JP2023102261A - beverage server - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a beverage server capable of generating bubble efficiently.SOLUTION: A protrusion 283f protrudes downward from a plate part 283c of a first connector 283 facing an ultrasonic transducer 10, and the protrusion 283f comes into contact with the ultrasonic transducer 10. Therefore, vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 is transmitted to the plate part 283c via the protrusion 283f. The vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 transmitted to the protrusion 283f in a concentrated manner facilitates the vibration of the plate-shaped plate part 283c. By the above, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 is easily transmitted to beverage passing through the first connector 283, and thus, it is possible to generate bubble of the beverage efficiently.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a beverage server, and more particularly to a beverage server capable of efficiently producing foam for beverages.

Techniques for generating froth by transmitting the vibration of a vibrating body to a beverage dispensing tube are known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique in which a second portion 21e (hard tube) harder than a first portion 21d (soft tube) is formed in a first tube member 21 (delivery tube), and an ultrasonic transducer 41 (vibrating body) is brought into contact with the second portion 21e. According to this technique, by vibrating the relatively hard second portion 21e with the ultrasonic vibrator 41, the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator 41 is easily transmitted to the beer (beverage) passing through the second portion 21e. Therefore, beer foam is easily generated.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-109009 (for example, paragraph 0044, FIGS. 6 and 7)

In this type of beverage server, there is a demand for a technology that can more efficiently generate foam for beverages. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to meet this demand, and an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage server that can efficiently generate foam for beverages.

In order to achieve this object, the beverage server of the present invention comprises a supply means for supplying gas, a container whose interior is pressurized by the gas supplied from the supply means, a pouring pipe having one end inserted into a beverage container stored in the containing portion and for pouring the beverage inside the beverage container from the other end side into the drinking container, and a vibrating body in contact with the pouring pipe, wherein the pouring pipe comprises a soft pipe and a hard pipe formed harder than the soft pipe and in contact with the vibrating body. The hard tube includes a plate-like first plate portion facing the vibrating body, and a projection protruding from the first plate portion and coming into contact with the vibrating body.

According to the beverage server of claim 1, the hard pipe includes the plate-shaped first plate portion facing the vibrating body and the projection protruding from the first plate portion and coming into contact with the vibrating body, so that the vibration of the vibrating body is transmitted to the first plate portion via the projection. The vibration of the vibrator concentratedly transmitted to the protrusion facilitates the vibration of the plate-like first plate portion, so that there is an effect that the bubbles of the beverage can be generated efficiently.

According to the beverage server of claim 2, in addition to the effects of the beverage server of claim 1, the following effects are obtained. Since the first plate portion and the projection are formed on the lower surface side of the hard pipe, even when the hard pipe is not filled with the beverage (the inside of the hard pipe is not filled with water), the vibration from the projection can be transmitted to the beverage flowing along the first plate portion. That is, even when the amount of the beverage flowing through the hard tube is small, the vibration of the vibrating body is more likely to be applied to the beverage, so that the foam of the beverage can be produced efficiently.

According to the beverage server of claim 3, in addition to the effects of the beverage server of claim 1, the following effects are obtained. A housing having a housing portion formed therein has an attachment portion to which the soft tube and the hard tube are attached on the outer surface. Since the soft tube and the hard tube can be attached and detached from the mounting portion exposed to the outside of the housing, the soft tube and the hard tube can be removed from the housing and cleaned or replaced. Therefore, there is an effect that the maintenance of the extraction pipe can be facilitated.

According to the beverage server of claim 4, in addition to the effects of the beverage server of claim 3, the following effects are obtained. Since the mounting portion has an insertion hole into which the vibrating body is inserted, the vibrating body can be arranged inside the housing rather than the outer surface of the mounting portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the vibrating body from being exposed to the outer surface of the mounting portion, thereby preventing the user from accidentally touching the vibrating body and improving the appearance of the beverage server.

According to the beverage server of claim 5, in addition to the effects of the beverage server of claim 4, the following effects are obtained. Since the attachment portion includes the recessed portion in which the soft tube and the hard tube are accommodated, it is possible to prevent the soft tube and the hard tube from being exposed to the outer surface of the attachment portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from touching each tube carelessly, and to improve the appearance of the beverage server.

According to the beverage server of claim 6, in addition to the effects of the beverage server of claim 3, the following effects are obtained. A fixing means is provided for fixing the hard tube or the vibrator to the housing, and the protrusion is pressed against the vibrating body by the fixing means, so that when the vibrating body or the hard tube vibrates, the contact state between the vibrating body and the protrusion of the hard tube is easily maintained. As a result, the vibration of the vibrating body is easily transmitted to the first plate portion via the protrusion, so that there is an effect that the bubbles of the beverage can be efficiently generated.

According to the beverage server of claim 7, in addition to the effects of the beverage server of claim 1, the following effects are obtained. Since one projection is formed in the center of the disk-shaped first plate portion, the vibration of the vibrating body can be transmitted to the center of the disk-shaped first plate portion via the projection. As a result, the vibration of the vibrating body can be efficiently transmitted to the antinode of the vibration of the first plate, so that the entire first plate can easily vibrate. Therefore, there is an effect that the foam of the beverage can be efficiently generated.

According to the beverage server of claim 8, in addition to the effects of the beverage server of claim 1, the following effects are obtained. The hard tube includes a plate-shaped second plate portion facing the first plate portion with the inner space interposed therebetween. Since the thickness of the first plate portion on which the projection is formed is thinner than the thickness of the second plate portion, the first plate portion is easily bent. This makes it easier for the first plate to vibrate due to the vibration of the vibrating body transmitted through the projection, so that there is an effect that the foam of the beverage can be efficiently generated.

It is a front perspective view of the beer server of the first embodiment. It is a sectional view of a beer server. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the beer server in which the III portion of FIG. 2 is enlarged; 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the beer server taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 2; FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the beer server showing how the beverage container is set. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the beer server showing a state in which the support base is tilted; It is a perspective view of the beer server of 2nd Embodiment. It is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the beer server. (a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the beer server, enlarging the IXa portion of FIG. 8, and (b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the beer server taken along line IXb-IXb of FIG. 9(a). (a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a beer server of a third embodiment, and (b) is a perspective view of a pouring pipe.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, referring to FIG. 1, a schematic configuration of the beer server 1 of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the beer server 1 of the first embodiment. Note that arrows UD, LR, and FB in FIG. 1 respectively indicate the vertical direction, horizontal direction, and front-back direction of the beer server 1 (the same applies to FIG. 2 and subsequent figures).

As shown in FIG. 1, the beer server 1 is a device for pouring a sparkling beverage (beer in this embodiment) from a nozzle 3 provided in a housing 2 and pouring it into a glass G (a cup or mug) supported by a support base 4. When the beverage is to be poured, the glass G is tilted together with the support base 4, thereby suppressing excessive foaming of the beverage (see FIG. 6). The details of the configuration for tilting the support base 4 (glass G) will be described later.

The housing 2 includes an oval base plate 20, and a pair of side walls 21 extending upward from the base plate 20 are fixed to both left and right ends of the base plate 20 (directions of arrows LR). An oval upper plate 22 is fixed to the upper ends of the pair of side walls 21, and the upper plate 22 connects the upper ends of the pair of side walls 21 to the left and right.

The rear side (arrow B side) of the internal space of the housing 2 surrounded by the base plate 20, the pair of side walls 21, and the top plate 22 is closed by a semicylindrical rear wall 23, and the front side (arrow F side) of the internal space is closed by a front wall 24. The upper plate 22 protrudes forward from the front wall 24, and the nozzle 3 extends downward from the lower surface of the protruding portion.

A support base 4 is provided below the nozzle 3, and the support base 4 includes a bottom plate 40 for supporting the bottom of the glass G and a back plate 41 extending upward from the rear end of the bottom plate 40 to support the glass G from the rear side. The rear plate 41 faces the front wall 24 on the rear side of the tip of the nozzle 3, and the tip of the nozzle 3 is directed toward the inner peripheral side of the glass G when the glass G is supported by the bottom plate 40 and the rear plate 41.例文帳に追加

The pair of side walls 21 cover the left and right sides of the support base 4 and the glass G by protruding forward from the front wall 24 (back plate 41 of the support base 4). Thereby, the appearance of the beer server 1 can be improved. Further, the front end surfaces of the pair of side walls 21 are curved surfaces that slope downward from the lower portion of the upper plate 22 toward the front side, which also improves the appearance of the beer server 1 .

