WO2021261012A1

WO2021261012A1 - Beverage supply device

Info

Publication number: WO2021261012A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/006679
Authority: WO
Inventors: 章菅原
Original assignee: 富士電機株式会社
Priority date: 2020-06-25
Filing date: 2021-02-22
Publication date: 2021-12-30
Also published as: CN115003198A; JP7315103B2; KR20220116309A; JPWO2021261012A1

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to provide a beverage supply device capable of individually controlling the foam level of foamed milk and the temperature of steam milk in an adequate and flexible manner. To attain this objective, division is performed into one or more foamed milk production periods ΔT1 in which steam and air are mixed with the milk supplied from a milk supply unit to produce foamed milk, and one or more steam milk production periods ΔT2 in which steam is mixed with the milk supplied from the milk supply unit to produce steam milk in which the milk is heated, and a milk discharge rate in the foamed milk production period ΔT1 (tube pump rotation speed ω1) and the milk discharge rate in the steam milk production period ΔT2 (tube pump rotation speed ω2) are individually controlled.

Description

Beverage supply device

The present invention relates to a beverage supply device capable of appropriately and flexibly individually controlling the foam level of foamed milk and the temperature of steam milk.

Conventionally, beverage supply devices such as coffee machines have been installed in stores such as convenience stores. When a beverage is selected by the user, the beverage supply device produces a beverage by, for example, grinding coffee beans and extracting dripping, and supplies the beverage to a cup arranged in the beverage supply unit. Beverages are discharged and supplied from the nozzles constituting the unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-274767

By the way, the beverage supplied by the beverage supply device includes coffee beverages containing milk such as cafe au lait, latte, and cappuccino. Café au lait is coffee with milk, cafe latte is strong coffee (espresso) with liquid steam milk, which is steam-heated milk, and cappuccino is espresso with steam milk. , Foamed milk in the form of frothed milk with steam and air. In addition, some latte contains not only steam milk but also foamed milk, which is about 10% of steam milk. That is, it is necessary to add steam milk and foamed milk to latte and cappuccino.

However, in the conventional beverage supply device, when foamed milk and steam milk are produced, they are switched depending on whether air is supplied or not, and milk is supplied at the same discharge rate in both cases. That is, foamed milk is produced by mixing steam and air with milk, and steam milk is produced by mixing only steam with milk without supplying air, but the discharge rate of milk is high in both cases. Since they were the same, there was a problem that the foam level, which is the fineness of foam in foamed milk, was low. Here, if the milk discharge rate is increased, foamed milk having a high foam level is produced, but conversely, since the milk discharge rate is high, the temperature of the steam milk becomes low.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage supply device capable of appropriately and flexibly individually controlling the foam level of foamed milk and the temperature of steam milk.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present invention is a beverage supply device for supplying a beverage produced by the beverage generation unit to a cup arranged in the beverage supply unit, from a steam tank. A steam supply unit that supplies steam, an air supply unit that supplies air by an air pump, a milk supply unit that supplies milk from a milk tank by a milk supply pump, and the milk mixed with the steam and the air or the steam. The mixing section and the milk production period for supplying the milk to the cup are divided into a plurality of periods, and each period is a foam in which the steam and the air are mixed with the milk supplied from the milk supply section to whisk the milk. Assigned to one or more foamed milk production periods to produce drinks and one or more steam milk production periods to produce warmed steam milk by mixing the steam with the milk supplied from the milk supply unit. The unit milk supply amount by the milk supply pump in the one or more foamed milk production period and the steam milk production period of one or more, and the unit air supply amount by the air pump in the foamed milk production period are variably set and controlled. It is characterized by having a control unit and a control unit.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the control unit variably sets and controls each period of the one or more foamed milk production period and the one or more steam milk production period.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the control unit variably sets and controls the unit milk supply amount by variably setting and controlling the milk discharge speed by the milk supply pump. ..

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the milk supply pump is a tube pump, and the unit milk supply amount is determined by the rotation speed of the tube pump.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the control unit variably sets and controls the unit air supply amount by variably setting and controlling the air discharge speed of the air pump.

Further, in the above invention, the present invention has a plurality of the air pumps, and the control unit variably sets and controls the unit air supply amount by variably setting and controlling the starting number of the air pumps. It is characterized by.

