JP2020121768A - Beverage supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

To suitably incorporate a cup dispenser in a cup type beverage supply device.SOLUTION: A beverage supply device 1 that injects a beverage into a cup 2 set by a user is provided with: an injection mechanism (take-out port) disposed in an approximately center part in a width direction at a front of a casing 3, that sets the cup 2 and injects the beverage; and a cup dispenser 5 provided on both sides of the injection mechanism (take-out port), that enables the cup to be taken out from an opening (cup receiver 53) at the front of an openable/closable front door 31. The cup 2 is replenished by opening/closing the front door 31. Thus, the cup dispenser 5 is not externally mounted but is stored inside, and the cup dispenser does not become an obstruction even when the plurality of beverage supply devices 1 are arranged in parallel, thereby enabling the devices to be provided adjacently, saving space, decreasing a possibility of tampering, and maintaining a favorable state of hygiene. Furthermore, even when a wall exists on either a left or right side, the beverage can be taken out easily.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a cup-type beverage supply device that injects a beverage into a cup set by a user.

Compared to beverage supply devices such as cans and PET bottles, the cup-type beverage supply device can supply a small amount of beverages or can be provided at a low unit price, so many can be installed in restaurants, offices, etc., especially indoors. Has been used. The typical cup-type conventional beverage supply device 9 is as shown in FIG. In this beverage supply device 9, the installation surface of the casing (housing) 91 has a substantially rectangular shape, and the left and right sides of the front surface are chamfered with R, and is formed to extend upward in a tower shape from the installation surface. .. A cup dispenser 93 is externally attached to one side surface (left side surface 92 in FIG. 10) of the casing 91 by a magnet. The cup dispenser 93 accommodates the cup row 95 in which the cups 94 are stacked and allows the lowermost cup 96 to be dropped or pulled out by a user's operation.

However, in such a conventional technique, when a plurality of the beverage supply devices 9 are installed side by side, the cup dispenser 93 becomes an obstacle and must be installed with a certain interval, which is space efficient. There is a problem of being bad. In addition, the user also has to take out the cup 94 (96) by turning his or her face or hand around the side surface 92, which is inconvenient for the taking-out operation. Further, since the cup 94 is exposed to the outside of the beverage supply device 9, there is a possibility that it may be mischievous and there is a problem in hygiene.

Here, Patent Document 1 discloses a cup supply device. According to this, in the conventional case, the rear row of the cup row is pushed and the cup row is slid when the front row is lost. Therefore, if the curl around the peripheral edge of the opening of the cup becomes entangled, a set failure will occur. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, the stacked cups are stored in four rows, and one cup is sold on each of the left and right sides. However, for stock use, if there are no left or right sides, push out with pushers and push back with push back members to set so that they do not stick.

JP, 2009-199142, A

Therefore, in Patent Document 1, the cup 94 (96) is housed in the door 97, and measures against mischief and hygiene are taken. However, in order to sell the cup itself, it is a complicated and elaborate structure, and basically, it seems that it is the same as the external cup dispenser 93 of FIG. That is, Patent Document 1 is not built in each cup beverage providing device, and one or a plurality of cup beverage providing devices that do not have a cup dispenser, one or a plurality of the same or different ones. It is thought that it will be installed on the wall and sell cups. Therefore, it seems that Patent Document 1 is difficult to realize as a beverage providing device including a cup dispenser.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage supply device that preferably incorporates a cup dispenser.

The beverage supply device of the present invention is a beverage supply device for injecting a beverage into a cup set by a user, the casing having a front door that can be opened and closed, and the front door provided with an operation for injecting the beverage. An operating means for performing, a supply mechanism provided inside the casing for supplying the beverage in response to an operation of the operating means, and accessible from the front surface of the casing, in a substantially central portion in the width direction of the casing. An injecting mechanism that is provided and in which the cup is set, injects the beverage supplied from the supplying mechanism into the cup, and a cup row in which the cups are provided in the front door on both sides of the injecting mechanism and in which the cups are stacked. And a cup dispenser that allows the lowermost cup to be taken out from an opening provided in the front surface of the front door according to the operation of the user.

