JPH02282097A - Beverage supply apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To permit an easy change in the amount of beverage flow per unit time by regulating a beverage supply action based on the values obtained by counting pulse signals from a pulse signal output device using a counting device. CONSTITUTION:A beverage supply line 6 is provided with a pulse signal output device 15 for generating a pulse signal synchronously with the rotational movement of a blade like rotary body 15a rotatable by the passage of a fluid. The pulse signals from the pulse signal output device 15 are counted by a counting device 16a and, based on the resulting values, the flow amount of the beverage running through the beverage supply line 6 is obtained. Based on such values, moreover, a control device 16 regulates a beverage supply action, whereby the beverage can be supplied in a predetermined amount, independently of changes in the flow amount of the beverage per unit time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a beverage dispensing device for dispensing a predetermined amount of beverage.

(B) Prior art A conventional beverage supply device that supplies a predetermined amount of beverage is equipped with a supply mechanism capable of supplying beverage at a constant flow rate per unit time, as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-55597. The amount of beverage supplied was adjusted by time-controlling the vending solenoid valve using a control circuit with a timer.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention In order to supply a fixed amount of beverage using such a beverage supply device, it is necessary to maintain a constant flow rate per unit time.

However, when the type of beverage to be supplied is draft beer and the draft beer barrel storing the draft beer is affected by the outside temperature, the carbon dioxide concentration of the draft beer in the draft beer cup is influenced by the outside temperature. In view of the quality of the draft beer, it is necessary to maintain the carbon dioxide concentration of the draft beer at an appropriate value, and for this purpose, it is necessary to adjust the gas pressure of the carbon dioxide gas pressurizing the draft beer barrel according to changes in the outside temperature.

In addition, even when supplying draft beer while the draft beer barrel is cooled at a constant temperature so that it is not affected by outside air, foaming may occur, or when you want to improve sales efficiency by shortening the time required to supply beverages. It is necessary to adjust the carbon dioxide pressure.

Therefore, when supplying a fixed amount of beverage, the flow rate of draft beer per unit time changes depending on the change in carbon dioxide pressure, so it is a hassle to set the beverage supply time to a timer every time the carbon dioxide pressure is changed. There is a problem in that it requires new operations.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention installs a pulse signal output device in a beverage line that outputs pulse signals in synchronization with the rotation of a vane-shaped rotary body that rotates due to the passage of fluid, and counts the pulse signals by a counting device. The control device controls the beverage supply operation based on the count value of this counting device, so that even if the flow rate of the beverage per unit time changes, the beverage can be maintained at a constant level without having to perform operations such as adjusting the beverage supply time. To provide a beverage supply device capable of supplying beverages in portions.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made to solve the problems described above, and is a method of generating pulses in synchronization with the rotation of a vane-like rotating body installed in a beverage line and rotated by the passage of fluid. A beverage supply comprising a pulse signal output device that outputs a signal, a counting device that counts the pulse signals output from the pulse signal output device, and a control device that controls a beverage supply operation based on the count of the counting device. The above problem is solved by the device.

(*) Function According to the beverage supply device of the present invention, a pulse signal output device that outputs a pulse signal in synchronization with the rotation of a vane-shaped rotary body that rotates due to passage of fluid is installed in the beverage line, and the pulse signal output device is installed in the beverage line. The pulse signal output from the output device is counted by a counting device, and the flow rate of the beverage that has passed through the beverage line can be determined from this counted value.If the control device controls the beverage supply operation based on this counted value, the beverage It is possible to supply a predetermined amount of beverage at a time without being affected by changes in the flow rate per unit time.

(f) Embodiment To explain the present invention in detail according to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a beverage supply device as an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the operation of main parts of the beverage supply device. It is. First, the beverage supply device shown in Fig. 1 is a beer dispenser that sells beer, and includes a dispense head (2) equipped with a pouring nozzle (1) for dispensing beer, and a beer barrel (3) for storing beer. shall be placed separately.

Inside the dispense head (2) is a cooling unit (4).
is arranged, and the dispense head (2
) is cooled by the evaporator (4a) of the cooling unit (4).

A beverage line (6) is piped between the pouring nozzle (1) and the beer barrel (3), and a cooling coil (6) installed in the cooling water tank (5) is connected to the beverage line (6). 7) is provided to perform heat exchange between the beer in the cooling coil (7) and the tank water in the cooling water tank (5) to cool the beer. The cooling water tank (5) is equipped with a stirring blade (9) that rotates by the drive of a motor (8) to agitate the water in the tank to make the temperature of the water uniform.

The beer barrel (3) is equipped with a carbon dioxide gas cylinder (1) whose pressure is regulated by a gas regulator (10) that can change the gas pressure.
1> is pressurized by carbon dioxide gas.

The gas regulator tank 10) and the beer barrel (3) are connected by a gas tube (12).

Therefore, when the vending switch (13) is operated, the vending solenoid valve (14) installed in the beverage line (6) opens.
Since the pouring nozzle (1) is open to the atmosphere, the beer in the beer m(3) flows into the carbon dioxide gas cylinder (1).
1) The said beverage line (
6), and is poured out from the pouring nozzle (1) to the mug (17).

