JP7485184B1 - Beverage supply equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To reduce the amount of hot water used and power consumption. [Solution] A beverage supplying device 1 supplies a beverage produced by an extractor 30 by discharging it from a nozzle 22a to a cup C placed on a beverage supplying section 22, and includes a control section 12 that, when predetermined cleaning conditions are met, supplies hot water to the extractor 30 as rinsing hot water and cleans the extractor 30 by discharging the rinsing hot water used to clean the extractor 30 from the nozzle 22a, and when the cumulative number of beverages supplied from the time when the previous cleaning conditions were met to the time when the current cleaning conditions are met is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value. [Selected Figure] Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a beverage supply device.

Patent Document 1 proposes a beverage supply device that extracts a beverage from ground ingredients and hot water using an extractor installed inside the device body, and supplies the extracted beverage to a cup, which is a container placed on a beverage supply unit, by ejecting the extracted beverage from a nozzle.

JP 2021-180713 A

Although not specifically mentioned in Patent Document 1, in the beverage supply device, the beverage production unit, such as the extractor, is cleaned according to a predetermined time schedule. This cleaning of the beverage production unit is performed by supplying hot water to the beverage production unit as rinsing hot water, and ejecting the rinsing hot water used to clean the beverage production unit from a nozzle. The rinsing hot water ejected from the nozzle is supplied to and stored in a drainage tray that constitutes the beverage supply unit.

In beverage supply devices that clean the beverage production unit in this way, the beverage production unit is cleaned periodically, so even if no beverage is supplied between the previous cleaning of the beverage production unit and the current cleaning of the beverage production unit, the beverage production unit is cleaned using rinsing hot water. In other words, hot water is used even if the beverage production unit is not dirty at all, resulting in an increase in the amount of hot water used and power consumption.

In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a beverage dispenser that can reduce the amount of hot water used and power consumption.

To achieve the above object, the beverage supplying device of the present invention is a beverage supplying device that supplies a beverage produced in a beverage production unit by discharging it from a nozzle to a container placed on the beverage supplying unit, and is equipped with a control unit that, when predetermined cleaning conditions are met, supplies hot water to the beverage production unit as rinsing hot water and cleans the beverage production unit by discharging the rinsing hot water used to clean the beverage production unit from the nozzle, and is characterized in that the control unit restricts the supply of the rinsing hot water to the beverage production unit when the cumulative number of beverages supplied from the time when the previous cleaning conditions were met to the time when the current cleaning conditions are met is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value.

The present invention is also characterized in that in the beverage supply device, when a predetermined rinse time has elapsed since the previous cleaning conditions were met, the control unit performs cleaning of the beverage preparation unit, assuming that the predetermined cleaning conditions are met.

The present invention is also characterized in that in the beverage supply device, when the rinse time has elapsed since the previous cleaning conditions were met, the control unit supplies a preset amount of rinse water to the beverage production unit when the integrated value is equal to or greater than a hot water amount judgment value that is greater than the reference value, and supplies a smaller amount of rinse water than the set amount to the beverage production unit when the integrated value is less than the hot water amount judgment value.

The present invention is also characterized in that in the beverage supply device, if the integrated value is equal to or greater than a maximum allowable value that is greater than the hot water amount judgment value, even before the rinsing time has elapsed since the previous cleaning condition was met, the control unit supplies the set amount of rinsing hot water to the beverage production unit, assuming that the specified cleaning condition is met.

The present invention is also characterized in that in the beverage supply device, the control unit clears the integrated value when the specified cleaning conditions are met.

According to the present invention, if the cumulative number of beverages supplied between the time when the previous cleaning conditions were met and the time when the current cleaning conditions are met is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value, the control unit restricts the supply of rinsing water to the beverage preparation unit, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the amount of hot water used and power consumption.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a beverage supplying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the beverage supply device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing main components of the beverage supply device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the beverage supplying operation of the beverage supplying device shown in FIGS. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the beverage supplying operation of the beverage supplying device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the beverage supplying operation of the beverage supplying device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the beverage supplying operation of the beverage supplying device shown in FIGS. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the beverage supplying operation of the beverage supplying device shown in FIGS. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the beverage supplying operation of the beverage supplying device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the cleaning operation of the extractor of the beverage supplying apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining the cleaning operation of the extractor of the beverage supplying device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram for explaining the cleaning operation of the extractor of the beverage supplying device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the cleaning determination process executed by the control unit shown in FIG.

