JP2708819B2 - Rice feeder - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a beverage supply apparatus for storing a beverage in a flexible bag and dispensing the beverage from the bag at the time of dispensing, and in particular, running out of the beverage in the bag. Regarding detection.

(B) Prior art As shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 62-5575, a pair of pumps for pumping a drink from a flexible bag and a pipe line provided between the bag and the bag are disclosed. In a configuration in which a beverage detection device provided with the electrode in a small chamber is arranged, and a check valve for introducing outside air into the pipeline due to a pressure drop of the pipeline due to running out of beverage in the bag is provided in the pipeline. Then, when the beverage in the bag is exhausted, the check valve sends air into the pipeline.
As a result, the remaining beverage in the pipeline and the small room is pushed back to the bag, and the pair of electrodes in the small room is exposed to air to detect the running out of the beverage in the bag by a change in resistance.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention In general, the greatest advantage of the beverage dispenser as described above is that the beverage is prevented from coming into contact with the outside until the beverage is supplied from the bag to the outside.

However, in the beverage supply device disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, when the beverage runs out, the outside air is led to the beverage pipeline, and the bag that has run out of the beverage is replaced and the beverage is continuously supplied again. In such a case, there is an unfavorable sanitary problem that the beverage is supplied using the pipeline into which the outside air has once flowed.

Further, in the beverage dispenser disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, since a pair of electrodes is used as a beverage detection device, there is a problem that current flows in the beverage and there is a possibility that the beverage may be deteriorated in an ionizable beverage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and if the negative pressure of the pressure chamber of the pump increases due to running out of the beverage in the bag, the actuator is displaced against the urging force of the urging means to displace the beverage. Activating the out-of-beverage switch and detecting the out-of-beverage in the bag by the operation of the out-of-beverage switch, the detection of the out-of-beverage in the bag without constantly guiding the outside air to the beverage supply pipe and without flowing current to the beverage It is intended to provide a beverage supply device capable of performing the following.

(D) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has a sealed flexible bag for storing a beverage, and a beverage supply unit connected to the bag. A pump for dispensing the beverage sucked from the bag to the supply unit, wherein the pump is arranged in the beverage supply pipe, and the pressure chamber is changed by one reciprocating motion of the reciprocating body. An actuator which is provided in the chamber and which is displaced against the urging force of the urging means when the negative pressure in the pressure chamber at the time of suction of the pump increases due to running out of the beverage in the bag, and which activates the running out of beverage switch. The aforementioned problem is solved by the provided beverage dispenser.

(E) Function According to the beverage supply device of the present invention, when the beverage in the bag is exhausted, the negative pressure of the pressure chamber increases when the pump is suctioned, whereby the actuator is displaced, and the beverage-out switch is operated, and the inside of the bag is activated. Out of the beverage is detected.

(F) Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a piping diagram of a beverage supply device as an embodiment, and FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 each show a pump used in the beverage supply device. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing one operation state of the first embodiment.

Reference numerals and configurations will be described with reference to FIGS.
(1) is a bag made of a flexible and easily shrinkable material such as a thin synthetic resin, which stores a beverage therein and has a beverage outlet pipe (2) at one end. The beverage outlet pipe (2) is normally sealed at the tip, so that the beverage in the bag (1) is kept airtight.

(3) is a box for storing the bag (1) storing the beverage to improve protection from external impact and operability, and partially includes the beverage outlet pipe of the bag (1). An outlet (4) for taking out (2) is formed.

(5) is a conduit for guiding the beverage in the bag (1) from the beverage outlet pipe (2) to the cup (6) placed on the beverage supply unit. A beverage supply valve (5a) is provided.

(7) is a pump disposed in the pipe (5),
If the pump motor (8), which can rotate in both forward and reverse directions, makes one rotation in a predetermined direction, the cranks (9a) and (9b) will reciprocate (10)
Is reciprocated in a pressure chamber (11) having a volume of one drink delivery amount, and a change in the volume in the pressure chamber (11) due to the reciprocation of the reciprocating body (10) causes a check valve ( 12) (1
3) sucks and discharges the beverage from the suction port (14) and the discharge port (15) provided respectively. The check valve (12)
(13) is to prevent the beverage from flowing in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow shown in FIGS.

