JPH09134483A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To balancedly arrange various kinds of equipments within an automatic vending machine and to suppress the large size of the vending machine by arranging a storage tank storing beverage on the lower side than an extractor extracting beverage by mixing powder material and hot water. SOLUTION: A batch tank 13 is arranged on the upper side than an extractor 12, that is, the extractor 12 is arranged on the lower side than the batch tank 13. If a viewpoint is changed, the extractor 12 of beverage is provided in the extra space 51 within the machine which is generated by the arrangement of the batch tank 13, a sugar canister 15 and/or a cream canister 14, a mixing ball 8 mixing the beverage from the batch tank 13 and the sugar and cream from these canisters 14 and 15 and the placing part 50 of a cup C receiving the mixed beverage. Thus, the extra space 51 which is easy to be generated at the lower part within the machine can be effectively utilized by the relation of the structure in which the equipments are arranged in the order from the upper side, gravity is utilized and the cup C and beverage are dropped.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention comprises an extractor for mixing a powdered raw material and hot water to extract a beverage, and a storage tank for storing the beverage extracted by this extractor. About vending machines to sell.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a publication showing the above-mentioned vending machine, there is JP-A-6-52435.

Since the automatic vending machine disclosed in this publication is a system for selling beverages by utilizing gravity, a raw material container storing coffee grounds (beans) and a hot water tank are provided at the uppermost portion in the system. They were arranged, and the extractor (container), a storage tank for storing the extracted beverage, and a cup were arranged in that order.

That is, since gravity is used for selling (beverages and the like are dropped in order from the top), the upper space inside the machine such as various raw material containers, cup supply, hot water tank, ice, etc. has a high arrangement density and is left over in the space. On the other hand, there is a relative space in the lower space than the middle space.

[0005]

Therefore, there is a problem in that the arrangement balance of the devices inside the vending machine is poor and the vending machine becomes larger or more expensive than necessary. This problem was particularly remarkable in the vending machine of the present invention including the extractor and the storage tank, since an extra storage tank was required as compared with a normal cup type vending machine.

[0006]

In order to solve this problem, a first aspect of the present invention relates to an automatic vending machine for appropriately selling beverages, wherein a storage tank for storing the beverages is prepared by mixing powdered raw materials and hot water. It is arranged below the extractor for extracting. As a result, the extractor is located below the inside of the vending machine, and the space inside the machine is effectively used.

A second aspect of the present invention is an automatic vending machine for appropriately selling beverages, which comprises a storage tank for storing the beverage, a sugar canister and / or a cream canister, a beverage from the storage tank, and sugar or cream from these canisters. A mixing ball to be mixed, and an extra space in the machine created by the arrangement of the placing part of the cup that receives the mixed beverage, an extractor that is connected to the storage tank and mixes the powder raw material and the hot water to extract the beverage. They are arranged. As a result, it is possible to reduce the unnecessary extra space in the vending machine.

In the third aspect of the invention, since the inside of the extractor shown in the first and second aspects of the invention is made to have a negative pressure through the storage tank,
Oxygen is less likely to be involved in the extracted beverage, and the aroma of coffee contained in coffee particles (powder, beans) is easily derived.

[0009]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an automatic vending machine 1 of the present invention.

The vending machine 1 is designed to provide coffee purchased in the vending machine 1 to a product purchaser in a cup. As shown in FIG.
Is roughly divided into a water supply section 3 and an extraction and sales section 4.

The water supply section 3 is provided with a hot water tank 5 for heating tap water by a heater 4 and storing it. The hot water tank 5 is heated by the heater 4 to make hot water of 90 degrees or more and stores it. Hot water tank 5
The hot water stored in the hot water is supplied to the extractor described later via the regular hot water valve 6. Further, the rare boiling water is introduced into the mixing ball 8 through the rare boiling valve 7.

The extraction and sales unit 4 includes a cup supply device 9 for supplying a cup C, a ground bean canister 10 for storing a coffee powder raw material (beverage raw material), and a ground bean chute 11 located below the canister 10. Extractor 12 for extracting coffee by mixing powdered raw material and hot water, and this extractor 1
A storage tank (hereinafter referred to as a "batch tank") 13 for storing the coffee extracted in 2, a cream canister 14 for storing cream, and a sugar canister 15 for storing sugar.
And sugar canister 15 and cream canister 14
The mixing bowl 8 mixes sugar and cream respectively supplied according to the sales order with the extracted coffee.

Specifically, the batch tank 13 is composed of two tanks A and B arranged in parallel, and both have the same structure. Reference numerals 14a and 14b are atmosphere opening pipes connected to the upper portions of the tanks A and B, and atmosphere opening valves 15a and 15b are provided. Reference numerals 16a and 16b denote beverage introduction pipes, both of which are provided with supply valves 17a and 17b. The inflow sides of these supply valves 17a and 17b are merged to form a merged introduction pipe 18
And is connected to the extractor 12. 19a, 19b
Is an intake pipe and is provided with intake valves 20a and 20b,
The intake sides of the intake valves 20a and 20b are joined together, and a vacuum pump 50 is provided in the intake joining pipe 21.
The merging pipe 21 is also connected to the extractor 12, but a stirring air valve 22 is provided in the middle thereof. The stirring air valve 22 is provided with an open pipe 23 that opens to the atmosphere.

