JP4004907B2 - Beer dispenser - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a beer dispenser, and more particularly to a beer dispenser having a composite cooling means.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally known beer cooling methods in beer dispensers include an instantaneous cooling method and an air cooling method (see Patent Document 1). In the instant cooling method, the spiral cooling pipe (refrigeration cycle evaporator) of the refrigeration unit is housed in the water tank, and the beer discharge pipe connected to the beer container (beer barrel) is immersed in the water tank. Is. The beer pushed out from the beer container with the pressure of the gas cylinder is cooled while passing through the water tank, and the beer that has been cooled when drinking is discharged from the discharge tap to the outside. This method is convenient when it is necessary to rapidly cool the beer in the beer container to a temperature suitable for drinking. However, in the case of this method, since beer remains in the spiral cooling pipe, there is a problem in maintenance such as regular maintenance is required.
[0003]
In addition, the air cooling system is provided with a heat exchange member in contact with the evaporator of the refrigeration unit in the storage chamber of the beer container, the interior of the storage chamber is cooled by the heat transfer member, the beer container is air-cooled, and the beer inside is discharged The liquid is discharged from the outside. Since this method requires a considerable amount of time to cool to the temperature when drinking, this method is suitable when there is a time allowance of about half a day from the start of cooling to drinking. Maintenance is simple compared to the instant cooling system.
[0004]
In any of the above cooling methods, when the temperature of the beer in the beer container is relatively high, the carbon dioxide contained in the beer is diffused to prevent so-called unpleasant beer. Therefore, in order to prevent gas diffusion by increasing the pressure of the gas cylinder, and in the case of relatively low temperatures, the gas cylinder pressure should be set relatively low in order to prevent the tangy taste from becoming stronger. Requested from.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 1-56997 [0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The temperature of beer inside a commercially available beer container is not always constant, and is usually normal temperature, sufficiently cooled, or mixed depending on storage conditions. If it is at room temperature, if it is intended to be drunk early after it is obtained, it is necessary to use the instant cooling type beer dispenser, and conversely, there is sufficient time to drink If it is sufficiently cooled, the air cooling system can be used.
[0007]
Therefore, if an optimum beer dispenser is to be used according to the temperature of beer or the time until drinking, etc., there is the inconvenience of having to prepare each of the two methods, and there is a problem that the installation area becomes wide. It was. In addition, when only one type of system is prepared, there are conveniences such as being restricted by the temperature conditions when obtaining beer in beer containers and delaying the time for drinking.
[0008]
In addition, when the temperature of the beer is high and the pressure of the gas cylinder is low, the carbon dioxide gas of the beer is dissipated, so that it becomes a so-called dull beer, conversely, when the temperature of the beer is low and the pressure of the gas cylinder is high, Since the carbon dioxide gas in the gas cylinder is excessively dissolved in the beer, it becomes a so-called pikara beer. Therefore, adjusting the pressure of the gas cylinder according to the temperature of the beer is important for providing delicious beer, but when set to high pressure, the discharge amount from the discharge tap increases, and conversely the pressure is reduced to low pressure. When set, since the discharge amount is reduced, there is a problem that conditions for pouring into a glass or the like are not constant and it is difficult to pour.
[0009]
Therefore, the present invention can be used by switching between the instantaneous cooling method and the other method (air cooling method or non-cooling method) with one beer dispenser according to the temperature of the beer stored in the beer container. It is an object to provide a beer dispenser. Another object of the present invention is to provide a beer dispenser in which the discharge pressure is constant and easy to pour out even when the pressure of the gas cylinder is appropriately adjusted from the viewpoint of taste according to the beer temperature.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a storage room for a beer container, a gas cylinder for pressurizing the inside of the beer container stored in the storage room, a beer discharge path communicating with the beer container, and a beer discharge path. In a beer dispenser comprising a cooling chamber to be passed, a discharge tap connected to the beer discharge path, and a cooling unit for cooling the inside of the cooling chamber, a cooling discharge path passing through the cooling chamber to the discharge tap, An uncooled discharge path that reaches the discharge tap without passing through the cooling chamber can be selected alternatively.
