Beverage supply device

Abstract

To excellently clean an air line for stirring and an air line for extraction as well.SOLUTION: A beverage supply device 1 comprises an extractor 30 into which crushed raw materials and hot water are fed, a controller 12 that causes the extractor 30 to stir the raw materials and hot water by driving an air pump 72 and supplying pressurized air through an air line for stirring 401, and to extract beverage by driving the air pump 72 and supplying pressurized air through an air line for extraction 402, and the device supplies the beverage extracted by the extractor 30 to a cup C. The controller 12 makes the extractor 30, the air line for stirring 401, and the air line for extraction 402 to be in a connection state and fills them with hot water on the condition that a cleaning command is given.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 34

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a beverage dispensing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a beverage supplying device that extracts a beverage from ground ingredients and hot water by an extractor provided inside the device body and supplies the extracted beverage to a cup as a container has been proposed in Patent Document 1. In this beverage supplying device, the ingredients and hot water are stirred by driving an air pump to supply pressurized air to the extractor through a stirring air line, and then the air pump is driven to supply pressurized air to the extractor through the extraction air line to extract the beverage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-180713 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the beverage supply device, a part of the agitation air line is a distribution path for the extracted beverage, and therefore it is possible to wash it with hot water, etc. However, most of the pressurized air supplied from the air pump is not washed, and the entire extraction air line is not washed.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage supplying device that can satisfactorily clean an agitation air line and an extraction air line. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the beverage supply device of the present invention comprises an extractor into which ground raw materials and hot water are fed, and a control unit which drives an air pump to supply pressurized air through a mixing air line to the extractor to mix the raw materials and the hot water, and also drives the air pump to supply pressurized air through an extraction air line to extract a beverage, and supplies the beverage extracted by the extractor to a cup, and is characterized in that, on the condition that a cleaning command is given, the control unit brings the extractor, the mixing air line and the extraction air line into communication and fills them with hot water.

[0007] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned beverage supply device, the extractor comprises a cylindrical cylinder, a top seal portion that closes an upper opening of the cylinder, and a filter block that opens and closes a lower opening of the cylinder, and the control portion supplies the pressurized air to the cylinder through the stirring air line connected to the filter block to stir the air, and supplies the pressurized air to the cylinder through the extraction air line connected to the top seal portion to extract a beverage. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, when a cleaning command is given, the control unit brings the extractor, the mixing air line, and the extraction air line into communication and fills them with hot water, thereby achieving the effect of enabling the mixing air line and the extraction air line to be cleaned satisfactorily. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a beverage dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of the beverage supply device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing main components of the beverage dispenser according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the beverage dispenser according to the embodiment of the present invention, with some components not shown. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing one raw material box. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing one raw material box. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing one raw material box. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing one raw material box. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a side view showing a state in which the container unit shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 is attached to the dispensing unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the raw material box shown in FIGS. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the extractor shown in FIGS. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view of a main part of the extractor shown in FIG. [Figure 13] 13(a) and (b) are vertical cross-sectional views of the passage forming member. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the extractor shown in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the valve group shown in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the air valve shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the air valve shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the air valve shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the air valve case shown in FIGS. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the hot water valve shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. [Figure 21]FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the hot water valve shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the hot water valve shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. [Diagram 23] FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the hot water valve shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the hot water valve case shown in FIGS. [Diagram 25] FIG. 25 is an exploded perspective view of the coffee valve shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the drainage valve shown in FIG. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is an exploded perspective view of the drainage valve shown in FIG. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates a procedure for extracting a beverage using the extractor shown in FIG. [Figure 29] FIG. 29 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates a procedure for extracting a beverage using the extractor shown in FIG. [Diagram 30] FIG. 30 is an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic diagram of a procedure for extracting a beverage using the extractor shown in FIG. [Diagram 31] FIG. 31 is an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic diagram of a procedure for extracting a beverage using the extractor shown in FIG. [Diagram 32] FIG. 32 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates a typical procedure for extracting a beverage using the extractor shown in FIG. [Diagram 33] FIG. 33 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates a procedure for extracting a beverage using the extractor shown in FIG. [Diagram 34] FIG. 34 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates the cleaning of the stirring air line and the extraction air line by the extractor illustrated in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of a beverage supplying device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] <Outline of beverage supply device> Figures 1 to 4 each show a beverage supply device that is an embodiment of the present invention, where Figure 1 is an oblique view showing the external configuration of the beverage supply device, Figure 2 is an oblique view showing the internal structure of the beverage supply device, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the main components of the beverage supply device, and Figure 4 is an oblique view showing the internal structure of the beverage supply device, with some components not shown.

[0012] The beverage dispenser 1 illustrated here is a coffee machine installed in a store such as a convenience store, and serves, for example, grinding beans and performing an extraction process to dispense a beverage such as coffee into a container, a cup C. Such a beverage dispenser 1 is configured with a main body cabinet 10 and a front door 20.

