Beverage server

Abstract

To provide a beverage server capable of suppressing foaming when pouring out a beverage, preventing an increase in cost, and achieving a simple structure.SOLUTION: The beverage server comprises: a housing 2 that stores a beverage; and a faucet 10 attached to the housing 2. The faucet 10 includes a cylindrical faucet main body 12 which is attached to the housing 2, has a control lever 11 attached thereto for controlling pour-out of the beverage, and to which the beverage is supplied from the housing 2, and a cylindrical beverage pour-out nozzle 13 which extends from the faucet main body 12 in a direction opposite from the direction in which the control lever 11 extends, and pours out the beverage passed through the faucet main body 12. In a state where the faucet main body 12 is attached to the housing 2, an axial direction D3 of the beverage pour-out nozzle 13 is inclined relative to a vertical direction D2, when viewed along the direction in which the faucet main body 12 and the housing 2 are aligned.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a beverage server for dispensing beverages. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a beverage supply unit. The beverage supply unit includes a beer server, which has a box-shaped main body and a draft cock. The main body cools the beer inside. The draft cock has a lever for starting and stopping the beer pouring, a beer outlet, and a foam outlet. When the lever is tilted to the left, beer is poured from the beer outlet, and when the lever is tilted to the right, foam is poured from the foam outlet.

[0003] The beverage supply unit includes a beverage pipe that is attached to the draft cock and that guides beer from the draft cock to the pitcher, and a fixing clip that fixes the beverage pipe to the pitcher. The beverage pipe has a connection part that is connected to the draft cock, and the connection part is in the form of a thick pipe that can be pressed in, is difficult to come out, and has sufficient strength.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes a draft beer dispenser. The draft beer dispenser includes a beer liquid dispensing nozzle, a beer foam dispensing nozzle, a cup table on which a cup is placed, and a table lifting device for lifting and lowering the cup table. The tip of the beer liquid dispensing nozzle is bent in a dogleg shape and is disposed so as to face the inner peripheral side surface of the cup in close proximity.

[0005] In this draft beer dispenser, a cup is carried out to a cup table, and the cup table is moved from a standby position to a raised position by operating a table lifting device, and at this raised position, beer liquid is poured from a beer liquid pouring nozzle onto the inner surface of the cup. At this time, a space is formed between the tip of the beer liquid pouring nozzle and the liquid level in the cup, so the nozzle is not immersed in the liquid level in the cup.

[0006] After the beer liquid is poured onto the inner surface of the cup, the cup table is lowered to the intermediate position by operating the table lifting device, and at this intermediate position, the beer foam is poured into the inside of the cup from the beer foam pouring nozzle. After that, the cup table is lowered to the standby position by operating the table lifting device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-126912 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-95395 DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] In the above-mentioned beverage supply unit and draft beer dispenser, the beverage dispensing nozzle has a special shape, such as a dogleg. In this case, since a beverage dispensing nozzle with a special shape must be manufactured, the manufacturing cost of the beverage dispensing nozzle may be high. Furthermore, the above-mentioned draft beer dispenser requires a table lifting device for lifting and lowering a beverage container such as a cup when dispensing a beverage. Therefore, since a configuration for lifting and lowering the beverage container is necessary, it may be required to simplify the configuration.

[0009] The present disclosure aims to provide a beverage server that suppresses foaming when dispensing a beverage, prevents increases in costs, and has a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] (1) The beverage server according to the present disclosure is a beverage server that dispenses beverages into beverage containers. The beverage server includes a housing that contains a beverage and a faucet attached to the housing. The faucet is attached to the housing and has an operating lever for operating the dispensing of the beverage, and has a cylindrical faucet body through which the beverage is supplied from the housing, and a cylindrical beverage dispensing nozzle that extends from the faucet body in the opposite direction to the extension of the operating lever and dispenses the beverage that has passed through the faucet body. When the faucet body is attached to the housing, the axis of the beverage dispensing nozzle is inclined relative to the vertical direction when viewed along the direction in which the faucet body and the housing are aligned.