On the other hand, a sales valve 2 is provided at the bottom of each tank A and B, respectively.
Sales pipes 25a and 25b having 4a and 24b are connected, and these pipes merge and face the mixing ball 8. Similarly, waste pipes 27a and 27b equipped with waste valves 26a and 26b are connected to the lower portions of the tanks A and B, respectively, and these pipes also join and face the drain bucket 28.

As shown in FIG. 2, the extractor 12 includes a beverage receiving stand 29, a gasket 30 arranged on the upper surface of the receiving stand 29, a paper filter 31 laid on the receiving stand 29, and the paper filter. It is configured by a cylindrical cylinder 32 placed on 31 and the beverage receiving stand 29 has the above-mentioned beverage merging introduction pipe 18 and the intake merging pipe 2
1 is connected.

In FIG. 1, 33a and 33b are sensors for detecting the pressure in the tanks A and B, respectively. The capacity of each tank A and B is set to a size capable of storing up to about 10 beverages. 34 is a heater wound around each of the tanks A and B, and is set so that the storage temperature of the beverage in the tank is about 75 ° C. Here, the beverage temperature immediately after extraction is about 80 to 85 ° C. If the storage temperature in the tank is set to about 75 ° C, the temperature at which the cup is sold is about 72 to 73 ° C, which is a temperature around the time of drinking.

Here, the actual arrangement relationship of the above-mentioned devices in the vending machine 1 is as shown in FIG. Here, the same members as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The feature of this arrangement (the gist of the present invention) is that the batch tank 13 is arranged above the extractor 12, in other words, the extractor 12 is arranged below the batch tank 13. From a different point of view, the batch tank 13, the sugar canister 15 and / or the cream canister 14, the mixing ball 8 for mixing the beverage from the batch tank 13 with the sugar or cream from these canisters 14, 15.
In the extra space 51 in the machine created by the arrangement of the cup C for receiving the mixed beverage with the placing portion 50, the beverage extractor 12
Is the point. The specific dimensions of the layout of these devices are as follows. The height dimension A of the vending machine itself is about 1 m83 cm, the height dimension B from the bottom of the vending machine to the extractor, and the height dimension C to the batch tank.
Is about 70 cm and about 1 m 60 cm.

As described above, the extra space 51 which is likely to be formed in the lower portion of the machine can be effectively used due to the structure in which the devices are arranged in order from the top and the gravity is used to drop the cup or the beverage.

The operation of the vending machine 1 having such a configuration will be described below. This vending machine 1 basically extracts and stores beverages in advance prior to selling beverages (coffee), and sequentially provides the stored beverages at the time of sale.

Therefore, first, it is assumed that a controller (not shown) gives an instruction to store, for example, eight cups of coffee beverage in the storage tank A prior to the sale. Based on the instructions (see FIG. 1), the ground bean canister 10 to the ground bean shoot 1
80g of ground beans (set with 10g / 1 cup of ground beans) through 1 through the hot water tank 5 through the regular hot water valve 1
120 cc of hot water (set as 140 cc / one cup of hot water) is supplied to the extractor 12, respectively. At this time, in the extractor 12, as shown in FIG. 2, the cylinder 32 is brought into pressure contact with the beverage holder 29 via the paper filter 31.
In addition, a gasket 30 having a rubber elastic force is provided between the beverage receiving table 29 and the cylinder 32 so as to keep watertightness.

As described above, when the ground beans and hot water are supplied into the cylinder 32 at the set amounts, the intake valve 20a and the atmosphere opening valve 15a are opened, and at the same time, the passage of the stirring air valve 22 is set to the extractor 12 side. . At the same time, the vacuum pump 50 is operated. By operating the vacuum pump 50, the flow of the atmosphere becomes as shown by the solid line arrow in FIG.

That is, the atmosphere is introduced into the tank A through the atmosphere opening valve 15a, and the atmosphere is introduced into the extractor 12 through the intake valve 20a-the vacuum pump 50-the stirring air valve 22. The air guided to the extractor 12 is discharged upward from below the paper filter 31, as shown in FIG. Therefore, due to the fine density of the paper filter 31, the air discharged above the paper filter 31 also floats in the form of fine bubbles.

The mixture of the powder raw material and the hot water in the cylinder 32 is uniformly stirred by the fine air bubbles, so that the coffee component of the coffee particles (powder raw material) is eluted into the hot water. To do.

This operation is continued for a predetermined time (for example, about 30 to 90 seconds), and the extracting operation of the extractor 12 is completed.