The following describes in detail a preferred embodiment of the beverage supply device according to the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

<General configuration of beverage supply device>
Figures 1 to 3 each show a beverage supply device that is an embodiment of the present invention, where Figure 1 is an oblique view showing the external configuration of the beverage supply device, Figure 2 is an oblique view showing the internal structure of the beverage supply device, and Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the main components of the beverage supply device.

The beverage supply device 1 illustrated here is a coffee machine installed in a store such as a convenience store, and supplies a beverage such as coffee to a container, such as a cup C, by, for example, grinding beans and carrying out an extraction process. Such a beverage supply device 1 is configured with a main body cabinet 10 and a front door 20.

The main cabinet 10 is the device main body in the shape of a roughly rectangular parallelepiped with a front opening (not shown) on the front, and contains a beverage (e.g., coffee) making unit 11 and a control unit 12.

The front door 20 is a door body large enough to close the front opening of the main cabinet 10. This front door 20 is provided on the left edge of the front side of the main cabinet 10 so as to be able to swing around the central axis of an axis part (not shown) that extends in the vertical direction, and is capable of opening and closing the front opening of the main cabinet 10. The front side of the front door 20 constitutes the customer service surface, and is provided with a display unit 21, a beverage supply unit 22, and an opening and closing door 23.

The display unit 21 is configured, for example, with a liquid crystal touch panel, and displays various information in response to commands given by the control unit 12, and is capable of input operations such as touch operations. When an input operation such as a touch operation is performed, the display unit 21 sends a sales signal to the control unit 12.

The beverage supply unit 22 is provided below the display unit 21 and has a nozzle 22a and a stage 22b. The nozzle 22a ejects the beverage produced in the production unit 11 downward. The stage 22b is provided below the nozzle 22a. The stage 22b is used to place the cup C on. A drainage tray 24 is provided below the stage 22b.

The opening/closing door 23 is made of a translucent material such as a transparent resin, and is large enough to cover the entrance 22c of the beverage supply unit 22. The left end of the opening/closing door 23 is pivotally supported by the front door 20, and is capable of swinging in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the opening/closing door 23 can swing in the front-to-rear direction in a manner approaching and moving away from the beverage supply unit 22, and can close the entrance 22c of the beverage supply unit 22 when it swings backward in a manner approaching the beverage supply unit 22, and can open the entrance 22c of the beverage supply unit 22 when it swings forward in a manner moving away from the beverage supply unit 22.

The preparation unit 11 is configured with an extractor (beverage preparation section) 30, an ingredient supply section 50, a hot water supply section 60, an added hot water supply section 66, an air supply section 70, and a storage bucket 80.

The extractor 30 extracts coffee, a beverage, from ingredients supplied from the ingredient supply unit 50 and hot water supplied from the hot water supply unit 60, and supplies it to the beverage supply unit 22.

The extractor 30 is comprised of a grinder 32, a brewer unit 34, a pinch mechanism 36, a scraper 38, and a group of valves 40.

The crusher 32 is what is commonly called a mill. The crusher 32 is driven when a drive command is given to the crusher drive unit 32a, which is an actuator. The crusher 32 is installed below the raw material box 51, and is connected to the raw material box 51 via a raw material supply chute 52.

When the grinder 32 is driven, it grinds the coffee beans guided by the raw material supply chute 52 and feeds the ground coffee beans (hereinafter also referred to as ground coffee beans) through the raw material chute section 33 into the brewer unit 34. This raw material chute section 33 has a raw material passage through which the ground coffee beans fall.

The brewer unit 34 is composed of a cylinder 341, a top seal portion 342, and a filter block 343. The cylinder 341 is generally cylindrical. The top seal portion 342 opens and closes the top opening of the cylinder 341. In such a top seal portion 342, a cylindrical passage component 35 whose inside is connected to the top opening is formed in such a manner that it extends upward.

This passageway component 35 is made of a resin material such as silicone, and has an elliptical cross section. A part of the ingredient chute section 33 is inserted from above into the hollow section of such passageway component 35, and as a result, the hollow section forms a passage through which ground coffee beans and mixed water (hot water) pass, as will be described in detail later, and its inner wall surface is water repellent.

A part of the upper end of the hollow part of the passage component 35 is connected to the exhaust duct 49 in a manner that separates it from the raw material chute section 33. The exhaust duct 49 not only communicates with the passage component 35, but also communicates with the inside of the cylinder 341 via the passage component 35. Such an exhaust duct 49 is provided with an exhaust fan 46. This exhaust fan 46 is driven by an exhaust fan drive section 46a, which is an actuator, in response to a command given from the control section 12, and when driven, exhausts the air inside the cylinder 341 to the outside through the exhaust duct 49.