[0011] This beverage server includes a housing and a faucet, and the faucet is attached to the housing. The faucet has a cylindrical faucet body to which an operating lever is attached, and a cylindrical beverage dispensing nozzle that extends from the faucet body in the opposite direction to the operating lever and dispenses a beverage. The axis of the beverage dispensing nozzle is inclined with respect to the vertical direction when viewed along the direction in which the faucet body and the housing are arranged with the faucet body attached to the housing. Therefore, with the faucet body attached to the housing, the beverage is dispensed from the beverage dispensing nozzle in a direction oblique to the vertical direction. Therefore, the beverage can be dispensed not to the bottom surface or near the bottom surface of the beverage container, but to the side surface (inner surface) of the beverage container that is located higher than the vicinity of the bottom surface of the beverage container, and foaming can be suppressed by dispensing the beverage to the side surface. Both the faucet body and the beverage dispensing nozzle are cylindrical. Therefore, the shape and structure of the faucet body and the beverage dispensing nozzle can be simplified, which prevents an increase in cost and simplifies the configuration. Furthermore, by having the axis of the beverage dispensing nozzle inclined relative to the vertical direction, the need to manually adjust the position and angle of the beverage container can be reduced, and variations in dispensing from person to person can be suppressed.

[0012] (2) In the above (1), the beverage server may include a packing interposed between the housing and the faucet body. In this case, leakage of beverage from between the housing and the faucet body can be reliably prevented.

[0013] (3) In the above (2), the housing may have a first uneven portion, and the faucet body may have a second uneven portion that fits into the first uneven portion. When the second uneven portion fits into the first uneven portion, rotation of the faucet body relative to the housing about the axis of the faucet body is restricted, and the packing may be interposed between the first uneven portion and the second uneven portion. In this case, when the second uneven portion of the faucet body fits into the first uneven portion of the housing, rotation of the faucet body relative to the housing is restricted. On the other hand, when the packing is interposed between the first uneven portion and the second uneven portion, the second uneven portion does not fit into the first uneven portion, making it possible to change the rotation angle of the faucet body relative to the housing. Therefore, it is possible to change the angle of the axis of the beverage dispensing nozzle extending from the faucet body relative to the vertical direction.

[0014] (4) In the above (3), the housing may have a female screw formed on the inside of a tubular member arranged to surround the first uneven portion when viewed from the axial direction, which is the direction in which the axis of the faucet body extends. The faucet body may have a male screw into which the female screw is screwed. The faucet body may be attached to the housing by the tubular member covering the male screw and the female screw being screwed into the male screw. In this case, the faucet body can be easily attached to the housing by screwing the female screw formed on the inside of the tubular member attached to the housing into the male screw of the faucet body.

[0015] (5) In any of (1) to (4) above, the faucet may have a cylindrical foam dispensing nozzle through which the foam of the beverage that has passed through the faucet body passes, and a dispensing member that is attached to the foam dispensing nozzle and dispenses the foam that has passed through the foam dispensing nozzle. When attached to the foam dispensing nozzle, the dispensing member may extend downward toward the beverage container. In this case, because the dispensing member that dispenses the foam extends downward toward the beverage container, the impact on the liquid surface when the foam is dispensed can be reduced, thereby suppressing excess foaming.

[0016] (6) In the above (5), the pouring member may have a cylindrical portion attached to the foam pouring nozzle and a guide portion extending from the cylindrical portion and facing a side surface of the beverage container. The beverage container may be positioned relative to the pouring member by the guide portion facing the side surface of the beverage container. In this case, the pouring member has a guide portion, and the beverage container is positioned by the guide portion facing the side surface of the beverage container. Therefore, the pouring member that pours the foam can have the function of guiding the beverage container. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present disclosure, foaming during the dispensing of a beverage can be suppressed, an increase in costs can be suppressed, and the configuration can be simplified. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a beverage server and a beverage container according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the faucet body and beverage dispensing nozzle of the beverage server of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2A to 2C are diagrams showing examples of a cylindrical member and a first concave-convex portion attached to the housing of the beverage server of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 3A and 3B are diagrams showing examples of a second uneven portion of the faucet body of FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] 2 is a perspective view showing the beverage server of FIG. 1 with a dispensing member attached to the foam dispensing nozzle. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the dispensing member of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the pouring member and the beverage container of FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a beverage server according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. The drawings may be partially simplified or exaggerated for ease of understanding, and the dimensional ratios and angles are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0020] FIG 1 is a diagram showing an example beverage server 1 according to the present embodiment. The beverage server 1 dispenses a beverage D into a beverage container C. The beverage server 1 is equipped with a faucet 10. The beverage server 1 is a device installed in, for example, a restaurant, and is capable of dispensing a beverage D by operating the faucet 10 in response to a customer's order. The beverage D is, for example, a sparkling beverage.