[0013] The main cabinet 10 is an apparatus main body having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with a front opening 10a (see FIG. 4) on the front side, and contains a brewing unit 11 for brewing a beverage (e.g., coffee) and a control unit 12 therein.

[0014] The front door 20 is a door body having a size sufficient to close the front opening 10a of the main body cabinet 10. The front door 20 is provided at the left edge of the front side of the main body cabinet 10 so as to be able to swing about the central axis of an axis part (not shown) extending in the vertical direction, and is capable of opening and closing the front opening 10a of the main body cabinet 10. The front side of the front door 20 constitutes the customer service surface, and a display unit 21, a beverage supply unit 22, and an opening and closing door 23 are provided thereon.

[0015] The display unit 21 is configured, for example, with a liquid crystal touch panel, and displays various information in response to commands given from the control unit 12, and is capable of input operations such as touch operations. The display unit 21 transmits a sales signal to the control unit 12 when an input operation such as a touch operation is performed.

[0016] The beverage supply unit 22 is provided below the display unit 21, and has a nozzle 22a and a stage 22b. The nozzle 22a is for discharging the beverage produced in the production unit 11 downward. The stage 22b is provided in an area below the nozzle 22a. The stage 22b is for placing the cup C thereon.

[0017] The opening / closing door 23 is made of a light-transmitting material such as a transparent resin, and is large enough to cover the inlet 22c of the beverage supply unit 22. The left end of the opening / closing door 23 is pivotally supported by the front door 20, and is capable of swinging in the front-rear direction. That is, the opening / closing door 23 is capable of swinging in the front-rear direction in a manner approaching and moving away from the beverage supply unit 22, and is capable of closing the inlet 22c of the beverage supply unit 22 when it swings backward in a manner approaching the beverage supply unit 22, and is capable of opening the inlet 22c of the beverage supply unit 22 when it swings forward in a manner moving away from the beverage supply unit 22.

[0018] The preparation unit 11 is configured to include an extractor (beverage preparation section) 30, an ingredient supply section 50, a hot water supply section 60, an air supply section 70, and a container bucket 80.

[0019] The extractor 30 extracts coffee, which is a beverage, from ingredients supplied from an ingredient supply unit 50 and hot water supplied from a hot water supply unit 60, and supplies the coffee to the beverage supply unit 22.

[0020] The ingredient supply unit 50 supplies coffee beans, which are a beverage ingredient, to the extraction machine 30, and includes an ingredient box 51. The ingredient box 51 contains roasted coffee beans, and is provided in such a manner that a portion of the ingredient box protrudes upward from the top plate portion 13 of the main body cabinet 10. The ingredient box 51 is provided with an ingredient supply drive unit 51a. The ingredient supply drive unit 51a drives an ingredient supply motor 51b, which is a drive source, when a drive command is given from the control unit 12, and dispenses a predetermined amount of coffee beans included in the drive command through an ingredient supply chute 52.

[0021] The hot water supply unit 60 supplies hot water to the extraction machine 30, and is configured by sequentially connecting a hot water tank 61, a first hot water pump 62, a sub-tank 63, and a second hot water pump 64 to a hot water supply path 65 formed by hot water supply piping.

[0022] The hot water tank 61 heats supplied water such as tap water with a heater (not shown) and stores it as hot water. The first hot water supply pump 62 is composed of, for example, a centrifugal pump, and when driven in response to a command given from the control unit 12, it sends out a fixed amount of hot water from the hot water tank 61 to the subtank 63. The subtank 63 has a smaller volume than the hot water tank 61, and temporarily stores the hot water sent out by the first hot water supply pump 62. The second hot water supply pump 64 is composed of, for example, a gear pump, and when driven in response to a command given from the control unit 12, it sends out hot water from the subtank 63.

[0023] The air supply unit 70 supplies pressurized air to the extractor 30. The air supply unit 70 is configured by providing an air pump 72 in an air supply path 71 formed by an air supply pipe. The air pump 72 is driven in response to a command given from the control unit 12, and compresses air and sends it out as pressurized air.

[0024] The collection bucket 80 is disposed below the extractor 30 and is for collecting extraction grounds K (see FIG. 32 and the like) and the like that are generated when the beverage is extracted by the extractor 30.

[0025] The control unit 12 generally controls the operation of each part of the beverage dispenser 1 in accordance with programs and data stored in a storage unit (not shown). Note that the control unit 12 may be realized, for example, by causing a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) to execute a program, that is, by software, or may be realized by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware.

[0026] <Raw material box 51> A plurality of raw material boxes 51 (three in the illustrated example) are provided, and are arranged side by side with other raw material boxes 51. Each of these raw material boxes 51 is installed in a manner that it penetrates the top plate hole 13a formed in the top plate portion 13 of the main body cabinet 10. In other words, each of these raw material boxes 51 is arranged in a manner that a part of each of them is exposed from the main body cabinet 10, which is a housing.

