Beverage supply device

Abstract

The present application provides a beverage serving device that can achieve miniaturization of a space in which a cup is transported to a beverage pouring position. A beverage serving device (1) is configured to house, inside a device main body (2), a beverage generating section (10B), a cup housing section (7), a cup transporting mechanism that receives one cup (C) from the cup housing section at a cup receiving position and transports the cup to a beverage pouring position at which a beverage generated by the beverage generating section is poured into the cup, and a lifting mechanism that lifts a tray on which the cup is placed at the beverage pouring position. In the case where the beverage is poured into the cup at the beverage pouring position, the lifting mechanism lifts the tray to a beverage serving section provided to the device main body, and thereby the beverage is served in a state in which the beverage is poured into the cup by the beverage serving section. In the beverage serving device, the cup transporting mechanism transports the cup held by a holding section around a central axis of a transporting shaft section extending in the up-down direction between the cup receiving position and the beverage pouring position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a beverage dispensing device. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, Patent Document 1 proposed a beverage supply device in which a beverage generated by a beverage generating unit located inside the main body of the device is placed into a cup, which serves as a container, and then the beverage is supplied by a beverage supply unit located in the main body of the device.

[0003] In this beverage dispensing device, in addition to the beverage generating unit described above, a cup receiving unit, a first conveying mechanism, and a second conveying mechanism are housed within the main body of the device. The cup receiving unit is used to store cups. The first conveying mechanism receives a cup stored in the cup receiving unit at the cup receiving position and conveys it to the beverage dispensing position. The second conveying mechanism receives the cup conveyed by the first conveying mechanism at the beverage dispensing position and conveys the cup with beverage dispensed at that position to the beverage dispensing unit.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-028790 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0008] However, in the beverage supply device proposed in Patent Document 1, the first conveying mechanism is intended to rotate the holding part of the cup about the central axis of the conveying shaft that extends in the vertical direction, and to move the holding part along the axial direction of the conveying shaft. Therefore, sufficient space is required to ensure the rotation area and movement area of ​​the holding part.

[0009] In view of the above-mentioned actual situation, the present invention aims to provide a miniaturized beverage dispensing device that can deliver a cup to the space where the beverage is dispensed.

[0010] Solution for solving the problem

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a beverage dispensing device comprising, within a main body of the device: a beverage generating unit that generates beverage; a cup receiving unit that receives cups; a cup conveying mechanism that receives a cup from the cup receiving unit in a region below the cup receiving unit, i.e., a cup receiving position, and conveys the cup to a beverage dispensing position where the beverage generated by the beverage generating unit is dispensed; and a lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers a tray holding the cup at the beverage dispensing position. When beverage is dispensed into the cup at the beverage dispensing position, the lifting mechanism raises the tray to the beverage dispensing unit located in the main body of the device, thereby dispensing the beverage in a cup-dispensing state using the beverage dispensing unit. The beverage dispensing device is characterized in that the cup conveying mechanism conveys the cup by rotating a holding portion holding the cup about the central axis of a conveying shaft extending in the vertical direction between the cup receiving position and the beverage dispensing position.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the above-described beverage dispensing device, the present invention is characterized in that the cup conveying mechanism comprises: a first arm member constituting the holding portion, the base end portion of the first arm member being axially supported in a manner rotatable about the central axis of the conveying shaft portion, and the first arm member having a mounting surface for placing the cup at its top end portion; a second arm member constituting the holding portion, the base end portion of the second arm member being axially supported in a manner rotatable about the central axis of the conveying shaft portion, and the second arm member having a guide portion surrounding the cup placed on the mounting surface at its top end portion; a first force-applying unit that applies force to the first arm member toward the cup receiving position; and a second force-applying unit... The first arm component applies force to the second arm component toward the cup receiving position; and the second arm component independently engages with the first arm component and the second arm component disposed at the cup receiving position. When driven by the drive source of the cup conveying mechanism, i.e., the conveying motor, the first arm component is rotated to the beverage dispensing position against the force of the first force application unit, and the second arm component is rotated to the beverage dispensing position against the force of the second force application unit. The second arm component releases its engagement with the first arm component at the beverage dispensing position and places the cup on the tray. Afterward, it releases its engagement with the second arm component.

[0013] Furthermore, according to the beverage dispensing device described above, the present invention is characterized in that the beverage dispensing device includes a control unit, which, when the power is turned on, causes the lifting mechanism to perform a discarding action of the cup.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the beverage dispensing device described above, the present invention is characterized in that the lifting mechanism performs a discarding action by lowering the tray and changing the posture of the tray to discard the cup into a drain bucket disposed in the area below the beverage dispensing position.

[0015] The effects of the invention

[0016] According to the present invention, the cup conveying mechanism conveys the cup by rotating the holding part that holds the cup about the central axis of the conveying shaft that extends in the vertical direction between the cup receiving position and the beverage dispensing position. Therefore, as long as the space of the rotating area of ​​the holding part can be ensured, it is possible to achieve the effect of miniaturization of the space in which the cup is conveyed to the beverage dispensing position. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the external structure of a beverage dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a beverage dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a block diagram schematically illustrating the characteristic control system of a beverage dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 It is used to explain by Figure 1 and Figure 3 The side view of the operating area defined by the posture detection unit and the user's field of view.

[0021] Figure 5 (a)~ Figure 5 (c) means Figure 1 and Figure 3 The diagram shows an example of a display unit.

[0022] Figure 6 It means Figure 2 A perspective view of the external structure of the raw material feeding device shown.

[0023] Figure 7 It means Figure 2 A perspective view of the external structure of the raw material feeding device shown.

[0024] Figure 8 It means Figure 2 A cross-sectional side view of the internal structure of the raw material feeding device shown.

[0025] Figure 9 It means Figure 8 The diagram shows a perspective view of the delivery drive unit.

[0026] Figure 10 It means Figure 8 The exploded perspective view of the output drive unit is shown.

[0027] Figure 11 It means Figure 3 A three-dimensional view of the external structure of the extraction mechanism shown in the figure.

[0028] Figure 12 yes Figure 3 An exploded three-dimensional view of the extraction mechanism shown.

[0029] Figure 13 This is a perspective view showing the extraction mechanism with the filter section positioned at the extraction location.

[0030] Figure 14 This is a perspective view showing the extraction mechanism with the filter section positioned at the waste location.

[0031] Figure 15 It means Figure 2 A three-dimensional view of the internal cup conveying mechanism and its surrounding structure of the main body of the device shown.

[0032] Figure 16 It means Figure 2 and Figure 15 The diagram shows a perspective view of the external structure of the cup conveying mechanism.

[0033] Figure 17 yes Figure 2 and Figure 15 The diagram shows an exploded perspective view of the cup conveying mechanism.

[0034] Figure 18 yes Figure 2 and Figure 15 The diagram shows an exploded perspective view of the cup conveying mechanism.

[0035] Figure 19 yes Figure 2 and Figure 15 The image shows a longitudinal sectional view of the cup conveying mechanism.

[0036] Figure 20 It means Figure 16 A three-dimensional diagram showing the operation of the cup conveying mechanism.

[0037] Figure 21 It means Figure 16 A three-dimensional diagram showing the operation of the cup conveying mechanism.

[0038] Figure 22 It means Figure 16 A three-dimensional diagram showing the operation of the cup conveying mechanism.

[0039] Figure 23 It means Figure 16 A three-dimensional diagram showing the operation of the cup conveying mechanism.

[0040] Figure 24 It is a three-dimensional diagram used to illustrate the operation of the cup-holding mechanism.

[0041] Figure 25 It means Figure 16 A three-dimensional diagram showing the operation of the cup conveying mechanism.

[0042] Figure 26 It means Figure 16 A three-dimensional diagram showing the operation of the cup conveying mechanism.

[0043] Figure 27 It means Figure 2 The diagram shows a three-dimensional view of the external structure of the lifting mechanism.

[0044] Figure 28 It means Figure 27 A perspective view of the main components of the lifting mechanism shown.

[0045] Figure 29 It means Figure 27 A perspective view of the main components of the lifting mechanism shown.

[0046] Figure 30 It means Figure 27 An exploded perspective view of the main parts of the lifting mechanism shown.

[0047] Figure 31 It means Figure 27 An exploded perspective view of the main parts of the lifting mechanism shown.

[0048] Figure 32 It means Figure 27 A three-dimensional diagram showing the operation of the main parts of the lifting mechanism.

[0049] Figure 33 It means Figure 27 A three-dimensional diagram showing the operation of the main parts of the lifting mechanism.

[0050] Figure 34 It means Figure 3 The flowchart shows the process of handling discarded actions performed by the control unit.

[0051] Figure 35 It means Figure 34 The diagram shows a three-dimensional view of the lifting mechanism's operation during the waste disposal process.

[0052] Figure 36 yes Figure 2 The diagram shown is an exploded perspective view of the beverage supply section.