[0021] A sparkling beverage is, for example, a gas-containing fermented alcoholic drink that contains gas such as carbon dioxide gas, and has a foaming characteristic in which a layer of foam B of the beverage D is formed on the beverage D when poured into a beverage container C, and a foam retention characteristic in which the formed foam B is maintained for a certain period of time or more. Beverage D is, for example, a beer-taste beverage. Beer-taste beverages include beverages that taste like beer and beverages that give the drinker the sensation of drinking beer. Note that beverage D may be a beverage other than a beer-taste beverage. An example in which beverage D is beer will be described below.

[0022] The beverage server 1 comprises a housing 2 for containing a beverage D, and a faucet 10 is attached to the housing 2. A beverage hose is connected to the beverage server 1, and a beverage is supplied from the beverage hose to the inside of the beverage server 1. The beverage server 1 cools the supplied beverage. As an example, the beverage server 1 is an electric instant-cooling server. For example, the beverage server 1 has a base 3 on which a beverage container C is placed, and the base 3 has a tray 4 for receiving a dropped beverage D.

[0023] Hereinafter, the direction facing the person using the beverage server 1 to dispense beverage D as viewed from the housing 2 may be referred to as the front, front side, or forward, and the direction opposite the person as viewed from the housing 2 may be referred to as the rear, rear side, or rearward. However, these directions are for convenience of explanation and do not limit the position where an object is placed, the direction in which an object is placed, etc.

[0024] The mounting table 3 and the faucet 10 are attached, for example, to the front surface 2b of the housing 2, and the mounting table 3 is detachable from the housing 2 below the faucet 10. This makes it possible to remove the mounting table 3 from the housing 2 and clean the mounting table 3. In this embodiment, "below" includes both vertically below and diagonally below.

[0025] Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the faucet 10. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the faucet 10 has an operating lever 11 that can be gripped by hand to move it, a faucet body 12 to which the operating lever 11 is attached and which is fixed to the housing 2, and a beverage dispensing nozzle 13 that extends diagonally downward from the faucet body 12. In addition, the faucet 10 has a foam dispensing nozzle 14 that is located on the opposite side (front side) of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 to the housing 2.

[0026] The operating lever 11 is movable in a direction approaching the housing 2 (rearward) and in a direction away from the housing 2 (forward). The operating lever 11 is, for example, rod-shaped. The operating lever 11 extends obliquely upward from the faucet body 12. As an example, the operating lever 11 becomes gradually thicker as it extends upward. The operating lever 11 is, for example, detachable from the faucet body 12.

[0027] The faucet body 12 is attached to the housing 2. An operating lever 11 for operating the dispensing of beverage D is attached to the faucet body 12. Beverage D is supplied to the faucet body 12 from the housing 2. The faucet body 12 is tubular (cylindrical, as an example). For example, the faucet body 12 has a tubular portion 12b from which the operating lever 11, beverage dispensing nozzle 13, and foam dispensing nozzle 14 extend, and an attachment portion 12c located at one end in the axial direction D1, which is the direction in which the axis L1 of the faucet body 12 (tubular portion 12b) extends.

[0028] For example, the mounting portion 12c has a cylindrical shape. In this case, the mounting portion 12c has an inclined surface 12d that expands in diameter from one end of the cylindrical portion 12b in the axial direction D1, and a mounting surface 12f that is located on the opposite side of the cylindrical portion 12b as viewed from the inclined surface 12d and extends along the axial direction D1. The mounting surface 12f has a male screw 12g into which the cylindrical member 5 attached to the housing 2 is screwed. The cylindrical member 5 will be described in detail later.

[0029] The beverage dispensing nozzle 13 extends from the faucet body 12 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the operating lever 11 extends. The beverage dispensing nozzle 13 dispenses the beverage D that has passed through the faucet body 12. The beverage dispensing nozzle 13 is cylindrical. The beverage dispensing nozzle 13 has a dispensing outlet 13b at its lower end for dispensing the beverage D.

[0030] For example, the diameter of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 becomes thinner toward the dispensing outlet 13b. For example, if the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 is cylindrical, the outer diameter of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 becomes smaller toward the dispensing outlet 13b. For example, the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 is linear. In this case, the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 does not have any bent portions. This allows the shape of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 to be simplified. The beverage dispensing nozzle 13 may be shaped like a truncated cone.

[0031] With the faucet body 12 attached to the housing 2, the axis L2 of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction D2 when viewed along the direction in which the faucet body 12 and the housing 2 are arranged (the front-to-rear direction). For example, the direction in which the faucet body 12 and the housing 2 are arranged is the same as the axial direction D1 of the faucet body 12.

