JP2023173344A - Automation mechanism of beverage dispenser and beverage dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an automation mechanism of a beverage dispenser capable of improving efficiency of a pouring operation, and the beverage dispenser.SOLUTION: An automation mechanism 12 mounted on a beverage dispenser 10 is constituted to include a tower 18 having a discharge part 26 for supplying a beverage from a beverage container, and a tap 20 disposed on an upper side of the tower 18 for opening/closing the discharge part 26. The beverage container and the discharge part 26 are connected by a hose unit 40 arranged through an internal part of the tower 18, and the tower 18 has an opening 30 in a top part for attaching/detaching the hose unit 40 to/from the beverage container and the discharge part 26. The automation mechanism includes a tap operation part 14 mounted on the upper side of the opening 30 of the tower 18 for operating the tap 20, and a receptacle part 16 mounted separately from the tap operation part 14 on a lower side of the opening 30 of the tower 18 for placing a drink container thereon.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This application relates to beverage dispenser automation mechanisms and beverage dispensers.

Patent Document 1 discloses an air-cooled beverage server for supplying beverages stored in beverage containers, including a refrigerator for accommodating and cooling the beverage containers, and a refrigerator that protrudes upward from the refrigerator and supplies the beverages. a hollow tower having a spout at the top for dispensing the drink, the beverage container and the spout being configured to be connected by a hose unit disposed through the interior of the tower; A beverage server is disclosed having an opening in the top for dispensing the beverage.

According to the so-called tower-type beverage server as shown in Patent Document 1, the beverage server can be kept clean by periodically replacing the hose unit, and cleaning of the pipes every day and regular large-scale maintenance are not required. Since no cleaning is required, the number of man-hours required for cleaning the beverage server can be significantly reduced. However, the pouring of the beverage must be done manually, which increases the number of work steps when a large amount of beverage is consumed at a restaurant or the like.

JP2020-100426A

The present invention takes the above-mentioned problems into consideration and aims to provide an automated mechanism for a beverage dispenser and a beverage dispenser that can improve the efficiency of dispensing operations.

One aspect of the present disclosure includes a hollow tower that extends along the vertical direction above the beverage container and has a discharge portion on the top for supplying the beverage from the beverage container; A cock for opening and closing the discharge part, the beverage container and the discharge part are connected by a hose unit disposed through the inside of the tower, and the tower is configured to attach and detach the hose unit to the beverage container and the discharge part. An automation mechanism attached to a beverage dispenser characterized by having an opening at the top for operating the tower, the automation mechanism being attached above the opening of the tower, and comprising a cock actuating part for operating the cock, and a cock operating part for operating the cock, and This is an automated mechanism for a beverage dispenser, which is provided with a pedestal section, which is attached below the opening section separately from the cock operating section, and on which a drinking container for pouring a beverage is placed.

Furthermore, as another aspect of the present disclosure, the pedestal portion of the beverage dispenser automation mechanism may be configured to be tiltable.

Moreover, as another aspect of the present disclosure, the automated mechanism of the beverage dispenser may include a control unit that interlocks the cock actuation unit and the pedestal unit.

Furthermore, as another aspect of the present disclosure, the cock actuating part of the automation mechanism of the beverage dispenser is formed in a plate shape extending horizontally toward the cock, and has one end attached to the top of the cock. It may be provided with a slide portion in which an insertion hole for fitting is formed, a connecting portion hinged to the other end of the slide portion, and a drive mechanism that slides the connecting portion in the horizontal direction.

Further, as another aspect of the present disclosure, the tower of the automation mechanism of the beverage dispenser may be configured such that the top side can be opened and closed, and the cock operating section may be attached to the top side.

