JPH0493574A - Soft drink supplying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To supply soft drink having stable quality by a method wherein a first operating efficiency C of a compressor calculated in response to an inputted amount of heat for a tank during storing of liquid and the amount of heat absorbed by the first cooling device and a second operating rate F of the compressor calculated in response to the amount of heat having entered the storing device and the amount of heat absorbed by the second cooling device when the first and second cooling devices are cooled together are set to have a relation of C>=F. CONSTITUTION:For example, the volume of a tank 6 is 5l and the volume of a storing device 18 is 2l. A thermal insulation material 7 is foamed styrol, a thermal insulation material 21 is foamed urethane. The thermal insulation materials have superior thermal insulation properties. As a result, the amount of heat having entered the tank 6 is 7.6Kcal/h and the amount of heat having entered the storing device 18 is 2.7Kcal/h. Operating rates C and F of each of compressors 27 are calculated, wherein C=7.6(Kcal/ h)/74(Kcal/h)=10.2(%), and F=2.7(Kcal/h)/27(Kcal/h)-10.0(%) are attained. Accordingly, a relation of C>F is attained and no over-cooling of the tank 6 is generated, no icing of liquid occurs and the liquid is kept at a predetermined temperature. Accordingly, a temperature control over two cooling devices 8 and 19 only with a valve 35 is properly performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a beverage dispensing machine that dilutes coffee tea, juice, and other concentrated beverages that are cooled and stored at a constant temperature with water at a predetermined temperature.

2. Description of the Related Art A device for cooling a container containing a concentrated beverage, mixing the cooled concentrated beverage with chilled drinking water, and supplying the mixture to a consumer is known, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-2096.
It is shown in Publication No. 00.

In addition, in beverage vending machines, there is a known cooling loop control circuit in which a concentrated beverage reservoir chamber and a carbonated water reservoir chamber are respectively cooled and each can be controlled to a different cooling temperature range. -1199f54. Therefore, we will explain them one by one. The first conventional device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-209600 is as follows:
External cooling water is utilized to both cool the compartment storing the concentrated beverage containers and to cool the drinking water that is mixed with the concentrated beverage, and the device is not equipped with a cooling system. This allows it to be used wherever there is a source of cooling water and drinking water. - Power tube 2 The conventional control circuit described in JP-A-61-1-J9964 is a control circuit of a cooling loop for at least two cooling ranges, and is particularly related to the cooling demand detected by a sensor. For storing carbonated water and concentrated beverages, one of the two evaporators is selectively switched via a valve device to one condenser cooling loop, while one of the cooling loops is preferentially connected. The two chambers are each cooled. Regarding the priority control of cooling request signals from the sensors, the cooling system is first configured to operate regardless of which of the sensors issues the cooling request signal. Next, a sensor ES1 for detecting the thinner ice in the carbonated water storage container, a sensor ES2 for detecting the thicker ice, and a sensor TR for detecting the temperature of the concentrated beverage storage chamber are provided. The cooling request is set to sensor ES1, and the second priority cooling request is set to sensor TR.
Since the third priority cooling request is set to sensor ES2,
It is characterized in that the priority of the cooling request signal from the sensor alternates between respective cooling temperature ranges for carbonated water and concentrated beverages. As a result, the switching valve device selects and cools the evaporator on the cooling request signal side with a higher priority, and only one of the evaporators is connected in the cooling loop while the cooling system is operating. Become.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the configuration of the first conventional example as described above, it is necessary to connect cooling water piping to the device from the outside, which increases the cost of installing equipment that insulates the water piping and its pipes. It was expensive.

Furthermore, in the configuration of the second conventional example, only one of the carbonated water storage chamber and the concentrated beverage storage chamber is controlled to be cooled, and the other storage chamber is not cooled at all until the cooling request signal from one sensor is satisfied. In the worst case scenario, the storage room could cause the warm drinks to spoil or provide poor quality drinks. For example, under the conditions that may occur when beverages are sold frequently when the outside temperature is high, the temperature in the concentrated beverage storage room rises and the consumption of carbonated water in the carbonated water storage room is high, and the ice thickness becomes extremely thin or disappears. The carbonated water storage compartment is cooled first due to the action of the ESt sensor that detects the thin ice thickness, and cooling of the concentrated beverage storage compartment is postponed. At this time, the temperature of the concentrated beverage increases, causing oxidation and spoilage, which deteriorates the quality of the beverage. Furthermore, due to insufficient cooling of the carbonated water storage chamber, it is difficult for the carbonic acid to dissolve in the carbonated water storage chamber, resulting in the provision of a drink with a bad taste.

