WO2022049834A1 - Beverage provision quality monitoring system and beverage provision quality monitoring method - Google Patents

Abstract

A beverage provision quality monitoring system according to one embodiment of the present invention monitors the quality of a beverage at a plurality of shops that provide the beverage by a beverage server. The beverage is an effervescent beverage including a liquid and foam on the liquid. The beverage provision quality monitoring system comprises: a sensor unit including a sensor that measures at least one of the state of the liquid of the effervescent beverage to be provided and the state of the foam of the effervescent beverage to be provided; and a beverage provision information reception unit that receives the state of the beverage measured by the sensor unit.

Description

Beverage provision quality monitoring system and beverage provision quality monitoring method

The present disclosure relates to a beverage serving quality monitoring system and a beverage serving quality monitoring method.
This application claims priority based on Japanese Application No. 2020-146692 of September 1, 2020, and incorporates all the contents described in the Japanese application.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-10399 describes a beverage dispenser system and an information processing method. The beverage dispenser system includes a beer dispenser and an external computer. The external computer includes a receiving unit for receiving information on the motion of the beer dispenser, an analysis unit for analyzing the information on the motion, and a transmitting unit for transmitting a message determined according to the information on the motion.

Information about the motion includes the movement of the lever of the beer dispenser, the operation of removing the cock of the beer dispenser, and the operation of removing the dispense head from the beer barrel. The analysis unit analyzes the movement of the lever, the removal operation of the cock, and the removal operation of the dispense head, and calculates the frequency of use of the lever and the frequency of cleaning the cock and the dispense head. The transmitting unit generates a message according to the frequency of use of the lever calculated by the analysis unit and the frequency of cleaning the cock and the dispense head. The transmission unit sends the generated message to the mobile terminal of the person in charge of the beverage sales company.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-10399

The beverage dispenser system described above includes a plurality of sensors for measuring the state of each part of the beverage dispenser system and an external computer for receiving the measurement results of the plurality of sensors. A message corresponding to the measurement result is transmitted to the mobile terminal of the person in charge of the beverage sales company. In this way, information about the state of each part of the beer dispenser is transmitted to the mobile terminal.

However, in the above-mentioned beverage dispenser system, it is difficult to obtain the information of the provided effervescent beverage itself because the information of the effervescent beverage actually provided to the customer is not transmitted to the external computer. Therefore, it is not possible to fully understand the state in which the effervescent beverage is actually provided to the customer from the store that provides the effervescent beverage. Therefore, in order to understand the actual condition in which effervescent beverages are provided, it is necessary to interview the store or actually visit the store, so quality control of effervescent beverages in the store is required. There is room for improvement in.

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a beverage provision quality monitoring system and a beverage provision quality monitoring method that can accurately grasp the quality of effervescent beverages in a store while reducing the frequency of visits to the store.

The beverage provision quality monitoring system according to the present disclosure is a beverage provision quality monitoring system that monitors the quality of beverages at a plurality of stores that provide beverages by a beverage server. Beverages are effervescent beverages that include a liquid and foam that rests on top of the liquid. The beverage serving quality monitoring system was measured by a sensor unit including a sensor that measures at least one of the liquid condition of the provided effervescent beverage and the foam condition of the provided effervescent beverage. It is provided with a beverage providing information receiving unit that receives the state of the beverage.

This beverage delivery quality monitoring system includes a sensor unit that includes a sensor that measures at least one of the liquid state of the provided effervescent beverage and the foam state of the provided effervescent beverage. The sensor unit measures the condition of the effervescent beverage provided by the beverage server. Then, the state of the effervescent beverage measured by the sensor unit is received by the beverage providing information receiving unit. Therefore, since the information on the effervescent beverage actually provided can be received from the beverage server, the information on the provided effervescent beverage itself can be acquired. Therefore, since the information on the effervescent beverage to be provided can be acquired, it is possible to fully understand the state in which the effervescent beverage is actually provided to the customer at the store. As a result, it is possible to reduce the trouble of hearing and visiting the store in order to grasp the state of provision of the effervescent beverage, and it is possible to easily and highly accurately grasp the quality of the effervescent beverage provided in the store. can. The sensor in the sensor unit measures at least one of the liquid state of the effervescent beverage provided and the foam condition of the effervescent beverage provided. Therefore, it is possible to measure the provided effervescent beverage with high accuracy.

The sensor unit may include a quantity measuring sensor that measures the distance between the upper end of the beverage container into which the beverage is poured and the upper end of the foam. In this case, the amount measuring sensor measures the distance between the upper end of the beverage container and the upper end of the foam, so that it is possible to grasp whether or not the amount of the effervescent beverage is appropriate. Therefore, the quality of the effervescent beverage provided can be grasped with higher accuracy.

The sensor unit may include a foam ratio measuring sensor that measures the ratio of the foam region to the liquid region in the beverage container into which the beverage is poured. In this case, since the foam ratio measuring sensor measures the ratio of foam to liquid, it is possible to grasp whether the ratio of foam to liquid in the provided effervescent beverage is appropriate. Therefore, since it is possible to grasp whether or not the ratio of foam and liquid is the recommended ratio, it is possible to grasp the quality of the effervescent beverage provided with higher accuracy.

The sensor unit may include a frosty mist measuring sensor that measures the frosty mist generated at the boundary between the foam and the liquid in the beverage container into which the beverage is poured. Frosty mist is a tiny granular bubble formed between the liquid and foam of an effervescent beverage. It is known that fine bubbles are regenerated when the frosty mist is stimulated when drinking. Therefore, when the frosty mist measuring sensor for measuring the frosty mist is provided, the regenerated amount of foam in the provided effervescent beverage can be estimated, so that the quality of the effervescent beverage provided can be grasped with higher accuracy.

The sensor unit may include a turbidity measuring sensor that measures the turbidity of the liquid of the effervescent beverage. In this case, since the turbidity measuring sensor measures the turbidity of the liquid in the provided effervescent beverage, it is possible to grasp whether or not the provided beverage is turbid.

The sensor unit may include a liquid measurement sensor that measures the presence or absence of foreign matter in the beverage container into which the beverage is poured. In this case, the presence or absence of foreign matter in the beverage container can be grasped by the liquid measurement sensor. Therefore, it is possible to call attention to the store that uses the beverage container to which the foreign substance is attached, so that the quality of the beverage can be improved.

The sensor unit may include an odor sensor for measuring the presence or absence of odor in the effervescent beverage and the beverage container into which the effervescent beverage is poured. In this case, by measuring the presence or absence of odor in the effervescent beverage and the beverage container by the odor sensor, it is possible to quickly grasp whether or not the effervescent beverage and the beverage container are odorous.

The sensor unit may include a racing measurement sensor that measures the annular foam traces formed on the inner surface of the beverage container into which the effervescent beverage is poured. When this annular foam mark (racing) is formed on the inner surface of the beverage container, it is considered that the beverage container has been properly washed and the original taste of the effervescent beverage can be provided. Therefore, by measuring the racing adhering to the inner surface of the beverage container by the racing measurement sensor, it is possible to grasp whether or not a delicious effervescent beverage can be provided.

The beverage provision quality monitoring method according to the present disclosure is a beverage provision quality monitoring method for monitoring the quality of beverages at a plurality of stores that provide effervescent beverages by a beverage server. The beverage serving quality monitoring method includes a process in which the sensor of the sensor unit measures at least one of the liquid state of the provided effervescent beverage and the foam state of the provided effervescent beverage, and each of the plurality of stores. It comprises a step of receiving at least one of a liquid state measurement result and a bubble state measurement result measured by a sensor.

In this beverage provision quality monitoring method, the quality of beverages in a plurality of stores is monitored, and the measurement results of the sensors of the sensor unit are received. Therefore, as with the beverage provision quality monitoring system described above, it is possible to receive information on the effervescent beverage itself that is actually provided. Therefore, since it is possible to fully understand the condition in which the effervescent beverage is actually provided to the customer at the store, it is possible to conduct hearings or visit the store in order to understand the condition of the effervescent beverage. You can reduce the trouble of doing it. Then, the quality of the effervescent beverage provided in the store can be easily and highly accurately grasped. Highly accurate measurement for the provided effervescent beverage, as at least one of the liquid state of the provided effervescent beverage and the foam condition of the provided effervescent beverage is measured by the sensor of the sensor unit. Is possible.

According to this disclosure, it is possible to grasp the quality of effervescent beverages in stores with high accuracy while reducing the frequency of visits to stores.

It is a figure which shows the example of the functional structure of the beverage delivery quality monitoring system. It is a figure which shows the example of the hardware composition of the server or the terminal used in the beverage serving quality monitoring system. It is a figure which shows the example of the configuration of the beverage serving apparatus including the beverage server which constitutes the beverage serving quality monitoring system of FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an exemplary functional configuration of each part of the beverage providing device of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the example of the sensor unit of the beverage serving quality monitoring system of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the example of the functional structure of the sensor unit of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of the frost mist in the beverage provided from the beverage server of the beverage delivery quality monitoring system of FIG. (A), (b) and (c) are diagrams showing an example of measurement of racing in a beverage provided from the beverage server of the beverage delivery quality monitoring system of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the beverage provision quality monitoring system and the beverage provision quality monitoring method according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted as appropriate. For ease of understanding, the drawings may be partially simplified or schematically drawn, and the dimensional ratio, arrangement state, etc. are not limited to those described in the drawings.