[0011]
In the beer dispenser having the above-described configuration, when the temperature of the beer is relatively high, such as room temperature, the beer pushed out from the beer container is instantaneously cooled while passing through the cooling chamber on the way through the selected cooling discharge path. Cooled by the method and discharged from the discharge tap. Conversely, when the temperature of beer is relatively low, such as the temperature at the time of drinking, the beer is discharged from the discharge tap in an uncooled manner through the uncooled discharge path selected by the entry side switching device without any particular cooling. . By appropriately using the non-cooling method, the time for using the cooling discharge path by the instantaneous cooling method is shortened, so that the time interval for performing maintenance becomes longer, and the maintenance burden is reduced.
[0012]
In addition, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which a part of the heat transfer member exposed to the inside of the cooling chamber is exposed to the storage chamber of the beer container while maintaining watertightness, and the storage chamber is cooled. According to this structure, when beer temperature is comparatively high, it cools and discharges by an instantaneous cooling system through a cooling discharge path at the beginning of drinking. Since the storage chamber is cooled through the heat transfer member as time passes, the beer temperature in the beer container gradually decreases. That is, beer is cooled by an air cooling method. When it is detected by a suitable means that the temperature has reached the drinking temperature, the entry side switching device is switched to the non-cooling discharge path side, and beer is discharged through the path. By switching and using in this way, the time for using the cooling discharge path by the instantaneous cooling method is shortened, so that the time interval for performing maintenance becomes longer and the burden of maintenance is reduced.
[0013]
In addition, the said cooling chamber is a water tank, The structure which immersed the cooling pipe of the said cooling unit in the inside can be taken.
[0014]
In addition, a beer discharge path between the beer container and the cooling chamber is provided in the middle of the beer discharge path, and a temperature sensor for indirectly detecting the temperature of the beer in the beer container is provided, and is detected by the temperature sensor. It is possible to employ a configuration in which the entry-side switching device is operated according to temperature and beer is discharged through one of the cooling discharge path and the non-cooling discharge path. According to this configuration, the discharge path can be automatically switched according to the detection result of the temperature sensor.
[0015]
In addition, a pressure sensor for detecting the internal pressure of the beer container and a pressure adjusting device for adjusting the internal pressure of the beer container based on the detection result of the pressure sensor are provided, and from the viewpoint of beer taste based on the detection result of the pressure sensor. The structure which adjusts the internal pressure of a beer container to an appropriate pressure is employable. According to this configuration, since the amount of carbon dioxide dissolved in the beer is kept constant, the taste of beer caused by carbon dioxide is stabilized.
[0016]
Furthermore, a tap sensor for detecting the operation of the discharge tap is provided, and when the operation of the discharge tap is detected by the tap sensor, the beer is controlled by the pressure adjusting device so that the pressure becomes an appropriate constant pressure from the viewpoint of beer discharge stability. The structure which adjusts the internal pressure of a container can be taken. According to this configuration, since the internal pressure is set to an appropriate discharge pressure only when the discharge tap is operated, the discharge amount is stabilized and the work of pouring beer becomes easy.
[0017]
In addition, an outlet side switching device is provided in the beer discharge path from the cooling chamber to the discharge tap, and the end portions of the cooling discharge path and the non-cooling discharge path are connected to the outlet side switching apparatus, and the outlet side switching device and the inlet are connected. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which the discharge path is switched in conjunction with the side switching device.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The beer dispenser according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is provided with a heat-insulating storage chamber 2 in the lower half of the casing 1 and a cooling chamber 3 in the upper half. A door 4 is provided in the storage chamber 2 so that a beer container 5 (for example, a 7-liter barrel) can be taken in and out. A temperature sensor 10 (see FIG. 2) is installed on the bottom surface of the storage chamber 2. A water tank 6 as a cooling chamber is installed inside the cooling chamber 3, and a cooling unit 7 is provided outside the water tank 6. Further, the cooling unit 7 is a well-known one and includes a compressor 8, a condenser 9, a cavity tube 11 as a decompression expansion element, and a helical cooling pipe 12 as an evaporator, as shown in FIG. A circulation path 13 (see FIG. 4) is formed, and a refrigerant is enclosed therein. The cooling pipe 12 is stored in the water tank 6. A discharge tap 14 is attached to the front surface of the cooling chamber 3.
[0019]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a beer discharge path is provided between the dispensing head 15 mounted on the beer container 5 and the discharge tap 14, and the path is as follows.
