JPH0368685B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the dispensing of beverages, and more particularly to the production and dispensing of freshly prepared beverages such as coffee and tea.

In the past, many different systems have been proposed for freshly preparing coffee and tea. These systems typically use sealed packaging to filter and separate coffee grounds and tea leaves from the beverage for drinking and to keep the coffee or tea fresh until use.

The concept of sealing fresh coffee or tea in individual packages of non-air permeable material with filters is not new. The package is opened for the first time, water is injected, the extracted liquid is taken out, and the coffee grounds and tea leaves are retained by a filter. The package is then disposed of.

There are several problems when dispensing coffee or tea from such packages, especially when dispensing from a beverage dispenser.

There are at least two difficulties when dealing with such packages. The first one concerns the injection of water, and the mechanical part where the package is opened and water is injected. In past proposals, an incision was made in the top of the package and water was injected by gravity. This not only results in long filtering times and variations in preparation time from package to package, but also takes longer to dispense (the beverage cools down). Also, coffee grounds spill out from the top of the package cage, making it unhygienic.

The second problem is the efficiency with which the packages are processed within the device. Although it is possible to handle the packages sequentially from reel to reel, hygiene problems arise and, when packages are considered individually, equipment processing problems also arise. Also, it is undesirable to perform the water injection process manually because it is unhygienic.

These problems become serious when it is considered that the beverage dispensing device is used for public or semi-public purposes.

This invention attempts to solve these problems.

According to the invention, an apparatus for dispensing a beverage by injecting an aqueous medium into a normally sealed beverage package includes means for receiving and supporting the package in a receiving position;
means for positioning and supporting the package by moving the package from a receiving position to an aqueous medium injection position; and a beverage to be dispensed by injecting an aqueous medium into the package in cooperation with the means for positioning the package at the injection position. and an aqueous medium injection means for forming an aqueous medium.

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1, a sealed beverage bag for use in the device is constructed of a substantially air and water impermeable sheet 102 which is a laminate layer of polyester and polypropylene with a metallized layer. . The metallized layer is sandwiched between the two plastic layers described above, with polypropylene forming the innermost layer of the bag. A spun-bonded filter sheet 104 is housed within this sheet 102 . Sheets 102 and 104 each have a folding section 1 at their lower end.
06 and 108. The folding portion 106 is located below the folding portion 108 and forms a section 110 below the filter sheet 104. Sheets 102 and 10
The sides of 4 are integrally sealed and the coffee powder 1
It constitutes a pocket that accommodates 12 items. The top end of the bag is also sealed and the central water supply channel 116,
A nozzle 114 is attached having a top flange 118 and side fins 120. The water supply channel 116 is closed by a lid 122. The top flange 118 is for supporting the bag within the beverage dispensing device. When the lid 122 is broken, water will be injected into the bag through the channel 116. The side fins 120 extend in a tapered shape outward from the main body of the nozzle 114 on both sides when viewed from above. These fins provide a large area effective for sealing nozzle 114 to sheet 102.

When using the sheet 10, as described later,
2 is incised in the section 110 to form the outlet and the bag is held in the aqueous medium injection position. An aqueous medium, in particular hot water, is injected into the bag through the channel 116 from a hollow water injection member which pierces the lid 122 and serves to seal the side walls of the channel 116. The water is mixed with coffee grounds, filtered and removed through an outlet provided at the bottom of the bag and collected in a suitable container.

FIG. 2 shows the steps of operation of the apparatus according to the invention required to obtain a beverage from a sealed beverage package, such as a bag as shown in FIG. Various additions can be made depending on the degree of functionality required for the device.

In FIG. 2, the bags 148 used are stored separately from the device, and can be inserted one by one when drinks are needed, or can be stored in large numbers in a magazine or the like inside the device and used. Make it automatically ejected. In any case, bag 148
is moved from a storage or standby position 150 to an aqueous medium injection position 152. The bag is opened at 154 (opened to remove the beverage) at or before location 152. Formation of the outlet can be done manually or mechanically. If done manually, this includes removing the tear strip from the bag; if done mechanically, it involves removing the tear strip from the bag;
At or before 2, a cutting device is used. Aqueous medium is injected into the bag, position 15
At step 2, the beverage is brewed. The bag used is
The used bag is moved to a disposal position 156. This simply involves ejecting the bag from position 152 and automatically moving the bag to the disposal position.