In the beverage provision quality monitoring system and the beverage provision quality monitoring method according to the present embodiment, as an example, various sensors are attached around the beverage server in each of the plurality of stores. In the beverage provision quality monitoring system and the beverage provision quality monitoring method, the beverage provision quality in the plurality of stores is monitored by receiving the measurement results of the various sensors.

In the beverage provision quality monitoring system and the beverage provision quality monitoring method according to the present embodiment, by monitoring the beverage provision quality at a plurality of stores, it is possible to efficiently visit the stores for quality check. .. Since it is possible to remotely monitor the quality of beverages provided to multiple stores, it is possible to reduce the frequency of visits to stores with high quality of beverages, and to stores with low quality of beverages. On the other hand, it is possible to promptly give guidance for quality improvement. For example, it is possible to encourage a store that does not have enough cleaning to clean the beverage server.

In the beverage provision quality monitoring system according to the present embodiment, it is possible to remotely grasp the status of a plurality of beverage servers arranged in a plurality of stores. Therefore, it is possible to grasp the maintenance timing of a plurality of beverage servers. Since the beverage provision quality monitoring system according to the present embodiment can grasp the usage status of the beverage server, it detects that the beverage server is not used due to the closure of the store, the beverage server has moved from the store, and the like. It is possible.

In the present disclosure, "beverage" refers to a drinkable liquid or semi-individual. "Beverages" include alcoholic beverages such as beer, chu-hi, low-malt beer and wine, as well as alcohol-free carbonated beverages and soft drinks. The "beverage" is, for example, a sparkling beverage. The "effervescent beverage" contains, for example, a gas-containing fermented liquor such as carbon dioxide. The "effervescent beverage" has a foaming property in which a layer of foam is formed on the liquid when poured into a beverage container, and a foaming property in which the formed foam is maintained for a certain period of time or longer. It is a beverage.

The effervescent beverage is, for example, a beverage having an NIBEM value of 50 seconds or more according to the EBC (European Brewery Convention) method. The NIBEM value is an index value indicating the foam retention characteristic of the beverage. The effervescent beverage may be a beer-taste beverage. Beer-taste beverages include beverages that taste like beer and beverages that give the drinker the sensation of drinking beer. A beer-taste beverage having an alcohol content of 1% or more is also referred to as a beer-taste alcoholic beverage.

Further, the beer-taste beverage is a fermented malt beverage such as beer using malt as a raw material, sparkling liquor, non-alcoholic beer, and liqueur (for example, a beverage classified as "liqueur (foaming) (1)" under the Liquor Tax Law). , And beer-taste beverages that do not use wheat or malt as a raw material (for example, beverages classified as "other brewed alcoholic beverages (foaming) (1)" under the Liquor Tax Law). The "sparkling beverage" may be a beverage that is not a beer-taste beverage. In this embodiment, as an example, an example in which the effervescent beverage is beer and the liquid of the effervescent beverage is beer liquid will be described.

"Quality of beverage provision" and "quality of provision" include the quality of the beverage itself provided and the quality of the beverage server. The "quality of beverage provision" and "quality of provision" may further include the quality of the store in which the beverage is provided (eg, the temperature inside the store, etc.). A "store" is a store where beverages are provided to customers (drinkers). The "store" may include, for example, a restaurant such as a tavern, a restaurant or a beer garden, or an event venue where beverages are provided.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the beverage providing quality monitoring system 1 according to the present embodiment. The beverage provision quality monitoring system 1 is, for example, a computer system used for monitoring the quality of beverage provision in a plurality of stores. For example, the beverage serving quality monitoring system 1 may be configured by a single computer. The beverage provision quality monitoring system 1 may include, for example, a mobile terminal such as a tablet terminal, a high-performance mobile phone (smartphone), a laptop-type personal computer, or an information terminal such as a stationary personal computer. You may be. The beverage serving quality monitoring system 1 may be a distributed processing system composed of a plurality of computers, a client-server system, or a cloud system.

The beverage provision quality monitoring system 1 may include a beverage provision quality monitoring program. The beverage provision quality monitoring program according to the present embodiment includes, for example, a main module, a data acquisition module, an image analysis module, a determination module, and an output module. The main module is a module that comprehensively manages the functions of the beverage serving quality monitoring system 1. By executing the data acquisition module, the image analysis module, the determination module, and the output module, each functional component of the beverage serving quality monitoring system 1 functions. The beverage delivery quality monitoring program may be provided after being fixedly recorded on a tangible recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or a semiconductor memory. The beverage serving quality monitoring program may be provided via a communication network as a data signal superimposed on a carrier wave.

The beverage provision quality monitoring system 1 includes, for example, a server 2. The exemplary server 2 includes a beverage server sensor 20 fixed to a beverage server 10 arranged in each of a plurality of stores, and a sensor unit 40 arranged separately from the beverage server 10 outside the beverage server 10. It is said that it is possible to communicate with each of the above. A "sensor unit" refers to one or more sensors that measure the condition of the beverage being served. The "beverage provided" includes both the beverage before being dispensed from the beverage server 10 and the beverage after being dispensed from the beverage server 10.

In the example of FIG. 1, as an example of a plurality of stores, a store A1 having one beverage server 10 and a store A2 having a plurality of beverage servers 10 are shown. However, the number of stores targeted by the beverage provision quality monitoring system 1 may be three or more, or may be one. The number of beverage servers 10 arranged in the store is not particularly limited. The number of beverage servers 10 and the number of sensor units 40 in the store may be the same or different from each other.

The server 2 includes, for example, a beverage provision information receiving unit 3, a data analysis unit 4, a data display unit 5, and an alert output unit 6 as functional components. The beverage provision information receiving unit 3 receives the beverage server status information D1 indicating the status of the beverage server 10 from the beverage server 10. The beverage provision information receiving unit 3 receives from the sensor unit 40 the off-server beverage status information D2 indicating information on the beverage status outside the beverage server 10. The off-server beverage state information D2 may be, for example, the state of the beverage poured out from the beverage server 10 or the state of the beverage before being supplied to the beverage server 10.

The data analysis unit 4 is, for example, a functional element that analyzes the beverage server status information D1 and the non-server beverage status information D2 received by the beverage provision information receiving unit 3. As an example, the data analysis unit 4 may determine the quality of the beverage server status information D1 and the quality of the non-server beverage status information D2. As a specific example, the data analysis unit 4 may determine that a store in which both the beverage server status information D1 and the off-server beverage status information D2 satisfy a predetermined criterion is passed. The data analysis unit 4 may determine that the store in which either the beverage server status information D1 or the off-server beverage status information D2 does not meet the criteria is rejected.

The data display unit 5 is a functional element that displays the analysis results of the beverage server status information D1 and the off-server beverage status information D2 by the data analysis unit 4. The data display unit 5 may display the analysis result as a dashboard including at least one of a pie chart, a bar graph, and a line graph, for example. The data analysis unit 4 and the data display unit 5 may be configured by BI tools (Business Intelligence tools).

The alert output unit 6 is, for example, a functional element that outputs information on a store determined to be unacceptable by the data analysis unit 4. As an example, the alert output unit 6 outputs the information of the store determined to be unacceptable by the data analysis unit 4 to the information terminal T. The information terminal T is, for example, a mobile terminal of a headquarters (for example, a person in charge of a company that provides beverages). For example, the information of the store determined to be unacceptable by the alert output unit 6 is output to the mobile terminal.

The alert output unit 6 outputs the information of the store to the information terminal T by, for example, an e-mail or an application of the beverage provision quality monitoring program. As a result, for example, the person in charge of the company that provides the beverage can quickly grasp the information of the store determined to be unacceptable. Therefore, it is possible to promptly give guidance to the store.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the beverage serving quality monitoring system 1 (as an example, the server 2 and the terminal). As an example, each of the above-mentioned functional elements of the server 2 is realized by the hardware configuration. For example, the server 2 includes a processor 2b, a main storage unit 2c, an auxiliary storage unit 2d, a communication module 2f, a display 2g, and an input interface 2h.

The processor 2b is an arithmetic unit that executes an operating system and an application program. The main storage unit 2c is composed of, for example, a ROM or a RAM, and temporarily stores a loaded program, an operation result, or the like. The auxiliary storage unit 2d is composed of a flash memory, a hard disk, or the like, and permanently stores a program or data. The communication module 2f is composed of a wireless communication module or a network card, and transmits / receives data to / from another computer. The display 2g is composed of a touch panel or a monitor, and is a device that accepts input of data or instructions so that the user can see it.

For example, each of the above-mentioned functional elements (beverage provision information receiving unit 3, data analysis unit 4, data display unit 5, and alert output unit 6) of the server 2 is provided with predetermined software (for example, described above) in the processor 2b or the main storage unit 2c. It is realized by loading the beverage serving quality monitoring program) and running the software. The processor 2b operates the communication module 2f, the display 2g or the input interface 2h according to the software, and reads and writes data in the main storage unit 2c or the auxiliary storage unit 2d. The data and the like stored in the database are stored in the main storage unit 2c or the auxiliary storage unit 2d.