The filter block 343 is generally box-shaped and movable in the vertical direction below the cylinder 341, with its upper surface being large enough to close the lower opening of the cylinder 341. This filter block 343 is provided with a disk-shaped metal mesh member (not shown) with multiple holes formed therein, and is connected to a beverage supply path 48 that communicates with these holes. This beverage supply path 48 is configured by connecting a beverage supply pipe, and connects the filter block 343 to the nozzle 22a.

This filter block 343 moves in the vertical direction when the filter block drive unit 343b, which is an actuator, is driven in response to a command given by the control unit 12. When the filter block 343 rises, it presses against the bottom opening of the cylinder 341 to close it.

The pinch mechanism 36 is provided above the top seal portion 342. This pinch mechanism 36 has a first pinch component 361 and a second pinch component 362 that extend in the left-right direction and are arranged at a distance from each other in the front-rear direction, and a passage component 35 is arranged between the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362.

In the normal state, the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362 are positioned at the farthest distance from each other, and the pinch mechanism 36 has no effect on the passage component 35. On the other hand, when the pinch motor 36a drives the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362 to come closest to each other, the pinch mechanism 36 elastically deforms the lower part of the passage component 35 to close a part of the passage. By closing a part of the passage in this way, the passage is restricted from being passed by ground coffee beans or the like. The part where the pinch mechanism 36 clamps the passage component 35 to close a part of the passage is the lower part of the passage component 35, i.e., the part below the area where the raw material chute section 33 is inserted.

The scraper 38 moves in the front-rear direction when the scraper drive unit 382, which is an actuator, is driven by a command given by the control unit 12 and power is transmitted to the scraper 38. To explain in more detail, the scraper 38 is installed so that it can move forward and backward in the front-rear direction between a standby position that is rearward of the filter block 343 and an advanced position that is forward of the filter block 343, and is normally positioned in the standby position.

The scraper 38 can slide against the upper surface of the mesh member of the filter block 343 that has moved to the lowest position when moving forward from the standby position to the advanced position and when moving backward from the advanced position to the standby position, and removes the extraction residue K (see Figure 8) placed on the mesh member when moving forward from the standby position to the advanced position.

The valve group 40 is composed of an air valve 41, a hot water valve 42, and a coffee valve 43.

The air valve 41 is a switching valve configured with an air valve shaft that can be displaced inside the air valve case, and switches the communication state of four ports formed in the air valve case in response to the displacement of the air valve shaft. The four ports formed in the air valve case are an air inlet port 411a, an agitation air discharge port 411b, an extraction air discharge port 411c, and an opening port 411d.

The air inlet port 411a is connected to the air supply path 71 that constitutes the air supply unit 70. The mixing air outlet port 411b is connected to the mixing air line 401. This mixing air line 401 is composed of a mixing air supply pipe and is connected to the coffee valve 43.

The extraction air discharge port 411c is connected to the extraction air line 402. This extraction air line 402 is composed of an extraction air supply pipe and is connected to the top seal portion 342. The release port 411d is an opening for opening the inside of the air valve case.

The air valve shaft is normally positioned at a reference position, and is displaced to the tip position when pressed.

In such an air valve 41, when the air valve shaft is positioned at the reference position, the air inlet port 411a and the agitation air discharge port 411b are in communication with each other, and the extracted air discharge port 411c and the release port 411d are in communication with each other. On the other hand, when the air valve shaft is positioned at the tip position, the air inlet port 411a and the extracted air discharge port 411c are in communication with each other, and the agitation air discharge port 411b and the release port 411d are not in communication with each other.

The air valve shaft of the air valve 41 can also be positioned at an intermediate position between the reference position and the tip position. When the air valve shaft is positioned at an intermediate position in this manner, the air inlet port 411a, the stirring air discharge port 411b, the extraction air discharge port 411c, and the release port 411d are all in communication.

The hot water valve 42 is a switching valve configured with a hot water valve shaft that can be displaced inside the hot water valve case, and switches the communication state of three ports formed in the hot water valve case in accordance with the displacement of the hot water valve shaft. The three ports formed in this hot water valve case are the hot water introduction port 421a, the first hot water discharge port 421b, and the second hot water discharge port 421c.

