JPH06321298A - Drink supplying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate malfunctions of a stirring means in a drink supplying device in which the stirring means in rotated in synchronous with a stirring motor by coupling magnetically a power transmission magnet board and the stirring means. CONSTITUTION:A drink cooling pipe 17 is arranged in a water tank 7 in which cooling water is accumulated and cooled by a cooler 12. Drink is extracted through the drink cooling pipe 17. A stirring means 26 having a magnet is rotatably provided on the bottom part inside the water tank 7. A motor 11M is provided below the water tank 7 so that a rotating shaft 15 of the motor 11M may be positioned on the same axial core as a rotating shaft 24 of the stirring means 26. A power transmission magnet board 28 is provided outside the water tank on the rotating shaft 15 of the motor 11M to couple magnetically with the magnet of the stirring means 26. If a load current of the motor 11M goes down to a prescribed value, the motor 11M is stopped for a prescribed time and then restarted.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a beverage supply device for cooling and extracting a beverage in a beverage tank.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a beverage supply device for cooling and supplying a beverage such as beer has been disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-190880.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (F25D11 / 00), cooling water is stored in a water tank, and the water is cooled by an evaporation pipe of a cooling device to generate ice around the cooling water, and a beverage cooling pipe is provided in the water tank. Is arranged in a coil shape, and beer or the like is extracted through the beverage cooling pipe to instantaneously cool and supply the beer. Also,
An agitator was provided to stir the cooling water in the water tank so as to uniformly stir the cooling water, thereby improving the cooling effect of the beverage cooling pipe.

However, conventionally, the stirring motor of the stirrer is provided above the water tank, and the stirring blades are inserted into the water tank from above, so that the stirring motor is cooled to cause dew condensation, or water in the water tank splashes to cause a leakage fault. There was a problem causing. In addition, the inside of the beverage cooling pipe must be regularly cleaned and replaced when corrosion occurs, but if a stirrer etc. is installed above the water tank as in the past, these will not be removed when the beverage cooling pipe is taken out. The agitator and the like had to be removed, which made maintenance work complicated.

[0004] Therefore, the applicant rotatably provided a stirrer having a magnet at the bottom of the water tank, and the stirring motor was positioned outside the water tank so that the rotary shaft was located on the same axis as the rotary shaft of the stirrer. We have developed a beverage supply device with a power transmission magnet plate that is located outside the water tank and is magnetically coupled to the magnet of the stirrer on the rotating shaft of the stirring motor. According to such a beverage supply apparatus, since the magnet of the agitator is magnetically coupled to the power transmission magnet plate, when the power transmission magnet plate is rotated by the agitation motor, the agitator is moved to the power transmission magnet plate (that is, the agitation motor disc). ) Rotates in synchronization with. As a result, the cooling water in the water tank is agitated, and since the agitation motor is outside the water tank, there is no problem of electrical leakage failure, and the agitation motor can be installed at a position other than above the water tank. , It doesn't get in the way when removing the beverage cooling pipe.

[0005]

However, if the beverage supply device is moved or some shock is applied during the operation of the stirring motor, the magnetic coupling between the stirring machine and the power transmission magnet plate is released, and the stirring motor is synchronized. There was a problem that the stirrer stopped due to disconnection. The present invention has been made to solve the conventional technical problems, and a beverage that magnetically couples a power transmission magnet board and an agitator to rotate the agitator in synchronization with an agitation motor. An object of the present invention is to reliably eliminate the non-rotatable state of the stirrer in the supply device.

[0006]

That is, the beverage supply device 1 of the present invention stores a cooling water therein, and arranges a beverage cooling pipe 17 in a water tank 7 cooled by the cooling device 12 to provide a beverage tank 2. The stored beverage is extracted by passing it through the beverage cooling pipe 17, and is rotatably provided in the water tank 7 and provided with a stirrer 26 having a magnet and provided outside the water tank 7 to rotate. A stirring motor arranged so that the shaft 15 is located on the same axis as the rotating shaft 24 of the agitator 26.
11M and rotating shaft 2 of this stirring motor (motor) 11M
4, a power transmission magnet board 28 located outside the water tank 7 and magnetically coupled to the magnet of the agitator 26, and a current detection means (current transformer 62 or the like) for detecting a load current of the agitation motor (motor) 11M. ) And a control unit (microcontroller unit) 50. The control unit (microcontroller unit) 50 reduces the load current of the stirring motor (motor) 11M to a predetermined value based on the current detection unit. In this case, the stirring motor (motor) 1 for a predetermined period
It is to restart 1M after stopping it.

