JPH0222766Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Field of industrial application) This invention is a cup-type beverage vending machine that dispenses hot beverages such as coffee or cold beverages such as soft drinks into beverage cups for sale. This invention relates to a water supply circuit for a cup-type beverage vending machine which is equipped with a water storage tank to store drinking water and supplies water from the water storage tank to a beverage circuit inside the machine via a sterilization filter.

[Conventional technology]

The above-mentioned vending machine is installed at a staircase landing in a store or in a hallway in an office where water pipes are not connected nearby, and the vending machine has a built-in cassette-type water storage tank, which connects the beverage circuit to the inside of the aircraft. A device in which drinks are prepared by supplying water to the container is known.

FIG. 5 shows a beverage circuit system diagram of a conventional cup-type beverage vending machine with a built-in cassette-type beverage tank. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a cassette-type water storage tank installed inside the aircraft to store drinking water supplied from the tap.A water supply pipe 2 led out from the water storage tank 1 is connected to a water-out detection device 3 in order from the tank side. , a water pump 4, and a sterilizing filter 5 are connected, and on the outlet side of the sterilizing filter 5, a hot beverage line 7 and a cold beverage line 8, which will be described later, are branched and drawn out via a branch pipe 6. Here, the hot beverage line 7 includes a hot water tank 11 equipped with a water supply valve 9 and a heater 10 to the hot water tank;
The hot water supply valve 12 and the mixing bowl 13 are connected to a pipe above the beverage cup 14 which is carried out to the bending stage. The mixing bowl 13 is equipped with a powder raw material container for coffee, cocoa, etc. (not shown), and the hot water tank 11 is equipped with a float-type high riser that gives an opening command to the water supply valve 9, as is well known. A water level switch 15 is equipped.
On the other hand, the cold beverage line 8 includes a drinking water cooling coil 16 which is branched from the branch pipe 6 and is piped between a bending stage where the drinking cup 14 is carried out.
A water line 18 passing through the three-way solenoid valve 17, a carbonated water line 21 branched from the three-way solenoid valve 17 and passing through a carbonator 19 and a carbonated water valve 20, a syrup cooling coil 22 drawn from a syrup tank (not shown), and a syrup cooling coil 22. It consists of a syrup line 24 that passes through a valve 23. The drinking water cooling coil 16, carbonator 19, syrup cooling coil 22, etc. are immersed in cooling water in a cooling water tank 25.

The beverage sales operation in the above circuit configuration is performed as follows. For example, when a hot beverage sales command is given from the sales standby state, the hot water tank 1
A predetermined amount of hot water is carried out from 1, mixed with the powdered raw material carried out at the same time in a mixing bowl 13, and then supplied to a cup 14. On the other hand, when a cold beverage sales command is given, the valves 17, 20, and 23 of each line of the cold beverage line 8 are opened, and at the same time, an operation signal is applied to the water pump 4, and the syrup and carbonated water are diluted from the water storage tank 1. Water is supplied to the cup 14.

[The problem that the idea aims to solve]

By the way, the above-mentioned method of supplying water with a cassette-type water storage tank differs from the method of supplying water by connecting directly to the water supply because the drinking water stored in the cassette-type water storage tank remains stored for a long time. , water quality control is strictly regulated under the Food Sanitation Law, and for this reason, as shown in the figure, the water supply pipe is usually equipped with a sterilizing filter 5 to sterilize drinking water before it is sold. has been adopted. The sterilizing filter 5 is made of, for example, a filter cloth bound with activated carbon powder that removes limescale contained in water and a chemical powder having a sterilizing and disinfecting action.

However, in such a water supply circuit that supplies water by interposing a sterilizing filter in the water supply pipe, the following problems occur. In other words, during the initial water supply immediately after setting a new sterilizing filter, the unstable powders that have adhered to the filter cloth of the sterilizing filter are separated from the filter cloth by the water supply pressure of the water pump, and the drinking water is released. This may cause problems such as contamination. Note that the outflow of this powder will no longer occur and will become stable once water is passed through it to a certain extent. Furthermore, when sanitizing the beverage circuit, particularly the cold beverage line, on a regular basis, it is difficult to inject a sterilizing chemical into the beverage line with the conventional circuit configuration. In other words, when the sanitation liquid, which is a medicinal solution, is injected from the starting end of the water supply pipe 2 shown in FIG. As a result, the chemical components in the sanitation liquid are adsorbed by the activated carbon of the sterilization filter, reducing the sanitation effect on the beverage line. For this purpose, the conventional method has been to remove the sterilizing filter and inject sanitation liquid from the end of the pipe, but this method is time-consuming and extremely difficult to service.

