JPH09118397A - Draft beer discharging machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly perform a replenishment of beer when a barrel becomes empty, and also, properly adjust the liquid foam ratio of the beer by a method wherein a control device which controls a switching valve in such a manner that a cooling pipe on the side wherein a liquid shortage occurs may be connected to a foam discharging valve, and the other cooling pipe may be connected to a liquid discharging valve, is provided. SOLUTION: When a first barrel 1 becomes empty while a draft beer is being poured, a liquid shortage sensor 5 detects this state. A control device 10 which receives the signal, switches a 4-port switching valve 7, and connects a first cooling pipe 3 to a foam discharging valve 9, and a second cooling pipe 4 to a liquid discharging valve 8. In this case, since the inside of the second cooling pipe 4 is filled with the draft beer, the draft beer from a second barrel 2 is smoothly poured into a mug 17 through the liquid discharging valve 8. Then, the foam discharging valve 9 is opened by the control device 10, since the beer remains in the first cooling pipe 3, the draft beer under a foam state is poured into the mug 17 through the first cooling pipe 3 and the foam discharging valve 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a draft beer dispenser for pouring a draft beer into a jug or the like after cooling it from a barrel through a cooling pipe, and more particularly to a draft beer dispenser having an automatic barrel switching function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional draft beer dispenser, one barrel of draft beer is connected, and when this barrel is empty, it is replaced with a new barrel. For this reason, if the barrel becomes empty while pouring it into the jug, it will be necessary to replace the barrel, and it will take some time to add it to the jug. The beer left in the state was abandoned.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic barrel switching function, which enables quick addition of beer when the barrel is empty, and a beer liquid bubble ratio. The purpose is to provide a draft beer dispenser capable of appropriately adjusting the temperature.

[0004]

The draft beer dispenser of the present invention comprises a first barrel for storing draft beer, a second barrel for storing draft beer, and a first barrel connected to the barrel of the first barrel. One cooling pipe, a second cooling pipe connected to the barrel of the second barrel, a cooling tank containing the first cooling pipe and the second cooling pipe, and an inlet portion of the first cooling pipe The first liquid out sensor to detect the presence or absence of draft beer provided in, the second liquid out sensor to detect the presence or absence of draft beer provided at the inlet of the second cooling pipe, and draft beer in an external container A pouring liquid pouring valve and a throttling mechanism, which promotes the foaming of draft beer by throttling the flow rate, pouring foam beer into an external container, a foam pouring valve, the first cooling pipe and the second 4-port switching valve for connecting the liquid discharge valve and the previous period bubble discharge valve to the cooling pipe of When either the first liquid cut sensor or the second liquid cut sensor detects a liquid cut state, the four-port switching valve is switched and the cooling pipe on the liquid cut side is bubble-poured. The outlet valve is provided with a control device that controls the switching valve so that the other cooling pipe is connected to the liquid pouring valve.

[0005]

1 shows an example of a draft beer dispenser according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a first barrel, 2 is a second barrel, 3 is a first cooling pipe, 4 is a second cooling pipe, 5 is a first liquid cut sensor, and 6 is a second liquid cut sensor. , 7 is a 4-port switching valve, 8 is a liquid pouring valve, 9 is a foam pouring valve, 10 is a control device, and 12 is a cooling water tank.

The dispensing head 15 attached to the barrel of the first barrel 1 is connected to the first liquid sensor 5 through a pipe.
Is connected, and the first cooling pipe 3 is connected to the tip of the liquid shortage sensor 5. Similarly, the second barrel 2 is also connected with the dispense head 16, the second liquid shortage sensor 6, and the second cooling pipe 4. The first cooling pipe 3 and the second cooling pipe 4 are both thin tubes and are housed in the cooling water tank 12. Since the liquid shortage sensors 5 and 6 are arranged at the inlets of the cooling pipes 3 and 4, respectively, when the liquid shortage sensor 5 or 6 detects the liquid shortage, the inside of the corresponding cooling pipes 3 or 4 is detected. The amount of draft beer required for at least one foam pouring remains.

The cooling water in the cooling water tank 12 is cooled by the refrigerating device 11. On the outer side of the cooling water tank 12, a liquid pouring valve 8 for pouring draft beer mainly in a liquid state into the jug 17 and a foam pouring valve 9 for pouring mainly beer in a foam state are provided. The foam pouring valve 9 has a function such as a squeezing mechanism for promoting the foaming of draft beer. In the state of FIG. 1, the first cooling pipe 3 is connected to the liquid pouring valve 8 via the 4-port switching valve 7, and the second cooling pipe 4 is connected to the foam pouring valve 9 via the 4-port switching valve 7. However, by switching the 4-port switching valve 7, as shown in FIG. 2, the first cooling pipe 3 is used as the bubble pouring valve 9 and the second cooling pipe 4 is used as the liquid pouring valve 8 The controller 10 has a function of sequentially opening and closing the liquid pouring valve 8 and the foam pouring valve 9 when pouring draft beer into the jug 17, and in addition, When any one of the liquid shortage sensors 6 detects the liquid shortage state, the 4-port switching valve 7 is switched to fill the cooling pipe on the side where the liquid is drained with the bubble pouring valve 9 and the other cooling pipe. It has a function of reconnecting the outlet valve 8. Besides, carbon dioxide gas cylinders 13 are connected to the barrel openings of the first barrel 1 and the second barrel 2 via a pressure reducing valve 14 to apply pressure to the inside of each barrel.

