JPH10307960A - Automatic vending machine or server for tasty coffee - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enjoy the tasty coffee even via an automatic vending machine or a coffee server like the coffee that is usually made at a home via a dripper or siphon by quickly cooling the coffee that is extracted by a method equivalent to that of the dripper or siphon and keeping the coffee cold with the air shut off. SOLUTION: The high temperature water supplied from a high temperature water supply part 1 passes a coffee powder part 2 and is led to a buffer container 5 via a buffer container inlet pipe 13. A quenching cooler pipe 12 is prepared around the pipe 13 to quickly cool the coffee 11 which is extracted and dripped into the pipe 13. An outlet valve 6 is prepared at the outlet of the container 5, and the coffee 11 is sent to a refrigeration/storage container 7 when the valve 6 is opened. The container 7 has a diaphragm 8 which shuts off the coffee 11 from the air, a level meter 14 which is used for control of the coffee quantity, and a supply valve 9.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coffee vending machine of the type in which coffee is extracted from coffee powder and supplied in a cup, or a coffee server for supplying a large amount of coffee in a restaurant or the like. This is to provide a device that can be supplied.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a coffee vending machine of the type in which coffee is extracted from coffee grounds and supplied in a cup is required to wait for a long time if it is not completed within about ten and several seconds after the price is charged. Because it was too long to meet the needs of the buyers, a method of pumping hot water with a pump and passing coffee grounds was used. In the case of a coffee server that supplies a large amount of coffee at a restaurant or the like, a method of extracting a large amount of coffee into a large container and keeping the container warm has been used.

[0003]

As described above, in a conventional vending machine, high-temperature water is pumped in a short period of time, so that coffee does not have the original umami, but also has a smell such as burntness. There was an inconvenience that the scent was not good. Further, the storage method using a coffee pot in a restaurant or the like has a problem that the taste deteriorates when the storage time is long. ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, delicious coffee can be provided similarly to what can be drunk or siphoned at home.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a coffee extraction method equivalent to a drip or siphon usually performed at home in a vending machine or a server, that is, hot water is used for coffee. Means for extracting coffee by dropping water on the powder or mixing coffee powder and high-temperature water and maintaining the state for several tens of seconds, means for extracting coffee, means for rapidly cooling the extracted coffee, It is characterized by comprising means for chilling and storing the cooled coffee so that it does not come into contact with air, and means for rapidly heating the chilled and stored coffee and supplying it to the container when selling the coffee.

[0005]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[Embodiment 1] As described above, conventionally, a coffee vending machine of the type that is extracted from powder instead of canned coffee and supplied by a cup is provided by a pump in order to supply coffee quickly after charging. A method of extracting by applying pressure to high-temperature water has been adopted. As a result, the coffee did not have the original umami taste, and had a savory aroma. In addition, in a coffee server such as a restaurant, a method is employed in which the heat is kept in a container and can be supplied at any time, but there is a problem that the taste deteriorates if the temperature is kept for a long time.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention uses a method of extracting coffee at home, that is, a method of extracting coffee by a method similar to drip or siphon and then refrigerated storage. , Explain how coffee was served in the vending machine and show its relevance to the method according to the invention.

Conventionally, in a vending machine, when coins or bills are first inserted, the amount of money is automatically determined, and a lamp is lit on a menu that can be purchased with the amount of money. Usually, a switch is provided for each menu, and when the switch is pressed, an operation of brewing coffee is started. When a type of coffee is selected here, the coffee grounds necessary for containing that type of coffee are sent to a portion called an extractor. At the same time, the filter wound in a roll is fed out one time to receive coffee powder, through which hot water under pressure is passed to extract coffee. Sugar syrup, milk, etc., which are added to make the coffee, are stored separately, and preparations are made for adding these. During these operations, the cup falls into the outlet and prepares to receive coffee, syrup and the like. Finally, the extracted coffee and syrup are poured into the cup to complete the coffee. Used filters are sent out of used parts or cut and discarded.

Although the above is a general procedure for putting coffee in a normal vending machine, in the present invention, the process of extracting coffee with pressurized high-temperature water is performed in the above-mentioned manner. The only difference is that the stored coffee is rapidly cooled and stored, and the stored coffee is taken out in a required amount and heated and supplied when requested to sell. Therefore, the functions of the conventional vending machine can be used as they are except for the different parts, and therefore, the parts having the same functions as the conventional ones will not be described below.

