JPH0467676B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to the configuration of a coffee extraction device that is incorporated into a coffee vending machine and extracts and filters coffee using regular coffee powder as a raw material.

[Conventional technology]

This type of coffee brewing device combines a hot water supply cylinder, a raw material cup, and a filter block vertically, and charges a predetermined amount of hot water and coffee powder into the hot water cylinder and raw material cup, respectively. By introducing compressed air from the outside into the hot water supply cylinder with the top and bottom of the hot water supply cylinder in close contact with each other, hot water in the hot water supply cylinder is supplied under pressure to the raw material cup to extract and filter coffee. A pressure-type coffee brewing device is known, for example from Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-206004.

Here, the configuration of a conventional air pressurized coffee brewing device will be explained using an example shown in FIG. In the figure, the coffee brewing apparatus is constructed with a hot water supply cylinder 1, a raw material cup 2, a filter block 3, and a drive mechanism 4 including a drive motor 41 that drives and operates each of the above components in conjunction with the coffee extraction operation.

Here, to describe the structure of each of the above-mentioned parts, first, the hot water cylinder 1 has a cylinder body 11 which is open at the top and has a valve opening at the bottom, and a fixed seal flange 12 disposed at a middle position inside the cylinder body. It has a fixed valve body 13 facing the valve port, and a hot water supply hose 51 drawn out from the hot water tank 5 is attached to the top of the cylinder body 11, and a hot water supply hose 51 drawn out from the hot water tank 5 passes through the seal flange 12 to connect the air drawn out from the air pump 6. Pipes 61 are each open-connected. Further, a lift lever 14 is connected to the cylinder body 11, and the tip of the lever faces a roller cam 42 provided on the drive shaft of a drive motor 41. Note that when the hot water supply cylinder body 11 is in the illustrated raised standby position, the valve port is closed by the valve body 13, and there is a gap between the seal flange 12 and the cylinder body 11. On the other hand, when the hot water cylinder body 11 is lowered from the illustrated position, the valve port at the bottom of the cylinder body opens and the seal flange 1
The peripheral edge of 2 closely contacts the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder body 11 to airtightly close the top opening of the cylinder body 11.

Further, the raw material cup 2 is located below the hot water supply cylinder 1, and a slider 2 supporting the raw material cup 2
Guide rail 2 laid horizontally through 1
2, and is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 41 via a pulling wire 43, a wire pulley 44, and a gear mechanism 45 of the drive mechanism 4.
Reference numeral 23 denotes a coil spring which is interposed on the guide rail 22 and urges the raw material cup 2 to move backward toward the right side from the coffee extraction position shown by the solid line. Further, in the middle of the backward moving path of the raw material cup 2, there is an inclined cam 24 that separates the raw material cup 2 from the filter block 3, and above the inclined cam 24, a raw material box 7 containing coffee powder and its raw material shuttle 71 are arranged facing each other. . Further, a filter block 3 is located below the raw material cup 2,
It is guided and supported on a guide rail 31 laid parallel to the guide rail 22 so as to move in conjunction with the raw material cup 2. Note that 32 is a metal mesh filter for filtering coffee liquid that is mounted on the top surface of the filter block 3, and 33 is a coil spring that biases the filter block 3 toward the standby position.

Next, the coffee extraction operation with the above configuration will be explained. The figure shows a state in which each component has been moved to the coffee extraction operation position at a stage before starting the coffee extraction operation. First, in the standby state of the coffee brewing device, the cylinder body 11 of the hot water supply cylinder 1 is held in a raised position via the lifting operation lever 14, and in this standby state, the hot water supply valve opening opened at the bottom of the cylinder body 11 is closed. The cylinder body 11 is closed by the body 13, and the top opening of the cylinder body 11 is open. On the other hand, the raw material cup 2 and the filter block 3 are on standby at the raw material input position on the right side of the hot water supply cylinder 1 by the urging of springs 23 and 33, respectively.

