JP4388393B2 - Cooling device for food and drink - Google Patents

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a food and beverage cooling apparatus, and more particularly to a food and beverage cooling apparatus that supplies food and drink such as soups and fruit drinks in a fixed amount.

  An example of a cooler that cools a liquid is described in Patent Document 1. The cooler includes: “a container filled with liquid, a covering member that covers a part of the container, and a cooling unit that is provided on the inner wall surface side of the covering member and takes heat from the liquid through the container, The cooling means is a cooling unit including an electronic cooling element body, which has an advantage that, for example, a small, lightweight and inexpensive cooler can be provided.

  However, this cooler is suitable for cooling beer filled in a beer barrel as an example of a tank, but is not suitable for supplying soups and fruit drinks in a certain amount. In general, a food and beverage supply apparatus that supplies soups and fruit drinks in a certain amount is generally used to add food to a hopper having an opening at both ends or two or more openings, and supply a certain amount to a general consumer. Because there is.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 2 has been proposed by the present inventor. The sub-device for the soup with ingredients includes (a) a hopper for storing the soup with ingredients, and (b) an outer wall surface side of the hopper. Heating means disposed with a gap in the hopper cover so that the soup in the hopper can be heated, and (c) the hopper so that the soup in the hopper can be stirred. A stirring means provided in the lower cylindrical inner valve; and (d) a metering cylinder disposed below the cylindrical inner valve so as to communicate with the lower end opening of the hopper, and a tool that has entered the metering cylinder There has been disclosed a technique comprising a plunger type pump each provided with an extrusion bar for supplying a certain amount of soup into the soup, and (e) a plunger type pump and a machine body for setting each of the parts at appropriate locations.

  However, although the said subdivision apparatus can heat soup with ingredients in a hopper so that it may not burn, it cannot cool.

Therefore, while applying the basic configuration of Patent Document 2, currently cooling foods such as soups and fruit drinks in a hopper instead of a tank and cooling them, it is possible to supply a certain amount at a time. The emergence of devices is desired.
JP 2003-322450 A Japanese Patent No. 3267964

  The first object of the present invention is to propose a food and drink cooling apparatus that can cool food by putting foods such as soups and fruit drinks in a hopper, not in a tank, and supplying a constant amount. The second purpose is that the cooling unit immediately comes into surface contact with the outer wall surface of the hopper when the hopper is set in the pump of the cooling device. The third purpose is that the cooling efficiency of the cooling means is good. A fourth object is to provide a plurality of drive sources in the airframe and to prevent the wiring for these drive sources from being routed as much as possible in the box of the airframe. The fourth purpose is that a plurality of cooling units are provided in the circumferential direction of the hopper, and when the opening / closing frame of the annular support pivoted to the fuselage is closed, the remaining outer wall surface of the hopper set in the pump is also cooled. The unit is additionally in surface contact. As another additional object, the fifth object is that the stirring means can be easily set on the hopper via the lid. The sixth purpose is that the hopper itself exhibits a heat insulating effect. The seventh object is that the pump has an effect of excellent sealing performance and that the combination is simple.

The food and drink cooling device according to the present invention includes a pump body and a drive source that supply a predetermined amount of food to be eaten, a hopper that is detachably set to the pump, and a part or all of the periphery of the hopper. A cooling plate that is in direct surface contact with the cooling plate and an electronic cooling element body integrated with the cooling plate, and includes a cooling unit that cools by taking heat from the food in the hopper through the hopper, and is provided in the airframe. An annular support and a power supply board provided on the annular support or the airframe and supplying power to the cooling unit via wiring, the annular support being a frame fixed to the airframe. And a plurality of cooling units arranged in the inner space of these frames with a required interval in the circumferential direction. Is also the support of the annular opening of the heat release is formed, further, the hopper and the pump, be wrapped flange of the lower end of the hopper and the flange portion of the projecting connecting portion of the pump, respectively It is connected detachably through a ring-type clamp that can be made . In this configuration, an upper storage box containing a stirring drive source is pivotally mounted on the front side of the upper end of the control box of the fuselage, while a hopper lid is freely set at the opening of the hopper. The hopper lid is provided with a rotary fitting member that is fitted to the output shaft of the stirring drive source, and a rotary shaft that is suspended from the fitting member and has a plurality of stirring blades. When the upper storage box is closed after putting food to eat inside, the protruding end portion of the output shaft of the stirring drive source is fitted into the fitting member of the lid. Further, at least the long cylindrical portion of the hopper has a three-layer structure having a heat insulating function, and includes an inner stainless steel layer, an outer heat insulating layer, and a cooling promotion layer interposed between the outer heat insulating layer and the inner stainless steel layer. It is characterized by comprising.

