JPH11227888A - Beverage dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve beverage supply efficiency in a beverage dispenser for supplying beverage such as coffee, tea and soup for example wherein powder, granules or liquid material is mixed in liquid such as hot water, to reduce a fluctuation in beverage concentration (material concentration) and to correctly adjust the concentration. SOLUTION: The beverage dispenser comprises a cylinder 1 having a closed end portion formed with a beverage discharge port 4 and a liquid inlet port 7 as a mixing chamber 20 wherein a material inlet port 9 is formed on an upper face toward an open end from the chamber 20 and this formed part is a material supply chamber 21, a piston 12 having a material carrier 14 formed with a plurality of recesses 13 independent of one another where a material is put (filled) in a peripheral face and piston driving means 15 to 19 which reciprocate the piston 12 between a position where the material carrier 14 exists in the material supply chamber 21 and a position where it exists in the mixing chamber 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to coffee, tea, soup, etc., which are made by mixing powders, granules, etc., such as coffee, tea, soup, etc., and powders, granules, or liquid raw materials for beverages with liquid, such as boiling water. The present invention relates to a beverage dispenser for supplying a beverage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The deliciousness, good nutritional balance, and abundant menus of foods provided in cafeterias such as schools, factories, and companies are steadily improving. It is necessary to supply a large amount of squid quickly, but the increase in the price of cooked foods is restricted, and in some cases the price must be reduced. ing. Therefore, in order to meet such demands, the competition among cafeterias, cookware providers, kitchen equipment companies and the like is fierce, and kitchen equipment, tools, systems and the like for large dining halls are making remarkable progress.

[0003] Particularly, in a university cafeteria or a company cafeteria, most of the cafeteria users must be provided with desired foods in a very short time period, for example, about one hour from noon. Employment of cafeteria workers resulted in a problem of low productivity per worker, which made it difficult to meet the demand for lower prices of cooked foods. Labor saving is progressing due to development, and low-cost provision of cooked products is becoming possible.

[0004] By the way, as the quality of cooked foods provided in the cafeteria has become higher, there is a need for higher quality and lower prices of beverages. For example, if you want to drink coffee after a meal in an employee cafeteria or a student cafeteria, order coffee at a cafe corner of the cafeteria or a coffee room close to the cafeteria, for example, at a price of 150 yen, which is cheaper than at a normal coffee shop. It's like drinking coffee, which offers fairly high quality coffee that doesn't change much like coffee you drink in a normal coffee shop.

[0005] Recently, the number of people who want high-quality coffee after lunch has increased significantly, and there is a need to meet the needs in employee cafeterias and student cafeterias. Of course,
Many vending machines are satisfied with canned coffee or paper cup coffee, and the needs of those people can be met by adding vending machines. However, the number of people who want high-quality coffee is increasing rapidly, which requires an increase in the number of cafeteria employees, which leads to an increase in the cost of providing coffee, which is undesirable. Also, an increasing number of people want to drink relatively good quality tea after meals instead of coffee.

[0006] For this reason, a beverage dispenser has been developed which can promptly provide a high-quality beverage such as coffee or tea. One of the results of the development is a screw conveyor type beverage dispenser. This is because a mixing chamber is formed in approximately one half of the cylinder and a raw material supply chamber is formed in approximately the other half of the cylinder. A raw material receiving port is provided on an upper surface of the mixing chamber, and a beverage discharge port is provided on a lower surface. And a screw conveyor is provided from the raw material supply chamber to the mixing chamber inside the cylinder, and the screw conveyor is rotated from the outside.

In such a beverage dispenser, a raw material supply hopper is connected to a raw material receiving port, and a powdery or granular or liquid raw material is charged into the hopper, so that a powdery or granular or liquid state is supplied to a raw material supply chamber in a cylinder. The raw material is supplied, and the powdery or granular or liquid raw material is supplied to the mixing chamber by rotating the screw conveyor in the raw material supply chamber, and a liquid such as hot water is supplied from the liquid receiving port into the mixing chamber. Is supplied and mixed with a powdery or granular or liquid raw material, and supplied to the outside (cup) from the beverage discharge port for use.