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the configuration for pouring the beverage into the glass G will be described. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the beer server 1. As shown in FIG. 2 shows a cross section cut at the center of the beer server 1 in the left-right direction, but for the sake of easy understanding of the internal structure of the gear box 14 (see FIGS. 3 and 4), which will be described later, a cross section cut between the side plate 143 (see FIG. 4) on the right side (arrow R side) and the reduction gear 44 is shown.

As shown in FIG. 2, inside the housing 2, a housing portion 5 for housing a beverage container C is provided. The beverage container C is a can containing a beverage to be poured into the glass G (a beer can in this embodiment).

The housing portion 5 includes a receiving portion 50 fixed to the lower surface of the upper plate 22 . The receiving portion 50 is formed in a substantially disk shape, and a cylindrical fixed portion 50a projecting downward is integrally formed on the outer edge of the receiving portion 50 . Protrusions 50b are formed at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the fixed portion 50a, and the cylindrical portion 51 of the housing portion 5 is fixed to the protrusions 50b.

The tubular portion 51 is integrally formed with a tubular upper tubular portion 51a that is hooked on the convex portion 50b. A concave portion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper cylindrical portion 51a at a position corresponding to the convex portion 50b. The elastic deformation of the upper tubular portion 51a allows the convex portion 50b to be fitted and disengaged from the concave portion of the upper tubular portion 51a. It should be noted that other known methods can be adopted for attaching and detaching the cylindrical portion 51 to and from the receiving portion 50 . As another known method, for example, attachment and detachment by screwing the male thread 16 and the female thread 18 disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-146394 is exemplified.

The inner diameter of the upper tubular portion 51 a is the same as the inner diameter of the tubular portion 51 , while the outer diameter of the upper tubular portion 51 a is smaller than the outer diameter of the tubular portion 51 . That is, the tubular portion 51 protrudes outward from the upper tubular portion 51a, and the upper surface of the protruded portion is formed with an annular groove into which the O-ring 52 is fitted.

In the state where the upper cylindrical portion 51a is fitted into the receiving portion 50, the O-ring 52 is sandwiched between the fixed portion 50a and the cylindrical portion 51. As shown in FIG. Thereby, the airtightness between the receiving portion 50 (fixed portion 50a) and the cylindrical portion 51 is maintained.

A tubular lower side tubular portion 51 b having an inner diameter larger than that of the tubular portion 51 is integrally formed at the lower portion of the tubular portion 51 . The outer diameter of the lower cylindrical portion 51b is the same as the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 51b. Protrusions 51c are formed at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the lower cylindrical portion 51b, and the bottom portion 53 of the housing portion 5 is fixed to the protrusions 51c.

The bottom portion 53 includes an upper tubular portion 53 a similar to the upper tubular portion 51 a of the tubular portion 51 . The fitting structure of the upper cylindrical portion 53a of the bottom portion 53 into the lower cylindrical portion 51b of the cylindrical portion 51 and the airtight structure of the O-ring 52 between the cylindrical portion 51 and the bottom portion 53 are the same as the fitting portion of the cylindrical portion 51 to the receiving portion 50 described above, so description thereof will be omitted.

In this manner, a closed space surrounded by the receiving portion 50 , the cylindrical portion 51 and the bottom portion 53 is formed inside the accommodating portion 5 , and the airtightness of the closed space is maintained by the O-ring 52 . When pumping up the beverage from the beverage container C housed inside the housing portion 5 , the air from the pump 7 is supplied to the housing portion 5 .

The pump 7 is provided inside the storage case 25 of the housing 2 . The storage case 25 is an oval shaped box similar to the upper plate 22 (see FIG. 1). The top plate 25a and the bottom plate 25b cover the top and bottom of the internal space of the storage case 25, the front plate 25c and the rear plate 25d cover the front and rear, and the side plates 25e (see FIG. 1) cover the left and right. A supply pipe 70 for supplying air to the inside of the housing portion 5 is connected to the pump 7 .

A through-hole 50c penetrating vertically is formed in the receiving portion 50 of the accommodating portion 5, and a pouring pipe 8 for pouring out the beverage drawn from the beverage container C into the glass G is inserted into the through-hole 50c. The upper plate 22 of the housing 2 is formed with a conduit (extending in the front-rear direction) that connects the cylindrical nozzle 3 and the through hole 50c of the receiving section 50, and the nozzle 3 is connected to the interior of the housing section 5 by the extraction tube 8 that is inserted into the conduit.

The portion of the pouring pipe 8 that extends upward from the beverage container C (bottom portion of the housing portion 5) and is inserted into the through hole 50c of the receiving portion 50 is defined as a base end portion 80, the portion that extends forward from the upper end of the base end portion 80 through the duct of the upper plate 22 is defined as an intermediate portion 81, and the portion that bends downward from the front end of the intermediate portion 81 and is inserted into the nozzle 3 is defined as a tip portion 82.

The upper plate 22 and the bottom plate 25b of the storage case 25 are formed with through holes extending toward the upper surface of the intermediate portion 81 of the extraction tube 8, and the tip of the open/close arm 9 is inserted into the through holes. The opening/closing arm 9 is formed in an L shape in which the tip thereof is bent leftward (front side in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2), and the base end side of the opening/closing arm 9 is rotatably supported around a rotation shaft 90 extending in the left-right direction. A driving force from a motor (not shown) of the drive unit 91 is applied to the rotating shaft 90, so that the open/close arm 9 is rotatable between a pushing position where the intermediate portion 81 of the pouring tube 8 is pushed and a retracted position where it is separated from the pouring tube 8.

The pouring tube 8 is formed using a flexible cylindrical resin (for example, silicon tube), and the flow path inside the pouring tube 8 is closed by pushing with the open/close arm 9 . On the other hand, by moving the opening/closing arm 9 to the retracted position and separating it from the pouring tube 8 , the elastic restoring force of the pouring tube 8 opens the internal flow path.

By setting the open/close arm 9 to the retracted position to open the pouring pipe 8 and pressurizing the inside of the container 5 with the air supplied from the pump 7, the beverage in the beverage container C is pumped up through the pouring pipe 8 by the pressure difference between the pressure outside the housing 2 (atmospheric pressure) and the pressure inside the container 5. Thereby, the beverage poured out from the nozzle 3 is poured into the glass G.

The upper plate 22 and the bottom plate 25b of the storage case 25 on the front side of the opening and closing arm 9 are formed with through holes penetrating toward the upper surface of the intermediate portion 81 of the extraction tube 8, and the ultrasonic transducers 10 are arranged in these through holes. The ultrasonic vibrator 10 is in contact with the intermediate portion 81 of the pouring tube 8, and is configured to vibrate after a predetermined amount of the beverage from the beverage container C is poured into the glass G. As a result, the beverage that has passed through the vibrating pouring pipe 8 becomes foam, and the foam is poured from the nozzle 3 into the glass G.

Such pouring of beverages and bubbles is started by pressing the switch 11 provided on the front surface of the housing case 25 (the surface on the arrow F side). The switch 11 is inserted into a through hole penetrating the front plate 25c of the housing case 25, and when the switch 11 is pushed, the beverage is fully automatically poured out by a control program of a control device 12 provided inside the housing case 25.

Although illustration is omitted, a touch panel type liquid crystal display device is provided near the switch 11 (the front plate 25c of the storage case 25), and by operating this liquid crystal display device, it is possible to select the capacity of the beverage container C (for example, 350 ml or 500 ml) and the capacity of the glass G (how many ml the container can hold). Depending on the capacity of the beverage container C or glass G selected here, beverage pouring control (for example, adjusting the amount of pouring out of the beverage, adjusting the timing of starting vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10, etc.) is performed by the above-described control program.

In addition, the remaining amount of the power supply (rechargeable battery, dry cell, etc.) of the beer server 1, the remaining amount of beverage in the beverage container C, and the like are displayed on the liquid crystal display device. Furthermore, the support base 4 (glass G) is tilted during the automatic pouring of the beverage by the above control program (see FIG. 6), and if an abnormality occurs in this tilting operation, an alarm notifying the abnormality is displayed on the liquid crystal display device.

Next, details of a mechanism for tilting the support base 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the beer server 1, enlarging the III portion of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the beer server 1 along line IV-IV of FIG. In addition, in FIG. 3 , the portion of the arm 42 hidden behind the gear box 14 is illustrated with a dashed line.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the front wall 24 of the beer server 1 includes a facing portion 24a that extends vertically and faces the back plate 41 of the support base 4, a bent portion 24b that bends backward from the upper end of the facing portion 24a (toward the arrow B in FIG. 3), and a connecting portion 24c that extends upward from the rear end of the bent portion 24b and is connected to the upper plate 22 (see FIG. 2).