An actuator (16) has a diaphragm (17) attached to one end (16a) of the pressure chamber (11), and the other end (16b) is normally in contact with the out-of-drink switch (18).
Although the contact of the drink out switch (18) is closed,
When the pump (7) sucks when the beverage in the bag (1) is exhausted, a large negative pressure is generated in the pressure chamber (11), and the pressure is displaced against the urging force of the spring (19). Then, the contact of the out-of-beverage switch (18) is opened.

The out-of-beverage switch (18) is electrically connected to the pump motor (8) and an out-of-beverage indicator lamp (not shown) via a relay (not shown).

In the standby state shown in FIG. 2 with the above-described configuration, the beverage is previously sucked into the pressure chamber (11) from the bag (1) through the suction port (14). 2), the reciprocating body (10) moves in the direction of arrow A from the position shown in FIG. 2 to reduce the volume in the pressure chamber (11), The beverage in the pressure chamber (11) is discharged from (15). The beverage discharged from the discharge port (15) is guided to the cup (6) via the pipe (5). At this time, the beverage supply valve (5a) is open.

When the reciprocating body (10) moves to the position shown in FIG. 3, if the beverage in the pressure chamber (11) is all discharged from the discharge port (15), the beverage supply valve (5a) closes, and The reciprocating body (10) moves in the direction of arrow B to increase the volume in the pressure chamber (11), and sucks the beverage from the bag (1) into the pressure chamber (11) through the suction port (14). Then, the process returns to the standby state shown in FIG. 2, and the supply of one beverage is completed. When the pump (7) is sucked, a negative pressure is generated in the pressure chamber (11), but the actuator (16) is not displaced and the contact of the drink out switch (18) is closed because the pressure is not large. Remains.

By repeating the above-described beverage supply operation, the number of beverages stored in the bag (1) decreases, and the bag (1) is deformed accordingly to reduce the internal volume.

When the beverage in the bag (1) is exhausted at the time of suction by the pump (7) and the internal volume of the bag (1) reaches the reduction limit,
A large negative pressure is generated in the pressure chamber (11). As a result, the actuator (16) moves in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 4 against the urging force of the spring (19), and the end (16b) of the actuator (16) is moved to the out-of-beverage switch (18).
And the contact is opened by the operating rod of (1), the pump motor (8) is stopped, and the out-of-beverage indicator lamp (not shown) is turned on.

Further, when the state of running out of the beverage shown in FIG. 4 is reached, the pump motor (8) is controlled to rotate in the reverse direction and rotate clockwise in FIG.
0) to maintain negative pressure in the pressure chamber (11) and to prevent the cranks (9a) (9b) and the pump motor (8) from being loaded, The end (16b) shown in FIG. 3 of the actuator (16) is turned by the urging force of the spring (19).
8) and return to the closed state.

In this state, the empty bag (1) is converted into a new bag (1), and the beverage supply operation is continued as described above.

The operation of the beverage dispenser as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 has been described above. The outside air does not enter the pipe (5) through which the beverage passes through all the operations, and the last one time A sufficient delivery amount can be ensured even in the delivery of a beverage.

(G) Effects of the Invention According to the beverage dispenser of the present invention, it is possible to detect the running out of the beverage in the bag without the outside air entering the pipeline through which the beverage passes, and to use the pressure of the existing pump. Because of the simple configuration of adding an actuator and an out-of-beverage switch to the room, it is possible to detect out-of-beverage, so there is no need to install a separate out-of-beverage detection device in the pipeline, greatly increasing the number of parts and the number of assembly steps. The running out of beverage can be detected without increasing the running time, and since the running out of beverage detection device is provided in the pump itself, it is possible to reliably prevent the pump from running and being damaged under a high load.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a piping diagram of a beverage dispenser as an embodiment, FIG.
FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are longitudinal sectional views showing one operation state of a pump used in the beverage supply device. (1) ... bag, (5) ... pipeline, (7) ... pump,
(8) Pump motor, (10) Reciprocating body, (11)
... pressure chamber, (14) ... suction port, (15) ... discharge port,
(16) ... Actuator, (18) ... Drink out switch, (19) ... Spring.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sealed flexible bag for storing a beverage,
A beverage supply pipe connected to the bag and guiding the beverage to a supply,
A pump that is disposed in the beverage supply pipe, changes the volume of the pressure chamber by one reciprocating motion of the reciprocating body, and discharges the beverage sucked from the bag to the supply unit; A beverage displaced against the urging force of the urging means when the negative pressure in the pressure chamber at the time of suction increases due to the running out of the beverage in the bag; Feeder.