First, the overall configuration will be described. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the entire cross section of an embodiment of the drip method according to the present invention. The filter 3 is set on the cradle 4 and the coffee powder 2 is supplied thereon. High-temperature water is supplied to this portion from the high-temperature water supply unit 1, passes through the coffee powder portion, and is guided to the buffer container 5 via the buffer container inlet tube 13. A quenching cooling pipe 12 is provided around the buffer container inlet tube 13 to rapidly cool the coffee extracted and flowing down in the buffer container inlet tube 13. Buffer container 5
An outlet valve 6 is provided at the outlet of, and the coffee is transferred to the refrigeration / storage container 7 by opening this valve. The refrigeration / storage container is provided with a diaphragm 8 for preventing coffee from coming into contact with air, a liquid level gauge 14 for controlling the amount of coffee stored, and a supply valve 9.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which the filter 3 and the coffee grounds 2 are set and extracted in the filter holder 4. Since it is necessary to automatically set and dispose of the filter and the coffee powder, the filter 3 is placed in the filter holder 1 so that the filter 3 can be smoothly stored in the filter holder 16.
It is good to have the same shape as 6. To extract coffee, first, the filter 3 is set in the filter receiver 16, and then a predetermined amount of coffee powder 2 is supplied from the coffee powder supply unit 17 onto the filter 3. The supply of the filter 3 is the same as the paper-like one used at home.
In some cases, it is too soft to be suitable for automatic handling as described above. In this case, it is preferable to use a material that does not lose its shape as a whole, such as a paper coffee cup, in which the edge of the funnel is rounded and hardened. A large number of such filters may be stored in a stacked state, and when drip is performed, the filters may be set one by one in the same manner as a paper coffee cup. In the example of FIG. 1, since the high-temperature water supply unit 1 and the coffee powder supply unit 17 are provided at the upper part, the supply may be performed diagonally from above so as not to interfere with these parts.
It is necessary to discard the filter 3 and the coffee powder 2 after the drip and replace it with a new one. However, it is necessary to provide the filter receiver 16 with the rotation center 15 and rotate it as shown in FIG. Can be.

After the filter 3 and the coffee powder 2 are set, high-temperature water is supplied to extract coffee. The high-temperature water is supplied by a pump instead of a conventional pump. Need to be provided with a device capable of supplying small quantities of water. Next, the filtered dripping coffee is guided to a container for cooling and storing. The filtered coffee is stored in a refrigerated container, but in the case of the drip method, the coffee that drops at the beginning of a single drip is thicker and drops at the end of the drip. Different in density, such as relatively light from coffee. Therefore, when the mixture is guided to a refrigerated / preserved container as it is and mixed with the already refrigerated / preserved coffee, the concentration of the refrigerated / preserved coffee changes. Since a fixed amount is discharged from the refrigerated / preserved container in accordance with the purchase request, the concentration of coffee supplied to the purchaser also differs. Therefore, in order to keep the concentration of the coffee sold constant,
It is preferable to install a buffer container 5 for temporarily storing coffee in front of a container for refrigeration and storage as shown in FIG. An outlet valve 6 is provided at the outlet of the buffer container, and this valve is closed while the drip is being performed. After completion, it is preferable to open the valve and guide the finished coffee to the refrigeration / storage container 7.

Although the extracted coffee is first stored in the buffer container as described above, it is better to cool the coffee as soon as possible after passing through the coffee powder as described later.
In FIG. 1, a range 10 indicated by a broken line is a refrigeration range and is usually cooled. However, when coffee for one drip flows into the buffer container 5, refrigeration is performed immediately after the coffee put in relation to the heat capacity of the buffer container. It is not always the temperature. For example, if one person drip coffee for 10 people, the temperature of the coffee is 60 degrees and the volume is 1.5 liters.
0 × 1.5 = 90 Kcal, and in general, it is often inadequate to cool with only the heat capacity of a metal container. Therefore, in order to cool the hot water to the refrigeration temperature as soon as possible after passing through the coffee grounds, it is preferable to install a cooling pipe for quenching around the inlet pipe of the buffer container to rapidly cool the dripping coffee. In this quenching cooling pipe, the hot coffee liquid passing through is continuously cooled to the refrigeration temperature,
Assuming that coffee can be made in 5 minutes in the above example, it is preferable to have a cooling capacity capable of absorbing about 90 Kcal in 5 minutes.

FIG. 1 conceptually shows an example in which cooling pipes 12 for cooling rapidly are installed around the inlet pipe 13 of the buffer container. However, in actuality, cooling pipes are provided around each of the pipes for rapid cooling. A method of using a plurality of thin tubes provided is practical.

[0014] The container for refrigeration and storage of the produced coffee has a function of always storing an appropriate amount for refrigeration and for immediate supply when a purchase request is made. If coffee is made by drip after the purchase request, it takes too much time and is not useful as a vending machine or a server.