As described above, the server 2 may be configured by one computer or may be configured by a plurality of computers. For example, in the case of being composed of a plurality of computers, one server 2 is logically configured by connecting the plurality of computers to each other via a communication network such as the Internet or an intranet.

Next, an exemplary beverage providing device 11 including the beverage server 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. In the present embodiment, the beverage providing device 11 is arranged in each of the store A1 and the store A2. The exemplary beverage providing device 11 is a device that dispenses a beverage (beer as an example) from the curan 10b of the beverage server 10 in response to a customer's order or the like.

The beverage providing device 11 includes a cylinder 12, a pressure reducing valve 13, a carbon dioxide gas hose 14, a barrel 15 containing beer, a head 16, and a hose 17, in addition to the beverage server 10 of the present embodiment. The cylinder 12 is, for example, a container filled with carbon dioxide gas at a high pressure. The cylinder 12 has, for example, a function of pushing the beverage inside the barrel 15 to the beverage server 10 and a function of appropriately maintaining the amount of carbon dioxide gas contained in the beverage inside the barrel 15.

Inside the cylinder 12, carbon dioxide gas is filled in a liquid state. In the cylinder 12, carbon dioxide gas is filled at a pressure of, for example, 6 to 8 MPa. The cylinder 12 is provided with, for example, a fuel gauge that displays the amount of carbon dioxide gas inside the cylinder 12. Since the cylinder 12 is provided with a fuel gauge, the amount of carbon dioxide gas inside the cylinder 12 can be recognized.

The pressure reducing valve 13 is a device for adjusting the pressure (hereinafter referred to as gas pressure) due to carbon dioxide gas applied to the beverage inside the barrel 15. The pressure reducing valve 13 includes a residual pressure indicator 13b that displays the residual pressure of carbon dioxide gas inside the cylinder 12, and an operation unit 13c for adjusting the gas pressure.

The barrel 15 is a container filled with beverages. For example, the liquid temperature detecting unit 15b can be attached to the surface of the barrel 15, and the temperature of the beverage in the barrel 15 can be detected by the liquid temperature detecting unit 15b. Inside the barrel 15, a tube 15c through which a beverage is distributed and a base 15d are provided.

The head 16 sends, for example, the carbon dioxide gas inside the cylinder 12 into the barrel 15 via the pressure reducing valve 13 and the carbon dioxide gas hose 14. For example, the head 16 has a function of sending the beverage inside the barrel 15 to the beverage server 10. As an example, the head 16 is connected to a main body portion 16f, an operation handle 16b that can open and close the flow path of carbon dioxide gas and a beverage by moving it up and down, a gas joint 16c connected to the carbon dioxide gas hose 14, and a hose 17. It is provided with a beverage joint 16d to be used.

For example, when the operation handle 16b of the head 16 is lowered while the lower portion of the head 16 is connected to the base 15d, the flow paths of the carbon dioxide gas hose 14 and the hose 17 are opened. At this time, the flow paths of the carbon dioxide gas hose 14 and the hose 17 are blocked by raising the operation handle 16b. The gas joint 16c and the beverage joint 16d may be detachable from the main body portion 16f. The head 16 has a structure that is easy to clean because the gas joint 16c, the beverage joint 16d, and the main body portion 16f are detachable.

The exemplary beverage server 10 is connected to the head 16 via a hose 17. The beverage server 10 has, for example, a function of cooling the beverage delivered from the barrel 15 via the head 16 and the hose 17. The beverage server 10 is, for example, an electric cooling type instantaneous cooling type server. Inside the beverage server 10, a cooling device 10c that cools the beverage from the hose 17 and functions as a supply device for supplying the beverage to the curan 10b is provided.

The beverage server 10 includes a cradle 10j on which a beverage container for beverages poured out from the curan 10b is placed. It is possible to pour the beverage into the beverage container by pulling the curan 10b with the beverage container placed on the cradle 10j. The cradle 10j is loaded with a beverage container and receives and accommodates spilled beverages and the like. The cradle 10j is removable from the beverage server 10, and is, for example, periodically removed from the beverage server 10 and washed.

The cooling device 10c includes a water tank 10d for accommodating cooling water inside, and a spiral drinking pipe 10f connected to the hose 17 and arranged inside the water tank 10d. Inside the water tank 10d, a refrigerant pipe 10g connected to the refrigerating cycle device of the cooling device 10c is arranged. The refrigeration cycle in which the refrigerating cycle device circulates the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe 10g cools the cooling water around the refrigerant pipe 10g, and ice 10h is formed in the refrigerant pipe 10g. The ice 10h further cools the cooling water in the water tank 10d to cool the beverage inside the drinking pipe 10f.

In the above, an example in which the beverage server 10 is an electric cooling type instant cooling type server has been described. However, the configuration of each part of the beverage server 10 is not limited to the above example, and the beverage server 10 may be a server other than the electric cooling type instantaneous cooling type server. For example, the beverage server 10 may be an ice-cooled instant cooling server. Further, the beverage server 10 may be a barrel retractable server in which the barrel 15, the head 16 and the hose 17 are provided inside the refrigerator.

The ice-cooled instant cooling server is a beverage server in which ice is provided inside the cooling tank and the beverage pipe is cooled by the ice via a cold plate. On the other hand, the barrel retractable server is a server having a structure in which barrels, heads and hoses are stored in a refrigerator. In the barrel retractable server, the hose 17 is cooled by the refrigerator.

The type of the beverage server 10 provided in the store A1 and the type of the beverage server 10 provided in the store A2 may be different from each other. The types of the plurality of beverage servers 10 provided in the store A2 may be different from each other. In the beverage provision quality monitoring system 1 and the beverage provision quality monitoring method according to the present embodiment, the type of the beverage server is not particularly limited. Hereinafter, specific examples of the beverage server sensor 20 and the sensor unit 40 of the beverage provision quality monitoring system 1 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the beverage server sensor 20 and the sensor unit 40 is configured to include, for example, a plurality of sensors. First, each sensor constituting the beverage server sensor 20 will be described. The beverage server sensor 20 includes, for example, a water tank temperature sensor 21, an ice making amount measuring sensor 22, a server power supply energization sensor 23, a leakage breaker operation sensor 24, a stirring motor rotation speed sensor 25, a beverage line mounting sensor 26, a water tank water level sensor 27, and the like. The pedestal water amount sensor 28, the fan motor current measurement sensor 29, the outer surface dew condensation sensor 30, the water tank water quality sensor 31, the refrigerating device current measurement sensor 32, the pouring lever open / close sensor 33, the curan outlet temperature sensor 34, and the communication unit 35. Includes at least one.

The communication unit 35 has, for example, a communication function with the server 2. The communication unit 35 may have a wireless communication function with the server 2. The communication unit 35 transmits the measurement result measured by each sensor constituting the beverage server sensor 20 to the server 2. The timing of transmission of the measurement result to the server 2 may be, for example, real-time, continuous transmission as time-series data, transmission at regular intervals, and is not particularly limited. ..

The communication unit 35 transmits a server individual number (identification ID) uniquely assigned to each beverage server 10 to the server 2 together with the measurement result. The communication between the beverage server sensor 20 and the server 2 by the communication unit 35 may be wireless communication or wired communication. The means of communication between the beverage server sensor 20 (communication unit 35) and the server 2 is not particularly limited.

The water tank temperature sensor 21 measures the temperature of the water tank 10d. The water tank temperature sensor 21 measures at least one of the temperature of the water tank 10d itself and the temperature of the cooling water contained in the water tank 10d. For example, the water tank temperature sensor 21 is arranged at a position where it does not come into contact with the ice 10h in order to avoid the influence of the ice 10h.

The ice making amount measuring sensor 22 measures the amount of ice 10h generated in the water tank 10d by the cooling device 10c. As an example, the ice making amount measuring sensor 22 is fixed to the inner surface of the water tank 10d. For example, the ice making amount measuring sensor 22 has a plurality of metal rods having different lengths from each other, and measures the amount of ice 10h by detecting the conduction state of the plurality of metal rods. In this case, when the amount of ice 10h is less than a certain amount, the conduction state of the plurality of metal rods is maintained. However, when the amount of ice 10h exceeds a certain amount, one metal rod is buried in the ice 10h, so that the conduction state is cut off. The ice making amount measuring sensor 22 measures whether or not the amount of ice 10h exceeds a certain amount by detecting the continuity state.

The server power supply energization sensor 23 measures whether or not power of a predetermined voltage is supplied to the beverage server 10. The server power supply energization sensor 23 can measure the usage state of the beverage server 10 by measuring the power supply to the beverage server 10. The voltage of the electric power handled by the beverage server 10 is, for example, AC100V. In this case, the server power supply energization sensor 23 measures whether or not AC100V is supplied to the beverage server 10. By measuring the state of electric power to the beverage server 10 by the server power supply energization sensor 23, it is possible to grasp whether or not the beverage server 10 is properly used in the store.

The earth-leakage circuit breaker operation sensor 24 measures the operation state of the earth-leakage circuit breaker of the beverage server 10. The earth-leakage circuit breaker of the beverage server 10 detects the presence or absence of an electric leakage in the beverage server 10, and when the earth leakage is detected, the electric circuit inside the beverage server 10 is cut off. For example, the earth-leakage circuit breaker operation sensor 24 measures whether or not the earth-leakage circuit breaker of the beverage server 10 is operating.