In view of the above problems, the present invention eliminates the need for external cooling water, allows the concentrated beverage and diluting liquid to be cooled at the same time, eliminates the situation where the beverage is not cooled even when a cooling request is made, and furthermore controls the refrigerant on the concentrated beverage side. The present invention aims to provide a beverage dispensing machine with a simple configuration and one-valve control, which can further stabilize the temperature of concentrated beverages and supply beverages of stable quality.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the beverage dispensing machine of the present invention includes a first cooler provided in a tank for storing a liquid, and a second cooler provided in a storage for storing a concentrated beverage. a compressor that operates in response to the operation of the first temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the tank or the second temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the storage; and the operation of the second temperature detection means. and a refrigerant path in which the first cooler, the valve, and the second cooler are connected in parallel, the valve opening a refrigerant path to the second cooler in response to The first heat of the compressor is determined by I, which is the amount of heat entered into A by the amount of heat absorbed by the first cooler, B.
The operating rate C of the compressor and the second operating rate F of the compressor, which is obtained by dividing the amount of heat intrusion into the storage by the amount of heat absorbed by the second cooler, are configured so that C≧F. It is something.

With such a configuration, both the liquid and the concentrated beverage contained in the tank are cooled by the compressor, so there is no need to connect external cooling water. In addition, the tank and the storage are provided in parallel refrigerant paths so that both can be reliably cooled even if simultaneous cooling requests are made. Furthermore, by controlling the refrigerant with a valve on the storage side, the temperature of the concentrated beverage is maintained at a constant level, minimizing deterioration of the concentrated beverage and supplying a beverage of stable quality.

In addition, cooling of the tank and storage is controlled by one pulp, resulting in a simple cooling system. In addition, in response to cooling requests on the storage side,
The tank side will also be cooled, but by making the compressor operation rate F on the storage side smaller than that on the tank side, in other words, the cooling speed on the storage side can be made faster or the cooling speed on the tank side can be made slower. As a result, supercooling of the liquid on the tank side is prevented.

EXAMPLE An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a beverage dispensing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a cooling system diagram of the machine, Fig. 3 is an electric circuit diagram of the machine, and Fig. 4 is an external perspective view of the machine. It is.

In the figure, 1 is the main body of the beverage supply machine. 2 is the operation section, power switch 3, power lamp 4. Extraction switch 6
have.

6 is a cold water tank with a capacity of about 6 liters covered with a first insulating material 7 made of styrofoam or the like, a first cooler 8 is wrapped around the outer wall, and the tank is directly above the first cooler 8. A detection section 9a of a first temperature detection means 9 constituted by a thermostat or the like is provided on the outer wall. Reference numeral 10 is a water inlet provided on the back, and is directly connected to the water supply. Reference numeral 11 denotes a water injection pipe that communicates the water injection port 1o with the tank 6, and a water injection valve 12 for controlling the amount of water is provided therebetween. 13 is a water supply pipe that communicates the tank e with the supply port 14 which is the outlet of cold water. There is a drain port 1 at the bottom of the tank.
A drain pipe 16 communicating with the drain pipe 5 is provided. 1 Ryo is a container for crushing beverages, and contains concentrated beverages such as concentrated coffee, concentrated tea, and concentrated juice.
A brick-shaped sterile package shown in Japanese Patent No. 209600 may also be used. 18 is a storage with a capacity of about 2 liters, a second cooler 19 is attached to the outer wall, and a detection part 20a of a second temperature detection means 2o constituted by a thermostat etc. is installed on the outer wall directly below the second cooler 19. The periphery thereof is covered with a second heat insulating material 2D/E made of urethane foam or the like, and a container 17 is housed inside, and a heat insulating lid 22 is placed on the top. 23 is a liquid pump,
The pump outlet 26 is connected to the container 17 via the inlet tube 24 to draw the concentrated beverage by means of an electrical signal, and the pump outlet 26 is open to the mixing noise of 26. The mixing nozzle 26 has a mixing outlet provided at the bottom, and includes a pump outlet 26 and a supply port 14, and is assembled to prevent liquid from leaking. 2. The compressor is the condenser 28. A first cooler 8 and a second cooler 19 are installed at the bottom of the tank 0 together with a fan motor 29.
It consists of a cooling system. 30 is a control circuit for controlling the supply of beverages, and includes a first switch 31 for setting the mixing ratio A of concentrated beverage and water, and a second switch 32 for setting the consumption unit amount B of diluted beverage liquid. .