(1) It is possible to propose a food and beverage cooling device that can cool food by putting foods such as soups and fruit drinks in a hopper and supplying a constant amount.
(2) When the hopper is set in the pump of the cooling device, the cooling unit immediately comes into surface contact with the outer wall surface of the hopper.
(3) The cooling efficiency of the cooling unit is good. In addition, the cooling unit can be easily attached.
(4) Since the power supply substrate is provided, it is possible to prevent the wiring for the drive source from being routed as much as possible in the box of the machine body. Therefore, the space in the box can be used effectively.
(5) At the embodiment level, when the open / close frame of the annular support pivoted to the airframe is closed, the cooling unit additionally comes into surface contact with the remaining outer wall surface of the hopper set in the pump of the airframe. Therefore, the cooling efficiency is further increased.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 11 will be described.

(1) Environment for Implementing the Invention FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the environment for implementing the invention. In FIG. 1, X is a food and drink cooling device. 1 is a machine body, 2 is a plunger type pump attached to the machine body 2, 3 is a hopper that is detachably set to this pump through a connecting means 4, and 5 is a surface contact with part or all of the periphery of the hopper 3 And a cooling unit 6 for removing heat from the food in the hopper via the hopper 3 and cooling it, and 6 is provided with a cooling unit 5 in a fixed or detachable manner and an annular support provided in the body 1 A body 7 is a power supply board which is provided on the support 6 or the machine body 1 and supplies power to the cooling unit 5 through wiring. In addition, the drinking and cooling apparatus X includes the following members that can be specific requirements depending on the purpose of the invention.

  In other words, a hopper lid 10 is freely set in the upper opening of the hopper 3, and is electrically connected to the power board 7 via the wiring, and is connected to the upper part of the body 1. An agitating drive source 11 and a rotating shaft 14 having an agitating blade 13 for agitating the food to be eaten in the hopper 3 are provided, which can be fitted and connected to the output shaft 12 of the agitating source in a vertical state. It has been. Hereinafter, specific requirements of the present invention will be sequentially described, but detailed matters will be omitted from the drawings and the description thereof.

(2) Airframe 1 of cooling device X
The airframe 1 of the cooling device X will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. 1a is a lower support base, 1b is a vertical control box integrally provided above the lower support base 1a, and 1c is integrally provided above the lower support base 1a so as to intersect the vertical control box 1b. One or a plurality of operation boxes 1d is an upper storage box pivotally attached to the front side of the upper end of the vertical control box 1b. Since each box part of the airframe 1 can be arbitrarily changed in design, it is not limited to the form of the airframe 1 illustrated.

Thus, the inside space of the control box 1 b, the control panel 16 having a power supply board 7 therein is provided as appropriate. The power supply board 7 can be connected to a commercial power supply (alternating current) 18 via a cord 17.

  Therefore, although an electric circuit is not particularly illustrated, the power supply substrate 7 is provided with an AC / DC converter. An operation panel 19 having a plurality of operation buttons (switches) electrically connected to the power supply substrate 7 is provided on the inclined front surface of the operation box 1c. When the operation button on the operation panel 19 is pressed, the drive source of the pump 2 and the agitation drive source 11 are activated. Of course, when the power button is pressed, the control unit controls the electronic cooling element body of the cooling unit.

(3) Plunger type pump 2
The plunger pump 2 includes a known pump described in Patent Document 2, for example. In this embodiment, a new structure is adopted. That is, the pump 2 is a plunger type pump that removably couples the outer cylinder (outer valve) 21 of the valve body and the pump head 22 via the tightening means 23, and includes a suction hole 24 formed in the pump head 22 and A cylindrical inner valve 26 having an opening 27 that can communicate with each of the discharge holes 25 is rotatably provided in the outer valve 21. A seal 29 having a through hole 28 that communicates with the opening 27 of the valve 26 and can selectively communicate with the suction hole 24 and the discharge hole 25 is fixedly attached, and this seal 29 tightens the tightening means 23. The plunger 30 is moved in the axial direction of the inner valve 26 through the wall surface of the pump head 22.

  In such a plunger type pump 2, since the seal 29 is pressed in the axial direction, the seal structure is simple, the mounting is simple, and the tightening screw 23 is tightened even if the seal of the rotary inner valve 26 is worn. By the adjustment, there is an excellent effect that fluid leakage can be easily prevented.