[0008]

By the way, it is difficult to provide a drink such as coffee or tea sufficiently quickly even with the above-mentioned conventional drink dispenser, and there are many variations in the concentration of the drink. This is because, according to the screw conveyor, it was difficult to increase the conveying speed of the powdery, granular or liquid raw material to the mixing chamber. Therefore, it is inefficient and it has been difficult to sufficiently meet the demand for supplying a large number of beverages in a limited short time period.

Further, the screw conveyor has a problem in that the supply amount of the powdery, granular or liquid raw material from the raw material supply chamber to the mixing chamber varies widely. The supply amount of the powdery or granular or liquid raw material is controlled by the number of revolutions of the screw conveyor, but even at the same number of revolutions, there is a large variation in the strength of the beverage at each time. This is because the powder, granular or liquid raw material conveyed by the screw conveyor is mixed with a liquid such as hot water when it reaches the mixing chamber, but is not mixed with the part to be mixed with the liquid yet (mixed with the next beverage). This is because the boundaries between the parts are not clearly defined. That is, the powdery or granular or liquid raw materials in contact with the screw conveyor are all integrated through the screw, and the liquid in the mixing chamber side can permeate into the raw material supply chamber side, and the concentration changes by chance at that time. It will do. This makes it difficult to meet the demand for a high quality beverage supply.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem. For example, in a beverage dispenser for supplying a beverage in which a powdery or granular or liquid material is mixed with a liquid such as hot water, the beverage supply efficiency is improved. And to reduce the variation in beverage concentration (raw material concentration).

[0011]

According to the present invention, a beverage dispenser has a mixing chamber on a closed end side where a beverage discharge port and a liquid receiving port are formed, and a raw material receiving port is provided on an upper surface closer to an open end than the mixing chamber. A piston having a raw material supply chamber in which a plurality of independent recesses where the raw material enters the peripheral surface is formed by a cylinder having a raw material supply chamber formed therein, It is characterized by having piston driving means for reciprocating between a position in the supply chamber and a position in which the raw material transport section exists in the mixing chamber.

Therefore, according to the beverage dispenser of the present invention, the piston in the state where the raw material transport section is located in the raw material supply chamber is moved by the piston driving means until the raw material transport section enters the mixing chamber. By moving the raw material, the powder, granular or liquid raw material clogged in the groove or recess of the raw material transfer part can be forcibly supplied to the mixing chamber, and the transfer of the powder, granular or liquid raw material to the mixing chamber can be performed. It can be done very quickly.

The liquid is supplied from the liquid receiving port to the mixing chamber, whereby the powder, granular or liquid raw material transported by the raw material transporting unit is mixed with the liquid to produce a beverage, and the beverage is discharged. It can be discharged from the outlet. Therefore, the time required for supplying the beverage can be reduced.

Further, only the powder, granular, or liquid raw material clogged in the concave portion of the portion positioned in the mixing chamber of the raw material transfer section by the movement of the piston is mixed with the liquid, and the other powder, granular, or liquid raw material is mixed. Are not mixed. That is, it is clearly separated from a powder, a granule, or a liquid material that is not mixed with a powder, a granule, or a liquid material that is mixed with a liquid. Each concave portion is independent, and the concentration can be kept constant without a risk that a liquid component such as hot water dissolved in a powdery or granular or liquid raw material permeates the raw material transport section.

