Beverage producing method, beverage barrel and beverage producing system

Abstract

To provide a beverage producing method, beverage barrel and beverage producing system allowing for reducing work and environment loads together with suppressing production cost.SOLUTION: A beverage producing method according to one embodiment, for charging beverage barrel 10 with beverage, includes a step of printing a liquid kind of beverage on a side 11 of the beverage barrel 10 by applying ink B to the side 11. The ink B is to be removed from the side 11 by cleaning the side 11 of the beverage barrel 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a beverage production method, a beverage keg and a beverage production system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a beverage container having a beverage container body made of stainless steel. The beverage container body includes a body, a first end face disposed on the upper side of the body, and a second end face disposed on the lower side of the body. An opening is provided in the first end face, and the beverage is poured into the beverage container and dispensed out of the beverage container through the opening.

[0003] A label structure is attached to the body. The label structure has a base layer, a cover layer covering the base layer, and an ink layer positioned between the base layer and the cover layer. The base layer has a first surface attached to the beverage container and a second surface arranged in contact with the lower surface of the ink layer. The cover layer is bonded to the base layer and arranged in contact with the upper surface of the ink layer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-51477 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As with the label structure described above, a label indicating the type of liquid may be attached to a beverage barrel. When a label indicating the type of liquid is attached to a beverage barrel, the label may be peeled off when the beverage barrel is reused. For example, when the type of beverage contained in the beverage barrel is changed, the label is peeled off from the beverage barrel.

[0006] Labels that are peeled off from beverage barrels are discarded. Therefore, since it is necessary to attach labels to beverage barrels and peel them off from beverage barrels, the current situation is that label manufacturing costs are high. In addition, the need for work to attach and peel off labels can cause a problem of a high workload. Furthermore, since the labels are discarded, a problem of a high environmental load can also occur.

[0007] The present disclosure aims to provide a beverage production method, a beverage barrel, and a beverage production system that can reduce production costs, workload, and environmental impact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) A beverage production method according to the present disclosure is a beverage production method for filling a beverage barrel with a beverage. The beverage production method includes a step of printing the liquid type of the beverage on the side of the beverage barrel by applying ink to the side of the beverage barrel, the ink being removable from the side of the beverage barrel by washing the side of the beverage barrel.

[0009] In this beverage production method, a beverage barrel is filled with a beverage. This beverage production method includes a step of printing the type of beverage on the side of the beverage barrel. In the step of printing the type of beverage, ink is applied to the side of the beverage barrel. The ink applied to the side of the beverage barrel is ink that can be removed from the side of the beverage barrel by washing the side of the beverage barrel. By printing the type of beverage on the side of the beverage barrel by applying ink, it is possible to eliminate the need for a label indicating the type of beverage. When the type of beverage contained in the beverage barrel is changed, the side of the beverage barrel can be washed to remove the ink from the side, so there is no need to peel off the label. This eliminates the cost of manufacturing the label and reduces the workload because the task of peeling off the label is no longer necessary. Furthermore, because the printing indicating the type of beverage can be removed by washing, it is possible to avoid discarding the label. Therefore, since no labels are discarded, the environmental burden can be reduced. This reduces manufacturing costs and the workload and environmental burden.

[0010] (2) In the beverage production method described in (1) above, the beverage production method may include a step of washing the side of the beverage barrel with a detergent before the printing step. In this case, the side of the beverage barrel is washed before new printing is performed, and this washing can remove the printing indicating the liquid type from the beverage barrel. Therefore, the printing indicating the liquid type can be easily removed by washing.

[0011] (3) In the above (2), the cleaning agent may be an alkaline cleaning agent. The alkaline cleaning agent is a cleaning agent that can more effectively clean the beverage barrel. Therefore, by using the alkaline cleaning agent, the beverage barrel can be more effectively cleaned while removing the marking indicating the liquid type.

[0012] (4) In any of the above (1) to (3), the beverage production method may include a step of introducing steam into the beverage barrel to sterilize the interior of the beverage barrel, and the step of introducing steam may be performed after the step of printing. In this case, printing the liquid type of the beverage before introducing the steam prevents deterioration of print quality due to boiling of the ink. Therefore, the print can be made clearer and the print quality can be improved.

[0013] (5) A beverage barrel according to the present disclosure is a beverage barrel filled with a beverage. The beverage barrel has a side surface on which ink indicating the type of liquid in the beverage is printed, and the ink is removable from the side surface by washing.

[0014] This beverage barrel has a side on which the type of beverage is printed. Ink is applied to the side of the beverage barrel to indicate the type of beverage. The ink applied to the side of the beverage barrel is ink that can be removed from the side by washing the side of the beverage barrel. Therefore, in this beverage barrel, as in the beverage production method described above, the type of beverage is printed by applying ink, making it unnecessary to use a label indicating the type of beverage. Because the ink can be removed from the side of the beverage barrel by washing the side, there is no need to peel off the label. Therefore, in addition to eliminating label manufacturing costs, it is possible to reduce workload and environmental impact.

[0015] (6) In the above (5), the width of the printing may be 7 mm or more. In this case, the width of the printing is 7 mm or more, which increases the visibility of the printing. Therefore, even when viewing the beverage barrel from a distance, the type of liquid contained in the beverage barrel can be accurately determined.

