JPH06333152A - Soda manufacture device for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To promote solving of soda gas into water by providing a piezoelectric vibrator in a carbonator package and misting the soda through the use of the vibrator. CONSTITUTION:A carbonator 20 is made up of a 1st chamber 21 used to store soda and a 2nd chamber 23 in an atmospheric pressure structured to prevent intrusion of water, etc., with a wall face 22 separating the chamber 21. A piezoelectric vibrator 30 is fixed to the 2nd chamber 23 of the wall face 22 by a method of adhesion or the like. A drive circuit 38 is connected to the piezoelectric vibrator 30 by a wire 33 and a signal from a float switch 16 is received to control the piezoelectric vibrator 30. When the drive circuit 38 is used to excite the piezoelectric vibrator 30, the vibration energy is delivered to a soda 14 from the wall face 22 and the soda 14 is diffused in a gaseous carbon dioxide filled in the upper part of the 1st chamber 21 as fine particles. Thus, the gaseous carbon dioxide is easily soluble into the liquid and the soda dissolved with a predetermined amount of gaseous carbon dioxide and suitable for a drink is obtained.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a vending machine (hereinafter,
It also relates to an apparatus for producing carbonated water, which is required when a beverage is manufactured and sold by a vending machine).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a conventional example of this type. In the figure, 1 is a water pipe, 2 is a reservoir, 3 is a water pump, 4 is a water tank, 5 is cooling water, 6 is a cooling coil, and 7 is a cooling coil.
Is a three-way valve, 8 is a nozzle, 9 is a cooling water valve, 10 is a drinking cup, 11 is a carbon dioxide cylinder, 12a and 12b are pressure reducing valves, 13 is a check valve, 14 is carbonated water, 15 is a float, 1
6 is a float switch, 17 is a discharge pipe, 18 is a carbonated water valve, and 20 is a carbonator.

That is, the water supplied from the water pipe 1 is temporarily stored in the reservoir 2 and sent to each part in the vending machine.
When producing carbonated water, the water from the reservoir 2 is pressurized by the water pump 3, passes through the cooling coil 6 immersed in the cooling water 5 in the water tank 4, passes through the three-way valve 7, and is atomized by the nozzle 8. And is ejected into the carbonator 20. The other end of the three-way valve 7 is connected to the cooling water valve 9 and has a structure for supplying cooling water to the beverage cup 10. The supply amount of the cooling water at this time is controlled by the opening / closing time of the cooling water valve 9.

On the other hand, carbon dioxide is also introduced to the nozzle 8 attached to the carbonator 20, and the carbon dioxide cylinder 11
The carbon dioxide gas from is reduced to a predetermined pressure by the pressure reducing valve 12a, passes through the check valve 13 attached to the nozzle 8 and is supplied into the carbonator 20 like water. At this time, even if the water pump 3 operates, the check valve 13 works to prevent the water from flowing back into the carbon dioxide pipe. Also,
From the pressure reducing valve 12b, carbon dioxide gas having a pressure lower than that of the pressure reducing valve 12a is supplied to other parts in the vending machine.

In the carbonator 20, carbon dioxide gas and mist-like water are mixed and the carbon dioxide gas is dissolved in the water, so that the carbonated water 1
4 are manufactured. Here, the amount of the carbonated water 14 is controlled by a float 15 having a built-in magnet and a float switch 16 equipped with a reed switch for detecting the position of the magnet. The water pump 3 is driven by the control circuit of the vending machine (not shown) in response to the above signal, and water is supplied to the carbonator 20 through the above path.

Carbonated water produced by the carbonator 20 is
The discharge pipe 1 is pushed out by the pressure inside the carbonator.
It is led to the carbonated water valve 18 through 7 and the drinking cup 10
Is poured into. The control of the discharge amount at this time is performed by opening and closing the carbonated water valve 18, as in the case of the cooling water.

[0007]

However, the device shown in FIG. 5 has the following problems. (1) In producing carbonated water, it is necessary to raise the pressure in the carbonator to a certain degree in order to make the dissolved amount of carbon dioxide gas a predetermined value. While supplying water into the carbonator having the high pressure. In order to atomize and eject, it is necessary to use a water pump having a considerably higher pressurizing ability. As a result, the water pump inevitably grows in size, and so does its footprint.