According to the above configuration, in the beverage supply device for injecting the beverage into the cup set by the user, the cup dispenser is provided inside the casing, and the cup is taken out from the opening provided on the front surface of the front door. In the casing, for example, the installation surface has a substantially rectangular shape, and the left and right sides of the front surface are chamfered with R, and the casing is formed in a tower shape. Specifically, the front door of the casing is openable and closable for maintenance such as replenishment, replacement and cleaning of beverage materials and water, and the user can inject (select) the beverage into the front door. The operating means for performing the operation is provided. A supply mechanism for supplying the beverage in response to the operation of the operation means is provided inside the casing, and the cup is set at a substantially central portion of the front surface of the casing in the width direction. An infusion mechanism is provided for injecting the beverage supplied from the mechanism into the cup. Within the front door, cup dispensers are provided on either side of the pouring mechanism. The cup dispenser accommodates the row of cups in which the cups are stacked, and allows the lowermost cup to be taken out through an opening provided in the front surface of the front door in accordance with the operation of the user.

Therefore, since the cup dispenser is housed inside rather than being externally attached to the casing, even when a plurality of the beverage supply devices are installed side by side, the cup dispensers do not get in the way and are installed close to each other. Therefore, it is possible to realize space saving, and the user can easily take out the cup without turning his or her face or hand to the side. Furthermore, since the cup is housed inside the beverage supply device, it is less likely to be mischievous, which is preferable in terms of hygiene. Furthermore, since the pouring mechanism is located in the center of the beverage supply device and the cup dispensers are located on both sides of the beverage supply device, the beverage dispensing operation is easy even if there is a wall on either side of the beverage supply device. It is also possible to change the capacity of the cup on the left and right. In this way, it is possible to preferably realize the beverage supply device having the cup dispenser built therein.

Further, in the beverage supply apparatus of the present invention, the front door is provided with a slit for visually recognizing the remaining amount of the cup stored in the cup dispenser.

According to the above configuration, in the present invention, the cup dispenser is housed inside the casing, and in response to opening the front door and refilling the cup from the inside, the front door is provided with a slit, Make it possible to check the remaining amount of the cup. The slit may be provided over the entire length of the cup dispenser, but may be provided at a position where it can be confirmed that at least the cup in the lower portion has decreased to a predetermined amount.

As a result, even if the cup dispenser is housed inside the casing, it is easy to prevent the cup from breaking.

Furthermore, the beverage supply apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that an index serving as a standard for refilling the cup is attached to the periphery of the slit.

According to the above configuration, the index is provided at the position of the uppermost cup when the remaining amount of the cup reaches a predetermined number, for example, 10 at the periphery of the slit.

Therefore, it serves as a guide for refilling the cup, and can be easily refilled. The indexes may be provided for a plurality of stages and may be different indexes, such as changing colors according to the urgency of replenishment.

Further, in the beverage supply device of the present invention, the cup dispenser, according to the operation of the user, a cutting mechanism that separates the cup of the lowermost layer from the cup row, and the cup that is separated and dropped. The receiving mechanism, which is received below, is supported so that the user can take it out, and serves as the opening, and a storage cylinder that accommodates the cup rows in alignment above the disconnecting mechanism, the disconnecting mechanism, The receiving member and the containing cylinder are characterized in that they can be replaced according to the diameters of the plurality of cups.

According to the above configuration, the left and right cup dispensers can be made to correspond to the capacity of the cup such as 5 ounces and 7 ounces, and particularly the diameter of the cups in the stacked cup row.

Furthermore, in the beverage supply device of the present invention, the front door can be locked, and the cup row can be replenished to the upper portion of the storage cylinder from the back surface side of the front door.

According to the above configuration, the front door can be locked, and by replenishing the cup row from the back side of the front door, it is possible to reliably prevent mischief on the cup.

As described above, the beverage supply device of the present invention is a beverage supply device for injecting a beverage into the cup set by the user, and injecting the beverage by setting the cup at the substantially central portion in the width direction on the front surface of the casing. An injecting mechanism is provided, and a cup dispenser is provided on the front surface of the openable/closable front door so that the cups can be taken out from openings provided on both sides of the injecting mechanism. The cup is refilled by opening/closing the front door.