Here, when a coffee sales command is given to the operation control unit 8, a predetermined amount of hot water supplied from the hot water tank 5 is supplied into the cylinder body 11 through the hot water supply pipe 51, and is temporarily stored in the cylinder body 11. Ru. On the other hand, at the same time as hot water is introduced into the cylinder, a predetermined amount of coffee powder is dropped into the raw material cup 2 from the coffee powder raw material box 7. Next, drive motor 4
1 is started, first, the wire pulley 44 is rotated to draw the raw material cup 2 together with the filter block 3 from the standby position to the coffee extraction position shown in the figure.
Subsequently, the tip of the lift operation lever 14 is lowered, and accordingly, the cylinder body 11 of the hot water supply cylinder 1 is lowered from the raised standby position to the coffee extraction operation position by a biasing spring (not shown). At this position, the drive motor 41 is temporarily stopped under the control of the self-propelled cam switch. In this state, the hot water cylinder body 1
The lower end of the filter block 1 is brought into close contact with the periphery of the raw material cup 2, and the material cup 2 and the filter block 3 are also brought into close contact so that each component is liquid-tightly sealed from the other.
In the hot water supply cylinder 1, the top opening of the cylinder body is hermetically closed by a seal flange 12, and the valve body 13 is removed from the bottom of the hot water supply valve port to open the valve port. Therefore, the hot water stored in the cylinder body 11 starts flowing down through the hot water supply valve at the bottom toward the raw material cup 2, causing the coffee powder contained in the raw material cup to swell and extracting coffee liquid. is started. At this point, the air pump 6 is started at the right time, and compressed air is sent into the internal space of the hot water cylinder 1 through the air pipe 61. Therefore, in addition to the above-mentioned start of hot water supply, the pressure of compressed air comes to act on the cylinder 1 and the raw material cup 2, and due to this pressurization, coffee liquid is extracted and produced in the raw material cup, and the coffee liquid is further extracted and produced by the compressed air. Upon receiving the pressure from
Milk or the like is added, stirred and mixed, and then discharged and supplied to the beverage cup 9 carried out to the bend stage.

Further, when the predetermined air pressurization time ends, the air pump 6 stops, and after a further depressurization time, the drive motor 41 restarts, and the hot water cylinder 1 is activated via the lift operation lever 14 in the opposite manner. The material cup 2 and the filter block 3 are separated by being lifted to the standby position, and the gear mechanism 45 of the power transmission system is disengaged on the material cup 2 and filter block 3 sides, and the guide is biased by the spring. The filter block 3 moves backward along the rails 22, 31 toward the right end position, and in the middle of this backward movement, the filter block 3 stops moving before the raw material cup 2,
The raw material cup 2, which continues to move backward, rides on the inclined cam 24 and is separated from the filter block 3, and the coffee grounds remaining on the mesh filter 32 are scraped off by a scraper provided on the raw material cup 2 side. On the other hand, the raw material cup 2 reaches the right stroke end, and the inclined cam 2
After removing the coffee grounds that have adhered to the inside of the raw material cup due to the impact when it comes off from the raw material cup 4, the drive motor 41 drives the wire pulley 44 again to move the raw material cup 2 from the right stroke end to the standby position where raw material is supplied. do. The series of operations ends here,
The coffee brewing device will return to its original standby state. Note that this series of operations is all program-controlled by commands from the operation control section 8.

By the way, in the above-mentioned air pressurized coffee brewing device, the resistance that passes through the filter varies depending on the type, particle size, and amount of coffee raw materials added, as well as the clogging state of the filter. The extraction time from the start of introduction of compressed air to the completion of coffee extraction varies depending on the above conditions. Here, the transition of the internal pressure change in the hot water supply cylinder accompanying the coffee extraction operation will be explained with reference to FIG. 2.
During the coffee extraction process, when compressed air is introduced into the hot water cylinder as described above, the internal pressure of the cylinder body changes from the time the compressed air starts being introduced to either solid line A or dotted line B, depending on the properties of the coffee raw material, until coffee extraction is completed. Point a, point b (cylinder internal pressure: Pa,
Pb), and from this point the internal pressure drops due to the release of air in the cylinder body as the coffee liquid is discharged, and the internal pressure returns to the state before the start of pressurization of compressed air. Moreover, in this case, the coffee extraction times ta and tb up to the pressure rise points a and b vary depending on conditions such as variations in the properties of the coffee raw materials. In addition, in the hot water cylinder mentioned above, the only vent for air is the valve port at the bottom.
It takes a relatively long time from the time the coffee extraction is completed until the compressed air inside the cylinder body is completely released.