Further, in the above invention, the control unit is characterized in that the unit milk supply amount in the one or more foamed milk production period is larger than the unit milk supply amount in the steam milk production period. do.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the unit milk supply amount during the foamed milk production period of 1 or more is the unit milk supply amount according to the level of fineness of foam.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the one or more foamed milk production period is a period set according to the amount of foam produced.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the unit air supply amount in the one or more foamed milk production period is a unit air supply amount set according to the foam production amount.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the one or more foamed milk production periods are allocated after at least one steam milk production period.

According to the present invention, the foam level of foamed milk and the temperature of steam milk can be appropriately and flexibly individually controlled.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a beverage supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the control system of the beverage supply device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a beverage supply control processing procedure by the control unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a milk producing unit in a beverage producing unit. FIG. 5 is a time chart showing an example of milk production control processing. FIG. 6 is a time chart showing an example of the milk production control process according to the present modification 1. FIG. 7 is a time chart showing an example of the milk production control process according to the present modification 2. FIG. 8 is a time chart showing an example of the milk production control process according to the present modification 3. FIG. 9 is a time chart showing an example of the milk production control process according to the present modification 4. FIG. 10 is a time chart showing an example of the milk production control process according to the present modification 5. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the overall height from the bottom of the cup to the top of the foam and the foam height. FIG. 12 is a time chart showing an example of the milk production control process according to the present modification 6.

Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

<Overall configuration>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a beverage supply device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Further, FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the control system of the beverage supply device 1.

The beverage supply device 1 exemplified here is a coffee machine installed in a store such as a convenience store, for example, and is subjected to coffee bean grinding and dripping extraction processing to form a bottomed cylindrical cup C which is a container. For example, it supplies coffee beverages containing milk beverages such as cafe latte.

The beverage supply device 1 includes a main body cabinet 10 and a front door 20. The main body cabinet 10 has a substantially rectangular shape with an open front surface. Inside the main body cabinet 10, a beverage generation unit 11 for producing a beverage (for example, latte) is provided.

The front door 20 is a door body having a size sufficient to close the opening on the front surface of the main body cabinet 10. The front door 20 is provided on one side edge portion on the front side of the main body cabinet 10 so as to be swingable around the central axis of a shaft portion (not shown) extending in the vertical direction, and is provided on the front surface of the main body cabinet 10. It is possible to open and close the opening of.

The front surface of the front door 20 constitutes a customer service surface, and a display unit 21, a beverage supply unit 22, and an opening / closing door 22a are provided. The display unit 21 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal touch panel, and has an input unit 21a capable of displaying various information and performing an input operation such as a touch operation.

The beverage supply unit 22 is configured by providing a recess on the lower side of the display unit 21. The beverage supply unit 22 has a nozzle unit 23 and a stage 24. The nozzle unit 23 discharges the beverage produced by the beverage generation unit 11 downward. The nozzle unit 23 has nozzles 23a and 23b (see FIG. 4), the nozzle 23a discharges milk, and the nozzle 23b discharges coffee. The stage 24 is provided in the lower region of the nozzles 23a and 23b. The stage 24 is a mounting portion on which the cup C is mounted, and is provided with an arc-shaped stopper 24a. Further, the stage 24 is formed with a plurality of passage holes through which the beverage discharged from the nozzle unit 23 and not supplied to the cup C is passed, and a tray for storing the beverage is formed below the through holes (not shown). ) Is provided.

The opening / closing door 22a is made of a translucent material such as a transparent resin, and has a sufficient size to cover the inlet 27 of the beverage supply unit 22. The left end of the opening / closing door 22a is pivotally supported by the front door 20 and can swing along the front-rear direction. That is, the opening / closing door 22a can swing in the front-rear direction in a manner of approaching and separating from the beverage supply unit 22, and the entrance of the beverage supply unit 22 when swinging backward in a manner of approaching the beverage supply unit 22. 27 can be closed, and the inlet 27 can be opened when swinging forward in a manner separated from the beverage supply unit 22.

