JP7397778B2 - dispenser - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a dispenser that automatically dispenses a liquid such as a drink from a liquid storage section from a dispensing section using its own weight.

Patent Document 1 discloses an invention of a beverage dispenser that quantitatively pours out the beverage in a beverage tank (liquid storage section) from a cock body (dispensing section) into a container such as a cup in a saucer section using its own weight. ing. This beverage dispenser consists of a beverage tank that stores beverages, a cock body attached to a water fill pipe connected to the bottom of the beverage tank, and a dispensing unit (valve mechanism) equipped with a gear motor to open and close the valve mechanism of the cock body. (operation part), a saucer for placing a cup for receiving a drink dispensed from the cock body, and a weight sensor for detecting the weight of the beverage placed on the saucer.

This beverage dispenser is equipped with a control device that controls the operation of the gear motor of the dispensing unit. It is controlled to dispense a fixed amount of beverage. In this beverage dispenser, when a weight sensor detects a preset weight for dispensing after dispensing starts, the gear motor of the dispensing unit is activated to finish dispensing the beverage from the cock body.

In addition to controlling the fixed amount dispensed based on the weight sensor, this beverage dispenser also controls the dispensed beverage based on the elapsed dispensing time, and when the dispensing set time has elapsed, the dispensing unit is activated. The gear motor is operated to finish dispensing the beverage from the cock body. When controlling the dispensing of beverages based on the elapsed dispensing time, the elapsed dispensing time is also controlled because the amount of beverage dispensed from the faucet body per unit time changes depending on the water level of the beverage in the beverage tank. When the time correction timing is reached, the ratio between the weight detected by the weight sensor and the predicted weight for correction is calculated, and the set pouring time is corrected.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-137631

In the beverage dispenser of Patent Document 1 mentioned above, when a set weight of beverage is dispensed into the cup of the saucer, and the weight detected by the weight sensor reaches the set weight, the gear motor of the dispensing unit is activated to stop the cock. Beverage dispensing from the main body is finished. However, due to the sensitivity of the weight sensor, there is a detection delay in detecting the set pouring weight, and there is an operation delay from when the gear motor of the dispensing unit starts operating until the beverage is completely dispensed from the cock body. A small amount of beverage was to be dispensed even after the dispense set weight was detected. In addition, since this beverage dispenser dispenses the beverage in the beverage tank from the cock body using its own weight, the amount of beverage dispensed from the cock body per unit time varies depending on the water level in the beverage tank. There is a possibility that the amount of the beverage dispensed after the weight sensor detects the set dispensing weight may vary depending on the remaining amount (water level) of the beverage in the beverage tank.

In addition to controlling fixed amount dispensing based on the weight sensor, the beverage is also controlled based on the elapsed dispensing time, and when the elapsed dispensing time reaches the time correction timing, the weight sensor detects The ratio of the weight to the predicted weight for correction is calculated, and the pouring setting time is corrected. However, as mentioned above, there is no consideration given to the operational delay between when the gear motor of the dispensing unit starts operating and when the beverage is completely dispensing from the faucet main body. The amount of beverage dispensed may vary depending on the remaining amount (water level) of the beverage in the beverage tank, and there is a risk that it may not always be possible to dispense the set amount accurately. The present invention provides a dispenser that automatically dispenses liquid from a storage part from a spouting part by its own weight, in which a valve mechanism operation part starts operating the valve mechanism part of the spouting part to complete closing of the valve mechanism part. The purpose is to enable dispensing with an accurate set dispensing amount at all times, including the dispensing amount that has been dispensed up to the present time.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention includes a liquid storage part that stores liquid, and a dispensing device that pours out the liquid in the liquid storage part by its own weight by opening a built-in valve mechanism provided at the lower part of the liquid storage part. a valve mechanism operating section that opens and closes the valve mechanism of the spouting section; a mounting section that mounts a liquid receiver that receives liquid poured out from the spouting section; and a valve mechanism operating section that controls the operation of the valve mechanism operating section. The dispenser is equipped with a control device that performs dispensing control to dispense a predetermined set dispensing amount of liquid into a liquid receiver placed on a placing section, the dispenser comprising: The control device includes a first weight sensor that detects the weight of the mounting portion and a second weight sensor that detects the weight of the placing portion, and the control device calculates a flow rate according to the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion from the detected weight of the first weight sensor. , from the calculated flow rate of the liquid, calculate the amount of liquid poured out after the start of the closing operation, which is to be poured out from the time when the valve mechanism operation section starts the operation to close the valve mechanism section until the valve mechanism section completes closing; Provided is a dispenser characterized in that a valve mechanism operating section is controlled to start closing when a weight sensor detects a closing start set weight, which is the weight obtained by subtracting the dispensing amount after the start of the closing operation from the set dispensing amount. It is something to do.

In the dispenser configured as described above, the control device calculates the flow rate of the liquid dispensed from the spouting part according to the amount of liquid in the liquid storage part from the detected weight of the first weight sensor, and From the flow rate, the amount poured out after the start of the closing operation is calculated from the time when the valve mechanism operation section starts the operation to close the valve mechanism section until the valve mechanism section completes closing, and the amount is set using the second weight sensor. The valve mechanism operating section is controlled to start closing when a closing start setting weight, which is the weight obtained by subtracting the pouring amount after the start of the closing operation from the pouring amount, is detected.

The amount poured out after the start of the closing operation, from when the valve mechanism operating section starts the operation to close the valve mechanism until the valve mechanism completes closing, is the liquid level in the liquid storage section, that is, the liquid It will vary depending on the amount of liquid. The weight (liquid volume) of the liquid detected by the detected weight of the first weight sensor, that is, the flow rate of the liquid poured out from the spouting part that changes according to the liquid level, is calculated, and the valve mechanism operating part Since the amount of time it takes for the valve mechanism to close after starting the operation to close the valve mechanism is constant, the amount of time it takes for the valve mechanism to close is multiplied by this flow rate. Calculate the pouring amount after starting the closing operation. When the second weight sensor detects the set closing start weight, which is the weight obtained by subtracting the pouring amount after the start of the closing operation from the set pouring amount, the valve mechanism operating section starts the operation to close the valve mechanism. Therefore, it becomes possible to always pour out liquid at an accurately set pouring amount into the liquid receiver placed on the placing section.

In the dispenser configured as described above, the control device detects the capacity of the liquid receptor placed on the placement part from the detected weight of the second weight sensor before executing the dispensing control. It is preferable to include a setting means for setting a set pouring amount according to the capacity of the liquid receiver. In this case, the capacity of the liquid receptor placed on the placement part can be detected without separately providing a detection means for detecting the capacity of the liquid receptor. In addition, since the preset dispensing amount can be set for each liquid receiver with a different capacity placed on the receiver, even if liquid receivers with various capacities are used, the amount of liquid placed on the receiver can be set. It becomes possible to pour out liquid at an accurately set pouring amount according to the receiver.

In the dispenser configured as described above, it is preferable that the valve mechanism operating section includes an operating lever that can manually open and close the valve mechanism. In this case, the amount of liquid in the liquid receiver can be adjusted by manually operating the operating lever to additionally pour out liquid into the liquid receiver after pouring out.