[0016] (7) In the above (5) or (6), the printing may be displayed in white. In this case, the printing is displayed in white, which makes the printing more noticeable. This increases the visibility of the printing, allowing the type of liquid contained in the beverage barrel to be accurately determined even when viewing the beverage barrel from a distance.

[0017] (8) A beverage production system according to the present disclosure includes a filling machine that fills a beverage barrel with a beverage, and a printer that prints the liquid type of the beverage on the side of the beverage barrel by applying ink to the side of the beverage barrel, the ink being removable from the side of the beverage barrel by washing the side of the beverage barrel.

[0018] This beverage production system includes a filling machine that fills beverage barrels with beverages, and a printer that prints the type of beverage on the side of the beverage barrel. The printer prints by applying ink to the side of the beverage barrel. This ink is removable from the side of the beverage barrel by washing. Therefore, this beverage production system, like the beverage production method and beverage barrel described above, does not require a label indicating the type of beverage. This reduces production costs, workload, and environmental impact.

[0019] (9) In the above (8), the beverage production system may include an internal washer that introduces steam into the beverage barrel to sterilize the interior of the beverage barrel, and the internal washer may introduce steam into the beverage barrel after the printer prints the beverage liquid type. In this case, the printer prints the beverage liquid type before the steam is introduced, thereby preventing a deterioration in print quality due to ink boiling. Therefore, the print can be made clearer and the print quality can be improved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs, as well as reduce workload and environmental impact. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a beverage production system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a beverage barrel according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the application of ink by a printer that prints on a beverage barrel. [Figure 4] 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams showing examples of an editing screen for editing the content of the print indicating the liquid type. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of steps of the beverage preparation method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a beverage production system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of steps of a beverage preparation method according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a beverage production system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of steps of a beverage preparation method according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Below, embodiments of a beverage production method, a beverage barrel, and a beverage production system according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, identical or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted as appropriate. The drawings may be partially simplified or exaggerated for ease of understanding, and dimensional proportions and the like are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0023] Various types of beverage barrels are known, and for example, beverage barrels are made of stainless steel. However, beverage barrels in which some parts (for example, the handle, top surface, or bottom surface) are made of resin are also known. In beverage barrels, the type of liquid contained in the beverage barrel must be properly labeled in order to properly ship the beverage. The beverage to be filled in the beverage barrel is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a carbonated beverage such as beer, happoshu, sparkling wine, sour, highball, or a carbonated soft drink, or a non-carbonated soft drink.

[0024] The "liquid type" indicates the type of beverage filled inside the beverage barrel. The "liquid type" may also be a trademark indicating the beverage. Conventionally, it is known that a stretch label indicating the type of beverage filled in the beverage barrel is attached to the beverage barrel to indicate the type of beverage. The stretch label has the advantage of being able to clearly indicate the type of beverage.

[0025] On the other hand, beverage barrels are sometimes shipped to restaurants and other establishments, and after the beverages are served at the restaurants and other establishments, they are collected, washed, sterilized, and reused. If the beverage barrels have the aforementioned stretch labels attached, it may be necessary to remove the stretch labels before washing the collected beverage barrels. Currently, stretch labels are often removed from beverage barrels by hand. Therefore, removing the stretch labels can be a significant labor-intensive process. Furthermore, the production of stretch labels is also costly.

[0026] Stretch labels removed from beverage barrels are discarded. Because stretch labels are often made of resin (e.g., polyethylene), large amounts of resin stretch labels are discarded. Therefore, the disposal of large amounts of stretch labels can cause a significant environmental impact.

[0027] (First embodiment) In the first embodiment, stretch labels are not required and the liquid type can be clearly displayed. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a beverage production system 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a beverage barrel 10 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the beverage barrel 10 has a side surface 11 on which printing A indicating the liquid type of the beverage is applied using ink B, and a top surface 12.

[0028] The print A indicates, for example, character information about the liquid type. For example, two prints A are printed on the side surface 11. In this case, print A is printed on each of one side and the other side when viewed from the center of the beverage barrel 10 in a plan view. However, the number of prints A may be one or three or more and is not particularly limited. As an example, a convex portion 13 and a concave portion 14 are formed on the top surface 12. For example, print C indicating lot information is printed on the side surface 11 in ink D.

[0029] Instead of using the stretch label described above, the beverage production system 1 applies ink B to the side surface 11 of a beverage barrel 10 to print the type of beverage on the side surface 11. Beverage barrels 10 collected from restaurants and other establishments are brought into the beverage production system 1. As an example, the beverage production system 1 includes a cleaning unit 2, a first printer 3, a second printer 4, a filling machine 5, and a cap sealing machine 6. However, the configuration and arrangement of the equipment in the beverage production system 1 are not limited to the above example and can be modified as appropriate.

[0030] The beverage production system 1 has a conveying path 7 along which beverage barrels 10 are conveyed. The beverage barrels 10 are conveyed along the conveying path 7 and filled with beverage. For example, a cleaning unit 2, a first printing machine 3, a second printing machine 4, a filling machine 5, and a cap sealing machine 6 are provided along the conveying path 7. In this case, the beverage barrels 10 conveyed along the conveying path 7 are washed, printed, filled, and capped.

