D detected by the liquid detection apparatus by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the drink dispenser management system by the 3rd and 5th embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the drink dispenser management system by the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a graph which shows the time change of the light intensity obtained in the drink dispenser management system by the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a graph which shows the time change of the light intensity obtained in the drink dispenser management system by the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a graph which shows the time change of the light intensity obtained in the drink dispenser management system by the 5th Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description and drawings, an example of the liquid detection device 10 is shown to be attached to the beer dispenser 20. However, the liquid detection device 10 is attached to a beverage dispenser other than the beer dispenser 20 and is made of a beverage other than beer, for example, a raw material other than beer and malt, and mixed with another alcoholic beverage. A sparkling alcoholic beverage (third beer), a non-alcoholic beer, a chu-hi, a highball, a carbonated beverage, a juice, or a tea beverage may be detected. Furthermore, it will be clear that the liquid detection device 10 may be applied to the detection of liquids other than beverages.

  Initially, the beer dispenser 20 with which the liquid detection apparatus 10 by 1st Embodiment is mounted | worn is demonstrated with reference to FIG. The beer dispenser 20 shown in FIG. 1 is a type of beer dispenser 20 that functions in combination with a separately placed beer barrel 23 (FIG. 13) and a carbon dioxide gas cylinder 24 (FIG. 13). Inside the beer dispenser 20, a cooling device (not shown) for cooling the beer supplied from the beer barrel 23 is provided. A beverage introduction pipe 21 for introducing beer from the beer barrel 23 is connected to the side surface of the casing of the beer dispenser 20. The beverage introduction tube 21 is formed of a translucent or transparent tube in which a styrene elastomer is coated with a polyethylene sheath. The liquid detection device 10 is attached to the beverage introduction tube 21. Carbon dioxide gas is supplied from the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 24 to the beer barrel 23, and beer is sent from the beer barrel 23 to the beverage dispensing cock 22 of the beer dispenser 20 via the beverage introduction pipe 21 based on the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas. And if an operator operates the drink extraction cock 22, beer will be extracted from the opening part of the drink extraction cock 22, and will be supplied to the beer glass etc. which were previously arrange | positioned under the drink extraction cock 22. FIG.

  By the way, the beer dispenser 20 needs to regularly clean the pipeline through which the beer passes, for example, once a day. This washing is usually carried out by passing water through the pipeline. If the pipeline is not washed, a light brown stain due to the beer component adheres to the pipeline, which causes the taste or smell of beer.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic external view showing the liquid detection device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a state where the main body case 11 that opens and closes in a hinged manner is opened. In FIG. 2, the beverage introduction tube 21 is indicated by a virtual line. The liquid detection device 10 shown in FIG. 2 has a main body case 11 configured to be attachable to the beverage introduction tube 21 of the beer dispenser 20 and the main body case 11 so as to irradiate the beverage introduction tube 21 with visible light from the side. The light emitting unit 13 including the arranged light emitting element 12 and the light emitted from the light emitting element 12 in the main body case 11 facing the light emitting element 12 across the introduction tube 21 so as to receive the light emitted from the light emitting element 12 through the introduction tube 21. A light receiving unit 15 including the arranged light receiving element 14, a transmission unit 16 that wirelessly transmits data of light reception intensity by the light receiving element 14, and a power source that supplies power to the light emitting unit 13, the light receiving unit 15, and the transmission unit 16. Part 17.

  Furthermore, the liquid detection device 10 also has a light shielding cover (not shown) that covers a portion of the beverage introduction tube 21 adjacent to the outside of the main body case 11. The light shielding cover is provided so that external light does not reach the light receiving element 14 through the portion of the beverage introduction tube 21 adjacent to the outside of the main body case 11.

  The main body case 11 has a light emitting part side case 11a and a light receiving part side case 11b connected to each other so as to be able to be opened and closed, and when they are closed, the light emitting element 12 and the light receiving element 14 Are formed to face each other. The main body case 11 is also formed so as to be fixed to the beverage introduction tube 21 while being fixed to each other when the light emitting unit side case 11a and the light receiving unit side case 11b are closed.