After the completion of this extraction operation, the operation moves to the air venting operation in the tank. In this operation, the exhaust passage of the stirring air valve 22 is moved from the extractor 12 side to the atmosphere side (open pipe 23) to the atmosphere release valve 15a while maintaining various valves in the extraction operation state described above.
Is switched from the open state to the closed state, and the supply valve 17a is switched from the closed state to the open state. Then, by operating the vacuum pump 50, the air in the extractor 12 is, as shown by the solid line arrow in FIG. 5, beverage confluence introduction pipe 18-beverage introduction pipe 16a-tank A-.
Through the intake valve 20a, the vacuum pump 50, and the stirring air valve 22, the flow generally flows as shown by the broken line arrow in FIG. As a result, the inside of the extractor 12, the tank A and the inside of the pipe from the tank A to the extractor 12 become negative pressure. Even if the extractor 12 is arranged below the batch tank (tank A) due to the negative pressure in the pipe, the beverage in the cylinder 32 of the extractor 12 is
It flows as shown by the broken line arrow in FIG. 4 and smoothly flows into the tank A. To summarize this action, the pipes (the beverage merging introduction pipe 18 and the beverage introduction pipe 16a) from the extractor 12 to the tank A and the inside of the tank A are set to a negative pressure and the beverage in the extractor 12 is drawn into the tank A. That is, it is possible to reduce the oxygen concentration in the tank A and to deaerate the fine air particles caught while the coffee beverage is transported through the pipeline from the tank A to the extractor 12. , It is possible to delay the oxidation / deterioration of beverages.

Here, as described in the prior art, in the case where the extractor is arranged below the batch tank and the coffee beverage extracted by the extractor is guided to the batch tank by gravity, at the time of extraction operation. Oxygen trapped in the extracted beverage becomes difficult to remove, and oxidation (deterioration) of the beverage easily proceeds.

In this way, after all the beverage has been poured into the tank A, the operation of the vacuum pump 50 is stopped and the intake valve 20
a, the supply valve 17a is closed and the atmosphere opening valve 15a is opened. As a result, the upper space in the tank A is opened to atmospheric pressure. Then, the pressure sensor 33a measures the stored amount in the tank A (the measuring operation is omitted because it is not the gist of the present invention).
Then, the actual storage amount data in the tank A is sent to the control unit (not shown).

In the extractor 12, as shown in FIG. 6, the cylinder is lifted by a driving machine (not shown) and the paper filter is moved leftward, that is, the coffee grounds 40 is moved to move the paper filter 31. The unused portion of the above is sandwiched between the beverage receiving table 29 and the cylinder 32 to prepare for the next extraction operation.

In the above-mentioned state, the preparation for selling is completed, so if there is a sales request, the sales valve 24a is opened and the required amount of beverage is guided to the mixing ball 8 via the sales pipe 27a. Accordingly, it is mixed with sugar and cream from the sugar canister 15 and the cream canister 14 and supplied to the cup C.

Further, when the storage amount in the tank A is insufficient with respect to the sales forecast value, a new extraction operation is performed so that all beverages produced by this new extraction operation are guided to the tank B. To That is, the newly made beverage and the previously made beverage are not mixed.

[0031]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in a vending machine for selling beverages as needed, the storage tank for storing the beverages is provided with an extractor for extracting the beverages by mixing powdered raw material and hot water. Is also arranged above. A second invention is an automatic vending machine that sells beverages as needed.
A storage tank for storing the beverage, a sugar canister and / or a cream canister, a mixing ball for mixing the beverage from the storage tank with the sugar or cream from these canisters, and a mounting portion for a cup for receiving the mixed beverage In the extra space in the machine created by the arrangement, there is provided an extractor connected to the storage tank and mixing the powder raw material and the hot water to extract the beverage. According to such an invention, a large number of devices are arranged in the upper part of the machine to improve the balance of the vending machine which is likely to be unbalanced, and the vending machine can be downsized.

In the third aspect of the invention, since the inside of the extractor shown in the first and second aspects of the invention is made to have a negative pressure through the storage tank, oxygen is less likely to be involved in the extracted beverage, It is possible to keep the oxidization (deterioration) of the beverage from progressing and to keep the aroma of coffee for a long time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an automatic vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the extractor shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an internal layout relationship of the vending machine shown in FIG. 1.

4 is an explanatory diagram showing a flow of beverages and the like of the vending machine of FIG.

5 is an explanatory diagram showing different states of the extractor shown in FIG. 2. FIG.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state after extraction in the extractor of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 8 Mixing Ball 12 Extractor 13 Storage Tank 14 Cream Canister 15 Sugar Canister 50 Placement Area 51 Extra Space C Cup

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An extractor for mixing a powdered raw material and hot water to extract a beverage and a storage tank for storing the extracted beverage are built into the machine body, and the beverage stored in the storage tank is sold as appropriate. In the vending machine, the storage tank is arranged above the extractor. 2. A vending machine for mixing a powdered raw material and hot water to extract a beverage, storing the extracted beverage and selling the beverage as appropriate, a storage tank for storing the extracted beverage, a sugar canister and / or Or a cream canister, a mixing ball for mixing the beverage from the storage tank and sugar or cream from these canisters, and an extra space in the machine created by the placement of the placing portion of the cup that receives the mixed beverage, An automatic vending machine provided with the beverage extractor. 3. The automatic according to claim 1, wherein the inside of the extractor according to claim 1 or 2 is kept at a negative pressure through the storage tank during its operation. Vending machine.