Further, the beverage line (6) is provided with a pulse signal output device (1).
5) is installed, and the pulse signal output device (15) is rotated by the passage of beer and is composed of a blade-like rotating body (15a) containing a magnet and a fill (tsb). The dispense head (2) is also provided with a control device (16) for controlling the beverage dispensing operation.

The above is the explanation of the structure of the beer dispenser. Next, the operation of the beer dispenser will be explained using the block diagram shown in FIG.

First, the pulse signal output device (15) is a blade-like rotating body (1
5a) rotates at a constant angle with respect to a constant flow rate, and outputs a pulse signal in synchronization with the rotation of the rotating body (15a).

On the other hand, the control device (16) receives such pulse signals and counts the pulse signals in a counting section (16a) serving as a counting device. Therefore, the flow rate can be determined by the total number of pulse signals counted by the counting section (16a).

For this reason, a jutsuki (17) is a container for pouring beer.
In order to dispense a flow rate corresponding to the capacity of , the total number of pulse signals corresponding to the flow rate is inputted to the control device (16) by the setting device (18), and the control device (16)
The total number of pulse signals is stored in the storage unit.

When the input using the setting device (16) is completed, the beer dispenser enters a supply standby state.

When the sales switch (13) is operated, the sales switch (13) outputs a sales start signal to the control device (16).

The control device (16) inputting this sales start signal outputs a valve opening signal to the sales solenoid valve (14), and the sales solenoid valve (14) receiving this valve opening signal opens.

When the sales solenoid valve (14) opens, beer is pumped from the beer barrel (3) to the beverage line (6) at a flow rate per unit time according to the carbon dioxide pressure, and this beer is further transferred to the cooling coil ( 7), it begins to be poured from the pouring nozzle (1) into the mug (17) in a cooled state.

At this time, the pulse signal output device (15) is connected to the beverage line (6).
Since the rotating body (15a) rotates as beer passes through the beverage line (6), the rotating body (15a)
Outputs a pulse signal in synchronization with the rotation of the

The control device (16) inputs the pulse signal and counts it in the counting section (16a), and the total number of pulse signals counted by the counting section (16a) is input and stored in the setting device (18). When the number of pulse signals stored in the unit is reached,
A valve closing signal is output to the sales solenoid valve (14).

When the sales solenoid valve (14) receives the valve closing signal and closes and finishes dispensing beer from the dispensing nozzle (1),
Beer is dispensed at a flow rate corresponding to the capacity of the mug (17).

The above is the operation of supplying a glass of beer from the mug (17).For example, if the temperature of the beer barrel (3) fluctuates due to a change in the outside temperature, or if you want to speed up sales, the gas regulator (10) Even if the flow rate of beer per unit time changes by changing the gas pressure of
Pour into 7).

Furthermore, if the gas pressure is constant, the flow rate of beer per unit time during beer supply will be constant, and the number of pulse signals output to the pulse signal output device (15) per unit time will also be constant.

However, the beer barrel (3) ran out of beer and the beverage line (
6) If carbon dioxide gas is sent out, the number of pulse signals per unit time will be reduced to less than half. This is due to the difference in viscous resistance between beer and carbon dioxide.

Therefore, if the number of pulse signals output from the pulse signal output device (15) per unit time during beer supply falls below a predetermined number of times, the control device (16) assumes that the beer barrel (3) is empty. Sold out notification lamp (19
) to notify the user of the beer dispenser that the beer is out.

In addition, when the pulse signal output device (15) outputs a pulse signal to the control device (16) while the sales solenoid valve (14) is not open and the pulse signal output device (15) outputs a pulse signal to the control device (16), beer flows to the beverage line (6).
The control device (16) turns on the leak alarm lamp (20) to notify the user of the beer dispenser of the beer leak. The above is an explanation of the operation of the beer dispenser.

(g) Effects of the Invention According to the beverage supply device of the present invention, a pulse signal output device that outputs a pulse signal synchronized with a vane-shaped rotating body that rotates due to passage of fluid is installed in the beverage line, and this pulse signal is Beverages are counted by a counting device, and the control device controls the beverage supply operation based on this count value. Especially when the flow rate per unit time of the beverage is frequently changed, the flow rate is adjusted using conventional time control. Unlike the supply device, there is no need for complicated operations such as changing the timer time, and the flow rate per unit time can be easily changed while keeping the amount of beverage supplied constant.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a beverage supply device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the operation of main parts of the beverage supply device. (6)...Beverage line, (15)...Pulse signal output device, (15a)...Rotating body, (15b)...
---1 ile, (16)...control device, (16a
)...Counting section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pulse signal output device that is installed in a beverage line and outputs pulse signals in synchronization with the rotation of a vane-shaped rotating body that rotates as fluid passes through it, and counts the pulse signals output from the pulse signal output device. A beverage dispensing device comprising a counting device and a control device that controls a beverage dispensing operation based on the count value of the counting device.