  In the first embodiment, the light emitting element 12 is a blue LED, and the light receiving element 14 is a green sensor made of a Si photodiode. This green sensor has a sensitivity wavelength range of 480 nm to 600 nm. Thus, by using the combination of the blue LED and the green sensor, a discernable difference is generated between the light receiving intensity when the beer is flowing and the light receiving intensity when the water used for cleaning the tube is flowing. Further, by using a combination of a blue LED and a green sensor, it is possible to detect a decrease in received light intensity due to light brown stains caused by beer components attached to the inner surface of the tube. Furthermore, it becomes possible to detect the foam of beer and the state without liquid and foam.

  The transmission unit 16 can transmit the light reception intensity data from the light reception unit 15 at a predetermined control cycle, for example, to the network connection terminal 30 described later by a communication method in accordance with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard. It is configured. As a communication method of the transmission unit 16, not only short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or ZigBee (registered trademark) but also wireless communication such as Wifi (registered trademark) or wireless communication such as LoRaWAN (registered trademark) is possible. Other communication methods such as may be adopted. Furthermore, an embodiment in which the transmission unit 16 transmits data to the outside by wire instead of wireless is also possible. Moreover, the transmission part 16 may be arrange | positioned not in the main body case 11, but in the housing | casing of the beer dispenser 20, for example.

  The power supply unit 17 is a dry battery in the first embodiment. However, an embodiment in which the power supply unit 17 is not a dry battery but an AC 100 volt input is also possible. In this case, the power supply unit 17 may be disposed in the housing of the beer dispenser 20 instead of the main body case 11, for example.

  FIG. 3 shows a case where beer, water, or beer foam is poured into the beverage introduction tube 21 using the liquid detection device 10 according to the first embodiment, or when nothing flows (hereinafter referred to as “empty state”). ) Of measured data of received light intensity (vertical axis) with respect to light source output (horizontal axis). The numerical value on the horizontal axis is a numerical value related to the PWM control of the light source output, and the maximum value is not displayed but is 255. The numerical value on the vertical axis is based on the output of the light receiving element 14 and corresponds to the received light intensity. In addition, the beverage introduction tube 21 was used for the measurement without any dirt. In FIG. 3, the received light intensity is in the order of water> beer> empty state> foam, water increases about 14% with respect to beer, empty state decreases about 40% with respect to beer, and foam becomes beer. It is shown to be about 48% lower. When the liquid detection device 10 is actually used, the light source output is fixed to a specific value.

  As described above, the liquid detection device 10 according to the first embodiment can also detect dirt due to beer components. FIG. 4 is a graph of actual measurement data similar to that in FIG. 3 when beer or water is allowed to flow through the beverage introduction tube 21 to which dirt due to beer components adheres, or when it is empty. FIG. 4 also shows that the received light intensity is in the order of water> beer> empty state, with water increasing by about 15% relative to beer and empty state decreasing by approximately 38% relative to beer. Also, the received light intensity is reduced by about 15%, about 16%, and about 12% for the water, beer, and empty conditions, respectively, as compared to the clean tube of FIG.

  According to the liquid detection device 10 according to the first embodiment, in this way, the difference in the type including the empty state of the liquid flowing through the introduction tube 21 and the contamination of the tube are shown as the difference in the light receiving intensity. Then, it is possible to determine the type of liquid to be measured and the presence or absence of dirt on the tube from the difference in received light intensity. However, in the first embodiment, the liquid detection device 10 does not have a determination function. Therefore, the light reception intensity data is transmitted by the transmission unit 16 to the determination unit 41 included in the management device 40 described later. In the first embodiment, the determination unit 41 is not included in the liquid detection device 10, but the embodiment in which the determination unit 41 is included in the liquid detection device 10, or the network connection terminal 30 described later or Embodiments included in the beer dispenser 20 are also possible. In those cases, data of the determination result of the determination unit 41 is sent to the management device 40 by the transmission unit 16.