Further, another aspect of the present disclosure includes a hollow tower extending along the vertical direction on the upper side of the beverage container and having a discharge part on the upper side for supplying the beverage from the beverage container; A cock is arranged to open and close the discharge part, a hose unit is arranged through the inside of the tower and connects the beverage container and the discharge part, and a hose unit is formed at the top of the tower to attach and detach the hose unit to the beverage container and the discharge part. a cock actuating part installed above the opening of the tower to operate the cock; and a cock actuating part installed below the tower opening separately from the cock actuating part, installed above the opening of the tower to operate the cock; This is a beverage dispenser comprising: a pedestal portion on which a drinking container for dispensing is placed;

Furthermore, as another aspect of the present disclosure, the pedestal portion of the beverage dispenser may be configured to be tiltable.

Moreover, as another aspect of the present disclosure, the beverage dispenser may include a control unit that causes the cock operating unit and the pedestal unit to operate in conjunction with each other.

Furthermore, as another aspect of the present disclosure, the cock actuating part of the beverage dispenser is formed in a plate shape extending horizontally toward the cock side, and has one end portion adapted to be fitted into the upper part of the cock. The device may include a slide portion in which an insertion hole is formed, a connection portion hinged to the other end of the slide portion, and a drive mechanism that slides the connection portion in the horizontal direction.

Further, as another aspect of the present disclosure, the tower of the beverage dispenser may be configured such that the top side can be opened and closed, and the cock operating section may be attached to the top side.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the cock operating section can operate the cock and pour a beverage into a drinking container placed on the pedestal section. Therefore, the user can pour the beverage into the drinking container without operating the cock himself, and the number of work steps for the user can be reduced. This makes it possible to make the beverage dispensing work more efficient. Further, a cock operating section of the automated mechanism for operating the cock of the beverage dispenser is attached to the beverage dispenser above the opening of the tower. Furthermore, the pedestal part of the automated mechanism on which the drinking container is placed for dispensing the beverage is attached to the beverage dispenser below the opening of the tower and separately from the cock actuating part. This allows the automated mechanism to be attached to the beverage dispenser without blocking or obstructing the opening in the tower. Thereby, even when the automation mechanism is installed, the hose unit, which is arranged through the interior of the tower and connects the beverage container and the discharge part, can be installed and removed through the opening of the tower. This makes it possible to reduce the number of man-hours involved in cleaning the beverage dispenser and to improve the efficiency of the beverage dispensing operation.

Further, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the pedestal portion of the beverage dispenser is configured to be tiltable. Therefore, when pouring out a beverage, the pedestal portion on which the drinking container is placed can be tilted, and the impact on the poured beverage can be suppressed to maintain the flavor of the beverage. In this way, the adjustment work performed by the user when pouring the beverage into the drinking container can be performed by the automated mechanism, and the beverage dispensing work can be made more efficient.

Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the automation mechanism includes a control section that causes the cock operating section and the pedestal section to interlock. Therefore, the pedestal part can be tilted by the cock operating part in accordance with the timing of pouring the beverage into the drinking container, and the flavor of the beverage can be maintained by suppressing impact on the beverage. In this way, the adjustment work performed by the user when pouring the beverage into the drinking container can be performed by the automated mechanism, and the beverage dispensing work can be made more efficient.

Further, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the upper part of the cock can be fitted into the insertion hole formed at one end of the plate-shaped slide part. The other end of the sliding part is hingedly connected to the connecting part, and the connecting part can be slid horizontally by a drive mechanism. Therefore, the cock can be tilted in accordance with the sliding of the slide portion. Thereby, the discharge portion can be opened and closed to pour the beverage into the drinking container, so that the beverage pouring operation can be made more efficient.

Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, since the top side of the tower of the beverage dispenser is configured to be openable and closable, the hose unit can be taken out from the top side. Further, the cock operating section is attached to the top side of the tower. Therefore, even when the automation mechanism is attached, the hose unit can be attached or detached by opening the top side of the tower. This makes it possible to reduce the number of man-hours involved in cleaning the beverage dispenser and to improve the efficiency of the beverage dispensing operation.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a beverage dispenser according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a side view of the beverage dispenser. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the tower. Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the hose unit removed from the beverage dispenser. FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the inside of the cock actuator. FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the cock actuator attached to the lid of the tower. FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the saddle portion. FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the control section. FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the pedestal part. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the operating state of the cock operating section, in which (a) shows the foam dispensing state, (b) shows the standby state, and (c) shows the beverage dispensing state. .

Hereinafter, a beverage dispenser and its automation mechanism (hereinafter referred to as automation mechanism) according to embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. In order to facilitate understanding, the scale of figures may be changed for explanation.

1 and 2 show a beverage dispenser 10 equipped with an automation mechanism 12 according to the present embodiment. The automation mechanism 12 includes a cock actuating part 14 and a pedestal part 16, which are separately attached to the beverage dispenser 10. Specifically, on the upper side of the opening 30 (see FIG. 4) formed in the upper part of the tower 18 of the beverage dispenser 10, a cock operating part 14 for operating the faucet 20 of the beverage dispenser 10 is provided. Separately from the cock actuating part 14, a pedestal part 16 for placing a drinking container (not shown) for pouring a beverage is attached to the lower side of the opening 30.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of beverage dispenser 10 with automation mechanism 12 removed. The beverage dispenser 10 is configured to include a tower 18 having a cylindrical main body portion 22 extending vertically above a beverage container (not shown) and having a cylindrical shape here. The tower 18 of the beverage dispenser 10 extends upward from an upper ceiling wall 24a of the refrigerator 24 for accommodating and refrigerating beverage containers. The inside of the tower 18 communicates with the inside of the refrigerator 24, and the cock 20 of the beverage dispenser 10 is connected to a beverage container by a hose unit 40, which will be described later. Although the tower 18 will be described here as extending upward from the ceiling wall 24a of the refrigerator 24, the tower is not limited to this. For example, the tower may be a beverage container that is integrated with a cooling mechanism or It may also be provided in other ways, such as in direct connection with a chilled beverage container.

The beverage container referred to here is, for example, a beer barrel. In addition, although the following explanation assumes that the beverage container is a beer barrel, the beverage container is not limited to this. Various beverages such as beer-flavored sparkling alcoholic beverages infused with another alcoholic beverage (so-called third beer), chuhai or highball, or non-alcoholic carbonated beverages, i.e. non-alcoholic beer or carbonated juice. It may also be a container in which it is contained.

The beverage dispenser 10 also includes a gas cylinder for supplying gas, for example, carbon dioxide gas, to the beverage container, and a temperature control device for controlling the supply of gas from the gas cylinder and controlling the temperature inside the refrigerator 24. (Both figures omitted). Note that the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, gas such as carbon dioxide gas may be injected into the beverage in the beverage container in advance, and a gas cylinder may not be provided.

The tower 18 includes a cylindrical main body 22, a discharge part 26 formed on the upper part of the main body 22 and for discharging the beverage from the beverage container, and a lid part 28 which is arranged above the main body 22 and can be opened and closed. has. The lid part 28 has a top surface (tower cap 28a), and a cock 20 for opening and closing the discharge part 26 is arranged on the front side.

As shown in FIG. 4 , an opening 30 is formed at the upper end of the cylindrical main body 22 and is open to the outside of the main body 22 . The lid part 28 is formed so as to close the opening part 30 and the discharge part 26 from above when it is closed.

The lid section 28 is rotatably attached to the main body section 22 via a connecting member such as a hinge 32, for example, so that the inside of the main body section 22 of the tower 18 can be opened and closed. The upper end of the lid 28 is a detachable tower cap 28a, which is connected to the lower lid main body 28b by a thumbscrew 34 (see FIG. 7). Further, a button 36 is arranged on the lid 28 to prevent the lid 28 from being opened inadvertently. Therefore, the lid portion 28 can be opened only when the button 36 is pressed.