By adjusting the stroke of the movement of the piston to the cylinder closing end side during the supply of the beverage, the number of recesses filled with the powdery or granular or liquid material entering the mixing chamber is increased or decreased. The concentration of the raw or liquid material can be adjusted. That is, by reducing the stroke, some of the recesses are prevented from reaching the mixing chamber, and the concentration can be reduced. Therefore, the density can be adjusted according to the degree of the stroke.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The beverage dispenser of the present invention is provided substantially horizontally with one end closed and the other end open, with a beverage discharge port formed on the upper surface near the closed end and a liquid receiving port formed on the lower surface near the closed end. The beverage discharge port and the liquid receiving port serve as a mixing chamber, and a material receiving port is formed on the upper surface on the open end side with respect to the mixing chamber, and the formed portion is used as a material supplying chamber. A piston having a raw material transporting section formed movably inserted from the end and forming a plurality of independent concave portions where the raw material enters the peripheral surface, and a position where the piston has the raw material transporting section in the raw material supply chamber, Piston driving means for reciprocating between a position where the raw material transport section is present in the mixing chamber. The cylinder may be integrally formed by one member, or may be integrally formed by assembling a plurality of members. It is necessary that the diameter of the mixing chamber of the cylinder be appropriately larger than the diameter of the piston. As a result, the powder, granular or liquid raw material in the concave portion of the raw material supply chamber is mixed with a liquid such as hot water in the mixing chamber, and the space required for discharging from the beverage discharge port is the space between the inner surface of the mixing chamber and the raw material transfer of the piston. This is because it can be secured between the outer surface of the part. However, it is preferable that no gap is formed between the mixing chamber and the raw material supply chamber between the mixing chamber and the raw material supply chamber. Thereby, the space therebetween can be completely separated.
For example, a rubber bush may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder in order to prevent the gap from being formed. The liquid receiving port is controlled to be turned on / off (supply / supply stop) by, for example, an electromagnetic valve or the like, and is further supplied with a liquid such as hot water whose liquid supply amount is controlled once by a valve. It is preferable that a container such as a paper cup is placed below the beverage discharge port. Further, a tubular hopper or the like may be connected to the raw material receiving port. In addition, the width and depth of the recesses such as grooves are greater at the front end side, and the width is greater at the rear end side,
By reducing the depth, the concentration of the beverage may be easily adjusted to the delicate taste of the customer by the movement stroke of the piston.

The above-mentioned piston is provided with a raw material transport section comprising a plurality of recesses at a position slightly apart from the tip. And
Normally, the tip of the piston is located at a portion between the mixing chamber and the material supply chamber, and the tip of the piston plays a role of shutting off between the mixing chamber and the material supply chamber. The concave portion of the raw material transporting section is preferably, for example, a ring-shaped groove formed on the peripheral surface of the piston. It is good to be able to fine-tune the density of

As the piston driving means, any means can be used as long as it can reciprocate the piston, but in order to be able to adjust the concentration of the beverage, the stroke can be adjusted precisely. It is preferable that the stroke can be adjusted. For this purpose, a driving means including a motor rotating forward and backward, a screw spindle rotated by the motor, and a moving body having a screw hole screwed into the screw spindle and connected to the piston is used. It can be said that this is very suitable. The reason for this is that the motor can control the movement amount very accurately by, for example, pulse control and the like, and the stroke control range can be set wide, and the piston can move at a very high speed. is there.

In the present invention, not only beverages such as coffee and tea in which granular or powdery raw materials are mixed with liquids such as hot water, but also liquid raw materials such as concentrated soups (generally referred to as "stock solutions"). ) Can be applied to a beverage display for supplying a beverage such as a soup obtained by mixing a liquid such as hot water.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a first embodiment of the beverage dispenser of the present invention. In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a cylinder having one end closed and the other end open, and includes two members 2, 3
Combined. In the member 2 on the closed end side, a beverage discharge port 4 is formed near the closed end on the lower surface, and a cylindrical body 4a is connected to the beverage discharge port 4, from which the beverage is discharged. 5 is the beverage (eg, coffee or tea) 6
A container such as a cup for storing

Numerals 7, 7,... Are liquid receiving ports formed on the upper surface of the member 2 at an appropriate distance from the opening for forming the beverage discharge port 4 on the open end side. The liquid (for example, hot water) whose on / off control is performed by an electromagnetic valve (not shown) through the liquid supply pipe 8 and whose liquid supply amount is controlled by a valve (not shown) is supplied to the inside of the cylinder 1. I have. The open end of the member 2 has a larger diameter than other portions, and the distal end of a member 3 having a shape whose both ends are open is fitted therein.
An O-ring is interposed between the members 2 and 3.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a raw material receiving port formed on the upper surface of the member 3, the periphery of which is integrally protruded upward to form the cylindrical body 1.
0, and a hopper 11 and the like are connected to the upper part thereof,
Through the hopper 11, powder, granular or liquid raw material of a beverage such as coffee is supplied into the cylinder 1.

Numeral 12 is a piston movably inserted into the cylinder 1 constituted by the members 2 and 3. A plurality of grooves 13, 13,... The groove forming portion 14 is a raw material transport section for transporting a powdery, granular or liquid raw material. The widths and depths of the grooves 13, 13,... May be uniform, but may be non-uniform. The width and depth of the object are reduced. This is because the movement stroke of the piston 12 makes it easier to adjust the beverage concentration to the delicate taste of the customer.