  The combination of the light emitting element 12 and the light receiving element 14 of the liquid detection device 10 of the above-described embodiment is a combination of a blue LED and a green sensor, but beer and water can be obtained by combining other color LEDs and a single color sensor. Identification is possible. FIG. 5 is a graph similar to FIG. 3 for a combination of a green LED and a blue sensor, FIG. 6 is a combination of a blue LED and a red sensor, and FIG. 7 is a graph similar to FIG. The blue sensor in this case has a sensitivity wavelength range of 400 nm to 540 nm, and the red sensor has a sensitivity wavelength range of 590 nm to 720 nm. 5, 6, and 7 can be distinguished from each other even though the difference in received light intensity between water and beer is small compared to the case of FIG. 3.

  As mentioned above, the combination of the single color LED and the single color sensor that can be used when the plurality of liquids to be identified is beer and water is exemplified, and the combination of the blue LED and the green sensor is optimal in the case of beer and water. Showed that. However, if the plurality of liquids to be identified are different, it will be apparent that the optimum combination of the single color LED and the single color sensor for identifying the liquids is different from the above-described combination.

Modification of First Embodiment The liquid detection device 10 of the above-described embodiment has a combination of a pair of light emitting elements 12 and light receiving elements 14, but the liquid detection device has a plurality of pairs of light emitting elements 12 and light receiving elements. Embodiments with 14 different combinations are also possible. The liquid detection device in that case may be suitable for identifying a plurality of different types of beverages, for example.

  Next, a liquid detection device 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The liquid detection device 100 according to the second embodiment is different from the liquid detection device 10 according to the first embodiment in that the light emitting element 12 is a white LED and the light receiving element 14 is a color sensor. The other configuration is the same as that of the liquid detection device 10 according to the first embodiment, and therefore can be shown in FIG. The color sensor in the second embodiment is formed as a single chip sensor in which red, green, and blue sensors, which are photodiodes, are integrated into a single processing circuit. The sensitivity peaks of the red, green, and blue sensors are at 650, 550, and 450 nm, respectively, and the full widths at half maximum are 70, 70, and 80 nm, respectively.

  It has been confirmed that by using the liquid detection device 100 according to the second embodiment, it is possible to identify water and beer, and further, beer brands. FIGS. 8 to 12 show red, green, and blue sensors with respect to irradiated LED white light when water or four types of beer are poured into the beverage introduction tube 21 using the liquid detection device 100. It is a graph of the actual measurement data which shows a time-dependent change of the received light intensity (vertical axis). The numerical value on the vertical axis is based on the output of the light receiving element 14 and corresponds to the received light intensity. The number 1 on the horizontal axis indicating time corresponds to 30 seconds. In addition, the beverage introduction tube 21 was used for the measurement without any dirt.

  FIG. 8 is a graph for water, FIG. 9 is a brand A beer, FIG. 10 is a brand B beer, FIG. 11 is a brand C black beer, and FIG. 12 is a brand D third beer. It will be apparent from FIGS. 8 to 12 that it is possible to determine whether the liquid to be measured is water or any of brands A to D. However, the liquid detection device 100 of the second embodiment does not have a determination function, like the liquid detection device 10 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the received light intensity data is sent by the transmission unit 16 to a determination unit provided in the management device 40 described later, and is determined there.

  8 to 12 show actual measurement data in the case of the clean beverage introduction tube 21, but the data in the case of the beverage introduction tube 21 to which dirt due to beer components adheres are shown in FIGS. 8 to 12. It is clearly expected that at least one of the red, green, and blue light intensities will be lower than the light intensity, and as a result, contamination detection will be possible as in the first embodiment.

  The liquid detection device 10 according to the first embodiment uses a combination of a single color (blue) LED and a single color (green) sensor, and the liquid detection device 100 according to the second embodiment supplies a liquid using a combination of a white LED and a color sensor. Although identified, embodiments of liquid sensing devices having a combination of, for example, a white LED and a single color sensor, or a combination of a white LED and a two-color sensor, etc., are possible in the present invention.

  Next, a beverage dispenser management system 200 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. A beverage dispenser management system 200 shown in FIG. 13 is installed in a restaurant (hereinafter also referred to as “store”), and uses a beer dispenser 20 used together with a beer barrel 23 and a carbon dioxide gas cylinder 24, and the beer dispenser 20 on the Internet. Are installed in the same store as the management device 40 installed in the management center of a beverage sales company, for example, and the liquid detection device 10 installed in the beverage introduction tube 21 of the beer dispenser 20. A network connection terminal 30 connected to the Internet 5 is provided as a main component. As the liquid detection device 10, the one described in the first embodiment may be used. In FIG. 13, the management device 40 is shown to manage one beer dispenser 20 arranged in one store, but the management device 40 in the present embodiment is a single device that has many stores in many stores. A similar beer dispenser 20 can be managed.