[0007]

According to the beverage supply device 1 of the present invention, the agitator 26
Is the magnet and the rotating shaft 15 of the stirring motor (motor) 11M.
Is magnetically coupled to the power transmission magnet board 28 attached to the motor, and is rotationally driven in synchronization with the stirring motor (motor) 11M to stir the cooling water in the water tank 7. At this time, since the agitator 26 is inside the water tank 7 and the agitation motor (motor) 11M is also located outside the water tank 7, it does not become an obstacle when the beverage cooling pipe 17 is taken out of the water tank 7, and the agitation motor (motor). 11M is also difficult to be cooled by the cooling water in the water tank 7.

Here, the agitator 26 and the power transmission magnet board 28
If the magnetic coupling with is dissolved for some reason and the stirrer 26 cannot rotate, the stirrer 26 that rotates against the resistance of the cooling water in the water tank 7 is no longer the load of the stirrer motor 11M. The load current flowing through the stirring motor (motor) 11M is greatly reduced. The current detection means (current transformer 62, etc.) of the present invention is a stirring motor (motor) 11M.
When the stirrer 26 is stopped and the load current drops to a predetermined value as described above, the control means (microcontroller unit) 50 stops the stirring motor (motor) 11M for a predetermined period. Since it is restarted from, stirrer 2
6 can be magnetically coupled to the power transmission magnet board 28 again to restart the rotation.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a block diagram of a control circuit C of the beverage supply device 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical side view showing an internal configuration of the beverage supply device 1, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the beverage supply device 1, and FIG. 4 is power transmission. 5 is a perspective view of the agitator 26. FIG.

In the case 5 of the beverage supply apparatus 1 of the present invention, a water tank 7 made of stainless steel plate for storing cooling water, and below the water tank 7, a compressor 8, a condenser 9, a condenser cooling fan 11, etc. Is provided with a cooling device 12. The water tank 7 is open upward, and the heat insulating wall 1 is provided around the water tank 7.
3 is provided and insulated. Further, a cutout portion 14 is formed on the bottom surface of the heat insulating wall 13, and the lower surface of the bottom wall 7A of the water tank 7 is exposed to the outside in this portion, and the motor of the condenser cooling fan 11 that also functions as a stirring motor is described later. 11M is located below the notch 14. The rotating shaft 15 of the motor 11M projects vertically, and the condenser cooling fan 1 is attached to the lower end of the rotating shaft 15.
1 is attached.

An evaporation pipe 16 as an evaporator which constitutes the refrigeration cycle of the cooling device 12 together with the compressor 8, the condenser 9 and a motor-operated valve (not shown) is inserted into the water tank 7 in the form of a coil. Cool it by submerging it in cooling water. On the other hand, a coiled beverage cooling pipe 17 is provided in the water tank 7.
Is inserted from above and is submerged in the cooling water. A connection port 6 to which a cock 4 for extracting a beverage and a beverage pipe 9 from a beverage tank 2 storing beer pressurized by a carbon dioxide gas cylinder 3 are connected is provided above and below the front surface of the case 5, respectively. The cooling pipe 17 is connected above the water tank 7 to the pipe 18 from the cock 4 and the pipe 19 from the connection port 6 by joints 21 and 22, respectively.

A rotating shaft 24 is provided on the upper surface of the bottom wall 7A of the water tank 7 so as to be located above the notch 14, and an agitator 26 is rotatably attached to the rotating shaft 24. The rotary shaft 24 is located on the same axis as the rotary shaft 15 of the motor 11M, and a plurality of convex portions 27 as shown in FIG. A permanent magnet (not shown) is attached. On the other hand, motor 1
A power transmission magnet board 28 as shown in FIG. 4 is attached to the upper end of the rotary shaft 15 protruding upward from 1M, and is located below the bottom wall 7A of the water tank 7 in the cutout portion 14.

Further, the agitator 26 and the power transmission magnet disk 28 are opposed to each other with the bottom wall 7A interposed therebetween, and a permanent magnet (not shown) of the agitator 26 is magnetically coupled to the power transmission magnet disk 28 to agitate. The machine 26 and the power transmission magnet board 28 rotate synchronously in the same direction. This power transmission magnet board 2
Since 8 is rotated by the rotating shaft 15 of the motor 11M, the motor 11M also serves as a stirring motor for driving the stirrer 26. Further, four guide plates 31 extending radially around the agitator 26 are attached to the upper surface of the bottom wall 7A of the water tank 7.