In the dispenser configured as described above, the control device may control to output information regarding the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion to a predetermined output device based on the weight detected by the first weight sensor. The control device also determines, based on the first weight sensor and the second weight sensor, whether dispensing of the liquid to the liquid receiver placed on the placement unit is completed when the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit is low. Control may be performed to output information regarding whether or not this is the case to a predetermined output device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dispenser according to the present invention, seen diagonally from the front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of FIG. 1 with the front cover opened. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the liquid storage bag seen from the front. FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of only the bag storage box cut along the front-rear direction with the liquid storage bag stored in the bag storage box. FIG. 3 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 2 with the bag storage box, saucer portion, and drain pan removed. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view (a) corresponding to FIG. 4 when the amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag is reduced with the locking mechanism released, and FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view (b) corresponding to FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the front-rear direction at a position where a valve mechanism operating section is arranged. Front view (a), AA sectional view (b), BB sectional view (c) of the valve mechanism operating section, and AA sectional view ( d). A perspective view of the placement unit viewed from the front (a), a cross-sectional view of the placement unit taken along the front-rear direction (b), and a cross-sectional view taken along the front-rear direction with the saucer removed (c) It is. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device. It is a flowchart of an automatic dispensing program.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, one Embodiment of the dispenser of this invention is described with reference to drawings. The dispenser 10 of this embodiment automatically dispenses a beverage (liquid) such as wine from a pouring cock 21 into a beverage container (liquid receiver) such as a glass or a decanter. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dispenser 10 includes a bag storage part 12 for storing a liquid storage bag 20 in a housing 11, and the bag storage part 12 has a horizontal axis at the upper end of the front surface of the housing 11. It is closed by a front cover 13 which is rotatably provided. The bag storage section 12 of this embodiment has a size that can accommodate two liquid storage bags 20 side by side. Further, a refrigeration device 14 is provided at the bottom of the housing 11 (shown in FIG. 7), and the bag storage section 12 is cooled by the refrigeration device 14. Note that the bag storage section 12 may be cooled using a Peltier element or a cold insulating material instead of the freezing device 14. As shown in FIG. 2, a mounting plate 15 for attaching the pouring cock 21 of the liquid storage bag 20 is fixed to the lower front side of the bag storage section 12, and the pouring cock 21 is attached to the mounting plate 15. A U-shaped engagement recess 15a is formed for this purpose.

As shown in FIG. 3, the liquid storage bag (liquid storage part) 20 stores the beverage (liquid) dispensed by the dispenser 10, and is a container made of a flexible resin material that can be deformed. be. The liquid storage bag 20 of this embodiment is made by thermally welding (fixing) two rectangular two- to three-layer films at their four peripheries using a heat sealing method or an impulse sealing method to seal them. This is a film bag with a sealed storage space inside. A heat welding part 20a is formed at the peripheral edge of the liquid storage bag 20 to weld the film. Note that the liquid storage bag 20 is not limited to the above-mentioned film type, but may be a container-shaped molded type that is molded into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape or the like so that a storage space is formed inside.

In this embodiment, a pouring cock (spouting part) 21 for pouring out liquid is welded to a lower corner of the liquid storage bag 20 by heat welding. The pouring cock 21 pours out the liquid in the liquid storage bag 20 to the outside by opening a built-in valve mechanism (not shown). The pouring cock 21 is provided with a lever 21a, and the valve mechanism section is opened by moving the lever 21a upward. The lever 21a is biased downward by a spring member (not shown) built into the pouring cock 21 so as to close the valve mechanism. The pouring cock 21 is heat welded (fixed) near the lower right corner in order to minimize the amount of beverage remaining in the liquid storage bag 20; The welding flange portion 21b is provided. It is necessary to weld the welding flange portion 21b of the pouring cock 21 away from the heat-welded portion 20a of the lower edge of the liquid storage bag 20, and the welding flange portion 21b of the pouring cock 21 must be welded to the lower edge of the liquid storage bag 20 with a gap between them. ing. Similarly, the pouring cock 21 needs to be welded at a distance from the heat-welded part 20a on the right side edge of the liquid storage bag 20, and must be welded to the right side edge of the liquid storage bag 20 at a distance. There is.

As shown in FIG. 4, a binding device 22 is attached to the lower part of the liquid storage bag 20 with a beverage passage formed behind the pouring cock 21. The lower part of the liquid storage bag 20 than the spouting cock 21 is lifted to prevent a housing space for the liquid storage bag 20 from being formed below the spouting cock 21 at the lower part of the liquid storage bag 20. The binding device 22 has an annular shape with an inner diameter larger than the beverage inlet of the spouting cock 21, and the lower part of the liquid storage bag 20 is in a state where the binding device 22 forms a passage for the beverage to the spouting cock 21. The peripheral edge of the pouring cock 21 of the liquid storage bag 20 is tied together. The binding device 22 may be formed by connecting the open ends on both sides of the clamp using a flexible C-shaped clamp to form a ring shape, or by forming the binding band into a ring shape using a flexible cable tie. It may also be configured to do so. Furthermore, the binding tool 22 may be in the shape of a cylinder that extends behind the spouting cock 21, and when the binding tool 22 is in the shape of a cylinder, it is a channel that guides the beverage to the rear side of the spouting cock 21. can be formed for a long time.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the liquid storage bag 20 is stored in and out of the bag storage section 12 of the housing 11 by a bag storage box 30. It is removably attached to 12. 2 shows a state in which the liquid storage bag 20 is stored in the bag storage section 12 of the housing 11 via the bag storage box 30, and FIG. 5 shows the bag storage box 30 storing the liquid storage bag 20 in the bag storage The state in which it has been removed from the section 12 is shown. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the bag storage box 30 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open top surface, and is capable of storing the liquid storage bag 20 therein. An opening 30a is formed in the lower part of the front wall of the bag storage box 30, and the pouring cock 21 of the liquid storage bag 20 can be exposed to the front side through the opening 30a. The pouring cock 21 is exposed from the opening 30a and is attached to the mounting plate 15 by engaging with the engagement recess 15a.

As shown in FIG. 4, a plate 31 is provided at the bottom of the bag storage box 30 to bring the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 closer to the pouring cock 21 on the front side. . The front part of the plate 31 is rotatably supported around a horizontal axis so that the rear part can move up and down. A spring member (biasing means) 32 is provided at the front of the bag storage box 30 at a position in front of a plate 31. is energized by The spring member 32 cannot rotate the plate 31 upward when there is a large amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 (full amount), and as shown in FIG. As the amount of beverage decreases, the plate 31 is rotated upward little by little, and when the liquid in the liquid storage bag 20 is empty, the plate 31 is rotated vertically or vertically. It is set so that it can be rotated further forward.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, a locking mechanism 33 is provided at the bottom of the bag storage box 30 to lock the rear part of the plate 31 from rotating (moving) upward. The storage section 12 is provided with a lock release mechanism 36 that releases the lock mechanism 33 when the bag storage box 30 is stored in the bag storage section 12. The locking mechanism 33 prevents the rear part of the plate 31 from rotating (moving) at the lower position of the bag storage box 30, which is the position where the plate 31 does not bring the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 toward the pouring cock 21 side. It is something that locks.