The hot water introduction port 421a is connected to the hot water supply path 65 that constitutes the hot water supply section 60. The first hot water discharge port 421b is connected to the mixed hot water supply path 403. This mixed hot water supply path 403 is composed of a mixed hot water supply pipe and is connected to a mixed hot water nozzle (not shown) formed in the raw material chute section 33. Here, the mixed hot water nozzle is provided in a manner that faces the raw material passage in the raw material chute section 33, and discharges the mixed hot water in a fan shape diagonally downward. To explain in more detail, the mixed hot water nozzle discharges the mixed hot water in a manner that blocks a part of the raw material passage in the raw material chute section 33.

As a result, the extractor 30 mixes the ground coffee beans and mixed water in the air in the raw material chute section 33, and then causes this mixture to collide with the inner wall surface of the raw material passage and then drop downward along the inner wall surface, without coming into contact with the inner wall surface of the passage component 35.

The second hot water discharge port 421c is connected to the hot water supply path 405. This hot water supply path 405 is composed of hot water supply piping and is connected to a hot water supply nozzle (not shown) formed in the top seal portion 342. Here, the hot water supply nozzle discharges hot water supplied through the hot water supply path 405 downward in a shower-like manner.

The hot water valve shaft is normally positioned at a reference position, and is displaced to the tip position when it is pressed.

In such a hot water valve 42, when the hot water valve shaft is positioned at the reference position, the hot water inlet port 421a and the first hot water outlet port 421b are in communication. On the other hand, when the hot water valve shaft is positioned at the tip position, the hot water inlet port 421a and the second hot water outlet port 421c are in communication.

The coffee valve 43 is disposed midway along the beverage supply path 48. This coffee valve 43 is a switching valve similar to the air valve 41 and hot water valve 42, and switches the communication state of the three ports.

The three ports in the coffee valve 43 are a coffee inlet port 431a, an agitating air inlet port 431b, and a coffee discharge port 431c. The coffee inlet port 431a is connected to the filter block 343 (brewer unit 34) through a portion of the beverage supply path 48. The agitating air inlet port 431b is connected to the agitating air line 401. The coffee discharge port 431c is connected to the nozzle 22a of the beverage supply unit 22 through a portion of the beverage supply path 48.

Such a coffee valve 43 switches between a first communication state in which the coffee introduction port 431a and the coffee discharge port 431c are in communication with each other, and a second communication state in which the stirring air introduction port 431b and the coffee introduction port 431a are in communication with each other.

In this type of valve group 40, the air valve 41, hot water valve 42, and coffee valve 43 are linked to a common valve actuator 40b, and the valve actuator 40b is driven to rotate cams and gears, switching the communication state of each port of the air valve 41, hot water valve 42, and coffee valve 43.

As shown in FIG. 3, a drain valve 44 is provided in the beverage supply path 48 that connects the filter block 343 and the coffee valve 43.

The drain valve 44 is a switching valve similar to the air valve 41, hot water valve 42, and coffee valve 43, and switches the communication state of the three ports.

The three ports in the drain valve 44 are an inlet port 441a, a first outlet port 441b, and a second outlet port 441c. The inlet port 441a is connected to the filter block 343 (brewer unit 34) through a portion of the beverage supply path 48. The first outlet port 441b is connected to a drainage path 471 that is provided in a manner extending to the storage bucket 80. The second outlet port 441c is connected to a beverage supply pipe that is connected to the coffee valve 43.

Such a drainage valve 44 switches between a first delivery state in which the inlet port 441a and the first discharge port 441b are in communication with each other, and a second delivery state in which the inlet port 441a and the second discharge port 441c are in communication with each other.

The raw material supply unit 50 supplies coffee beans, which are a beverage raw material, to the extraction machine 30, and is provided with a raw material box 51. The raw material box 51 contains roasted coffee beans, and is provided in such a manner that a portion of it protrudes upward from the top plate portion 13 of the main body cabinet 10. This raw material box 51 is provided with a raw material supply drive unit 51a. The raw material supply drive unit 51a drives the raw material supply motor 51b, which is the drive source, when a drive command is given from the control unit 12, and dispenses a predetermined amount of coffee beans included in the drive command through the raw material supply chute 52.

The hot water supply unit 60 supplies hot water to the extraction machine 30, and is configured by sequentially connecting a hot water tank 61, a first hot water pump 62, a sub-tank 63, and a second hot water pump 64 to a hot water supply path 65 formed by hot water supply piping.