[0053] Figure 37 yes Figure 2 The diagram shown is an exploded perspective view of the beverage supply section.

[0054] Figure 38 This is a 3D diagram of the beverage supply department.

[0055] Figure 39 It is used for explanation Figure 38 A perspective view showing the operation of the baffle mechanism.

[0056] Figure 40 It means Figure 36 and Figure 37 An exploded perspective view of the door opening and closing mechanism shown.

[0057] Figure 41 It means Figure 36 and Figure 37 An exploded perspective view of the door opening and closing mechanism shown.

[0058] Figure 42 It means Figure 36 and Figure 37 The diagram shows a three-dimensional view of the exterior structure of the opening and closing door.

[0059] Figure 43 It is used for explanation Figure 36 and Figure 37 A three-dimensional diagram showing the operation of the main parts of the beverage supply section.

[0060] Figure 44 It is used for explanation Figure 36 and Figure 37 A cross-sectional view showing the operation of the main part of the beverage supply section.

[0061] Figure 45 (a) and Figure 45 (b) is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the door opening / closing transmission protrusion and the transmitted protrusion.

[0062] Figure 46 It is used for explanation Figure 36 and Figure 37 A three-dimensional diagram showing the operation of the main parts of the beverage supply section.

[0063] Figure 47 It is used for explanation Figure 36 and Figure 37 A three-dimensional diagram showing the operation of the main parts of the beverage supply section.

[0064] Figure 48 It is used for explanation Figure 36 and Figure 37 A three-dimensional diagram showing the operation of the main parts of the beverage supply section.

[0065] Figure 49It is used for explanation Figure 36 and Figure 37 A cross-sectional view showing the operation of the main part of the beverage supply section.

[0066] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0067] 1. Beverage supply device; 2. Main body of the device; 3. Main cabinet; 4. Front door; 10A. Operating unit; 10B. Beverage generation section; 10C. Cup conveying mechanism; 10D. Lifting mechanism; 10E. Beverage supply section; 11. Display section; 12. Posture detection section; 13. Settlement processing section; 20. Raw material delivery device; 21. Raw material container; 211, 212. Raw material storage area; 22. Delivery drive unit; 221. Delivery motor; 222. First auger; 223. Second auger Rotary drill; 231, feed outlet; 30, extraction mechanism; 31, extraction section; 31b, hot water supply port; 32, filtration section; 321, filter bottom; 323, inlet; 36, extraction motor; 40, main body of transfer mechanism; 41, lower arm; 42, upper arm; 43, conveying shaft; 50, tray; 50a, lifting drive; 52, drip tray; 61, base; 62, rear wall; 63, top wall; 64, door opening and closing mechanism; 65, opening and closing door; 100, control section; C, cup. Detailed Implementation

[0068] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the beverage dispensing device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0069] <Overview of the structure of the beverage dispensing device>

[0070] The general structure of the beverage dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figures 1-3 Each of the embodiments of the beverage supply device of the present invention is represented separately. Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional drawing showing the external structure. Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional diagram showing the internal structure. Figure 3 It is a block diagram that schematically represents a characteristic control system.

[0071] The beverage serving device 1 illustrated here is located indoors, such as in a shop, and includes a main body 2. The main body 2 is configured to include a main cabinet 3 and a front door 4.

[0072] The main cabinet 3 is box-shaped, with the lower part 3a of the front surface protruding forward more than the upper part 3b of the front surface. An opening (not shown) is formed in the lower part 3a of the front surface of the main cabinet 3. The front door 4 is a door with a size sufficient to close the opening (not shown) of the lower part 3a of the front surface of the main cabinet 3. The front door 4 is pivotally mounted on the main cabinet 3 to open and close the opening. That is, the upper part 3b of the front surface of the main cabinet 3 constitutes the upper part of the front surface of the device body 2, and the front door 4 constitutes the lower part of the front surface of the device body 2.

[0073] The main body 2 of such a device includes an operation unit 10A, a beverage generation unit 10B, a cup conveying mechanism 10C, a lifting mechanism 10D, a beverage supply unit 10E, and a control unit 100.

[0074] The operation unit 10A is located on the upper part of the front surface of the device body 2. This operation unit 10A is used to provide operation to the user H (refer to...). Figure 4 You can perform input operations such as selecting products.

[0075] The beverage generation unit 10B is located inside the main body 2 of the device, and generates a beverage by extracting it from raw materials and hot water. The cup conveying mechanism 10C is located inside the main body 2, and receives a cup C (see reference 10C) from the cup receiving unit 7. Figure 20 (etc.) is transported to the predetermined beverage input position. Here, the beverage input position is the position where the beverage generated in the beverage generation unit 10B will be input.

[0076] A lifting mechanism 10D is located inside the main body 2 of the device. This lifting mechanism 10D raises and lowers a cup C containing a beverage placed in the beverage dispensing position, placing it on the tray 50, causing the cup C to rise and move towards the beverage supply unit 10E. The beverage supply unit 10E is located on the upper part of the front surface of the main body 2 of the device. The beverage supply unit 10E supplies the cup C, containing a beverage, raised by the lifting mechanism 10D, to the user H.

[0077] The control unit 100 is electrically connected to each part constituting the beverage supply device 1, particularly the operation unit 10A, the beverage generation unit 10B, the cup conveying mechanism 10C, the lifting mechanism 10D, and the beverage supply unit 10E. The control unit 100 uniformly controls the operation of the beverage supply device 1 according to the programs and data stored in the storage unit 110, which is also electrically connected.

[0078] In addition, the control unit 100 can be implemented by a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) to execute programs, i.e., by software, or by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit), or by both software and hardware.

[0079] In this beverage dispensing device 1, when a product is selected via the operation unit 10A, the beverage generating unit 10B generates a beverage corresponding to the selected product. Then, in the beverage dispensing device 1, a cup C is conveyed to the beverage dispensing position by the cup conveying mechanism 10C, where the beverage generated by the beverage generating unit 10B is dispensed into the cup C. Next, in the beverage dispensing device 1, the cup C is raised and moved to the beverage dispensing unit 10E by the lifting mechanism 10D, through which the beverage dispensing unit 10E supplies the beverage to the user H in the state of being dispensed into the cup C.

[0080] The following descriptions will cover the operation unit 10A, the beverage generation unit 10B, the cup conveying mechanism 10C, the lifting mechanism 10D, and the beverage supply unit 10E.

[0081] <Operating Unit>

[0082] The operation unit 10A is configured to include a display unit 11, a posture detection unit 12, and a settlement processing unit 13.

[0083] The display unit 11, for example, is composed of a liquid crystal touch panel, which displays various information in response to instructions given from the control unit 100, and is capable of performing input operations such as touch operations. When an input operation such as a touch operation is performed, the display unit 11 sends the intention of the input operation to the control unit 100.

[0084] The posture detection unit 12 is disposed on the upper part 3b of the front surface 3 of the main cabinet 3, at the upper edge of the display unit 11. The posture detection unit 12 detects its own detection area S1 (refer to...). Figure 4 The user H's action information (hand movements, etc.) is sent to the control unit 100.

[0085] like Figure 4 As shown, the posture detection unit 12 is arranged such that the entire area of ​​the detection area S1 is disposed in the front area of ​​the display unit 11 and is inclined in a state where the detection area S1 faces the lower front side. More specifically, it is arranged in a state where the rearmost part of the detection area S1 is close to the front surface of the display unit 11.

[0086] Therefore, the operation area S3 formed at the intersection of the detection area S1 and the user H's field of view area S2 relative to the display unit 11 can be brought close to the display unit 11, and the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the operation area S3 can be made approximately the area of ​​the display unit 11.

[0087] Furthermore, the upper part 3b of the front surface of the main cabinet 3, which is equipped with the display unit 11 and the posture detection unit 12, is formed in a portion that is recessed to the rearward side compared to the lower part 3a of the front surface. Therefore, as Figure 4As shown, the display unit 11 and the posture detection unit 12 can ensure that the separation distance between them and the lower part of the front surface of the device body 2 is dimension L1 as much as possible. In this regard, the separation distance between the display unit 11 and the posture detection unit 12 and the user H is obtained by adding dimension L1 to the front-to-back dimension L2 that is necessarily formed between the beverage dispensing device 1 and the user H.

[0088] The settlement processing unit 13 is located on the left side below the display unit 11 in the upper front surface 3b of the device body 2. When the settlement processing unit 13 holds a recording medium such as a card or mobile terminal device for storing electronic currency information in its settlement area, it performs subtraction processing between the settlement processing unit 13 and the recording medium. After performing subtraction processing with the recording medium, the settlement processing unit 13 sends a signal indicating that the settlement processing is complete to the control unit 100.

[0089] The following describes the input operations performed on the operating unit 10A, which has such a structure. For example... Figure 5 As shown in (a), the control unit 100 causes the display unit 11 to display selection buttons 11a to 11d for selectable products (product "A", product "B", product "C", product "D"), and displays the text "Please select product" 11e.