As shown in FIG. 4, the lock mechanism 33 includes a lock pin 34 that is movable back and forth at the rear end of the plate 31, a coil spring 35 that biases the lock pin 34 rearward, and a bag storage box. 30 is provided with an engagement hole 30b formed in the lower part of the rear wall and into which the lock pin 34 can be engaged. When the rear part of the plate 31 is disposed at the lower part of the bag storage box 30 and the lock pin 34 is urged backward by the urging force of the coil spring 35, the lock pin 34 is engaged with the lower part of the rear wall of the bag storage box 30. Engaged with the hole 30b, the plate 31 is locked so as not to move at a position where the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 is not brought closer to the spout cock 21 side.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the lock release mechanism 36 includes a protrusion 37 that protrudes forward at the rear of the bag storage section 12. As shown in FIGS. When the bag storage box 30 is stored in the bag storage section 12, the protrusion 37 is inserted into the engagement hole 30b at the lower part of the rear wall of the bag storage box 30, and the lock pin 34 is engaged with the engagement hole 30b. remove from the situation.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the bag storage box 30 is not stored in the bag storage section 12 in the housing 11 and the rear part of the plate 31 is placed at the bottom of the bag storage box 30, the lock is locked. The pin 34 is urged backward by the urging force of the coil spring 35 and engages with the engagement hole 30b of the bag storage box 30, and the rear part of the plate 31 is locked by the locking mechanism 33 so as not to rotate upward. There is. Therefore, the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 stored in the bag storage box 30 is not pushed toward the pouring cock 21 side by the plate 31.

As shown in FIG. 7, the bag storage box 30 is stored in the bag storage section 12 in the housing 11 with the lock pin 34 of the locking mechanism 33 engaged with the engagement hole 30b of the bag storage box 30. Then, the protrusion 37 constituting the lock release mechanism 36 was inserted into the engagement hole 30b of the bag storage box 30, and the lock pin 34 was engaged with the engagement hole 30b against the biasing force of the coil spring 35. The plate 31 is returned to the front side from the state, and the plate 31 is released from the locked state by the lock mechanism 33 by the lock release mechanism 36. When the locking mechanism 33 is released by the unlocking mechanism 36, the rear part of the plate 31 is urged upward by the spring member 32, and the plate 31 is biased by the spring so as to draw the liquid in the liquid storage bag 20 toward the pouring cock 21 side. It comes to be biased by the member 32.

As shown in FIG. 7, a platform scale structure 40 is provided at the bottom of the bag storage section 12. The platform scale structure 40 includes a base section 41 that supports the bag storage box 30, and a first weight sensor 42 that detects the load on the base section 41. The first weight sensor 42 uses a load cell, and detects the strain caused by the downward displacement of the base part 41 to detect the amount of liquid in the liquid storage bag 20 including the bag storage box 30 on the base part 41. It is used to detect the weight of

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, a valve mechanism operating section 50 is provided in the lower part of the front cover 13 at a position in front of the pouring cock 21 that is engaged with the engagement recess 15a of the mounting plate 15. The valve mechanism operating section 50 opens and closes the valve mechanism section of the spouting cock 21 by operating the lever 21a of the spouting cock 21 of the liquid storage bag 20. The valve mechanism operating section 50 includes a casing 51 provided at the lower front surface of the front cover 13, an operating lever 52 rotatably supported by the casing 51 around a horizontal axis, and a drive mechanism section 54 that rotates the operating lever 52. It is equipped with The valve operation mechanism section 50 allows the operation lever 52 to be automatically operated by the drive mechanism section 54, and also allows the operation lever 52 to be operated manually.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the operating lever 52 is supported so that a slightly rear side portion of the center portion extending in the front-rear direction within the casing 51 is rotatable around a horizontal axis. The rear portion projects forward and rearward from the front and rear walls of the casing 51. The front part of the operating lever 52 projects forward from the front wall of the casing 51 and serves as an operating part 52a that can be operated by the user. The rear part of the operating lever 52 projects from the rear wall of the casing 51 below the lever 21a of the pouring cock 21, and serves as an operating part 52b for moving the lever 21a upward.

As shown in FIG. 8(b), a spring member 53 is provided in the casing 51 to urge the operating portion 52a at the front of the operating lever 52 upward. The front operating portion 52a is biased upward, and the rear operating portion 52b of the operating lever 52 is biased downward to a closed position. When a downward force is applied to the operating portion 52a of the operating lever 52, the acting portion 52b of the operating lever 52 moves to the upper open position against the biasing force of the spring member 53. The lever 21a of the pouring cock 21 is pushed upward by the action portion 52b of the operating lever 52 that moves to the open position, and the valve mechanism portion of the pouring cock 21 is opened. When the force to move the operating part 52a of the operating lever 52 downward is removed, the acting part 52b of the operating lever 52 moves to the lower closed position by the biasing force of the spring member 53, and the lever 21a of the pouring cock 21 is closed. It is returned to the lower side, and the valve mechanism section of the spout cock 21 is closed.

The drive mechanism section 54 includes a cam roller 55 that moves the operating lever 52 up and down, and a gear motor 56 that rotates the cam roller 55. The cam roller 55 is attached to a rotating shaft 56e of a driven gear 56d of a gear motor 56 above the operating lever 52. When the gear motor 56 is driven to rotate the cam roller 55 from the position shown in FIG. 8(b) to the lower position shown in FIG. The rear operating portion 52b moves upward, the lever 21a of the spouting cock 21 is pushed upward, and the valve mechanism of the spouting cock 21 is opened.

The gear motor 56 includes a drive motor 56a, a drive gear 56c fixed to a drive shaft 56b of the drive motor 56a, a driven gear 56d meshing with the drive gear 56c, and a rotating shaft 56e of the driven gear 56d. As shown in FIG. 8(c), a sensor plate 56f is fixed to the rotating shaft 56e of the driven gear 56d, and two photosensors 56g and 56h receive or block light depending on the rotation angle of the sensor plate 56f. It is provided. By detecting the rotation angle of the sensor plate 56f, the photo sensor 56g detects that the action portion 52b at the rear of the operating lever 52 has been moved upward by rotating the cam roller 55 downward, and It is detected that the valve mechanism of the outlet cock 21 is opened. By detecting the rotation angle of the sensor plate 56f, the photo sensor 56h detects that the cam roller 55 is rotated upward, thereby moving the operating portion 52b at the rear of the operating lever 52 to the lower closed position. It is detected that the valve mechanism of the pouring cock 21 is in the closed state.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 7, and 8, a dispensing switch 57 is provided on the front of the casing 51, and the dispensing switch 57 outputs a control signal to execute an automatic dispensing program, which will be described later. A predetermined amount of beverage is poured out from the pouring cock 21 into a beverage container such as a glass or a decanter placed on the placing portion 60. In addition, the dispensing switch 57 has a built-in display lamp 57a, and depending on the lighting state (on or blinking) or the display color of the display lamp 57a, the remaining amount of the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20, the amount of liquid in the beverage container, etc. The dispensing status etc. are displayed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the lower front surface of the casing 11 has a mounting recess 11a with a horizontal cross-sectional shape concave inward and opening toward the front. A placing part 60 on which a beverage container such as a glass or a decanter is placed to receive the drink dispensed from the pouring cock 21, and a drain pan 70 to receive the drink overflowing from the lower side of the saucer part 62 of the placing part 60. is provided. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the mounting section 60 includes a base section 61 fixed to the lower part of the housing 11, and a beverage container that is removably supported by the base section 61. A saucer portion 62 is provided. The base portion 61 is provided with a bracket portion 61a for attaching the saucer portion 62, and the bracket portion 61a is provided with two shafts 61b and 61c in parallel in the front and back.