Therefore, since the cup dispenser is not attached externally but is housed inside, even when a plurality of the beverage supply devices are installed in parallel, the cup dispenser does not get in the way and can be installed close to each other. Therefore, it is possible to save space, and the user can easily take out the cup without turning his or her face or hand on the side. Further, since the cup is housed inside the beverage supply device, there is little possibility of being mischievous, which is preferable in terms of hygiene. Furthermore, since the injecting mechanism is located in the center of the beverage supply device and the cup dispensers are located on both sides of the beverage supply device, it is easy to take out the beverage even if there is a wall on either side of the beverage supply device. It is also possible to change the capacity of the cup on the left and right. In this way, it is possible to preferably realize the beverage supply device having the cup dispenser built therein.

It is a perspective view of the drink supply device of one embodiment of the present invention. It is a 6th figure of the said beverage supply apparatus. It is sectional drawing seen from the cutting plane line III-III in FIG.2(b). It is a one part exploded perspective view of the state which opened the side panel of the beverage supply apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view explaining the usage state of the cup table in the said beverage supply apparatus. It is a front view explaining the usage state of the cup table in the said beverage supply apparatus. It is a perspective view of the panel which comprises the central part of the front door in the said beverage supply apparatus. It is the perspective view which looked at the front door in the above-mentioned drink supply device from the back side. It is a flow chart for explaining the special drink supply operation in the drink supply device. It is a perspective view of the conventional beverage supply apparatus.

1 is a perspective view of a beverage supply device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a six-sided view thereof, (a) is a plane, (b) is a front surface, (c) is a right side surface, (D) is a bottom surface. The beverage supply device 1 is a device for injecting a beverage into a cup 2 set by a user. The beverage may be originally stored as a liquid in a tank in the beverage supply device 1, but is prepared by storing a powder material in a canister and adding water or hot water to the material. It may be done. In this embodiment, the latter is capable of providing many beverages.

The beverage supply device 1 has a tower-shaped casing 3 having a front door 31 that can be opened and closed, left and right side plates 32 and 33, a back plate 34, a top plate 35, and a bottom plate 36. It is a beverage supply device. Of course, although not shown in the drawing, structural members such as columns and beams that support the plates 32 to 36 and members that support the internal mechanisms are provided. The front door 31 of the casing 3, particularly the front door 31, is formed into a curved surface with chamfered R at the left and right corners when viewed from the installation surface (flat surface). From the four corners of the bottom plate 36, height adjustable leg portions 361 are erected.

The front door 31 is generally configured to include an upper portion 311, a lower portion 312, and a central portion 313. By unlocking the key 314 of the lower portion 312, the respective portions 311 to 313 can be integrally opened by being pivotally supported by the hinge 315 provided in the right corner portion thereof, and replenishment of the ingredients of the cup 2 and the beverage. Alternatively, maintenance such as cleaning is possible.

A central portion in the width direction of the upper portion 311 serves as an operation panel 316 which is an operation means for a user to perform an operation for injecting a beverage. In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2, four types of beverages are selected, for example, black tea is selected in the display window 3161, green tea is selected in the display window 3162, roasted tea is selected in the display window 3163, and coffee is selected in the display window 3164. It shows that it is possible. The lower display window 3165 shows that water can be selected without mixing the powder material.

Corresponding to the display windows 3161 to 165, membrane switches 3171 to 175 (hereinafter referred to as reference numeral 317 when collectively referred to) serving as selection buttons are provided. The membrane switch 317 includes a cold beverage button 3176, a hot beverage button 3177, and pilot lamps 3178 and 3179 corresponding to the buttons 3176 and 3177 (representing that the beverage is being poured into the cup 2). It

A membrane switch 318 is provided above the array of membrane switches 317. Membrane switch 318 has dark lamp density adjustment button 3181, hot eye temperature adjustment button 3182, and pilot lamps 3183 and 3184 corresponding to buttons 3181 and 3182, which indicate that selection (operation) is being performed. And are provided.