An insertion hole 24d (see FIG. 4) is formed through the front wall 24 in the front-rear direction, and the arm 42 of the support base 4 is inserted into the insertion hole 24d. The insertion hole 24d is an elongated hole continuous from the upper end portion of the facing portion 24a of the front wall 24 to the lower end portion of the connecting portion 24c (see FIG. 1). A pair of insertion holes 24d are provided at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction (see FIG. 4), and the arm 42 of the support base 4 is inserted into each of the pair of left and right insertion holes 24d. That is, a pair of left and right arms 42 are also provided on the rear surface of the rear plate 41 on the upper end side.

A rod-shaped rotating shaft 43 extending in the left-right direction is fixed to the pair of arms 42 , and a motor 13 for applying a driving force to the rotating shaft 43 is supported by the gear box 14 . The gearbox 14 includes a lower plate 140 that supports the motor 13, and the lower plate 140 extends rearward from the facing portion 24a. A rear plate 141 extends upward from the rear end of the lower plate 140, and an upper plate 142 (see FIG. 3) extends forward from the upper end of the rear plate 141 and is connected to the connecting portion between the bent portion 24b and the connecting portion 24c of the front wall 24.

The space surrounded by the front wall 24 (the facing portion 24a and the bent portion 24b), the lower plate 140, the rear plate 141, and the upper plate 142 is closed by a pair of side plates 143 on both left and right sides. That is, the gearbox 14 is formed in a box shape covering the rear surface of the front wall 24 . A through hole 144 is formed in a side plate 143 of the gear box 14, and the through hole 144 is an elongated hole extending in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 3).

The rotary shaft 43 of the support base 4 is inserted into the through hole 144 , and the reduction gear 44 is fixed to a portion of the rotary shaft 43 located inside the gear box 14 (inside the side plate 143 ). The reduction gear 44 is meshed with the gear 130 of the motor 13 . The gear 130 is fixed to the output shaft of the motor 13, and when power is supplied to the motor 13 from a power source (rechargeable battery) (not shown), the driving force of the motor 13 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 43 via the gear 130 and the reduction gear 44.

The driving force transmitted from the motor 13 causes the rotating shaft 43 supported by the side plate 143 (through hole 144) of the gear box 14 to rotate in one direction (clockwise in FIG. 3). As a result, the front end side of the arm 42 to which the rotating shaft 43 is fixed is tilted upward (see FIG. 6), and the support base 4 and the glass G are rotated so as to be lifted forward. By pouring out the beverage while the glass G is tilted by this rotation, excessive foaming of the beverage poured into the glass G can be suppressed.

As described above, in this embodiment, the driving force of the motor 13 is directly applied to the rotating shaft 43 without using the back plate 41 of the support base 4, instead of pushing up the back plate 41 of the support base 4 with an actuator or the like. This eliminates the need to secure a displacement space for such actuators, so that the size of the beer server 1 can be reduced.

Further, an insertion hole 24d is formed in the front wall 24 of the housing 2, and the rotation shaft 43 of the support base 4 is fixed to the arm 42 inserted into the insertion hole 24d. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user from touching the rotating shaft 43 and improve the appearance of the beer server 1 .

Since the rotating shaft 43 is rotatably supported by the side plate 143 (through hole 144) of the gear box 14, the side plate 143 can have a function of supporting the rotating shaft 43 and a function of a wall for housing the motor 13.

The side plate 143 is joined (connected) to each of the connecting portion between the facing portion 24a and the bent portion 24b of the front wall 24 and the connecting portion between the bent portion 24b and the connecting portion 24c. Rigidity is enhanced by integrally forming a facing portion 24a, a bent portion 24b, and a connecting portion 24c that are perpendicular to each other. Therefore, by fixing the side plate 143 to this high-rigidity portion, the rotating shaft 43 of the support base 4 can be stably supported by the side plate 143 .

Further, since the reduction gear 44 is fixed to the rotating shaft 43 that spans between the pair of arms 42 facing each other, the motor 13 for applying the driving force to the reduction gear 44 can be arranged inside the pair of arms 42 . That is, since the motor 13 can be arranged using the space between the pair of arms 42 facing each other, the size of the beer server 1 can be reduced as compared with a configuration in which a reduction gear 44 is provided on the rotary shaft 43 projecting laterally from the arms 42 (the motor 13 is provided laterally outside of the arms 42).

In addition, since the pair of left and right arms 42 are connected by the rotating shaft 43, bending of the arms 42 can be suppressed compared to a configuration in which separate rotating shafts are provided for each of the left and right arms 42 (the rotating shafts 43 are separated), so that the support base 4 can be rotated stably.

Here, in the configuration in which the driving force is directly applied to the rotating shaft 43 of the supporting base 4 as in the present embodiment, the torque required to rotate the supporting base 4 is increased compared to the case where the back plate 41 of the supporting base 4 is pushed up by an actuator or the like (power is applied to a position distant from the rotating shaft 43). On the other hand, the beer server 1 is different from the stationary type installed in restaurants and the like, and has a size that can be carried by general consumers. Although it is necessary to obtain torque for rotating the support base 4 with this small electric power, in this embodiment, the reduction gear 44 of the support base 4 has a larger outer diameter and a larger number of teeth than the gear 130 of the motor 13 . Due to the reduction ratio between the reduction gear 44 and the gear 130 of the motor 13, torque for rotating the support base 4 (rotating shaft 43) can be obtained even with relatively small electric power.

The side wall 21 of the housing 2 has a hollow structure including an outer plate 21a forming an outer surface on the outer side in the left-right direction, an inner plate 21b facing the outer plate 21a on the inner side in the left-right direction, and a front plate 21c (see FIG. 4) connecting the front ends of the outer plate 21a and the inner plate 21b to the left and right (see FIG. 4). The front wall 24 of the housing 2 connects the rear ends of the pair of left and right inner plates 21b to the left and right.

A partition wall 26 is provided on the rear side of the gear box 14 and connects the pair of left and right outer plates 21 a of the side wall 21 to the left and right. A fixing plate 27 (fixing portion) for fixing the limit switches 15a and 15b protrudes forward from the front surface of the partition wall 26 . The fixed plate 27 is arranged outside the arm 42 of the support base 4 in the left-right direction, and the limit switches 15a and 15b are fixed inside the fixed plate 27 in the left-right direction.

One of the pair of arms 42 (on the arrow L side in FIG. 4) has a projecting portion 42a projecting rearward from the rotating shaft 43, and the rotation of the projecting portion 42a is detected by the limit switches 15a and 15b.

The limit switch 15a is provided above the projecting portion 42a of the arm 42 (see FIG. 3), and the limit switch 15b is provided below the projecting portion 42a of the arm 42. As shown in FIG. In the initial state before the support base 4 rotates, the projecting portion 42a of the arm 42 contacts the limit switch 15a. On the other hand, when the support table 4 is inclined at a predetermined angle (45° in this embodiment), the projecting portion 42a of the arm 42 contacts the limit switch 15b (see FIG. 6).

When the limit switches 15a and 15b detect the initial state and the tilted state, the forward and reverse rotation of the motor 13 is stopped.

By detecting the displacement of the arm 42 (protruding portion 42a) inserted into the front wall 24 by the limit switches 15a and 15b, the limit switches 15a and 15b can be arranged on the rear side of the front wall 24, that is, inside the housing 2. FIG. As a result, the user of the beer server 1 can be prevented from touching the limit switches 15a and 15b, and the appearance of the beer server 1 is improved.

Here, a partition wall 26 that supports the limit switches 15a and 15b separates the front wall 24 of the housing 2 and the housing portion 5 from each other. That is, a space S surrounded by the side wall 21, the front wall 24, and the partition wall 26 is formed inside the housing 2 in plan view. Since the gear box 14, the drive system consisting of the arm 42 of the support base 4, the rotation shaft 43, and the reduction gear 44, and the members of the limit switches 15a and 15b are provided in this space S, the user of the beer server 1 can suppress the contact with these members when the beverage container C is put in and taken out of the storage section 5.

Further, when the displacement of the arm 42 is detected by the limit switches 15a and 15b, the limit switches 15a and 15b can be brought into contact with a portion of the arm 42 located forward of the rotating shaft 43, for example. However, with such a configuration, it is necessary to secure a space for arranging the limit switches 15a and 15b between the front wall 24 and the rotating shaft 43, and accordingly, the rotating shaft 43 must be provided at a position distant from the connection position P1 (see FIG. 3) between the rear plate 41 and the arm 42. As the distance from the connection position P1 to the rotating shaft 43 increases, the rotating shaft 43 moves away from the center of gravity of the support base 4, so the torque required to rotate the support base 4 increases.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, a projecting portion 42a projecting rearward from the rotating shaft 43 is provided, and the displacement of the projecting portion 42a is detected by the limit switches 15a and 15b. As a result, the rotary shaft 43 can be arranged closer to the connecting position P1 between the rear plate 41 and the arm 42 than when the limit switches 15a and 15b are arranged between the front wall 24 and the rotary shaft 43. FIG. As a result, the rotating shaft 43 can be brought closer to the center of gravity of the support base 4, so that the torque required to rotate the support base 4 can be reduced. The distance from the rotary shaft 43 to the connection position P1 between the back plate 41 and the arm 42 is substantially the same as the distance from the rotary shaft 43 to the contact position P2 between the protrusion 42a and the limit switch 15a.