[0090] Based on the motion information detected by the posture detection unit 12, the control unit 100 moves a pointer (not shown) on the screen of the display unit 11. When the pointer moves to the selection button 11a for product "A", it indicates that the selection button 11a for product "A" has been temporarily selected. Figure 5 As shown in (b), the selection button 11a for product “A” is displayed in a state corresponding to temporary selection, and the text “Selecting 'A'” is displayed 11f.

[0091] Thus, if the control unit 100 displays the selection button 11a for product "A" in a state corresponding to a temporary selection, and a predetermined time (e.g., about 2 seconds) has elapsed, the selection button 11a for product "A" is considered to have been officially selected. Figure 5 As shown in (c), the selection button 11a for product "A" is displayed in the state corresponding to the formal selection, and the text "Please swipe card" is displayed, requiring the recording medium to be kept in the settlement area of ​​the settlement processing unit 13.

[0092] Here, even if the control unit 100 displays the selection button 11a for product "A" in the state corresponding to the formal selection, if the user H touches the selection buttons 11b-11d for products other than product "A", the control unit 100 will prioritize the touch operation and display the selection buttons 11b-11d for the touched product in the state corresponding to the formal selection. That is, even if any selection button 11a-11d is displayed in the state corresponding to the formal selection, if other selection buttons 11a-11d are subsequently touched, the control unit 100 will also set the touch operation as a valid touch operation and change the displayed selection button 11a-11d corresponding to the formal selection. In this way, compared with the input operation via the posture detection unit 12, the control unit 100 prioritizes touch operations on the display unit 11, and even if any selection button 11a-11d is displayed in the state corresponding to the formal selection, the selection button 11a-11d can still be changed.

[0093] Then, when the control unit 100 inputs a signal indicating that the settlement process has been completed by the settlement processing unit 13, it sets the selection buttons 11a to 11d that are displayed corresponding to the formal selection as the actual selection buttons. The beverage generation unit 10B generates beverages corresponding to the selection buttons 11a to 11d, and the cup conveying mechanism 10C conveys the cup C to the beverage dispensing position. Then, the beverage supply unit 10E supplies the beverage in the state of dispensing it into the cup C.

[0094] According to the beverage dispensing device 1 equipped with such an operation unit 10A, the posture detection unit 12 is arranged in an inclined state such that the entire area of ​​the detection area S1 is arranged in front of the display unit 11. Therefore, the operation area S3 can be brought close to the display unit 11, and the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the operation area S3 are approximately the area of ​​the display unit 11, so that non-contact input operation can be easily performed on the display unit 11.

[0095] Furthermore, according to the beverage dispensing device 1 described above, the front surface of the device body 2 is formed in a state where the upper part is recessed to the rearward side than the lower part. The display unit 11 and the posture detection unit 12 are disposed on the upper part of the front surface of the device body 2. Therefore, the separation distance between the display unit 11 and the posture detection unit 12 and the user H can be increased by adding a dimension L1. As a result, the operating area S3 can be set to a sufficiently large area to absorb the size of the user H's height and the change of the field of view area S2, thereby improving the non-contact operation feel of the display unit 11.

[0096] According to the beverage dispensing device 1 described above, the control unit 100 prioritizes touch operation on the display unit 11 over input operation via the posture detection unit 12. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the misselection of products when both input operation via the posture detection unit 12 and touch operation on the display unit 11 are performed simultaneously.

[0097] <Beverage Production Department>

[0098] The beverage production unit 10B is configured to include a raw material feeding device 20 and an extraction mechanism 30.

[0099] Raw material delivery device

[0100] Figures 6-8 These represent the raw material feeding device 20, Figure 6 and Figure 7 It is a three-dimensional drawing showing the external structure. Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional side view showing the internal structure. Additionally, regarding the raw material delivery device 20, along... Figure 2 The directions indicated are explained.

[0101] The raw material delivery device 20 is configured to include a raw material container 21 and a delivery drive unit 22. The raw material container 21 is a rectangular box with openings 21a and 21b on its upper and lower surfaces. The upper surface opening 21a of the raw material container 21 is closed by a cover 23a, and the lower surface opening 21b is closed by a guide bottom 23b. Furthermore, the upper portion of the raw material container 21... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cover 23a is exposed through a through hole (not shown) formed in the top plate 3c of the main cabinet 3.

[0102] Inside the raw material container 21, two raw material storage areas 211 and 212 are divided by a partition 21c extending vertically. These raw material storage areas 211 and 212 store the same or different types of raw materials and are connected to an outlet 231 formed at the bottom guide 23b.

[0103] That is, two raw material storage areas 211 and 212 that store raw materials in the raw material container 21 are formed inside in a state of being divided from each other, and a common outlet 231 for the raw materials stored in the two raw material storage areas 211 and 212 is formed in the lower part.

[0104] Additionally, reference numeral 232 in the figure refers to the raw material chute. The raw material chute 232 is used to guide the raw material delivered from the outlet 231 to the extraction mechanism 30.

[0105] The delivery drive unit 22 is located inside the raw material container 21 and is a passage connecting the two raw material storage areas 211 and 212 with the delivery outlet 231. Figure 9 and Figure 10 They are shown respectively Figure 8 The output drive unit 22 shown is... Figure 9 It is a 3D image. Figure 10 To decompose the 3D diagram. Also, as shown below. Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the delivery drive unit 22 is configured to include a delivery motor 221, a first auger 222, and a second auger 223.

[0106] The delivery motor 221 serves as the drive source for the delivery drive unit 22 and is connected to the shaft 225, which extends in the front-rear direction, via the connector 224. The delivery motor 221 is driven in response to commands given from the control unit 100 and can rotate in both directions. More specifically, the delivery motor 221 rotates in the forward direction when a forward drive command is given from the control unit 100, causing the shaft 225 to rotate about its central axis in one direction; and it rotates in the reverse direction when a reverse drive command is given from the control unit 100, causing the shaft 225 to rotate about its central axis in the other direction.

[0107] The first auger drill 222 is a long strip-shaped component whose longitudinal direction is the same as its length, and its longitudinal length is less than half the total length of the shaft 225. The first auger drill 222 has a first rod portion 222a and a first cutting edge portion 222b.

[0108] The first rod portion 222a is formed into a cylindrical shape in which the outer diameter gradually decreases as it moves toward the rear. The first cutting edge portion 222b extends in a spiral shape along the central axis of the first cutting edge portion 222b in a manner that protrudes radially outward from the outer periphery of the first rod portion 222a.

[0109] With the first auger 222 having its first rod portion 222a penetrated by the shaft 225, it is connected to the shaft 225 via the first transmission member 226. The first transmission member 226 is, for example, a one-way clutch, which transmits the rotational driving force of the shaft 225 in one direction to the first auger 222, while not transmitting the rotational driving force of the shaft 225 in the other direction to the first auger 222.

[0110] The second auger 223 is a long strip-shaped component whose longitudinal direction is the same as its length, and its longitudinal length is less than half the total length of the shaft 225. The second auger 223 has a second rod portion 223a and a second cutting edge portion 223b.

[0111] The second rod portion 223a is formed into a cylindrical shape in which the outer diameter gradually decreases as it moves forward. The second cutting edge portion 223b extends spirally along the central axis of the second cutting edge portion 223b in a manner that protrudes radially outward from the outer periphery of the second rod portion 223a.

[0112] The second auger 223 is positioned rearward than the first auger 222, with the second rod portion 223a penetrated by the shaft 225, and is connected to the shaft 225 via the second transmission member 227. The second transmission member 227 is, for example, a one-way clutch, which transmits the rotational driving force of the shaft 225 in another direction to the second auger 223, while not transmitting the rotational driving force of the shaft 225 in one direction to the second auger 223.

[0113] The delivery drive unit 22 is configured with the first auger 222 facing the front material receiving area 211 and the second auger 223 facing the rear material receiving area 212, and is penetrated by the shaft 225. Moreover, the outer diameter of the first auger 222 gradually decreases as the first rod portion 222a approaches the delivery outlet 231, and the outer diameter of the second auger 223 gradually decreases as the second rod portion 223a approaches the delivery outlet 231.

[0114] In the raw material feeding device 20 with this structure, when the feeding drive unit 22 is driven in the forward direction by the feeding motor 221, only the first auger 222 rotates in one direction along with the shaft 225 about the central axis of the shaft 225. This causes the raw material constrained between the spacing of the first cutting edges 222b, i.e., the raw material stored in the front-side raw material storage area 211, to be fed towards the feeding outlet 231, and then discharged from the feeding outlet 231. Conversely, when the feeding drive unit 22 is driven in the reverse direction by the feeding motor 221, only the second auger 223 rotates in the other direction along with the shaft 225 about the central axis of the shaft 225. This causes the raw material constrained between the spacing of the second cutting edges 223b, i.e., the raw material stored in the rear-side raw material storage area 212, to be fed towards the feeding outlet 231, and then discharged from the feeding outlet 231.