A hose unit 40 is arranged inside the main body portion 22 of the tower 18 along its axial direction, that is, the vertical direction. This allows a connection between the beverage container and the outlet 26 of the tower 18 . The hose unit 40 includes a hollow hose 42 made of a flexible material, a probe 44, and a tap nozzle 46. The probe 44 is attached to one end of the hose 42. and a tap nozzle 46 is attached to the other end.

The hose 42 is made of polyethylene, for example. Note that the material is not limited to this, and may be made of other flexible materials such as synthetic resin. The probe 44 is formed into a cylindrical or conical shape with an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the hose 42, and is connected to a beverage container or a dispense head (not shown) attached to the beverage container.

The hose unit 40 is configured to be able to be inserted and removed from the opening 30 of the main body 22 in order to facilitate replacement periodically, at a predetermined time, or at any timing. Therefore, the outer diameters of the hose 42 and the probe 44 are smaller than the inner diameter of the main body 22 of the tower 18. Note that the hose unit may be disposable.

The tap nozzle 46 is formed so that it can be attached to the cylindrical discharge part 26, that is, it can be fitted into the discharge part 26 so that its tip protrudes from the discharge part 26. The tap nozzle 46 is thereby configured to provide a beverage outlet in the beverage dispenser 10. Tap nozzle 46 may be constructed of various materials, such as synthetic resin or metal. Note that, as such a hose unit 40, for example, a commercially available hose unit can be used.

An on-off valve (not shown) is attached inside the tap nozzle 46, and the lower end of the cock 20 is connected to the on-off valve when the lid 28 is closed. Therefore, by tilting the cock 20, the on-off valve of the tap nozzle 46 can be opened and closed. Thereby, the beverage in the beverage container connected to the hose unit 40 can be discharged from the discharge portion 26.

In this way, the entire beverage flow path downstream from the beverage container is constituted by the easily replaceable hose unit 40. Therefore, the beverage flow path can be kept clean without cleaning the beverage flow path. Thereby, the user's work hours related to cleaning the beverage dispenser 10 can be reduced.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the interior of the cock operating section 14 attached to the lid section 28 side of the tower 18. The cock operating section 14 includes a slide section 50 for operating or tilting the cock 20 (see FIG. 2), a drive mechanism 52 for sliding the slide section 50, and a connection between the slide section 50 and the drive mechanism 52. A connecting portion 54 is provided for the purpose of connecting. The cock operating section 14 also includes a safety cover 56 formed to cover the slide section 50 and the cock 20 from above when the slide section 50 is operated. Therefore, FIG. 5 shows the internal structure of the drive mechanism 52 of the cock actuator 14 with the upper part of the cover 52a and the safety cover 56 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) removed.

After removing the tower cap 28a, the drive mechanism 52 is placed. The drive mechanism 52 includes a motor 58 , a gear 60 attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 58 , and a gear 60 extending horizontally toward the cock 20 and extending along the longitudinal direction at the side so as to mesh with the gear 60 . The rack portion 62 is provided with teeth formed therein, that is, a toothed rack portion 62. Therefore, when the motor 58 is activated and the gear 60 rotates, the rack portion 62 with which the gear 60 is engaged is directed toward the cock 20 or away from the cock 20 along the horizontal direction. It can be slid.

A connecting portion 54 is formed integrally with the rack portion 62 at the end portion of the rack portion 62 of the drive mechanism 52 on the cock 20 side. The connecting portion 54 includes a first member 54a that is connected to the rack portion 62 and extends in the vertical direction, and a second member 54a that extends in the horizontal direction from the lower end of the first member 54a toward the cock 20. The member 54b is formed into an L-shape or an inverted L-shape when viewed from the side.