A dot display device 3191 for displaying an error (maintenance) message and pilot lamps 3192 to 3195 are provided at the uppermost part in the center of the front door. For example, a pilot lamp 3192 indicates a supply stop state of hot beverage due to a heater failure or the like, a pilot lamp 3193 indicates a supply stop state of cold beverage due to a chiller failure, or the like, and a pilot lamp 3194 indicates a water supply stop due to water shortage during water supply in the tank The pilot lamp 3195 indicates that the drain tank is full.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the section line III-III in FIG. Inside the casing 3, a plurality of, in the present embodiment, four canisters 41 are arranged in parallel in the width direction in the upper portion, and the canisters 41 are melted in water or hot water to display the display windows 3161 to The powder material which becomes various drinks displayed on 3164 is stored. The powder material is transferred by a screw conveyor, charged into a mixer 42, melted with hot water or cold water from a nozzle 43, and injected into a cup 2 from an injection port 44. The canister 41, the screw conveyor, the mixer 42, the nozzle 43, and the like are provided in the upper portion 311, and constitute a supply mechanism that supplies a beverage in response to the operation of the operation panel 316.

The injection port 44 is provided in the central portion 313 on the front surface of the casing 3 and in the approximately central portion in the width direction, above the extraction port 45 in which the cup 2 is set, and the beverage from the supply mechanism is injected into the cup 2. To configure the injection mechanism. FIG. 4 is a partial exploded perspective view showing a state in which the side panels 37 and 38 on both sides of the operation panel 316 are opened in the front door 31. The take-out port 45 forms a space that is recessed inward, and the user can set the cup 2 in the space and take out the cup 2 into which the beverage has been poured. In the present embodiment, the beverage supply device 1 is installed indoors, and the outlet 45 is not provided with a door and is open to the outside.

The bottom plate 46 of the space recessed inward is a draining plate so that overflowing beverages and the like flow down. Beverages and the like that have passed through the bottom plate 46 are collected by a funnel-shaped water receiver 47 and discharged from the water distribution pipe 48 to a drain tank, a water distribution pipe or the like (not shown) provided in the lower portion 312.

In the beverage supply device 1 configured as described above, it should be noted that the cup dispenser 5 is provided in the front door 31 and the storage spaces 371 and 381 provided on both sides of the injection mechanism (the injection port 44 and the extraction port 45). Is to be provided. The storage spaces 371 and 381 are vertically long spaces for storing the cup rows in a stacked state. The cup dispenser 5 includes a main body 51, a slider 52, a cup receiver 53, a housing cylinder 54, and a mounting member 55.

The main body 51 has the same outer shape, and by hooking the mounting member 55 on the pair of hooks 56 and 57 provided on the front door 31 side, any main body can be attached and detached. The arbitrary body corresponds to a difference in cup capacity, particularly a cup diameter, and can correspond to, for example, a 5-ounce cup and a 7-ounce cup. In the main body 51, when the user pushes the push button 521 of the slider 52, the claws of the slider 52 move to separate and drop the lowermost cup in the cup row in the stacked state. The main body 51 and the slider 52 serve as a separating mechanism that separates the lowermost cup from the row of cups according to a user's operation. The dropped cup 2 is received by a cup receiver 53, which is a receiving member having a shape like a truncated cone that is half-cracked, and can be taken out from the front opening of the half-crack.

The storage cylinder 54 is for guiding the row of cups in an aligned manner above the separating mechanism, and is made of a cylinder having an inner diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the cup 2, and the replenished cup is inclined and the bottom portion is lower. This is to prevent a problem such as being caught in the edge of the cup and not being in a completely stacked state. The storage cylinder 54, the slider 52, the main body 51, and the cup receiver 53 are prepared in different types depending on the cup capacity, and can be replaced or removed by the service person opening the side panels 37 and 38. There is.

In the example of FIG. 4, the side panels 37 and 38 have a substantially circular arc shape with a horizontal cross section of 90 degrees, and one end of the arc is provided with a hinge that can be opened and closed, and the other end thereof. A rail 372 having an I-shaped horizontal cross section is attached, and by closing the side panels 37 and 38, the I-shaped widened portion of the rail 372 is caught by the hook 382 on the front door 31 side and fixed. It In the present embodiment, on the rear surface side of the front door 31, by tilting the door 383 provided above the storage spaces 371, 381, it becomes possible to replenish the storage cylinder 54 with the cup 2 and the cup dispenser described above. Since the side panels 37 and 38 are not opened except for the replacement and removal of 5, the side panels 37 and 38 may be fixed so as not to open by screwing or the like.