On the inner end surface of the piston 12 (the inner end surface of the cylinder), there is provided a buffer for reducing the impact when the piston 1 hits the inner surface of the closed portion of the cylinder 1, and a ring-shaped groove is formed at the tip of the piston 12. An O-ring is fitted in the groove.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a connecting rod 1 at the rear of the piston 12.
A screw spindle 18 connected to a rotating shaft of a motor 17 that rotates forward and backward is screwed together with a moving nut connected via 6 so that the guide 19 guides the piston 12 and the cylinder 1 in the axial direction. It has become.

Accordingly, when the motor 17 rotates in a certain direction, the screw spindle 18 rotates in the same direction, and accordingly the moving nut 15 moves, and the piston 12 connected thereto via the connecting rod 16 also moves. The moving speed can be controlled by the rotation speed of the motor 17 (strictly, the rotation speed per unit time), the rotation direction is determined by the rotation direction of the motor 17, and the movement amount and the movement stroke of the piston 12 are determined by the rotation amount. .

Normally, the state is as shown in FIG. That is, in the normal state, the tip of the piston 12 is located slightly closer to the open end than the liquid receiving ports 7, 7,... , And the inside of the cylinder 1 is shut off at its intermediate part by the tip of the piston 12 fitted therein. The liquid is mixed with the powdery or granular or liquid raw material at a portion closer to the cylinder closing end than the blocked portion, so that the portion is referred to as a mixing chamber 20. The portion closer to the open end than the blocked portion is where the powdery or granular or liquid raw material is supplied, and is referred to as a raw material supply chamber 21.

Next, the operation of the beverage dispenser will be described. When powder or granular or liquid material such as coffee is supplied from the hopper 11 of the beverage dispenser in the state shown in FIG. 1, the material enters the raw material supply chamber 21 through the raw material receiving port 9 and exists there. ., The raw material such as coffee powder is clogged (entered) in each of the grooves 13, 13,... Of the raw material transport section 14 of the piston 12.

Next, when there is a customer's order and the switch is operated in accordance with the order, the motor 17 moves in the forward direction (the direction in which the piston 12 advances is herein referred to as the forward direction).
And the piston 12 is moved to its raw material conveying section 14 (groove 1).
3 is moved at a speed of 1 to several seconds to a position where it is located in the mixing chamber 20. At this time, the powder, granular or liquid raw material clogged in each of the grooves 13, 13,... Passes through the intermediate portion of the cylinder 12 (with a rubber bush interposed therebetween). The raw material is completely separated from the granular or liquid raw material and enters the raw material supply chamber 21.

On the other hand, the electromagnetic valve of the liquid supply pipe (not shown) is opened and closed at a predetermined timing (for example, a timing synchronized with the end of the movement) with respect to this movement. Then
A predetermined amount of hot water from a boiler (not shown) is supplied into the mixing chamber 20 of the cylinder 1 through the liquid receiving ports 7, 7,. Therefore, the powder, granular, or liquid raw material that is clogged in the grooves 13, 13,... In the raw material supply chamber 21 is mixed with hot water in the raw material supply chamber 21, and is used for, for example, coffee or tea. Drink 6
It is discharged from the beverage discharge port 4. And each groove 13, 13
Are independent, so that the liquid dissolved in the raw material does not proceed to the raw material supply chamber 21 side through the raw material as in the screw conveyor system.

When the discharge is completed, the motor 17 rotates in the reverse direction, and the piston 12 returns to the original position, returns to the state shown in FIG. 1, and waits. Thereafter, such an operation is repeated every time there is an order for a beverage.

The amount of raw material supplied at one time is determined by the piston 1
2 can be changed by changing the movement stroke. Specifically, the raw material transport section 14 of the piston 12
When the movement stroke is such that all of the grooves 13, 13,... Can completely enter the mixing chamber 20, the supply amount of the raw material transport unit becomes the maximum value, and the stroke is reduced to reduce some of the grooves 13. Is prevented from entering the raw material supply chamber 21, the supply amount of the raw material is reduced by that amount, and the supply amount of the raw material transport unit can be reduced as the moving stroke is reduced. Then, the movement stroke can be changed by changing the rotation amount in one rotation of the motor 17, so that the concentration of the beverage can be changed according to the taste of the customer.