[0115] As explained above, the raw material delivery device 20 has two separate raw material storage areas 211 and 212 formed in the raw material container 21. When the delivery motor 221 is driven in the forward direction, only the first auger 222 rotates in one direction along with the shaft 225 about its central axis. Therefore, the raw material stored in the front raw material storage area 211 can be delivered from the delivery outlet 231. When the delivery motor 221 is driven in the reverse direction, only the second auger 223 rotates in the other direction along with the shaft 225 about its central axis. Therefore, the raw material stored in the rear raw material storage area 212 can be delivered from the delivery outlet 231. In this way, the delivery drive unit 22 is shared with each raw material storage area 211 and 212, thereby not only reducing the number of parts, but also achieving overall miniaturization of the device. Furthermore, when the delivery drive unit 22 is driven by the delivery motor 221 in a forward rotation, only the first auger 222 rotates; conversely, when the delivery motor 221 is driven in a reverse rotation, only the second auger 223 rotates. Therefore, when the delivery motor 221 is driven in a forward rotation, the material stored in the rear material storage area 212 is not agitated, and when the delivery motor 221 is driven in a reverse rotation, the material stored in the front material storage area 211 is not agitated. This prevents uneven distribution of material between the cutting edges (first cutting edge 222b and second cutting edge 223b) of the first auger 222 and the second auger 223, thus stabilizing the material delivery rate. Therefore, the overall device can be miniaturized, and a predetermined amount of material can be delivered efficiently.

[0116] Extraction Agency

[0117] Figure 11 and Figure 12 These represent extraction institutions 30, Figure 11 It is a three-dimensional drawing showing the external structure. Figure 12 It is an exploded 3D view. Additionally, regarding the extraction mechanism 30, along... Figure 2 The directions indicated are explained.

[0118] Should Figure 11 and Figure 12 The extraction mechanism 30 shown is located below the raw material delivery device 20 and above the residue bin 5 placed at the bottom of the main cabinet 3. The extraction mechanism 30 is configured to include an extraction section 31 and a filtration section 32.

[0119] The extraction section 31 is cylindrical with a bottom, and the extraction bottom 311, which is the bottom part, is formed into a cone shape that gradually slopes downward toward the center. An extraction port 31a is formed in the center of this extraction bottom 311. Furthermore, a hot water supply port 31b is formed on the side of the extraction section 31. This hot water supply port 31b is connected to the hot water tank 6 (see reference 6) via a hot water supply pipe (not shown). Figure 2 The hot water stored in the hot water tank 6 is supplied from the hot water supply port 31b via the hot water supply pipe.

[0120] The extraction section 31 is connected to the waste section 33 in a pair. The waste section 33 is cylindrical in shape, and its inner and outer diameters are approximately equal to the inner and outer diameters of the extraction section 31, respectively.

[0121] The filter section 32 is in the form of a bottomed cylindrical shape, such as... Figure 13 As shown, the filter bottom 321, which serves as the bottom portion, has a mesh structure. The filter section 32 is formed such that the outer diameter of the upper side portion 32a, near the opening on the upper surface, is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the extraction section 31, while the outer diameter of the lower side portion 32b gradually decreases towards the filter bottom 321. Furthermore, the outer diameter of the opening edge of the filter section 32 on the upper surface is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the opening edge of the extraction section 31 on the upper surface.

[0122] The filter section 32 has an integrally formed filter shaft-shaped portion 322 extending in the left-right direction at the opening edge of the opening on its upper surface. One end portion (right end portion) of the filter shaft-shaped portion 322 is inserted into and supported by a shaft support hole 34 formed between the extraction section 31 and the waste section 33, and the other end portion (left end portion) is connected to the extraction motor 36 via a connector mechanism 35.

[0123] The extraction motor 36 serves as the drive source for the extraction mechanism 30 and is mounted on the main body 2 of the device via a fixed metal plate 37. The extraction motor 36 is driven in response to commands given from the control unit 100 and can rotate in both directions. More specifically, when a forward drive command is given from the control unit 100, the extraction motor 36 rotates forward, causing the filter section 32 to rotate clockwise around the central axis of the filter shaft section 322 when viewed from the right. When a reverse drive command is given from the control unit 100, the extraction motor 36 rotates counterclockwise, causing the filter section 32 to rotate counterclockwise around the central axis of the filter shaft section 322 when viewed from the right.

[0124] Driven by the forward rotation of the extraction motor 36, the filter section 32, as... Figure 13 As shown, the filter section 32 is inserted into the extraction position of the hollow portion of the extraction section 31 with the opening edge of the upper surface opening abutting against the opening edge of the upper surface opening of the extraction section 31. On the other hand, the extraction motor 36 is reverse-driven, and the filter section 32 is inserted into the extraction position of the hollow portion of the extraction section 31. Figure 14 As shown, the filter section 32 is positioned in the waste position with the opening edge of the upper surface opening abutting against the opening edge of the waste section 33. That is, the filter section 32 rotates between the extraction position and the waste position driven by the extraction motor 36, and is normally positioned in the extraction position.

[0125] The connector mechanism 35 is provided with a damper (not shown) that allows the filter section 32 to idle in the event of excessive torque. This prevents excessive reaction force from acting on the extraction motor 36 after the filter section 32 is positioned in the extraction or waste position by driving the extraction motor 36 (forward or reverse drive), thereby protecting the extraction motor 36.

[0126] When the filter unit 32 is positioned in the extraction position, an inlet 323 connected to the hot water supply port 31b is formed on the upper side portion 32a. This inlet 323 is an opening for introducing hot water supplied via the hot water supply port 31b, and is provided along the tangential direction of the inner wall surface of the upper side portion 32a.

[0127] The extraction mechanism 30, with the above structure, extracts and discharges beverage as follows: With the filter section 32 in the extraction position, after the raw material from the raw material delivery device 20 is fed into the filter section 32, a predetermined amount of hot water from the hot water tank 6 is introduced through the hot water supply port 31b and the inlet port 323. The inlet port 323 is connected to the hot water supply port 31b and is arranged along the tangential direction of the upper side 32a of the filter section 32. Therefore, with the introduction of the predetermined amount of hot water, the raw material and hot water rotate along the inner wall surface of the filter section 32 due to centrifugal force, etc. Then, the extracted beverage that has passed through the bottom 321 of the filter is discharged from the extraction port 31a.

[0128] After the extracted beverage is discharged, the control unit 100 reverses the extraction motor 36, thereby rotating the filter unit 32 and positioning it in the waste position. The extracted residue from the filter unit 32 is then discharged into the residue container 5 via the waste section 33. Preferably, the control unit 100, which positions the filter unit 32 in the waste position, drives the extraction motor 36 forward to position the filter unit 32 in the extraction position, and then reverses the extraction motor 36 again to position the filter unit 32 in the waste position. This allows the extracted residue remaining in the filter unit 32 to be discharged into the residue container 5 through contact between the opening edge of the filter unit 32 and the opening edge of the upper surface opening of the waste section 33. Then, the control unit 100 drives the extraction motor 36 forward to position the filter unit 32 in the extraction position, ending the waste disposal process for the extracted residue.

[0129] As explained above, according to the beverage supply device 1, the extraction mechanism 30 constituting the beverage generation unit 10B feeds raw materials into the filtration unit 32 and introduces hot water through the hot water supply port 31b and the inlet port 323. This causes the raw materials and hot water to rotate and be discharged from the extraction port 31a to extract the beverage. Therefore, by changing the hot water inlet speed, the extraction concentration and extraction speed can be adjusted. That is, by increasing the hot water inlet speed, the rotation time between the raw materials and hot water is prolonged, thus extending the contact time between the raw materials and hot water and increasing the concentration of the extracted beverage. On the other hand, by decreasing the hot water inlet speed, the rotation time between the raw materials and hot water is shortened, thus shortening the contact time between the raw materials and hot water and increasing the extraction speed. Therefore, the extraction concentration and extraction speed can be easily adjusted.

[0130] <Cup Conveying Mechanism>

[0131] Figure 15 It means Figure 2 The diagram shows a perspective view of the cup conveying mechanism 10C inside the main body 2 of the device and its surrounding structure. Figure 15 As shown, the cup conveying mechanism 10C conveys one cup C received from the cup storage section 7 to the beverage dispensing position in the area below the cup storage section 7 that holds multiple cups C, i.e., the cup receiving position. The beverage dispensing position is above the tray 50 that constitutes the lifting mechanism 10D located on the front side of the cup conveying mechanism 10C, i.e., above the tray 50 arranged in the standby position.