The stirring motor rotation speed sensor 25 measures the rotation speed of the motor that rotates the stirring member (propeller as an example) that stirs the cooling water of the water tank 10d. As a specific example, the stirring motor rotation speed sensor 25 acquires information on the rotation speed of the motor and the rotation state (for example, high-speed rotation or low-speed rotation) from the controller that controls the rotation of the motor.

The beverage line attachment sensor 26 measures whether or not the beverage tube 10f is attached to the beverage server 10. As a specific example, a plurality of beverage tubes 10f can be attached to and detached from the beverage server 10, and the beverage line attachment sensor 26 measures which beverage tube 10f is attached to the plurality of beverage tubes 10f. This makes it possible to grasp the attached state of the drinking pipe 10f (whether or not the drinking pipe 10f is attached to the water tank 10d).

The water tank water level sensor 27 measures the water level of the cooling water contained in the water tank 10d. For example, whether or not the water level of the cooling water contained in the water tank 10d is equal to or higher than a predetermined amount is measured by the water tank water level sensor 27. By measuring the water level of the cooling water by the water tank water level sensor 27 in this way, it is possible to grasp whether or not the water level of the cooling water of the water tank 10d is appropriate.

The pedestal water amount sensor 28 measures the amount of water in the pedestal 10j of the beverage server 10. For example, the pedestal water amount sensor 28 is attached to the pedestal 10j or its vicinity, and measures whether or not the amount of water contained in the pedestal 10j is a certain amount or more. It can be seen that the smaller the amount of water contained in the pedestal 10j, the more preferable it is, and the smaller the amount of water in the pedestal 10j, the higher the frequency of cleaning the pedestal 10j. By measuring the amount of water in the pedestal 10j by the pedestal water amount sensor 28, it is possible to grasp whether or not the pedestal 10j is properly washed.

Since the water tank 10d is lower than room temperature, water vapor in the air may liquefy, and the liquefied water vapor may adhere to the surface of the water tank 10d as dew condensation water. When this dew condensation water enters the water tank 10d, the water level inside the water tank 10d rises. The water tank 10d is provided with a drain pipe (not shown) for overflow at the upper part. When the water surface inside the water tank 10d reaches the drain pipe, water flows out from the drain pipe, and for example, water does not flow from the water tank 10d to the outside through a route other than the drain pipe.

The drain pipe for overflow of the water tank 10d described above is connected to the cradle 10j. The water overflowing from the water tank 10d flows into the cradle 10j through the drain pipe. Therefore, for example, when the humidity is high, such as during the rainy season in summer, the cradle 10j may become full in a few days. When the pedestal water amount sensor 28 measures whether or not the amount of water in the pedestal 10j is a certain amount or more, it is possible to remotely grasp the state of humidity in the store and the state of cleaning of the pedestal 10j.

The fan motor current measurement sensor 29 measures the current flowing to the fan motor that rotationally drives the fan constituting the refrigeration cycle device of the beverage server 10. The fan of the refrigerating cycle device of the beverage server 10 sends air to the condenser of the refrigerating cycle device, and efficiently exchanges heat of the refrigerant with the refrigerant pipe 10g in the condenser. By measuring the current flowing through the fan motor by the fan motor current measurement sensor 29, the state of the load on the fan motor can be grasped.

The outer surface dew condensation sensor 30 is, for example, a moisture sensor fixed to the surface of the housing of the beverage server 10. As an example, the outer surface dew condensation sensor 30 includes two metal members. The outer surface dew condensation sensor 30 measures dew condensation by detecting conduction between the two metal members when water droplets are generated between the two metal members.

The water tank water quality sensor 31 measures the water quality of the cooling water contained in the water tank 10d of the beverage server 10. For example, the water tank water quality sensor 31 measures whether or not the water quality of the cooling water of the water tank 10d is close to that of pure water. The water tank water quality sensor 31 may measure the turbidity of the cooling water of the water tank 10d. In this way, the water tank water quality sensor 31 measures the water quality of the cooling water of the water tank 10d, so that the state of the cooling water of the water tank 10d can be grasped. The refrigerating device current measuring sensor 32 measures, for example, the current flowing through the motor of the above-mentioned condenser (compressor) of the refrigerating cycle device of the beverage server 10.

The dispensing lever open / close sensor 33 measures the movement of the lever of the curan 10b of the beverage server 10. The dispensing lever opening / closing sensor 33 may be arranged inside the curan 10b and may detect the operation of the slide valve that moves by operating the lever. By detecting the lever operation of the curan 10b by the pouring lever open / close sensor 33, it is possible to measure the open / closed state of the flow path of the beverage inside the curan 10b. The curan outlet temperature sensor 34 measures the temperature of the outlet portion of the curan 10b from which the beverage is poured from the curan 10b.

As described above, the beverage server sensor 20 includes a water tank temperature sensor 21, an ice making amount measurement sensor 22, a server power supply energization sensor 23, a leakage breaker operation sensor 24, a stirring motor rotation speed sensor 25, a beverage line mounting sensor 26, and a water tank water level sensor. 27, at least one of the cradle water amount sensor 28, the fan motor current measurement sensor 29, the outer surface dew condensation sensor 30, the water tank water quality sensor 31, the refrigerating device current measurement sensor 32, the pouring lever open / close sensor 33, and the curan outlet temperature sensor 34. including.

By the beverage server sensor 20, the temperature of the water tank 10d, the water level and quality of the cooling water, the amount of ice 10h, the energization state of the beverage server 10, the state of the earth-leakage circuit breaker, the state of the stirring motor, the state of the drinking pipe 10f, the cooling device. It is possible to measure at least one of the state of 10c and the operating state of the curan 10b and transmit it to the server 2.

Next, the sensor unit 40 will be described. The sensor unit 40 measures, for example, the state of the beverage provided from the beverage server 10 at a position away from the beverage server 10. The beverage serving quality monitoring system 1 includes, for example, an accommodating member 1A for accommodating a hose 17 at a position away from the beverage server 10, and a barrel stand 1B on which the barrel 15 is placed. The accommodating member 1A is, for example, an external box arranged at a position away from the beverage server 10. The accommodating member 1A is detachable from, for example, the hose 17.

For example, the sensor unit 40 includes a first sensor group 40A housed in a housing member 1A together with a hose 17, a second sensor group 40B arranged in a barrel stand 1B, and a cylinder 12 fixed to a cylinder 12. It includes a sensor 41 for measuring the state of gas. The sensor 41 includes, for example, a gas pressure measuring unit 41b for measuring the gas pressure inside the cylinder 12, a remaining amount measuring unit 41c for measuring the remaining amount of gas inside the cylinder 12, and a communication unit 41d. May be good.

The gas pressure measuring unit 41b measures, for example, the primary pressure and the secondary pressure of the pressure reducing valve 13 attached to the cylinder 12. The communication unit 41d has a communication function with the server 2 like the communication unit 35 described above. For example, the gas pressure of the cylinder 12 measured by the gas pressure measuring unit 41b and the remaining amount of gas in the cylinder 12 measured by the remaining amount measuring unit 41c are transmitted to the server 2 by the communication unit 41d.

Inside the accommodating member 1A, the sensor unit 40 includes a temperature measurement sensor 42, a flow rate sensor 43, a conductivity measurement sensor 44, a turbidity measurement sensor 45, a bubble measurement sensor 46, a pressure measurement sensor 47, and an outside. It includes a temperature measuring sensor 48 and a communication unit 49. The communication unit 49 has a communication function with the server 2 like the communication unit 35 described above. The measurement result measured by each sensor of the sensor unit 40 arranged inside the accommodating member 1A is transmitted to the server 2 by the communication unit 49.

The temperature measurement sensor 42 measures the temperature of the beverage passing through the inside of the hose 17. The temperature measurement sensor 42 is fixed to the hose 17 in contact with the hose 17, for example. The temperature measurement sensor 42 may be fixed to the hose 17 so as to hold the hose 17, for example. The temperature measurement sensor 42 may include a metal joint, and hoses 17 may be connected to both ends of the metal joint. In this case, since the temperature measurement sensor 42 is attached to the hose 17 via the metal joint, it is possible to more accurately grasp the temperature of the beverage passing through the hose 17.

The flow rate sensor 43 is, for example, a capacitance type non-contact sensor that measures the flow rate of a beverage passing through the inside of the hose 17. The flow rate sensor 43 is, for example, a flow meter attached to the hose 17. As an example, the flow rate sensor 43 is fixed to the hose 17 with the hose 17 sandwiched therein. By measuring the flow rate of the beverage through the hose 17, the flow rate sensor 43 makes it possible to estimate the amount of the beverage poured out, the amount of the beverage consumed, and the sales of the beverage per fixed period (for example, one day).

The conductivity measuring sensor 44 measures the conductivity of the beverage passing through the inside of the hose 17. For example, the conductivity measuring sensor 44 includes a pair of electrodes and a joint, and hoses 17 are connected to both ends of the joint. The conductivity measuring sensor 44 measures the conductivity of a beverage by measuring the electrical resistance between a pair of electrodes. The conductivity differs depending on the type of beverage (liquid type). Therefore, the conductivity measuring sensor 44 measures the conductivity of the beverage, so that the liquid type of the beverage passing through the hose 17 can be grasped.