[0031] The cleaning unit 2, for example, includes a nozzle cleaning unit that cleans the nozzles of the beverage barrels 10. The nozzle cleaning unit, for example, sprays water onto the nozzles of the beverage barrels 10 introduced into the conveying path 7 to clean the nozzles of the beverage barrels 10. For example, the cleaning unit 2 includes an external washer 2b and an internal washer 2c. The external washer 2b, for example, sprays water and a cleaning agent onto the outer surface of the beverage barrel 10 to clean the outer surface of the beverage barrel 10. For example, the beverage production system 1 includes barrel inverting devices upstream of the external washer 2b on the conveying path 7 and downstream of the filling machine 5 on the conveying path 7. Therefore, upside-down beverage barrels 10 are conveyed to the cleaning unit 2, the first printing machine 3, the second printing machine 4, and the filling machine 5. Beverage barrels 10 inverted by the barrel inverting device are conveyed to the external washer 2b, and the external washer 2b cleans the outer surface of the inverted beverage barrel 10.

[0032] The external washer 2b cleans the outer surfaces of the collected beverage barrels 10 and removes dirt adhering to the outer surfaces of the beverage barrels 10. The external washer 2b has, for example, multiple tanks into which the beverage barrels 10 are transported, and a cleaning agent is sprayed onto the beverage barrels 10 in some of the multiple tanks. The cleaning agent is, for example, an alkaline cleaning agent. As an example, the cleaning agent is a caustic cleaning solution. In this case, the cleaning agent contains caustic soda (sodium hydroxide).

[0033] The external washer 2b cleans the exterior surface of the beverage barrel 10 and removes ink B from the marking A indicating the liquid type and ink D from the marking C indicating lot information from the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10. The external washer 2b performs cleaning and removal of inks B and D, for example, by spraying high-temperature, high-pressure water onto the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10.

[0034] The temperature and pressure of the water sprayed onto the side surface 11 are controlled. For example, the temperature of the water sprayed onto the side surface 11 is 35°C or higher, and the pressure of the water sprayed onto the side surface 11 is 0.08 MPa or higher. However, the temperature and pressure of the water sprayed onto the side surface 11 are not limited to the above example.

[0035] The interior washer 2c is also referred to as a cleaner. Inverted beverage barrels 10 that have been washed by the exterior washer 2b are introduced into the interior washer 2c. The interior washer 2c washes and sterilizes the inverted beverage barrels 10. As an example, the interior washer 2c is a rotary cleaner having a circular conveying path in a plan view. In this case, the beverage barrels 10 are introduced into the circular conveying path of the interior washer 2c, and then are internally cleaned and sterilized while being transported along the conveying path, and are then transported from the interior washer 2c to the conveying path 7. Note that the interior washer 2c may also be a lane-type cleaner having a linear conveying path. Furthermore, the configuration of the cleaning unit 2 is not limited to the above example and can be modified as appropriate.

[0036] The first printer 3 is provided, for example, downstream of the cleaning section 2 (an internal washer 2c is an example) on the conveying path 7. The first printer 3 is, for example, an inkjet printer. In the first embodiment, the first printer 3 is a printer that prints lot information on the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 by applying ink D to the side surface 11. The first printer 3 prints lot information on the side surface 11 of an inverted beverage barrel 10. The ink D is an ink that can be removed by cleaning the side surface 11 as described above.

[0037] For example, the color of ink D is black. The width W1 of print C is, for example, 10 mm or less. "Print width" refers to the width of the printed character. If the character is written horizontally, "print width" refers to the vertical length of the character, and if the character is written vertically, it refers to the horizontal length of the character. In the first embodiment, the character is written horizontally, and the print width refers to the vertical length of the character.

[0038] The second printer 4 is provided, for example, downstream of the cleaning section 2 (for example, the internal washer 2c) on the conveying path 7. For example, the second printer 4 is an inkjet printer. As an example, the second printer 4 is provided downstream of the first printer 3 on the conveying path 7. However, the second printer 4 may also be provided upstream of the first printer 3 on the conveying path 7, and the positional relationship between the first printer 3 and the second printer 4 is not particularly limited.

[0039] The second printer 4, for example, prints a trademark (liquid type name) on the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 on the conveying path 7. The ink B printed by the second printer 4 is removed by the external washing machine 2b when the beverage barrel 10 is collected. In the first embodiment, the second printer 4 is a printer that prints the liquid type on the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 by applying ink B to the side surface 11. The second printer 4 prints the liquid type on the side surface 11 of an inverted beverage barrel 10. Ink B is an ink that can be removed by washing the side surface 11 as described above. Ink B is, for example, ink for an inkjet printer.

[0040] Ink B is an ink that is removed from side surface 11 by a cleaning agent sprayed in outdoor washing machine 2b. In the first embodiment, ink B is an ink that is removed from side surface 11 by an alkaline cleaning agent (for example, a cleaning agent containing caustic soda). Ink B has, for example, high light resistance and low odor. Ink B is an ink for metal containers. Ink B has high water resistance that does not come off with water and is easily removable with an alkaline cleaning agent. As an example, ink B is a water-based ink. However, ink B may be an ink other than a water-based ink, and may be an organic solvent-based ink whose main solvent is methyl ethyl ketone or the like. Furthermore, ink B may be an ethanol-based ink. The colorant of ink B may be either a pigment or a dye. In this way, various types of ink B can be used.

[0041] For example, the color of ink B is a color other than black. The color of ink B may also be a chromatic color. In this case, the visibility of print A displayed by ink B can be further improved. However, ink B may also be black, and the color of ink B is not particularly limited. Figure 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration and function of second printer 4. Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams showing an example of an editing screen for print A displayed on display E by software used to create print A.