Next, a configuration for supplying beverages from the bag shown in FIG. 1 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8. In this case, although it is not necessarily limited to this,
The device is designed to dispense freshly prepared coffee or tea in cases where a fully automatic dispensing mechanism for the beverage is not required. This situation is particularly common in office applications. For the sake of explanation, a case where coffee is newly prepared will be described below, but the same applies to other beverages.

3-8, the apparatus includes a water tank 202 with a heater and thermostat assembly 204 to maintain the water temperature at approximately 96°C. A water pipe 206 is connected to an electrically operated three-way valve 208. A second pipe 210 to valve 208 connects to air pump 212
Air or water is supplied to the lower supply pipe 214 . The supply pipe 214 becomes one branch of the Y-junction 216,
Another branch is electrically operable ventilation valve 2
It is growing from 18. The lower branch of the joint 216 reaches an injection member 220 having a knife-edge lower opening for piercing the lid of the bag (indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 3).

A hinged door 222 is supported in a normally open position (indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 3) and is supported by a bag support member 226 and a door lock pin 22.
It has a front wall 224 with a diameter of 8. rear wall 230
is independent of the front wall, hinged to the side wall of the door at 231, extending from the door leg and spaced from the front wall 224. There is an open space at the base of the door between the front and rear walls, and the rear wall only forms part of the height of the front wall. door 222
can be easily removed from the hinge area for convenient cleaning. Movement of the rear wall relative to the hinge 231 is limited by hook and pin assemblies 233 on each side.

Claw support member 232 typically supports injection member 22
0, but is urged upward by the pressure of the drive arm 234 during use. The upwardly biased claw support member 232 and the depressed drive arm 234 are locked in position by a locking mechanism 236. The locking mechanism cooperates with locking pin 228 to lock the door when it is closed. A microswitch 238 is positioned adjacent drive arm 234, and when arm 234 is pressed, the switch is closed. Locking mechanism 236 is connected to solenoid 240 and is released by its operation.

The knob 242 for selecting the amount of beverage is the 3-port valve 208, the air pump 212, and the ventilation valve 218.
and an electromechanical cam timer 244 that controls a solenoid 240.

A container 246 for receiving the required beverage is positioned on the drip tray 248 and directly below the door 222 and pouring member 220. Drip tray 2
A storage box 250 for used bags is arranged behind the bag 48 .

The valves, heaters and thermostats mentioned above,
The solenoid and cam timer components are standard and will not require further explanation.
More detailed explanations of other parts are shown in Figures 4 to 4.
The configuration shown in FIG. 8 will be explained below. In addition, in order to simplify the explanation, casings and support walls of various members are omitted from illustration.

The claw support member 232 is rotatably supported by a pair of pivot arms 252 and is slidable about a vertical support shaft 254 below a fixed casing support surface 256 . Pivot arm 252 is rotatable about a horizontal axis 258 supported by a fixed casing side wall (not shown). The end of the pivot arm 252 remote from the claw support member 232 is connected to the drive arm 2
It has a rod 256 that fits into a recess provided at the base of 34. A spring 257 biases the assembly of drive arm 234, claw support member 232, pivot arm 252 and rod 259, and a fifth
As shown, the claw support member is normally in the lower position.

As shown in detail in FIGS. 6 and 7, the bag support member 226 is supported by a fixed tongue 260 that stands vertically from the front wall 224. A spring 262 biases the support member 226 away from the front wall 224. The support member 226 has side walls 264 and a base 266, one of the side walls 264 having a recess 26 for securely holding the nozzle of the bag.
It has 8. The support member 226 is connected to the slot 2
70, and when the support member 226 is pressed against the bias of the spring 262, the support member 226 contacts the front wall 224, and the tongue piece 260 engages the slot 2.
70 and into the recess 268.