[0032] For example, when viewed along the axial direction D1 of the faucet body 12, the operating lever 11 and the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 are aligned along the axis L2 of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13. In this case, the operating lever 11 extends from the faucet body 12 along the axial direction D3, which is the direction in which the axis L2 of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 extends.

[0033] In this embodiment, the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 is inclined in a direction (forward) away from the housing 2 and in the left-right direction (either left or right) as seen by a person dispensing the beverage D. Fig. 1 shows an example in which the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 is inclined to the left as it approaches downward when viewed along the axial direction D1.

[0034] However, when viewed along the axial direction D1, the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 may be inclined to the right as it goes downward. For example, the inclination angle θ of the axis L2 of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 with respect to the vertical direction D2 is greater than 0° and less than 50°. The inclination angle θ of the axis L2 of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 with respect to the vertical direction D2 may be greater than 10° and less than 50°. In this case, foaming of the beverage D from the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 can be more significantly suppressed compared to when the inclination angle θ is 0°. And, it becomes possible for the beverage D dispensed from the dispensing outlet 13b of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 to come into contact with the inner surface C1 of the beverage container C.

[0035] The foam dispensing nozzle 14 is located on the opposite side (front side) of the housing 2 when viewed from the beverage dispensing nozzle 13. The foam dispensing nozzle 14 extends in the opposite direction to the direction in which the operating lever 11 extends from the faucet body 12. The foam dispensing nozzle 14 is passed by the foam B of the beverage D that has passed through the faucet body 12. The foam dispensing nozzle 14 dispenses the foam B of the beverage D that has been generated inside the faucet body 12.

[0036] The foam dispensing nozzle 14 has a dispensing outlet 14b at its lower end for dispensing the foam B. For example, the foam dispensing nozzle 14 has a tubular shape (as an example, a cylindrical shape). When the faucet body 12 is attached to the housing 2, the axis of the foam dispensing nozzle 14 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction D2 when viewed along the axial direction D1.

[0037] For example, when viewed along the axial direction D1, the foam dispensing nozzle 14 is positioned to overlap with the beverage dispensing nozzle 13. Therefore, when viewed along the axial direction D1, the operating lever 11 and the foam dispensing nozzle 14 are aligned along the axis L2. For example, the foam dispensing nozzle 14 extends from the faucet body 12 in the same direction as the beverage dispensing nozzle 13. In this case, the foam dispensing nozzle 14 is inclined in the direction away from the housing 2 (forward) and in the left-right direction when viewed from the person dispensing the beverage D.

[0038] The faucet body 12 has a slide valve (not shown) that opens and closes a flow path of beverage D located inside the faucet body 12. For example, when the operating lever 11 moves forward, the slide valve moves rearward and beverage D is dispensed from beverage dispensing nozzle 13. When the operating lever 11 moves rearward, the slide valve moves forward and beverage D enters the inside of the slide valve, where beverage D is converted into foam B. The converted foam B then enters foam dispensing nozzle 14, causing foam B to be dispensed from foam dispensing nozzle 14.

[0039] Next, the mounting structure of the faucet body 12 to the housing 2 will be described in more detail. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the portion of the housing 2 to which the faucet body 12 is mounted. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the housing 2 has a cylindrical portion 2c protruding from the front surface 2b. The housing 2 has a first uneven portion 2d for engaging the faucet body 12 in the rotational direction D4. In this embodiment, the "rotational direction" refers to the direction in which a cylindrical member 5, described later, rotates around the axis L3 of the cylindrical portion 2c of the housing 2.

[0040] The first uneven portion 2d is formed on the tube portion 2c. For example, the tube portion 2c has a cylindrical shape. The tube portion 2c has, for example, a large diameter portion 2f and a small diameter portion 2g protruding from the large diameter portion 2f to the side opposite the front surface 2b. The large diameter portion 2f has a first end face 2h that is annular when viewed along the axial direction D1, and a first uneven portion 2d that protrudes from the first end face 2h to the side opposite the front surface 2b. For example, the first uneven portion 2d is formed in a region including the upper end of the tube portion 2c. As an example, the first uneven portion 2d has an annular sector shape (arch shape) when viewed along the axial direction D1.

[0041] The small diameter portion 2g has a side surface 2k extending in the axial direction D1 from the radially inner end of the first end surface 2h, and a second end surface 2p having an annular shape when viewed along the axial direction D1. A step portion is formed by the first end surface 2h, the side surface 2k, and the second end surface 2p, and a first uneven portion 2d is formed in this step portion.

