JP3710687B2 - Beverage dispenser top panel - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a top panel of a beverage dispenser, and more specifically, the supply of liquid and beverage to a liquid tank and a liquid storage tank disposed inside the housing is disposed at the top of the housing. The present invention relates to a top panel of a beverage dispenser configured to be performed without removing the top panel.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a beverage dispenser that dispenses beverages such as coffee and juice, a water tank in which cooling water is stored is disposed inside a housing that opens upward, and a required amount of beverage is placed in the water tank. The liquid storage tank to be stored is stored in a state where a part thereof is immersed in the cooling water. Further, the evaporation pipe led out from the refrigeration apparatus is arranged in a wound state surrounding the liquid storage tank. Then, the cooling water is frozen around the evaporation pipe by the cooling operation of the refrigeration apparatus, and the beverage in the liquid storage tank is indirectly cooled through the cooling water cooled by the obtained ice block. Further, the liquid storage tank is connected to a dispensing cock, and by opening the cock, the beverage in the tank is dispensed through the dispensing cock.
[0003]
A top panel that covers the upper opening of the housing is detachably screwed to the top of the housing, and when the cooling water is supplied to the water tank, the top panel is removed from the housing. The water is supplied from the upper opening of the water tank.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, since the top panel is screwed to the upper part of the casing, when supplying the cooling water, the screw for fixing the top panel to the casing is loosened with a tool, and the tool is again used after the supply is completed. It required a complicated and time-consuming work of fixing the top panel by tightening the screws using the screw. In addition, when the top panel is removed, the upper openings of the water tank and the storage tank are both opened, so that when cooling water and beverage are supplied, the spilled cooling water enters the liquid storage tank or the drink enters the water tank. There was a risk of entering.
[0005]
An apparatus is proposed in which a water supply pipe connected to an external water source is connected to the water tank via an electromagnetic valve, and cooling water is automatically supplied to the water tank by opening / closing control of the electromagnetic valve. In the case of an ice-type beverage dispenser, since water is supplied to the water tank once, it is pointed out that it is uneconomical and costly to provide an expensive solenoid valve.
[0006]
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-described problems inherent in the prior art described above, and has been proposed to suitably solve this problem, and can easily supply liquid and beverages to a liquid tank and a liquid storage tank. It is an object of the present invention to provide a top panel of a beverage dispenser configured to be able to perform.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems and to suitably achieve the intended object, the top panel of the beverage dispenser according to the present invention comprises:
A liquid tank for storing heat exchange liquid is disposed inside the casing that opens upward, and a liquid storage tank for storing beverage is stored in the liquid tank in a state of being immersed in the liquid. In a beverage dispenser in which a top panel is disposed at the top of the housing so as to cover the upper opening of the body,
A beverage opening formed on the top panel and corresponding to an upper opening of the liquid storage tank;
An outer recess formed on the outer periphery of the beverage opening in the top panel and recessed from the opening;
A liquid supply port provided in the outer recess and communicating with the liquid tank;
The liquid supply port rises at a predetermined height from the inner bottom surface of the outer recess.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, the top panel of the beverage dispenser according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings by giving a preferred embodiment. In addition, an Example demonstrates in the case of the drink dispenser which pours cold drinks, such as ice coffee and juice.
[0009]
FIG. 1 shows an arrangement portion of a top panel according to the embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows an overall structure of a beverage dispenser. In the illustrated beverage dispenser 14, a water tank (liquid tank) 18 having a heat insulating structure is disposed inside a housing 16 that opens upward, and a predetermined amount of beverage is internally defined in the water tank 18. A liquid storage tank 20 stored in the storage section 20a is stored at a predetermined distance from the inner surface of the water tank 18. In the storage space 18a defined by the inner surface of the water tank 18 and the outer surface of the liquid storage tank 20, tap water as cooling water (liquid for heat exchange) passes through a water supply port 74 of the top panel 64 described later. Supplied and stored in a substantially full state. In the storage space 18 a, an evaporation pipe 24 led out from the refrigeration apparatus 22 disposed in the housing 16 is disposed in a winding state surrounding the liquid storage tank 20, and the storage space 18 a is cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration apparatus 22. The cooling water stored in the tank is configured to freeze around the evaporation pipe 24. Both the water tank 18 and the liquid storage tank 20 are opened upward, and cooling water and beverages are supplied through the upper openings 18b and 20b.