The hot water tank 61 heats supplied water, such as tap water, with a heater (not shown) and stores it as hot water. The first hot water pump 62 is composed of, for example, a centrifugal pump, and when driven by a command given from the control unit 12, it sends out a fixed amount of hot water from the hot water tank 61 to the subtank 63. The subtank 63 has a smaller volume than the hot water tank 61, and temporarily stores the hot water sent out by the first hot water pump 62. The second hot water pump 64 is composed of, for example, a gear pump, and when driven by a command given from the control unit 12, it sends out hot water from the subtank 63.

The hot water supply unit 66 is configured with an added hot water supply path 661 and an added hot water pump 662. The added hot water supply path 661 is configured by connecting multiple added hot water supply pipes, with one end connected between the sub-tank 63 and the second hot water pump 64 in the hot water supply path 65, and the other end connected between the coffee valve 43 and the nozzle 22a in the beverage supply path 48.

The added hot water pump 662 is provided in the added hot water supply path 661. The added hot water pump 662 is composed of a volumetric pump such as a diaphragm pump, and is driven in response to a command given from the control unit 12. When the added hot water pump 662 is driven, it sends hot water from the sub-tank 63 to the nozzle 22a through the added hot water supply path 661 as the added hot water that constitutes the coffee, and when it is stopped, it restricts the sending of the added hot water to the nozzle 22a through the added hot water supply path 661.

The air supply unit 70 supplies pressurized air to the extractor 30. This air supply unit 70 is configured by providing an air pump 72 in an air supply path 71 formed by air supply piping. The air pump 72 is driven in response to a command given by the control unit 12, and compresses air and sends it out as pressurized air.

The collection bucket 80 is installed below the extractor 30 and is used to collect the extraction grounds K and other waste generated by the extraction of beverages using the extractor 30.

The control unit 12 comprehensively controls the operation of each part of the beverage dispenser 1 according to programs and data stored in a memory unit (not shown). The control unit 12 may be realized, for example, by having a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) execute a program, i.e., by software, or may be realized by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware.

<Beverage supply operation>
In the beverage dispenser 1 described above, as shown in Figures 4 to 9, coffee, which is a beverage, is dispensed to a cup C placed on the stage 22b of the beverage dispenser 22. As a premise, hot water is stored in the hot water tank 61, and in the air valve 41, the air valve shaft is placed at a reference position, and the air introduction port 411a and the stirring air discharge port 411b communicate with each other, and the extraction air discharge port 411c and the release port 411d communicate with each other. In the hot water valve 42, the hot water introduction port 421a and the first hot water discharge port 421b communicate with each other, and in the coffee valve 43, the stirring air introduction port 431b and the coffee introduction port 431a communicate with each other. In the following description, the operation of the added hot water dispenser 66 will be omitted.

When the user touches the display unit 21, the control unit 12 receives a sales signal for the selected beverage, and as shown in FIG. 4, issues a command to the filter block drive unit 343b to move the filter block 343 upward. The control unit 12 also sets the drain valve 44 to the first delivery state, connecting the inlet port 441a to the second outlet port 441c.

Then, the control unit 12 issues a drive command to the raw material supply drive unit 51a to cause the grinder 32 to dispense an amount of coffee beans corresponding to the beverage. The control unit 12 stops driving the raw material supply drive unit 51a after a predetermined amount of coffee beans has been dispensed to the grinder 32.

Then, the control unit 12 issues a drive command to the grinder drive unit 32a while issuing a drive command to the first hot water pump 62 and the second hot water pump 64. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, hot water in the hot water tank 61 is supplied to the mixed hot water nozzle through the hot water valve 42 and the mixed hot water supply path 403, and is discharged as mixed hot water from the mixed hot water nozzle, and the grinder 32 grinds the coffee beans and discharges the ground coffee beans into the raw material chute unit 33. As a result, the ground coffee beans fall in the raw material chute unit 33 and mix with the mixed hot water in the air, and the mixture collides with the inner wall surface of the raw material passage before being thrown into the cylinder 341. The control unit 12 stops the grinder drive unit 32a after discharging a predetermined amount of ground coffee beans, and stops the first hot water pump 62 and the second hot water pump 64 after discharging a predetermined amount of mixed hot water.

Then, the control unit 12 drives the air pump 72, and the pressurized air is sent in the order of the air valve 41 (air inlet port 411a-mixing air outlet port 411b), the mixing air line 401, the coffee valve 43, the beverage supply path 48, the drain valve 44 (second outlet port 441c-inlet port 441a), and the brewer unit 34, as shown in FIG. 5, to mix the mixture. The pressurized air sent to the brewer unit 34 in this way and used to mix the mixture is sent in the order of the extraction air line 402 and the air valve 41 (extraction air outlet port 411c-release port 411d), and is released from the release port 411d.