  Meanwhile, the driving force of the first drive source 32 is transmitted to the projecting inner end of the inner valve 26 via the power transmission means 31, and the power conversion mechanism 33 is transmitted to the projecting inner end of the plunger 30. The driving force of the second driving source 34 is transmitted via the. In the present embodiment, at least the first drive source 32 and the second drive source 34 are appropriately provided in the vertical control box 4 b and are electrically connected to the power supply substrate 7.

  In the pump 2, the inner valve 26 is intermittently rotated by a predetermined amount (for example, approximately 180 degrees) by the driving force of the first driving source 32 so that the food to be eaten from the hopper 3 can be supplied by a certain amount. In response to the intermittent rotation of the inner valve 26, the plunger 30 reciprocates by the driving force of the second driving source 34, and the food to be eaten in the pump 2 is placed below the discharge hole 25. A certain amount is supplied to the cup 35.

(4) Hopper 3
The hopper 3 is detachably attached to the suction hole 24 of the pump 2 via the connecting means 4. With reference to FIG.4 and FIG.5, the hopper 3, the connection means 4, and the cover body 10 for hoppers are demonstrated.

  The hopper 3 is formed in a “funnel shape” or “morning glory shape” as a whole. In the present embodiment, a long cylindrical portion 3a having a large opening 41 at the upper end, a mortar-shaped portion 3b connected to the lower end of the long cylindrical portion 3a, and a small opening 42 connected to the mortar-shaped portion 3b. The short cylindrical portion 3c is provided with a connecting flange portion 43 around the short cylindrical portion 3c.

  As the connecting means 4, an example of a ring-type clamp that is wound around the flange portion 43 of the hopper 3 and the protruding connecting portion 44 of the pump 2 is employed. The left and right divided links 4a, 4b to which the clamp 4 is pivotally attached have a tightening screw 4c on one side 4b and an operation locking piece 4d to be screwed into the tightening screw, and the tightening screw 4c is divided into the other divided link. When the operation locking piece 4d is tightened after being engaged with the engagement free end portion of the link 4a, the hopper 3 is integrally set to the projecting connection portion 44 of the pump 2.

  A hopper lid 10 is freely set on the hopper 3. The lid body 10 is provided with a rotary fitting member 45 having a fitting recess 45a fitted to the output shaft 12 of the stirring drive source 11 provided in the upper storage box 1d of the machine body 1. A plurality of stirring blades 13 are provided on the rotating shaft 14 depending on the joint member 45.

(5) Cooling unit 5
The cooling unit 5 is in surface contact with part or all of the periphery of the hopper 3 and cools by removing heat from food to be eaten in the hopper. In this embodiment, a total of four cooling units 5 are used, and surface contact is possible with a part around the hopper.

  FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of one cooling unit 5. Referring to FIG. 6, the cooling unit 5 includes an attached first cooling plate 51 having a contact surface 51 a along the curvature of the outer peripheral surface of the mortar-shaped portion 3 b of the hopper 3, in order to increase the cooling effect, An electronic cooling element body 52 in which a vertical surface 52a that absorbs heat in a fitting recess of the outer wall surface 51b of the first cooling body 51 for attachment is provided in surface contact, and a heat release surface 52b of the electronic cooling element body 52 A second cooling plate 53 in which the inner wall surface 53a is provided in a surface contact state, one or more cooling fins 54 integrally provided on the outer wall surface 53b of the second cooling plate 53, and the cooling fins 54. The cooling fan 55, the cooling fins 54, the second cooling plate 53, the electronic cooling element body 52, and the first cooling plate 51 are provided via a plurality of unit fixing tools 56. Are engaged together to form a single cooling structure. And it has a body.

  One cooling unit 5 as a cooling structure includes a fixed mounting plate 59 having a rectangular fitting portion (for example, a fitting hole, a fitting notch, etc.) 58 in the internal space of the annular support 6 shown in FIG. It is attached appropriately. In addition, a code | symbol is abbreviate | omitted about each attachment hole for the fixing tools 56 of the cooling unit 5. FIG.

  The electronic cooling element body of the cooling unit 5 is a Peltier element or a register element. Since the operation principle of these elements is known, the description thereof is omitted.

