JPH0634746Y2 - Hot water supply equipment for beverage extraction - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Field of Use of the Invention) The present invention is an improvement of a hot water supply device for beverage extraction, which supplies hot water to an extraction container in order to extract beverages from various raw materials such as Japanese tea and coffee. It is about.

(Background of the Invention) In a so-called beverage supply device that extracts and provides beverages from various raw materials such as Japanese tea, coffee, black tea, and oolong tea, a constant amount of hot water is always supplied to an extraction container to supply a constant amount of beverages. In addition to the type of beverage supply device provided to the user, while controlling the amount of hot water while watching the amount of beverage that comes out in the cup,
There is also a need for a beverage dispenser of the type that allows the user to obtain as much beverage as he or she likes.

As such a hot water supply means, in the conventional hot water supply device 1 using an air pump as shown in FIG. 6, the tank 3 provided with the electric heater 2 is brought into a state in which the tank 3 is hermetically sealed in cooperation with the operation switch 5 of the air pump 4. , The hot water is pushed from the tank 3 to the tube 6 by the pressure of the air pump 4, and in this case the hot water is supplied to the tank 3.
Since the amount of air in the tank 3 changes depending on the amount of hot water in the tank 3, when there is little air in the tank 3 (when there is a lot of hot water)
Means that the air in the tank 3 is immediately compressed and pushes the hot water into the tube 6, but when the air in the tank 3 is large (when there is little hot water), it takes time to compress the air in the tank 3. , The hot water supply will be delayed.

Therefore, since the operating time of the air pump 4 and the amount of hot water supply greatly differ depending on the remaining amount of hot water in the tank 3, the user of the beverage supply device actually determines the amount of the beverage coming out, that is, the supply of the beverage. While visually observing the amount of hot water produced, the air pump 4
However, depending on the remaining amount of hot water in the tank 3, the time required to obtain the same amount of beverage is not always constant.

In addition, unlike the above-described beverage supply operation, in a beverage supply device of the type that always supplies a fixed amount of beverage, the operating time of the air pump 4 and the amount of hot water supply are not always proportional, and thus the constant amount of beverage The conventional hot water supply method using an air pump is not suitable for a beverage supply apparatus of the type that supplies water.

Further, according to the system using a scion trap as disclosed in JP-A-60-195419, the supply of a constant amount depends on the capacity of the siphon trap, specifically, the insertion length of the movable pipe inserted into the siphon trap. Although realized, in this system, it is not easy to supply a variable amount of hot water by changing the insertion length of the siphon trap every time hot water is supplied.

Therefore, it has been a problem to realize a hot water supply device for beverage extraction that can accurately supply the required variable amount of hot water each time, regardless of the remaining amount of hot water in the tank 3.

(Object of the Invention) The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a simple mechanism.
Also, it is to provide a hot water supply device for beverage extraction, which can change the hot water supply amount by a simple operation.

(Features of the Invention) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a main tank that has a heater and a temperature controller, and stores hot water by boiling it.
In order to receive hot water supply from the main tank by siphon action, a sub-tank located below the main tank and connected to the main tank via a check valve, and a lower part of which is connected to a supply pipe An air pump for supplying compressed air to the upper part of the sub tank, an opening / closing valve for holding the air pressure in the sub tank when the air pump is operated, and an operation of the air pump for changing the amount of hot water supplied from the sub tank by the supply pipe. And timer means for changing the time.

(Embodiment of the Invention) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a hot water supply apparatus for beverage extraction which is an embodiment of the present invention.

In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG.
A main tank 13 provided with a temperature controller 12 and a sub-tank 14 below the main tank 13 having a size capable of storing a sufficient amount of hot water for the supply of a single beverage.
The hot water flows from the sub tank to the sub tank 14 by the siphon principle. The hot water once flowing into the sub-tank 14 is supplied to the air pump 16 by the check valve 15 provided on the way from the main tank 13 to the sub-tank 14 or at the inlet of the sub-tank 14.
Hot water does not flow back into the main tank 13 even when pressurized by.

The sub tank 14 is also provided with a heater 17 if necessary.

Due to the siphon principle, the sub-tank 14 tries to flow hot water to the same level as the main tank 13, but since the sub-tank 14 is located below the main tank 13, the actual water level of the sub-tank 14 is Comes into the tube 18 and the supply tube 19 from the air pump 16.

When air is sent by the air pump 16 in a state where the sub tank 14 is full of water, there is no air in the sub tank 14, so only a very small amount of air in the tube 18 connecting the air pump 16 and the sub tank 14 is compressed. Hot water can be immediately discharged from the supply tube 19, and the operating time of the air pump 16 and the amount of hot water supplied have a substantially proportional relationship, as shown in FIG.