Since the connecting portion 54 includes the first member 54a, the rack portion 62 can be disposed above the second member 54b. Therefore, the motor 58 can be disposed on the lower side of the rack portion 62 in a space created by a vertical difference with the second member 54b, that is, a height difference. Thereby, the drive mechanism 52 can be configured such that the bottom of the drive mechanism 52 is located above the opening 30 of the tower 18 without causing the portion where the motor 58 is disposed to protrude downward.

The second member 54b is configured to be slidable in the horizontal direction when the rack portion 62 slides. Further, the second member 54b is configured to slide while being guided by a hole 64 formed at the end of the drive mechanism 52 on the cock 20 side. Therefore, the second member 54b can be stabilized so as not to tilt in the vertical direction.

The slide portion 50 is hingedly connected to the end of the second member 54b on the cock 20 side via a hinge connector 66. The slide portion 50 is formed to extend horizontally from the second member 54b toward the cock 20 side. An insertion hole 68 for fitting into the upper part of the cock 20 is formed through the end of the slide portion 50 on the cock 20 side. Therefore, the slide portion 50 can be attached to the cock 20 by rotating the hinged slide portion 50 upward, that is, by lifting it upward and fitting the slide portion 50 into the cock 20 from above. I can do it.

The slide part 50 slides along the horizontal direction while being guided by the hole part 64 that goes in and out in accordance with the slide of the hinged connection part 54. Therefore, a moment is applied by the slide portion 50 to the cock 20 into which the slide portion 50 is fitted, and the cock 20 is tilted. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 2, the cock 20 can be tilted into three states: standby state SB, beverage dispensing state DS, and foam dispensing state FS. In addition, although the cock 20 is described here as being tilted in the above three states, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured to be tilted in two states or four or more states.

As shown in FIG. 6, a safety cover 56 is disposed above the cock 20 into which the slide portion 50 is fitted so as to cover the cock 20. The safety cover 56 is hinge-connected to the drive mechanism 52 on the upper surface via a cover-side connector 70 (see FIG. 1), and is configured to be rotatable toward the upper surface of the drive mechanism 52 with this as the center of rotation. . Therefore, by removing the safety cover 56, that is, by rotating it toward the drive mechanism 52 side, the slide portion 50 and the cock 20 can be exposed. This makes it possible to easily attach and detach the slide portion 50.

A sensor (not shown) is attached near the cover-side connector 70 of the safety cover 56, and is electrically connected to a control section 78, which will be described later. Therefore, when the safety cover 56 is rotated toward the drive mechanism 52 and the slide portion 50 and the cock 20 are exposed, the sensor detects this and stops the operation of the cock operating portion 14. It is composed of Thereby, the cock operating section 14 can be operated safely.

A pair of guide plates 72 are arranged inside the safety cover 56 and are located on both sides of the cock 20 and the slide section 50 when the guide plates 72 extend along the sliding direction of the slide section 50. . Moreover, a plurality of rollers 74, here three rollers 74, are each rotatably attached to the lower side of both guide plates 72 along the sliding direction. The roller 74 is arranged at a position where it comes into contact with the upper surface of the slide section 50 when the cock 20 and the slide section 50 are covered with the safety cover 56. Therefore, it is possible to promote the sliding of the slide portion 50, and it is also possible to suppress the slide portion 50 from rotating, that is, warping upward due to the tilting of the cock 20.

The cock actuator 14 is connected via a thumb screw 34 to the lid main body 28b of the lid 28 from which the tower cap 28a has been removed. Therefore, the cock operating section 14 can be easily attached to the tower 18. Further, the cock actuating section 14 can be attached above the lid section 28, that is, above the opening 30. Therefore, even when the cock actuating section 14 is attached to the tower 18, the hose unit 40 can be attached and detached through the opening 30. This makes it possible to reduce the number of man-hours involved in cleaning the beverage dispenser 10 and to improve the efficiency of the beverage dispensing operation.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a saddle section 80 for attaching the control section 78 and the pedestal section 16. The saddle portion 80 includes a saddle 82 formed along the outer peripheral shape of the tower 18 and a bracket saddle 84 formed in a plate shape extending in the vertical direction and having an upper flange 85 and a lower flange 86 at the upper and lower ends. It is fixed to the lower side of the opening 30 of the tower 18 by fixing with screws 88.