Next, the usage and operation of the beer server 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the beer server 1 showing how the beverage container C is set, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the beer server 1 showing a state in which the support table 4 is tilted when the beverage B is poured.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when setting the beverage container C in the beer server 1, the rear wall 23 (see FIG. 6) is removed from the outer plate 21a of the side wall 21 of the housing 2, and the beverage container C is inserted into the cylindrical portion 51 and the bottom portion 53 removed from the receiving portion 50 of the storage portion 5.

Next, while inserting the base end portion 80 of the pouring pipe 8 hanging from the receiving portion 50 into the mouth of the beverage container C, the cylindrical portion 51 is fitted into the receiving portion 50, and the rear wall 23 (see FIG. 6) of the housing 2 is attached to the side wall 21. Thus, the setting of the beverage container C is completed. By pressing the switch 11 after setting the beverage container C, pouring of the beverage B according to the control program of the control device 12 is started. This control program is periodically executed at predetermined time intervals when the power of the beer server 1 is turned on.

In the control program of the control device 12, first, it is confirmed whether or not the opening/closing arm 9 has reached the push-in position for pushing the intermediate portion 81 of the pouring tube 8 (S1). If the opening/closing arm 9 has not reached the push-in position (S1: No), the open/close arm 9 is rotated in the direction of pushing the pouring tube 8 by the forward rotation of the motor of the drive unit 91 (S2), and the process returns to S1. By the processing of S1 and S2, the opening/closing arm 9 rotates until the flow path of the pouring tube 8 is blocked, so that dripping from the nozzle 3 after pouring out the beverage B, which will be described later, can be suppressed. It should be noted that confirmation of whether or not the opening/closing arm 9 has reached the pushed-in position is exemplified by, for example, a configuration in which a limit switch that contacts the opening/closing arm 9 at the pushed-in position is provided.

On the other hand, if the open/close arm 9 has reached the pushed position (S1: Yes), a startable lamp (not shown) is turned on (S3). This startable lamp is an LED light for informing the user of the beer server 1 that the beverage B can be dispensed.

After turning on the startable lamp in the process of S3, it is checked whether the switch 11 has been pushed (S4), and if the switch 11 has not been pushed (S4: No), the process returns to S1. On the other hand, if the switch 11 is pressed (S4: Yes), it is checked whether the angle of the support base 4 is 0°, that is, whether the protrusion 42a of the arm 42 of the support base 4 is in contact with the limit switch 15a (S5).

If the angle of the support table 4 is not 0° (S5: No), the support table 4 is in an inclined state, so the motor 13 is reversely rotated (S6), the support table 4 is rotated toward the initial position, and the process returns to S5. By the processing of S5 and S6, the support table 4 is returned to the initial position (the angle at which the glass G stands upright) before the beverage B is poured.

The displacement of the support base 4 to return to the initial state is restricted by a stopper 16 made of a rubber-like elastic body. The stopper 16 is provided at a corner portion between the upper surface of the base plate 20 of the housing 2 and the front surface of the front wall 24 (facing portion 24a), and when the support 4 returns to its initial state and the arm 42 (protruding portion 42a) contacts the limit switch 15a, the rear plate 41 of the support 4 and the stopper 16 come into contact with each other. Thereby, the load applied to the limit switch 15a can be reduced.

When the support base 4 rotates to an inclined state and the arm 42 (protruding portion 42a) contacts the limit switch 15b, the member corresponding to the stopper 16 and the support base 4 (for example, the back plate 41) may be brought into contact. Thereby, the load applied to the limit switch 15b can be reduced.

In the processing of S5, if the angle of the support table 4 is 0° (S5: Yes), the motor 13 is rotated forward (S7) to rotate the support table 4 toward the inclined state. After the process of S7, it is checked whether or not the tilt angle of the support base 4 is 45°, that is, whether or not the projecting portion 42a of the arm 42 of the support base 4 has come into contact with the limit switch 15b (S8).

If the angle of the support table 4 is not 45° (S8: No), the process returns to S7 to rotate the motor 13 forward. By the processing of S7 and S8, the support base 4 rotates until the projecting portion 42a of the arm 42 comes into contact with the limit switch 15b and the motor 13 stops (the glass G tilts at 45°) (see FIG. 6).

In this 45° inclined state of the support base 4, the tip of the nozzle 3 (the tip 82 of the spout tube 8) faces the inner peripheral surface of the glass G (see FIG. 6). Further, in this tilted state of the support base 4, the upper end of the back plate 41 is designed not to contact the front wall 24 (connecting portion 24c). This is because the bent portion 24b of the front wall 24 is bent rearward from the facing portion 24a, so that the connecting portion 24c is formed at a position retreated rearward from the facing portion 24a.

When the angle of the support table 4 reaches 45° (S8: Yes), the beverage B can be poured out, so the motor of the drive unit 91 is rotated in reverse for a certain period of time (S9), and the open/close arm 9 is rotated from the pushing position into which the pouring tube 8 is pushed in toward the retracted position. The time during which the motor of the drive unit 91 is rotated in reverse is the time during which the open/close arm 9 is separated from the extraction tube 8 to the extent that the flow path inside the extraction tube 8 is opened.

After the motor of the drive unit 91 is reversely rotated for a certain period of time in the processing of S9, the pump 7 is started (S10), and the inside of the housing unit 5 is pressurized by the air supplied from the supply pipe 70. FIG. By the process of S10, the beverage B drawn from the beverage container C is poured out into the glass G through the nozzle 3 (the tip portion 82 of the ejection tube 8) due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the container 5 (see FIG. 6). By pouring the beverage B with the glass G tilted in this way, excessive foaming of the beverage B can be suppressed.

After the process of S10, it is checked whether the starting time of the pump 7 has passed the first time T1, that is, whether the amount of the beverage B poured into the glass G has reached a predetermined amount (S11). When the starting time of the pump 7 exceeds the first time T1 (S11: Yes), it can be determined that a predetermined amount of the beverage B has been poured into the glass G, so the motor 13 is reversely rotated (S12) to rotate the support base 4 to the initial position side.

After the processing of S12, it is checked whether or not the activation time of the pump 7 has passed the second time T2 (S13). The second time T2 is set to be longer than the first time T1, and when the second time T2 has passed, the predetermined amount of the beverage B has been poured out.

Therefore, when the second time T2 has passed (S13: Yes), the ultrasonic vibrator 10 is vibrated (S14) and bubbles are poured into the glass G. As a result, the moderately foamy beverage B is poured into the glass G.

After vibrating the ultrasonic transducer 10 in the process of S14, it is checked whether the angle of the support base 4 is 0°, that is, whether the protrusion 42a of the arm 42 of the support base 4 is in contact with the limit switch 15a (S15).

If the support table 4 has returned to 0° by the processing of S12 (S15: Yes), the pouring of the beverage B and the foam has been completed, so the pump 7 is stopped (S16) and a series of processing is completed.

On the other hand, when the beverage B is in the process of being poured, that is, when the starting time of the pump 7 has not exceeded the first time T1 and the second time T2 (S11 and S12: No), and the support base 4 has not returned to the initial position in the process of S12 (S15: No), the process returns to S11 and repeats the processes from S13 onwards. As a result, the pump 7 continues to be activated until the support base 4 returns to the initial position in the process of S12 and bubbles are poured out by the ultrasonic transducer 10 in the process of S14.

Next, the beer server 201 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. FIG. In the first embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 10 contacts the intermediate portion 81 of the extraction tube 8. In the second embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 10 contacts the first connector 283 of the extraction tube 208. In addition, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the same part as 1st Embodiment mentioned above, and the description is abbreviate|omitted. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the beer server 201 of the second embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged sectional view of the beer server 201. As shown in FIG. Note that FIG. 8 shows a cross section taken at the center of the beer server 201 in the horizontal direction (direction of arrows LR).