As shown in FIG. 2, the beverage supply device 1 includes a cup detection unit 31, a light projection unit 32, an image pickup unit 33, a door open / close detection unit 35, a door open / close lock mechanism 36, and a control unit 40.

The cup detection unit 31 is composed of, for example, an optical sensor or the like, and detects whether or not the cup C is arranged in the beverage supply unit 22, that is, whether or not the cup C is placed on the stage 24. The cup detection unit 31 gives the detection result of the presence or absence of the cup C to the control unit 40.

The light projecting unit 32 is provided on the left side wall and the right side wall of the beverage supply unit 22. The light projecting unit 32 is, for example, an LED, and irradiates the surface of the cup C placed on the stage 24 with light. Each of the light projecting portions 32 is provided on the upper portion of the side wall so that light can be emitted from diagonally above the upper peripheral surface of the cup C.

The image pickup unit 33 is provided at the lower part of the left side wall of the beverage supply unit 22 and acquires an image including the cup C.

The door open / close detection unit 35 is provided near the entrance 27 of the beverage supply unit 22, and is composed of, for example, an optical sensor or the like. The door opening / closing detection unit 35 detects the opening / closing of the entrance 27 by the opening / closing door 22a, and more specifically, detects whether or not the entrance 27 is closed, that is, the opening / closing door 22a is closed. be. The door open / close detection unit 35 gives a detection result of whether or not the open / close door 22a is closed to the control unit 40.

The door opening / closing lock mechanism 36 is provided near the entrance 27 of the beverage supply unit 22. The door opening / closing lock mechanism 36 has a locked state in which the opening / closing door 22a that closes the entrance 27 is held closed and the opening / closing door 22a is restricted from swinging forward, and the opening / closing door 22a. Can be selectively switched between a release state that allows the door to swing forward. The door opening / closing lock mechanism 36 is switched in response to a command from the control unit 40.

The control unit 40 connects the beverage generation unit 11, the display unit 21, the cup detection unit 31, the light projecting unit 32, the image pickup unit 33, the door open / close detection unit 35, and the door open / close lock mechanism 36, and is stored in the storage unit 41. It comprehensively controls the operation of each of these parts according to the program and data.

The control unit 40 is a control unit that controls the entire device, and has a determination unit 40a and a beverage supply control unit 40b. The determination unit 40a determines the color of the cup C based on the color information of the cup C in the image captured by the image pickup unit 33.

The beverage supply control unit 40b generates a beverage corresponding to the color of the cup determined by the determination unit 40a and controls the supply to the cup C. Beverages that correspond to the color of the cup include coffee, cafe au lait, latte, and cappuccino, as described above. The color of the cup may indicate only milk (hot milk).

The beverage generation unit 11 has a coffee extraction unit 11a and a milk generation unit 11b. The coffee extraction unit 11a puts crushed raw materials such as coffee beans and hot water into the extraction cylinder of the extractor, stirs them on a paper filter, and then closes the upper opening of the extraction cylinder with a cylinder head. Pressurize, a beverage such as coffee is extracted through a paper filter, and discharged from a nozzle 23b. If necessary, the milk generation unit 11b mixes steam and air with the milk supplied from the milk tank to generate foamed milk in which the milk is whipped, and further, steam is added to the milk supplied from the milk tank. The milk is mixed to produce warmed steam milk, which is discharged from the nozzle 23a. At this time, the beverage supply control unit 40b makes the milk discharge rate in the foamed milk production period faster than the milk discharge rate in the steam milk production period. The details of the milk generating unit 11b will be described later.

<Beverage supply control processing>
Next, the beverage supply control processing procedure by the control unit 40 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 40 first determines whether or not the cup C is detected by the cup detection unit 31 in the beverage supply unit 22 (step S101). That is, the cup detection unit 31 detects whether or not the cup C is placed on the stage 24.

When it is detected that the cup C is present (step S101: Yes), the control unit 40 determines whether or not the opening / closing door 22a is closed based on the detection result of the door opening / closing detection unit 35 (step S102). ). If the opening / closing door 22a is not closed (step S102: No), the determination process of step S102 is repeated.

On the other hand, when the opening / closing door 22a is closed (step S102: Yes), the control unit 40 projects light on the surface of the cup C by the light projecting unit 32, and the image pickup unit 33 includes the cup C for imaging. The acquisition of the image is instructed to acquire the captured image, and the color of the cup C is determined based on the color information in the captured image (step S103).