[0042] The beverage server 1 has a cylindrical member 5 arranged to surround the first uneven portion 2d when viewed along the axial direction D1. The cylindrical member 5 is attached to the cylindrical portion 2c and is movable along the axial direction D1 relative to the cylindrical portion 2c. For example, the cylindrical member 5 is attached to the cylindrical portion 2c so as not to come off from the cylindrical portion 2c.

[0043] The cylindrical member 5 has a female screw 5b on the inside thereof. The cylindrical member 5 is rotatable (movable along a rotation direction D4) with respect to the cylindrical portion 2c and the faucet body 12. For example, the cylindrical member 5 is located radially outside the first uneven portion 2d and radially outside the second uneven portion 12j described below. That is, the cylindrical member 5 is disposed so as to cover the first uneven portion 2d and the second uneven portion 12j. More specifically, when the cylindrical member 5 moves toward the housing 2, it does not cover the first uneven portion 2d and the second uneven portion 12j, and when it moves away from the housing 2, it covers the first uneven portion 2d and the second uneven portion 12j.

[0044] The faucet body 12 is attached to the housing 2 via the cylindrical member 5 by the female screw 5b screwing (screwing) into the male screw 12g as the cylindrical member 5 rotates. For example, the cylindrical member 5 has a plurality of protrusions 5d extending in the axial direction D1 and aligned in the rotational direction D4. The plurality of protrusions 5d can prevent fingers from slipping when rotating the cylindrical member 5 with their fingers.

[0045] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the mounting portion 12c of the faucet body 12. As shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, the mounting portion 12c has an end face 12h that faces the cylindrical portion 2c when the faucet body 12 is attached to the housing 2, and a second uneven portion 12j that is recessed in the end face 12h along the axial direction D1.

[0046] The second uneven portion 12j engages with the first uneven portion 2d of the housing 2 in the rotation direction D4. As an example, when viewed along the axial direction D1, the second uneven portion 12j has an annular sector shape (arch shape). Thus, the faucet body 12 has the second uneven portion 12j that fits into the first uneven portion 2d. When the second uneven portion 12j fits into the first uneven portion 2d, the rotation of the faucet body 12 with respect to the housing 2 about the axis L1 of the faucet body 12 (movement in the rotation direction D4) is restricted. For example, when the faucet body 12 is attached to the housing 2, the axis L1 of the faucet body 12 coincides with the axis L3 of the cylindrical portion 2c.

[0047] For example, beverage server 1 includes a packing 20 located between housing 2 and faucet body 12. Packing 20 is provided to prevent beverage D from leaking between housing 2 and faucet body 12, and to release the restriction on rotation of faucet body 12 relative to housing 2.

[0048] That is, the packing 20 is interposed between the first uneven portion 2d and the second uneven portion 12j, and the first uneven portion 2d does not fit into the second uneven portion 12j, thereby making it possible to change the position of the faucet body 12 in the rotational direction D4 relative to the housing 2. For example, the packing 20 has an annular shape (for example, a circular ring shape). The packing 20 is made of an elastic member. For example, the packing 20 is made of rubber.

[0049] By adjusting the position of the rotation direction D4 of the faucet body 12 relative to the housing 2, it is possible to adjust the direction of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 (the extension direction of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13) when viewed along the axial direction D1. With the direction of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 adjusted, the female screw 5b of the cylindrical member 5 is screwed into the male screw 12g, making it possible to attach the faucet body 12 to the housing 2 with the direction of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 changed. In Fig. 1, the faucet body 12 is attached to the housing 2 with the direction of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 tilted by an inclination angle θ with respect to the vertical direction D2.

[0050] As shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7, the beverage server 1 includes a dispensing member 30 attached to the foam dispensing nozzle 14. The dispensing member 30 dispenses the foam B that has passed through the foam dispensing nozzle 14. For example, the dispensing member 30 is detachable from the foam dispensing nozzle 14.

[0051] The dispensing member 30 has a cylindrical portion 31 that is attached to the foam dispensing nozzle 14 and dispensing the foam B that has passed through the foam dispensing nozzle 14, and a guide portion 32 that extends from the cylindrical portion 31 and faces the side surface C2 of the beverage container C. The cylindrical portion 31 is provided to extend the flow path of the foam B from the foam dispensing nozzle 14 toward the beverage container C. The guide portion 32 is provided to position the beverage container C placed below the foam dispensing nozzle 14.