[0042] As shown in Figures 2, 3, 4(a) and 4(b), the second printer 4 has multiple (for example, two) heads 4b, and one print A is formed by applying ink B from the multiple heads 4b. The heads 4b are oriented sideways and print on the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 from the side. The second printer 4 has, for example, a pair of heads 4b, one above the other. As described above, an inverted beverage barrel 10 is transported to the second printer 4, so that, for example, the lower head 4b forms the upper portion A1 of the print A, and the upper head 4b forms the lower portion A2 of the print A.

[0043] The upper and lower portions of print A are created, for example, by software installed on information terminal T. FIG. 4(a) is a diagram showing an example of an editing screen for upper portion A1 of print A, and FIG. 4(b) is a diagram showing an example of an editing screen for lower portion A2 of print A. Upper portion A1 and lower portion A2 can be edited with the editing screen displayed on display E. Upper portion A1 and lower portion A2 edited on display E are printed on side surface 11 of beverage barrel 10 by each of a pair of upper and lower heads 4b.

[0044] The above describes an example in which a pair of upper and lower heads 4b form one print A. However, a pair of left and right heads may also form one print, and the direction in which the multiple heads of the second printer 4 are arranged is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the number of heads of the second printer 4 may be one or three or more. In this way, by forming one print A using multiple heads of the second printer 4, the print A can be made larger and its visibility can be improved.

[0045] Incidentally, beverage barrels 10 may be stored in a warehouse after being filled with beverage. In this case, it may be important to increase the visibility of print A indicating the type of liquid to avoid incorrect shipment of beverage barrels 10 from the warehouse. Increasing the visibility of print A indicating the type of liquid may be more important than increasing the visibility of print C indicating lot information, and may be more important than increasing the visibility of print C indicating the company name.

[0046] For example, when the beverage barrel 10 is shipped, it is transported by a forklift. At this time, it may be necessary to increase the visibility of the print A, which indicates the liquid type, so that the forklift operator can see the print A inside the warehouse. For example, the print A is large enough to be visible when the operator is 10 meters away from the beverage barrel 10.

[0047] The width W2 of the print A is, for example, 7 mm or more. The width W2 may be 10 mm or more, 12 mm or more, 15 mm or more, 17 mm or more, 20 mm or more, or 23 mm or more. The width W2 may be 25 mm or less, 50 mm or less, or 100 mm or less. The width W2 may be 1 / 100 or more and 1 / 3 or less of the height H of the beverage barrel 10. The width W2 is greater than the width W1 described above. This improves the visibility of the print A. The length L of the print A is, for example, 100 mm or more and 200 mm or less. The length L may also be 70 mm or more, 80 mm or more, or 90 mm or more, or 150 mm or less, 250 mm or less, or 300 mm or less. However, the value of the length L is not limited to the above example.

[0048] For example, the second printer 4 forms print A as a white outline. In this case, print A has an ink application section A3 and a white outline section A4 located inside the ink application section A3. As an example, the ink application section A3 has a horizontally long rectangular shape. However, the shape of the ink application section A3 is not particularly limited. The white outline section A4 is a portion inside the ink application section A3 where ink B is not applied. The white outline section A4 has, for example, character information indicating the liquid type. The beverage production system 1 may also include an inspection machine downstream of the second printer 4 on the conveying path 7. In this case, the inspection machine inspects whether the printing is performed properly.

[0049] The beverage barrels 10 on which the print A has been formed by the second printing machine 4 as described above are transported to the filling machine 5 via the transport path 7. The filling machine 5 fills the beverage barrels 10 with beverage. For example, the filling machine 5 fills the beverage barrels 10 that are inverted with beverage. For example, a plurality of beverage barrels 10 are transported successively to the filling machine 5. The filling machine 5 successively fills each of the plurality of beverage barrels 10 that have been transported with beverage.

[0050] The cap sealing machine 6 is provided, for example, downstream of the filling machine 5 on the conveying path 7. In this case, the cap sealing machine 6 attaches cap seals to beverage barrels 10 filled with beverage. For example, a barrel inverting device is provided between the filling machine 5 and the cap sealing machine 6 on the conveying path 7, and beverage barrels 10 that have been rotated forward (turned upside down) are conveyed to the cap sealing machine 6. The cap sealing machine 6, for example, positions a cap seal so that it covers the mouth of the beverage barrel 10, and attaches the cap seal to the beverage barrel 10 by heat welding the cap seal. In this way, the beverage barrel 10 is sealed by the cap seal attached by the cap sealing machine 6. The beverage barrel 10 with the cap seal attached is conveyed downstream on the conveying path 7.

[0051] The beverage production system 1 may have an inspection machine downstream of the cap sealing machine 6 on the conveying path 7. In this case, the inspection machine inspects the cap seals attached to the beverage barrels 10 by the cap sealing machine 6 using image processing. The inspection machine may inspect whether the cap seals are properly attached to the beverage barrels 10 and whether the type of the cap seal matches the type of liquid (liquid type) of the contents of the beverage barrels 10. However, the inspection contents of the inspection machine are not limited to the above and can be changed as appropriate. The beverage barrels 10 inspected by the inspection machine are stored, for example, in a warehouse located downstream of the inspection machine on the conveying path 7. The beverage barrels 10 stored in the warehouse are transported, for example, by forklift as described above, and then shipped.