The refrigeration / storage container 7 is effectively provided with a diaphragm 8 for preserving the taste of coffee in a good condition. Generally, the degradation of food taste is caused by decomposition of ingredients,
Although it is considered that the reaction is caused by compounding or oxidation, it is well known that these are promoted by heat and oxygen. It is not always clear what components change in foods, not just coffee, and it is not clear because the taste is subtle, but it can be said that removing the effects of heat and oxygen is effective . This is clear from the following simple experiment. That is, coffee is dripped, and the dripping liquid is received in a container containing ice. In this case, the coffee should be darkened and mixed with the thawed ice so that it has just the right concentration. By doing so, the coffee is rapidly cooled, but the coffee is immediately covered with a wrap or the like so as not to come into contact with air, and is refrigerated and stored. It can be seen that the coffee extracted and stored in this way can maintain the same taste and aroma as freshly brewed for about 40 to 50 hours.

In the present invention, the influence of heat is reduced by rapid cooling as described above. It is this diaphragm installation that reduces the effect of oxygen. The diaphragm is made of a material such as rubber, and has a bellows-like cylindrical shape with almost the same diameter as the inside of the refrigeration / storage container as shown in Fig. 1, and the bottom surface of the cylinder is closed. , The bottom surface is in contact with the inside coffee liquid level. Further, the upper end of the bellows portion is fixedly sealed to the refrigeration / storage container 7, so that the inside of the refrigeration / storage container 7 has a structure that does not come into contact with air as a whole. When the level of coffee rises and falls, the cylindrical part of the diaphragm expands and contracts so that the bottom always touches the level of coffee, so that even if the amount of coffee fluctuates, the coffee does not come into contact with the air I do.

The liquid level meter 14 measures the amount of coffee in the refrigeration / storage container 7 to determine the sales amount for one person, or to output a signal for coffee extraction when the remaining amount is low. Can be used for Also, the signal of this liquid level meter may be used to stop the supply when the amount of coffee stored decreases and becomes insufficient for one person, and to turn on a lamp to notify the buyer of the condition. it can.

The supply valve 9 is opened to discharge coffee for one person in response to a purchase request, and is closed when the discharge is completed. This may be done by using a signal from a liquid level gauge, or by using a valve opening time or both. The coffee discharged from the refrigeration / storage container 7 via the supply valve 9 is cold as it is, and can be rapidly heated by an electromagnetic wave like a heating wire or a microwave oven, and then supplied to the purchaser.
Although not shown in the figure, a heating wire may be wound around a pipe connected to the end of the supply valve, and heated only by supplying an electric current to a predetermined temperature when supplying coffee. In the case of using electromagnetic waves, the coffee may be heated by applying the electromagnetic waves to the coffee while the coffee is poured into the cup. In addition, since it is not necessary to heat when supplying iced coffee, it can be supplied as it is from a refrigeration / storage container, and mixed with ice or the like for sale.

Next, the amount of the coffee to be cooled and stored and the extraction of the coffee,
The relation of replenishment will be described. It is preferable to set a predetermined amount of cooling and storage, and to have a function of automatically starting drip and replenishing the refrigeration / storage container 7 when the amount of cooling / preservation falls below a certain amount. Afterwards, the amount of coffee in the cooling and storage container that automatically starts drip for replenishment,
It is called the replenishment start storage amount.

The total capacity of the refrigeration / storage container 7 and the replenishment start storage amount include the amount of coffee put in one drip, the time required for one drip, the amount of coffee assumed to be sold continuously, and the like. It should be decided in relation to If the average storage amount is too large, the food will be stored for a long time if the sales are small, and the taste will be poor. If the average storage amount is too small, there will be times when the product is sold out and cannot be sold.

For example, coffee is extracted at a rate of 10
For a person, the time required for this is 4 minutes and the time required to sell one cup of coffee is 12 seconds. In this case, it is an amount that is assumed to be sold continuously for 4 minutes 2
The supply start storage amount may be set to 0 persons, and the refrigeration / storage amount may be set to 30 persons or more. Since the replenishment start storage amount is for 20 people, it takes 4 minutes to sell this entire amount.
The next coffee can be extracted in minutes. Also,
After the replenishment start storage amount is reached, assuming that there is no sales, the refrigeration / storage amount will be 30 for 20 people + one extraction for 10 people.
For people. By doing so, it is possible to eliminate unsellable time and supply coffee continuously. However, to be precise, it is slightly different from the above because it takes time to extract the coffee and transfer it to the buffer tank and to transfer it from the buffer tank to the refrigeration / storage container, but the above example is used for simplicity.