[0052] For example, the cylindrical portion 31 has a fitting portion 31b that fits into the outlet 14b of the foam dispensing nozzle 14, and an extension portion 31c that extends downward from the foam dispensing nozzle 14 along an extension line of the foam dispensing nozzle 14 from the fitting portion 31b. The extension portion 31c has an outlet 31d for dispensing the foam B at the end of the cylindrical portion 31 opposite the fitting portion 31b.

[0053] The guide portion 32 has, for example, a first plate-shaped portion 32b, a second plate-shaped portion 32c, and a third plate-shaped portion 32d. The first plate-shaped portion 32b protrudes from the extending portion 31c, and the second plate-shaped portion 32c is bent relative to the first plate-shaped portion 32b at an end portion of the first plate-shaped portion 32b opposite the extending portion 31c. The third plate-shaped portion 32d is bent relative to the second plate-shaped portion 32c at an end portion of the second plate-shaped portion 32c opposite the first plate-shaped portion 32b.

[0054] For example, the first plate-shaped portion 32b protrudes from the extending portion 31c in a direction perpendicular to the extending portion 31c. The second plate-shaped portion 32c is bent obliquely relative to the first plate-shaped portion 32b. The first plate-shaped portion 32b has, for example, a through hole 32g through which the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 passes. In this case, the dispensing member 30 is attached to the foam dispensing nozzle 14 with the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 passing through the through hole 32g of the guide portion 32.

[0055] The third plate-shaped portion 32d extends obliquely downward from the second plate-shaped portion 32c. The third plate-shaped portion 32d has an opposing surface 32f that faces the side surface C2 of the beverage container C, and the opposing surface 32f extends obliquely with respect to the vertical direction D2 so as to follow the side surface C2. By disposing the beverage container C under the pouring member 30 so that the opposing surface 32f faces the side surface C2 of the beverage container C, it is possible to position the pouring member 30 relative to the beverage server 1.

[0056] Next, the effects and advantages obtained from the beverage server 1 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the beverage server 1 includes a housing 2 and a faucet 10, and the faucet 10 is attached to the housing 2. The faucet 10 has a cylindrical faucet body 12 to which an operating lever 11 is attached, and a cylindrical beverage dispensing nozzle 13 that extends from the faucet body 12 in the opposite direction to the operating lever 11 and dispenses a beverage D. When the faucet body 12 is attached to the housing 2 and viewed along the direction in which the faucet body 12 and the housing 2 are aligned (axial direction D1), the axis L2 of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction D2.

[0057] Therefore, when the faucet body 12 is attached to the housing 2, the beverage D is dispensed from the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 in a direction oblique to the vertical direction D2. Therefore, the beverage D can be dispensed not to the bottom surface or near the bottom surface of the beverage container C, but to the side surface (inner surface) of the beverage container C that is located higher than near the bottom surface of the beverage container C. By dispensing the beverage D to the side surface, foaming can be suppressed.

[0058] In this embodiment, the beverage D can be dispensed onto the inner surface C1 of the beverage container C without tilting the beverage container C (for example, even if the beverage container C is left as is). Therefore, there is no need to tilt the beverage container C, and the function of an automatic server that automatically tilts the beverage container C can be eliminated. It is also possible to eliminate the need for a lifting device that raises and lowers the mounting base 3 on which the beverage container C is placed. Both the faucet body 12 and the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 are cylindrical. Therefore, the shape and structure of the faucet body 12 and the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 can be simplified, which prevents an increase in cost and simplifies the configuration. Furthermore, since the axis L2 of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction D2, the need to manually adjust the position and angle of the beverage container C can be reduced, and variations in dispensing depending on the person can be suppressed.

[0059] In this embodiment, the beverage server 1 includes a packing 20 interposed between the housing 2 and the faucet body 12. In this case, leakage of the beverage D from between the housing 2 and the faucet body 12 can be reliably prevented.

[0060] In this embodiment, the housing 2 may have a first uneven portion 2d, and the faucet body 12 has a second uneven portion 12j that fits into the first uneven portion 2d. When the second uneven portion 12j fits into the first uneven portion 2d, the rotation of the faucet body 12 with respect to the housing 2 about the axis L1 of the faucet body 12 is restricted, and the packing 20 is interposed between the first uneven portion 2d and the second uneven portion 12j. In this case, when the second uneven portion 12j of the faucet body 12 fits into the first uneven portion 2d of the housing 2, the rotation of the faucet body 12 with respect to the housing 2 is restricted. On the other hand, when the packing 20 is interposed between the first uneven portion 2d and the second uneven portion 12j, the second uneven portion 12j does not fit into the first uneven portion 2d, so that the rotation angle of the faucet body 12 with respect to the housing 2 can be changed. Therefore, the inclination angle θ of the axis L2 of the beverage dispensing nozzle 13 extending from the faucet body 12 with respect to the axial direction D1 can be made variable.