After that, the determination unit 40a determines the type of beverage in the cup C corresponding to the determined color (step S104). For example, if the color of cup C is brown, it is determined to be a latte, if the color of cup C is white, it is determined to be blended coffee, and if the color of cup C is dark blue, it is determined to be premium coffee. Judge that there is.

After that, the control unit 40 displays the beverage to be supplied to the determined cup C and guides the display unit 21 to touch the input unit 21a on which the confirmation wording is displayed (step S105).

After that, the control unit 40 determines whether or not the input unit 21a has been touched (step S106). If the input unit 21a is not touched (step S106: No), the control unit 40 repeats the determination process in step S106. On the other hand, when the input unit 21a is touched (step S106: Yes), the control unit 40 locks the opening / closing door 22a in the closed state by using the door opening / closing lock mechanism 36 (step S107), and the beverage generation unit 11 (Step S108).

After that, the control unit 40 determines whether or not the beverage supply by the beverage generation unit 11 has been completed (step S109). If the beverage supply has not been completed (step S109: No), the control unit 40 returns to step S108 to continue the process of producing and supplying the beverage.

On the other hand, when the beverage supply is completed (step S109: Yes), the control unit 40 unlocks the closed state of the open / close door 22a by the door open / close lock mechanism 36 (step S110), and ends this process. The above process is repeated at predetermined intervals.

<Circuit configuration of milk generator>
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a milk producing unit 11b in the beverage producing unit 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the milk generation unit 11b has a steam supply unit 51, an air supply unit 52, a milk supply unit 53, and a T-shaped joint J2 as a mixing unit.

The steam supply unit 51 has a steam tank 51a, a heater 51b, and a steam valve 51c. The steam tank 51a generates and stores steam by heating the heater 51b. The steam in the steam tank 51a is discharged to the joint J1 side via the steam valve 51c provided on the pipe L1 connecting the steam tank 51a and the T-shaped joint J1. The heater 51b and the steam valve 51c are controlled by the control unit 40. The control unit 40 controls the opening degree of the steam valve 51c and discharges steam at a constant flow rate.

The air supply unit 52 has an air pump 52a and a pump drive unit 52b. Under the drive control of the pump drive unit 52b, the air pump 52a discharges air to the joint J1 side via the check valve V1 provided on the pipe L2 connecting the air pump 52a and the joint J1. The pump drive unit 52b is controlled by the control unit 40. The control unit 40 controls the pump drive unit 52b to discharge a constant flow rate of air.

The joint J1 mixes steam through the pipe L1 and air through the pipe L2 and discharges the steam to the joint J2 side through the pipe L3.

The milk supply unit 53 includes a tube pump 53a, a pump drive unit 53b, and a milk tank 53c. The tube pump 53a functions as a milk supply pump, and under the drive control of the pump drive unit 53b, the milk in the milk tank 53c is jointed via the pipe L4 connecting the tube pump 53a and the joint J2. Discharge to the J2 side. The milk tank 53c stores milk in a liquid composite container (back-in box). The pump drive unit 53b is controlled by the control unit 40.

Joint J2 is a mixing unit that mixes milk, steam and air to produce foamed milk that whisks milk, and mixes milk and steam to produce steam milk that warms the milk. Check valves V2 and V3 are arranged on the pipe L3 side and the pipe L4 side of the joint J2, respectively. In the joint J2, a mixed fluid of steam and air comes into contact with the discharged milk from an orthogonal direction to generate milk bubbles.

The control unit 40 supplies the milk production period from the milk supply unit 53 and the foamed milk production period in which the milk supplied from the milk supply unit 53 is mixed with steam and air to generate foamed milk in which the milk is whipped. The milk is divided into a steam milk production period in which steam is mixed with the milk to be produced to generate warm steam milk, and the pump drive unit 53b is controlled to control the milk discharge rate (rotation of the tube pump 53a) in the foamed milk production period. The rate) and the milk discharge rate (rotational speed of the tube pump 53a) during the steam milk production period are individually controlled. The control unit 40 makes the milk discharge rate during the foamed milk production period faster than the milk discharge rate during the steam milk production period.