(6) Annular support 6
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the annular support 6 protrudes from the front of the control box 1 b so as to be positioned in the external space 60 between the left and right operation boxes 1 c, 1 c and the upper storage box 1 d of the machine body 1. Installed on. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of the annular support 6. As shown in FIG. 7, the annular support 6 is composed of a frame-shaped fixed frame 6a fixed to the body 1, and a frame-shaped opening / closing frame 6b having one end pivotally attached to the fixed frame 6a. The cooling means 5 of the frame 6a. A plurality (for example, a total of four) of the internal space 61.61 of 6b is appropriately arranged with a required interval in the circumferential direction of the hopper.

  FIGS. 8 to 10 show an example in which a total of four cooling units 5 are provided in the annular support 6 via fixed mounting plates 59, respectively. As is apparent from these drawings, each cooling unit 5 is in an oblique state such that the arc-shaped contact surface 51a of the first cooling plate 51 is in surface contact with the outer wall surface of the mortar portion 3b of the hopper 3 set in the pump 2. Further, they are arranged with a predetermined interval. In this embodiment, two fixed frames 6 a and two open / close frames 6 b are provided. When the open / close frames 6 b are opened as shown in FIG. 11, the two cooling units 5 are removed from the mortar portion 3 b of the hopper 3. Leave.

  The support 6 has an upper opening 62 having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the long cylindrical portion 3a of the hopper 3 on the upper wall, and an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the short cylindrical portion 3c of the hopper 3 on the lower wall. The lower openings 63 are respectively provided. In addition, a plurality of openings 64 for releasing heat are formed in appropriate portions of the lower wall (portions facing the cooling fan).

(7) Power supply board 7
The power supply substrate 7 is provided on the support body 6 or the machine body 1 and is electrically connected to each cooling unit 5 via wiring to supply power. In the present embodiment, the power supply board 7 is fixedly installed in the control box 1b of the machine body 1 and can be connected to a commercial power supply 18 for home use via a cord (cable). Of course, the power source 18 may be provided directly on the machine body 1.

(8) Relationship between the annular support 6 and the cooling unit 5 As shown in FIG. 5, when the hopper 3 is attached to the pump 2 via the connecting means 4, the two on the fixed frame 6 a side of the support 6. The cooling unit 5 immediately comes into surface contact with the outer wall surface of the hopper 3. Next, when the hopper lid 10 is set in the hopper 3, the rotating shaft 14 and the stirring blade 13 of the lid 10 are positioned in the hopper 3.

  Next, after putting the food 36 such as soup and juice in the hopper 3 and then closing the upper storage box 1d of the airframe 1, the protruding end of the output shaft 12 of the stirring drive source in the upper storage box 1d It fits into the fitting member 45 of the lid 10. Next, when the open / close frame 6b is closed from the state shown in FIG. 11, the two cooling units 5 of the open / close frame 6b also come into surface contact with the outer wall surface of the hopper 3.

  The four cooling units 5 in contact with the outer wall surface of the hopper 3 take heat from the food 36 in the hopper 3 through the hopper 3 when the power is turned on (for example, the effect of the Peltier element). The control panel 16 controls the effect of the Peltier element.

  In the embodiment shown in the embodiment of the invention, the shape of the annular support is arbitrarily changed in accordance with the shape of the hopper 3. Therefore, the attachment location of the cooling unit 5 to the support is also an arbitrary location. Further, the cooling unit 5 may be configured to be in surface contact with the entire outer wall surface around the hopper. Further, the connecting means 4 for the hopper 3 includes all known clamps. Further, at least the elongated cylindrical portion 3a of the hopper 3 has a three-layer structure having a heat insulating function, and although not particularly illustrated, an inner stainless steel layer, an outer heat insulating layer, the outer heat insulating layer, and an inner stainless steel layer are provided. And a cooling promotion layer (aluminum new layer) interposed between the two. Although the hopper 3 is provided with a handle, it is not particularly shown.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the description of this embodiment, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  The food and drink cooling device X1 of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 to 15 is mainly different from the first embodiment in that the cooling unit 5A is located above the annular support 6 formed in an annular shape. The difference is that it is attached to one or a plurality of engagement mounting plates 59A having a locking function capable of being engaged and disengaged on the inner peripheral edge of the annular wall portion forming the opening. The engagement mounting plate 59A has a cooling unit 5A mounting portion 70 formed in a curved shape corresponding to the curvature of the mortar-shaped portion 3b of the hopper 3, and an upper end portion of the mounting portion 70. The mounting portion 70 is formed with a plurality of rectangular fitting windows 72 into which the first cooling plate 51 of the cooling unit 5A is fitted. Even if comprised in this way, there exists the same effect | action and effect as 1st Example.