[0132] Figures 16-19 They represent Figure 2 and Figure 15 The cup conveying mechanism 10C shown is... Figure 16 It is a three-dimensional drawing showing the external structure. Figure 17 and Figure 18 To decompose the 3D diagram, Figure 19 This is a longitudinal sectional view. Use it appropriately. Figures 16-19 The structure of the cup conveying mechanism 10C will be described. Furthermore, regarding the cup conveying mechanism 10C, along with... Figure 2 The directions indicated are explained.

[0133] The cup conveying mechanism 10C is configured such that the main body 40 of the conveying mechanism, the lower arm (first arm member) 41, and the upper arm (second arm member) 42 are penetrated by the conveying shaft 43. Here, the conveying shaft 43 is composed of a shaft extending in the vertical direction, with the lower end held in the lower cover 44 and the upper end held in the upper cover 45.

[0134] The main body 40 of the transfer mechanism has a transfer hole 40a with an inner diameter that is sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the conveying shaft 43 in the portion through which the transfer shaft 43 passes. The main body 40 of the transfer mechanism is equipped with a conveying motor 401 and a drive transfer cam 402 to form the transfer mechanism.

[0135] The conveyor motor 401 is the drive source for the cup conveying mechanism 10C and is driven in accordance with the instructions given from the control unit 100.

[0136] The drive transfer cam 402 is configured inside the transfer hole 40a, passing through it and being penetrated by the transport shaft 43. Driven by the transport motor 401, the drive transfer cam 402 rotates counterclockwise around the central axis of the transport shaft 43 when viewed from above. A lower drive transfer section 402a, consisting of multiple teeth, is formed on the lower surface of the drive transfer cam 402, opening towards the lower surface of the transfer hole 40a. Furthermore, an upper drive transfer section 402b, consisting of multiple teeth, is formed on the upper surface of the drive transfer cam 402, opening towards the upper surface of the transfer hole 40a.

[0137] On the lower surface of the main body 40 of the aforementioned transfer mechanism, i.e., the periphery of the lower surface opening of the transfer hole 40a, a plurality of downward protrusions 403 are formed, extending radially outward from the central axis of the transfer shaft 43. Furthermore, on the upper surface of the main body 40 of the transfer mechanism, i.e., the periphery of the upper surface opening of the transfer hole 40a, a plurality of upward protrusions 404 are formed, extending radially outward from the central axis of the transfer shaft 43.

[0138] Regarding the positional relationship between the lower protrusion 403 and the upper protrusion 404 in the main body 40 of the transmission mechanism, the lower protrusion 403 is formed at a position that is offset from the upper protrusion 404 in a clockwise direction when viewed from above.

[0139] The lower arm 41 is configured such that the lower arm base end 411, which is the base portion, is penetrated by the conveying shaft portion 43 between the main body portion 40 of the transfer mechanism and the lower cover 44. The lower arm 41 is configured to be able to rotate about the central axis of the conveying shaft portion 43.

[0140] A cylindrical lower arm transfer protrusion 412 is formed on the upper surface of the lower arm base end 411, protruding upward and having an outer diameter capable of entering the transfer hole 40a. The lower arm transfer protrusion 412 is penetrated by the transfer shaft portion 43, and a lower arm transfer portion 412a composed of multiple teeth is formed on its upper surface.

[0141] Furthermore, a lower arm protrusion 413 is formed on the upper surface of the lower arm base end 411 and on the periphery of the lower arm transmission protrusion 412, protruding upward in a manner that extends radially outward from the central axis of the transmission shaft portion 43.

[0142] The lower arm 41 has a circular plate-shaped mounting portion 415 formed at the top end of the lower arm main body 414. The lower arm main body 414 extends radially outward from the central axis of the conveying shaft portion 43 in a partial manner from the lower arm base end 411. The upper surface of the mounting portion 415 forms the mounting surface for mounting the cup C.

[0143] A lower return spring (first force application unit) 46a and a lower pressing spring 46b are sandwiched between the lower arm 41 and the lower cover 44. The lower return spring 46a applies force to the lower arm 41 toward the cup receiving position.

[0144] The lower pressing spring 46b applies force to the lower arm 41 upwards, i.e., to the main body 40 of the transmission mechanism. As a result, the lower arm transmission protrusion 412 of the lower arm 41 enters the interior of the transmission hole 40a through the opening on the lower surface of the transmission hole 40a. Moreover, when the lower arm 41 is positioned in the cup receiving position, the lower arm protrusion 413 contacts a position on the lower surface of the main body 40 of the transmission mechanism, except for the lower protrusion 403, thereby engaging the lower arm transmission part 412a with the lower drive transmission part 402a.

[0145] The upper arm 42 and the lower arm 41 together form a holding part for holding the cup C. The base end portion 421 of the upper arm, which is the base portion, is disposed between the main body 40 of the transfer mechanism and the upper cover 45, with the conveying shaft portion 43 passing through it. The upper arm 42 is configured to be able to rotate about the central axis of the conveying shaft portion 43.

[0146] A cylindrical upper arm transfer protrusion 422 is formed on the lower surface of the upper arm base end 421, protruding downward and having an outer diameter capable of entering the transfer hole 40a. The upper arm transfer protrusion 422 is penetrated by the transfer shaft portion 43, and an upper arm transfer portion 422a composed of multiple teeth is formed on its lower surface.

[0147] Furthermore, an upper arm protrusion 423 is formed on the lower surface of the upper arm base end 421 and on the periphery of the upper arm transmission protrusion 422, protruding downward in a manner that extends radially outward from the central axis of the transmission shaft portion 43.

[0148] The aforementioned upper arm 42 has a guide portion 425 formed at the top end of the upper arm main body 424, which extends radially outward from the central axis of the conveying shaft portion 43 in a partial manner from the base end 421 of the upper arm. The guide portion 425 has a generally cylindrical shape with an inner diameter larger than the maximum outer diameter of the cup C, and a slit 425a extending in the vertical direction is formed in a partial area on its side (see reference). Figure 20 The guide portion 425 is capable of surrounding the cup C placed on the mounting surface of the mounting portion 415.

[0149] Furthermore, a nozzle 47 is provided on the upper arm main body 424 via a mounting member. Although not shown, this nozzle 47 is connected to the extraction port 31a of the extraction mechanism 30 constituting the beverage generating unit 10B via a beverage supply pipe, and discharges the beverage generated by the beverage generating unit 10B. The nozzle 47 is configured such that the portion discharging the beverage faces the inside of the guide portion 425 via a slit 425a.

[0150] An upper return spring (second force application unit) 48a and an upper pressing spring 48b are sandwiched between the upper arm 42 and the upper cover 45. The upper return spring 48a applies force to the upper arm 42 toward the cup receiving position.

[0151] The upper pressing spring 48b applies force downward to the upper arm 42, i.e., to the main body 40 of the transmission mechanism. As a result, the upper arm transmission protrusion 422 of the upper arm 42 enters the interior of the transmission hole 40a through the opening on the upper surface of the transmission hole 40a. Furthermore, when the upper arm 42 is positioned in the cup receiving position, the upper arm protrusion 423 contacts a location on the upper surface of the main body 40 of the transmission mechanism, excluding the upper protrusion 404, thereby engaging the upper arm transmission part 422a with the upper drive transmission part 402b.

[0152] Such a cup conveying mechanism 10C includes a lower arm detection unit 49a and an upper arm detection unit 49b. The lower arm detection unit 49a is disposed on the lower cover 44, and outputs the intention to the control unit 100 when the lower arm 41 is positioned in the cup receiving position. The upper arm detection unit 49b is disposed on the main body 40 of the conveying mechanism, and outputs the intention to the control unit 100 when the upper arm 42 is positioned in the cup receiving position.

[0153] In the beverage supply device 1 with the above structure, the cup C can be conveyed by the cup conveying mechanism 10C as follows.

[0154] like Figure 20 As shown, when a cup C is delivered from the cup storage section 7 with the lower arm 41 and upper arm 42 positioned in the cup receiving position, the cup C is placed on the mounting section 415 of the lower arm 41, and the cup C is surrounded by the guide section 425 of the upper arm 42, thereby holding the cup C. Then, the control section 100 gives a drive command to the conveyor motor 401, thereby driving the conveyor motor 401. Driven by the conveyor motor 401, the drive transfer cam 402 is rotated counterclockwise around the central axis of the conveyor shaft section 43 when viewed from above. Thus, by driving the transfer cam 402 to rotate, the lower arm 41, which engages with the lower drive transfer section 402a of the drive transfer cam 402, is as follows: Figure 21As shown, it rotates forward against the force of the lower return spring 46a. Furthermore, the upper arm 42, which meshes with the upper drive transmission part 402b of the drive transmission cam 402, is as follows... Figure 21 As shown, it rotates forward against the force of the upper return spring 48a. Here, the rotation of the lower arm 41 and the upper arm 42 is synchronized by the engagement of the drive transmission cam 402.