On the other hand, in a conventional coffee brewing device, the above-mentioned compressed air supply and pressurization time, that is, the operation time of the air pump 6 shown in FIG. That's what I do. However, as mentioned above, the coffee extraction time varies irregularly depending on the properties of the coffee raw materials, and in this case, if the hot water in the hot water supply cylinder is not completely drained, the air pump is operated. When the hot water supply cylinder and the raw material cup are stopped, and the next process is started by separating the hot water supply cylinder and the raw material cup, the hot water, coffee liquid, coffee grounds accumulated in the raw material cup, etc. are removed from the cylinder body by the internal pressure of the cylinder body. There is a risk that the coffee will blow out from the gap between the coffee cup and the raw material cup, contaminating the area around the meat, and if this happens, problems such as a reduction in the amount of finished coffee will occur. For this reason, conventional equipment takes into account the variation in the properties of coffee raw materials in advance.
Currently, the operation is controlled by giving a margin of about 5 seconds to the timer setting time that determines the operating time of the air pump to the actual required coffee extraction times ta and tb in FIG. 2.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, as mentioned above, if you allow a margin when operating the air pump, that margin becomes dead time, which lengthens the time required for one vending machine vending machine and increases the waiting time for customers until the next sale. , the sales turnover rate of vending machines will also decrease.

It may be possible to adjust the timer setting time for the compressed air pump operation each time depending on the properties of the coffee raw materials and the amount added at one time, but in reality, as mentioned above, the coffee extraction time will change due to the difference in properties. Not only is it irregular and almost impossible to determine quantitatively, but also the permeation resistance of the coffee liquid changes depending on how clogged the filter is at that time. It is cumbersome and impractical for the operator to adjust the timer setting each time the vending machine is located.

This invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and it solves the difficulties of the conventional method described above, and allows coffee to be made without having to set a timer beforehand as in the past to set the pressurized air supply time. The point at which extraction is completed is automatically detected, and based on this, the pressurization time of compressed air is controlled to an appropriate time according to the properties of the coffee raw material, and then the next process is moved on, thereby eliminating waste. To provide a coffee brewing device capable of shortening sales time by eliminating dead time and improving the sales turnover rate of a vending machine.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a hot water supply cylinder having a hot water supply valve opening at the bottom;
It is composed of a raw material cup and a filter block that face each other below the hot water supply cylinder and are operated to be reciprocated between a standby position and a coffee extraction position,
According to the sales order, hot water is put into the hot water cylinder and coffee powder is put into the raw material cup in the standby position, the raw material cup is moved to the extraction position, the hot water cylinder, the raw material cup, and the filter block are closely connected, and then compressed air is poured into the hot water cylinder. Compressed air is supplied under pressure from the outside into the hot water cylinder through the line to extract coffee, and then the supply of compressed air is stopped, the hot water cylinder and raw material cup are separated, and the raw material cup and filter block are placed in the standby position. In a coffee extraction device configured to return to its original position, the coffee extraction completion detection means (pressure sensor, temperature sensor, etc.) detects and detects the completion of coffee extraction during the coffee extraction operation process as the completion of discharging hot water in the cylinder, and the means The apparatus is provided with an operation control section that controls the operation to stop the supply of compressed air and to move to a step of separating the hot water supply cylinder and the raw material cup based on the coffee extraction completion signal obtained in the above.