  The network connection terminal 30 is configured to send the received light intensity data received by wireless communication from the transmission unit 16 of the liquid detection device 10 to the management device 40 via the Internet 5. In the present embodiment, the network connection terminal 30 is also configured to receive and display a message from the management device 40, and thus includes a display unit (not shown) such as a liquid crystal screen. .

  In the present embodiment, the network connection terminal 30 is installed in the store as a device separate from the beer dispenser 20, but an embodiment in which the network connection terminal 30 is disposed inside the housing of the beer dispenser 20 is also possible. . The network connection terminal 30 may be configured based on a personal computer or a tablet terminal that can receive data from the transmission unit 16 by the communication method described above, or a smartphone. In addition, the connection between the network connection terminal 30 and the Internet 5 is performed using a cellular line such as 3G or 4G (LTE) in this embodiment, but this may be performed by wired or wireless communication.

  The management device 40 is arranged in a service center of a beverage sales company or the like far away from the store, and is configured to be capable of bidirectional communication with the network connection terminal 30 of each store via the Internet 5. The management device 40 is composed of a computer or a server. In addition, the management device 40 accumulates the received light intensity data received from the network connection terminal 30, determines the type of liquid in the beverage introduction tube 21 of each beer dispenser 20 from the received light intensity data, and determines the received light intensity. The determination part 41 comprised so that the presence or absence of the stain | pollution | contamination of the drink introduction pipe | tube 21 of the beer dispenser 20 might be determined from a time-dependent fall is provided. The determination unit 41 can determine the type including the bubble or empty state of the liquid to be measured by comparing the received light intensity of the unknown liquid with the light intensity of the known liquid.

  The determination unit 41 records the date and time when water was detected for each beer dispenser 20, and if the water is not detected even if a predetermined period has elapsed since the date when water was last detected, It is configured to issue an alarm for prompting. In addition, the determination unit 41, for example, if the light reception intensity of the liquid determined to be beer is decreased at a predetermined rate or more with respect to the past maximum value or initial value of the light reception intensity of beer, dirt adhered to the pipeline It is also configured to issue an alarm prompting the cleaning of the pipeline and / or the replacement of the beverage introduction pipe 21 when it is determined that the permissible level has been exceeded. The alarm is transmitted as a message to the network connection terminal 30 to which the target beer dispenser 20 is connected. In the present embodiment, the message is also transmitted to a mobile communication terminal 50 such as a mobile phone or a smartphone possessed by a service person of a beverage sales company.

  The beverage dispenser management system 200 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above, and remotely monitors whether the beer dispenser 20 is regularly cleaned or not. If not, an alarm can be issued. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems such as nasty taste and odor caused by dirt on the pipeline of the beer dispenser 20.

  An embodiment in which communication between the management device 40 and the network connection terminal 30 is performed via a communication network such as a wired or wireless LAN instead of the Internet 5 is also possible.

  Next, a beverage dispenser management system 300 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 14 will be described. This beverage management dispenser system 300 is different from the beverage dispenser management system 200 according to the third embodiment in that the management device 340 is arranged in the store, and the data such as the received light intensity is transmitted from the transmission unit 16 to the network connection terminal 30 and the Internet. The difference is in receiving directly without going through 5. The management device 340 may be configured based on a personal computer or a tablet terminal that can receive data from the transmission unit 16 by the communication method described above, or a smartphone.

  The management device 340 according to the fourth embodiment is not illustrated with a determination unit 41 that determines the type of liquid, the presence / absence of dirt on the tube, etc. from the received light intensity data received from the liquid detection device 10, but the management according to the third embodiment. Similar to the device 40. In addition, the management device 340 displays a message for prompting the cleaning of the pipeline of the beer dispenser 20 on a display device (not shown) of the management device 340 itself, or a mobile phone possessed by a service person of a beverage sales company or the like It is comprised so that it may transmit to the mobile communication terminal 50 like a smart phone.