The turbidity measurement sensor 45 measures the turbidity of the beverage passing through the inside of the hose 17. For example, the turbidity measurement sensor 45 is an optical sensor fixed to the hose 17 so as to hold the hose 17. In this case, the turbidity measurement sensor 45 includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit. For example, in the turbidity measurement sensor 45, the light emitting portion irradiates the inside of the hose 17, and the light receiving portion receives the light transmitted (or reflected) through the hose 17 with the irradiation. The turbidity measurement sensor 45 measures the turbidity of the beverage of the hose 17 from the amount of light received by the light receiving unit.

The bubble measurement sensor 46 measures bubbles in the beverage passing through the inside of the hose 17. As the bubble measurement sensor 46, for example, an optical sensor similar to the turbidity measurement sensor 45 can be used. As an example, the bubble measurement sensor 46 irradiates the inside of the hose 17 with light from the light emitting unit, and measures the presence or absence of bubbles from the state of the light received by the light receiving unit in connection with the irradiation. For example, the bubble measurement sensor 46 determines that bubbles are generated when the intensity of the light received by the light receiving unit is continuously changed. By measuring the bubbles inside the hose 17 by the bubble measurement sensor 46 in this way, it is possible to measure the presence / absence of foreign matter, bubble running or supersaturation inside the hose 17.

The pressure measurement sensor 47 measures, for example, the pressure of a beverage passing through the inside of the hose 17. As an example, the pressure measurement sensor 47 includes a joint connected to the hose 17 and a pressure sensor built in the joint. The pressure measurement sensor 47 measures the pressure of the beverage inside the hose 17 in a state of being fixed to the hose 17 via the joint. Since it is possible to grasp whether or not an excessive pressure is applied to the hose 17 by measuring the pressure, it is also possible to grasp whether or not the installation state of the hose 17 and the beverage server 10 is appropriate.

The outside air temperature measurement sensor 48 is a thermometer that measures the temperature of the outside air outside the beverage server 10. The outside air temperature measurement sensor 48 measures, for example, the temperature of the place where the beverage server 10 is arranged. The outside air temperature measuring sensor 48 may measure the humidity together with the temperature. By measuring the temperature around the beverage server 10 by the outside air temperature measurement sensor 48, it is possible to grasp whether or not the installation environment of the beverage server 10 is appropriate.

The various sensors of the sensor unit 40 provided in the accommodating member 1A have been described above. However, the sensor of the sensor unit 40 provided in the accommodating member 1A is not limited to the above example, and can be appropriately changed. For example, GPS for measuring the position of the beverage server 10, time measurement (clock), or the like may be provided in the accommodating member 1A.

Various sensors of the sensor unit 40 provided in the accommodating member 1A may be included in the beverage server sensor 20. As the sensor of the beverage server sensor 20, a sensor for measuring the beverage in the hose 17 passing through the inside of the beverage server 10 (for example, a sensor similar to the temperature measurement sensor 42 described above) may be provided.

For example, the sensor unit 40 may include a sensor arranged on the barrel stand 1B. The sensor includes, for example, a barrel liquid temperature measuring sensor 51, a remaining amount measuring sensor 52, and a communication unit 53. The communication unit 53 has a communication function with the server 2 like the communication unit 35 described above. Therefore, the measurement result measured by each sensor of the sensor unit 40 arranged on the barrel stand 1B is transmitted to the server 2 by the communication unit 53.

As an example, the barrel stand 1B has a mounting portion 1b on which the barrel 15 is placed, and the second sensor group 40B of the sensor unit 40 is embedded in the mounting portion 1b. For example, the mounting portion 1b has a disk shape, and the second sensor group 40B is fixed to the center of the mounting portion 1b. In this case, when the barrel 15 is placed on the mounting portion 1b, the barrel liquid temperature measuring sensor 51 of the second sensor group 40B measures the temperature of the barrel 15, and the remaining amount measuring sensor 52 measures the remaining amount of the barrel 15. ..

The barrel liquid temperature measuring sensor 51 may estimate the temperature of the beverage inside the barrel 15 through, for example, measuring the temperature at the bottom of the barrel 15. The remaining amount measuring sensor 52 may measure the remaining amount of the beverage in the barrel 15 from the weight of the barrel 15 placed on the barrel stand 1B. By measuring the temperature of the barrel 15 by the barrel liquid temperature measuring sensor 51, the temperature of the beverage in the barrel 15 can be grasped. By measuring the time-series data of the remaining amount of the barrel 15, for example, the remaining amount measuring sensor 52 can grasp the consumption amount of the beverage in the barrel 15.

The first sensor group 40A arranged in the accommodating member 1A of the sensor unit 40, the second sensor group 40B arranged in the barrel stand 1B, and the sensor 41 have been described above. The states of each part of the beverage serving device 11 are transmitted to the server 2 by the various sensors constituting the first sensor group 40A, the various sensors constituting the second sensor group 40B, and the sensor 41. Therefore, it is possible to grasp the state of the beverage providing device 11 in the store A1 and the store A2 with high accuracy.

Next, an exemplary sensor unit 60 different from the sensor unit 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. The sensor unit 60 measures, for example, the state of the beverage after being dispensed from the beverage server 10. The sensor unit 60 may be used together with the sensor unit 40, or the sensor unit 60 may be used alone.

The exemplary sensor unit 60 includes at least one of a real-time measurement sensor 60A, a static measurement sensor 60B, and a separate measurement device 60C. Note that FIG. 5 schematically shows the real-time measurement sensor 60A, the stationary measurement sensor 60B, and the separately placed measurement device 60C. The shapes and sizes of the real-time measurement sensor 60A, the static measurement sensor 60B, and the separately placed measurement device 60C are not limited to the example of FIG.

For example, the real-time measurement sensor 60A is arranged at a position where the beverage poured from the curan 10b can be photographed. As an example, the static measurement sensor 60B is arranged on the pedestal 10j, and the separately placed measuring device 60C is arranged at a position away from the beverage server 10.

The real-time measurement sensor 60A measures the state of the beverage immediately after being poured from the curan 10b. The real-time measurement sensor 60A includes, for example, a plurality of sensors. As an example, the real-time measurement sensor 60A includes a volume measurement sensor 61, a foam ratio measurement sensor 62, a foam measurement sensor 63, a liquid measurement sensor 64, an in-container beverage temperature measurement sensor 65, a beverage container temperature measurement sensor 66, and a communication unit 67. including.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a beverage poured out from the beverage server 10. As shown in FIG. 7, for example, the effervescent beverage B is poured out from the beverage server 10 of the present embodiment. As an example, the effervescent beverage B is poured into the beverage container C. The effervescent beverage B includes a liquid B1 and foam B2 located above the liquid B1 inside the beverage container C. Beverage container C is a container in which effervescent beverage B can be poured out, for example, a mug, a glass, or a cup.

The foam B2 of the effervescent beverage B contains so-called fine foam. This fine foam is different from the coarse foam generated by, for example, the impact of the liquid B1 on the beverage container C. The fine foam is a creamy foam that improves the design and mouthfeel of the effervescent beverage B. The fine bubbles further serve as a lid to prevent the scent of liquid B1 or the escape of carbon dioxide gas and the oxidation of liquid B1. Therefore, it is preferable that a large amount of fine bubbles are generated.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the quantity measuring sensor 61 measures the amount of effervescent beverage B in the beverage container C. The quantity measuring sensor 61 is a sensor that measures the distance D between the upper end C1 of the beverage container C and the upper end B4 of the foam B2. The quantity measuring sensor 61 may be, for example, a camera for measuring the presence or absence of foam B2, or may photograph the foam B2 of the poured effervescent beverage B. The quantity measuring sensor 61 may be an optical height sensor that measures the distance D from the upper end C1 of the beverage container C to the upper end B4 of the foam B2. By measuring the distance D, it becomes possible to grasp whether or not the amount of the effervescent beverage B provided to the customer is appropriate.

The foam ratio measuring sensor 62 measures the ratio of the liquid B1 and the foam B2 poured into the beverage container C. The foam ratio measuring sensor 62 is a sensor that measures the ratio of the region of foam B2 and the region of liquid B1 in the beverage container C. The foam ratio measuring sensor 62 is, for example, a camera that captures an image of the effervescent beverage B from the side of the beverage container C. In this case, the foam ratio measuring sensor 62 calculates the ratio of the height H2 of the foam B2 to the height H1 of the liquid B1 in the captured image.

By measuring the ratio between the foam B2 and the liquid B1 in this way, the foam ratio measuring sensor 62 can grasp whether or not the amounts of the foam B2 and the liquid B1 are appropriate. As an example, when the ratio of the bubble B2 to the liquid B1 is X: Y (X and Y are real numbers), it is preferable that X = 3 and Y = 7. The foam ratio measuring sensor 62 may, for example, measure the value of X / (X + Y) and determine whether or not the value of X / (X + Y) is within a predetermined range.

As a specific example, it may be determined whether or not the value of X / (X + Y) is 0.1 or more and 0.5 or less. As an example, when the value of X / (X + Y) is 0.1 or more and 0.5 or less, the ratio of the bubble B2 to the liquid B1 is good, and the value of X / (X + Y) is less than 0.1 or 0. If it exceeds .5, it is judged that the ratio is not good. In this way, it is possible to determine whether or not the ratio of the bubble B2 and the liquid B1 is appropriate.