[0020]
That is, the beer hose 16 connected to the dispensing head 15 is connected to the inlet side port 18 (see FIG. 5) of the inlet side switching device 17 formed of an electromagnetic valve or the like provided inside the storage chamber 2. In addition, a pair of outlet ports 19 and 19 ′ of the inlet side switching device 17 are connected to a beer pipe serving as a cooling discharge path 21 and a beer pipe forming a non-cooling discharge path 21 ′. The cooling discharge path 21 is spirally wound inside the cooling pipe 12 inside the water tank 6, and its outlet end is an outlet side switching device comprising an electromagnetic valve or the like attached inside the cooling chamber 3. 22 is connected to one of the incoming ports 23. The non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ is connected to the other inlet side port 23 ′ of the outlet side switching device 22 without passing through the cooling means. One end of the beer hose 16 ′ is connected to the outlet port 24 of the outlet switching device 22, and the other end is connected to the discharge tap 14.
[0021]
The entrance-side switching device 17 and the exit-side switching device 22 are each connected to a CPU 25 (see FIG. 5). In the CPU 25, the beer temperature detected by the temperature sensor 10 is equal to or higher than a certain value (for example, drinking temperature). In some cases, the switching devices 17 and 22 are interlocked so as to be switched to the cooling discharge path 21 side. On the contrary, when the temperature is lower than the temperature, it is interlocked so as to switch to the non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ side.
[0022]
Further, a heat transfer member 26 (so-called heat sink) made of aluminum is provided on the bottom surface of the water tank 6 so as to maintain water tightness, and a large number of fins 27 of the heat transfer member 26 are provided in the storage chamber 2 and the cooling chamber 3. The partition wall is penetrated while maintaining watertightness and faces the inside of the storage chamber 2.
[0023]
A carbon dioxide gas cylinder 28 is installed outside the casing 1, a gas pressure supply hose 29 is connected between the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 28 and the dispensing head 15, and a pressure adjusting device 31 (FIG. 2) is placed in the middle of the gas pressure supply hose 29. , See FIG. 5). The pressure adjusting device 31 is attached inside the storage chamber 2.
[0024]
The pressure adjusting device 31 includes a three-way valve 32 and a pressure sensor 33 as shown in FIG. The pressure sensor 33 detects the supply pressure from the carbon dioxide cylinder 28, that is, the internal pressure of the beer container 5, and causes the CPU 25 to input a detection signal. The three-way valve 32 has an inlet port 34, an outlet port 35, a neutral port 36, and an exhaust port 37. The illustrated state in which the inlet port 34 and the outlet port 35 communicate with each other is a pressurized state. A state where the exhaust port 37 and the outlet port 35 communicate with each other by rotating 90 ° to the left is a reduced pressure state. The three-way valve 32 is controlled by a signal from the CPU 25.
[0025]
Further, the discharge tap 14 is provided with a tap sensor 38 in the vicinity of the handle, and when the discharge tap 14 is operated, the tap sensor 38 is operated and an operation signal is input to the CPU 25.
[0026]
1 and 3, reference numeral 41 denotes an air stirring fan in the storage chamber 2, and 42 denotes a water stirring fan in the water tank 6.
[0027]
The first embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described next. The dispense head 15 is attached to the beer container 5 filled with beer, and after connecting the beer hose 16 and the gas pressure supply hose 29, the beer container 5 is stored in the storage chamber 2, and the cooling unit 7 is operated to cool it. To start. At this time, the temperature sensor 10 contacts the bottom surface of the beer container 5 and automatically detects the temperature of the beer container 5 substantially equal to the temperature of the beer. When the temperature of the beer is equal to or higher than a predetermined value programmed in advance (for example, drinking temperature) in the CPU 25 that has captured the detection signal, the inlet side switching device 17 and the outlet side switching device 22 are operated to cool the beer. Simultaneously switching to the discharge path 21 side, preparation for cooling by the instantaneous cooling method is performed.
[0028]
On the other hand, when the detection signal of the pressure sensor 33 is input to the CPU 25, the CPU 25 suppresses this when the internal pressure of the beer container 5 is greater than or less than a predetermined value programmed in advance from the viewpoint of beer taste. The three-way valve 32 is controlled to reduce or increase pressure, and the internal pressure is maintained at a constant value. Thereby, the quantity of the carbon dioxide gas contained in beer becomes an appropriate value, and beer with good taste can be provided.