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the pouring pipe 208 of the beer server 201 has a first connector 283 to which vibration from the ultrasonic vibrator 10 is applied. The first connector 283 has a cylindrical body portion 283a, and both sides of the body portion 283a in the vertical direction (axial direction) (arrow UD direction) are closed by plate portions 283b and 283c (see FIG. 8 for the plate portion 283c). A plate portion 283b closes the upper end side of the body portion 283a, and a plate portion 283c closes the lower end side thereof.

The first connector 283 is fixed to the top plate 25 a of the storage case 25 by the fixing member 217 . The fixing member 217 is a substantially elliptical plate extending in the left-right direction (the direction of the arrows LR), and through holes 217a for inserting the screws 218 are formed at both longitudinal ends of the fixing member 217 . A pair of female screw holes 225f are formed at positions corresponding to the pair of through holes 217a in the top plate 25a of the housing case 25 (a plate forming the upper surface of the housing 2).

By screwing the screw 218 inserted into the through hole 217a of the fixing member 217 into the female screw hole 225f of the top plate 25a, the first connector 283 is fixed to the top plate 25a of the housing case 25 by the fixing member 217 (see FIG. 8). On the other hand, the first connector 283 can be removed from the top plate 25a by removing the fixing member 217 from the top plate 25a (see FIG. 7).

A pair of overhanging portions 217b are formed at the center of the fixing member 217 in the longitudinal direction so as to project to both sides in the width direction (front-rear direction) of the fixing member 217 . Edges on the tip side of each of the pair of overhanging portions 217b are formed in an arcuate shape that protrudes in a direction away from each other. That is, the pair of protruding portions 217b has a shape that substantially matches the body portion 283a of the first connector 283. As shown in FIG. Therefore, when the first connector 283 is fixed to the top plate 25a by the fixing member 217, the entire plate portion 283b of the first connector 283 can be pressed by the pair of projecting portions 217b.

The first connector 283 includes a pair of joint portions 283d and 283e (see FIG. 7) projecting from the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 283a. A joint portion 283d is connected to the front end side (arrow F side) of the main body portion 283a, and a joint portion 283e is connected to the rear end side. The joint portions 283d and 283e are formed in a tubular shape protruding in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction (vertical direction) of the main body portion 283a. The outer diameter of the body portion 283a is formed to be larger than the outer diameters of the joint portions 283d and 283e, and the joint portions 283d and 283e are connected to the space on the inner peripheral side of the body portion 283a.

The joint portion 283 d is inserted into the rear end portion of the distal end portion 82 of the extraction pipe 208 , and the joint portion 283 e is inserted into the distal end of the intermediate portion 81 of the extraction pipe 208 . That is, in the first embodiment (see FIG. 6), the base end portion 80, the intermediate portion 81, and the tip portion 82 of the pouring tube 8 are integrally formed (the pouring tube 8 is a single tube).

A second connector 284 is provided at the divided portion of the proximal end portion 80 and the intermediate portion 81 of the extraction tube 208 . The second connector 284 is an L-shaped joint including a joint portion 284a inserted into the upper end portion of the base end portion 80 of the extraction tube 208 and a joint portion 284b (see FIG. 8) inserted into the rear end portion of the intermediate portion 81.

Pipelines 228 and 229 for inserting the proximal end portion 80 and the distal end portion 82 of the extraction tube 208 are formed in the housing case 25 (housing 2) (see FIG. 8 for the pipeline 229). The conduit 228 is formed on the rear side of the ultrasonic transducer 10 so as to vertically penetrate the top plate 25a and the bottom plate 25b of the housing case 25 . The lower end of the conduit 228 is connected to the through hole 50c of the housing portion 5 (receiving portion 50) through the through hole 22a penetrating the upper plate 22 of the housing 2. As shown in FIG.

Further, the conduit 229 is formed on the front side of the ultrasonic transducer 10 so as to vertically penetrate the top plate 25a and the bottom plate 25b of the housing case 25 . The lower end of the conduit 229 is connected to the nozzle 3 through a through hole 22b penetrating the upper plate 22 of the housing 2 .

The base end portion 80 (joint portion 284a of the second connector 284) of the extraction pipe 208 and the tip end portion 82 can be inserted into and removed from these pipe lines 228 and 229. As shown in FIG. Therefore, by removing the fixing member 217 from the top plate 25a (see FIG. 7), the proximal end portion 80, the intermediate portion 81, the distal end portion 82, and the first and second connectors 283, 284 of the extraction tube 208 can be attached to and detached from the housing 2. Therefore, since each of these tubes can be removed and cleaned or replaced, maintenance of the extraction tube 208 can be facilitated.

In this embodiment, the extraction tube 208 is always exposed from the top plate 25a of the storage case 25 (housing 2), but for example, a lid that covers the upper surface of the top plate 25a so that it can be opened and closed may be attached to the top plate 25a (housing 2). With such a configuration, by covering the pouring tube 208 with the lid, it is possible to prevent the user from accidentally touching the pouring tube 208 and improve the appearance of the beer server 201 . On the other hand, by opening the lid, the extraction pipe 208 can be maintained.

A recessed groove 284c (see FIG. 7) is formed in a portion of the joint portion 284a of the second connector 284 that is above the fitting portion of the base end portion 80 of the extraction tube 208. As shown in FIG. The concave groove 284c is formed in the shape of a groove continuous in the circumferential direction of the joint portion 284a, and an O-ring 285 (see FIG. 8) is fitted into the concave groove 284c. The tight contact of the O-ring 285 with the inner peripheral surface of the conduit 228 prevents air from leaking through the conduit 228, so that the airtightness of the housing portion 5 is maintained.

A concave portion 225g (see FIG. 7) is formed on the upper surface of the top plate 25a to accommodate the fixed extraction tube 208. As shown in FIG. Of the recess 225g extending in the front-rear direction, a portion that mainly houses the second connector 284 of the pouring tube 208 is described as a first recess 225g1, a portion that houses the intermediate portion 81 as a second recess 225g2, a portion that houses the first connector 283 (body portion 283a) as a third recess 225g3, and a portion that houses the tip portion 82 as a fourth recess 225g4.

The first recess 225g1 is formed in a region including the opening of the conduit 228, and the second recess 225g2 extends forward from the front end of the first recess 225g1. The width dimension (dimension in the direction of arrows LR) of the second recess 225g2 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the intermediate portion 81 of the pouring tube 208 (for example, twice the outer diameter of the intermediate portion 81 or less). On the other hand, the width dimension of the first recess 225g1 is larger than the width dimension of the second recess 225g2 (the intermediate portion 81 of the extraction tube 208). This makes it easier for a finger to enter the gap between the side wall of the first concave portion 225g1 and the second connector 284, thereby facilitating attachment and detachment of the second connector 284 to and from the housing case 25 (housing 2).

The second recess 225g2 is an elongated hole extending forward and backward, and the front end portion of the second recess 225g2 is connected to the third recess 225g3. The third recess 225g3 is formed in a region including an insertion hole 225h (see FIG. 8) for inserting the ultrasonic transducer 10, and the side wall of the third recess 225g3 is curved in a direction away from the ultrasonic transducer 10 (so as to expand laterally beyond the second recess 225g2). A fourth recessed portion 225g4 extends forward from the front end of the third recessed portion 225g3, and the width dimension of the fourth recessed portion 225g4 is substantially the same as the width dimension of the second recessed portion 225g2.

Since each tube of the extraction tube 208 is housed in these first to fourth recesses 225g1 to 225g4 (recess 225g), each tube of the extraction tube 208 can be prevented from being exposed on the upper surface of the top plate 25a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from touching each tube of the pouring tube 208 carelessly and improve the appearance of the beer server 201 .

Fifth recesses 225g5 shallower than the third recesses 225g3 are formed on the left and right sides of the third recesses 225g3. The pair of fifth recesses 225g5 extends to both left and right sides from the upper edge of the side wall of the third recess 225g3. Since the female screw hole 225f is formed in the fifth recess 225g5, when the fixing member 217 is attached to the top plate 25a, the fixing member 217 and the screw 218 can be accommodated in the fifth recess 225g5. This can also improve the appearance of the beer server 201 .

An insertion hole 225h for inserting the ultrasonic transducer 10 is formed in the third recess 225g3 (see FIG. 8). The ultrasonic transducer 10 is formed in a substantially columnar shape, and the upper end portion of the ultrasonic transducer 10 is inserted into the circular insertion hole 225h. Thereby, the ultrasonic transducer 10 can be arranged inside the housing case 25 (housing 2). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from accidentally touching the ultrasonic transducer 10 and improve the appearance of the beer server 201 .

Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the configuration of beer server 201 will be further described. 9(a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the beer server 201, enlarging the IXa portion of FIG. 8, and FIG. 9(b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the beer server 201 along line IXb-IXb of FIG. 9(a).