After stirring the mixture in this manner, the control unit 12 issues a drive command to the valve actuator 40b, displacing the hot water valve shaft of the hot water valve 42 to connect the hot water inlet port 421a to the second hot water outlet port 421c.

Then, the control unit 12 issues a drive command to the first hot water pump 62 and the second hot water pump 64, so that hot water in the hot water tank 61 is supplied to the hot water nozzle through the hot water valve 42 and the hot water supply path 405, and is discharged from the hot water supply nozzle in a shower-like manner, as shown in FIG. 6. Pressurized air is also sent in the order of the air valve 41 (air inlet port 411a-mixing air outlet port 411b), the mixing air line 401, the coffee valve 43, the beverage supply path 48, the drainage valve 44 (second outlet port 441c-inlet port 441a), and the brewer unit 34 to further mix the mixture. The pressurized air thus sent to the brewer unit 34 and used to mix the mixture is sent in the order of the extraction air line 402 and the air valve 41 (extraction air outlet port 411c-release port 411d), and is released from the release port 411d. The control unit 12 stops the operation of the first hot water pump 62 and the second hot water pump 64 after discharging a predetermined amount of hot water.

After discharging a predetermined amount of hot water, the control unit 12 drives the pinch motor 36a to bring the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362 closer to each other, as shown in FIG. 7, thereby elastically deforming the lower part of the passage component 35 and closing a part of the passage. This allows the inside of the cylinder 341 to be sealed.

The control unit 12 also issues a drive command to the valve actuator 40b to displace the air valve shaft of the air valve 41 to the tip position, thereby connecting the air inlet port 411a to the extracted air outlet port 411c. It also connects the coffee inlet port 431a to the coffee outlet port 431c of the coffee valve 43.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, pressurized air from the air pump 72 is sent through the air valve 41 (air inlet port 411a-extracted air outlet port 411c), the extraction air line 402, and the brewer unit 34 in that order, extracting coffee, which is then supplied to the nozzle 22a via the beverage supply path 48 and dispensed from the nozzle 22a into the cup C.

When a predetermined amount of coffee is dispensed into the cup C, the control unit 12 issues a drive command to the valve actuator 40b to displace the air valve shaft of the air valve 41 to a reference position, connecting the air inlet port 411a to the stirring air discharge port 411b, connecting the extraction air discharge port 411c to the release port 411d, connecting the stirring air inlet port 431b to the coffee inlet port 431a of the coffee valve 43, and then stops driving the air pump 72.

This allows the user to swing the opening/closing door 23 in the opening direction to remove the cup C from the beverage supply unit 22. The pressurized air used for extraction is sent out in the order of the extraction air line 402 and the air valve 41 (extraction air discharge port 411c-open port 411d), and is released from the open port 411d, thereby reducing the internal pressure of the brewer unit 34. The control unit 12 also drives the pinch motor 36a to separate the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362 from each other, thereby elastically deforming the passage component 35 back to its original state and releasing the closed state.

Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 12 issues a command to the filter block driving unit 343b to lower the filter block 343. At this time, the extraction residue K is placed above the filter block 343.

After lowering the filter block 343, the control unit 12 issues a forward rotation drive command to the scraper drive unit 382 to move the scraper 38 forward from the standby position to the advanced position, as shown in FIG. 9. This allows the extracted residue K to be removed from the upper area of the filter block 343 and discharged into the storage bucket 80. The control unit 12 then issues a reverse rotation drive command to the scraper drive unit 382 to move the scraper 38 backward from the advanced position to the standby position.

After performing the supply operation in this manner, the control unit 12 counts the number of beverages (coffee) supplied and stores the accumulated value in the memory unit.

<Cleaning Operation of Extractor 30>
Next, a description will be given of the cleaning operation of the extractor 30. Note that this cleaning operation is performed according to the result of a cleaning determination process, which will be described later.

Assuming that the specified cleaning conditions are met, the control unit 12 issues a command to the filter block drive unit 343b to move the filter block 343 upward, as shown in FIG. 10. The control unit 12 also puts the drainage valve 44 into the first delivery state, and connects the introduction port 441a to the second discharge port 441c. The control unit 12 also issues a drive command to the valve actuator 40b, and in the air valve 41, the air introduction port 411a is connected to the stirring air discharge port 411b and the extraction air discharge port 411c is connected to the release port 411d, in the hot water valve 42, the hot water introduction port 421a is connected to the first hot water discharge port 421b, and in the coffee valve 43, the stirring air introduction port 431b is connected to the coffee introduction port 431a.