[0029]
After completing the preparation as described above, when the discharge tap 14 is operated to open the discharge port, the instantaneous cooling system while the beer in the beer container 5 passes through the cooling discharge path 21 in the cooled water tank 6. The beer is cooled by the above-mentioned temperature, and becomes a beer having a temperature suitable for drinking. When the pressure in the beer container 5 decreases due to the discharge of beer, the pressure sensor 33 detects this, and the CPU 25 controls and pressurizes the three-way valve 32 to always keep the internal pressure constant.
[0030]
In this way, when the cooling by the instantaneous cooling method is continued for a certain time, the heat in the storage chamber 2 is taken away through the heat transfer member 26, and the beer container 5 and the beer inside thereof are air-cooled. If it becomes clear from the detection result of the temperature sensor 10 that the temperature of the beer has decreased to a certain value or less, the CPU 25 switches the beer discharge path to the non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ by linking both the switching devices 17 and 22. This non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ is merely piped in the cooling chamber 3, and no positive cooling means is applied. Therefore, the beer is cooled by the air cooling method performed through the heat transfer member 26.
[0031]
In some cases, the heat transfer member 26 may not be used. In this case, the water tank 6 is formed of a bottomed container, and the cooling chamber 3 and the storage chamber 2 are blocked by a wall surface. Such a configuration is employed when the temperature of the beer is previously cooled to a temperature suitable for drinking by appropriate means, and it is normal that the beer dispenser does not need to be actively cooled. In the case of this configuration, when the beer in the beer container 5 is initially discharged through the non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ and discharged in an uncooled manner, and the temperature of the beer rises to a certain level or more over time, the switching device 17 , 22 are switched to the cooling discharge path 21 side and discharged.
[0032]
In any case, there is a time zone in which beer is supplied via the non-cooling discharge path 21 'during the working hours of the day. In other words, there is a time zone in which the cooling discharge path 21 including the spiral portion is not used. For this reason, the maintenance interval of the cooling discharge path 21 becomes longer, and the maintenance burden can be reduced.
[0033]
Further, when the tap sensor 38 detects that the discharge tap 14 has been operated and the detection signal is taken into the CPU 25, the CPU 25 controls the three-way valve 32 so that the discharge pressure when discharging from the discharge tap 14 is increased. Controlled to be appropriate. The discharge pressure in this case is set exclusively to maintain the discharge amount constant, and is usually different from the appropriate internal pressure of the beer container 5. Accordingly, the discharge pressure is temporarily set only when the discharge tap is operated, and otherwise, the normal state, that is, the internal pressure of the beer container 5 is set to a proper pressure.
[0034]
In the first embodiment described above, the entry-side switching device 17 and the exit-side switching device 22 are provided and both are operated by a signal from the CPU 25 to switch between the cooling discharge path 21 and the non-cooling discharge path 21 ′. However, instead of such a structure, as in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ and the cooling discharge path 21 are manually operated by the user with respect to the dispense head 15. A configuration for performing replacement may be employed. That is, since the temperature of the beer container 5 is known to some extent depending on the tactile sensation and other conditions, the user can connect the non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ without using the temperature sensor 10, while removing the cooling discharge path 21 in a cooling system. Whether cooling is performed (in the case of FIG. 6) or conversely, the cooling discharge path 21 is connected, while the non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ is removed and cooling is performed by the air cooling method. It will be replaced.
[0035]
In this way, the entry side switching device 17 is not required, and the exit side switching device 22 is also not required to switch, so that the device can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. The “entrance side switching device” referred to in the “claims” includes a case where the non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ and the cooling discharge path 21 are manually replaced with respect to the dispensing head 15 by the user.
[0036]
Next, in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the outlet side switching device 22 is abolished, and the discharge tap 14a connected to the cooling discharge path 21 and the non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ are connected. Two types of discharge taps 14b are provided. In this case, a lamp for determining whether the cooling discharge path 21 or the non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ is selected in the entry side switching device 17 is attached to each tap 14a, 14b, and the user discharges according to the lamp display. It discharges using the tap 14a or 14b.