As shown in FIG. 9, the ultrasonic transducer 10 includes a small-diameter portion 10a to be inserted into the insertion hole 225h, and a large-diameter portion 10b having a larger diameter (larger outer shape) than the small-diameter portion 10a. The outer diameter (outer shape) of the large diameter portion 10b is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the insertion hole 225h, and the engagement between the large diameter portion 10b and the top plate 25a restricts displacement of the large diameter portion 10b toward the insertion hole 225h.

Projections 225i for supporting the ultrasonic transducer 10 project downward (inside the housing 2) from the lower surface (inner surface) of the top plate 25a. A disk-shaped support plate 219 (support portion) for supporting the ultrasonic transducer 10 is screwed to the tip of these protrusions 225i. The support plate 219 is formed with an outer peripheral wall 219a that surrounds the ultrasonic transducer 10. This outer peripheral wall 219a restricts displacement of the ultrasonic transducer 10 in a direction orthogonal to the vibration direction (vertical direction) of the ultrasonic transducer 10.

A tubular restricting wall 225j protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the top plate 25a, and the restricting wall 225j surrounds the ultrasonic transducer 10 (large diameter portion 10b) inside the pair of protrusions 225i. This restriction wall 225j also restricts the displacement of the ultrasonic transducer 10 in the direction orthogonal to the vibration direction of the ultrasonic transducer 10. As shown in FIG.

When the ultrasonic transducer 10 is supported by the support plate 219 attached to the projecting portion 225i, the mounting surface (the bottom surface of the first to fourth recesses 225g1 to 225g4 shown in FIG. 7) to which the first connector 283 (each pipe of the extraction pipe 208) is attached is configured to be substantially flush with the upper surface of the ultrasonic transducer 10.

A columnar projection 283f protrudes downward from the plate portion 283c of the first connector 283 facing the ultrasonic transducer 10, and the projection 283f contacts the ultrasonic transducer 10. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 is transmitted to the plate portion 283c via the protrusion 283f. The plate-shaped plate portion 283c is easily vibrated by the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 concentratedly transmitted to the projection 283f. As a result, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 is easily transmitted to the beverage flowing through the first connector 283 (the plate portion 283c), so that bubbles in the beverage can be efficiently generated.

The body portion 283a, the plate portions 283b and 283c, the joint portions 283d and 283e, and the protrusion 283f of the first connector 283 are integrally formed using a resin material (for example, polycarbonate). The material of the first connector 283 is harder (harder) than the material of the parts 80 to 82 of the extraction tube 208 . As a result, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 is easily transmitted to the beverage flowing through the first connector 283, so that bubbles in the beverage can be efficiently generated.

In addition, since one projection 283f is formed in the center of the disk-shaped plate portion 283c, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 can be transmitted to one central point of the disk-shaped plate portion 283c via the projection 283f. As a result, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 can be efficiently transmitted to the antinode of the vibration of the plate portion 283c, so that the entire plate portion 283c can easily vibrate.

The first connector 283 is pressed against the ultrasonic transducer 10 by the fixing member 217 . More specifically, FIG. 9 shows a state in which the plate portion 283c is formed flat, but in reality, the plate portion 283c is curved upward (elastically deformed) due to the force of the fixing member 217 pressing the protrusion 283f against the ultrasonic transducer 10.

Therefore, even if the ultrasonic transducer 10 and the projection 283f are displaced in a direction away from each other due to the vertical vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 and the first connector 283, the contact state between the ultrasonic transducer 10 and the projection 283f is easily maintained by the elastic recovery force of the plate portion 283c. Thereby, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 can be reliably transmitted to the plate portion 283c.

Also, the thickness of the plate portion 283c of the first connector 283 is formed thinner than the thickness of the plate portion 283b. As a result, the entire plate portion 283c is easily deformed so as to bend, so that the plate portion 283c is easily vibrated by the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 .

Here, as in the conventional technology (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-109009), in the case of a configuration in which the vibrating body (ultrasonic vibrator 41) is brought into contact with the pouring pipe (first pipe member 21) from above in the vertical direction, bubbles cannot be efficiently generated in the beverage flowing through the pouring pipe. This is because the inside of the extraction pipe may not be filled with the beverage (the inside of the extraction pipe may not be filled with water) depending on the amount of beverage flowing through the extraction pipe. In such a case, since the beverage flows along the bottom surface inside the extraction tube due to gravity, vibration cannot be efficiently transmitted to the beverage flowing through the extraction tube with a configuration in which the vibrating body is brought into contact with the upper surface of the extraction tube.

On the other hand, since the projection 283f of the present embodiment is formed on the lower surface side (vertically lower side) of the first connector 283, even when the first connector 283 is not filled with the beverage (the inside of the first connector 283 is not filled with water), the vibration from the projection 283f can be efficiently transmitted to the beverage flowing along the plate portion 283c. That is, even if the amount of the beverage flowing through the first connector 283 is small, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 can be reliably transmitted to the beverage, so that the foam of the beverage can be efficiently generated.

Next, referring to FIG. 10, the beverage server 301 of the third embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the case where the main body portion 283a of the first connector 283 is formed in a cylindrical shape has been described. In addition, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the part same as 2nd Embodiment mentioned above, and the description is abbreviate|omitted.

10(a) is a partially enlarged sectional view of the beer server 301 of the third embodiment, and FIG. 10(b) is a perspective view of the pouring pipe 308. FIG. 10(a) shows a cross section of the beer server 301 cut at a position corresponding to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 10, the storage case 25 (housing 2) of the beverage server 301 of the third embodiment includes extensions 325e1 obtained by extending the side plate 25e (see FIG. 1) above the top plate 25a. Although not shown, the front plate 25c and the rear plate 25d (see FIG. 1) of the storage case 25 are also formed with similar extensions, and the space surrounded by these extensions is covered from above by a lid 328.

The lid 328 includes a lower plate 328a, an upper plate 328b arranged above the lower plate 328a, and side plates 328c connecting the plates 328a and 328b vertically over the entire circumference.

The lid 328 is rotatably supported by the extension 325e1 of the side plate 25e (to open and close the top of the top plate 25a) by a hinge (not shown), and when the top plate 25a is covered by the lid 328, it is configured to be fixed (and unlockable) by a lock device (not shown). Note that the lid structure using these hinges, lock devices, etc. can adopt a known configuration, so a detailed description will be omitted, but as a known configuration, for example, the hinge mechanism 3 described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 09-154615 and the locking device 7 disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 06-081279 are exemplified.

A through-hole 328a1 for inserting the ultrasonic transducer 10 is formed in the lower plate 328a, and cylindrical portions 328a2 surrounding the through-hole 328a1 are formed on both upper and lower surfaces of the lower plate 328a. A bent portion 328a3 that bends inward is formed at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 328a2 that extends downward from the lower plate 328a. The small-diameter portion 10a of the ultrasonic transducer 10 is inserted into the inner peripheral side of the bent portion 328a3 (the large-diameter portion 10b is hooked on the upper surface of the bent portion 328a3).

A column portion 328a4 rises from the upper surface of the lower plate 328a on the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical portion 328a2 extending upward from the lower plate 328a. The pillars 328a4 are formed in a front and rear pair with the cylinder 328a2 interposed therebetween, and the fixing member 217 is screwed to the upper ends of the pair of pillars 328a4. Since the coil spring S inserted into the cylindrical portion 328a2 is sandwiched between the fixing member 217 and the ultrasonic transducer 10 in an elastically deformed state, the elastic recovery force of the coil spring S pushes the ultrasonic transducer 10 into the first connector 383. Thereby, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 can be efficiently transmitted to the first connector 383 of the extraction tube 308 .

The lower plate 328a and the upper plate 328b of the lid 328 are configured to be disassembled, and maintenance such as replacement of the coil spring S and the ultrasonic transducer 10 can be performed by removing the fixing member 217 from the lower plate 328a in the disassembled state.

The first connector 383 includes a rectangular tube-shaped main body portion 383a extending in the front-rear direction (arrow FB direction), and a positioning portion 383g formed on the rear end side (the intermediate portion 81 side) of the main body portion 383a.

A joint portion 283d is integrally formed at the front end of the body portion 383a, and a joint portion 283e is integrally formed with the positioning portion 383g at the rear end of the body portion 383a. A through hole 383h extending in the front-rear direction is formed in the positioning portion 383g, and the joint portion 283e is connected to the inside of the main body portion 383a through the through hole 383h.