[0052] Next, an example of steps of a beverage production method according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 5. Below, an example of a method for producing a beverage using the above-described beverage production system 1 will be described. In the beverage production method, a beverage barrel 10 transported along a transport path 7 is filled with a beverage.

[0053] First, a barrel inspection is performed on the beverage barrels 10 collected from the restaurant (step S1). In the barrel inspection, an inspection is performed on the beverage barrels 10 brought into the beverage production system 1. This inspection is performed, for example, by visual inspection. In the barrel inspection, beverage barrels 10 that require maintenance are selected from the beverage barrels 10 brought into the beverage production system 1, and are, for example, rejected.

[0054] For example, beverage barrels 10 that have passed the barrel inspection are transported along the transport path 7. Then, the beverage barrels 10 are washed and any printed markings are removed (step S2, washing process). The beverage barrels 10 are transported to the washing unit 2 and washed. The beverage barrels 10 are transported to the external washer 2b, where the side surfaces 11 are washed and the inks B and D adhering to the side surfaces 11 are removed.

[0055] At this time, an alkaline cleaner (for example, a cleaner containing caustic soda) is sprayed onto the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 to clean the side surface 11 and remove the prints A and C. For example, the beverage barrel 10 that has been cleaned and ink removed by the external washer 2b is transported to the internal washer 2c. The internal washer 2c cleans and sterilizes the inside of the beverage barrel 10.

[0056] Next, lot printing is performed on the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 (step S3). "Lot printing" refers to printing lot information on the side surface of the beverage barrel. At this time, the first printer 3 applies ink D to the side surface 11 to print the lot information on the side surface 11. Next, the second printer 4 applies ink B to the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 to print the liquid type on the side surface 11 (step S4, printing process). "Liquid type printing" refers to printing the liquid type of the beverage on the side surface of the beverage barrel. The second printer 4 edits print A using software pre-installed on the information terminal T, for example, and then prints the liquid type on the side surface 11 by having the head 4b apply ink B to the side surface 11 in accordance with the edited content.

[0057] After the liquid type has been printed on the side surface 11, the beverage barrel 10 is transported along the transport path 7 to the filling machine 5, which fills the beverage barrel 10 with beverage (step S5, beverage filling step). A cap sealing machine 6 attaches a cap seal to the beverage barrel 10 filled with beverage (step S6, cap seal attachment step). Then, after the beverage barrel 10 with the attached cap seal is inspected by the inspection machine described above, the beverage barrel 10 is stored in a warehouse, completing the series of steps in the beverage production method.

[0058] Next, the effects obtained from the beverage production method, beverage barrel 10, and beverage production system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. In the beverage production method, beverage barrel 10, and beverage production system 1 according to the first embodiment, a beverage is filled into the beverage barrel 10. The beverage production method, beverage barrel 10, and beverage production system 1 according to the first embodiment print the liquid type of the beverage on the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10. When printing the liquid type of the beverage, ink B is applied to the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10. The ink B applied to the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 is an ink that can be removed from the side surface 11 by cleaning the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10.

[0059] By applying ink B to print A indicating the type of beverage on the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10, it is possible to eliminate the need for a label (such as the stretch label mentioned above) indicating the type of beverage. When the type of beverage contained (filled) in the beverage barrel 10 is changed, the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 can be washed to remove ink B from the side surface 11, eliminating the need to peel off the label. This eliminates the cost of manufacturing labels and reduces the workload because the task of peeling off labels is no longer necessary.

[0060] Furthermore, since the print A indicating the liquid type can be removed by washing, it is possible to avoid discarding the label. Therefore, since no labels are discarded, the environmental burden can be reduced. This reduces manufacturing costs, as well as the workload and environmental burden. According to the first embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the disposal of resin stretch labels, which contributes to Goal 12 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns." Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the need for resin stretch labels, which reduces plastic waste, which contributes to Goal 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Conserve and sustainably use the water below sea level."

[0061] As described above, the beverage production method according to the first embodiment may include a step of cleaning the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 with a cleaning agent before the printing step. In this case, the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 is cleaned before new printing is performed, and this cleaning can remove the print A indicating the liquid type from the beverage barrel 10. Therefore, the print A indicating the liquid type can be easily removed by cleaning.

[0062] As mentioned above, the cleaning agent may be an alkaline cleaning agent. An alkaline cleaning agent is a cleaning agent that can more effectively clean the beverage barrel 10. Therefore, by using an alkaline cleaning agent, the beverage barrel 10 can be more effectively cleaned while removing the print A indicating the liquid type.

[0063] As mentioned above, the width W2 of the print A on the beverage barrel 10 may be 7 mm or more. In this case, the width W2 of the print A being 7 mm or more can improve the visibility of the print A. Therefore, even when viewing the beverage barrel 10 from a distance, the type of beverage contained in the beverage barrel 10 can be accurately determined.

[0064] As mentioned above, the print A may be displayed in white. In this case, the print A is displayed in white, which makes the print A stand out more. This increases the visibility of the print A, allowing the type of beverage contained in the beverage barrel 10 to be accurately determined even when viewing the beverage barrel 10 from a distance.