Next, in FIG. 1, the control circuit C is a CPU,
It is composed of a microcontroller unit 50 having a ROM, a RAM, an A / D converter and an I / O port. The microcontroller unit 50 includes an ice sensor input circuit 51, a load current detection circuit 52, a contact input unit 53,
Switch input section 54, display section 55 and control output section 56
Are connected, and the microcontroller unit 50 operates by receiving the DC power supplied from the power supply unit 57.

The ice sensor input circuit 51 includes an ice detection electrode 61.
Are connected. The ice detecting electrode 61 is composed of two electrodes which are separated from each other, and is arranged inside the evaporation pipe 16. A current transformer 62 forming a current detecting means is provided in the energizing circuit of the motor 11M, and the output of the current transformer 62 is connected to the load current detecting circuit 52 via a rectifying circuit 63. In addition, the contact input unit 53 receives the opening position of the motor-operated valve and the like,
An external input switch 64 is connected to the switch input section 54. The control output unit 56 is connected to the compressor 8, the motor 11M, the electric valve, and the like.

The operation of the beverage supply device 1 of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration will be described. When there is no ice around the ice detection electrode 61, the resistance value between the electrodes is low, and this information is input from the ice sensor input circuit 51 to the microcontroller unit 50.
Based on the output of the ice sensor input circuit 51, the microcontroller unit 50 causes the control output unit 56 to cool the cooling device 1.
The second compressor 8 is started. When the compressor 8 is started, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 8 is condensed in the condenser 9, reduced in pressure by the electric valve, and then flows into the evaporation pipe 16 to evaporate, The cooling water in the water tank 7 is cooled by the endothermic action that occurs at that time.

When the ice layer I is generated on the outer circumference of the evaporation pipe 16 by this cooling, the space between the ice detecting electrodes 61 becomes ice and the resistance value thereof becomes high. This information is input from the ice sensor input circuit 51 to the micro controller unit 50, and the micro controller unit 50 causes the ice sensor input circuit 5 to operate.
Based on the output of 1, the control output unit 56 stops the compressor 8. By operating / stopping the compressor 8 as described above, an ice layer I having a predetermined thickness is generated around the evaporation pipe 16, and the beverage cooling pipe 17 is cooled by the latent heat of the ice layer I.

Further, the microcontroller section 50 controls the operation of the motor 11M of the condenser cooling fan 11 by the control output section 56 in synchronization with the operation / stop of the compressor 8. Then, when the motor 11M is activated, the condenser 9 is cooled, and the power transmission magnet board 2 is rotated with the rotation of the rotary shaft 15.
8 rotates to rotate the stirrer 26. This stirrer 26
The cooling water at the bottom of the water tank 7 is rotated spirally on the horizontal plane by the rotation of, and is directed upward by colliding with the guide plate 31, and is raised while rotating the inner surface of the peripheral wall in the water tank 7. A water flow descending through the central part of As a result, the cooling water in substantially the entire area of the water tank 7 is evenly cooled, and the cooling effect of the beverage cooling pipe 17 is improved.

When the cock 4 is opened in such a state, the beer in the beverage tank 2 is extruded into the beverage pipe 9 by the pressurization from the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 3 and then flows into the beverage cooling pipe 17 (actually, washing is performed). Through the valve for), passing there, and extracted from the cock 4. The beer to be extracted is instantaneously cooled from the wall surface in the process of passing through the beverage cooling pipe 17, becomes a low temperature at the time of drinking, and is extracted from the cook 4.

Here, the agitator 26 and the power transmission magnet board 28
Are magnetically coupled, and when the agitator 26 is rotating by the rotation of the motor 11M, the cooling water in the water tank 7 becomes a resistance, and a relatively large load current flows in the energizing circuit of the motor 11M. There is. This load current is converted into an electromotive force of the current transformer 62, rectified by the rectifier circuit 63, and then input from the load current detection circuit 52 to the microcontroller unit 50. When a large load current flows through the motor 11M, the electromotive force of the current transformer 62 also increases.
0 determines that the stirrer 26 is rotating normally based on the output from the load current detection circuit 52.