[0037]
Next, in the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 8, as in the case of the second embodiment (see FIG. 6), the entry side switching device 17 and the temperature sensor 10 are omitted, and the dispensing head 15 is The non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ and the cooling discharge path 21 are replaced by the user's manual work. Similarly to the case of the third embodiment (see FIG. 7), the outlet side switching device 22 is abolished, and the discharge tap 14a connected to the cooling discharge path 21 and the non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ are connected. There are provided two types of discharge taps 14b. In this case, as in the case of the second embodiment, the temperature of the beer container 5 is known to some extent by the tactile sensation and other conditions, so that the user connects the non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ to the dispense head 15. The cooling discharge path 21 is removed to cool by the cooling method, or conversely, the cooling discharge path 21 is connected, while the non-cooling discharge path 21 ′ is removed to cool by the air cooling method. On the discharge side, beer is discharged using one discharge tap 14a in the case of the cooling method and using the other discharge tap 14b in the case of the air cooling method.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the present invention is provided with a combination of an instantaneous cooling method for allowing beer from a beer container to pass through a cooling discharge path and a non-cooling method for passing a non-cooling discharge path without applying a cooling means. By appropriately switching between these two methods according to the temperature of the beer in the beer container, it is possible to quickly provide beer that has been chilled at the time of drinking. In addition, since the above two methods can be realized with a single beer dispenser, it is possible to reduce the size and the installation area can be minimized.
[0039]
Further, by properly using the above two methods, the maintenance interval of the cooling discharge path becomes longer, and the maintenance burden can be reduced.
[0040]
In addition, instead of the above-described non-cooling method, the time for using the instantaneous cooling method is further reduced by adopting an air cooling method in which the storage chamber of the beer container is cooled from the cooling chamber through the heat transfer member. The burden of maintenance on the discharge path is further reduced.
[0041]
Furthermore, by controlling the pressure in the beer container, the dissolved rate of carbon dioxide gas can be set to an appropriate value for taste, so that a beer with good taste can be provided, and the discharge amount is limited only when the discharge tap is operated. By setting the pressure to be appropriate, beer pouring work becomes easy.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal side view of the same. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal front view of the same. FIG. 4 is a transverse plan view of the same. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the fourth embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Casing 2 Storage room 3 Cooling room 4 Door 5 Beer container 6 Water tank 7 Cooling unit 8 Compressor 9 Condenser 10 Temperature sensor 11 Cavity tube 12 Cooling pipe 13 Circulation path 14, 14a, 14b Discharge tap 15 Dispense head 16, 16 'beer hose 17 entry side switching device 18 entry side ports 19, 19' exit side port 21 cooling discharge route 21 'non-cooling discharge route 22 exit side switching device 23 entry side port 23' entry side port 24 exit side port 25 CPU
26 Heat transfer member 27 Fin 28 Gas cylinder 29 Gas pressure supply hose 31 Pressure adjusting device 32 Three-way valve 33 Pressure sensor 34 Inlet port 35 Outlet port 36 Neutral port 37 Exhaust port 38 Tap sensor 41 Air agitating fan 42 Water agitating fan

Claims (5)

A beer container storage chamber, a gas cylinder that pressurizes the inside of the beer container stored in the storage chamber, a beer discharge path communicating with the beer container, a water tank that passes the beer discharge path, and the beer discharge path connected to the beer container dispensing tap, and the beer dispenser comprising a cooling unit for cooling the interior of the water tank, a cooling discharge path leading to the dispensing tap to pass through the water tank, uncooled reaching the dispensing tap without passing through the water tank A discharge path can be selected selectively, and a part of the heat sink exposed inside the water tank is kept watertight to face the storage room of the beer container, and the inside of the storage room is cooled. Beer dispenser characterized by. Provided in the middle of the beer discharge path from the beer container to the water tank is a switching device on the side, and a temperature sensor for indirectly detecting the temperature of the beer in the beer container, and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor The beer dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the beer dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the beer dispenser is operated by operating the entry side switching device in response to one of the cooling discharge path and the non-cooling discharge path. A pressure sensor that detects the internal pressure of the beer container, and a pressure adjusting device that adjusts the internal pressure of the beer container based on the detection result of the pressure sensor, and the beer container from the viewpoint of beer taste based on the detection result of the pressure sensor The beer dispenser according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the internal pressure of the beer is adjusted to an appropriate pressure. When a tap sensor for detecting the operation of the discharge tap is provided, and when the operation of the discharge tap is detected by the tap sensor, the pressure adjusting device adjusts the beer container so that the pressure becomes an appropriate constant pressure from the viewpoint of beer discharge stability. The beer dispenser according to claim 3 , wherein the internal pressure is adjusted. An outlet side switching device is provided in the beer discharge path from the water tank to the discharge tap, and the end portions of the cooling discharge path and the non-cooling discharge path are connected to the outlet side switching apparatus and the inlet side switching. The beer dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the discharge route is switched in conjunction with the apparatus.

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