[0155] When the forward-rotating lower arm 41 and upper arm 42 reach the beverage dispensing position (above the tray 50 in the standby position), as described above, since the lower protrusion 403 is formed at a position offset clockwise from the upper protrusion 404 when viewed from above, therefore, as Figure 22 As shown, the lower arm protrusion 413 causes the lower protrusion 403 to jump upward.

[0156] When the lower arm protrusion 413 causes the lower protrusion 403 to jump upward, the lower arm 41 displaces downward against the force of the lower pressing spring 46b, thereby disengaging the lower arm transmission part 412a from the lower drive transmission part 402a. Because the lower arm transmission part 412a disengages from the lower drive transmission part 402a, only the force of the lower return spring 46a acts on the lower arm 41, causing the lower arm 41 to... Figure 23 The lower arm 41 rotates rearward and is positioned to receive the cup. By rotating rearward, the mounting portion 415 moves away from the area below the guide portion 425, and the cup C placed on the mounting portion 415 is placed on the tray 50.

[0157] The control unit 100, which detects the lower arm 41 positioned at the cup receiving position via the lower arm detection unit 49a, stops the drive of the conveyor motor 401 and dispenses the beverage generated by the beverage generating unit 10B into the cup C placed on the tray 50 via the nozzle 47. When dispensing beverage into the cup C placed on the tray 50, the control unit 100... Figure 24 As shown, the cup C is preferably held by the cup holding mechanism 51 that constitutes the lifting mechanism 10D.

[0158] After the beverage is dispensed via nozzle 47, control unit 100 sends a drive command to conveyor motor 401, causing it to rotate upper arm 42 forward. Then, as... Figure 25 As shown, the upper arm protrusion 423 causes the upper protrusion 404 to jump upward.

[0159] When the upper arm protrusion 423 causes the upper protrusion 404 to jump upward, the upper arm 42 displaces upward against the force of the upper pressing spring 48b, thereby displacing the upper arm transmission part 422a from the upper drive transmission part 402b. Because the upper arm transmission part 422a displaces the upper drive transmission part 402b, only the force of the upper return spring 48a acts on the upper arm 42, and the upper arm 42... Figure 26 It rotates backward as shown and is positioned to receive the cup.

[0160] The control unit 100, which detects that the upper arm 42 is positioned at the cup receiving position via the upper arm detection unit 49b, stops the drive of the conveying motor 401, thus ending the conveying of the cup C by the cup conveying mechanism 10C.

[0161] As explained above, according to the beverage supply device 1, the cup conveying mechanism 10C transports the cup C by rotating the lower arm 41 and upper arm 42 holding the cup C around the central axis of the conveying shaft 43 between the cup receiving position and the beverage dispensing position. Therefore, as long as the space of the rotation area of ​​the lower arm 41 and upper arm 42 is ensured, the space for transporting the cup C to the beverage dispensing position can be miniaturized.

[0162] According to the beverage dispensing device 1 described above, the only drive source for conveying the cup C is the conveyor motor 401, and the resetting of the lower arm 41 and upper arm 42 relative to the cup receiving position is achieved solely through mechanical elements. Therefore, it is possible to operate both the lower arm 41 and upper arm 42 drive systems using a single conveyor motor 401, without the need for precise driving of the conveyor motor 401.

[0163] <Lifting Mechanism>

[0164] Figure 27 It means Figure 2 The diagram shows a perspective view of the external structure of the lifting mechanism 10D. Appropriate utilization of this... Figure 27 The structure of the lifting mechanism 10D will be explained. Furthermore, regarding the lifting mechanism 10D, along... Figure 2 The directions indicated are explained.

[0165] The lifting mechanism 10D illustrated here is configured to include a tray 50 and a drip tray 52. ​​The tray 50 is a generally circular plate-shaped member for placing the cup C on its upper surface, such as... Figure 28 and Figure 29 As shown, it is connected to the tray guide 53.

[0166] The tray guide 53 constitutes the lifting drive unit 50a, and is configured to move in the vertical direction while being penetrated by two guide rods 541 and 542 that extend in the vertical direction respectively.

[0167] Furthermore, the pallet guide 53 is connected to a cable 553 that is annularly stretched between a pair of upper and lower pulleys 551 and 552. The upper pulley 551 of the pair of upper and lower pulleys 551 and 552 is connected to a lifting motor 56.

[0168] The lifting motor 56 is the drive source for the lifting mechanism 10D. This lifting motor 56 is driven in response to commands given from the control unit 100 and can rotate in both directions. More specifically, when a forward drive command is given from the control unit 100, the lifting motor 56 rotates in the forward direction, causing the upper pulley 551 to rotate around the central axis in one direction, displacing the cable-like body 553 in the extending direction, and thus moving the tray guide 53 upward. On the other hand, when a reverse drive command is given from the control unit 100, the lifting motor 56 rotates in the reverse direction, causing the upper pulley 551 to rotate around the central axis in the other direction, displacing the cable-like body 553 in the other extending direction, and thus moving the tray guide 53 downward.

[0169] The tray 50 is raised and lowered by the vertical movement of the tray guide 53. Here, a tray position detection unit 57 is provided in the lifting mechanism 10D. The tray position detection unit 57 detects the position of the tray 50 based on the displacement of the cable 553, and detects the situation when the tray 50 is positioned in any of the standby position, the upper limit position, and the lower limit position, and sends this information to the control unit 100.

[0170] Here, the standby position is the position where the tray 50 is always positioned, and it is the position for dispensing the beverage generated by the beverage generating unit 10B into the cup C placed on the tray 50. The upper limit position is the position where the tray 50 is raised to its highest position, reaching the beverage supply unit 10E. The lower limit position is the position where the tray 50 is lowered to its lowest position.

[0171] Next, the connection state between tray 50 and tray guide 53 will be described. Tray guide 53, as... Figure 30 and Figure 31 As shown, the device has a guide base 531 through which guide rods 541 and 542 pass and are connected to a cable-like body 553, and a generally cylindrical guide support 532 extending to the left from the upper end of the guide base 531. A limiting flange 533 extending radially outward is formed in the middle portion of the guide support 532 in the left-right direction.

[0172] On the other hand, a pallet receiving member 58 is provided on the lower surface of the pallet 50. An insertion hollow portion 581 is formed in the pallet receiving member 58, which extends in the left-right direction and has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the guide support portion 532. In addition, a curved limiting piece 582 is formed at the right end of the insertion hollow portion 581, that is, the right end of the pallet receiving member 58, in a manner that protrudes to the right.

[0173] Such a pallet receiving member 58 is inserted from the right into the insertion hollow portion 581 via the left end portion of the guide support portion 532, and the pallet spring 59 is clamped and disposed in the guide support portion 532. The pallet spring 59 always applies a force to the pallet receiving member 58 in a clockwise direction when viewed from the left. As a result, the front end portion 582a of the limiting piece 582 of the pallet receiving member 58 abuts against the front end portion 533a of the limiting flange 533 in the guide support portion 532, thereby, as Figure 28 and Figure 29 As shown, the tray 50 is held in a state where its upper surface extends horizontally. On the other hand, the tray 50 is subjected to external forces, such as... Figure 32 As shown, it rotates about the central axis of the guide support 532 against the force of the tray spring 59 until the rear end portion 582b of the limiting piece 582 abuts against the rear end portion 533b of the limiting flange 533.

[0174] The drip tray 52 is an irregularly shaped container with openings on its upper and lower surfaces, and is fixedly mounted on the lifting drive unit 50a. The drip tray 52 is positioned above the drain bucket 8, surrounding the tray 50 which is positioned in the standby position. A rearwardly extending step 52a is formed on the front wall of the drip tray 52 (see reference). Figure 35 ).

[0175] Furthermore, when the tray position detection unit 57 detects that the tray 50 is positioned at the lower limit position, the front end of the tray 50 abuts against the step portion 52a.

[0176] In the lifting mechanism 10D with the above structure, when the cup conveying mechanism 10C delivers a beverage generated by the beverage generating unit 10B to a cup C placed on a tray 50 in a standby position, the control unit 100 drives the lifting motor 56 to rotate forward after the beverage is delivered. Figure 33 As shown, the tray 50 is raised. Then, when the tray position detection unit 57 detects that the tray 50 is positioned at the upper limit position, the control unit 100 stops driving the lifting motor 56. As a result, the cup C containing the beverage is conveyed to the beverage supply unit 10E. Then, the control unit 100 drives the lifting motor 56 in reverse to lower the tray 50, and when the tray position detection unit 57 detects that the tray 50 is positioned at the standby position, the control unit 100 stops driving the lifting motor 56.

[0177] When the power is turned on, the control unit 100 performs the following discard action. Figure 34 It means Figure 3 A flowchart showing the content of the waste handling performed by the control unit 100.

[0178] In the process of handling the abandoned operation, the control unit 100 reverses the drive of the lifting motor 56 (step S101) and determines whether the pallet position detection unit 57 has detected that the pallet 50 is positioned at the lower limit position (step S102).