[0065] (Second embodiment) A beverage production system 1A according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 6. Some of the content of the second embodiment is the same as some of the content of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, in the following description, the same content as that of the first embodiment and other previously described content will be assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0066] Beverage production system 1A includes an external washing machine 2b, an air blowing machine 8, a second printing machine 4, an internal washing machine 2c, a first printing machine 3, a filling machine 5, and a cap sealing machine 6. Beverage production system 1A has a conveying path 7, and the external washing machine 2b, the air blowing machine 8, the second printing machine 4, the internal washing machine 2c, the first printing machine 3, the filling machine 5, and the cap sealing machine 6 are provided along the conveying path 7.

[0067] The air blower 8 is disposed between the external washer 2b and the second printer 4 on the conveying path 7. The air blower 8 is provided to remove moisture that has adhered to the side surfaces 11 of the beverage barrels 10 after they have been washed by the external washer 2b. The air blower 8 blows air onto the side surfaces 11 of the beverage barrels 10 that have been washed by the external washer 2b. This removes moisture from the side surfaces 11 of the beverage barrels 10.

[0068] The second printer 4 is provided downstream of the air blower 8 on the conveying path 7. For example, beverage barrels 10 at room temperature are introduced into the second printer 4. The second printer 4 is provided upstream of the interior washer 2c on the conveying path 7. The second printer 4 applies ink B, for example, using a continuous inkjet printer. In this case, ink B circulates in the ink flow path inside the second printer 4, allowing for high-speed printing with a single nozzle. Furthermore, a quick-drying ink can be used as ink B. Therefore, high-quality printing can be achieved even when ink B is applied to a non-permeable object such as metal. Furthermore, the second printer 4 may apply ink B using a drop-on-demand inkjet printer instead of a continuous inkjet printer.

[0069] The internal washer 2c is provided downstream of the second printer 4 on the conveying path 7. Beverage barrels 10, whose sides 11 have been coated with ink B by the second printer 4, are introduced into the internal washer 2c. The internal washer 2c cleans and sterilizes the beverage barrels 10 that have been coated with ink B and have the beverage type printed on them. Sterilization is performed by introducing steam.

[0070] The interior washer 2c, for example, comprises a plurality of heads each having a nozzle inserted into the interior of the beverage barrel 10. The nozzles of the heads are inserted into the interior of the beverage barrel 10 and a cleaning liquid is sprayed from the nozzles to clean the interior of the beverage barrel 10. As an example, the temperature of the cleaning liquid is 50°C or higher and 60°C or lower.

[0071] The nozzle of the head is then inserted into the interior of the beverage barrel 10 and steam is sprayed from the nozzle, thereby sterilizing the interior of the beverage barrel 10. For example, the temperature of the steam is 100°C or higher and 150°C or lower. In this way, the beverage barrel 10 that has been washed and sterilized in the interior washer 2c is discharged into the conveying path 7.

[0072] The first printer 3 is provided, for example, downstream of the interior washer 2c on the conveying path 7. However, the first printer 3 may also be provided upstream of the interior washer 2c on the conveying path 7. For example, a beverage barrel 10 on which a print C has been formed by the first printer 3 is transported to the filling machine 5 via the conveying path 7. The functions of the first printer 3, the filling machine 5 and the cap sealing machine 6 are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and therefore will not be described here.

[0073] Next, an example of the steps of a beverage production method according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 7. Below, an example of a method for producing a beverage using the beverage production system 1A described above will be described. First, a keg inspection (step S11) is performed, and the exterior of the beverage keg 10 is cleaned and the printing is removed (step S12). The contents of steps S11 and S12 are the same as the contents of steps S1 and S2 described above.

[0074] In step S12, the beverage barrels 10 that have been washed and have had ink removed by the external washer 2b are transported to the air blower 8. The air blower 8 then blows air onto the transported beverage barrels 10 (step S13). As a result, the air blower 8 removes any moisture remaining on the side surfaces 11 of the beverage barrels 10.

[0075] The beverage barrel 10 from which moisture has been removed by the air blower 8 is transported to the second printer 4. The second printer 4 prints the liquid type on the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 (step S14). For example, the second printer 4 prints the liquid type on the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 that has been set to room temperature. The details of step S14 are the same as the details of step S4 described above.

[0076] The beverage barrels 10 on which the liquid type has been printed by the second printer 4 are transported to the interior washer 2c. The interior washer 2c cleans the interior of the beverage barrel 10 and introduces steam into it (step S15). At this time, the interior washer 2c introduces a cleaning liquid into the interior of the beverage barrel 10 to clean it, and sterilizes it by introducing steam into the interior of the beverage barrel 10.

[0077] The beverage barrels 10 that have been washed and sterilized by the interior washer 2c are transported to the first printer 3. The first printer 3 prints lot information on the side surface 11 by applying ink D to the side surface 11 (step S16). The content of step S16 is the same as the content of step S3 described above. After the lot printing is completed, the beverage barrels 10 are filled with beverage by the filling machine 5 (step S17) and cap seals are attached (step S18). The content of steps S17 and S18 is the same as the content of steps S5 and S6 described above. In step S18, the beverage barrels 10 with the cap seals attached are inspected by the inspection machine described above and then stored in a warehouse. After going through the above steps, the series of steps in the beverage production method is completed.

[0078] As described above, in the beverage production system 1A and beverage production method according to the second embodiment, the second printer 4 applies ink B to print A indicating the liquid type of the beverage on the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10, thereby eliminating the need for a label indicating the liquid type (such as the stretch label described above). Therefore, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved.