As shown in FIG. 8, a control section 78 is disposed between an upper flange 85 and a lower flange 86 of the bracket saddle 84. As shown in FIG. In this way, the control section 78 and the saddle section 80 can be easily attached to the tower 18. The control section 78 is electrically connected to the cock operating section 14 via a cable 90 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Therefore, the control section 78 can operate the motor 58 of the drive mechanism 52 to slide the slide section 50. Further, as described above, the sensor is connected to the sensor of the safety cover 56, and the sensor detects that the safety cover 56 is rotated toward the drive mechanism 52 and the slide portion 50 and the cock 20 are exposed. When this occurs, the cock operating section 14 is configured to stop operating. Furthermore, the control section 78 is equipped with a sound source (not shown), and when the safety cover 56 comes off during the operation of the cock operating section 14 and the slide section 50 and the cock 20 are exposed, the control section 78 stops the cock operating section 14 and stops the cock operating section 14. , the sound source is configured to emit an alarm.

The control section 78 includes a tilting unit 92 on the front side, that is, on the discharge section 26 side. The tilt unit 92 is disposed on the upper surface of the control section 78 and includes a pair of hook sections 94 in which grooves 94a are formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the tilt unit 92 includes a rotation lever 96 rotatably attached to the lower side of the hook portion 94. As shown in FIG. The rotating lever 96 is formed into a plate shape extending in the vertical direction, and has a lower end portion bent toward the front side. Further, the rotation lever 96 has an upper end connected to a motor (not shown) disposed inside the control section 78 . Therefore, the motor is actuated by the control unit 78, and the rotating lever 96 can be rotated toward the front side, that is, toward the discharge unit 26 side. Further, the control unit 78 can link the rotation of the rotation lever 96 with the slide of the slide portion 50 of the cock actuation unit 14.

As shown in FIG. 9, a pedestal portion 16 is attached to the front side of the tilting unit 92. The pedestal part 16 includes a plate-shaped vertical plate part 98 extending in the vertical direction, a pair of guide members 100 that are integrally formed on both sides of the vertical plate part 98 and extend in the vertical direction, It is attached to a pair of guide members 100 on the lower side of the vertical plate part 98, and has a placing part 102 on which a drinking container is placed. The placing part 102 is formed in a plate shape extending in the horizontal direction, and extends along the vertical direction on the side of the guide member 100 and is integral with the receiving tray 104 on which the drinking container is placed. A vertical member 106 is formed. The mounting portion 102 can be fixed to the guide member 100 by inserting the first pin 108 into a hole formed in the guide member 100 and the vertical member 106. Therefore, the height position of the placing portion 102 can be easily adjusted depending on the size of the drinking container.

A second pin 110 is attached to the upper end of the pair of guide members 100. Therefore, by hooking the pin 110 into the groove 94a of the hook portion 94, the pedestal portion 16 can be rotatably attached to the tilting unit 92. In this way, the pedestal section 16 can be easily attached to the control section 78. Further, the lower end portion of the rotating lever 96 is formed so as to come into contact with the vertical plate portion 98 when the pedestal portion 16 is attached to the inclination unit 92. Therefore, by rotating the rotation lever 96, the pedestal portion 16 attached to the hook portion 94 can be tilted.

Next, the operation and effects of the automation mechanism 12 of the beverage dispenser 10 according to the present embodiment will be described below through a description of how the automation mechanism 12 operates the cock 20.