A pair of left and right arm portions 63 for attachment to the base portion 61 are provided on the saucer portion 62 and extend rearward. An upwardly open U-shaped groove 63a that can be engaged with the rear shaft 61b from below is formed at the upper rear end of the arm part 63, and is located at a position more forward than the U-shaped groove 63a at the upper rear end of the arm part 63. A U-shaped groove 63b is formed in the front shaft 61c and is open to the bottom and can be engaged from above. The U-shaped groove 63a on the rear side of the arm part 63 engages with the shaft 61b on the rear side from below, and the U-shaped groove 63b on the front side of the arm part 63 engages with the front shaft 61c from above, so that the saucer part 62 is removably supported on the base part 61 by an arm part 63.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 9, when attaching the saucer part 62 to the base part 61 in the housing 11, the arm part 63 is inserted into the insertion hole 11b formed in the lower part of the front wall of the housing 11. The U-shaped groove 63a on the rear side of the arm part 63 is engaged with the shaft 61b on the rear side from below, and the U-shaped groove 63b on the front side of the arm part 63 is engaged with the shaft 61c on the front side from above. , the saucer part 62 is supported by the base part 61 so as to be located in front of the front wall of the housing 11. When removing the saucer part 62 from the base part 61 in the housing 11, lift the saucer part 62 diagonally upwards and release the U-shaped groove 63a on the rear side of the arm part 63 downward from the shaft 61b on the rear side. , the U-shaped groove 63b on the front side of the arm portion 63 is disengaged upward from the shaft 61c on the front side, and the saucer portion 62 is pulled forward and removed.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the base portion 61 is provided with a second weight sensor 64 that detects the weight of the saucer portion 62 via the arm portion 63. The second weight sensor 64 uses a load cell, and detects the strain caused by the downward displacement of the saucer section 62 that is transmitted through the arm section 63. This is to detect the weight of the beverage dispensed from the dispensing cock 21, including beverage containers such as the above.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the drain pan 70 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and is disposed below the saucer section 62 of the mounting section 60. A substantially circular hole 71 is formed on the upper surface of the drain pan 70 below the saucer part 62, and the hole 71 allows the saucer part 62 to move downward. An L-shaped groove 72 is formed on both left and right side surfaces of the drain pan 70, in which a horizontal groove extending from the rear end to the front side and a vertical groove extending upward from the front end of the horizontal groove are continuously formed. An engagement protrusion 11c is provided on the side surface of the mounting recess 11a at the lower front of the housing 11, and the engagement protrusion 11c can be engaged with an L-shaped groove 72 of the drain pan 70. With the back surface of the drain pan 70 in contact with the front surface of the mounting recess 11a of the housing 11, the engaging protrusion 11c engages with the upper end of the vertical groove of the L-shaped groove 72, so that the drain pan 70 is attached to the housing 11. It is detachably attached to the attachment recess 11a.

As shown in FIG. 10, the dispenser 10 includes a control device 80 that controls dispensing of a beverage into a beverage container such as a glass or a decanter. The control device 80 is connected to the first weight sensor 42, the gear motor 56, the pouring switch 57, and the second weight sensor 64. The control device 80 has a microcomputer (not shown), and the microcomputer includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and a timer (all not shown) that are connected to each other via a bus.

An automatic dispensing program for automatically dispensing a beverage is stored in the memory of the control device 80, and the automatic dispensing program operates the valve mechanism operating section 50 based on the weight detected by the first and second weight sensors 42, 64. The gear motor 56 is controlled to automatically dispense a beverage into a beverage container such as a glass or decanter placed on a saucer portion 62.

In this dispenser 10, based on the weight detected by the second weight sensor 64, the gear motor 56 of the valve mechanism operating section 50 is started to operate so as to move the operating lever 52 from the open position to the closed position, and the dispensing cock is activated. The valve mechanism section 21 is closed from an open state. However, there may be a delay in detecting the weight due to the sensitivity of the second weight sensor 64, etc., and there may be a slight delay in detecting the weight after the gear motor 56 of the valve mechanism operating section 50 is started and when the valve mechanism of the spout cock 21 is completely closed from the open state. However, since this takes time, the preset amount of beverage is dispensed into the beverage container placed on the saucer portion 62, and after the second weight sensor 64 detects a predetermined weight, the supply of beverage from the pouring cock 21 is stopped. Even in this case, a small amount of beverage will be poured out from the pouring cock 21.

Moreover, this dispenser 10 is configured to dispense the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 by sending it out from the lower dispensing cock 21 by its own weight, and the flow rate of the beverage dispensed from the dispensing cock 21 (dispensing It is known that the velocity (v) changes depending on the remaining amount (height of the liquid) of the beverage (liquid) in the liquid storage bag 20 according to Torricelli's theorem shown below.
v=√(2×g×h)
g: weight h: height of liquid (height of liquid level)
In this way, in this dispenser 10, when there is a large amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 (the liquid level is high), the flow rate of the beverage dispensed from the dispensing cock 21 is large (the dispensing speed is fast), and the liquid When the amount of beverage in the storage bag 20 decreases (the liquid level becomes lower), the flow rate of the beverage poured out from the pouring cock 21 also decreases (the pouring speed becomes slower).

As described above, even if an attempt is made to stop the beverage from the pouring cock 21 after the second weight sensor 64 detects a predetermined weight, a small amount of the beverage will be poured from the pouring cock 21 and the liquid storage bag Since the flow rate of the beverage dispensed from the spouting cock 21 changes depending on the remaining amount (liquid height) of the beverage (liquid) in the spouting cock 20, the flow rate of the beverage dispensed from the spouting cock 21 changes after a predetermined weight is detected by the second weight sensor 64. The amount of beverage dispensed will vary depending on the amount of beverage (liquid) remaining in the liquid storage bag 20.