The bubble measurement sensor 63 measures, for example, the injected bubble B2 itself. The bubble measurement sensor 63 may be a camera that photographs the surface of the bubble B2, or may measure the surface of the bubble B2 from the captured image. As a specific example, the bubble measurement sensor 63 may measure the pattern of the captured bubble B2. The bubble measurement sensor 63 may calculate the ratio of the fine bubbles to the coarse bubbles in the bubbles B2 from the measured pattern of the bubbles B2. This calculation utilizes the characteristic that the pattern of the photographed image of fine bubbles is white, while the pattern of the photographed image of coarse bubbles is a mottled pattern. By using the bubble measurement sensor 63 in this way, it is possible to grasp the state of the bubble B2.

The liquid measurement sensor 64 measures, for example, the poured liquid B1 itself. The liquid measurement sensor 64 may be a camera that photographs the liquid B1 from the side of the beverage container C. The liquid measurement sensor 64 may measure the presence or absence of air bubbles and foreign substances in the liquid B1. For example, when air bubbles are generated in the liquid B1 from the bottom or the inner side surface of the beverage container C, there is a possibility that minute foreign substances may remain in the beverage container C, so that the beverage container C should be washed more sufficiently. It is better to drink. By measuring the air bubbles and foreign substances in the liquid B1 by the liquid measurement sensor 64, it is possible to grasp the degree of cleaning of the beverage container C.

The beverage temperature measurement sensor 65 in the container is a sensor that measures the temperature of the beverage poured into the beverage container. For example, the in-container beverage temperature measuring sensor 65 may be a thermo camera that measures the temperature of the effervescent beverage B poured into the beverage container C. In this way, by measuring the temperature of the injected effervescent beverage B by the in-container beverage temperature measurement sensor 65, it is possible to determine whether or not the temperature of the injected effervescent beverage B is appropriate. Become.

The beverage container temperature measurement sensor 66 is a sensor that measures the temperature of the beverage container. The beverage container temperature measurement sensor 66 may be, for example, a thermo camera that measures the temperature of the beverage container C mounted on the cradle 10j of the beverage server 10. By measuring the temperature of the beverage container C by the beverage container temperature measuring sensor 66, it becomes possible to determine whether or not the temperature of the beverage container C is appropriate. The beverage container temperature measurement sensor 66 and the above-mentioned in-container beverage temperature measurement sensor 65 may be integrated.

The beverage container temperature measurement sensor 65 and the beverage container temperature measurement sensor 66 may be sensors other than the thermo camera. The communication unit 67 has a communication function with the server 2 like the communication unit 35 described above. The measurement result measured by each sensor of the real-time measurement sensor 60A is transmitted to the server 2 by the communication unit 67.

The static measurement sensor 60B measures, for example, the effervescent beverage B and the beverage container C after the effervescent beverage B is poured into the beverage container C. The static measurement sensor 60B may be provided with a switch, and the switch may be operated to measure the effervescent beverage B and the beverage container C for a certain period of time (for example, 5 seconds).

The sensor constituting the static measurement sensor 60B includes, for example, a sensor for measuring the weight of the effervescent beverage B and the beverage container C. In this case, since the weights of the effervescent beverage B and the beverage container C can be grasped, for example, it can be determined whether or not a predetermined amount of effervescent beverage B is provided. The static measurement sensor 60B may incorporate a part of the sensor constituting the separately placed measuring device 60C described later.

The real-time measurement sensor 60A and the static measurement sensor 60B measure, for example, the effervescent beverage B and the beverage container C that are actually provided to the customer. On the other hand, the separately placed measuring device 60C measures the effervescent beverage B and the beverage container C that are not provided to the customer. By measuring both the effervescent beverage B provided to the customer and the effervescent beverage B not provided to the customer, it is possible to measure the effervescent beverage B with higher accuracy.

For example, the separately placed measuring device 60C measures the effervescent beverage B immediately after being poured from the curan 10b into the beverage container C. As a specific example, the separately placed measuring device 60C includes a table 60d on which the beverage container C is placed, and a measuring unit 60f extending upward with respect to the table 60d. The beverage container C into which the effervescent beverage B is poured out from the curan 10b is placed on the table 60d of the separately placed measuring device 60C. The measuring unit 60f measures, for example, the effervescent beverage B by photographing the beverage container C placed on the table 60d from the side.

By the way, the fine foam of the effervescent beverage B described above is also generated from the frosty mist B3 that appears at the boundary between the liquid B1 and the foam B2. The frosty mist B3 is a mist-like layer provided at the boundary between the liquid B1 and the foam B2. Frosty mist B3 is, for example, an aggregate of fine bubbles having an outer diameter of 20 μm or less.

The amount of frosty mist B3 varies depending on the type (brand) of the effervescent beverage B, the components of the effervescent beverage B, or the method of injecting the effervescent beverage B. Frosty mist B3 is generated by applying gas pressure when the effervescent beverage B is poured into the beverage container C. Frosty mist B3 may be generated not only by gas pressure but also by an action other than gas pressure such as ultrasonic waves. For example, the frosty mist B3 regenerates the foam B2 when the effervescent beverage B is drunk, so that it has an effect of improving the foam retention of fine foam.

As a specific example, when the effervescent beverage B is drunk, the frosty mist B3 comes into contact with the liquid B1, the foam B2 or the beverage container C and is stimulated, so that new foam B2 is regenerated from the frosty mist B3. When the frosty mist B3 appears clearly and the frosty mist B3 increases, the amount of foam B2 regenerated increases. Therefore, it may be important to measure the amount of frosty mist B3 in order to improve the foam retention of fine bubbles and to regenerate the bubbles B2.

For example, the sensor unit 60 has a separate measuring device 60C, a frosty mist measuring sensor 71 for measuring the amount of frosty mist B3, an odor sensor 72, a container state measuring sensor 73, a racing measuring sensor 74, and a communication unit 75. And prepare. The communication unit 75 has a communication function with the server 2 like the communication unit 35 described above. The measurement result measured by each sensor of the separate measuring device 60C is transmitted to the server 2 by the communication unit 75.

The frosty mist measurement sensor 71 is a sensor that measures the frosty mist B3 generated at the boundary between the bubble B2 and the liquid B1. The frosty mist measurement sensor 71 may include a camera that photographs the vicinity of the boundary between the liquid B1 and the foam B2 from the side of the beverage container C. For example, the frosty mist measurement sensor 71 may measure the frosty mist B3 after a lapse of a certain period of time (60 seconds as an example) after pouring the effervescent beverage B into the beverage container C. The frosty mist measurement sensor 71 may include a gas spraying portion that sprays dry gas (dry air) onto the surface of the beverage container C. In this case, the frosty mist measurement sensor 71 can take an image with a camera in a state where dew condensation on the surface of the beverage container C is removed by a dry gas.

The frosty mist measurement sensor 71 may acquire the color parameter of the beverage container C and measure the amount of frosty mist B3 using at least the color parameter of frosty mist B3 among the color parameters of the effervescent beverage B. The color parameter is a parameter indicating color, and may be, for example, at least one of the L * value, a * value, and b * value of the color of the effervescent beverage B. In this way, the frosty mist measuring sensor 71 measures the frosty mist B3 of the effervescent beverage B, so that the strength of the fine foam regeneration power can be grasped for each beverage server 10 and each store.

The odor sensor 72 is a sensor that measures the presence or absence of odor in the effervescent beverage B and the beverage container C. The odor sensor 72 may, for example, quantify and measure the odor from the effervescent beverage B and the beverage container C. By measuring the odors of the effervescent beverage B and the beverage container C by the odor sensor 72, it becomes possible to quickly grasp whether or not the odor is generated in the effervescent beverage B and the beverage container C.

The odor sensor 72 may be arranged in the real-time measurement sensor 60A. The container state measurement sensor 73 is a sensor for measuring the beverage container C, and for example, measures the temperature of the beverage container C. The function of the container state measurement sensor 73 may be the same as that of the beverage container temperature measurement sensor 66 of the above-mentioned real-time measurement sensor 60A, for example. It is also possible to omit the container state measurement sensor 73.

The racing measurement sensor 74 measures the annular foam trace (racing) formed on the inner surface of the beverage container C. As illustrated in FIGS. 8 (a), 8 (b) and 8 (c), the table 60d is tilted when the measurement is performed by the racing measurement sensor 74. When the measurement is performed by the racing measurement sensor 74, for example, a lid F with an opening is attached to the beverage container C.

For example, the beverage container C is installed on the table 60d. For example, the table 60d is tilted so as to form an angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane H, and the effervescent beverage B is poured out of the beverage container C from the opening of the lid F. Then, when the inclination of the table 60d is restored, the racing measurement sensor 74 photographs the beverage container C, and the racing measurement sensor 74 measures the bubbles B2 adhering to the inner surface of the beverage container C from the photographed image of the beverage container C. As an example, the racing measurement sensor 74 measures the number of pixels of the bubble B2 and the distribution state of the pixels of the bubble B2 from the photographed image of the beverage container C, and an annular bubble trace (racing) formed on the inner surface of the beverage container C. ) May be measured in number, shape and size.