[0061] In this embodiment, the housing 2 has a female screw 5b formed on the inside of the tubular member 5 arranged to surround the first uneven portion 2d when viewed from the axial direction D1, which is the direction in which the axial direction D1 of the faucet body 12 extends. The faucet body 12 has a male screw 12g into which the female screw 5b is screwed. The faucet body 12 is attached to the housing 2 by the tubular member 5 covering the male screw 12g and the female screw 5b being screwed into the male screw 12g. In this case, the faucet body 12 can be easily attached to the housing 2 by screwing the female screw 5b formed on the inside of the tubular member 5 attached to the housing 2 into the male screw 12g of the faucet body 12.

[0062] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, the faucet 10 has a cylindrical foam dispensing nozzle 14 through which the foam B of the beverage D passes after passing through the faucet body 12, and a dispensing member 30 that is attached to the foam dispensing nozzle 14 and dispenses the foam B that has passed through the foam dispensing nozzle 14. When attached to the foam dispensing nozzle 14, the dispensing member 30 extends downward toward the beverage container C. In this case, because the dispensing member 30 that dispenses the foam B extends downward toward the beverage container C, the impact on the liquid surface when the foam B is dispensed can be reduced, thereby suppressing excess foaming.

[0063] In this embodiment, the pouring member 30 has a cylindrical portion 31 attached to the foam pouring nozzle 14, and a guide portion 32 extending from the cylindrical portion 31 and facing the side surface C2 of the beverage container C. The beverage container C is positioned relative to the pouring member 30 by the guide portion 32 facing the side surface C2 of the beverage container C. In this case, the pouring member 30 has the guide portion 32, and the beverage container C is positioned by the guide portion 32 facing the side surface C2 of the beverage container C. Therefore, the pouring member 30 that pours the foam B can be given the function of guiding the beverage container C.

[0064] The embodiment of the beverage server according to the present disclosure has been described above. However, the beverage server according to the present disclosure is not limited to the contents of the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be modified within the scope of the gist described in the claims. In other words, the configuration, shape, size, material, number and arrangement of each part of the beverage server according to the present disclosure can be appropriately changed within the scope of the above gist.

[0065] For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the pouring member 30 is provided with the guide portion 32 having the first plate-shaped portion 32b, the second plate-shaped portion 32c, and the third plate-shaped portion 32d. However, the shape of the guide portion is not limited to the above-mentioned guide portion 32 and can be changed as appropriate. In addition, the pouring member may not have a guide portion. Furthermore, the beverage server may not have a pouring member.

[0066] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the beverage server 1 includes the tubular member 5 having the female screw 5b and the faucet body 12, and the faucet body 12 is attached to the housing 2 by screwing the male screw 12g of the faucet body 12 with the female screw 5b of the tubular member 5. However, the structure for attaching the faucet body 12 to the housing 2 is not limited to the above-described female screw 5b and male screw 12g, and can be changed as appropriate.

[0067] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the housing 2 has the first uneven portion 2d, and the faucet body 12 has the second uneven portion 12j that engages with the first uneven portion 2d in the rotation direction D4. However, the housing may not have the first uneven portion 2d, and the faucet body may not have the second uneven portion 12j.

[0068] In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example in which a packing 20 is provided between the faucet body 12 and the housing 2 has been described. However, the beverage server may not have the packing 20. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a beverage server 1 that dispenses a beverage D, which is beer, has been described. However, the type of beverage dispensed by the beverage server may be a beverage other than beer, and the beverage server according to the present disclosure is also applicable to sparkling beverages other than beer and beverages other than sparkling beverages. As a specific example, the beverage may be a sparkling beer, non-alcoholic beer, chuhai, sour, highball, RTD (Ready To Drink), cola, soda, cider, or the like, having a foam retention characteristic. The beverage may be a liquid that does not have a foam retention characteristic. In this case, the beverage server may not have a foam nozzle.

[0069] Next, an embodiment of the beverage server will be described. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. In the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, an experiment was conducted to measure foaming of a beverage D dispensed into a beverage container C by changing the inclination angle θ of the axis L2 of the beverage dispense nozzle 13 with respect to the vertical direction D2 when viewed along the axial direction D1.