(2) Since the pressure setting in the carbonator is higher than the pressure normally used in other parts of the vending machine (for example, the pressure applied to push out the liquid raw material), the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas cylinder is It is necessary to reduce the pressure to a level suitable for the production of carbonated water, and further to the pressure level used for other parts. Therefore, parts such as pressure reducing valves and piping installed in vending machines cannot be used in common,
There is a problem that not only the number of parts increases but also an extra installation space is required. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reduce the pressure when producing carbonated water in a carbonator container to the pressure used elsewhere, and to eliminate the need for a conventional pump having a large pressing force.

[0009]

In order to solve such a problem, in the first invention, carbon dioxide gas supply means for supplying carbon dioxide gas at a predetermined pressure, a pump for pressurizing and supplying water, this pump and the above-mentioned For a vending machine equipped with a carbonator container that is connected to carbon dioxide supply means and stores carbon dioxide and water, and a liquid amount detection means that detects the amount of liquid in the carbonator container, adjacent to the carbonator container A second chamber is formed, and a piezoelectric vibrator adjacent to the carbonator container in this chamber and a driving unit for vibrating the piezoelectric vibrator in response to a signal from the liquid amount detecting unit are provided. There is.

In the second invention, carbon dioxide gas supplying means for supplying carbon dioxide gas at a predetermined pressure, a pump for pressurizing and supplying water, and a pump connected to the carbon dioxide gas supplying means for supplying carbon dioxide gas and water. A carbonator container to be stored, a liquid amount detecting means for detecting the amount of liquid in the carbonator container, and a discharge pipe for penetrating the liquid in the carbonator container from the inside to the outside to a beverage cup With respect to the vending machine, first and second flow path switching means and first and second flow path switching means are connected to each other in the middle of the pipe on the inlet side of the pump and in the middle of the discharge pipe. No. 1 and the pipe on the outlet side of the pump and in the pipe on the inlet side of the carbonator container are provided with third and fourth flow path switching means, and these third and fourth flow path switching means are mutually provided. Contact A second pipe which is characterized in that the first to fourth flow path switching means and the pump is provided and control means for controlling on the basis of the output from said liquid amount detecting means.

In the third invention, carbon dioxide gas supplying means for supplying carbon dioxide gas at a predetermined pressure, a pump for pressurizing and supplying water, and a pump connected to the carbon dioxide gas supplying means for supplying carbon dioxide gas and water. A carbonator container to be stored, a liquid amount detecting means for detecting the amount of liquid in the carbonator container, and a discharge pipe for penetrating the liquid in the carbonator container from the inside to the outside to a beverage cup For the vending machine, a second chamber is formed adjacent to the carbonator container, a piezoelectric vibrator adjacent to the carbonator container in this room, and the piezoelectric vibrator receives a signal from the liquid amount detecting means. And a drive means for vibrating the pump, and a first and a second flow path switching means in the middle of the pipe on the inlet side of the pump and in the middle of the discharge pipe, respectively.
A first pipe connecting these first and second flow path switching means to each other, and a third and a fourth flow path switching respectively in the middle of the outlet side pipe of the pump and in the middle of the inlet side pipe of the carbonator container. Means, a second pipe connecting these third and fourth flow path switching means to each other, and a control for controlling the first to fourth flow path switching means and the pump based on the output from the liquid amount detecting means. And means are provided. Regarding the above-mentioned first or third invention,
A horn may be provided at a position facing the piezoelectric vibrator in a room containing carbonated water in the carbonator container.

[0012]

[Function] A piezoelectric vibrator is provided on one surface of the carbonator container,
By using this to atomize the carbonated water, the dissolution of carbon dioxide into the water is promoted. Alternatively, piping is provided so that the carbonated water can circulate between the carbonator container and the water pump, and the carbonated water is repeatedly sprayed into the carbonator container to promote the dissolution of carbon dioxide gas into the water.

[0013]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. The parts not shown are the same as in FIG.
That is, the carbonator 20 is composed of a first chamber 21 for storing carbonated water and a second chamber 23 as an atmospheric pressure chamber having a structure in which a wall surface 22 is separated from which water or the like does not enter. There is.

A piezoelectric vibrator 30 is fixed to the wall surface 22 on the side of the second chamber 23 by a method such as bonding, and a wire 33 is attached to the piezoelectric vibrator 30 so that the second chamber 23 is fixed. Is drawn out to the outside through the inside of the wiring pipe 32 extending from the side surface. At this time, a waterproof cap 35 is attached to one end of the wiring pipe 32. The wiring 33 is a drive circuit 38 for driving the piezoelectric vibrator 30.
Is connected to the float switch 1 as will be described later.
The piezoelectric vibrator 30 is controlled by receiving a signal from the controller 6.