Next, we will explain the electrical circuit diagram of this machine. 33 is a commercial power source, and 3 is a power switch, which is connected to the backbone of each electrical component via a current fuse 34.

A power lamp 4 is connected between the power lines via a current fuse 34, a bulb 35 and a relay 36 are connected in parallel via a second temperature detection means 2o, and a first temperature detection means 9 and a relay 36 are connected in parallel. The compressor 27 and the fan motor 29 are connected in parallel through the contact 36a of the compressor 27, and the primary side of the power transformer 3 is also connected thereto. A control circuit 30 composed of a microcomputer 38 and peripheral circuits is connected to the secondary side of the power transformer 37.

The control circuit 30 has an extraction switch 5. as an input. A first switch 31 for setting the mixing ratio A of concentrated beverage liquid and water
．． Second switch 3 for setting consumption unit amount B of diluted beverage liquid
2, and has a water injection valve 12 and a liquid pump 23 as outputs.

Next, we will explain the cooling system of this machine. A compressor 27 is connected to a condenser 28 which is air-cooled by a fan motor 29, and after the condenser 28, a valve 35 is connected to the first cooler 8 via a first throttle device 39 to open and close the refrigerant. A second cooler 19 is connected in parallel with a refrigerant path 4D/E via a second throttle υ device. The outlet sides of the first cooler 8 and the second cooler 19 are connected together to the lower part of a liquid receiver 42 that performs gas-liquid separation, and the upper part of the liquid receiver 42 is connected to the suction port of the compressor 27. has been done.

The operation of the beverage dispensing machine configured as described above will be described below.

The explanation will be given assuming that the tank 6 of this machine is already filled with water and the power switch 3 is turned on.

At this time, the power lamp 4 is lit.

In the first pattern, when both the tank 6 containing the liquid and the storage 18 containing the concentrated beverage are below a predetermined temperature,
Both the first temperature detection means 9 and the second temperature detection means 2o are "open", and the relay contact 3θa is also "open", and the compressor 2
7 is stopped, the valve 36 remains closed, and neither the υ tank 6 nor the storage 18 is cooled. Since the transformer 37 of the control circuit 3o is energized while the power switch 3 is turned on, each input/output element is detected and operated according to the procedure of the microcomputer 38.

As a second pattern, when both the tank 6 and the storage 18 are at a predetermined temperature or higher, neither the first temperature detection means 9 nor the second temperature detection means 2o is "closed", the compressor 27 is operated, and the valve 35 is closed. opens, so the first cooler 8 also opens the second cooler 19.
The refrigerant flows in parallel with each other, and the refrigerant is appropriately throttled by the first throttling device 39 and the second throttling device 40, cooling both coolers 8 and 19. As a result, both the tank 6 and the storage 18 are cooled. cooled down.

As a third pattern, when the temperature of the tank 6 is higher than the first predetermined temperature and the storage 18 is lower than the second predetermined temperature, the first temperature detection means 9 is "closed" and the second temperature detection means 20 is Since it is "open", the compressor 2a operates and the valve 36 remains closed. As a result, the refrigerant flows only to the first cooler 8, and only the tank 6 is cooled, so that the temperature of the liquid in the tank e is the same as that of the first cooler.
The temperature is controlled to a predetermined temperature of, for example, 6°C±3°C. Since the refrigerant does not flow into the second cooler 19, the liquid refrigerant returns to the compressor 27 due to an imbalance in the refrigerant flow 1 in the cooling system. The compressor 27 is returned to the compressor 27 to prevent the balanne of the cooling system and the compressor 27 from malfunctioning.