Therefore, according to the beverage supply device 1 configured as described above, in the beverage supply device for injecting the beverage into the cup 2 set by the user, the cup dispenser 5 is not externally attached to the casing 3 but is internal. Therefore, even when a plurality of the beverage supply devices 1 are arranged side by side, the cup dispenser 5 can be installed close to each other and space saving can be realized. The user can easily take out the cup 2 without turning his or her face or hand on the side. Further, since the cup 2 is housed inside the beverage supply device 1, there is little possibility of being mischievous, which is preferable in terms of hygiene. Furthermore, since the operation panel 316 and the injection mechanism (injection port 44) are located in the center of the beverage supply device 1 and the cup dispensers 5 are located on both sides of the operation panel 316, there is a wall on either side of the beverage supply device 1. However, the operation of taking out the beverage is easy. It is also possible to change the capacity of the cup on the left and right. In this way, it is possible to preferably realize the beverage supply device having the cup dispenser 5 built therein.

Further, preferably, in the beverage supply device 1 of the present embodiment, the cup dispenser 5 is housed inside the casing 3, the front door 31 is opened, the door 383 is further tilted, and the cup 2 is replenished from the inside. Correspondingly, the storage cylinder 54 of the cup dispenser 5 is formed transparent, and the front door 31 is formed with a slit 39 for seeing through the remaining amount of the cup 2. The slit 39 may be provided over the entire length of the cup dispenser 5, but as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, at least a position where it can be confirmed that the number of cups at the lower portion has decreased to a predetermined amount, for example, 10. Should be provided in. Further, the housing cylinder 54 may be colored, as long as the inside can be seen through. As a result, even if the cup dispenser 5 is housed inside the casing 3, it is easy to prevent the cup from breaking.

Still more preferably, an index 391 is provided on the periphery of the slit 39 at the position of the uppermost cup when the remaining number of cups reaches a predetermined number, for example, 10 pieces. Therefore, it serves as a guide for refilling the cup 2 and can be easily refilled. The indicators 391 may be provided for a plurality of stages and may be different indicators such as changing colors according to the urgency of replenishment.

Further, preferably, the front door 31 can be locked by a key 314, and the cup row is opened by opening the front door 31 and inclining the door 383 inside to replenish from the upper portion of the storage cylinder 54, thereby the cup 2 You can surely prevent mischief.

Next, the front door 31 will be described from the central portion 313 to the lower portion 312. As described above, in the center of the central portion 313 in the width direction, the outlet 45 of the inwardly recessed space for setting the cup 2 is formed. (Cup receiver 53) is arranged. It should be noted that in the beverage supply device 1 of the present embodiment, the step portion 6 continuous in the width direction is formed in front of the outlet 45. This step 6 can be used as a cup table.

5 and 6 are a perspective view and a front view for explaining the usage state as the cup table. In the front door 31 having a predetermined thickness for accommodating the cup 2, the upper portion 311 for accommodating the cup dispenser 5 and the lower portion 312 for ensuring a tank accommodating space and the like are formed to have the same thickness, but the center for handling the cup 2 is formed. The portion 313 is formed thinnest due to the mounting space of the cup 2. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the panel 7 constituting the central portion 313, (a) is a perspective view looking down from above, and FIG. 7(b) is a perspective view looking up from below.

The outlet 45 is a rectangular window formed in the upper center of the panel 7. Through this window, an inlet 44 is provided at the upper part and an extraction mechanism having a bottom plate 46 is provided at the lower part. Vertically long concave grooves 71, 72 in which the cup receiver 53 is arranged are formed on both sides of this window. In front of the outlet 45, below the bottom side by a height H (lower position), the stepped portion 6 continuous in the left-right direction is formed including the lower portions of the cup receivers 53 on both sides.