Then, the control unit 12 issues a drive command to the first hot water pump 62 and the second hot water pump 64, so that hot water in the hot water tank 61 is supplied to the hot water supply nozzle through the hot water valve 42 and the hot water supply path 405, and a predetermined amount of rinsing hot water is sprayed in a shower-like manner from the hot water supply nozzle.

Then, the control unit 12 drives the air pump 72, and pressurized air is sent out in the following order through the air valve 41 (air inlet port 411a - mixing air outlet port 411b), the mixing air line 401, the coffee valve 43, the beverage supply path 48, the drain valve 44 (second outlet port 441c - inlet port 441a), and the brewer unit 34, stirring the rinsing water. As a result, the inside of the brewer unit 34 is washed with the rinsing water.

The pressurized air thus sent to the brewer unit 34 and used to stir the rinsing water is sent in this order to the extraction air line 402 and the air valve 41 (extracted air discharge port 411c - release port 411d), and is released from the release port 411d. The control unit 12 stops the operation of the first hot water pump 62 and the second hot water pump 64 after a predetermined amount of rinsing water has been discharged.

After stirring the predetermined amount of rinse water in this manner, the control unit 12 drives the pinch motor 36a to bring the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362 closer to each other, as shown in FIG. 11, thereby elastically deforming the lower part of the passage component 35 and closing a part of the passage. This allows the inside of the cylinder 341 to be sealed.

The control unit 12 also issues a drive command to the valve actuator 40b to displace the air valve shaft of the air valve 41, thereby connecting the air inlet port 411a to the extracted air outlet port 411c. It also connects the coffee inlet port 431a to the coffee outlet port 431c of the coffee valve 43.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, pressurized air from the air pump 72 is sent through the air valve 41 (air inlet port 411a-extracted air outlet port 411c), the extraction air line 402, and the brewer unit 34 in that order, causing the rinsing water to be discharged from the brewer unit 34. The discharged rinsing water is supplied to the nozzle 22a via the beverage supply path 48 and is discharged downward from the nozzle 22a. The rinsing water discharged from the nozzle 22a in this way is stored in the drain tray 24.

When a predetermined amount of rinse water has been discharged, the control unit 12 issues a drive command to the valve actuator 40b to displace the air valve shaft of the air valve 41, connecting the air inlet port 411a to the stirring air discharge port 411b, connecting the extraction air discharge port 411c to the release port 411d, and connecting the stirring air inlet port 431b to the coffee inlet port 431a of the coffee valve 43, and then stops driving the air pump 72.

As a result, the pressurized air used to eject the rinsing water is sent in the order of the extraction air line 402 and the air valve 41 (extracted air ejection port 411c - release port 411d), and is released from the release port 411d, thereby lowering the internal pressure of the brewer unit 34. The control unit 12 also drives the pinch motor 36a to separate the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362 from each other, thereby elastically deforming the passage component 35 back to its original state and releasing the closed state.

Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 12 issues a command to the filter block drive unit 343b to lower the filter block 343. The control unit 12 also sets the drain valve 44 to the first delivery state, connecting the inlet port 441a to the first outlet port 441b. As a result, the rinsing water remaining inside the brewer unit 34 flows through the drain path 471 and is discharged into the storage bucket 80.

<Cleaning Judgment Process>
FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the cleaning determination process executed by the control unit 12 shown in FIG.

In FIG. 13, the control unit 12 determines whether a predetermined rinse time has elapsed since the previous cleaning conditions were met (step S101). If the rinse time has not elapsed (step S101: No), the control unit 12 repeats the process.

If the rinse time has elapsed (step S101: Yes), the control unit 12 determines whether the cumulative number of beverages dispensed until the current rinse time has elapsed, i.e., the cumulative number stored in the memory unit, is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value (e.g., "0 times") (step S102).

If the accumulated value is equal to or less than the reference value (step S102: Yes), the control unit 12 clears the accumulated value (step S103) without cleaning the extractor 30, and then returns the procedure to end the current process.

On the other hand, if the accumulated value is not equal to or less than the reference value (step S102: No), i.e., if the accumulated value exceeds the reference value, the control unit 12 determines whether the accumulated value is equal to or greater than a hot water volume judgment value (e.g., "10 times") that is greater than the reference value (step S104).