10(a) to 10(c) show the operating states of the cock 20 and the slide portion 50 in the foam dispensing state FS, standby state SB, and beverage dispensing state DS. Note that for the sake of explanation, the safety cover 56 is not shown in these drawings, but the cock 20 is operated inside the safety cover 56. First, in the standby state SB in which no beverage is being poured as shown in FIG. 10(b), the user places a drinking container on the saucer 104 (see FIG. 9) and operates the automation mechanism 12. Next, as shown in FIG. 10(c), the control unit 78 of the automation mechanism 12 operates the cock operating unit 14 to tilt the cock 20 to the beverage dispensing state DS. As a result, the beverage is dispensed from the hose unit 40. At this time, the control section 78 tilts the pedestal section 16 by a predetermined angle in order to suppress the impact on the beverage. Furthermore, when a predetermined amount of the beverage is poured into the drinking container, as shown in FIG. Tilt to state FS. As a result, foam is discharged from the hose unit 40. At this time, the control section 78 tilts the pedestal section 16 at an angle different from the beverage dispensing state DS in order to suppress the impact on the beverage. Here, the predetermined angle and predetermined amount refer to an angle and amount whose optimal values are determined depending on the components and temperature of the beverage, the size of the drinking container, and the like.

According to the beverage dispenser 10 and the automation mechanism 12 according to the present embodiment, the cock operating section 14 can operate the cock 20 to pour a beverage into the drinking container placed on the pedestal section 16 . Therefore, the user can pour the beverage into the drinking container without operating the cock 20 himself, and the number of work steps for the user can be reduced. This makes it possible to make the beverage dispensing work more efficient. Further, the cock operating section 14 of the automation mechanism 12 for operating the cock 20 is attached to the beverage dispenser 10 above the opening 30 of the tower 18 . Furthermore, a pedestal part 16 on which a drinking container is placed for pouring a drink is attached to the beverage dispenser 10 below the opening 30 of the tower 18 and separately from the cock actuating part 14. This allows the automation mechanism 12 to be attached to the beverage dispenser 10 without blocking or obstructing the opening 30 of the tower 18. Thereby, even when the automation mechanism 12 is installed, the hose unit 40, which is arranged through the interior of the tower 18 and connects the beverage container and the discharge part 26, can be attached and detached through the opening 30 of the tower 18. . This makes it possible to reduce the number of man-hours involved in cleaning the beverage dispenser 10 and to improve the efficiency of the beverage dispensing operation.

Moreover, according to the beverage dispenser 10 and the automation mechanism 12 according to the present embodiment, the pedestal portion 16 of the beverage dispenser 10 is configured to be tiltable. Therefore, when dispensing the beverage or foam, the pedestal portion 16 on which the drinking container is placed can be tilted, and the impact on the beverage can be suppressed to maintain the flavor of the beverage. In this way, the automation mechanism 12 can perform the adjustment work that the user performs when pouring the beverage into the drinking container, making it possible to improve the efficiency of the beverage dispensing work.

Furthermore, according to the beverage dispenser 10 and automation mechanism 12 according to the present embodiment, the automation mechanism includes a control section 78 that causes the cock operation section 14 and the pedestal section 16 to interlock. Therefore, the pedestal part 16 can be tilted in accordance with the timing when the drink or foam is poured into the drinking container by the cock operating part 14, and the impact on the drink can be suppressed to maintain the flavor of the drink. In this way, the automation mechanism 12 can perform the adjustment work that the user performs when pouring the beverage into the drinking container, making it possible to improve the efficiency of the beverage dispensing work.

Further, according to the beverage dispenser 10 and the automation mechanism 12 according to the present embodiment, the upper part of the cock 20 can be fitted into the insertion hole 68 formed at one end of the plate-shaped slide portion 50. The other end of the sliding portion 50 is hingedly connected to a connecting portion 54, and the connecting portion 54 can be slid horizontally by a drive mechanism 52. Therefore, the cock 20 can be tilted in accordance with the slide of the slide portion 50. Thereby, the discharge portion 26 can be opened and closed to pour the beverage into the drinking container, so that the beverage pouring operation can be made more efficient.