By doing as described above, delicious coffee can always be supplied, but depending on the case, there may be a situation where there is no sale for a long time or there is only a very small quantity of sale. In such a case, it may be impossible to maintain a delicious state contrary to the original intention,
In such a case, the following method can be used.

In the present invention, it is considered that a microcomputer is used for controlling the storage amount of the refrigeration / storage container 7 and the like.
Always keep a time history of the coffee currently stored. That is, as a simple example, it is assumed that coffee for 30 persons is first made and sold, and after 5 hours, the amount is reduced to the replenishment start storage amount and replenishment is performed. 1 replenishment amount
Assuming that 0 people and the replenishment start storage amount are 20 people, at this time, 20 coffees extracted 5 hours ago and 10 coffees just extracted are stored in the refrigerator / storage container 7. Will be. Further, assuming that the coffee is further sold and replenished after 5 hours, the coffee stored in the refrigeration / storage container 7 is 30 × (2
0/30) × (20/30) people, 5 hours ago 3
A state of 0 × (20/30) × (10/30) persons, and the extracted one now becomes a state of 10 persons. In this way,
Always monitor the amount of coffee stored and the passage of time, and discard the stored coffee if it is considered that a large amount of coffee that has been stored for a long time will affect the overall taste. It is advisable to extract the whole quantity, refrigerate and preserve it so that coffee can always be supplied in a delicious state.

When considering a vending machine placed in a building of a certain company, the sales amount depends on the number of people on the floor where the vending machine is placed, but also on the time zone. In general, it is assumed that a considerable amount of coffee is sold around the start of the company, after lunch, around 3-4 pm, and the like.
Therefore, it is more effective to set the refrigeration / storage amount and the replenishment start storage amount as in the above example from the start to the end of the business, and to reduce the replenishment start storage amount after the end of the business hour. .

Regarding the cooling and preservation of coffee, it is good to consider not only the time zone in which a large amount is sold and supplied as described above, but also the installation location of a vending machine or a server. That is, if it is installed inside the company building, it is considered that it will hardly be sold on Saturdays and Sundays due to holidays, so to reduce the amount of coffee to be saved, reduce the supply start storage amount after midnight on Saturday. It is preferable to use means such as In addition, in places where there are many customers on holidays, such as parking areas on expressways, it is efficient to use means such as increasing the amount of cooling / storage or the amount of storage to start replenishing on holidays, contrary to the above example. . Considering throughout the year, Golden Week, New Year's Holiday, etc. will be a continuous break at the company, and highways etc. are considered to be very crowded, so it is convenient to manage the cooling and storage amount with a computer with a clock and calendar It is. That is, some supply patterns are programmed in a computer, and in the case of a company in a building, a program for reducing the supply amount is used on Saturdays, Sundays, New Year's holidays, etc. Conversely, on Saturdays, Sundays, New Year's holidays, etc., it is better to use a program that increases the supply. Further, when using a computer, it is more convenient to provide the computer with a storage and calculation function, and to perform an operation of modifying a set value such as a replenishment start storage amount or the like according to the sales results. For example, as in the above example, in the case of a vending machine or a server in a company building, the replenishment start storage amount was set to 20 but it was sold more frequently than expected, and the supply stopped state frequently occurred. In such a case, a program such as increasing the replenishment start storage amount may be applied to the time zone. In the opposite case, the replenishment start storage amount may be reduced.

In the above example, a case where one kind of coffee is extracted and stored has been described. However, the same method can be applied to a case where a plurality of kinds of different coffees, such as mocha and Kilimanjaro, are used. In the case of multiple types,
Although not shown in FIG. 1, refrigeration / storage containers 7 are provided by the number of types of coffee, connection pipes and outlet valves are provided at the outlet of the buffer container 5 for each refrigeration / storage container, and an outlet valve is provided according to the type of coffee. , And supply and store coffee in the corresponding refrigeration / storage container. The same applies to the supply of coffee at the time of sale. A supply valve may be provided for each refrigeration / storage container, and the supply valve may be switched according to a sales request. Further, in the case of blending, it is possible to produce a blended coffee by controlling a plurality of existing coffees to be mixed by a predetermined amount.

Although the vending machine has been described in the above example, the same method can be applied to a coffee server in a restaurant or the like.

[0028]

Embodiment 2 This embodiment is an example in which coffee is first extracted not by drip but by a method similar to a siphon. The realization of the siphon system used at home or the like as it is by a vending machine or a server uses a method similar to a siphon because the equipment and its control are complicated.