For this reason, the control device 80 controls whether the beverage is poured from the pouring cock 21 based on the weight of the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 detected by the first weight sensor 42 before executing the pouring control by the automatic pouring program. Calculate the flow rate of the beverage. After the start of the closing operation, the amount of beverage is calculated by multiplying the calculated flow rate of the beverage by the time required from when the operation starts to close the valve mechanism operating section 50 until the valve mechanism section of the pouring cock 21 is completely closed. When calculating the dispense amount and executing dispensing control using an automatic dispensing program, this is the weight obtained by subtracting the dispense amount after the start of the closing operation from the set dispense amount to be dispensed into a beverage container such as a glass or decanter. Calculate the closing start setting weight. When the control device 80 executes the dispensing control of the automatic dispensing program and detects the set closing start weight by the second weight sensor 64 as an increment weight greater than the weight of the beverage container, the control device 80 activates the valve mechanism. The gear motor 56 of the operating section 50 is controlled to start operating and the valve mechanism of the pouring cock 21 to start closing.

Furthermore, this dispenser 10 is capable of dispensing beverages into beverage containers of various capacities placed on the saucer section 62 of the placing section 60, and the dispensed amount can be adjusted according to the capacity of the beverage container. is set as the set dispensing amount. For example, when the beverage container is a glass, the set pouring amount is set to 180 ml, when the beverage container is a small decanter, the set pouring amount is set to 300 ml, and when the beverage container is a large decanter, the set pouring amount is set to 180 ml. At one time, the set pouring amount is set to 500ml. The control device 80 determines the capacity of the beverage container placed on the saucer portion 62 based on the detected weight detected by the second weight sensor 64 before executing the dispensing control of the automatic dispensing program. A set pouring amount when executing pouring control of an automatic pouring program is determined according to the capacity of a beverage container.

In addition, in this dispenser 10, the control device 80 determines the storage state of the bag storage box 30, the amount of beverage remaining in the liquid storage bag 20, based on the weight detected by at least one of the first and second weight sensors 42 and 64. The display lamp 57a of the dispensing switch 57 is controlled to display (notify) the state of dispensing the beverage in the beverage container placed on the saucer portion 62.

To be more specific, when the bag storage box 30 is not stored in the bag storage section 12 of the housing 11, the pouring switch is activated based on the fact that the first weight sensor 42 does not detect the weight of the bag storage box 30 or more. The indicator lamp 57a of 57 is lit in orange to indicate (notify) in color that the bag storage box 30 including the liquid storage bag 20 is not stored in the bag storage section 12 of the housing 11. On the other hand, when the bag storage box 30 is stored in the bag storage section 12 of the housing 11, the dispensing switch is The display lamp 57a of 57 is lit in pink to indicate that the bag storage box 30 including the liquid storage bag 20 is stored in the bag storage section 12 of the housing 11 and is in a standby state waiting for the beverage to be dispensed. It is displayed (notified) by color.

When a beverage container such as a glass or a decanter is placed on the saucer section 62, the control device 80 detects that the beverage container is placed on the saucer section 62 using the second weight sensor 64, and starts the automatic dispensing program. Before execution, the display lamp 57a of the dispensing switch 57 is turned on in blue to indicate (notify) the state in which dispensing is possible.

When the dispensing switch 57 is operated and the automatic dispensing program is executed by the control device 80, the display lamp 57a of the dispensing switch 57 flashes in blue, and the dispensing state is indicated by blinking the display lamp 57a. (notification). While the automatic dispensing program is being executed, if the second weight sensor 64 detects the aforementioned closing start set weight as an increase in weight from the weight of the beverage container, the automatic dispensing program is terminated and , the display lamp 57a of the dispensing switch 57 is turned on in blue to indicate (notify) that dispensing is completed by lighting the display lamp 57a. When the beverage container is lifted from the saucer portion 62, the control device 80 detects that the beverage container has been lifted from the saucer portion 62 by the second weight sensor 64, and lights up the display lamp 57a of the pouring switch 57 in pink. The device displays (notifies) by color that it is in a standby state waiting for the beverage to be dispensed.

Further, when the automatic dispensing program is executed to dispense the beverage, the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 is dispensed from the dispensing cock 21 and gradually decreases. This is the weight when the liquid storage bag 20 is nearing the time to replace it due to a decrease in the remaining amount when the automatic pouring program is executed by operating the pouring switch 57. When the remaining amount decreases below the set lower limit weight set as a predetermined lower limit value and the first weight sensor 42 detects a weight below the set lower limit weight, the control device 80 turns the indicator lamp 57a of the dispensing switch 57 to blue. Instead, it blinks in orange to indicate (notify) that the amount of beverage remaining in the liquid storage bag 20 has become low during pouring of the beverage. When the automatic dispensing program is being executed with a small amount of beverage remaining in the liquid storage bag 20, the second weight sensor 64 determines the above-mentioned closing start setting weight by an increase amount greater than the weight of the beverage container. When the weight is detected, the automatic dispensing program is terminated, and the display lamp 57a of the dispensing switch 57 is turned on in blue to indicate (notify) that dispensing is completed by lighting the display lamp 57a.

On the other hand, when the automatic dispensing program is executed with a small amount of beverage remaining in the liquid storage bag 20, the second weight sensor 64 does not detect the above-mentioned closing start set weight as an increased weight. Sometimes, without terminating the automatic dispensing program, the display lamp 57a of the dispensing switch 57 continues to blink orange, and the color and blinking state of the dispensing lamp 57a indicates that dispensing has not been completed ( notification). When a beverage container is lifted from the saucer section 62 in a state where pouring is not completed due to insufficient beverage in the liquid storage bag 20, the control device 80 detects that the beverage container is lifted onto the saucer section 62 by the second weight sensor 64. The gear motor 56 of the valve mechanism operating section 50 is controlled to move the operating section 52b of the operating lever 52 to the lower closed position, and the valve mechanism section of the spouting cock 21 is closed. The display lamp 57a of the output switch 57 is turned on in pink to indicate (notify) the standby state in color.

Next, in this dispenser 10, the procedure for storing the liquid storage bag 20 in the bag storage section 12 and the automatic beverage dispensing program will be explained. In order to keep the amount of beverage remaining in the liquid storage bag 20 as small as possible, a binding tool 22 is attached in advance to the rear side of the pouring cock 21 at the lower part of the liquid storage bag 20. A portion of the liquid storage bag 20 below the spouting cock 21 is lifted up behind the spouting cock 21 by a binding device 22, and a beverage storage space is formed in the liquid storage bag 20 below the spouting cock 21. It becomes difficult.

The liquid storage bag 20 is stored in the bag storage box 30 with the rear side of the pouring cock 21 tied with the binding tool 22, and the bag storage box 30 containing the liquid storage bag 20 is moved to the bag storage section 12 in the housing 11. By storing the liquid storage bag 20 in the bag storage section 12 in the housing 11 via the bag storage box 30. When storing the liquid storage bag 20 in the bag storage box 30, as shown in FIG. The locking mechanism 33 prevents the rear part of the plate 31 from being biased upward by the spring member 32 so that it is biased rearward by force and engaged with the engagement hole 30b at the lower part of the rear wall of the bag storage box 30. Keep it locked. With the plate 31 locked by the locking mechanism 33, place the liquid storage bag 20 inside the bag storage box 30 above the plate 31 so that the pouring cock 21 is exposed from the opening 30a at the bottom of the front wall of the bag storage box 30. The front cover 13 of the casing 11 is opened, and the bag storage box 30 containing the liquid storage bag 20 is stored in the bag storage part 12 in the casing 11.