If the integrated value is equal to or greater than the hot water amount judgment value (step S104: Yes), the control unit 12 supplies a preset amount of hot water as a predetermined amount of rinsing hot water in the cleaning operation of the extractor 30 (step S105). Having thus supplied the set amount of hot water as a predetermined amount of rinsing hot water to perform the cleaning operation of the extractor 30, the control unit 12 performs the above step S103, and then returns the procedure to end the current process.

On the other hand, if the accumulated value is less than the hot water amount judgment value (step S104: No), the control unit 12 supplies a smaller amount of hot water than the preset amount in the cleaning operation of the extractor 30 as a predetermined amount of rinsing hot water (step S106). Having thus performed the cleaning operation of the extractor 30 by supplying a smaller amount of hot water than the preset amount as a predetermined amount of rinsing hot water, the control unit 12 performs the above step S103, and then returns the procedure to end the current process.

According to the beverage supply device 1 as described above, the control unit 12 determines that the specified cleaning conditions are met when a specified rinse time has elapsed since the previous cleaning conditions were met, and if the cumulative number of beverages supplied until the rinse time has elapsed is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value, it restricts the supply of rinsing water to the extraction machine 30, thereby reducing the amount of hot water used and power consumption. Moreover, by restricting the supply of rinsing water to the extraction machine 30, it is possible to prevent the rinsing water from overflowing from the drain tray 24, etc.

According to the beverage supply device 1, when the rinsing time has elapsed since the previous cleaning conditions were met, the control unit 12 supplies a preset amount of rinsing water to the extraction machine 30 when the accumulated value is equal to or greater than the hot water amount judgment value, which is greater than the reference value, while supplying a smaller amount of rinsing water than the set amount to the extraction machine 30 when the accumulated value is less than the hot water amount judgment value. This allows the amount of rinsing water to be increased or decreased depending on the magnitude of the accumulated value, which also reduces the amount of hot water used and power consumption.

The above describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications can be made.

In the above-described embodiment, the amount of rinsing water was increased or decreased depending on whether the accumulated value was equal to or greater than a single water volume judgment value. However, in the present invention, multiple water volume judgment values of different magnitudes may be set, and the amount of rinsing water may be increased or decreased more precisely depending on the magnitude of the accumulated value.

In the above-described embodiment, the cleaning condition is met by the passage of the rinse time, but in the present invention, if the cumulative number of beverages supplied reaches or exceeds a maximum allowable value that is greater than the hot water amount judgment value before the rinse time has elapsed, the cleaning condition may be met and the beverage preparation unit may be cleaned. In this case, the amount of rinsing hot water is preferably a set amount. Also, the rinse time does not have to be a fixed length, and may be increased or decreased depending on the magnitude of the cumulative number of beverages supplied.

Although not specifically mentioned in the above embodiment, cleaning of the beverage preparation unit may be performed by performing an input operation on a specific input operation unit.

1...beverage supply device, 10...main cabinet, 11...production unit, 12...control unit, 20...front door, 22...beverage supply unit, 30...extractor, 50...ingredient supply unit, 60...hot water supply unit, 70...air supply unit, 80...container bucket, C...cup.

Claims (4)

A beverage supplying device that supplies a beverage prepared in a beverage preparation unit by discharging the beverage from a nozzle to a container placed on a beverage supplying unit,
a control unit for supplying hot water as rinsing hot water to the beverage preparation unit when predetermined cleaning conditions are met, and for discharging the rinsing hot water used for cleaning the beverage preparation unit from the nozzle,
A beverage supply device characterized in that the control unit regulates the supply of rinsing water to the beverage production unit when the accumulated number of beverages supplied between the time when the previous cleaning conditions were met and the time when the current cleaning conditions are met is below a predetermined standard value. The beverage supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit performs cleaning of the beverage preparation unit, assuming that the predetermined cleaning conditions are met, when a predetermined rinse time has elapsed since the previous cleaning conditions were met. The beverage supply device according to claim 2, characterized in that, when the rinsing time has elapsed since the previous cleaning conditions were met, the control unit supplies a preset amount of rinsing water to the beverage production unit when the integrated value is equal to or greater than a hot water amount judgment value that is greater than the reference value, and supplies a smaller amount of rinsing water than the set amount to the beverage production unit when the integrated value is less than the hot water amount judgment value. The beverage supply device described in claim 3, characterized in that when the integrated value becomes equal to or greater than a maximum allowable value that is greater than the hot water volume judgment value, even before the rinse time has elapsed since the previous cleaning condition was met, the control unit supplies the set amount of rinse hot water to the beverage production unit, determining that the specified cleaning condition is met .

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