However, the agitator 26 and the power transmission magnet board 2 are given an impact by moving the beverage supply device 1 or the like.
When the magnetic coupling with 8 is canceled and the stirrer 26 cannot rotate, the stirrer 26 that rotates against the resistance of the cooling water in the water tank 7 is no longer the load of the motor 11M, so the motor 11
The load current flowing through the M energizing circuit is greatly reduced, and the electromotive force of the current transformer 62 is also reduced. Based on the output of the load current detection circuit 52, the microcontroller unit 50 determines that the stirrer 26 cannot be rotated and stopped when the load current drops to a predetermined value, and the control output unit 56 operates the motor 11M. Is stopped for a predetermined period.

During this predetermined period, the agitator 26 and the motor 11 are
Set it for a period sufficient to completely stop the rotation of M.
After the lapse of the stop period, the microcontroller unit 50 again activates the motor 11M by the control output unit 56. At the time of this restart, the agitator 26 and the motor 11M (that is, the power transmission magnet disk 38) are stopped, so the agitator 26 is magnetically coupled to the power transmission magnet disk 38. Therefore, the rotation of the stirrer 26 can be reliably restarted.

Next, when cleaning the inside of the beverage cooling pipe 17, the joints 21 and 22 are removed from the pipes 18 and 19, and the beverage cooling pipe 17 is lifted and taken out of the water tank 7. At this time, since the stirrer and the mounting plate do not exist in the upper part of the water tank 7 unlike the conventional case, it is not necessary to disassemble and remove them, and the beverage cooling pipe 17 can be smoothly removed. Thereby, the maintenance work of the beverage cooling pipe 17 becomes extremely simple and easy.

A motor 11M for driving the agitator 26
Is located below the water tank 7, it is difficult for the motor 11M to be cooled by the cooling water in the water tank 7. Therefore, the conventional leakage failure due to dew condensation is unlikely to occur. Particularly, in the embodiment, since the motor 11M that drives the condenser cooling fan 11 is also used as the stirring motor, the number of parts is reduced and
It saves energy. Further, since the motor 11M is located in the vicinity of the compressor 8 and the condenser 9 which are heating elements, the occurrence of dew condensation is further suppressed.

Although the stirrer 26 is provided on the upper surface of the bottom wall 7A of the water tank 7 in the embodiment, it is not limited to this and may be provided on the inner surface of the side wall of the water tank 7. Further, although the present invention is applied to the beverage supply device for extracting beer in the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is effective for a beverage supply device for extracting various beverages such as juice.

[0026]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, since the stirrer is provided in the water tank and the stirring motor is located outside the water tank, it does not hinder the removal of the beverage cooling pipe from the water tank. The stirring motor is also difficult to be cooled by the cooling water in the water tank. Therefore, maintenance work such as cleaning of the beverage cooling pipe can be performed extremely smoothly, and at the same time, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a failure due to dew condensation on the stirring motor.

In particular, in the present invention, the current detecting means detects the load current of the stirring motor, and the magnetic coupling between the stirring machine and the power transmission magnet board is broken for some reason, so that the stirring machine cannot rotate. When the load current of the agitation motor drops to a specified value, the control means restarts the agitation motor after stopping it for a specified period of time, so that the agitator is magnetically coupled to the power transmission magnet board again to reliably restart the rotation. Can be made. Therefore, the cooling water in the water tank can be surely stirred, and the beverage passing through the beverage supply device can be cooled smoothly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control circuit of a beverage supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view of the beverage supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the beverage supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a power transmission magnet board.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a stirrer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Beverage Supply Device 7 Water Tank 11M Motor (Stirring Motor) 12 Cooling Device 15 Rotating Shaft 16 Evaporating Pipe 17 Beverage Cooling Pipe 26 Stirrer 28 Power Transmission Magnet Board 50 Micro Controller 62 Current Transformer C Control Circuit

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── --- Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yoshikazu Takada 2-18 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A beverage supply for storing cooling water, arranging a beverage cooling pipe in a water tank cooled by a cooling device, and extracting the beverage stored in the beverage tank by passing through the beverage cooling pipe. In the apparatus, an agitator that is rotatably provided in the water tank and has a magnet, and is provided outside the water tank, and is arranged so that the rotation axis is located on the same axis as the rotation axis of the agitator. Stirrer motor, a power transmission magnet panel attached to the rotary shaft of the stirrer motor and located outside the water tank and magnetically coupled to the magnet of the stirrer, and a current for detecting a load current of the stirrer motor. The control means comprises a detection means and a control means, and based on the current detection means, the control means stops the stirring motor for a predetermined period and then restarts it when the load current of the stirring motor decreases to a predetermined value. Characterized by starting Beverage supply device.