A float switch 16 is provided in the first chamber 21 as in the conventional case, and a reed switch is incorporated therein. Therefore, the position of the float 15 which contains a magnet and moves up and down according to the liquid level is It detects it by this. The output signal of the float switch 16 is input to a drive circuit 38 and a control circuit of a vending machine body (not shown), and the water pump and the valve are controlled so that the amount of carbonated water in the first chamber 21 of the carbonator becomes substantially constant. Control and supply water. Needless to say, the upper portion of the first chamber 21 is filled with carbon dioxide gas.

In such a structure, when the piezoelectric vibrator 30 is excited by the drive circuit 38, the vibration energy is transmitted from the wall surface 22 to a liquid such as water or carbonated water, and the liquid becomes fine particles into carbon dioxide gas. Spread. As a result, the carbon dioxide gas is easily dissolved in the liquid, and carbonated water suitable for a beverage in which a predetermined amount of carbon dioxide gas is dissolved can be obtained.

Although the piezoelectric vibrator 30 can be operated at all times, the concentration of the carbon dioxide gas dissolved in the carbonated water decreases when the water is replenished, so the liquid level is changed by the float switch 16. It is desirable to drive for a certain fixed time after the signal indicating that the predetermined height has been reached is input to the drive circuit 38. In addition, when the carbon dioxide gas pressure drops due to a decrease in the carbon dioxide gas in the cylinder, it is better to increase the driving time.
A method in which the pressure of carbon dioxide gas is detected by a pressure detection means not shown in FIG. 1 and the operation time is controlled by the output signal thereof is also effective.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. In this configuration, a horn 31 is provided on the bottom surface of the first chamber 21, which faces the piezoelectric vibrator 30 fixed to the wall surface 22 on the second chamber 23 side. The horn 31 is used to effectively transmit the vibration energy of the piezoelectric vibrator 30 to the liquid. There are various shapes, but any shape may be used as long as the energy necessary for atomizing the liquid can be transmitted, and here, it is attached to the bottom surface so that vibration energy can be easily transmitted to the vicinity of the liquid surface. Although the horn 31 is provided on the bottom surface of the first chamber 21 in FIG. 2, it may be attached to the upper surface of the first chamber 21 as shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing still another embodiment of the present invention, which corresponds to the conventional example shown in FIG. Of the discharge pipe 17 drawn out from the carbonator 20,
A three-way valve 41 in the middle of the pipe to the carbon dioxide gas valve 18,
A three-way valve 42 is provided in the middle of the pipe between the water reservoir 2 and the water pump 3, and the three-way valves 41 and 42 are connected by a pipe 43. In addition, a three-way valve 44 is provided in the middle of the pipe from the water pump 3 to the water coil 6, and a three-way valve 45 is provided in the middle of the pipe between the existing three-way valve 7 and the nozzle 8 attached to the carbonator 20. The valves 44 and 45 are connected by a pipe 46.

That is, although these pipes are not used in a normal sales operation or the like, in the case of a standby state for sales, a closed loop path such as an arrow A is set by a control circuit of the vending machine body (not shown). The carbonated water in the carbonator 20 is circulated to the water pump 3 again to make the carbonator 20.
It is sprayed inside to promote the dissolution of carbon dioxide in water. At this time, since carbonated water remains in the pipe from the three-way valve 42 to the three-way valve 44 through the water pump 3 after the end of the circulation operation, if the cooling water is discharged next time,
Carbonated water will be mixed. For this reason, it is necessary to make the volume of the piping portion as small as possible. Alternatively, before the discharge of the cooling water or at the end of the circulation operation, by supplying the water to the carbonator side for a sufficient time to discharge the carbonated water between the three-way valves 42 to 44, the carbonated water to the cooling water can be supplied. Mixing can be prevented.

With the configuration shown in FIG. 4, even if the carbon dioxide concentration in the carbonated water is lowered by lowering the pressure in the carbonator, the carbonated water having a predetermined carbon dioxide concentration can be circulated by circulating it through the closed loop pipe as described above. Can be easily obtained, and as a result, it becomes possible to replace the water pump with one smaller than the conventional one, and it is possible to save space inside the vending machine. Further, the pressure reducing valve and the carbon dioxide gas pipe which have been conventionally used can be shared with the carbon dioxide gas pipe for other beverages, and the standardization of parts becomes possible. Although not shown, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, a second chamber is formed as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and a piezoelectric vibrator is provided therein, and further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. It goes without saying that a horn can be provided on the.