Therefore, even if a certain number of drinks are collectively taken out at a meeting or the like, they are sequentially arranged on the cup table (step portion 6) formed to be long in the width direction as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. , Can be temporarily stored, and convenience can be improved. The height H is the height of the cup +α. α is a height margin for preventing a small woman from catching (tilting) the arranged cups even if the small women take out the cups 2 from the outlet 45, for example, 20 mm. .. Accordingly, even when the cups 2 are arranged in front of the outlet 45, the subsequent cups can be easily taken in and out (without overflowing), and the number of temporarily stored cups can be increased.

Further, the panel 7 is formed thin in general, and vertical and horizontal ribs 73 are formed on the back side of the step 6 for reinforcement, and the periphery of the outlet 45 is also reinforced by the ribs 74. A vertical wall 75 having the height H is provided between the take-out port 45 and the step portion 6, and a hook for fastening the main body 51 of the cup dispenser 5 to the upper portion of the concave grooves 71 and 72 with a mounting member 55. 56 and 57 are erected.

On the other hand, as described above, in the beverage supply device 1 according to the present embodiment, the outlet 45 is open to the outside, that is, the door is not provided and the inside can be overlooked. However, the cup-type beverage supply device 1 is provided with a plurality of canisters 41 in the inner upper stage and drops the beverage material (powder) by gravity to supply it to the cup 2. Therefore, the take-out port 45 has a standard adult height. Then, since the waist tends to be located at a lower position, the waist must be bent in order to check the state of injecting the drink into the cup 2.

Therefore, in the beverage supply device 1 of the present embodiment, the block 75 on the ceiling of the outlet 45 is cut obliquely so that the outside has an arcuate shape when viewed from the front and goes downward. Referring also to FIG. 3, the ceiling block 75 has a circular arc shape 76 having the highest outside, and is formed in a slope 77 that becomes lower as it goes deeper, and is cut out. With such a configuration, the user can check the state of injecting the beverage into the cup 2 without bending and the convenience can be improved.

Here, the method of selecting the beverage (canister 41) will be described in detail. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the back side of the front door 31. As described above, the front door 31 can be opened/closed for maintenance such as replenishment of the ingredients of the cup 2 or the beverage or cleaning. An operation panel 316, which is an operation means, is provided at a central portion in the width direction of the upper portion 311 of the front door 31. Referring also to FIG. 3, a control circuit 81 is provided on the back side of operation panel 316.

The control circuit 81 includes an information processing device, a storage device for programs and data, an interface with the operation panel 316, a controller for controlling a supply mechanism such as a screw conveyor, an interface from various sensors such as a material exhaustion and a drain tank condition, And the unit is equipped with a power circuit. The control circuit 81, the operation panel 316, the supply mechanism, and the like are electrically connected by cables 82, 83 and the like. A connector 85 is provided in the control circuit 81, and a remote controller 86 for maintenance can be connected to the connector 85. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the remote controller 86 is connected. When the serviceman finishes the maintenance and closes the front door 31, the remote controller 86 is removed.

The remote controller 86 sets the temperature of hot water or cold water from the nozzle 43, sets the injection amount into the cup 2 by one button operation by the membrane switch 317, and sets the material used by one button operation. Various settings such as setting the amount (conveying amount of the screw conveyor, that is, the thickness of the beverage), confirming the supply amount (sales) of each canister 41 (sucking up data), usage status by date and time It is used for simple maintenance such as checking the status or checking the status of failure diagnosis. More detailed maintenance and software update can be performed by connecting a personal computer to the connector 87.

Further, it should be noted that the beverage supply device 1 includes a plurality of, in the present embodiment, four canisters 41 and membrane switches 3171 to 174 which are operation buttons corresponding thereto, and can provide four types of beverages, When the same beverage is stored in a plurality of canisters 41 by a preset setting to the control circuit 81 from the remote controller 86, each of the selection switches for each of the membrane switches 3171 to 174 for each predetermined number of serving cups. This is to ensure that the consumption of beverages in the canisters will be approximately equal. For example, in the case where there are four canisters 41 storing the same beverage, if the predetermined number of cups to be provided is 100, then 25 canisters will be consumed each. That is, the beverages of the plurality of canisters are supplied so as to be uniformly reduced in response to the operation of any of the selection buttons.