By increasing the milk discharge rate during the foamed milk production period, the foam becomes finer and the foam level, which indicates the fineness of the foam, can be raised. On the other hand, when the milk discharge rate during the steam milk production period is slowed down, a large amount of heat of steam is transferred to the milk per unit volume, and a desired milk temperature can be obtained. The milk discharge rate during the foamed milk production period may be a milk discharge rate according to a desired level of fineness of foam. Further, the foamed milk production period may be one or more preset periods set according to the amount of foam produced, and may be one set period selected according to the beverage type.

The foamed milk and steam milk produced by the joint J2 are sent to the nozzle 23a via the pipe L5 and supplied to the cup C.

The coffee extraction unit 11a extracts coffee under the control of the control unit 40 in parallel with the processing of the milk generation unit 11b, and discharges the extracted coffee to the cup C via the nozzle 23b. When the beverage type is hot milk, the coffee extraction unit 11a does not perform the treatment, and the milk generation unit 11b produces only steam milk.

<Milk production control processing>
FIG. 5 is a time chart showing an example of milk production control processing. Here, the case of producing a latte having foamed milk will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, when the cup detection unit 31 detects the cup C at the time point t0 (FIG. 5A), then the confirmation button displayed on the input unit 21a at the time point t1 is pressed (FIG. 5 (FIG. 5). b)). Further, at the time point t1, the door opening / closing lock mechanism 36 is locked (FIG. 5 (c)), the coffee extraction process by the coffee extraction unit 11a is started (FIG. 5 (d)), and the milk production unit 11b produces milk (milk). (Sale) is started (FIG. 5 (e)).

The steam valve 51c is opened at t2 when the confirmation button is pressed, and steam having a constant flow rate a1 is discharged to the pipes L1, L3, and L5 during the period ΔT0. As a result, the pipes L1, L3, L5 and the joints J1 and J2 are heated.

After that, the period from time point t3 to time point t5 becomes the milk production period. The milk production period is divided into a foamed milk production period ΔT1 and a steam milk production period ΔT2. The foamed milk production period ΔT1 from the time point t3 to the time point t4, the steam having a constant flow rate a1 and the air having a constant flow rate b1 are mixed at the joint J1, and the mixed fluid is discharged to the joint J2 (FIG. 5 (f), (H)), the tube pump 53a discharges milk to the joint J2 at a rotation rate ω1 (> ω2) (FIG. 5 (g)), and foamed milk in which milk, steam, and air are mixed and whipped is discharged. Generate.

After that, during the steam milk generation period ΔT2 from the time point t4 to the time point t5, the tube pump 53a discharges milk to the joint J2 at a rotation speed ω2 (<ω1) (FIG. 5 (g)), and steam at a constant flow rate a1 at the joint J2. Mix with (FIG. 5 (f)) to produce steam milk warmed to the desired temperature by steam.

Then, steam is blown during the period ΔT3 from the time point t5 to the time point t6 to blow off the residual liquid on the pipe, and further, a second steam blow is performed during the period ΔT4 from the time point t7 to the time point t8. A process of further blowing off the residual liquid on the pipe is performed (FIG. 5 (f)).

After that, when the coffee extraction is completed at the time point t9 (FIG. 5 (d)) and the final milk production is completed at the time point t10 (FIG. 5 (e)), the door opening / closing lock mechanism 36 is unlocked (FIG. 5 (e)). FIG. 5 (c)), and at the subsequent time point t11, the cup detection by taking out the cup C is turned off (FIG. 5 (a)).

When foamed milk is not required, such as cafe au lait and hot milk, the processing of the foamed milk production period ΔT1 is omitted, and only the steam milk production period ΔT2 is processed.