The locking and release mechanisms are shown in FIG. The drive arm 234 is connected to the release trigger 27
It has a locking portion 272 into which the tongue portion of No. 4 is inserted. Trigger 274 is in equilibrium with respect to pivot 276 with its tongue in lock 272;
It is released only when an upward force is applied by the solenoid 240. The flange provided on the drive arm 234 projects with respect to a member of the casing support surface 256 (omitted in FIG. 8) to limit vertical movement of the arm 234, and includes a rotatable arm 278. There is. Pivotable lock arm 280 has a cam surface 282 that cooperates with cam arm 278 and a catch 284 that cooperates with door lock pin 228. As shown in Figure 8,
The device has the claw support member 232 in the uppermost position so that the drive arm 232 is maintained in the lower position by the release trigger 274 and the door is locked by the locking arm 280.

The device operates as follows. The required amount of beverage (cup size, large, medium, or small) is set by selection knob 242. A bag such as that shown in FIG. 1 containing coffee grounds is removed from the source and the bottom section is cut. The bag is placed between the walls 224 and 230 within the open door 222 and the nozzle of the bag is engaged with the support member 226. The top flange 118 of the nozzle extends into the sidewall 264 and the bottom 2
Contact with 66. The constriction of the nozzle that connects to the bag enters the recess 268 and the bag fits into the front wall 224.
contact with the inner surface of When the door is closed, support member 226 is pressed against claw support member 232. This closing action of the door forces the support member 226 against the front wall 224 of the door. The tongue 260 enters the slot 270 and the injection member 22
Press the nozzle of the bag against the claw of the claw support member 232 at a position just below zero. To accomplish this function, the claw support member 232 has a slot 286 for the shape of the nozzle and top flange of the bag.

The user then presses the drive arm 234.
The claw support member 232 moves upward against the bias of the spring 257 to pierce the nozzle through the knife-edge opening of the injection member 220 and insert it therein. The drive arm 234 and claw support member 232 assembly is locked in this position by the cooperation of the drive arm lock and the tongue of the release trigger 274. Pressure of the drive arm 234 operates the micro switch 238, which activates the cam timer 244 to control each member in a programmed sequence.

The programmed sequence is as follows. First, the air pump 212 stops operating,
Vent valve 218 is closed and 3-port valve 208
prevents water from flowing from pipe 206 into pipe 214. Solenoid 240 is activated and operates the locking mechanism via release trigger 274. Vent valve 218 opens and three-port valve 208 operates to allow hot water to flow by gravity into pipe 214. While the vent valve 218 is closed, the 3
Port valve 208 is switched to connect air pipe 210 and pipe 214, and the water supply is cut off. Air pump 212 is simultaneously activated. Pressurized air (approximately 4 psig) forces water from pipe 214 through injection member 220 and into the bag. Valves 208, 218 and pump 2
The operation timing of 12 is set so that the flow rate of water injected into and passing through the pipe 214 serves as a capacity gauge that controls the amount of hot water supplied.

The hot water is now in the bag and the air pump 212
is deactivated, which allows time for the hot water and coffee grounds to mix and fall very slowly into the container 246. Then air pump 2
12 is put into operation again and the air from the pump is
The hot coffee is discharged from the bottom of the bag into a container 246.
Work to get inside. Air pump 212 is deactivated, completing one complete cycle of the programmed sequence.

The bag is then vented to outside air through valve 218 and solenoid 240 is actuated. This releases the trigger 274 and its tongue releases the locking portion of the drive arm 234. Drive arm 23
4 rises, and the claw support member 232 is moved by the spring 257.
It descends with the force of. The bag nozzle is thereby removed from the end of injection member 220. Drive arm 2
34 simultaneously raises the cam arm 278 and, in cooperation with the cam surface 282, locks the lock plate 280.
Rotate the door lock pin 2 from the locking part 284.
28 (lock plate 280 rotates clockwise in FIG. 8). Door 222 is opened. The rear wall 230 of the door stands up until the hook and pin assembly 233 is engaged. At this stage, the front wall 224 and back wall 230 form a slightly open mouth for the used bag. The rear wall 230 of the door swings forward with the rest of the door to capture the used bag held by the claw support channel 286. The opening action of the door pulls the used bag away from the claw support member 232 and the bag falls diagonally upward into the container 250. The dispensed beverage container 246 is removed and the device is placed on standby for the next time it is needed. The arrangement of the hinged rear wall and the presence of an opening for the used bag are effective for disposal of the bag into the container 250.