Furthermore, according to the beverage dispenser 10 and the automation mechanism 12 according to the present embodiment, the tower 18 of the beverage dispenser 10 is configured such that the lid portion 28 side can be opened and closed, so that the hose unit 40 cannot be taken out from the opening 30. can. Further, the cock operating section 14 is attached to the lid section 28 side of the tower 18. Therefore, even when the automation mechanism 12 is attached, the hose unit 40 can be attached or detached by opening the opening 30 of the tower 18. This makes it possible to reduce the number of man-hours involved in cleaning the beverage dispenser 10 and to improve the efficiency of the beverage dispensing operation.

As described above, the beverage dispenser 10 and automation mechanism 12 according to the present embodiment can streamline the pouring operation of pouring the beverage from the beverage container into the drinking container.

Although embodiments of the beverage dispenser 10 and automation mechanism 12 have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various variations of the embodiments described above are possible.

10 Beverage dispenser 12 Automation mechanism 14 Cock operating section 16 Rest section 18 Tower 20 Cock 26 Discharge section 28 Lid section (top surface)
30 Opening 40 Hose unit 50 Slide portion 52 Drive mechanism 54 Connecting portion 66 Hinge connector (hinge connection)
78 Control section

Claims (10)

a hollow tower extending along the vertical direction above the beverage container and having a discharge section at the top for supplying the beverage from the beverage container; and a hollow tower disposed above the tower that opens and closes the discharge section. It consists of a cock for
The beverage container and the discharge section are connected by a hose unit disposed through the interior of the tower, and the tower has an opening at an upper portion for attaching and detaching the hose unit to the beverage container and the discharge section. An automated mechanism attached to a beverage dispenser, characterized in that:
a cock operating part attached above the opening of the tower for operating the cock;
a pedestal part attached below the opening of the tower separately from the cock actuating part and on which a drinking container for pouring the beverage is placed;
An automated mechanism for a beverage dispenser. The beverage dispenser automation mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the cradle is configured to be tiltable. The automated mechanism for a beverage dispenser according to claim 2, further comprising a control section that interlocks the cock operating section and the pedestal section. The cock operating section is
a slide portion formed in a plate shape extending horizontally toward the side of the cock, and having an insertion hole formed at one end for fitting into the upper part of the cock;
a connecting portion hinged to the other end of the sliding portion;
a drive mechanism that slides the connecting portion in a horizontal direction;
4. The beverage dispenser automation mechanism of claim 3, comprising: The automation of a beverage dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tower is configured such that a top side can be opened and closed, and the cock operating section is attached to the top side. mechanism. a hollow tower that extends along the vertical direction above the beverage container and has a discharge portion at the top for supplying the beverage from the beverage container;
a cock disposed on the upper side of the tower for opening and closing the discharge section;
a hose unit disposed through the interior of the tower and connecting the beverage container and the outlet;
an opening formed in the upper part of the tower for attaching and detaching the hose unit to the beverage container and the discharge part;
a cock operating part attached above the opening of the tower for operating the cock;
a pedestal part attached below the opening of the tower separately from the cock actuating part and on which a drinking container for pouring the beverage is placed;
Beverage dispenser with. 7. The beverage dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the cradle is configured to be tiltable. The beverage dispenser according to claim 7, further comprising a control section that interlocks the cock operating section and the pedestal section. The cock operating section is
a slide portion formed in a plate shape extending horizontally toward the side of the cock, and having an insertion hole formed at one end for fitting into the upper part of the cock;
a connecting portion hinged to the other end of the sliding portion;
a drive mechanism that slides the connecting portion in a horizontal direction;
9. The beverage dispenser of claim 8, comprising: The beverage dispenser according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the tower is configured such that a top surface side can be opened and closed, and the cock operating section is attached to the top surface side.

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