In the present embodiment, the milk discharge rate of the foamed milk production period ΔT1 and the steam milk production period ΔT2 is individually controlled, and the milk discharge rate of the foamed milk production period ΔT1 is calculated from the milk discharge rate of the steam milk production period ΔT2. The temperature of the steam milk can be warmed to the desired temperature while increasing the foam level, which is the fineness of the foam of the foamed milk. Further, since the milk discharge speeds of the foamed milk production period ΔT1 and the steam milk production period ΔT2 are individually controlled, it is possible to control such as shortening the sales period of the beverage containing milk. In addition, the foam level and the amount of foam in the foamed milk can be arbitrarily controlled separately from the production of steam milk.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the foamed milk production period ΔT1 and the steam milk production period ΔT2 are separated according to the presence or absence of air, that is, the presence or absence of the activation of the air pump, the foamed milk production period ΔT1 and the steam milk production period are separated. Switching control with ΔT2 becomes easy.

In the above embodiment, the milk discharge speed is controlled by the tube pump 53a, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various pumps such as a gear pump and a syringe pump may be used.

<Modification 1>
FIG. 6 is a time chart showing an example of the milk production control process according to the present modification 1. In the milk production period of the above embodiment, after foamed milk is produced in the foamed milk production period ΔT1, steam milk is produced in the steam milk production period ΔT2. Steam milk is produced in the steam milk production period ΔT11, and then foamed milk is produced in the foamed milk production period ΔT12 from the time point t14.

The steam milk production period ΔT11 is the same period as the steam milk production period ΔT2, and the control for the tube pump 53a and the air pump 52a is also the same. Further, the foamed milk production period ΔT12 is the same period as the foamed milk production period ΔT1, and the control for the tube pump 53a and the air pump 52a is also the same. That is, in the present modification 1, the steam milk production and the foamed milk production in the embodiment are reversed in time.

In the first modification, since the foamed milk passes through the steam milk generated earlier, the water content of the foamed milk foam increases, moist foam is generated, and a palatable latte can be produced. can.

<Modification 2>
FIG. 7 is a time chart showing an example of the milk production control process according to the present modification 2. In the present modification 2, the milk production period is divided into three periods in terms of time, and the steam milk production period ΔT21 that produces steam milk in the first period (time points t3 to t24) and the last period (time points t25 to t5), respectively. , ΔT23, and the foamed milk production period ΔT22 for producing foamed milk is assigned to the intermediate period (time points t24 to t25) between the steam milk production periods ΔT21 and ΔT23.

In the steam milk production period ΔT21 and ΔT23, the tube pump 53a is driven and the air pump 52a is turned off in the same manner as in the steam milk production period ΔT2. Further, in the foamed milk production period ΔT22, the air pump 52a is driven in the same manner as in the foamed milk production period ΔT1, and the rotation speed of the tube pump 53a is made larger than the rotation speeds of the steam milk production periods ΔT21 and ΔT23. The discharge speed is increased to increase the unit milk supply amount.

In this modification 2, since the amount of steam milk generated earlier is adjusted to be small, the moistness of the foamed milk foam can be adjusted. The positions of the time points t24 and t25 can be set in advance, and the rotation speed of the tube pump 53a and the unit air supply amount of the air pump 52a can also be set in advance.

<Modification 3>
FIG. 8 is a time chart showing an example of the milk production control process according to the present modification 3. In the third modification, the air pump 52a is driven in the steam milk generation period T23 in the second modification to set the foamed milk production period. In this foamed milk generation period, the unit air supply amount of the air pump 52a is made smaller than that of the foamed milk production period ΔT22, and the tube pump 53a is set to the rotation speed ω3 to set the rotation speed ω2 of the steam milk generation period Δ21. Is smaller than.

In this modification 3, the amount of foam in foamed milk, the height of foam, the mixture of foam with different properties, etc. are freely changed and set so that various latte can be generated.

<Modification example 4>
FIG. 9 is a time chart showing an example of the milk production control process according to the present modification 4. In the present modification 4, the rotation speed (unit milk supply amount) of the tube pump 53a and the unit air supply amount of the air pump 52a in the foamed milk production period ΔT22 in the modification 3 are changed with time. In FIG. 6, the rotation speed (unit milk supply amount) of the tube pump 53a and the unit air supply amount of the air pump 52a are controlled to be reduced in time. This makes it possible to generate a latte that suits various tastes.