When the above-mentioned racing is formed on the inner surface of the beverage container C, it is considered that the beverage container C is properly washed and the original deliciousness of the effervescent beverage B can be provided. Therefore, by measuring the racing adhering to the inner surface of the beverage container C by the racing measurement sensor 74, it is possible to grasp whether or not the delicious effervescent beverage B can be provided from the beverage server 10.

Next, an example of the beverage provision quality monitoring method according to the present embodiment will be described. As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, the beverage server sensor 20 is attached to the beverage server 10, and the sensor units 40 and 60 are installed around the beverage server 10. Then, each sensor of the beverage server sensor 20 measures the state of the beverage server 10, and the beverage server sensor 20 generates the beverage server state information D1 (step of generating the beverage server state information).

The sensor unit 40 measures the state of the beverage provided by the beverage server 10. For example, each sensor of the first sensor group 40A arranged on the accommodating member 1A measures the state of the beverage of the hose 17, and the second sensor group 40B arranged on the barrel stand 1B measures the state of the beverage of the barrel 15. At the same time, the sensor 41 measures the state of the cylinder 12. The state of the beverage provided by each sensor of the sensor unit 40 provided outside the beverage server 10 is measured and the non-server beverage state information D2 is generated (step of generating the non-server beverage state information).

The sensor unit 60 may measure the state of the beverage poured from the beverage server 10. For example, each sensor of the real-time measurement sensor 60A, each sensor of the stationary measurement sensor 60B, and each sensor of the separately placed measuring device 60C measure the effervescent beverage B. In this way, the non-server beverage state information D2 is generated by measuring the state of the beverage poured out by each sensor of the sensor unit 60 (step of generating the non-server beverage state information).

The above-mentioned generation of the beverage server status information D1 and the generation of the non-server beverage status information D2 are performed, for example, at a plurality of stores (for example, each of the store A1 and the store A2). Then, the beverage provision information receiving unit 3 receives (receives) the beverage server status information D1 and the non-server beverage status information D2 from each of the plurality of stores.

The beverage server status information D1 and the off-server beverage status information D2 received by the beverage provision information receiving unit 3 are analyzed by, for example, the data analysis unit 4. For example, the data analysis unit 4 determines whether or not the beverage server 10 and the beverage provided meet the minimum quality from the acquired beverage server status information D1 and the beverage status information D2 outside the server, and the beverage provided. Analyze whether or not the drink is of high quality (process of analysis).

Whether or not the minimum quality is satisfied is, for example, whether or not each part of the beverage providing device 11 and the beverage container C are properly cleaned, whether or not odor is generated, or whether or not the beverage container C is used. It shows whether or not the amount of the effervescent beverage B poured out is appropriate. Whether or not the provided beverage is of high quality is determined by, for example, whether or not the ratio of the liquid B1 and the foam B2 in the beverage container C is appropriate, the outlet of the curan 10b, the temperature of the effervescent beverage B and the beverage container C. It indicates whether it is appropriate, whether frosty mist B3 is generated, or whether racing is formed. Whether or not the beverage provision information receiving unit 3 satisfies the above-mentioned minimum quality by receiving the beverage server status information D1 and the off-server beverage status information D2, and whether or not the provided beverage is of high quality. It is possible to analyze both whether or not.

The data analysis unit 4 may determine the quality of the beverage server status information D1 and the quality of the non-server beverage status information D2. The data analysis unit 4 may make a pass / fail determination of the beverage server status information D1 and the off-server beverage status information D2 for each of the plurality of stores.

After the data analysis unit 4 analyzes the beverage server status information D1 and the off-server beverage status information D2, the data display unit 5 analyzes the beverage server status information D1 and the off-server beverage status information D2 by the data analysis unit 4. Display the result (process of displaying the analysis result).

For example, the data display unit 5 displays the analysis result on the information terminal of the headquarters. For example, the data display unit 5 may display the analysis result of the store A1 among the analysis results on the information terminal installed inside the store A1. In this case, the beverage provider in the store A1 can grasp the quality of the beverage provided by the beverage server 10.

The alert output unit 6 may output the alert to the information terminal (process of outputting the alert). As an example, the alert output unit 6 may output the information of the store determined to be unacceptable by the data analysis unit 4 to the information terminal. In this way, after the alert output unit 6 outputs an alert to the information terminal as necessary, a series of steps is completed.

Next, the action and effect obtained from the beverage provision quality monitoring system 1 and the beverage provision quality monitoring method according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. In the beverage serving quality monitoring system 1, sensor units 40, 60 including a sensor for measuring at least one of the state of the liquid B1 of the provided effervescent beverage B and the state of the foam B2 of the provided effervescent beverage B are 40,60. To prepare for. The sensor units 40 and 60 measure the state of the effervescent beverage B provided by the beverage server 10.

Then, the state of the effervescent beverage B measured by the sensor units 40 and 60 is received by the beverage providing information receiving unit 3. Since the information on the effervescent beverage B actually provided can be received from the beverage server 10, the information on the provided effervescent beverage B itself can be acquired. Since the information on the effervescent beverage B to be provided can be acquired, it is possible to fully understand in what state the effervescent beverage B is actually provided to the customer at the store.

As a result, it is possible to reduce the trouble of hearing and visiting the store in order to grasp the state of provision of the effervescent beverage B, and it is possible to easily and highly accurately grasp the quality of the effervescent beverage B provided in the store. be able to. The sensors of the sensor units 40, 60 measure at least one of the state of the liquid B1 of the provided effervescent beverage B and the state of the foam B2 of the provided effervescent beverage B, so that the provided effervescent beverage B is effervescent. Highly accurate measurement of beverage B is possible.

The sensor unit 60 may include an amount measuring sensor 61 for measuring the distance D between the upper end C1 of the beverage container C into which the effervescent beverage B is poured and the upper end B4 of the foam B2. In this case, the amount measuring sensor 61 measures the distance D between the upper end C1 of the beverage container C and the upper end B4 of the foam B2, so that it is possible to grasp whether or not the amount of the effervescent beverage B is appropriate. Therefore, the quality provided by the effervescent beverage B can be grasped with higher accuracy.

The sensor unit 60 may include a foam liquid ratio measuring sensor 62 that measures the ratio between the region of foam B2 and the region of liquid B1 in the beverage container C into which the effervescent beverage B is poured. In this case, since the foam ratio measuring sensor 62 measures the ratio between the foam B2 and the liquid B1, it is possible to grasp whether or not the ratio between the foam B2 and the liquid B1 in the provided effervescent beverage B is appropriate. Since it is possible to grasp whether or not the ratio of the foam B2 and the liquid B1 is the recommended ratio, it is possible to grasp the provided quality of the effervescent beverage B with higher accuracy.

The sensor unit 60 may include a frosty mist measuring sensor 71 for measuring the frosty mist B3 generated at the boundary portion between the foam B2 and the liquid B1 in the beverage container C into which the effervescent beverage B is poured. The frosty mist B3 is a minute granular bubble generated between the liquid B1 and the foam B2 of the effervescent beverage B, and the fine foam B2 can be regenerated when the frosty mist B3 is stimulated during drinking or the like. Are known. When the frosty mist measuring sensor 71 for measuring the frosty mist B3 is provided, the regenerated amount of the foam B2 in the provided effervescent beverage B can be estimated, so that the provided quality of the effervescent beverage B can be grasped with higher accuracy. ..

For example, the foam B2 and the liquid B1 may be measured within 10 seconds after the effervescent beverage B is poured out. Frosty mist B3 may be measured 20 seconds or more and 90 seconds or less after the effervescent beverage B is poured. In this case, more appropriate timing (in the above example, foam B2 and liquid B1 are within 10 seconds from the pouring of the effervescent beverage B, and frosty mist B3 is 20 seconds or more and 90 seconds or less from the pouring of the effervescent beverage B. ) Can be used to measure the effervescent beverage B. As a result, more accurate measurement results can be obtained for the measurement of the effervescent beverage B.

The sensor unit 40 may include a turbidity measuring sensor 45 for measuring the turbidity of the liquid B1 of the effervescent beverage B. In this case, since the turbidity measuring sensor 45 measures the turbidity of the liquid B1 in the provided effervescent beverage B, it is possible to grasp whether or not the provided effervescent beverage B is turbid. The liquid measurement sensor 64 of the sensor unit 60 may measure the turbidity of the liquid B1.

The sensor unit 60 may include an odor sensor 72 for measuring the presence or absence of an odor in the effervescent beverage B and the beverage container C into which the effervescent beverage B is poured. In this case, by measuring the presence or absence of the odor of the effervescent beverage B and the beverage container C by the odor sensor 72, it is possible to quickly grasp whether or not the effervescent beverage B and the beverage container C are odorous.

As shown in FIG. 8, the sensor unit 60 may include a racing measurement sensor 74 that measures an annular foam trace formed on the inner surface of the beverage container C into which the effervescent beverage B is poured. When this annular foam mark (racing) is formed on the inner surface of the beverage container C, it is considered that the beverage container C is properly washed and the original deliciousness of the effervescent beverage B can be provided. .. By measuring the racing adhering to the inner surface of the beverage container C by the racing measurement sensor 74, it is possible to grasp whether the delicious effervescent beverage B can be provided.