[0179] When the pallet position detection unit 57 detects that the pallet 50 is positioned at the lower limit position (step S102: Yes), the control unit 100 stops the reverse drive of the lifting motor 56 (step S103). In this case, the pallet 50... Figure 35 As shown, the front end abuts against the stepped portion 52a of the drip tray 52, thereby rotating against the force of the tray spring 59 until the rear end portion of the limiting piece 582 abuts against the rear end portion of the limiting flange 533. Thus, when the cup C is placed on the tray 50, such a cup C can be discarded into the drain bucket 8 via the drip tray 52.

[0180] Then, the control unit 100 drives the lifting motor 56 to rotate forward (step S104) and determines whether the tray 50 is configured in the standby position by the tray position detection unit 57 (step S105).

[0181] When the tray position detection unit 57 detects that the tray 50 is positioned in the standby position (step S105: Yes), the control unit 100 stops the forward rotation drive of the lifting motor 56 (step S106), and then returns to the previous step to end the current process.

[0182] As explained above, according to the beverage supply device 1, when the power is turned on, the control unit 100 lowers the tray 50 and changes the posture of the tray 50, thereby performing the disposal action of discarding the cup C into the drain bucket 8. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cup C containing beverage from being left behind, thus preventing the opportunity to dispense beverage from being missed.

[0183] According to the beverage supply device 1 described above, the beverage is dispensed relative to the cup C and the cup C is discarded due to the change in posture of the tray 50 inside the drip tray 52. ​​Therefore, it is possible to suppress the beverage from scattering to the surrounding equipment and prevent the interior of the device body 2 from being contaminated.

[0184] <Beverage Supply Department>

[0185] Figure 36 and Figure 37 They are Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of the beverage supply unit 10E shown. Appropriately utilizing this... Figure 36 and Figure 37 The structure of the beverage supply unit 10E will be explained. Furthermore, regarding the beverage supply unit 10E, along... Figure 2 The directions indicated are explained.

[0186] The beverage supply unit 10E illustrated here is configured to have a base 61 with a circular guide hole 61a, a curved rear wall portion 62 erected on the base 61 and forming the rear wall of the beverage supply unit 10E, a top wall portion 63 mounted on the rear wall portion 62 and forming the top plate portion of the beverage supply unit 10E, and an opening / closing door 65 mounted on the top wall portion 63 via a door opening / closing mechanism 64.

[0187] At base 61, as Figure 38 A baffle mechanism 60 is provided to close the guide hole 61a as shown. The baffle mechanism 60 normally closes the guide hole 61a; on the other hand, as shown... Figure 39 As shown, when the cup C (a cup containing a beverage) is raised using the lifting mechanism 10D, an opening action is performed to open the guide hole 61a.

[0188] Figure 40 and Figure 41 They represent respectively Figure 36 and Figure 37 An exploded perspective view of the door opening and closing mechanism 64 is shown. Figure 40 and Figure 41 The door opening and closing mechanism 64 shown is installed on the lower surface of the top wall 63 and includes a driving force transmission part 641, a locking slider 642 and a door opening and closing detection part 643.

[0189] The drive force transmission unit 641 is constructed by connecting multiple elements and is connected to the door motor 644. The door motor 644 is the drive source for opening and closing the door 65 that constitutes the beverage supply unit 10E. The door motor 644 is driven in response to commands given from the control unit 100 and can rotate in both directions.

[0190] When the door motor 644 is driven in the forward direction, the aforementioned drive force transmission section 641 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from above; conversely, when the door motor 644 is driven in the reverse direction, the aforementioned drive force transmission section 641 rotates clockwise when viewed from above. A sliding cam 641a is formed in this drive force transmission section 641 in an upward-protruding manner. Furthermore, a door connecting shaft 641b and a door opening / closing transmission protrusion 641c are formed in the drive force transmission section 641 in a downward-protruding manner.

[0191] The locking slider 642 is oriented along its length, and is inserted from below into a rectangular opening 642a via a slider cam 641a. The locking slider 642 is connected to the drive force transmission unit 641. When the drive force transmission unit 641 rotates counter-clockwise as viewed from above (i.e., when the door motor 644 is driven in a forward direction), the locking slider 642 slides forward. Conversely, when the drive force transmission unit 641 rotates clockwise as viewed from above (i.e., when the door motor 644 is driven in a reverse direction), the locking slider 642 slides backward.

[0192] A locking member 645 is provided in such a locking slider 642. The locking member 645 has a locking shaft-like portion 645a extending in the front-rear direction. The locking member 645 is configured to be inserted into the shaft support slit 642b formed in the locking slider 642 through the locking shaft-like portion 645a, and can swing about the central axis of the locking shaft-like portion 645a. In addition, in the locking member 645, a locking portion 645b protruding downward is formed at the extended end of the portion extending to the right. The front surface, rear surface, left surface and right surface of the lower end portion of the locking portion 645b are formed with inclined surfaces in a manner that tapers downward. Such a locking member 645 has an abutment portion 645c protruding upward by cutting a portion in the flat plate portion between the locking shaft-like portion 645a and the locking portion 645b.

[0193] Such a locking member 645 abuts against the top wall portion 63 through the abutting portion 645c and acts as a leaf spring, and is exerted downward force around the central axis of the locking shaft portion 645a.

[0194] The door opening / closing detection unit 643 is a detection unit used to detect whether the door 65 is in a closed or open position. This door opening / closing detection unit 643 has two contacts 643a and 643b, one on the left and one on the right. When the right contact 643a is applied backward and the left contact 643b is applied to the right, the unit detects that the door 65 is in a closed position and outputs this signal to the control unit 100. Conversely, when the left contact 643b is applied to the left, the unit detects that the door 65 is in an open position and outputs this signal to the control unit 100.

[0195] Figure 42 It means Figure 36 and Figure 37 A perspective view of the external structure of the opening and closing door 65 is shown. Figure 42 As shown, it has an upper wall portion 651 with a generally circular shape and a curved side wall portion 652 that extends downward from a portion of the edge of the upper wall portion 651.

[0196] A cylindrical transfer protrusion 653 protruding upward is formed in the center of the upper wall portion 651. A connecting hole 653a is formed in the transfer protrusion 653 to allow the insertion of the aforementioned door connecting shaft 641b, and fan-shaped transfer protrusions 653b are formed on the upper surface at positions that are point-symmetrical with respect to the connecting hole 653a and protrude upward.

[0197] Furthermore, two L-shaped stops 654 are formed radially outward of the transmission protrusion 653 on the upper wall portion 651. Additionally, an upwardly projecting annular portion is formed on the periphery of the upper wall portion 651, and a locking edge 655a, a closing detection edge 655b, and an opening detection edge 655c are formed on this annular portion. The locking edge 655a is continuously formed with the slit portion 656 of the annular portion. The closing detection edge 655b is formed to the right of the locking edge 655a. The opening detection edge 655c is formed in front of the closing detection edge 655b.

[0198] Such an opening and closing door 65 is inserted into a connecting hole 653a via a door connecting shaft 641b, and is connected to a door opening and closing mechanism 64 in a manner that allows it to rotate about the central axis of the door connecting shaft 641b, thereby being mounted on the upper wall portion 651. Moreover, the opening and closing door 65 rotates between a closed position in which the beverage supply section 10E is not exposed by closing the front area of ​​the beverage supply section 10E, and an open position in which the beverage supply section 10E is exposed by opening the front area of ​​the beverage supply section 10E.

[0199] The opening and closing movement of the opening and closing door 65 in the beverage supply section 10E with the above structure will be explained. Figure 43 As shown, when the door 65 is in the closed position, the locking slider 642 is positioned in the locked position when slid to its rearmost position, and the locking part 645b is locked against the locking edge 655a. Thus, the door 65 remains in the closed position. At this time, the right-side contact 643a of the door opening / closing detection unit 643 is pressed backward by the locking slider 642, and the left-side contact 643b is pressed to the right by the closing detection edge 655b. The door opening / closing detection unit 643 detects that the door 65 is in the closed position and outputs an output to the control unit 100. Furthermore, as... Figure 44 As shown, an L-shaped stop 654 formed on the opening / closing door 65 abuts against the left end of a limiting protrusion 631 formed from the top wall portion 63 downwards, thereby restricting the opening / closing door 65 from rotating clockwise when viewed from above. Furthermore, when the opening / closing door 65 is in the closed position, as... Figure 45As shown in (a), the transmission protrusion 653b in the opening and closing door 65 and the door opening and closing transmission protrusion 641c in the driving force transmission part 641 are arranged with the central axis of the connecting hole 653a (door connecting shaft 641b) as the center and are offset from each other in the circumferential direction, for example, by 45°.