When the bag storage box 30 is stored in the bag storage section 12 in the housing 11, the protrusion 37 at the rear of the bag storage section 12 that constitutes the lock release mechanism 36 engages with the engagement hole at the bottom of the rear wall of the bag storage box 30. 30b, the lock pin 34 is returned inward from the engagement hole 30b by the protrusion 37 against the biasing force of the coil spring 35, and the lock mechanism 33 is released by the lock release mechanism 36. When the lock mechanism 33 is released by the lock release mechanism 36, the rear part of the plate 31 is urged upward by the spring member 32. Further, when the spout cock 21 is engaged with the engagement recess 15a of the mounting plate 15 and the front cover 13 of the housing 11 is closed so that the welding flange portion 21b is disposed on the rear side of the mounting plate 15, Beverage can be poured out from the pouring cock 21.

Next, an automatic dispensing program using this dispenser 10 will be explained using the flowchart of FIG. 11. The control device 80 repeatedly executes the automatic dispensing program starting from step 101, and determines in step 101 whether or not the weight detected by the first weight sensor 42 is greater than or equal to the weight of the bag storage box 30. , it is determined whether the bag storage box 30 is stored in the bag storage section 12. As described above, unless the bag storage box 30 containing the liquid storage bag 20 is stored in the bag storage section 12 within the housing 11, the beverage cannot be poured out from the pouring cock 21. If the bag storage box 30 is not stored in the bag storage section 12 in the housing 11 and the weight of the bag storage box 30 or more is not detected by the first weight sensor 42, the control device 80 returns NO in step 101. After making a determination, the process proceeds to step 102. In step 102, the control device 80 displays that the bag storage box 30 including the liquid storage bag 20 is not stored in the bag storage section 12 of the housing 11 by lighting the display lamp 57a in orange. , this program is terminated, and the processing from step 101 is executed again.

On the other hand, if the bag storage box 30 is stored in the bag storage section 12 in the housing 11 and the weight of the bag storage box 30 or more is detected by the first weight sensor 42, the control device 80 performs step 101. If the result is YES, the process proceeds to step 103. In step 103, the control device 80 lights up the display lamp 57a in pink, so that the bag storage box 30 including the liquid storage bag 20 is stored in the bag storage section 12 of the housing 11, and the beverage is dispensed. Displays that it is in a standby state.

In step 104, the control device 80 determines whether or not the second weight sensor 64 detects a load corresponding to the weight of the beverage container, and determines whether or not a beverage container such as a glass or decanter is placed on the saucer portion 62. Determine whether or not it has been done. If no beverage container is placed on the saucer portion 62 and the second weight sensor 64 does not detect a load corresponding to the weight of the beverage container, the control device 80 determines NO in step 104. This program is terminated and the processing from step 101 is executed again.

While executing the YES determination process in step 101, the NO determination process in step 104, and waiting for a beverage container to be placed on the saucer section 62. When the user places a beverage container such as a glass or a decanter on the saucer portion 62, the second weight sensor 64 detects a load corresponding to the weight of the beverage container, and the control device 80 selects YES in step 104. After making a determination, the process proceeds to step 105. In step 105, the control device 80 determines the type of beverage container placed on the saucer portion 62 from the weight detected by the second weight sensor 64, and sets a set pouring amount according to the capacity of the beverage container. Then, the closing start set weight for starting the operation of the valve mechanism operating section 50 is calculated, and the display lamp 57a is turned on in blue to indicate that the dispensing switch 57 is turned on and dispensing is possible. do.

In calculating the closing start set weight in step 105, the control device 80 calculates the amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 (estimated height of the beverage) stored in the memory and the amount to be poured out from the pouring cock 21. From the data of the graph showing the correlation with the flow rate of the beverage, the flow rate corresponding to the amount of beverage (estimated height of the beverage) in the liquid storage bag 20 was calculated from the weight detected by the first weight sensor 42. From the flow rate of the beverage, the amount poured out after the start of the closing operation is calculated from the time when the operation to close the valve mechanism operating section 50 is started until the valve mechanism section of the pouring cock 21 is completely closed. A closing start set weight is calculated, which is the weight obtained by subtracting the pouring amount after the start of the closing operation from the set pouring amount, which is set according to the capacity that varies depending on the type of the container. When the second weight sensor 64 detects this set closing start weight as an increase in weight from the weight of the beverage container, the valve mechanism operating section 50 is operated so that the valve mechanism section of the pouring cock 21 is closed. When the gear motor 56 starts operating, a set amount of beverage is dispensed into the beverage container of the saucer portion 62, including the amount dispensed after the start of the closing operation.

In step 106, the control device 80 determines whether or not the pouring switch 57 has been turned on, and if the pouring switch 57 has not been turned on, the process returns to step 104. Further, if the beverage container is lifted from the saucer section 62 without turning on the pouring switch 57, the control device 80 determines NO in step 104, ends this program, and repeats the process from step 101. Run again. With the beverage container placed on the saucer portion 62, the YES determination process in step 104, the NO determination process in step 105, and NO determination process in step 106 are repeatedly executed, and the pouring switch 57 is turned on. When the dispensing switch 57 is turned on while waiting for this, the control device 80 determines YES in step 106 and proceeds to step 107. In step 107, when the control device 80 starts operating the gear motor 56 of the valve mechanism operating section 50 so that the valve mechanism section of the pouring cock 21 is opened, the control device 80 starts operating the gear motor 56 of the valve mechanism operating section 50 so that the valve mechanism section of the pouring cock 21 is opened. Beverage is dispensed into a beverage container. Further, the control device 80 displays that the pouring cock 21 is in the state of pouring out a beverage by causing the display lamp 57a to change from blue to blinking.

After the control device 80 opens the valve mechanism operating section 50 in step 107, in step 108, the control device 80 determines, by the first weight sensor 42, that the remaining amount of the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 is less than the predetermined lower limit weight. is detected. This set lower limit weight is determined when the remaining amount of the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 decreases, for example, when the amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 is one glass (not limited to this, but about 1 to 2 glasses). This is the weight when the liquid storage bag 20 reaches an amount of about 100%, and it is the weight when the time for replacing the liquid storage bag 20 is approaching. If the first weight sensor 42 does not detect the remaining amount of the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 at the set lower limit weight, the control device 80 makes a negative determination in step 108 and proceeds to step 110.

In step 110, the control device 80 determines whether the second weight sensor 64 has detected a load greater than the weight of the beverage container, and determines whether the beverage container has been lifted from the saucer portion 62. . If the beverage container that receives the beverage dispensed from the pouring cock 21 is still placed on the saucer portion 62 and the second weight sensor 64 detects a load greater than the weight of the beverage container, the control device 80 In step 110, the determination is YES and the process proceeds to step 111. In step 111, the control device 80 determines whether the second weight sensor 64 has detected the above-mentioned closing start set weight as an increased weight, and adds the closing start set weight to the beverage container in the saucer portion 62. If the beverage has not been poured, a negative determination is made in step 111 and the process returns to step 108.