[0070] In the examples, the inclination angle θ was measured using a dial slant rule with a quick step scale (manufactured by Niigata Seiki Co., Ltd.). In this experiment, beverage D was poured into beverage container C while changing the inclination angle θ from 0° in increments of 5°, and foaming in beverage container C at that time was measured. The inclination angle θ was in the range of 0° to 50°, and pouring was performed three times at each angle. The results of the experiment are shown in Table 1 below. [Table 1]

[0071] The numbers under "1st", "2nd", and "3rd" in Table 1 indicate the height of the foam (unit: mm) after pouring. As shown in Table 1, when the inclination angle θ was 5° or more, the foaming could be suppressed to 10 mm or less. That is, when the inclination angle θ was 0°, the foaming was 10 mm or more for all three pours, but when the inclination angle θ was 5° or more, the foaming could be suppressed to 7 mm or less for at least two pours. Furthermore, when the inclination angle θ was 10° or more and 50° or less, the maximum foaming value could be suppressed to 7 mm or less for three pours. Thus, it was found that when the inclination angle θ was 10° or more and 50° or less, the foaming could be suppressed even more than when the inclination angle θ was 5°. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1...beverage server, 2...casing, 2b...front surface, 2c...tubular portion, 2d...first uneven portion, 2f...large diameter portion, 2g...small diameter portion, 2h...first end surface, 2k...side surface, 2p...second end surface, 3...mounting base, 4...tray, 5...tubular member, 5b...female screw, 5d...projection portion, 10...faucet, 11...operating lever, 12b...tubular portion, 12c...mounting portion, 12d...inclined surface, 12f...mounting surface, 12g...male screw, 12h...end surface, 12j...second uneven portion, 13...beverage dispensing nozzle, 13b...spout, 14... Foam pouring nozzle, 14b...pouring outlet, 20...gasket, 30...pouring member, 31...cylindrical portion, 31b...fitting portion, 31c...extension portion, 31d...pouring outlet, 32...guide portion, 32b...first plate-shaped portion, 32c...second plate-shaped portion, 32d...third plate-shaped portion, 32f...opposing surface, 32g...through hole, B...foam, C...beverage container, C1...inner surface, C2...side surface, D...beverage, D1...axial direction, D2...vertical direction, D3...axial direction, D4...rotational direction, L1,L2,L3...axis, θ...tilt angle.

Claims

1. A beverage server for dispensing beverages into beverage containers, A housing for containing the beverage; A faucet attached to the housing; and Equipped with The Karan a cylindrical faucet body attached to the housing and having an operating lever for operating the pouring of the beverage attached thereto, and through which the beverage is supplied from the housing; a cylindrical beverage dispensing nozzle extending from the faucet body in a direction opposite to the direction in which the operating lever extends and dispensing the beverage that has passed through the faucet body; having When the faucet body is attached to the housing, the axis of the beverage dispensing nozzle is inclined with respect to the vertical direction when viewed along the direction in which the faucet body and the housing are arranged. Beverage server.

2. A packing is provided between the housing and the faucet body. The beverage server according to claim 1.

3. The housing has a first uneven portion, The faucet body has a second uneven portion that fits into the first uneven portion, When the second concave-convex portion is fitted to the first concave-convex portion, rotation of the faucet body relative to the housing about an axis of the faucet body is restricted, The packing is interposed between the first uneven portion and the second uneven portion. The beverage server according to claim 2.

4. The housing has a female screw formed on the inside of a cylindrical member arranged to surround the first uneven portion when viewed from an axial direction that is a direction in which an axis of the faucet body extends, The faucet body has a male screw into which the female screw is screwed, The faucet body is attached to the housing by the cylindrical member covering the male screw and the female screw being screwed into the male screw. The beverage server according to claim 3.

5. The Karan a cylindrical foam injection nozzle through which the foam of the beverage that has passed through the faucet body passes; a dispensing member attached to the foam dispensing nozzle and dispensing the foam that has passed through the foam dispensing nozzle; having When attached to the foam dispensing nozzle, the dispensing member extends downwardly toward the beverage container. The beverage server according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The dispensing member has a cylindrical portion attached to the foam dispensing nozzle, and a guide portion extending from the cylindrical portion and facing a side surface of the beverage container, The guide portion faces a side surface of the beverage container, thereby positioning the beverage container relative to the pouring member. The beverage server according to claim 5.

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