[Effect]

Means for detecting and detecting the completion of coffee extraction during the coffee extraction operation as the completion of discharging hot water in the hot water supply cylinder, for example, detecting the internal pressure drop due to the release of compressed air in the cylinder due to the completion of discharging hot water, and completion of coffee extraction. pressure sensor that detects
Alternatively, coffee extraction completion detection means such as a temperature sensor detects the completion of coffee extraction by detecting the presence or absence of hot water when the hot water in the hot water cylinder is discharged. The operation is controlled to detect and detect the end of coffee extraction, and to stop the supply of compressed air based on the signal from the coffee extraction completion detection means, and to proceed to the process of separating the hot water supply cylinder and the raw material cup. The coffee extraction time can be shortened by giving the appropriate compressed air pressurization time and eliminating wasteful dead time.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of this invention,
Identical parts corresponding to FIG. 3 are given the same reference numerals. That is, according to the present invention, a pressure sensor 10 as a coffee extraction completion detection means and a normally closed pressure reducing valve 11 whose outlet is open to the atmosphere are connected to a midway point of the air pipe 61 of the air pump 6 connected to the hot water cylinder 1. There is.

Here, the pressure sensor 10 detects the air pressure in the air pipe 61 leading to the hot water cylinder 1, converts it into an electrical signal, detects the point at which the detected pressure changes from rising to falling, and uses that signal as a coffee extraction completion signal for operation. It has the functions given to the control section 8. That is, in FIG. 2, the point where the internal pressure of the cylinder body starts to drop after reaching the rising point a or b is detected and a coffee extraction completion signal is output. On the other hand, when the operation control section 8 receives the coffee extraction completion signal from the pressure sensor 10 described above, it first stops the operation of the air pump 6 and outputs a command to open the pressure reducing valve 11 at the same time. Furthermore, a restart command is given to the drive mechanism 4 at a slightly delayed timing, and the next step is to disconnect the hot water cylinder 1 and the raw material cup 2 and move the raw material cup 3 and the filter block 3 backward. to be transferred to

As is clear from the above explanation, compressed air is started to be supplied to the hot water cylinder 1 during the coffee extraction process, and as the coffee extraction progresses, hot water is completely drained from the hot water cylinder 1, and the coffee liquid flows into the filter block 3.
When the coffee has passed through the filter 32 and coffee extraction is completed, at this point the pressure sensor 10 detects the drop in the cylinder internal pressure and outputs an extraction completion signal. Moreover, this extraction completion signal is always output at the time of completion of extraction, regardless of the difference in the properties of the coffee raw material. In addition, by controlling the air pump 6 to stop using this extraction completion signal, the pressurized supply time of compressed air can be appropriately matched to conditions such as the properties of the coffee raw material, and unlike the conventional timer setting method, There is no need to provide a margin for the operation time of the air pump, and this also makes it possible to eliminate dead time during sales hours.

In addition to the pressure sensor shown in the illustrated embodiment, the coffee extraction completion detection means may include the hot water supply cylinder 1.
For example, a temperature sensor is placed near the inner bottom of the hot water cylinder 1 to detect when the hot water inside the hot water supply cylinder 1 has been completely discharged, and the state when the hot water inside the cylinder has been completely discharged is detected as a temperature change. Alternatively, it is also possible to detect the state of completion of coffee extraction by employing an electrode detection method, an ultrasonic detection method, etc., which are known as general liquid level detection technical means.