[0079] Incidentally, as described above, when printing is performed by introducing steam into the beverage barrel 10 and applying ink B to the beverage barrel 10, if printing is performed after the introduction of steam, printing will be performed on the beverage barrel 10 that has been heated to a temperature of 100°C or higher. If ink B is applied to a beverage barrel 10 that has been heated to a temperature of 100°C or higher, ink B will boil and its properties will change, which may result in a deterioration in the quality of print A.

[0080] In contrast, the beverage production system 1A includes an internal washer 2c that introduces steam into the beverage barrel 10 to sterilize the inside of the beverage barrel 10, and the internal washer 2c introduces steam into the beverage barrel 10 after the second printer 4 prints the liquid type of the beverage. The beverage production method according to the second embodiment includes a step of introducing steam into the beverage barrel 10 to sterilize the inside of the beverage barrel 10, and the step of introducing steam is performed after the step of printing.

[0081] Therefore, by printing the liquid type of the beverage using the second printer 4 before the introduction of steam, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the quality of the print A due to the boiling of ink B. This makes the print A clearer and improves the quality of the print A. In the second embodiment, ink B is applied to a beverage barrel 10 at room temperature. This prevents the ink B from boiling and makes the print A by applying ink B clearer. This contributes to further improving the quality of the print A.

[0082] (Third embodiment) A beverage production system 1B according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 8. The beverage production system 1B has a first interior washing machine 2c1 and a second interior washing machine 2c2 instead of the interior washing machine 2c described above. The beverage production system 1B also includes an exterior washing machine 2b, a first interior washing machine 2c1, an air blower 8, a second printing machine 4, a second interior washing machine 2c2, a first printing machine 3, a filling machine 5, and a cap sealing machine 6.

[0083] The first interior washer 2c1 is disposed between the exterior washer 2b and the air blower 8 on the conveying path 7. The beverage barrels 10 whose exterior surfaces (side surfaces 11) have been washed by the exterior washer 2b are introduced into the first interior washer 2c1. The first interior washer 2c1 washes the beverage barrels 10 but does not sterilize them by introducing steam.

[0084] The first interior washer 2c1, like the interior washer 2c described above, inserts the nozzle of its head into the interior of the beverage barrel 10 and sprays cleaning liquid from the nozzle to clean the interior of the beverage barrel 10. As described above, the temperature of the cleaning liquid is, for example, 50°C or higher and 60°C or lower. The beverage barrel 10 that has had its interior cleaned by the first interior washer 2c1 is transported to the air blower 8.

[0085] The air blower 8 blows air into the beverage barrels 10 after the internal cleaning to remove moisture from the side surfaces 11 of the beverage barrels 10. For example, the beverage barrels 10, whose temperature has been adjusted to 50°C or higher and 60°C or lower using cleaning fluid, are introduced into the second printing machine 4. As described above, the second printing machine 4 prints on the beverage barrels 10 by applying ink B using, for example, a continuous inkjet printer.

[0086] The second internal washer 2c2 is provided downstream of the second printer 4 on the conveying path 7. Beverage barrels 10, whose sides 11 have been coated with ink B by the second printer 4, are introduced into the second internal washer 2c2. The second internal washer 2c2 cleans and sterilizes the beverage barrels 10 that have been coated with ink B and have the beverage type printed on them. The cleaning and sterilization method used by the second internal washer 2c2 is the same as the cleaning and sterilization method used by the internal washer 2c described above, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The beverage barrels 10 that have been cleaned and sterilized in the second internal washer 2c2 are conveyed to the first printer 3.

[0087] An example of the steps of a beverage production method according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 9. The beverage production method according to the third embodiment is executed, for example, by the beverage production system 1B described above. First, a keg inspection (step S21) is performed, and the exterior of the beverage keg 10 is cleaned and the printing is removed (step S22). The contents of steps S21 and S22 are the same as the contents of steps S1 and S2 described above.

[0088] In step S22, the beverage barrels 10 that have been washed and have had ink removed by the external washer 2b are transported to the first internal washer 2c1. The first internal washer 2c1 cleans the interior of the beverage barrel 10 by supplying cleaning liquid to the interior of the beverage barrel 10 (step S23). After the internal cleaning, the beverage barrels 10 are transported to the air blower 8, which removes moisture from the side surfaces 11 (step S24).

[0089] Then, the second printer 4 prints the liquid type on the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 (step S25). The beverage barrel 10 on which the liquid type has been printed by the second printer 4 is transported to the second interior washer 2c2. The second interior washer 2c2 cleans the inside of the beverage barrel 10 and introduces steam (step S26). After that, the first printer 3 prints the lot number (step S27), the filling machine 5 fills the beverage (step S28), and the cap seal machine 6 attaches a cap seal (step S29), completing the series of steps. The contents of steps S27, S28, and S29 are the same as the contents of steps S16, S17, and S18 described above, respectively.

[0090] As described above, in the beverage production system 1B and beverage production method according to the third embodiment, steam is introduced into the beverage barrel 10 after the second printer 4 prints the beverage liquid type. In the third embodiment, ink B is applied to the beverage barrel 10, which has been kept at a temperature below 100°C (for example, between 50°C and 60°C). Therefore, in the third embodiment, boiling of ink B can be avoided, making the print A formed by applying ink B clearer. Therefore, the third embodiment can achieve the same effects as the second embodiment. Furthermore, in the third embodiment, after the first interior washer 2c1 cleans the interior of the beverage barrel 10, the second interior washer 2c2 cleans the interior of the beverage barrel 10 and introduces steam, so the interior of the beverage barrel 10 can be more reliably cleaned before filling it with a beverage.