<Modification 5>
FIG. 10 is a time chart showing an example of the milk production control process according to the present modification 5. In the present modification 5, the milk production period from the time point t3 to the time point t5 is divided into three periods, and the period from the time point t3 to the time point t31 and the period from the time point t31 to the time point t32 are set as steam milk production periods ΔT31 and ΔT32, respectively. Allocation, the period from time point t32 to time point t5 is assigned as the foamed milk production period ΔT33.

Then, as shown in FIGS. 10 (a) to 10 (d), the foamed milk production period ΔT33 is set to the foamed milk production period ΔT43 (time point t42 to t5), ΔT53 (time point t52 to t5), ΔT63 (time point). It is gradually lengthened as in t62 to t5). Further, the steam milk production period ΔT31 is sequentially shortened such as the steam milk production period ΔT41 (time point t3 to t41), ΔT51 (time point t3 to t51), and ΔT61 (time point t3 to t61). The unit milk supply amount of the steam milk production period ΔT31, ΔT41, ΔT51, and ΔT61 is the same, and in order to make the milk supply amount the same in the milk production period, the unit of the steam milk production period ΔT32 and the foamed milk production period ΔT33. The milk supply amount is sequentially reduced such as steam milk production period ΔT42, ΔT52, ΔT62 and foamed milk production period ΔT43, ΔT53, ΔT63. Further, the unit air supply amounts of the foamed milk production periods ΔT33, ΔT43, ΔT53, and ΔT63 are the same.

Here, as shown in FIG. 11, an example of the result of the milk production control of FIGS. 10 (a) to 10 (d) is the total height h and the foam height ha from the bottom of the cup C to the upper end of the foam. In FIGS. 10 (a) to 10 (d), the total height h was 61 mm, 62 mm, 65 mm, and 66 mm, respectively, and the bubble height ha was 13 mm, 14 mm, 17 mm, and 20 mm, respectively. .. From this, it was confirmed that the foam height ha was increased by at least extending the period of the foamed milk production period ΔT33, ΔT43, ΔT53, ΔT63.

If the unit supply amount of the air pump 52a is increased, the foam height ha can be further increased and the fineness of the foam can be increased.

In the present modification 5, the milk production period is divided into three periods, the length of each period is adjusted, and the unit milk supply amount and the unit air supply amount are further adjusted to generate a latte according to various tastes. be able to.

<Modification 6>
FIG. 12 is a time chart showing an example of the milk production control process according to the present modification 6. In the above-described embodiment and modification, the control of the tube pump 53a and the air pump 52a is synchronized with the steam milk production period and the foamed milk production period, respectively. The tube pump 53a and the air pump 52a are individually controlled without synchronizing the control with the air pump 52a. As a result, this control is equivalent to further dividing the steam milk production period and the foamed milk production period into multiple parts.

In the present modification 6, the tube pump 53a divides the milk production period into three at time points t71 and t73, and the unit milk supply amount is changed in each period. Further, the air pump 52a divides the milk production period into three at the time point t72 and t74, turns it off in the period from the time point t3 to the time point t72 and the period from the time point t74 to the time point t5, and turns it on in the period from the time point t72 to the time point t74. I try to do it.

In this modification 6, the milk production period is divided into five, and the three periods from the time point t3 to the time point t71, the time point t71 to the time point 72, and the time point t74 to the time point t5 are set to the steam milk production period ΔT71, ΔT72, ΔT75. , The two periods from the time point t72 to the time point t73 and the time point t73 to the time point t74 are set to the foamed milk production periods ΔT73 and ΔT74.

The unit milk supply amount in the above-described embodiment and modification can be changed by changing the discharge rate of the tube pump 53a. That is, the unit milk supply can be changed by changing the rotation speed of the tube pump 53a.

On the other hand, the unit air supply amount can be changed by changing the discharge speed of the air pump 52a. Further, the unit air supply amount can be changed stepwise by installing a plurality of air pumps 52a and changing the number of starting air pumps.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and modification, the milk production period is divided into a plurality of periods, and each period is assigned to one or more foamed milk production periods and one or more steam milk production periods, and one or more foamed periods. This is just an example in which the unit milk supply amount in the milk production period and one or more steam milk production periods and the unit air supply amount in the foamed milk production period are variably set and controlled.