Next, the operation of the draft beer dispenser will be described. To pour draft beer into the jug 17, the controller 10 is instructed to first open the liquid spout valve 8. As a result, draft beer is poured into the jug 17 for a predetermined period of time from the first barrel 1 through the first liquid sensor 5, the first cooling pipe 3, the 4-port switching valve 7, and the liquid pouring valve 8. Be done. next,
The foam pouring valve 9 is opened, and the second barrel 2 to the second liquid cut sensor 6, the second cooling pipe 4, the 4-port switching valve 7, the foam pouring valve 9
Through the mug of beer in a foamy state for a predetermined time.
Poured into 7. As a result, the jug 17 is filled with a constant liquid bubble ratio.

By repeating such work, the first barrel 1 supplying the draft beer in a liquid state is emptied first. When the first barrel 1 is emptied while pouring draft beer, the liquid shortage sensor 5 detects this and the control device 10 receiving the signal switches the 4-port switching valve 7, The bubble outlet valve 9 is connected to one cooling pipe 3 and the liquid outlet valve 8 is connected to the second cooling pipe 4. At this time, since the inside of the second cooling pipe 4 is filled with draft beer, the draft beer from the second barrel 2 is quickly poured into the jug 17 through the liquid pouring valve 8 and the remaining time Only pouring is done. For this reason,
The amount of draft beer (liquid state) poured into the jug 17 is kept constant. Next, the controller 10 opens the bubble pouring valve 9. At this time, since the draft beer remains in the first cooling pipe 3, the draft beer in the foam state passes through the first cooling pipe 3 and the foam extraction valve 9 as in the case of normal foam extraction. Mug 1
7 can be filled and the mug 17 can be filled.
In this way, after the pouring into the jug 17 is completed, the empty first barrel 1 is replaced with a new barrel. As a result, the liquid pouring valve 8 is connected to the second barrel 2 and the foam pouring valve 9 is connected to the first barrel 1.

As described above, the liquid pouring valve 8 is provided in the second barrel 2 which has already been partially consumed, and the foam pouring valve 9 is provided in the new first barrel.
As a result of the reconnection, the second barrel 2 is emptied first. When the second barrel 2 is empty, the 4-port switching valve 7 is switched again. By repeating the above-mentioned work, the service of draft beer can be smoothly continued while alternately exchanging the first barrel 1 and the second barrel 2.

[0011]

In the draft beer dispenser of the present invention, the two barrels, the liquid dispensing valve and the foam dispensing valve are connected via the switching valve, and the barrels are emptied at the inlet portions of the respective cooling pipes. Since a control device for automatically detecting the fact that the barrels are switched is provided, it is possible to quickly add the beer and the bubbles even when one of the barrels becomes empty, and It is possible to properly adjust the liquid foam ratio of beer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a draft beer dispenser based on the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the function of a switching valve of a draft beer dispenser according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... 1st barrel, 2 ... 2nd barrel, 3 ... 1st cooling pipe, 4 ... 2nd cooling pipe, 5 ... 1st liquid shortage sensor, 6 ... Second liquid cut sensor, 7 ... 4-port switching valve, 8 ... Liquid spout valve, 9 ... Foam spout valve, 10
... Control device, 11 ... Refrigeration device, 12 ... Cooling water tank, 13 ... Carbon dioxide gas cylinder, 14 ... Pressure reducing valve,
15, 16 ... Dispensing head, 17 ... Mug 17.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first barrel for storing draft beer, a second barrel for storing draft beer, a first cooling pipe connected to the barrel of the first barrel, and a barrel of the second barrel. A second cooling pipe connected to the first cooling pipe, a cooling tank accommodating the first cooling pipe and the second cooling pipe, and a first cooling pipe provided at the inlet of the first cooling pipe for detecting the presence or absence of draft beer. It is equipped with a drainage sensor, a second drainage sensor installed at the inlet of the second cooling pipe to detect the presence or absence of draft beer, a liquid spout valve for pouring draft beer into an external container, and a throttle mechanism. By promoting the foaming of draft beer by squeezing, the foam extraction valve for pouring the draft beer in the foam state into an external container, the liquid cooling valve and the first cooling tube and the second cooling tube to the liquid cooling valve and the A four-port switching valve that connects the bubble pouring valves so that they can be switched to each other; When any one of the second liquid cut sensors detects a liquid cut state, the four-port switching valve is switched, the cooling pipe on the liquid cut side is used as the bubble pouring valve, and the other cooling pipe is set. A draft beer dispenser comprising: a controller that controls a switching valve so as to be connected to the liquid dispense valve.