If the user accidentally lifts the beverage container from the saucer portion 62 while pouring a beverage from the pouring cock 21 into the beverage container in the saucer portion 62, the second weight sensor 64 detects a liquid that exceeds the weight of the beverage container. Since the load is no longer detected, the control device 80 makes a NO determination in step 110, and in step 114, controls the gear motor 56 of the valve mechanism operating section 50 so that the valve mechanism section of the pouring cock 21 is closed. The operation is started and the operating lever 52 is moved to the closed position. In this way, even if the beverage container is erroneously lifted from the saucer portion 62, it is possible to prevent the beverage from being continuously poured out from the pouring cock 21.

Further, when a drink of the set closing start weight is poured into the beverage container of the saucer part 62 while pouring the beverage from the pouring cock 21 to the beverage container of the saucer part 62, the second weight sensor 64 The set closing start weight is detected as an increase in weight from the weight of the beverage container, and the control device 80 determines YES in step 111 and proceeds to step 112. In step 112, the control device 80 starts operating the gear motor 56 of the valve mechanism operating section 50 so that the valve mechanism section of the pouring cock 21 is closed, and then the beverage flows from the pouring cock 21 into the saucer section 62. It will no longer be poured into a container. Further, the control device 80 displays that the beverage has been completely poured out from the pouring cock 21 by changing the display lamp 57a from flashing to lit in blue. The amount dispensed after the start of the closing operation of the dispensing cock 21 varies depending on the amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20, but the amount of the beverage dispensed in the saucer portion 62 is always filled regardless of the amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20. A predetermined amount of beverage is dispensed.

In step 113, the control device 80 determines whether the second weight sensor 64 has detected a load greater than the weight of the beverage container, and determines whether the beverage container has been lifted from the saucer portion 62. . If the beverage container is not lifted from the saucer portion 62, the second weight sensor 64 detects a load greater than the weight of the beverage container, and the control device 80 determines YES in step 113 and executes the process in step 113. Execute repeatedly. On the other hand, when the beverage container is lifted from the saucer portion 62, the second weight sensor 64 no longer detects a load greater than the weight of the beverage container, and the control device 80 determines NO in step 113 and executes the program. , and the process from step 101 is executed again.

When the process from step 101 described above is repeatedly executed by the automatic dispensing program, the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 is poured out from the pouring cock 21 into the beverage container in the saucer part 62, and the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 is gradually drained. decreases to When there are many drinks in the liquid storage bag 20 (when the liquid storage bag 20 is full), as shown in FIG. It is located at the lower part of the bag storage box 30 against the force. As the amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 gradually decreases, as shown in FIG. It rises due to the force, and the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 comes to be brought to the front pouring cock 21 side. Therefore, even if the remaining amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 becomes small, the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 will hardly remain in the lower part of the bag storage box 30, and the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 will be kept as much as possible. You will be able to pour it out.

Furthermore, a binding device 22 is provided at the lower part of the liquid storage bag 20 to bind the peripheral edge of the spouting cock 21 of the liquid storage bag 20 with a beverage passage formed on the rear side of the spouting cock 21. There is. As a result, the lower part of the liquid storage bag 20 below the spouting cock 21 can be lifted behind the spouting cock 21 by the binding tool 22, even when the amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 becomes low. Beverage hardly remains in the lower part of the liquid storage bag 20 below the pouring cock 21, and it becomes possible to pour out the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 without leaving as much as possible.

When the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 is repeatedly poured out from the pouring cock 21, the amount of the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 decreases. When the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 is being poured out from the pouring cock 21 into the beverage container in the saucer part 62, the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 decreases to the set lower limit weight, and the first weight sensor When the set lower limit weight is detected in step 42, the control device 80 determines YES in step 108 and proceeds to step 109. In step 109, the control device 80 changes the display lamp 57a from blinking blue to blinking orange, thereby indicating that the remaining amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 is low and the pouring state is in progress.

Even when the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 has decreased to the set lower limit weight, the beverage of the closing start set weight (the set pouring amount is reached after the valve mechanism is closed) is poured into the beverage container of the saucer part 62. When the second weight sensor 64 detects the set closing start weight as the increased weight, the control device 80 determines YES in step 111, and in step 112, the valve mechanism of the pouring cock 21 is activated. The gear motor 56 of the valve mechanism operating section 50 is started to operate so that the valve mechanism is closed, and the indicator lamp 57a changes from flashing pink to blue to indicate that the beverage has been poured out from the pouring cock 21. do.

On the other hand, when the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 has decreased to the set lower limit weight and the beverage of the set closing start weight cannot be dispensed into the beverage container of the saucer portion 62, the control device 80 performs the step Even if the processes from step 108 to step 111 are repeated and the beverage is no longer dispensed from the pouring cock 21, the operating lever 52 of the valve mechanism operating section 50 remains in the open position, and the display lamp 57a blinks in orange, indicating that the beverage is not being dispensed. The dispensing state is displayed when the remaining amount is low. Therefore, the user can know that the beverage has not been poured into the beverage container of the saucer section 62 because the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 has run out, and can also know that the beverage has not been poured into the beverage container of the saucer section 62. It is possible to know whether it is necessary to replace the liquid storage bag 20 with a new one.

In this state, when the beverage container of the saucer portion 62 is lifted, the second weight sensor 64 no longer detects a load greater than the weight of the beverage container, so the control device 80 determines NO in step 110. In step 114, the gear motor 56 of the valve mechanism operating section 50 is started to operate so that the valve mechanism section of the pouring cock 21 is closed, and the operating lever 52 is moved to the closed position. After lifting the beverage container from the saucer portion 62, the process from step 101 described above is executed again, and the display lamp 57a lights up in pink to indicate that it is in a standby state. Note that after replacing the liquid storage bag 20 with a new one, by manually operating the operating portion 52a of the operating lever 52, the insufficient amount of beverage can be poured into the beverage container placed on the saucer portion 62. .

In the dispenser 10 configured as described above, the control device 80 controls the pouring cock (pourout) according to the amount of beverage (liquid) in the liquid storage bag (liquid storage section) 20 based on the detected weight of the first weight sensor 42. 21) Calculate the flow rate of the beverage dispensed from the dispenser cock 21, start operating the valve mechanism operating unit 50 to close the valve mechanism of the dispenser cock 21 based on the calculated flow rate of the beverage, and then close the valve mechanism of the dispenser cock 21. The amount poured out after the start of the closing operation, which is poured out until the mechanism part completes closing, is calculated, and the second weight sensor 64 calculates the set weight at the start of closing, which is the weight obtained by subtracting the amount poured out after the start of the closing operation from the set amount poured out. When this is detected, the gear motor 56 of the valve mechanism operating section 50 is controlled to start closing.