  The present invention is suitable for the case where a fluid or fluid such as soups and fruit drinks is mainly cooled by a supply source and supplied to a cup in a certain amount via a plunger pump.

1 to 11 are explanatory views showing a first embodiment of the present invention. 12 to 15 are explanatory views showing a second embodiment of the present invention.
Schematic explanatory drawing from the right side view. Schematic explanatory drawing from the front view. Schematic cross-sectional explanatory drawing which shows an example of a plunger type pump. The schematic perspective view which shows the principal part (a cover body for hoppers, a hopper, a connection means, and a part of pump). The schematic perspective view which shows the principal part (when a hopper is set to a pump via a connection means). The disassembled perspective view of the principal part (mainly cooling unit). The perspective view of the principal part (when an annular support body is opened). The schematic explanatory drawing of the principal part at the time of setting a hopper to a pump. The schematic explanatory drawing of the principal part from planar view. The schematic explanatory drawing of the principal part from planar view (The annular support body is notched). Schematic explanatory drawing from the front view (opening and closing frame of the annular support is opened). Explanatory drawing which shows an example which attached the cooling unit to the attachment plate which can be engaged / disengaged. Explanatory drawing of the state which latched the attachment board to the cyclic | annular support body. Schematic explanatory drawing similar to FIG. 11 (opening and closing frame of the annular support is opened). Schematic explanatory drawing similar to FIG.

X, X1 ... food cooling device, 1 ... airframe, 2 ... pump, 3 ... hopper, 3b ... mortar-shaped part of hopper 3, 4 ... connecting means, 5, 5A ... cooling unit, 6 ... support, 6a ... frame A fixed frame, 6b ... a frame-shaped opening / closing frame, 7 ... a power supply substrate, 10 ... a lid for a hopper, 11 ... a drive source for stirring, 12 ... an output shaft of the drive source, 13 ... a stirring blade, 14 ... a rotating shaft, 18 ... Commercial power supply, 21 ... Outer valve, 22 ... Pump head, 23 ..., 24 ... Suction hole, 25 ... Discharge hole, 26 ... Cylindrical inner valve, 27 ..., Opening of inner valve, 28 ... Through hole, 29 ... Seal: 30 ... Plunger 31 ... Power transmission means, 32 ... First drive source, 33 ... Power conversion mechanism, 34 ... Second drive source, 51 ... First cooling plate for attachment, 52 ... Electronic cooling element body, 53 ... 2nd cooling plate, 54 ... Cooling fin, 55 ... Cooling fan, 56 ... Fixing tool for unit, 9 ... fixed mounting plate, 59A ... engaging the mounting plate, 70 ... mounting portion 71 ... holding flange.

Claims (3)

An airframe equipped with a pump and a drive source for supplying a predetermined amount of food to be eaten, a hopper that is detachably set to the pump, a cooling plate that is in direct surface contact with part or all of the periphery of the hopper, and the cooling An annular support body including an electronic cooling element body integrated with a plate, provided with a cooling unit for removing heat from an edible object in the hopper through the hopper and cooling, and the annular support body Alternatively, the power supply board is provided on the airframe and supplies power to the cooling unit via wiring. The annular support is fixed to the airframe, and one end of the frame is fixed to the fixed frame. part consists a pivotally mounted frame shape open frame and the cooling unit is a plurality arranged with a predetermined interval in the internal space in the circumferential direction of these frames also support the annular The opening for heat dissipation is formed, further, the hopper and the pump is detachable via a clamp ring which may be wrapped flange of the lower end of the hopper and the flange portion of the projecting connecting portion of the pump, respectively The food and drink cooling device is characterized in that it is connected to the food and drink.
2. The upper storage box having a stirring drive source is pivotally mounted on the front side of the upper end of the control box of the machine body , while the hopper lid is freely set at the opening of the hopper. The hopper lid is provided with a rotary fitting member that fits with the output shaft of the stirring drive source, and a rotary shaft that hangs on the fitting member and has a plurality of stirring blades, When the upper storage box is closed after putting food to be eaten in the hopper, the protruding end portion of the output shaft of the stirring drive source is fitted to the fitting member of the lid body. apparatus.
2. The hopper according to claim 1, wherein at least the long cylindrical portion of the hopper has a three-layer structure having a heat insulating function, and is provided between an inner stainless steel layer, an outer heat insulating layer, and the outer heat insulating layer and the inner stainless steel layer. A food and beverage supply apparatus comprising an intervening cooling promotion layer.

Images