  Next, a beverage dispenser management system 400 according to the fifth embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 13, 15, 16, and 17. The fifth beverage dispenser management system 400 includes the liquid detection device 410 similar to the liquid detection device 100 according to the second embodiment as the liquid detection device, and is configured with the beverage dispenser management system 200 according to the third embodiment. However, the other points are the same as shown in FIG.

  Similar to the liquid detection device 100 according to the second embodiment, the liquid detection device 410 includes a white LED as the light emitting element 12, but includes a monochromatic blue sensor as the light receiving element 14. However, although the liquid detection device 410 includes a color sensor as the light receiving element 14, a modified example of the beverage dispenser management system 400 according to the fifth embodiment in which only data obtained from the blue sensor in the color sensor is used. Is possible.

  The liquid detection device 410 measures the received light intensity at a preset measurement time interval T1, and obtains the maximum value and the minimum value among the plurality of received light intensities within a preset evaluation time interval T2 longer than the measurement time interval T1. The aforementioned maximum value and minimum value are transmitted to the network connection terminal 30 at a preset transmission time interval T3 equal to or longer than the evaluation time interval T2. The graph illustrated in FIG. 15 shows the time change of the light reception intensity of the blue sensor when the measurement time interval T1 is set to 30 seconds, the evaluation time interval T2 is set to 10 minutes, and the transmission time interval T3 is set to 10 minutes. . In other words, FIG. 15 shows that the liquid detection device 410 determines the maximum value and the minimum value of each of the plurality of measurement data of the received light intensity of the blue sensor obtained every 30 seconds for 10 minutes, and the maximum value and the minimum value. It is a graph of the result of having transmitted a value to the management apparatus 40 via the network connection terminal 30 every 10 minutes. The graph line (1) in FIG. 15 is a series of the aforementioned maximum values of received light intensity for 10 minutes, and the graph line (2) is a series of minimum values. In this way, the management device can represent a large number of light intensity data relating to blue light obtained at every measurement time interval T1 (30 seconds) by the maximum value and the minimum value at the evaluation time interval T2 (10 minutes). It is possible to realize a reduction in the amount of data processing at 40 and the amount of data transmitted to the management device 40. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various methods other than those using the maximum value and the minimum value described above are possible in the present invention as a method for reducing the data amount.

  A section A in FIG. 15 indicates that the beer dispenser 20 is in the operation mode, and a section B indicates that the beer dispenser 20 is in the standby mode. In most time zones of the section A, the graph lines (1) and (2) have a substantially constant received light intensity and thus extend substantially horizontally. This indicates that the inside of the beverage introduction pipe 21 of the beer dispenser 20 in the operation mode is filled with beer. In the operation mode, the beer pressurized based on the pressure from the carbon dioxide cylinder 24 fills the beverage introduction pipe 21 regardless of whether it is flowing or stationary. On the other hand, in the standby mode, beer is extracted from the beverage introduction tube 21, and thus the beverage introduction tube 21 is filled with air. Therefore, the received light intensity is lower in the standby mode than in the operation mode.

  The downward peak Pmin in the graph line (2) in the section A in FIG. 15 indicates that the beer barrel 23 has been replaced. During the replacement of the beer barrel 23, the beer is pulled out from the beverage introduction tube 21 and is filled with air, so that the light receiving intensity is lowered. After the replacement, the beer barrel 23 is filled with beer and rises. As a result, the downward peak Pmin Occurs.

  The upward peak Pmax in the graph line (1) in the section A in FIG. 15 indicates that the beverage introduction pipe 21 has been washed with water. During the water washing, the fluid that fills the beverage introduction pipe 21 is changed from beer to water, so that the light receiving intensity is increased. However, in the example of FIG. Since it is satisfied, the received light intensity decreases, and as a result, an upward peak Pmax occurs.

  Thus, it can be known from the sudden drop and increase in the received light intensity that the barrel exchange and the water washing were performed, respectively. In the beverage dispenser management system 400 according to the fifth embodiment, the management device 40 has a function of drawing the graph shown in FIG. 15, and the determination unit 41 has a maximum light reception intensity in each evaluation time interval T2. It is configured to determine that barrel replacement or water washing has been performed based on how the value and the minimum value change, and to issue an alarm if water washing has not been performed for a predetermined period.