As a fourth pattern, when the temperature of the tank 6 is lower than the first predetermined temperature and the storage 18 is higher than the second predetermined temperature, the first temperature detection means 9 is "open", but the second temperature detection means 20
is "closed" and the relay contact 36a is "closed", so the compressor 2 is operated and the valve 36 is also opened, so that the second cooler 19 is cooled. When the storage r1118 becomes less than the second predetermined temperature, the second temperature detection means 20 is "open", the compressor 27 is stopped, the valve 35 is closed, and cooling is stopped. As a result, the temperature of the concentrated beverage in the storage 18 is controlled to a second predetermined temperature, for example, 4°C±2°C.

However, while the compressor 2 is in operation and the valve 35 is open, the refrigerant is circulated to the first cooler 8 and the temperature inside the tank e is The possibility of supercooling the liquid arises. While the beverage is being brewed, the concentrated beverage is simply being cooled while decreasing, whereas the water in the tank 6 is replenished with room-temperature water from the water injection valve 12, so the temperature in the tank e is about to rise. Since the tank 6 is cooled while cooling, there is almost no overcooling of the tank 6. In the worst case scenario, for example, in the summer when the outside temperature is high, there is a high possibility that tank e will be overcooled during nighttime operation when no beverage is being supplied.

Therefore, the possibility of supercooling will be explained next.

The amount of heat A that enters the tank 6 containing the liquid and the amount of heat absorbed by the first cooler 8 while the compressor 27 is in operation are determined from calculations of the respective surface areas, refrigerant flow rates, adiabatic equations, and the like. In addition, the amount of heat entering into the storage 18 containing the concentrated beverage and the amount of heat absorbed by the second cooler 19 while the compressor 2 and the valve 36 are in operation are also obtained from the same calculations as described above. From these values tank 6
The first operating rate C of the compressor 27 for keeping the storage chamber 18 at a stable temperature, and the second operating rate F of the compressor 27 and valve 35 for keeping the storage 18 at a stable temperature were determined using the following formula. As a result, the amount of heat A entering the tank 6 was 7.6 W/h, and the amount of heat P entering the storage 18 was 2.7-/h. The operating rates C and F of each compressor 27 were determined as follows.

Here, if the first operation rate C and the second operation rate F have a relationship of C≧F, supercooling will not occur. In other words, the operating time (corresponding to F) of the compressor 27 with the valve 36 open for the amount of heat absorbed by the storage 18 is the amount of time the compressor 27 operates for the amount of heat absorbed by the tank e.
If the operating time is equal to or shorter than the operating time in item 7 (corresponding to C), even if the tank is operated stably for a long time without any beverage supply, overcooling of the tanks will not occur and the liquid will freeze. can be prevented.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the capacity of the tank is set to 51 compared to the capacity of the storage, which is 24.
The heat insulating material 7 is made of foamed nutirol, the second heat insulating material 21 is made of foamed urethane foam, and the second heat insulating material 21 is made of a material with good heat insulation performance. First, the liquid does not freeze and is maintained at a predetermined constant temperature.

Therefore, the temperature of the two cooling fM8t19 can be appropriately controlled only by the valve 35, and the cooling system is simple but without any problems.

Next, the beverage supply operation will be explained. First, in the basic operation, when the extraction switch 6 is turned on manually, eight signals are applied from the control circuit 30 to the water injection valve and the liquid pump 23 for a predetermined time determined respectively. This means that when a cup is placed under the mixing nozzle 2e of the main body 1 and the extraction switch 5 is pressed, the concentrated beverage in the container 17 is poured into the mixing nozzle 26 for a predetermined amount of time by the operation of the liquid pump 23 for a predetermined period of time. , a predetermined amount of cooled water in the tank 6 is supplied to the mixing nozzle 2 by operating the water injection valve 12 for a predetermined time.
6, and a predetermined amount of beverage with a predetermined mixing ratio is poured into the cup.

