JPH02282676A - Cooled soft drinks supplying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To supply a cooled soft drink at the most appropriate temperature in response to a surrounding temperature as well as a surrounding humidity by a method wherein the soft drink is controlled in such a way as it shows the most appropriate cooling temperature in response to the detected surrounding temperature and humidity. CONSTITUTION:Cooled water in a water storing tank 1 is monitored by a water temperature sensor 26 for its temperature and compared with the most appropriate cooling water temperature set by a control device 23 in response to a surrounding temperature and humidity detected by a temperature sensor 24 and a humidity sensor 25. In case that the cold water temperature detected by the water temperature sensor 26 is higher than a set temperature, a cooling device 19 is driven until it shows the set temperature. In turn, in case that the detected cooled water temperature is lower than a set temperature, the water is cooled up to such a temperature as one reached by the heater accompanying with the cooling device 19. The cooled soft drink can be supplied at the optimum temperature in response to the surrounding temperature and humidity and thus the soft drink can be supplied at the state where the most delicious taste can be felt.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a cooling beverage supply device for cooling and supplying beverages such as drinking water, juice, beer, etc.

For example, in department stores, factories, offices, stations, etc. where people gather, devices that supply chilled beverages are installed and provided for service. The chilled drinking water supply system consists of a compressor that compresses evaporative refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the compressed evaporative refrigerant and liquefies it, and a refrigeration machine that evaporates the liquefied refrigerant again to cool the drinking water in the cooling tank. In addition, in showcases and vending machines that supply chilled juice, beer, etc., these products are cooled by built-in refrigerators.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> These chilled drinking water, juices, beer, etc. usually have a temperature (appropriate temperature) at which the general public finds them delicious. For example, the optimum temperature for cooling water is around 10 degrees (Serra, hereinafter the same), and water coolers are equipped with automatic temperature regulators that keep the cooling water at this temperature.

However, the temperature of cooling water that people find delicious is
It has become clear that it is greatly affected by the outside temperature. For example, according to Kojima's paper in "Air Conditioning and Sanitation Engineering" Volume 57, No. 11, as shown in Figure 4, drinking water temperature is 10 to 15 degrees
In the case of degrees, the optimum temperature is the average temperature of 25 degrees.
It is from July to mid-August that exceeds the limit, and iii
The period from May to July and from mid-August to mid-September, when the average temperature of f& is in the range of 20 to 25 degrees, is said to be ``fairly good, although not suitable in quantity.'' .

In addition, the average temperature fluctuates between 15 degrees and 20 degrees.
From March to May and from mid-September to mid-October, it is considered "normal," and in seasons other than 5+, it is "not possible."
Or conversely, it feels "warm". The relationship between the outside air temperature and the cooling water temperature is considered to be similar to the relationship between the room temperature and the cooling water temperature. It is also believed that the same applies to the cooling temperature of juice, beer, etc. Even if the ambient temperature is the same, when the humidity is low, water at a slightly higher temperature will taste better than when the humidity is high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a chilled beverage supply device that can supply chilled beverages at an optimal temperature depending on ambient temperature and humidity.

Means for Solving the Problems As shown in FIG. control means 300 for controlling the cooling device 400 based on the output of the cooling device 400.

<Operation> The optimal cooling temperature of the beverage is set by 0, and the control means 300 controls the cooling device 400 so as to reach this set temperature.

<Embodiment> FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the chilled beverage dispensing apparatus according to the present invention. Reference numeral I indicates a water storage tank, and a waterway 2 returning from this water storage tank l to the same water storage tank 1 is formed. This waterway 2 includes an on-off valve 3, a plurality of faucets 4, an on-off valve 5, a circulation pump 6, an on-off valve 7, a check valve 8. cooling coil 1
5, and the on-off valves IO are connected in sequence. Check valve 8
The elevated water W! 13 is connected, and the opening and closing of the control valve 12 is controlled by a level switch 14 provided in the water storage tank 1.

One end of the heat exchanger 9 is connected to a cooling device 19 through an on-off valve 16, a control valve 17, and an on-off valve 18, and the other end of the heat exchanger 9 is connected to an on-off valve 20. It is connected to the cooling device 19 through a circulation pump 21 and an on-off valve 22. The cooling device 19 is equipped with a heater (1) u-closing valve 20 and circulation pump 2.
1 is connected to a control valve 17.