  FIG. 16 is a graph similar to FIG. 15, but shows an example of measured data of received light intensity of blue light in a longer time span from Monday to Friday in a certain week. FIG. 16 is a graph in the case where the measurement time interval T1 is not changed from 30 seconds, but the evaluation time interval T2 and the transmission time interval T3 are each extended to 60 minutes. In the case of FIG. 16, the amount of data transmitted and the amount of data processed by the management device 40 are reduced to 1/6 compared to the case of FIG. 15. It can be sufficiently determined that is implemented three times.

  FIG. 17 shows an example of measured data of the received light intensity of blue light at the same time span and the same time intervals T1, T2, and T3 as FIG. It can be seen from FIG. 17 that barrel exchange has been carried out seven times and water washing has not been carried out even once. FIG. 17 also shows that the beverage dispenser 20 was placed in the operation mode throughout the measurement period, that is, the beverage introduction tube 21 was filled with beer except during the barrel exchange.

  In the beverage dispenser management system 400 according to the fifth embodiment, the liquid detection device 410 is configured to obtain the maximum value and the minimum value of the received light intensity at the predetermined evaluation time interval T2. Alternatively, an embodiment in which the management device 40 or the determination unit 41 is configured to obtain the aforementioned maximum value and minimum value is also possible in the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Liquid detection apparatus 11 Main body case 12 Light emitting element 13 Light emitting part 14 Light receiving element 15 Light receiving part 16 Transmitting part 17 Power supply part 20 Beer dispenser 21 Beverage introduction pipe 30 Network connection terminal 41 Determination part

Claims (16)

A liquid detection device mounted on a light-transmitting conduit through which liquid passes,
A main body case mounted on the conduit;
A light emitting unit including a light emitting element composed of an LED, which is disposed in the main body case so as to irradiate light from the side to the conduit;
A light receiving element comprising at least one of a red, green, and blue sensor disposed in the main body case so as to receive light emitted from the light emitting element through the conduit. A light receiving unit comprising:
A liquid detection apparatus comprising:   The liquid detection device according to claim 1, wherein the LED of the light emitting element is a white LED, and the light receiving element includes the red, green, and blue sensors.   The liquid detection device according to claim 1, wherein the LED of the light emitting element is a white LED, and the light receiving element includes the blue sensor.   The light emitting element is a single color LED of any one of red, green, and blue LEDs, and the light receiving element is a single color sensor of any one of the red, green, and blue sensors. The liquid detection device according to 1.   The liquid detection apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the single-color LED is a blue LED, and the single-color sensor is a green sensor.   The liquid detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit that transmits data of light reception intensity by the light receiving element to the outside by wireless communication.   A beverage dispenser comprising the liquid detection device according to claim 6. The beverage dispenser of claim 7;
A management device that receives the received light intensity data from the liquid detection device via a communication network, and identifies a type of liquid based on the received light intensity data, and determines whether or not the pipeline is soiled A management device including a determination unit;
A beverage dispenser management system comprising:   The beverage dispenser management system according to claim 8, wherein the types of liquid identified by the determination unit are water and beer.   10. The beverage dispenser management system according to claim 8, wherein the determination unit determines the presence or absence of dirt on the pipeline from the rate of decrease of the received light intensity with respect to the initial value or the maximum value.   The beverage dispenser management system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, further comprising a network connection terminal that transmits data received from the transmission unit to the management device via the communication network.   The beverage dispenser management system according to claim 11, wherein the network connection terminal, not the management device, includes the determination unit.   The beverage dispenser management system according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the beverage dispenser includes the determination unit instead of the management device.   The beverage dispenser management system according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the communication network is the Internet.   The determination unit identifies a type of liquid based on a change of a maximum value and a minimum value among a plurality of light reception intensities included in a predetermined one evaluation time interval over a plurality of the evaluation time intervals. The beverage dispenser management system according to any one of claims 14 to 14.   The liquid detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a determination unit that determines the type of liquid and the presence or absence of contamination of the pipe line based on the data of the received light intensity.

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