[0010]
A circulation pump 26 communicating with the storage space 18 a of the water tank 18 is disposed inside the casing 16, and the thickness of ice blocks that freeze on the evaporation pipe 24 by circulating the cooling water by the pump 26. And the liquid storage tank 20 is cooled by the cooling water to indirectly cool the beverage in the storage portion 20a.
[0011]
Note that a condenser 28 and a fan motor 30 constituting the refrigeration apparatus 22 are arranged in a vertical relationship on the rear side inside the casing 16, and a compressor 32 of the refrigeration apparatus 22 is placed. A suction port (not shown) is formed in the bottom plate 34 of the housing 16 at a position below the fan motor 30. The condenser 28 is air-cooled with the external air sucked from the suction port by the rotation of the fan motor 30, and the air after heat exchange is discharged from the outlet 64 a (described later) of the top panel 64.
[0012]
A pouring pipe 40 connected to a pouring cock 38 detachably disposed on a front panel 50 (described later) via a nut 36 is connected to the bottom of the liquid storage tank 20. The beverage stored in the tank 20 is dispensed through the dispensing cock 38. Also, a receiving tray 42 is detachably disposed below the pouring cock 38 so as to be able to receive a beverage dripping from the pouring cock 38.
[0013]
A drain hose 46 for discharging cooling water overflowed from the water tank 18 is provided at a position below the water tank 18 in the housing 16 so as to communicate with the tray 42 so that overflow water can be discharged to the tray 42. Composed. A small-diameter drainage hose 48 branched from the suction port of the circulation pump 26 is attached to the inside of the housing of the tray 42 so as to be able to be drawn out. Then, the cooling water in the water tank can be extracted in a state where the receiving tray 42 is removed from the housing 16 and the drainage hose 48 attached to the receiving tray 42 is pulled out.
[0014]
A front panel 50 is detachably disposed at a front portion of the housing 16, and the pouring cock 38 is disposed in a state of extending forward from the front panel 50. The front panel 50 is screwed to the mounting plate 52, the bottom plate 34, and the water tank 18 provided in the housing 16. The front panel 50a of the front panel 50 above the dispensing cock 38 has a control board 54 for controlling the operation of various devices of the beverage dispenser 14 inside, and a beverage liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 20. A display substrate 58 having an electrical component 56 such as a lamp for displaying the quantity is disposed. Although not shown, the front surface 50a is provided with an operation unit for setting operation conditions and the like of the beverage dispenser 14 and a display unit for displaying the operation status at positions corresponding to the control substrate 54 and the display substrate 58. A protrusion 62 that protrudes upward at a predetermined height is formed on the upper end of the front panel 50 over substantially the entire length of the front panel 50 in the width direction.
[0015]
A top panel 64 is detachably disposed on the top of the housing 16, and the top opening 64 a of the housing 16 is covered by the top panel 64. As shown in FIG. 3, the top panel 64 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that can cover the upper opening 16 a of the housing 16, and communicates with the tank 20 at a position corresponding to the upper opening 20 b of the liquid storage tank 20. A beverage opening 76 is formed, and the beverage can be supplied to the liquid storage tank 20 through the opening 76. Further, a fitting groove 64b that opens downward along the opening 76 is formed on the outer lower surface of the beverage opening 76, and the upper end of the liquid storage tank 20 is fitted into the fitting groove 64b. The liquid storage tank 20 is positioned with respect to the top panel 64.
[0016]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the top panel 64 is formed with an outer recess 78 that is recessed at a predetermined depth from the upper end of the opening 76 on the outer periphery of the beverage opening 76. A cylindrical water supply port (liquid supply port) 74 communicating with the water tank 18 is provided at a position corresponding to the upper opening 18 b of the water tank 18 in the outer recessed portion 78, and the water tank 18 is provided via the water supply port 74. It is configured to supply cooling water (tap water). The water supply port 74 includes an upper cylindrical portion 74a that rises at a predetermined height above the inner bottom surface of the outer concave portion 78, and a lower cylindrical portion 74b that hangs down at a predetermined length below the panel, as shown in FIG. A cap 80 that closes the water supply port 74 is detachably attached to the upper cylindrical portion 74a. The cap 80 includes a head 80a having an outer diameter that can cover the upper cylindrical portion 74a, and an insertion portion 80b that is set to a size that can be inserted into the upper cylindrical portion 74a and hangs down from the lower surface of the head 80a. Thus, the cap 80 is attached to the water supply port 74 by inserting the insertion portion 80b into the upper cylindrical portion 74a until the lower surface of the head portion 80a contacts the upper end of the upper cylindrical portion 74a. In addition, an engagement groove 80c is formed on the upper outer periphery of the insertion portion 80b of the cap 80, and an engagement protrusion 74c that can be engaged with and disengaged from the engagement groove 80c is formed on the inner peripheral upper end of the upper tube portion 74a. The cap 80 is set so that it cannot be easily removed by the engagement between the engagement groove 80c and the engagement protrusion 74c. However, the engagement force between the engagement groove 80c and the engagement protrusion 74c is such that the operator can remove the cap 80 manually.