A concave portion 325k is formed in the upper surface of the top plate 25a, and a rectangular parallelepiped positioning portion 383g is fitted in the concave portion 325k. As a result, displacement of the first connector 383 in the horizontal direction is restricted by engagement between the recess 325k and the positioning portion 383g. In addition to the positioning portion 383g, walls are formed on the top plate 25a for restricting lateral displacement of the intermediate portion 81 and the tip portion 82 (joint portions 283d and 283e) of the extraction tube 308, but the illustration of these walls is omitted in FIG. 10(a).

A projection 283f protrudes upward from the upper surface of the body portion 383a, and the projection 283f contacts the ultrasonic transducer 10. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 is transmitted to the upper surface of the main body portion 383a via the protrusion 283f. Due to the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 concentratedly transmitted to the protrusion 283f, the plate-like portion (first plate portion) constituting the upper surface of the main body portion 383a is easily vibrated. As a result, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 can be easily transmitted to the beverage flowing through the first connector 383 (inside the main body portion 383a), so that bubbles can be efficiently generated in the beverage.

Since the projection 283f is pressed against the ultrasonic transducer 10 by the fixing member 217 and the coil spring S for fixing the ultrasonic transducer 10 to the housing 2, the contact state between the ultrasonic transducer 10 and the projection 283f is easily maintained when the ultrasonic transducer 10 and the first connector 383 vibrate. As a result, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 can be easily transmitted to the upper surface (first plate portion) of the main body portion 383a via the protrusion 283f, so that bubbles in the beverage can be efficiently generated.

The upper surface (first plate portion) of the main body portion 383a is formed in a rectangular shape extending in the front-rear direction when viewed from above, while the protrusion 283f is similarly formed in a rectangular shape extending in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 10B). Since one projection 283f is formed in the center of the upper surface of the body portion 383a, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 can be transmitted to one point in the center of the upper surface of the body portion 383a via the projection 283f. As a result, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 can be efficiently transmitted to the antinode of the vibration of the upper surface of the main body 383a, so that the entire upper surface of the main body 383a can easily vibrate.

Although illustration is omitted, when the lid 328 is opened to expose the upper surface of the top plate 25a, the proximal end portion 80 (see FIG. 8), the intermediate portion 81, the distal end portion 82, the first connector 383, and the second connector 284 (see FIG. 8) of the extraction pipe 308 can be attached to and detached from the housing 2. Therefore, since each of these tubes can be removed and cleaned or replaced, maintenance of the extraction tube 308 can be facilitated.

The present invention has been described above based on the above embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it can be easily inferred that various modifications and improvements are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the beverage container C is a beer can and the beverage B is beer has been described, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the beverage container C may be a container specially made for the beer server 1, or may be another known container (bottle). Also, the beverage B may be another sparkling beverage such as happoshu (sparkling alcoholic beverage), or may be a non-sparkling beverage.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the gear box 14 is fixed to the front wall 24 and the case where the side wall 21 projecting forward from the front wall 24 (rear plate 41) is provided, but this is not necessarily the case. For example, the gearbox may be fixed to the side wall 21 or the partition wall 26, or the side wall 21 may be omitted.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the front wall 24 includes the facing portion 24a, the bent portion 24b, and the connecting portion 24c, that is, the case where the displacement of the rear plate 41 is received by the step between the bent portion 24b and the connecting portion 24c has been described, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the bent portion 24b and the connecting portion 24c of the front wall 24 may be omitted and only the facing portion 24a may be formed (the facing portion 24a may be extended upward and connected to the upper plate 22). In this configuration, the arm 42 is extended to widen the facing distance between the rear plate 41 and the front wall 24 so that the front wall 24 (facing portion 24a) does not interfere with the rotation of the rear plate 41.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the arm 42 is inserted into the space S on the rear side of the front wall 24 and the rotating shaft 43 is fixed to the insertion portion, that is, the case where the rotating shaft 43 is arranged inside the housing 2 has been described. However, it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the rotating shaft 43 may be configured to be exposed to the outside of the housing 2 .

In each of the above embodiments, the reduction gear 44 is fixed to the rotating shaft 43 positioned inside the pair of arms 42, and the driving force from the motor 13 is applied to the reduction gear 44. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the rotary shaft 43 is projected laterally outward (side wall 21 side) from the arm 42 and the driving force from the motor 13 is applied to the reduction gear 44 fixed to the projecting portion.

In each of the embodiments described above, the case where the rotating shaft 43 is supported by the side plate 143 (through hole 144) of the gearbox 14 has been described, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a configuration in which a support portion for rotatably supporting (supporting) the rotating shaft 43 is provided separately (separately from the gear box 14) may be employed. An example of such a support portion is a configuration in which a wall extending back and forth is provided from one or both of the front wall 24 (facing portion 24a) and the partition wall 26, and a hole for inserting the rotating shaft 43 is formed in the wall.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the arm 42 is provided with the protruding portion 42a that protrudes rearward from the rotating shaft 43, and the protruding portion 42a contacts the limit switches 15a and 15b (switches are turned on) to detect the initial state and the tilted state of the support base 4. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which the limit switches 15a and 15b are brought into contact with the arm 42 located on the front side of the rotating shaft 43 may be employed. That is, since the rotation of the support base 4 can be detected if the limit switches 15a and 15b are brought into contact with the parts that rotate together with the support base 4, the parts of the support base 4 that are brought into contact with the limit switches 15a and 15b (that is, the arrangement of the limit switches 15a and 15b) are not limited to the above configuration.

Also, instead of the limit switches 15a and 15b, the motor 13 may be composed of a servomotor capable of detecting the amount of rotation (position). That is, the means for detecting the rotation angle of the support base 4 may be other known means, and is not limited to the above form.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the displacement of one of the left and right arms 42 (protruding portion 42a) is detected by the limit switches 15a and 15b, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which each of the pair of left and right arms 42 is provided with a projecting portion 42a, and the displacement of each of the pair of projecting portions 42a is detected by limit switches 15a and 15b.

In each of the embodiments described above, the case where the limit switches 15a and 15b are fixed to the fixed plate 27 projecting forward from the partition wall 26 has been described, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, limit switches 15a and 15b may be fixed to side wall 21 (outer plate 21a).

In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the pair of left and right arms 42 are connected by the rotating shaft 43 (the rotating shaft 43 spans the pair of arms 42) has been described, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a configuration in which a separate rotating shaft is provided for each of the pair of arms 42 (for example, the rotating shaft 43 is divided) may be used. In this configuration, the driving force from the motor 13 may be applied to at least one of the rotating shafts of the pair of left and right arms 42 .

In each of the embodiments described above, the case where the support base 4 rotates around the rotation shaft 43 fixed to the pair of left and right arms 42 has been described, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the configuration may be such that the arm 42 is omitted, the rotating shaft protrudes from the side surface of the rear plate 41, and the inner plate 21b of the side wall 21 is provided with a through hole for supporting the rotating shaft. In the case of this configuration, the rotating shaft is protruded into the space between the outer plate 21a and the inner plate 21b, and the protruding portion is provided with a driving force from the motor 13 (arranged in the space between the outer plate 21a and the inner plate 21b). If the space between the outer plate 21a and the inner plate 21b is narrow, it may be widened to the extent that the motor 13 can be arranged.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the driving force is directly transmitted to the rotating shaft 43 by meshing the reduction gear 44 fixed to the rotating shaft 43 and the gear 130 of the motor 13 is described, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a configuration in which the driving force of the motor 13 is directly transmitted to the rotating shaft 43 using a belt and pulleys, or a configuration in which the output shaft of the motor 13 is directly fixed to the arm 42 (protruding portion 42a) may be employed. That is, as long as the driving force of the motor 13 can be directly applied to the rotating shaft 43 of the support base 4 without using a displacement member such as an actuator that pushes up the support base 4, the configuration is not limited to the above configuration.

In each of the embodiments described above, the case where the number of teeth of the gear 130 of the motor 13 is smaller than the number of teeth of the reduction gear 44 has been described, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the number of teeth of gear 130 may be the same as or less than the number of teeth of reduction gear 44 .

In each of the above embodiments, the partition wall 26 provided on the back side of the gearbox 14 separates the space on the side of the housing portion 5 from the space S on the side of the gearbox 14, but is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the partition wall 26 may be omitted.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the pump 7 is used as an example of supply means for supplying air to the housing portion 5, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, other known structures such as a compressor can be employed as means for pressurizing the housing portion 5 .

In each of the above-described embodiments, a case has been described in which the beverage is automatically poured when the switch 11 is pressed, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the switch 11 may be omitted, an operation button corresponding to the switch 11 may be provided on the touch panel type liquid crystal display device (provided on the front plate 25c of the storage case 25), and the beverage may be automatically poured when the operation button is pressed.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer 10 is illustrated as an example of the vibrating body, but the vibrating body is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a piezoelectric element may be used as the vibrator. That is, other known vibrating bodies can be used as long as they can generate bubbles in the beverage passing through the dispensing tube 2, 208, 308 (first connector 283, 383).