Specifically, for example, when there are four canisters storing the same beverage, in the order of the canisters, a circulation (rotation) of 1→2→3→4→1→2→3→4... 1→2→3→4→4→3→2→1→1→2... up/down, 1→4→2→3→4→2→1→3... random, 1→ It can be supplied in a plurality of cycles of 1→1→2→2→2→3→3→3→4→4→4.

This is a case in which the same beverage is stored in multiple canisters 41 due to various reasons such as a large number of people who provide one (for a short time such as lunch break in the cafeteria) or free of charge. It corresponds to. In such a case, the beverage may be supplied from the canister corresponding to the operation of each of the membrane switches 3171 to 174 as in the conventional case, but as described above, even if any switch is pressed, the beverage is uniformly supplied from the plurality of canisters. By doing so, the beverage of each canister can be consumed in a well-balanced manner. With this, when the same beverage is stored in a specific canister, it is possible to prevent only the beverage in the canister that corresponds to the membrane switch that is easy to operate (such as when it comes to the height of the line of sight) from being cut off, and maintenance ( The cycle of replenishment) can be extended. Further, it is possible to prevent only the beverage of a specific canister from becoming old, and it is possible to improve the quality of the provided beverage.

The plurality of types of beverages may be beverages of alternative ingredients such as tea, juice and coffee, but a plurality of beverages obtained by adding auxiliary ingredients such as milk and sugar to coffee. It may consist of different materials.

The beverage supply operation in the rotation will be described in detail with reference to FIG. First, in the present embodiment, since there are four canisters 41, the operation in rotation can be performed by using two, three, or four canisters 41. For the remaining two or one canister, the beverage corresponding to the pressed membrane switch can be delivered as usual.

The rotation operation in the control circuit 81 is disabled by default, that is, as usual, the beverage corresponding to each pressed membrane switch is supplied. It can be switched to the rotation operation by a predetermined setting from the remote controller 86 to the control circuit 81. Specifically, in the control circuit 81, the storage device for the programs and data is set by the remote controller 86, and the storage device functions as a setting unit. The storage device is, for example, a ROM provided on a substrate that constitutes the control means and storing various settings in a nonvolatile manner. By doing so, as described above, by simply setting the temperature and the supply amount of the beverage from the remote controller 86, the beverage can be provided from the canister corresponding to the operation of each of the membrane switches 3171 to 174, and the switch operation is performed. It is possible to easily switch between the provision of the beverage by rotation from the canister that does not correspond to the above.

By the way, for example, when four canisters are provided, it is possible to fill two canisters with two kinds of materials, respectively. Therefore, it should be noted that the canisters filled with the same material are divided into groups, and the control circuit 81 controls the groups. With reference to FIG. 9, when any of the membrane switches 3171 to 174 is operated (hereinafter referred to as button pressing), it is determined in step S1 whether or not the button belongs to a group. In step S2, the beverage is supplied from the canister corresponding to the button as usual, the process is terminated, and the operation waits until the next button operation.

When the button of the group is operated in step S1, the beverage is supplied from the i-th canister in step S3. i is a variable. In step S4, 1 is added to the variable i and updated for the next supply, and in step S5, it is determined whether or not the variable i exceeds the upper limit n, and when it does not exceed the upper limit n, the process ends. And waits until the next button operation, and when it exceeds, the upper limit n is subtracted from the variable i and the variable i is updated. Specifically, for example, when the same material is stored in all four canisters 41, the membrane switches 3171 to 174 are in the same group, and when any one of them is operated, the beverage is supplied from the i-th canister. Done. The variable i is added for each iteration, and i is limited to the upper limit n, in this case up to 4, so that the supply is performed in the order of 1st-2nd-3rd-4th-1st-... Will be seen.

It should be noted that the canisters corresponding to the variable i in the process of FIG. 9 are sequentially numbered within the group. For example, if a group consists of three canisters, and the third canister does not belong to the group, the canisters with the actual tank (canister) numbers 1, 2, and 4 are used for rotation operation. However, they correspond to the variables i=1, 2, 3, respectively, and when the group is set in the control circuit 81, they are associated with the actual tank (canister) number and stored in the ROM or the like. It

Thus, when the same beverage is stored in some canisters, the control circuit 81, the canisters of the same beverage as a group, in the group, by performing an equalized supply such as rotation of the beverage, It is possible to allow the use of groups of the same beverage with canisters that do not serve individual beverages.