The control valve 17 and the cooling device 19 are controlled by the output of a control device 23, and the control device 23 includes a temperature sensor 24,
Humidity sensor 25. Signals from a water temperature sensor 26 and a manual set temperature changeover switch 27 provided in the water storage tank 1 are input.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 23 includes a CPUROM,
It is equipped with a microcomputer consisting of RAM, D/F, etc. For example, the relationship between the ambient temperature and the optimum cooling water temperature is stored in the ROM as follows. This temperature relationship is quite detailed (it may be set).

Zhou Ye? Crystallinity Optimum cooling water temperature 30P! ~3
5 degrees 15 degrees ~ 25 degrees 25 degrees ~ 30 degrees
10 degrees ~ 13 degrees 20 degrees ~ 25 degrees 7 degrees ~ 10 degrees
The temperature RAM is used to freely write and read set temperatures in addition to such fixed data.

Signals from the temperature sensor 24, humidity sensor 25, water temperature sensor 26, and changeover switch 27 for manually arbitrarily switching the set temperature are input to the T/F, and cooling water is set from the I/F. A signal is output to control the control valve 17 and the cooling device 19 so that the temperature reaches the specified temperature.

Next, the operation of this chilled beverage supply device will be explained. Drinking water supplied from the elevated water tank 13 is cooled by a cooling coil 15 inside the heat exchanger 9. A cooling medium (water, brine, etc.) produced in the cooling device 19 is supplied into the heat exchanger 9, and cools the drinking water by removing heat from the drinking water supplied into the cooling coil 15. Chilled drinking water is
A portion of the cooling water is stored in the water storage tank 1 and supplied to the user from the faucet 4 through the water channel, and the remaining cooling water is returned to the cooling coil 15 for cooling. Note that a cooling method in which refrigerant gas from a refrigerator is used as the cooling medium and the heat exchanger 9 is a direct expansion type evaporator is also possible. The amount of water in the water storage tank 1 is monitored by a level switch 14, and when the amount falls below a certain level, a signal from the level switch 14 causes the control valve 12 to open and new drinking water is supplied.

Further, the temperature of the cooling water in the water storage tank 1 is monitored by a water temperature sensor 26, and the optimal cooling is set by the control device 23 based on the ambient temperature and humidity detected by the temperature sensor 24 and the humidity sensor 25. Compared to water temperature.

When the cooling water temperature detected by the water temperature sensor 26 is higher than the set temperature, the cooling device 1
Drive 9. Further, when the detected cooling water temperature is lower than the set temperature, the heater attached to the cooling device 19 heats the coolant until it reaches the set temperature.

The water temperature sensor 26 is not provided in the water storage tank 1, but
It may be provided in any part of the waterway 2 from leaving the water storage tank 1 to returning to the water storage tank 1.

Although the above embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a chilled drinking water supply device, the present invention can also be applied to showcases, vending machines, etc. for other chilled drinks such as juice and beer. It is something.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, the chilled beverage supply bag according to the present invention is equipped with a temperature setting means for optimally setting the temperature, and a control means for controlling the cooling device based on the output from the temperature setting means. The chilled beverage can be supplied at the optimum temperature depending on the ambient temperature and humidity, and the chilled beverage can be provided in the most delicious state.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the overall configuration of this invention;
Fig. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a chilled beverage dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a control device in an embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing temperature and delicious cooling water. It is a graph showing the relationship with temperature. 1...Water tank, 2...Waterway 4...Water faucet, 9...Heat exchanger 13...Elevated water tank,
14... Level switch, 15... Cooling coil, 19... Cooling device, 23... Control device 24... Temperature sensor 25... Humidity sensor 26.
...Water temperature sensor, 27...Switch switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims] temperature and humidity detection means for detecting ambient temperature and ambient humidity; temperature setting means for optimally setting the cooling temperature of the beverage based on the output from the temperature and humidity detection means; A chilled beverage dispensing device comprising: a control means for controlling a chiller by controlling the chiller.