On the other hand, returning to the illustrated embodiment, by opening the pressure reducing valve 11 in response to the above-mentioned extraction completion signal, the inside of the hot water cylinder 1 is opened to the atmosphere, and the internal pressure quickly drops to atmospheric pressure. This is shown in FIG. 2. When the pressure reducing valve 11 is opened, the cylinder internal pressure reaches the extraction completion points a and b, and then falls along the dashed line and the dashed double dotted line, and at time ta-1,
At tb-1, the internal pressure returns to atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, when the pressure reducing valve 11 is not provided, the end time of the internal pressure drop and return is ta-0, tb-0, and with the installation of the pressure reducing valve 11, the coffee extraction is completed at the point a,
It takes time △ for the cylinder internal pressure to drop and return from b.
It is shortened by the amount corresponding to ta and △tb. In other words, in this coffee extraction device, when proceeding to the next raw material cup separation process after coffee extraction is completed, in order to prevent contamination of the surroundings inside the machine, as mentioned above, the process waits until the cylinder internal pressure has completely decreased. It is necessary to move to the process of Therefore, by installing the pressure reducing valve 11, the waiting time for moving to the next step can be shortened by the above-mentioned times Δta and Δtb compared to the case without the pressure reducing valve.

In this way, by optimizing the compressed air supply time using the coffee extraction completion detection means and shortening the cylinder pressure drop time using the pressure reducing valve, the sales time required for selling coffee in the vending machine can be adjusted to conditions such as the properties of the coffee raw materials. It will be possible to make the process more appropriate and shorter. Moreover, since the process of separating the hot water cylinder and the raw material cup is performed under the conditions that coffee extraction is complete and the supply of compressed air is stopped, problems such as coffee liquid, dregs, etc. scattering around the inside of the machine when the raw material cup is separated may occur. can be prevented from occurring.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a coffee extraction completion detection means that detects and detects the completion of coffee extraction in the coffee extraction operation process as the completion of discharging hot water in the cylinder, and the coffee extraction completion signal obtained by the means is provided. Based on this, the operation is controlled to stop the supply of compressed air and move on to the process of separating the hot water cylinder from the raw material cup. While preventing troubles such as liquids, coffee grounds, etc. from scattering around the inside of the machine,
It is possible to automatically and properly control the pressurized supply time of compressed air to the hot water cylinder without being affected by differences in the properties of coffee raw materials, eliminating unnecessary dead time, thus shortening the coffee selling time of the vending machine. This will improve customer service and sales turnover.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the main parts of a coffee brewing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of operating characteristics showing the temporal change in internal pressure of the hot water cylinder during the coffee brewing process, and Fig. 3 1 is an overall configuration layout diagram of a conventional coffee brewing device. In each figure, 1... hot water cylinder, 2... raw material cup, 3... filter block, 4... drive mechanism, 5... hot water tank,
6... Air pump, 7... Raw material box, 8... Operation control unit,
9... Cup, 10... Pressure sensor as means for detecting completion of coffee extraction, 11... Pressure reducing valve.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A hot water supply cylinder with a hot water supply valve opening at the bottom;
It consists of a raw material cup and a filter block that face each other below the hot water supply cylinder and are moved back and forth between a standby position and a coffee brewing position. Pour the coffee powder into the cup,
Then, the raw material cup is moved to the extraction position and the hot water cylinder, the raw material cup, and the filter block are closely connected, and then compressed air is supplied under pressure from the outside into the hot water cylinder through the compressed air line to extract coffee. In a coffee brewing device in which the supply of compressed air is subsequently stopped, the hot water supply cylinder and raw material cup are separated, and the raw material cup and filter block are moved back to the standby position, the completion of coffee extraction during the coffee extraction process is detected by the cylinder. A coffee extraction completion detection means detects and detects the end of the discharge of hot water, and based on the coffee extraction completion signal obtained by the means, the supply of compressed air is stopped and the process of separating the hot water supply cylinder and the raw material cup is started. A coffee brewing device characterized by comprising an operation control section for controlling operation. 2. The coffee brewing device according to claim 1, wherein the coffee brewing completion detection means is a pressure sensor that detects a change in pressure drop in the internal pressure of the hot water supply cylinder. 3. The coffee brewing device according to claim 2, wherein the pressure sensor is connected and arranged in the middle of the compressed air piping leading to the hot water cylinder. 4. The coffee brewing device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with a pressure reducing valve that opens in response to a detection signal from the coffee extraction completion detection means and releases the inside of the hot water supply cylinder to atmospheric pressure. Extraction device.