This invention was developed in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and it solves the problems of the conventional water supply circuit described above, and it is possible to eliminate the defective water system by a simple method during the initial water flow after replacing the sterilizing filter and when sanitizing the drinking line. It is an object of the present invention to provide a water supply circuit that allows direct injection of a sanitation chemical solution into external drainage and a drinking line.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, this invention is a cup-type beverage vending machine equipped with a cassette-type water storage tank inside the shelf, and configured to supply water from the water storage tank to the in-flight beverage line via a water pump and a sterilization filter. In the water supply circuit, a three-way switching valve having a branch port opened to the outside of the system is connected to the outlet side of the sterilizing filter, and during normal sales, the branch port of the three-way switching valve is closed to supply water to the beverage line; At the time of initial water flow after replacing the sterilizing filter and when sanitizing the beverage line, the branch port is opened to drain defective water flowing through the sterilizing filter and inject sanitation liquid into the beverage line, respectively. It is something.

[Effect]

According to the above means, by switching the three-way switching valve connected to the outlet side of the sterilizing filter, drainage of defective water flowing through the sterilizing filter and injection of sanitation liquid into the beverage line can be performed through the branch port of the three-way switching valve. It becomes easy to do.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a water supply circuit according to an embodiment of this invention, and the same parts as in FIG. 5 are given the same reference numerals. That is, with this invention, a three-way switching valve indicated by reference numeral 26 is newly installed between the outlet side of the sterilizing filter 5 in the water supply pipe 2 led out from the cassette type water storage tank 1 and the branch pipe 6. In the illustrated embodiment, a water reservoir 28, a water pump 29, etc. are additionally installed on the cold beverage line 8 side via a water supply solenoid valve 27, compared to the circuit shown in FIG.

Next, the structure and usage of the three-way switching valve 25 described above will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. The three-way switching valve 26 has ports a, b and a branch port c that opens outside the system. It is configured to selectively communicate between two ports, and ports a and b are connected to the sterilizing filter 5 side and the beverage line side, respectively, as shown in the figure. During normal beverage sales, the three-way switching valve 26 is set at a position where ports a and b are electrically connected, as shown in FIG. Water is supplied to a beverage line 7 or a cold beverage line 8. In this state, branch port c is closed. On the other hand, when replacing the sterilizing filter 5 with a new one, first switch the three-way switching valve 26 to the port a-c conduction position as shown in FIG. I do. Therefore, fine powder such as activated carbon that has separated from the sterilizing filter 5 and flowed out during this initial water flow process is drained to the drainage bucket 30 outside the system through the branch port c of the three-way switching valve 26 together with the discharged water. Thereby, it is possible to prevent defective drinking water from flowing into the drinking lines 7 and 8 and mixing with the drinks. After this initial water flow has been carried out for a suitable period of time, the three-way switching valve 26 is again switched to the position shown in FIG. 2 and the sales operation begins. In addition, when regularly sanitizing the beverage line, especially the cold beverage line 8 that requires sanitation (sanitation can be omitted for hot beverage lines as they are sterilized by heating with hot water), the three-way switching valve 26 is switched to the position shown in Fig. 4 to establish continuity between ports b and c, and in this state, connect the chemical liquid tank 31 to the branch port c, and connect it to the drinking water line 24 on the downstream cold drinking line 8 side through the three-way switching valve. Inject sanitation fluid.
Therefore, the sanitation liquid can be directly injected into the beverage line without passing through the sterilization filter 5, and its sterilization and disinfection effects can be fully exhibited.

Note that this invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1;
It goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented in a similar manner not only in the beverage circuit shown in the figure, but also in a machine exclusively for cold beverages.

[Effect of idea]

As described above, according to this invention, a three-way switching valve having a branch port opened to the outside of the system is connected to the outlet side of the sterilizing filter, and during normal sales, the branch port of the three-way switching valve is closed and the line is connected to the beverage line. During the initial water flow after replacing the sterilizing filter,
And when sanitizing the beverage line, the branch port is opened to drain the defective water flowing through the sterilizing filter, and to inject the sanitation liquid into the beverage line. This makes it possible to easily drain water and inject sanitation liquid when sanitizing the beverage line using the walk-through switching valve, thus improving serviceability in terms of maintenance and management of the vending machine.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram of the beverage circuit system according to an embodiment of this invention, and FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 show, respectively, during normal sales, initial water flow after replacing the sterilizing filter, and FIG.
FIG. 5 is a diagram of the operating state of the three-way switching valve during sanitation of the beverage line. FIG. 5 is a diagram of the beverage circuit system of a conventional cup-type beverage vending machine. 1: Cassette type water storage tank, 4: Water pump,
5: Sterilization filter, 7, 8: Beverage line, 26:
Three-way switching valve, 30: Drain bucket, 31: Chemical tank used for sanitation.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In the water supply circuit of a cup-type beverage vending machine, which is equipped with a cassette-type water storage tank inside a shelf, and is configured to supply water from the water storage tank to a beverage line inside the machine via a water pump and a sterilization filter, on the outlet side of the sterilization filter. A three-way switching valve with a branch port opened outside the system is connected, and during normal sales, the branch port of the three-way switching valve is closed to supply water to the beverage line. A cup-type beverage vending machine characterized in that, at the time of line sanitation, the branch ports are opened to drain defective water flowing through the sterilizing filter and to inject sanitation liquid into the beverage line. Water supply circuit.