Therefore, by operating the air pump 16 for a certain period of time,
It is possible to always obtain a fixed amount of hot water supply.

The amount of hot water in the main tank 13 depends on the above-mentioned air pump.
Although the height of the water surface in the tube 18 and the supply tube 19 from 16 changes, the amount of compressed air may slightly increase or decrease, but if a thin tube 18 is used, the absolute amount of remaining air in the tube 18 will be It is extremely small, and the error due to this is within a negligible range for the purpose of use such as a beverage supply device.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the sub-tank 14 which constitutes a part of the hot water supply apparatus for beverage extraction according to the embodiment of the present invention. An O-ring 22 is attached to the sub-tank main body 20 so as to face the lid 21, and airtightness is maintained by tightening the lid 21.

As shown in FIG. 3, the sub tank 14 has a check valve 15. When the hot water in the main tank 13 flows into the sub tank 14, the balls 23 are pushed up by the water pressure and float up, so that the check valve 15 is released.

Since a stopper 25 having a strip shape is attached in the diameter direction of the stopper 24 screwed into the check valve 15, the ball 23 does not jump out into the sub tank body 20.

Further, when the air pump 16 operates and compressed air flows into the sub tank 14, the ball 23 is pressed against the mortar-shaped valve seat 26 of the check valve 15, so the check valve 15 is closed.
The hot water in the sub tank 14 does not flow back into the main tank 13.

As shown in FIG. 4 (b), the on-off valve 27 whose structure is shown in FIG. 4 floats the internal ball 28 by the pressure of the air pump 16 only when it is pressurized by the air pump 16, and seals the sub-tank 14 inside. The pressure of the air pump 16 causes hot water to be sent out from the supply tube 19, and as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the structure is such that the steam escapes upward under normal steam pressure. An electromagnetic valve may be used instead of the opening / closing valve 27.

When the air pump 16 operates and the hot water has been supplied, the on-off valve
27 is opened, and the hot water of the main tank 13 is fed into the sub tank 14 until the heights of the water surfaces of the main tank 13 and the sub tank 14 match again by the principle of siphon, and the operation of the next air pump 16, that is, the next hot water supply It will be in a standby state until.

According to the process described above, the hot water supply device of the present invention can supply hot water that maximizes the capacity of the sub-tank 14. Further, the hot water supply device of the present invention, as shown in FIG. It has three selection switches S1 to S3 for "small", "normal" and "large" amount of hot water, and the amount of hot water can be changed by a simple operation every time hot water is supplied.

The operating time of timer A, timer B and timer C is timer A
<Timer B <Timer C, if the time is set according to the required amount, the air pump 16 operates for the operating time corresponding to the "small", "normal", and "large" amount of hot water.
As shown in the figure, the hot water supply amount corresponding to each operation time can be obtained.

Instead of using the three timers A to C, one timer that can set an arbitrary operation time may be used.

(Effect of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, the operation time of the air pump is changed by the timer means to change the hot water supply amount, so that the mechanism is simple and the operation is simple. ,
The amount of hot water supply can be changed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a hot water supply apparatus for beverage extraction according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a relationship between an operating time of an air pump of the hot water supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention and a supply amount of hot water. , Third
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a sub-tank forming part of a hot water supply apparatus for beverage extraction according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an opening / closing structure forming part of a hot water supply apparatus for beverage extraction according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the valve, FIG. 5 is a control circuit diagram of a hot water supply apparatus for beverage extraction according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a conventional hot water supply apparatus. 1 ... Hot water supply device, 11 ... Heater, 12 ... Temperature controller, 13
…… Main tank, 14 …… Sub tank, 15 …… Check valve,
16 …… Air pump, 17 …… Heater, 18 …… Tube, 19
…… Supply tube, 20 …… Sub tank body, 21 …… Lid,
22 …… O-ring, 27 …… open / close valve, S1 to S3 …… selection switch, AC …… timer.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A main tank having a heater and a temperature controller for boiling and storing hot water, and a main tank located below the main tank for receiving hot water supplied from the main tank by a siphon action. A sub-tank connected to the main tank via a check valve, the lower part of which is connected to a supply pipe on the other hand, an air pump for supplying compressed air to the upper part of the sub-tank, and maintaining the air pressure in the sub-tank when the air pump is activated. A hot water supply device for beverage extraction, comprising: an opening / closing valve; and a timer means for changing an operation time of the air pump in order to change a hot water supply amount supplied from the sub tank by the supply pipe.