[0017]
A groove 66 that can be fitted to the protrusion 62 of the front panel 50 from above is formed on the lower surface of the front end portion of the top panel 64, and the top panel 64 has the groove 66 above the protrusion 62 of the front panel 50. Is disposed on the upper portion of the housing 16 in a state of being fitted. Further, fulcrum pins 81, 81 projecting inwardly are provided in the vicinity of the rear end portions of both inner side surfaces spaced apart in the width direction in the outer concave portion 78, and a lid 72 described later is provided on the fulcrum pin 81. , 81 are rotatably supported. In addition, an insertion recess 78a in which a front wall that defines the outer recess 78 is recessed forward is formed in the front portion of the outer recess 78, and when the lid 72 disposed on the top panel 64 is opened. The finger can be inserted from the insertion recess 78a.
[0018]
A lid 72 that covers the beverage opening 76 and the water supply port 74 from above is disposed in the outer recess 78 of the top panel 64 so as to be openable and detachable. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the lid 72 has a substantially rectangular outer shape that can be accommodated in the outer recessed portion 78, and is formed in a box shape that opens downward, and in the vicinity of the rear part on both sides in the width direction, The pivot recesses 72a, 72a that can be fitted to the 64 fulcrum pins 81, 81 are provided so as to open downward. The lid 72 is disposed so as to be rotatable with respect to the outer recess 78 with the pins 81 and 81 as fulcrums in a state where the pivot recesses 72a and 72a are fitted to the fulcrum pins 81 and 81 from above. The As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of air outlets 64a are formed at positions corresponding to the condenser 28 in the top panel 64, and the air heat-exchanged by the condenser 28 is discharged to the upper part through the air outlets 64a. I have to do it.
[0019]
On the front wall of the lid 72, a recess 72b that is recessed rearward (inward) is formed at a position corresponding to the insertion recess 78a of the top panel 64, whereby the lid 72 is located above the recess 72b. The handle 72c is formed by a top plate. That is, with the lid 72 covering the beverage opening 76 and the water supply port 74 from above, the operator inserts a finger from the insertion recess 78a of the top panel 64 and the handle 72c of the lid 72 The lid 72 can be pivoted upward about the fulcrum pins 81, 81 to be opened. In addition, an annular groove 72d is formed in the top plate at a position corresponding to the beverage opening 76 of the lid 72, so that a finger can be used to remove and attach the lid 72 inside the groove 72d. A convex portion 72e for gripping is formed. The lid 72 is simply fitted to the top panel 64 so that the pivot pins 81, 81 and the pivot recesses 72a, 72a are pivotably fitted without using a tool or the like. Can be removed and installed.
[0020]
[Effect of the embodiment]
Next, the operation of the front panel of the beverage dispenser according to the above-described embodiment will be described. In the beverage dispenser 14, the lid 72 disposed on the top panel 64 is pivotally opened with the pivot pins 81, 81 as fulcrums, or the lid 72 itself is removed from the top panel 64, The beverage opening 76 is opened and the water supply port 74 is exposed. Since the cap 80 is attached to the water supply port 74, cooling water (tap water) is supplied to the water tank 18 through the water supply port 74 with the cap 80 removed and opened. At this time, even if the cooling water is reduced to zero, the cooling water is received by the outer recessed portion 78 and does not overflow to the outside, and the surface of the housing 16 or the front panel 50 or the installation floor surface of the beverage dispenser 14 etc. Never get wet. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the beverage opening 76 is located above the inner bottom surface of the outer recess 78 by a predetermined height, so that spilled cooling water passes through the opening 76 and the liquid storage tank. Intrusion into 20 can also be prevented.
[0021]
After supplying the cooling water to the water tank 18, a cap 80 is attached to the water supply port 74, and the lid 72 is rotated and closed, or attached to the top panel 64 and attached to the beverage opening. The portion 76 and the water supply port 74 are covered from above. In this state, when the cooling operation of the refrigeration apparatus 22 is started, the refrigerant is circulated and supplied to the evaporation pipe 24. By circulating and supplying this refrigerant, the evaporation pipe 24 is gradually cooled, and a part of the cooling water stored in the storage space 18 a of the water tank 18 starts to freeze from the surface of the evaporation pipe 24. The ice growing on the surface of the evaporation pipe 24 is connected to each other to form a cylindrical ice block, and the latent heat causes the cooling water stored in the water tank 18 to be cooled over time. Further, when the circulation pump 26 is operated at a predetermined timing from the start of the operation of the refrigeration apparatus 22, the cooling water stored in the storage space 18a circulates around the ice block and is efficiently cooled.