FIG. 3 shows a conceptual diagram of a cross section around the extractor in this embodiment. The coffee extractor 22 is a container for extracting coffee. The function of this container is to place a filter in the container, put coffee powder on the filter, pour high-temperature water from above, and remove the coffee powder and the filter. This is to discharge the coffee extracted via the refrigeration / storage container. Therefore, a discharge port may be provided at the bottom of the pot-shaped container, and a pipe for injecting coffee powder and high-temperature water may be provided at the top, but the pot-shaped container is inverted in consideration of automatic supply of the filter. This is an example of a shape. That is, the filter is to be supplied between a pot-shaped container and a pot-shaped container from a rolled one. When supplying a new filter, the coffee extractor 22 is raised upward as shown in FIG. It has a structure that creates a gap and sends out used filters and coffee grounds. Of course, the coffee extractor cradle 24 which is a pot-like container may be lowered in order to create a gap.

The overall operation is as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 4, the used filter 3 and the coffee powder 2 are sent out and replaced with new ones in a state where the coffee extractor 22 is raised upward, and the coffee extractor 22 is returned downward, and the coffee extractor cradle is returned. 24 constitute a watertight container. The extractor outlet valve 26 is in a closed state. In this state, a predetermined amount of coffee powder is supplied from the coffee powder supply pipe 23. Next, high-temperature water in an amount corresponding to the amount of coffee powder is supplied from the high-temperature water supply pipe 21 to extract coffee. At this time, a stirrer 29 may be provided to mix the high-temperature water and the coffee powder well, and may be rotated by a stirrer motor 28 to stir the coffee powder and the high-temperature water. After a suitable time, the agitator 29 is stopped and the extractor outlet valve 26 is opened,
The extracted coffee may be led to a refrigerated storage container.

In this embodiment, since the concentration of the extracted coffee is constant, there is no need to provide a buffer tank as in the first embodiment, and the extracted coffee is directly refrigerated.
It is good to lead to a storage container.

The coffee extractor cradle 24 is preferably provided with a funnel-shaped inclination toward the center so that the extracted coffee can easily flow. The extracted coffee is configured to be rapidly cooled by the quenching cooling pipe 12 wound around the extractor outlet pipe 25. In the case of this method, a large amount of coffee flows out of the extractor at a time as compared with the case of the drip type, so that it is difficult to cool rapidly. Therefore, in order to perform rapid cooling, it is advisable to increase the cooling capacity of the cooling portion or reduce the amount that flows out.

Each time the coffee is extracted, the used filter is sent out and a new filter 3 is supplied. As shown in FIG. 4, the used powder is used for collecting the used coffee powder in the process of winding the filter. It is good to have a structure that can be discarded in 27.

Except as described above, it is the same as the first embodiment.

[0035]

According to the above-mentioned method, it is possible to supply a very delicious coffee as compared with a conventional vending machine or server.

[Brief description of the drawings]

Fig. 1-Conceptual diagram of the whole cross section when coffee is extracted by drip type Fig. 2--Conceptual diagram of the configuration in which coffee powder and filter are replaced in the method of Fig. 1 Fig. 3-Similar to siphon Conceptual diagram of the whole cross section when coffee is extracted by the method of FIG. 4. FIG. 4: Configuration conceptual diagram of a state in which the coffee powder and the filter are replaced by the method of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1-high temperature water supply unit, 2-coffee powder, 3-filter, 4-cradle, 5-buffer container, 6-outlet valve, 7-refrigeration / storage container, 8-diaphragm, 9-
-Supply valve, 10-refrigeration range, 11-coffee, 12
--- Cooling pipe for quenching, 13--Inlet pipe for buffer container, 14--Level gauge, 15--Center of rotation, 16--Filter receiver, 17--Coffee powder supply unit, 18--Waste container, 21-- -High temperature water supply pipe, 22-coffee extractor, 23-coffee powder supply pipe, 24-coffee extractor cradle, 25-extractor outlet piping, 26-extractor outlet valve, 27-use Spent coffee powder receiver, 28-stirrer motor, 29-stirrer, 30-filter supply unit, 31-filter take-up unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A coffee extractor for extracting coffee by dropping high-temperature water onto coffee powder in the form of drops, or a coffee extraction for mixing coffee powder and high-temperature water and maintaining the state for several tens of seconds to extract coffee. Container, means for rapidly cooling the extracted coffee, means for refrigerated / preserving the cooled coffee so that it does not come into contact with air, and means for supplying a prescribed amount of refrigerated / preserved coffee in response to a sales request And a means for rapidly heating coffee to be supplied for sale if the sales request is hot coffee, or a coffee vending machine or coffee server.