In the beverage provision quality monitoring method according to the present embodiment, the quality of the effervescent beverage B in a plurality of stores is monitored, and the measurement results of the sensors of the sensor units 40 and 60 are received. Therefore, as in the beverage providing quality monitoring system 1, the information of the effervescent beverage B itself actually provided can be received. Therefore, since it is possible to fully understand the condition in which the effervescent beverage B is actually provided to the customer at the store, interviews and visits to the store are conducted to understand the condition of the effervescent beverage B. You can reduce the trouble of doing it. Then, the quality of the effervescent beverage B provided in the store can be easily and highly accurately grasped. Since at least one of the state of the liquid B1 of the provided effervescent beverage B and the state of the foam B2 of the provided effervescent beverage B is measured by the sensors of the sensor units 40 and 60, the effervescent beverage provided is provided. Highly accurate measurement of beverage B is possible.

In the present embodiment, the state of the beverage before reaching the beverage server 10 (for example, the state of the beverage contained in the hose 17 or the barrel 15), the state of the beverage server 10, and the beverage dispensed from the beverage server 10. By measuring the state of the beverage at each of the plurality of stores, it is possible to grasp the quality of the beverage provided in a series of processes until the beverage is provided to the customer at each of the plurality of stores. Therefore, not only the beverage server 10 or the beverage, but also information on the entire provision of the beverage can be aggregated from each store, so that it is possible to compare the quality of provision between the stores.

In the present embodiment, the beverage serving quality monitoring system 1 includes a beverage server sensor 20, a sensor unit 40 for measuring the beverage before delivery, and a sensor unit 60 for measuring the beverage after delivery. Each of the beverage server sensor 20, the sensor unit 40, and the sensor unit 60 is composed of a plurality of sensors. Therefore, it is possible to measure the beverage and the beverage server 10 with high accuracy in each process up to the provision of the beverage to the customer.

The embodiment of the beverage provision quality monitoring system and the beverage provision quality monitoring method according to the present disclosure has been described above. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be modified or applied to other things without changing the gist described in each claim. The present disclosure may be modified in various ways without changing the gist described in the claims. The configuration, function, shape, size, number, materials and arrangement of each part of the beverage supply quality monitoring system, and the content and order of each process of the beverage provision quality monitoring method are appropriately changed without departing from the above gist. It is possible.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the water tank temperature sensor 21, the ice making amount measuring sensor 22, the server power supply energization sensor 23, the leakage breaker operation sensor 24, the stirring motor rotation speed sensor 25, the beverage line mounting sensor 26, the water tank water level sensor 27, It includes a pedestal water amount sensor 28, a fan motor current measurement sensor 29, an outer surface dew condensation sensor 30, a water tank water quality sensor 31, a refrigerating device current measurement sensor 32, a pouring lever open / close sensor 33, a curan outlet temperature sensor 34, and a communication unit 35. The beverage server sensor 20 has been described. However, the beverage server sensor may be a sensor in which at least a part of the above sensors is omitted, and the configuration of the sensor of the beverage server sensor can be appropriately changed. The same applies to the sensor unit 40 and the sensor unit 60.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which at least one of the sensor unit 40 and the sensor unit 60 can be attached to and detached from the beverage server 10 has been described. However, the sensor unit may be non-detachable from the beverage server 10 or may be provided integrally with the beverage server 10.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the beverage is effervescent beverage B and the effervescent beverage B is beer has been described. However, the beverage provision quality monitoring system and the beverage provision quality monitoring method according to the present disclosure can be applied to effervescent beverages other than beer and beverages other than effervescent beverages. As a specific example, the beverage may be low-malt beer, non-alcoholic beer, chu-hi, sour, highball, RTD (Ready To Drink), cola, soda, cider, or the like having foaming characteristics.

1 ... Beverage provision quality monitoring system, 1A ... Storage member, 1B ... Barrel stand, 1b ... Mounting unit, 2 ... Server, 2b ... Processor, 2c ... Main storage unit, 2d ... Auxiliary storage unit, 2f ... Communication module, 2g ... display, 2h ... input interface, 3 ... beverage provision information receiving unit, 4 ... data analysis unit, 5 ... data display unit, 6 ... alert output unit, 10 ... beverage server, 10b ... curan, 10c ... cooling device, 10d ... water tank, 10f ... drinking pipe, 10g ... refrigerant pipe, 10h ... ice, 10j ... cradle, 11 ... beverage providing device, 12 ... bomb, 13 ... pressure reducing valve, 13b ... residual pressure indicator, 13c ... operation unit, 14 ... Carbon dioxide hose, 15 ... barrel, 15b ... liquid temperature detector, 15c ... tube, 15d ... mouthpiece, 16 ... head, 16b ... operation handle, 16c ... gas joint, 16d ... beverage joint, 16f ... main body, 17 ... hose , 20 ... Beverage server sensor, 21 ... Water tank temperature sensor, 22 ... Ice making amount measurement sensor, 23 ... Server power supply energization sensor, 24 ... Leakage breaker operation sensor, 25 ... Stirring motor rotation speed sensor, 26 ... Beverage line mounting sensor, 27 ... water tank water level sensor, 28 ... cradle water volume sensor, 29 ... fan motor current measurement sensor, 30 ... outer surface dew condensation sensor, 31 ... water tank water quality sensor, 32 ... refrigerating device current measurement sensor, 33 ... pouring lever open / close sensor, 34 ... Callan outlet temperature sensor, 35 ... Communication unit, 40 ... Sensor unit, 40A ... First sensor group, 40B ... Second sensor group, 41 ... Sensor, 41b ... Gas pressure measurement unit, 41c ... Remaining amount measurement unit, 41d Communication unit, 42 ... Temperature measurement sensor, 43 ... Flow sensor, 44 ... Conductivity measurement sensor, 45 ... Turbidity measurement sensor, 46 ... Bubble measurement sensor, 47 ... Pressure measurement sensor, 48 ... Outside temperature measurement sensor, 49 ... Communication unit, 51 ... barrel liquid temperature measurement sensor, 52 ... remaining amount measurement sensor, 53 ... communication unit, 60 ... sensor unit, 60A ... real-time measurement sensor, 60B ... static measurement sensor, 60C ... separate measurement device, 60d ... stand , 60f ... Measuring unit, 61 ... Amount measuring sensor, 62 ... Foam liquid ratio measuring sensor, 63 ... Foam measuring sensor, 64 ... Liquid measuring sensor, 65 ... Beverage temperature measuring sensor in container, 66 ... Beverage container temperature measuring sensor, 67 ... Communication unit, 71 ... Frosty mist measurement sensor, 72 ... Odor sensor, 73 ... Container condition measurement sensor, 74 ... Racing measurement sensor, 75 ... Communication unit, A1, A2 ... Store, B ... Effervescent beverage (beverage), B1 ... liquid, B2 ... foam, B3 ... frosty mist, B4 ... top, C ... beverage container, C1 ... upper end, D ... distance, D1 ... beverage server status information, D2 ... off-server beverage status information, F ... lid, H ... horizontal plane, T ... information terminal, θ ... angle.

Claims (9)

1. A beverage provision quality monitoring system that monitors the quality of the beverage in a plurality of stores that provide beverages by a beverage server.
   The beverage is an effervescent beverage comprising a liquid and foam resting on the liquid.
   A sensor unit comprising a sensor that measures at least one of the liquid state of the effervescent beverage provided and the foam state of the effervescent beverage provided.
   A beverage providing information receiving unit that receives the state of the beverage measured by the sensor unit, and a beverage providing information receiving unit.
   Beverage delivery quality monitoring system.
2. The sensor unit includes a quantity measuring sensor that measures the distance between the upper end of the beverage container into which the beverage is poured and the upper end of the foam.
   The beverage delivery quality monitoring system according to claim 1.
3. The sensor unit includes a foam ratio measuring sensor that measures the ratio of the foam region to the liquid region in the beverage container into which the beverage is poured.
   The beverage delivery quality monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2.
4. The sensor unit includes a frosty mist measuring sensor that measures the frosty mist generated at the boundary between the foam and the liquid in the beverage container into which the beverage is poured.
   The beverage providing quality monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
5. The sensor unit includes a turbidity measuring sensor that measures the turbidity of the liquid of the effervescent beverage.
   The beverage providing quality monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
6. The sensor unit includes a liquid measuring sensor that measures the presence or absence of foreign matter in the beverage container into which the beverage is poured.
   The beverage providing quality monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
7. The sensor unit includes an odor sensor for measuring the presence or absence of odor in the effervescent beverage and the beverage container into which the effervescent beverage is poured.
   The beverage providing quality monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
8. The sensor unit includes a racing measurement sensor that measures an annular foam mark formed on the inner surface of a beverage container into which the effervescent beverage is poured.
   The beverage providing quality monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
9. A beverage provision quality monitoring method for monitoring the quality of the beverage in a plurality of stores that provide effervescent beverages by a beverage server.
   A step of measuring at least one of the liquid state of the provided effervescent beverage and the foam state of the effervescent beverage provided by the sensor of the sensor unit.
   A step of receiving at least one of the measurement result of the liquid state and the measurement result of the foam state measured by the sensor from each of the plurality of stores.
   Beverage provision quality monitoring method.

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