[0022]
Next, the lid 72 is pivotally opened or removed from the top panel 64 to open the beverage opening 76, and the beverage is supplied from the opening 76 to the liquid storage tank 20. Then, after the beverage has been supplied to the liquid storage tank 20, the lid 72 is rotated and closed, or attached to the top panel 64 to cover the beverage opening 76 from above. Even when the beverage is supplied, the spilled beverage is received by the outer recess 78 and does not overflow to the outside. Further, since the water supply port 74 rises from the inner bottom surface of the outer recess 78 by a predetermined height and is closed by the cap 80, the spilled beverage enters the water tank 18 through the water supply port 74. There is nothing.
[0023]
The beverage stored in the liquid storage tank 20 is efficiently cooled by circulation of the cooling water, and the beverage is dispensed from the cock 38 by opening the dispensing cock 38.
[0024]
As described above, it is not necessary to remove the top panel 64 from the housing 16 when supplying cooling water (tap water) and beverage to the water tank 18 and the liquid storage tank 20. In addition, the lid 72 covering the beverage opening 76 and the water supply port 74 provided on the top panel 64 can be opened or removed without using a tool, so that the operation can be easily performed in a short time. In addition, the beverage opening 76 and the water supply port 74 are covered with the lid 72 during normal use, so that dust or the like does not enter the water tank 18 or the liquid storage tank 20 and is good in design.
[0025]
In addition, although the Example demonstrated and demonstrated the dispenser of the structure which cools the drink stored in the liquid storage tank as an example, a drink is indirectly in the hot water obtained by heating the water stored in the water tank with a heater etc. The top panel of the present application can also be adopted as a dispenser for heating.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the top panel of the beverage dispenser according to the present invention, the liquid and beverage can be supplied to the liquid tank and the storage tank without removing the top panel from the housing, and the supply work can be performed in a short time. You can do it easily. In addition, a liquid supply port connected to the liquid tank is set up at a predetermined height in an outer recess formed on the outer periphery of the beverage opening and recessed from the opening. It is mutually prevented that the drink enters the liquid tank. Moreover, since the spilled liquid or beverage is received by the outer recess and does not overflow to the outside, it is possible to prevent the outside from getting wet.
[0027]
Since the beverage opening and the liquid supply port are covered with a lid, dust or the like does not enter the liquid tank or the liquid storage tank, and the liquid or beverage can be easily supplied simply by opening the lid. You can do it. In addition, since the liquid supply port is closed with a cap, the beverage is reliably prevented from entering the liquid tank when the beverage is supplied.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a beverage dispenser employing a top panel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an entire beverage dispenser according to an embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a top panel according to an embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a lid according to an embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a cap is removed from a water supply port according to the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
16 housing, 16a upper opening, 18 water tank (liquid tank), 20 liquid storage tank 20b upper opening, 64 top panel, 72 lid, 74 water supply port (liquid supply port)
76 Beverage opening, 78 outer recess, 80 cap

Claims (3)

The liquid tank (18) for storing the liquid for heat exchange is disposed inside the casing (16) opening upward, and the liquid storage tank (20) for storing the beverage is immersed in the liquid. In the beverage dispenser in which the top panel (64) is disposed on the upper portion of the casing (16) so as to cover the upper opening (16a) of the casing (16).
A beverage opening (76) formed in the top panel (64) and corresponding to the upper opening (20b) of the liquid storage tank (20);
An outer recess (78) formed on the outer periphery of the beverage opening (76) in the top panel (64) and recessed from the opening (76);
The outer recess (78) is provided with a liquid supply port (74) communicating with the liquid tank (18),
The beverage dispenser top panel, wherein the liquid supply port (74) rises from the inner bottom surface of the outer recess (78) at a predetermined height. The top of the beverage dispenser according to claim 1, wherein a lid (72) covering the beverage opening (76) and the liquid supply port (74) is disposed on the top panel (64) so as to be openable and detachable. panel. The top panel of a beverage dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a cap (80) for closing the opening (74) is detachably attached to the liquid supply opening (74).

Images