The amount poured after the start of the closing operation is poured from when the valve mechanism operating section 50 starts the operation to close the valve mechanism section of the pouring cock 21 until the valve mechanism section of the pouring cock 21 is completely closed. The water level of the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 varies depending on the amount of beverage. The weight (liquid volume) of the beverage detected by the detected weight of the first weight sensor 42, that is, the flow rate of the beverage poured out from the pouring cock 21, which varies according to the water level of the beverage, is calculated, and the valve mechanism operation unit 50 Since the time required for dispensing from the start of operation to close the valve mechanism of the spout cock 21 until the valve mechanism completes closing is constant, based on this flow rate, the valve mechanism of the spout cock 21 is The amount poured out after the start of the closing operation is calculated by multiplying the time taken to pour out until the closing is completed. When the second weight sensor 64 detects the set closing start weight, which is the weight obtained by subtracting the pouring amount after starting the closing operation from the set pouring amount, the valve mechanism operating section 50 closes the valve mechanism section of the pouring cock 21. When the operation is started in this manner, liquid can always be poured into the beverage container (liquid receiver) placed on the saucer portion 62 of the placement portion 60 at an accurate set pouring amount.

Further, the control device 80 detects the capacity of the beverage container (liquid receiver) in the saucer section 62 of the placing section 60 from the detected weight of the second weight sensor 64 before executing the dispensing control. A setting means is provided for setting a set pouring amount according to the capacity of the beverage container (processing in step 105). By doing this, the capacity of the beverage container placed on the saucer section 62 of the placement section 60 can be detected without separately providing a detection means such as a cup sensor for detecting the capacity of the beverage container. be able to. In addition, since the preset pouring amount can be set according to the capacity of the beverage container placed on the placement section 60, even if beverage containers of various capacities are used, the saucer portion of the placement section 60 can be Beverage can be dispensed with an accurate set dispense amount according to the beverage container placed on the container 62.

Further, in this dispenser 10, the valve mechanism operation section 50 includes an operation lever 52 that can manually open and close the valve mechanism section of the dispensing cock 21. By doing this, after executing the automatic dispensing program and dispensing the beverage from the dispensing cock 21, the beverage can be additionally dispensed from the dispensing cock 21 by manually operating the operating lever 52. This makes it possible to adjust the amount of beverage in the drinking container.

In addition, in this dispenser 10, the control device 80 outputs information regarding the remaining amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 to the display lamp 57a as a predetermined output device based on the weight detected by the first weight sensor 42. is controlled. Specifically, the control device 80 controls whether the first weight sensor 42, when the set lower limit weight is detected, the display lamp 57a changes from blinking blue to blinking orange, indicating that the remaining amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 is low and the pouring state is in progress. (YES determination process in step 108 and process in step 109). This reduces the amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 and makes it possible to obtain information regarding the need to replenish the beverage.

In addition, in this dispenser 10, the control device 80 controls the saucer portion 62 of the placing portion 60 when the remaining amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 is low based on the first weight sensor 42 and the second weight sensor 64. Information regarding whether pouring of the beverage into the placed beverage container has been completed is controlled to be output to a display lamp 57a as a predetermined output device. Specifically, the control device 80 controls whether the first weight sensor 42, when the set lower limit weight is detected, the display lamp 57a changes from blinking blue to blinking orange, indicating that the remaining amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 is low and the pouring state is in progress. (YES determination process in step 108 and process in step 109). Furthermore, when the second weight sensor 64 detects the set closing start weight as an increased weight, the gear motor 56 of the valve mechanism operating section 50 is started to operate so that the valve mechanism section of the spouting cock 21 is closed, and the display lamp 57a changes from flashing orange to blue to indicate that the beverage has been normally poured out from the pouring cock 21 (YES determination process in step 111 and process in step 112).

On the other hand, if the second weight sensor 64 does not detect the closing start set weight as the increased weight when the remaining amount of the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 is small, the indicator lamp 57a continues to blink in orange. Since the beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 is no longer present, it can be known that the beverage has not been poured into the beverage container in the saucer part 62, and a new liquid storage bag 20 filled with beverage can be detected. You can learn about the need to replace it. As a result, after the amount of beverage in the liquid storage bag 20 becomes low, it is possible to know whether or not the set amount of beverage has been dispensed into the beverage container placed on the saucer portion 62. It is possible to prevent drinks that are less than the required amount from being provided. Note that although the display lamp 57a is used as the output device, the output device is not limited to this, and output using other lamps, other indicators such as a 7-segment display, a liquid crystal display, or a speaker that outputs a buzzer sound, etc. It may also be possible to use a device.

The dispenser 10 of the above embodiment dispenses beverages such as wine, but is not limited to this, and can dispense beverages other than wine such as water and juice, as well as high-temperature beverages such as miso soup and soup. Alternatively, it may be used to dispense other liquids such as low-grade juice (soup), detergent, medicine, etc. Further, although the dispenser 10 of this embodiment uses the liquid storage bag 20 as the liquid storage part for storing the beverage (liquid), the present invention is not limited to this, and a box-shaped container in which the liquid can be stored may be used. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Dispenser, 20... Liquid storage part (liquid storage bag), 21... Spout part (pour cock), 42... First weight sensor, 50... Valve mechanism operation part, 57a... Output device (display lamp), 60 ...Placement section, 64...Second weight sensor, 80...Control device.

Claims (5)

A liquid storage part that stores liquid;
a spouting part that pours out the liquid in the liquid storage part by its own weight by opening a built-in valve mechanism provided at a lower part of the liquid storage part;
the valve mechanism operation section that opens and closes the valve mechanism section of the spouting section;
a mounting section for mounting a liquid receiver for receiving the liquid poured out from the spouting section;
and a control device that executes pouring control to pour out a predetermined set pouring amount of liquid into the liquid receiver placed on the placing portion by controlling the operation of the valve mechanism operating portion. A dispenser,
a first weight sensor that detects the weight of the liquid storage section;
and a second weight sensor that detects the weight of the mounting section,
The control device calculates the flow rate of the liquid to be poured out from the spouting section according to the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section from the weight detected by the first weight sensor, and operates the valve mechanism based on the calculated flow rate of the liquid. calculating the amount poured out after the start of the closing operation, which is poured out from when the valve mechanism section is started to close the valve mechanism section until the valve mechanism section is completely closed;
The valve mechanism operating section is controlled to start closing when the second weight sensor detects a closing start set weight, which is the weight obtained by subtracting the pouring amount after the start of the closing operation from the set pouring amount. Characteristic dispenser. The dispenser according to claim 1,
The control device detects the capacity of the liquid receiver placed on the placement section from the weight detected by the second weight sensor before executing the pouring control, and the capacity of the liquid receiver is determined by the detected weight of the liquid receiver. A dispenser characterized by having a setting means for setting a set dispensing amount according to the capacity. The dispenser according to claim 1 or 2,
A dispenser characterized in that the valve mechanism operation section includes an operation lever that can manually open and close the valve mechanism section. The dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls to output information regarding the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion to a predetermined output device based on the weight detected by the first weight sensor. The dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The control device controls, based on the first weight sensor and the second weight sensor, injection of liquid into the liquid receiver placed on the placement unit when the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit is low. A dispenser characterized in that the dispenser is controlled to output information regarding whether or not dispensing is completed to a predetermined output device.

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