[0022]

According to the present invention, the piezoelectric vibrator is provided on one surface of the carbonator container and the carbonated water is atomized by using the piezoelectric vibrator or the carbonated water can be circulated between the carbonator container and the water pump. Since the carbonated water is repeatedly sprayed into the carbonator container by piping like this, it is possible to promote the dissolution of carbon dioxide into water, and to produce carbonated water that does not impair the taste of the beverage even under low pressure. You can As a result, a water pump with high pressurizing capacity is not required, and a small pump can be used, so not only can space saving in the vending machine be achieved, but also piping such as pressure reducing valves can be shared with other systems. Therefore, a further space saving effect can be expected. Further, by using a horn together, the dissolution of carbon dioxide gas in water can be further promoted.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a modified example of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Water supply pipe, 2 ... Reservoir, 3 ... Water pump, 4 ... Water tank, 5 ... Cooling water, 6 ... Cooling coil, 7, 41, 42, 4
4, 45 ... 3-way valve, 8 ... Nozzle, 9 ... Cooling water valve, 1
0 ... Beverage cup, 11 ... Carbon dioxide cylinder, 12a, 12
b ... Pressure reducing valve, 13 ... Check valve, 14 ... Carbonated water, 15 ... Float, 16 ... Float switch, 17 ... Discharge pipe, 18 ...
Carbonated water valve, 20 ... Carbonator, 21 ... First chamber, 2
2 ... Wall surface, 23 ... 2nd chamber, 30 ... Piezoelectric vibrator, 31 ... Horn, 32, 43, 46 ... Piping, 33 ... Wiring.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A carbon dioxide gas supply means for supplying carbon dioxide gas at a predetermined pressure, a pump for pressurizing and supplying water, and a carbonator container connected to the pump and the carbon dioxide gas supply means for containing carbon dioxide gas and water. And a vending machine provided with a liquid amount detection means for detecting the amount of liquid in the carbonator container, forming a second chamber adjacent to the carbonator container,
A carbonated water production for a vending machine, characterized in that a piezoelectric vibrator adjacent to the carbonator container in this room and a driving means for vibrating the piezoelectric vibrator in response to a signal from the liquid amount detecting means are provided. apparatus. 2. A carbon dioxide gas supply means for supplying carbon dioxide gas at a predetermined pressure, a pump for pressurizing and supplying water, and a carbonator container connected to the pump and the carbon dioxide gas supply means for containing carbon dioxide gas and water. And a vending machine equipped with a liquid amount detection means for detecting the amount of liquid in the carbonator container, and a discharge pipe for penetrating the inside of the carbonator container to the outside to pour the liquid in the carbonator container into a beverage cup. On the other hand, the first and second flow path switching means and the first pipe connecting these first and second flow path switching means to each other in the middle of the pipe on the inlet side of the pump and in the middle of the discharge pipe, respectively. ,
The third and fourth flow path switching means and the second and third flow path switching means are connected to each other in the middle of the piping on the outlet side of the pump and the middle of the piping on the inlet side of the carbonator container. An apparatus for producing carbonated water in a vending machine, comprising: a pipe; and a control means for controlling the first to fourth flow path switching means and the pump based on the output from the liquid amount detecting means. 3. A carbon dioxide gas supply means for supplying carbon dioxide gas at a predetermined pressure, a pump for pressurizing and supplying water, and a carbonator container connected to this pump and the carbon dioxide gas supply means for containing carbon dioxide gas and water. And a vending machine equipped with a liquid amount detection means for detecting the amount of liquid in the carbonator container, and a discharge pipe for penetrating the inside of the carbonator container to the outside to pour the liquid in the carbonator container into a beverage cup. A second chamber is formed adjacent to the carbonator container,
A piezoelectric vibrator adjacent to the carbonator container in this room and a driving means for vibrating the piezoelectric vibrator in response to a signal from the liquid amount detecting means are provided, and in the middle of the pipe on the inlet side of the pump and First and second flow path switching means respectively in the middle of the discharge pipe, first piping connecting these first and second flow path switching means to each other, midway in the piping on the outlet side of the pump and the carbonator. In the middle of the pipe on the inlet side of the container, the third and fourth flow path switching means, the second pipe connecting these third and fourth flow path switching means to each other, and the first to fourth flow paths. A carbonated water producing device for a vending machine, comprising: a switching means and a control means for controlling the pump based on an output from the liquid amount detecting means. 4. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein a horn is provided at a position facing the piezoelectric vibrator in a room for storing carbonated water in the carbonator container. Carbonated water manufacturing equipment.