[0200] When the door motor 644 is driven to rotate forward by the control unit 100 from this state, such as Figure 46 As shown, the driving force transmission unit 641 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from above, thereby locking the slider 642 to slide forward. By locking the slider 642 to slide forward, as... Figure 47 As shown, when the locking slider 642 is in the released position with the slider slid to the frontmost position, the locking state between the locking part 645b and the locking edge 655a is released. By sliding the locking slider 642 forward from the locked position to the released position, the door opening / closing detection part 643 releases the state in which the right-side contact 643a is subjected to force from the rear. Therefore, even if the left-side contact 643b is pressed by the closing detection edge 655b and subjected to force to the right, the situation in which the door 65 is detected as closed can be released.

[0201] Even if the door motor 644 drives forward and the drive force transmission unit 641 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from above, causing the locking slider 642 to slide to the released position, the door 65 will not rotate until the door opening / closing transmission protrusion 641c abuts against the transmitted protrusion 653b. Then, through the rotation of the drive force transmission unit 641, as... Figure 45 As shown in (b), when the door opening / closing transmission protrusion 641c abuts against the transmission protrusion 653b, the opening / closing door 65 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above. Furthermore, as... Figure 48 As shown, the left-side contact 643b of the door opening / closing detection unit 643 is opened by the detection edge 655c, which applies force to the left. The door opening / closing detection unit 643 detects that the door 65 is in an open position and outputs this intention to the control unit 100. The control unit 100 then stops the forward rotation of the door motor 644. Thus, the door 65 remains in the open position. Furthermore, as... Figure 49 As shown, the stop 654, which is formed in another letter L shape on the opening and closing door 65, abuts against the right end of the limiting protrusion 631, thereby limiting the opening and closing door 65 from rotating counterclockwise when viewed from above.

[0202] After the door 65 is in the open position and the user H removes the cup C, when the door motor 644 is reversed by the control unit 100, the drive force transmission unit 641 rotates clockwise when viewed from above. By rotating the drive force transmission unit 641 clockwise when viewed from above, the locking slider 642 slides backward from the released position toward the locked position. Furthermore, by rotating the drive force transmission unit 641, the door 65 rotates from the open position to the closed position, provided that the door opening / closing transmission protrusion 641c abuts against the transmission protrusion 653b. In this case, before the door 65 is in the closed position, the locking slider 642 is positioned in the locked position. However, the locking member 645 of the locking slider 642 is forced downward about the central axis of the locking shaft portion 645a. Moreover, since an inclined surface is formed at the lower end of the locking portion 645b, even if the locking portion 645b comes into contact with the closing detection edge 655b, the locking member 645 can swing upward against its own force and pass over the closing detection edge 655b. Then, the locking part 645b is locked onto the locking edge 655a, the right contact 643a of the door opening and closing detection part 643 is pressed by the locking slider 642 and is forced backward, and the left contact 643b is pressed by the closing detection edge 655b and is forced to the right, thereby detecting a closed posture by the door opening and closing detection part 643. As a result, the control part 100 stops the reverse drive of the door motor 644 and puts the opening and closing door 65 in a closed posture.

[0203] As explained above, according to the beverage supply device 1, the opening and closing door 65 in the beverage supply section 10E is installed on the top wall 63 of the beverage supply section 10E via the door opening and closing mechanism 64, thereby being installed in a suspended state. Therefore, even if the cup C containing beverage is tilted, the beverage supply section 10E and the opening and closing door 65 can be easily cleaned.

[0204] In particular, the door motor 644, locking slider 642, and drive force transmission unit 641 are arranged on the upper part of the opening and closing door 65. Therefore, even if a cup C containing a beverage is poured in and spills, there is no concern about adverse effects on electrical components such as the door motor 644. The door motor 644 serves as the drive source for the opening and closing movement of the opening and closing door 65 and can rotate in both directions. The locking slider 642 is slidably disposed between a locked position that restricts the opening and closing door 65 from rotating in the opening direction when it is in a closed position and a released position that allows the opening and closing door 65 to rotate in the opening direction when it is in a closed position. The drive force transmission unit 641 transmits the driving force of the door motor 644 to the opening and closing door 65 and the locking slider 642.

[0205] Furthermore, when the door motor 644 is driven in the forward direction, the drive force transmission unit 641 slides the locking slider 642 from the locked position to the released position, causing the opening / closing door 65 to rotate in the opening direction. On the other hand, when the door motor 644 is driven in the reverse direction, the drive force transmission unit 641 slides the locking slider 642 from the released position to the locked position and causes the opening / closing door 65 to rotate in the closing direction. Therefore, when the opening / closing door 65 is opened and closed, the locking / unlocking of the opening / closing door 65 is performed mechanically, thus providing an opening / closing door 65 with high reliability.

[0206] Preferably, the opening / closing door 65 is designed such that when the guide hole 61a is open by the baffle mechanism 60, the opening / closing door 65 is restricted from rotating in the opening direction, and when the guide hole 61a is closed by the baffle mechanism 60, the opening / closing door 65 is allowed to rotate in the opening direction. This prevents the baffle mechanism 60 from opening the guide hole 61a while the opening / closing door 65 is rotating in the opening direction, thus preventing pests from entering the interior of the device body 2 or from being mischievously thrown into the trash.

[0207] <Variation Example>

[0208] The preferred implementation method has been described above, but various modifications can be made as follows.

[0209] The posture detection unit 12 is disposed on the upper edge of the display unit 11, but the posture detection unit may also be disposed at any position on the periphery of the display unit on the front surface of the device body.

[0210] Preferably, the drive force transmission section 641 is provided with a damper or other buffer member that allows it to idle in the event of excessive torque (a predetermined amount of torque) generated by the external force acting on the opening and closing door 65.

[0211] Therefore, when the rotation of the opening and closing door 65 stops due to a foreign object during rotation, the excessive reaction force acting on the door motor 644 can be suppressed, thus protecting the door motor 644. Furthermore, by incorporating a buffer component, the opening and closing door 65 can be manually rotated.

[0212] Regarding the rotation of the opening / closing door 65 in the beverage supply unit 10E mentioned above, the rotation speed of the terminal portion of the rotation in the opening direction and the terminal portion of the rotation in the closing direction can be set to a slower speed. This allows the opening and closing action of the opening / closing door 65 to have a more sophisticated feel.

[0213] In the beverage dispensing device 1 described above, beverage is dispensed into a cup C stored in the cup storage section 7. However, in this invention, beverage can also be dispensed into a cup brought by the user H (hereinafter also referred to as a personal cup). In this case, when the personal cup is placed on the tray 50 that has risen to the beverage dispensing section 10E, the lifting mechanism 10D is used to lower the personal cup to the standby position (beverage dispensing position). However, it is preferable to use the opening and closing action of the baffle mechanism 60 to place the personal cup in the center of the tray 50 for efficient dispensing of beverages.

[0214] In the cup conveying mechanism 10C described above, the holding part is composed of the lower arm 41 and the upper arm 42. However, in this invention, the form of the holding part can be various.

Claims

1. A beverage dispensing device, configured to house the following within the main body of the device: The beverage production department produces beverages. The cup storage section is for storing cups. A cup conveying mechanism receives a cup from the cup storage section in the area below the cup storage section, i.e., the cup receiving position, and conveys the cup to the beverage dispensing position where the beverage generated by the beverage generating section is dispensed. as well as A lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the tray holding the cup at the beverage dispensing position. When the beverage is dispensed into the cup at the beverage dispensing position, the lifting mechanism raises the tray to the beverage supply section located on the main body of the device, thereby dispensing the beverage into the cup using the beverage supply section. The beverage dispensing device is characterized by the following features: The cup conveying mechanism conveys the cup by rotating the holding part that holds the cup about the central axis of the conveying shaft that extends in the vertical direction between the cup receiving position and the beverage dispensing position. The cup conveying mechanism includes: The first arm member, which constitutes the holding part, is axially supported at its base end in a manner that allows it to rotate about the central axis of the conveying shaft, and the first arm member has a mounting surface for holding the cup at its top end. The second arm member, which constitutes the holding part, is axially supported at its base end in a manner that allows it to rotate about the central axis of the conveying shaft, and the second arm member has a guide portion formed at its top end to surround the cup placed on the mounting surface. The first force-applying unit applies force to the first arm member toward the cup receiving position; The second force-applying unit applies force to the second arm member toward the cup receiving position; as well as The transfer mechanism independently engages with the first arm member and the second arm member respectively, which are positioned at the cup receiving position. When driven by the drive source of the cup conveying mechanism, namely the conveying motor, the first arm member rotates to the beverage dispensing position against the force of the first force-applying unit, and the second arm member rotates to the beverage dispensing position against the force of the second force-applying unit. The transfer mechanism disengages from the first arm member at the beverage dispensing position and places the cup on the tray, and then disengages from the second arm member.

2. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The beverage dispensing device has a control unit that, when the power is turned on, causes the lifting mechanism to discard the cup.

3. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism performs a discarding action by lowering the tray and changing its posture to discard the cup into a drain bucket located in the area below the beverage dispensing position.

Images