[0091] (Example) Next, examples of a beverage production system and a beverage production method according to the present disclosure will be described. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the contents of the following examples. In the examples, an experiment was conducted to verify the clarity of print A by the second printer 4. In the examples, a continuous inkjet printer was used as the second printer 4, and a water-based ink was used as the ink B. The application of ink B by this second printer 4 was conducted under the conditions of Example 1 and Example 2 below.

[0092] Example 1 Using the beverage production system 1B described above, the first interior washer 2c1 washed the inside of the beverage barrel 10, and after air blowing, the second printer 4 printed with ink B, and then the second interior washer 2c2 washed the inside of the beverage barrel 10 and introduced steam. The temperature of the beverage barrel 10 when printing was approximately 50°C to 60°C. Example 2 No printing was performed before the second internal washing machine 2c2 washed the inside of the beverage barrel 10 and introduced steam, but after the second internal washing machine 2c2 washed the inside of the beverage barrel 10 and introduced steam, the second printing machine 4 printed with ink B. The temperature of the beverage barrel 10 when printing was performed was approximately 120°C to 130°C.

[0093] In Example 2, when the second printer 4 applied ink B after the introduction of steam, the water in ink B boiled during printing, causing the dots to become distorted and irregular, resulting in the print A appearing light. In contrast, in Example 1, when the second printer 4 applied ink B before the introduction of steam, the dots of ink B were hardly distorted or distorted, making the dots of ink B clearly visible and enabling the print A to be made dark and clear.

[0094] The above describes various embodiments and examples of the beverage production method, beverage barrel, and beverage production system according to the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the various embodiments or modifications described above, and may be further modified within the scope of the claims. In other words, the configuration, function, shape, material, number, and arrangement of each component of the beverage barrel and beverage production system, as well as the content and order of the steps of the beverage production method, may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the above-described gist.

[0095] For example, in the above-described embodiment, a beverage production system 1 was described that includes the first printer 3 and the second printer 4, which are inkjet printers. However, the printers of the beverage production system are not limited to the first printer 3 and the second printer 4. That is, the number of printers in the beverage production system may be one, or three or more. Furthermore, the printer may be something other than an inkjet printer. For example, the printer may be a spray printer that sprays colored ink. Furthermore, the printer may be a roller coder that applies ink to the side surface 11 of the beverage barrel 10 by contacting the side surface 11. In this way, the type of printer can be changed as appropriate.

[0096] In the above-described embodiment, an example of printing using ink B that can be removed by an alkaline cleaner containing caustic soda has been described. However, the cleaner may be a cleaner other than an alkaline cleaner containing caustic soda. For example, the cleaner may be a cleaner containing alcohol. In this way, the material of the cleaner can be changed as appropriate.

[0097] In the above-described embodiment, the print A showing character information about the liquid type was described. However, the print may be something other than character information about the liquid type. For example, the print may be a mark indicating the liquid type, or color information indicating the liquid type. In this way, the print may be anything that can identify the liquid type, and the type of print is not particularly limited. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1, 1A, 1B... beverage production system, 2... washing section, 2b... external washing machine, 2c... internal washing machine, 2c1... first internal washing machine, 2c2... second internal washing machine, 3... first printing machine, 4... second printing machine (printing machine), 4b... head, 5... filling machine, 6... cap sealing machine, 7... conveying path, 8... air blowing machine, 10... beverage barrel, 11... side, 12... top surface, 13... convex portion, 14... concave portion, A... printing, A1... upper part, A2... lower part, A3... ink application section, A4... white section, B... ink, C... printing, D... ink, E... display, T... information terminal, W1, W2... width.

Claims

1. A beverage production method for filling a beverage barrel with a beverage, comprising: a step of printing the liquid type of the beverage on the side surface of the beverage barrel by applying ink to the side surface; the ink is removable from the side of the beverage keg by washing the side of the beverage keg; Beverage manufacturing method.

2. Before the printing step, the side of the beverage barrel is washed with a cleaning agent. The method for producing a beverage according to claim 1 .

3. The cleaning agent is an alkaline cleaning agent. The method for producing a beverage according to claim 2.

4. introducing steam into the interior of the beverage keg to sterilize the interior of the beverage keg; The step of introducing steam is performed after the step of printing. The method for producing a beverage according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A beverage barrel filled with a beverage, The beverage container has a side surface on which a mark indicating the type of liquid is printed in ink, the ink is removable from the side surface by washing the side surface; Drinking barrel.

6. The width of the print is 7 mm or more.

6. A beverage barrel according to claim 5.

7. The print is displayed in white. A beverage barrel according to claim 5 or claim 6.

8. a filling machine for filling beverage barrels with beverages; a printer that prints the liquid type of the beverage on the side of the beverage barrel by applying ink to the side; Equipped with the ink is removable from the side of the beverage keg by washing the side of the beverage keg; Beverage production system.

9. an interior washer for introducing steam into the interior of the beverage barrel to sterilize the interior of the beverage barrel; The interior washing machine introduces steam into the interior of the beverage barrel after the printing machine prints the liquid type of the beverage. The beverage production system of claim 8.

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