The amount of one drink can be changed by adjusting the supply amount of liquid such as hot water at one time. This can be done by changing the opening time in one opening and closing of the solenoid valve, or by changing the opening degree by a valve of the liquid supply pipe.

[0034]

According to the beverage dispenser of the first aspect,
By moving the piston in a state where the raw material transport section is present in the raw material supply chamber to a position where the raw material transport section enters the mixing chamber by the piston driving means, the powder clogged in the concave portion of the raw material transport section. Thus, the granular or liquid raw material can be forcibly supplied to the mixing chamber, and the powder, granular or liquid raw material can be conveyed to the mixing chamber very quickly.

Then, by supplying the liquid from the liquid receiving port to the mixing chamber, the powder, granular or liquid raw material transported by the raw material transporting unit is mixed with the liquid to prepare a beverage, and the beverage is discharged. It can be discharged from the outlet. Therefore, the time required for supplying the beverage can be reduced.

Further, only the powder, granular, or liquid raw material that has entered the concave portion of the portion positioned in the mixing chamber of the raw material transfer section by the movement of the piston is mixed with the liquid, and the other powder, granular, or liquid raw material is mixed. Are not mixed. That is,
Powders, granules, or liquid raw materials that are mixed with a liquid and powder, granular, or liquid raw materials that are not mixed are clearly separated. Each concave portion is independent, and the concentration can be kept constant without a risk that a liquid component such as hot water dissolved in a powdery or granular or liquid raw material permeates the raw material transport section.

By adjusting the stroke of movement of the piston toward the cylinder closing end during the supply of the beverage, the amount of the powder or granules or the recesses filled with the powdery or granular or liquid raw material entering the mixing chamber is adjusted. The concentration of the raw or liquid material can be adjusted. That is, by reducing the stroke, some of the recesses are prevented from reaching the mixing chamber, and the concentration can be reduced. Therefore, the density can be adjusted according to the degree of the stroke.

According to the beverage dispenser of the present invention, the driving means includes a motor that rotates forward and backward, a screw spindle that is rotated by the motor, and a moving nut that is screwed to the screw spindle and connected to the piston. Since the piston was driven using the motor, the piston could be driven at a high speed by the motor, and the movement stroke could be controlled very accurately by, for example, a pulse, and the stroke control range could be set widely. is there.

Therefore, the efficiency of the beverage dispenser can be further improved, the variation in the concentration can be reduced, and the concentration can be controlled accurately over a relatively wide range.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a first embodiment of a beverage dispenser of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 (2, 3) ... cylinder, 4 ... beverage outlet, 7
... liquid receiving port, 9 ... raw material receiving port, 12 ... piston, 13 ... concave portion (groove), 14 ... raw material conveying part of piston, 15 ... moving nut, 17 ...・ Motor rotating forward / reverse, 18: Screw spindle, 15-19
... Piston drive means, 20 ... Mixing chamber, 21 ...
・ Raw material supply room.

Claims (2)

[Claims] A beverage outlet is formed on the upper surface near the closed end, and a liquid receiving port is formed on the lower surface near the closed end. The receiving port is a mixing chamber, a material receiving port is formed on the upper surface on the open end side with respect to the mixing chamber, and the formed portion is a raw material supply chamber and a cylinder, which is movably inserted from the open end into the cylinder, A piston having a raw material transporting portion formed with a plurality of independent concave portions where the raw material enters the peripheral surface; a position where the raw material transporting portion is located in the raw material supply chamber; and a raw material transporting portion being located in the mixing chamber. And a piston drive means for reciprocating the piston between the two positions. Normally, the piston drive means positions the piston at a position where the raw material transport section is present in the raw material supply chamber. Drive The means moves the piston to a position until the raw material transport section enters the mixing chamber, and simultaneously supplies the liquid from the liquid receiving port to the mixing chamber to transfer the powder or granular or A beverage dispenser characterized in that the beverage is mixed with a liquid material and the produced beverage is supplied from the beverage outlet. 2. A piston driving means comprising: a motor that rotates forward and backward; a screw spindle that is rotated by the motor; and a moving nut that is screwed to the screw spindle and connected to the piston. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1, wherein