In the present embodiment and modifications, it is possible to perform a plurality of setting controls adjusted such as a desired foam height, a desired foam fineness, a mixture of bubbles having different properties, and a desired foam dampness. It is possible to generate and control various beverages such as cafe latte with various high customizability, and it is possible to flexibly produce and control beverages with many variations.

It should be noted that each configuration shown in the above embodiment is a schematic function, and does not necessarily have to be physically shown. That is, the form of distribution / integration of each device and component is not limited to the one shown in the figure, and all or part of them may be functionally or physically distributed / integrated in any unit according to various usage conditions. Can be configured.

1 Beverage supply device 10 Main body cabinet 11 Beverage generation unit 11a Coffee extraction unit 11b Milk generation unit 20 Front door 21 Display unit 21a Input unit 22 Beverage supply unit 22a Open / close door 23 Nozzle unit 23a, 23b Nozzle 24 Stage 24a Stopper 27 Entrance 31 cup Detection unit 32 Floodlight unit 33 Imaging unit 35 Door open / close detection unit 36 Door open / close lock mechanism 40 Control unit 40a Judgment unit 40b Beverage supply control unit 41 Storage unit 51 Steam supply unit

51a Steam tank 51b Heater

51c Steam valve 52 Air supply unit

52a Air pump

52b, 53b Pump drive part 53 Milk supply part 53a Tube pump 53c Milk tank a1, b1 Constant flow rate C cup h Overall height ha Bubble height J1, J2 Joint L1 to L5 Piping t0 to t11, t14, t24, t25, T31, t32, t41, t42, t51, t52, t61, t62 time point V1, V2, V3 check valve ΔT0, ΔT3, ΔT4 period ΔT1, ΔT12, ΔT22, ΔT33, ΔT43, ΔT53, ΔT63, ΔT73, ΔT74 foamed milk Generation period ΔT2, ΔT11, ΔT21, ΔT23, ΔT31, ΔT32, ΔT41, ΔT42, ΔT51, ΔT52, ΔT61, ΔT62, ΔT71, ΔT72, ΔT75 Steam milk generation period ω1, ω2, ω3 Rotation speed

Claims

A beverage supply device that supplies a beverage produced by the beverage generation unit to a cup arranged in the beverage supply unit.
The steam supply unit that supplies steam from the steam tank and
An air supply unit that supplies air by an air pump,
A milk supply unit that supplies milk from a milk tank using a milk supply pump,
A mixing unit that mixes the steam with the air or the steam with the milk,
The milk production period for supplying the milk to the cup is divided into a plurality of periods, and the steam and the air are mixed with the milk supplied from the milk supply unit to generate foamed milk in which the milk is whipped. One or more foamed milk production periods and one or more steam milk production periods in which the steam is mixed with the milk supplied from the milk supply unit to produce warm steam milk, and the above-mentioned one or more foams are used. A control unit that variably sets and controls the unit milk supply amount by the milk supply pump in the milk production period and the steam milk production period of one or more, and the unit air supply amount by the air pump in the foamed milk production period.
Beverage supply device characterized by being equipped with.
The beverage supply device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit variably sets and controls each period of the one or more foamed milk production period and the one or more steam milk production period.
The beverage supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit variably sets and controls the unit milk supply amount by variably setting and controlling the milk discharge speed of the milk supply pump. ..
The milk supply pump is a tube pump.
The beverage supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the unit milk supply amount is determined by the rotation speed of the tube pump.
The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit variably sets and controls the unit air supply amount by variably setting and controlling the air discharge speed of the air pump. Feeding device.
There are a plurality of the air pumps,
The beverage supply according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit variably sets and controls the unit air supply amount by variably setting and controlling the number of starting air pumps. Device.
One of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit makes the unit milk supply amount in the one or more foamed milk production period larger than the unit milk supply amount in the steam milk production period. Beverage supply device according to.
The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the unit milk supply amount during the one or more foamed milk production period is a unit milk supply amount according to the level of fineness of foam. Feeding device.
The beverage supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the one or more foamed milk production period is a period set according to the amount of foam produced.
The one according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the unit air supply amount in the one or more foamed milk production period is a unit air supply amount set according to the foam production amount. Beverage supply device.
The beverage supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the one or more foamed milk production periods are allocated after at least one steam milk production period.