Here, the mode of display during the equalized supply will be considered. The display is in the vicinity of the membrane switches 3171 to 174, which are selection buttons, and the pilot lamps 3178 and 3179 which are display means that indicate that the selection button is selected (pressed) by the operation of the user are turned on. is there. The first mode (pattern) is to turn on only the pilot lamps close to the operated membrane switch. Therefore, as usual (the rotation is not performed), the button pressed by the user lights up, but there are cases where the beverage is supplied from another tank (canister). The second mode (pattern) is to turn on a pilot lamp close to the membrane switch corresponding only to the tank (canister) that actually supplies the beverage. Therefore, although the tank (canister) that is being supplied is correctly supported, the user can suspect an operation (push) error by lighting the button lamp that is different from the button the user pressed. There is also a nature. The third mode is to turn on the lamps of the buttons corresponding to all the tanks (canisters) storing the same beverage. Therefore, when the same beverage is contained in all four tanks (canisters), all the lamps are turned on, and it is possible to clearly show to the user that the same conditions are satisfied. These display modes can be set together with the remote controller 86 when setting the rotation operation to the ROM that is the setting means. In response to the setting, the information processing device of the control circuit 81, which is the control means, selects the tank (canister) and also switches the display mode. In this way, the lighting states of the pilot lamps 3178 and 3179 can also be set arbitrarily.

1 Beverage supply device 2 Cup 3 Casing 31 Front door 311 Upper part 312 Lower part 313 Central part 314 Key 316 Operation panel 3161-3165 Display window 3171-3175 Membrane switch 3176 Cold drink button 3177 Hot drink button 3178, 3179 Pilot lamp 318 Membrane switch 3181 Dark concentration adjustment button 3182 Hot temperature adjustment button 3183, 3184 Pilot lamp 3191 Dot display device 3192-3195 Pilot lamp 37, 38 Side panel 371, 381 Storage space 383 Door 39 Slit 391 Index 41 Canister 42 Mixer 43 Nozzle 44 Inlet 45 Outlet 46 Bottom plate 47 Water receiver 48 Water distribution pipe 5 Cup dispenser 51 Main body 52 Slider 521 Push button 53 Cup receiver 54 Storage cylinder 55 Mounting member 6 Step 7 Panel 75 Ceiling block 76 Arc shape 77 Slope 81 Control circuit 86 Remote control

Claims (5)

In a beverage supply device that injects a beverage into a cup set by the user,
A casing with a front door that can be opened and closed,
An operation unit provided on the front door and performing an operation for injecting the beverage,
A supply mechanism that is provided inside the casing and that supplies the beverage in response to the operation of the operation unit,
An injecting mechanism that is accessible from the front surface of the casing, is provided in a substantially central portion in the width direction of the casing, the cup is set, and the beverage supplied from the supply mechanism is injected into the cup.
An opening that is provided on both sides of the injection mechanism in the front door, accommodates a row of cups in which the cups are stacked, and provides a lowermost cup on the front surface of the front door according to the operation of the user. A beverage supply device comprising a cup dispenser that can be taken out from the beverage dispenser. The beverage supply device according to claim 1, wherein the front door is provided with a slit for visually recognizing the remaining amount of the cup stored in the cup dispenser. The beverage supply device according to claim 2, wherein an index serving as a standard for replenishing the cup is attached to a periphery of the slit. The cup dispenser is
A separating mechanism that separates the cup of the lowermost layer from the cup row according to the operation of the user,
A receiving member that receives the separated and falling cup at a lower portion, supports the user so that the user can take it out, and serves as the opening,
And a housing cylinder that houses the row of cups aligned above the separating mechanism,
The beverage supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the separating mechanism, the receiving member, and the storage cylinder are replaceable according to the diameters of the plurality of cups. The beverage supply device according to claim 4, wherein the front door can be locked, and the cup row can be replenished to the upper portion of the storage cylinder from the back surface side of the front door.

Images