As described above, according to this embodiment, since both the liquid and the concentrated beverage contained in the tank 6 are cooled by the compressor 27, there is no need to connect cooling water from the outside, and installation costs can be reduced. In addition, the first cooler 8 of the tank 6 and the second cooler 8 of the storage 18
The refrigerant path 41 is arranged in parallel with the cooler 19, so that both the tank e and the storage 18 are cooled in response to simultaneous cooling requests, so that cooling is ensured without causing any cooler to not be cooled in response to the cooling request. . Furthermore, since the refrigerant opening/closing control by the valve 35 on the storage IIf 18 side is performed in conjunction with the second temperature detection means 20, the temperature of the concentrated beverage is kept constant with high precision, and deterioration of the concentrated beverage is minimized. Keep it to
It is possible to supply beverages with more stable quality. In addition, appropriate temperature control between the tank 6 and the storage chamber 18 is performed using the valve 35.
We were able to create a simple cooling system that could be switched with just one switch. Furthermore, by using polystyrene foam as the first heat insulating material 7 and urethane foam as the second heat insulating material 21, the tank 6 will not be overcooled under any conditions, and the liquid will not freeze and will remain at a predetermined constant level. maintained at temperature. valve 35
When the refrigerant is closed, no refrigerant flows into the second cooler 19, so if the liquid refrigerant returns to the compressor 27 due to an imbalance in the refrigerant flow rate in the cooling system, the liquid receiver 42 becomes a liquid reservoir and the upper gaseous refrigerant is By returning only the control to the compressor 27, improving the balance of the cooling system and improving the cooling performance, the compressor 2
7 malfunctions can be prevented.

When supplying beverages, by pressing - on the extraction switch 6, a predetermined amount of beverage at a predetermined mixing ratio can be supplied.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention has a first cooler installed in a tank that stores liquid, a second cooler installed in a storage that stores concentrated beverages, and a second cooler that detects the temperature of the tank. a compressor that operates in response to the operation of the first temperature detection means or a second temperature detection means that detects the temperature of the storage; and the second cooler that operates in response to the operation of the second temperature detection means. and a refrigerant path in which the first cooler, the valve, and the second cooler are connected in parallel, and the amount of heat A entering the tank is controlled by the first cooler. The first operation rate C of the compressor is calculated as 100 divided by the heat absorption amount B, and the second operation rate of the compressor is calculated as I, which is the amount of heat absorbed by the storage compartment divided by the amount of heat absorbed by the second cooler. The operating rate F is configured such that C≧F.

Therefore, since both the liquid and the concentrated beverage contained in the tank are cooled by the compressor, there is no need to connect external cooling water, reducing installation costs. In addition, the first cooler of the tank and the second cooler of the storage are arranged in parallel refrigerant paths, so that even if there are simultaneous cooling requests, neither the tank nor the storage will be cooled without leaving the cooler uncooled. be done. Furthermore, since the refrigerant opening/closing control using a valve on the storage side is linked to the second temperature detection means, the temperature of the concentrated beverage is kept constant with high precision, minimizing deterioration of the concentrated beverage. , it is possible to supply more stable drinks from Shinaga. In addition, appropriate temperature control between the tank and the storage can be switched with just a valve, making it possible to realize a simple cooling system. In addition, in response to a cooling request from the storage side, the tank side will also be cooled, but by making the compressor operation rate F on the storage side smaller than that on the tank side, that is, the 7-speed cooling on the storage side quickly,
Or by slowing down the cooling 7-speed on the tank side,
This can prevent overcooling of the liquid on the tank side.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a beverage dispensing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;
The figure is a cooling system diagram of the beverage dispenser, FIG. 3 is an electric circuit diagram of the beverage dispenser, and FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the beverage dispenser. 6...Tank, 7...First insulation material,
8...First cooler, 9,9a...First temperature detection means, 18...Storage, 19...
...Second cooler, 20°20a...Second temperature detection means, 21 - Second heat insulating material, 27...
・Compressor, 36... Valve, 41... Refrigerant path. Diagram

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A tank containing a liquid and equipped with a supply port, a first cooler provided on the outer wall of the tank, a storage for storing the concentrated beverage, and a second cooler provided on the outer wall of the storage. , a first temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the tank, a second temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the storage, and an operation in response to the operation of the first temperature detection means or the second temperature detection means. a compressor that opens a refrigerant path to the second cooler in response to operation of a second temperature sensing means, and the first cooler, the valve, and the second cooler are arranged in parallel. A/
The first operation rate C of the compressor determined by B, the amount of heat D entering the storage, and the first
the second cooler when the cooler and the second cooler are both cooled.
A beverage dispensing machine configured such that the second operating rate F of the compressor obtained from D/E from the heat absorption amount E of the cooler satisfies C≧F. (2) Claim (1) consisting of a first heat insulating material provided around the outer wall of the tank and a second heat insulating material having better heat insulation performance than the first heat insulating material provided around the outer wall of the storage. Beverage dispensing machine as described.