In the device described above, the vending function is omitted, but this can easily be done by combining a bag feeding stage with a coin-operated mechanism or a water supply device with said mechanism. If necessary, the device can undergo several modifications. For example, a cutting mechanism at the bottom of the bag can be provided. Various safety mechanisms can also be provided. For example, when a user inserts an unopened bag, the device first attempts to inject hot water into the bag.
The bag withstands injection forces of 4 spsig without tearing.
A pressure sensitive sensor may be provided to detect this and serve to terminate the operating cycle for safety. The water injection means 220 could be provided with a tapered opening for more effective insertion, cutting and sealing with the bag nozzle.

If the device is provided with cutting means before the bag reaches the water injection position, an interlock device is arranged between the cutting means and the operating member. This ensures that the cutting means are used before the bag reaches the filling position, avoiding the risk of an unopened bag reaching the filling position.

In a variant not shown, the used bag can be removed from the waste container 222 without reopening the hinged door 222.
It can be ejected within 50 seconds. In this configuration, the door does not have a hinged rear wall and the used bag is ejected from the support provided on the claw support member 232 using an ejector.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is a perspective view of a sealed beverage package in the form of a bag for use in the device of the invention; FIG.
The figure is an explanatory diagram of the functions of the present invention. Figures 3 to 8 are block diagrams of a beverage supply device according to the present invention. Figure 3 is an overall block diagram, and Figures 4 to 8 are block diagrams. ,
7 is a detailed configuration diagram of a certain member, FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a member near the door of the device, FIGS. 5 and 8 are side views of various members, and FIGS. , respectively, taken along the X-line and Y-line of FIG. 4, with non-essential parts of the device omitted for ease of understanding. 102...Sheet, 104...Filter, 11
2...Coffee powder, 114...Nozzle, 118...
...Top flange, 148...Bag (package),
152...Injection position, 156...Disposal position, 20
2...Tank, 208...Valve, 212...Air pump, 220...Injection member, 222...Door, 224...Door front wall, 230...Door rear wall,
232...Claw support member, 234...Drive arm, 246...Beverage container.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A beverage dispensing device for preparing a beverage by injecting an aqueous medium into a normally sealed beverage package, the beverage dispensing device receiving and supporting the package in a receiving position, and discharging the package from the receiving position. means for moving the package to an aqueous medium injection position and for positioning and supporting the package there; and means for cooperating at said injection position with positioning means provided on the package for injecting the aqueous medium in a continuous stream into the package and discharging the beverage from the package; means for injecting an aqueous medium to enable extraction, the means for receiving, supporting and moving said package comprising a door of said apparatus, said door comprising:
movable between an open position providing a receiving position and a closed position, characterized in that movement of the door from the open position to the closed position moves the package to the aqueous medium injection position. Beverage dispensing equipment. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it has means for forming a package outlet to allow the beverage to be taken out. 3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the outlet forming means is a cutting member. 4. Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the aqueous medium introducing means includes a hollow needle that penetrates the positioning means of the package and injects the aqueous medium into the package during use. Equipment described in Section. 5. Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the package cage is moved and supported at least partially by positioning means provided on the package cage.
Apparatus according to any one of clauses 4 to 4. 6. Any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the means for moving the package to the aqueous medium injection position is manually operated.
Equipment described in Section. 7. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the door is configured to receive and support a generally planar beverage bag. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the door includes a support member for receiving and supporting a flanged nozzle extending outwardly from the beverage bag. 9. Claim 9, characterized in that means are provided for causing relative movement between the injection means and the package positioning means at the aqueous medium injection position and for cooperating the injection means and the positioning means. The device according to any one of items 1 to 8. 10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the relative movement generating means comprises a support member for the package positioning means and a lever means for causing the support member to move relative to the injection member. . 11. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises a container for an aqueous medium and pipe means for guiding the aqueous medium from the container to the injection means. 12. An air pump is provided with a pipe connected to a valve in the pipe means, the valve being capable of stopping the supply of aqueous medium and supplying air from the air pump to the injection means so as to force the aqueous medium into the package during use. 12. The device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the device is capable of: 13. Apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that venting means are provided operable to vent the pipe between the valve and the injection means. 14. The device according to claim 1, further comprising means for ejecting a used package from the injection position. 15. Device according to claim 14, characterized in that it is provided with a storage area for used packages.