In the above-described second and third embodiments, the proximal end portion 80, the intermediate portion 81, the distal end portion 82, the first connectors 283, 383, and the second connector 284 of the extraction pipes 208, 308 are detachable from the top plate 25a (mounting portion) of the storage case 25 (housing 2), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, part or all of each of the extraction tubes 208, 308 may be arranged inside the housing 2, and some or all of the extraction tubes 208, 308 may be substantially non-detachable by the user.

In the second and third embodiments, the first connector 283, 383 is provided between the intermediate portion 81 and the tip portion 82 of the extraction tube 208, 308, i.e., the direction of the flow of the beverage in the first connector 283, 383 (the plate surface of the plate portion 283c of the hard pipe) is along the horizontal direction. However, it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a structure corresponding to the first connectors 283, 383 may be provided at the base end portion 80 of the extraction pipes 208, 383, that is, a structure in which the beverage flows in the first connectors 283, 383 along the vertical direction. Also, for example, the direction of flow of the beverage in the first connectors 283, 383 may be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction.

In the second and third embodiments described above, the case where the extraction pipes 208 and 308 are provided with the second connector 284 has been described, but this is not necessarily the case. For example, the second connector 284 may be omitted and the proximal end portions 80 and intermediate portions 81 of the extraction tubes 208, 308 may be integrally formed.

In the second and third embodiments, the case where one projection 283f is formed at the center of the plate portion 283c or the center of the upper surface of the main body portion 383a has been described, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a plurality of protrusions 283f may be formed on the upper surface of the plate portion 283c and the body portion 383a, or the protrusions 283f may be formed at positions eccentric from the center of the plate portion 283c.

In the above-described second and third embodiments, the case where the external shape (cross-sectional shape) of the protrusion 283f is circular or rectangular has been described, but the shape is not necessarily limited to this. The external shape of the protrusion 283f may be oval or other polygonal shape.

Although the description is omitted in the second and third embodiments, the beer server 201 of the second embodiment does not include the opening/closing arm 9 of the beer server 1 of the first embodiment. However, it is of course possible to provide the opening/closing arm 9 in the beer server 201 of the second embodiment.

Although not described in the second embodiment, when the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 is transmitted to one point in the center of the disk-shaped plate portion 283c, it is preferable that the area of the projection 283f occupies 5% or more and 40% or less of the area of the outer surface of the plate portion 283c (the area when the first plate portion is viewed in the plate thickness direction) (the diameter of the projection 283f is 5% or more and 40% or less of the diameter of the plate portion 283c). More preferably, the ratio of the area of the projection 283f to the area of the outer surface of c is 10% or more and 35% or less. By forming the protrusion 283f with such a size, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 can be appropriately transmitted to a partial region of the plate portion 283c.

Similarly, in the third embodiment, the ratio of the area of the projections 283f to the area of the upper surface of the main body portion 383a is preferably 5% or more and 40% or less, and more preferably 10% or more and 35% or less. Thereby, the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 10 can be appropriately transmitted to a partial region of the upper surface of the main body portion 383a.

In the above-described second embodiment, the case where the projection 283f is formed on the bottom surface of the first connector 283 has been described, but this is not necessarily the case. For example, the projection 283f may be formed on the side surface or top surface of the first connector 283, and the ultrasonic transducer 10 may be brought into contact with the projection 283f. The same applies to the third embodiment.

In the above-described second embodiment, the first connector 283 includes a cylindrical body portion 283a, flat plate portions 283b and 283c that close both upper and lower surfaces of the body portion 283a, and a pair of joint portions 283d and 283e that protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 283a. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the main body portion 283a may be formed in a square tubular shape like the main body portion 383a of the third embodiment, or the plate portions 283b and 283c (the portions constituting the upper and lower surfaces of the main body portion 383a) may not be flat plates, and for example, the plate portions 283b and 283c may be partially thicker than the other portions. Alternatively, one or both of the joint portions 283d and 283e may be omitted, and the intermediate portion 81 and the tip portion 82 of the extraction tube 208 may be simply inserted into through holes formed in the body portions 283a and 383a. Alternatively, the body portions 283a, 383a, the intermediate portion 81 and the tip portion 82 may be connected by other known joints.

That is, the configuration of the first connectors 283, 383 is illustrated as an example of the hard tube in which the protrusion 283f is formed, but the form of the hard tube is not limited to the above-described first connectors 283, 383 as long as the protrusion 283f is formed on a hard tube that is harder than the soft tube (the intermediate portion 81 and the tip portion 82).

In the second embodiment, the case where the thickness of the plate portion 283c is thinner than that of the plate portion 283b has been described, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the thickness of the plate portion 283c may be the same as (or thicker than) the thickness of the plate portion 283b.

In the above second embodiment, as an example of means for fixing the extraction tube 208 (first connector 283) to the top plate 25a of the storage case 25 (housing 2), a method of screwing the fixing member 217 was described, but the method is not necessarily limited to this. For example, one end of the fixing member 217 in the left-right direction may be pivotally supported on the top plate 25a, while the other end may be fixed to the top plate 25a by a latch or the like, and the fixing member 217 may be provided so as to be openable and closable between a state in which the extraction tube 208 is fixed to the top plate 25a and a state in which the fixed state is released.

In addition, instead of pressing and fixing the pouring tube 208 from above like the fixing member 217, for example, a clip or the like that allows the pouring tube 208 to be inserted through the C-shaped cutout portion may be provided on the top surface of the top plate 25a (bottom surface of the recess 225g). That is, other known means can be applied to the means for fixing the extraction tube 208 to the top plate 25a.

In the above-described second embodiment, the first to fifth recesses 225g1 to 225g5 (recesses 225g) formed in the top plate 25a accommodate the pipes of the extraction tube 208 and the fixing member 217, and the ultrasonic transducer 10 is accommodated inside the insertion hole 225h. However, the case is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the first to fifth recesses 225g1 to 225g5 (recesses 225g) and the insertion hole 225h may be omitted, and part or all of the fixing member 217, the extraction tube 208, and the ultrasonic transducer 10 may be exposed on the upper surface of the top plate 25a.

In the second embodiment, the case where the ultrasonic transducer 10 is inserted into the insertion hole 225h passing through the top plate 25a has been described, but the configuration is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the ultrasonic transducer 10 may be accommodated in a recess (insertion hole, not a through hole) formed in the top plate 25a.

201 beer server (beverage server)
2 housing 25a top plate (mounting portion)
225g recessed portion 225h insertion hole 5 accommodating portion 7 pump (supply means)
208 Extraction tube 80 Base end (soft tube)
81 intermediate part (soft tube)
82 tip (soft tube)
283 first connector (hard tube)
283b plate (second plate)
283c plate (first plate)
283f Projection 10 Ultrasonic transducer (oscillating body)
217 fixing member (fixing means)
C beverage can (drink container)
G glass (drinking container)
S coil spring (fixing means)

Claims (8)

A beverage server comprising: a supply means for supplying a gas; a storage section whose interior is pressurized by the gas supplied from the supply means; a pouring tube having one end inserted into a beverage container stored in the storage section and pouring out the beverage inside the beverage container from the other end side to the drinking vessel;
The beverage server, wherein the hard tube includes a plate-like first plate portion facing the vibrating body, and a projection protruding from the first plate portion and coming into contact with the vibrating body. 2. The beverage server according to claim 1, wherein the first plate portion and the projection are formed on the lower surface side of the hard pipe. A housing in which the housing portion is formed,
The housing has a mounting portion to which the soft tube and the hard tube are mounted on the outer surface,
2. The beverage server according to claim 1, wherein the flexible tube and the hard tube can be attached to and detached from the attachment portion exposed to the outside of the housing. The mounting portion has an insertion hole into which the vibrating body is inserted,
4. The beverage server according to claim 3, wherein the vibrating body is arranged inside the housing rather than the outer surface of the mounting portion. 5. The beverage server according to claim 4, wherein the mounting portion has a recess formed on its outer surface to accommodate the soft tube and the hard tube. fixing means for fixing the hard tube or the vibrator to the housing;
4. The beverage server according to claim 3, wherein the projection is pressed against the vibrating body by the fixing means. 2. The beverage server according to claim 1, wherein one protrusion is formed in the center of the disk-shaped first plate portion. The hard tube includes a plate-shaped second plate portion facing the first plate portion across the internal space,
The beverage server according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the first plate portion is thinner than the thickness of the second plate portion.

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