[0027] The raw material boxes 51 may contain different types of raw materials, or may contain the same type of raw material in multiple boxes and different types of raw materials in some boxes. Since each of the raw material boxes 51 has the same configuration, the following describes the configuration of one raw material box 51 and does not include descriptions of the configurations of the other raw material boxes 51. is housed within.

[0028] 5 to 8 each show one raw material box 51, with Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 being perspective views and Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 being exploded perspective views. As shown in Fig. 5 to Fig. 8, the raw material box 51 is configured to include a dispensing section 511 and a storage section 512.

[0029] The dispensing unit 511 is installed inside the main body cabinet 10, i.e., below the top plate 13 of the main body cabinet 10, and is a box in which the above-mentioned raw material supply drive unit 51a is disposed. The dispensing unit 511 is formed with a dispensing outlet 5111, an inlet 5112, a locking protrusion 5113, an insertion opening 5114, and an operation unit 5115.

[0030] The outlet 5111 is provided at the lower front part of the dispensing part 511, and is an opening for dispensing the raw material to the extractor 30 when the raw material supply driving part 51a is driven. The inlet 5112 is an opening formed at the upper part of the dispensing part 511.

[0031] The locking projections 5113 are provided three on each side in the front-rear direction on the inside of the left and right opening edges of the introduction port 5112. These locking projections 5113 are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction and are formed to protrude toward the inside of the introduction port 5112. The insertion opening 5114 is formed on the opening edge on the rear side of the introduction port 5112 and has an elongated hole shape with the left-right direction as the longitudinal direction.

[0032] The operation unit 5115 is composed of a pair of left and right protruding pieces 5115a formed in a manner to protrude forward from the upper front portion of the dispensing unit 511. A locking protrusion 5115b protruding outward is formed on this operation unit 5115. That is, the left protruding piece 5115a is formed with a locking protrusion 5115b protruding leftward, and the right protruding piece 5115a is formed with a locking protrusion 5115b protruding rightward.

[0033] The storage section 512 is made of, for example, a light-transmitting material, and the inside can be seen. The storage section 512 has an inlet 5121 formed at the top and a communication port 5122 formed at the bottom, and the cross-sectional area gradually decreases from the inlet 5121 toward the communication port 5122. The inlet 5121 is an opening for introducing raw material, and is opened and closed by a lid 513. The inlet 5121 is normally closed by the lid 513. The communication port 5122 has approximately the same opening area as the inlet 5112 of the discharge section 511.

[0034] In such a housing portion 512, an insertion piece 5123, a locked protrusion 5124, and a locked block 5125 are formed. The insertion piece 5123 is a flat plate formed in a manner to protrude rearward from the opening edge portion at the rear of the communication opening 5122. The insertion piece 5123 has a size that allows it to enter the insertion opening 5114.

[0035] The locked projections 5124 are formed in a manner to protrude outwardly on the outside of the left and right opening edges of the communication opening 5122. The locked projections 5124 are elongated and extend along the front-rear direction, and a notch is formed midway through the projections to allow the locking projections 5113 to pass through.

[0036] The locked block 5125 is formed in the lower front part of the storage section 512. An entry recess 5125a that is open to the front, rear and downward is formed in this locked block 5125. The entry recess 5125a allows the operation section 5115 to enter.

[0037] As shown in Figure 9, such a storage section 512 approaches the dispensing section 511 from the front side, and with the engaging protrusion 5124 positioned below the engaging protrusion 5113, the insertion piece 5123 is inserted into the insertion opening 5114 from the front, and the operating section 5115 relatively enters the entry recess 5125a of the engaging block 5125 from the rear side, so that the engaging protrusion 5115b engages with the front end surface of the entry recess 5125a, thereby engaging with the dispensing section 511 as shown in Figures 5 and 6 to form the raw material box 51.

[0038] In this case, the rearward movement of storage unit 512 with respect to dispensing unit 511 is restricted by inserting insertion piece 5123 into insertion opening 5114 from the front. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 10, storage unit 512 is restricted from moving upward with respect to dispensing unit 511 by engaging locking protrusion 5113 with locking protrusion 5124 positioned below locking protrusion 5113. Furthermore, the forward movement of storage unit 512 with respect to dispensing unit 511 is restricted by engaging protrusion 5115b of operation unit 5115 engaging with the front end face of locking block 5125.

[0039] By thus forming the ingredient box 51 by engaging the storage section 512 with the dispensing section 511, a part of the storage section 512 is disposed in a state of protruding upward from the top plate section 13 of the main body cabinet 10 through the top plate hole 13a of the top plate section 13. After that, the lid 513 is removed to open the insertion port 5121, and ingredients such as coffee beans can be filled into the ingredient box 51. Then, the ingredient supply drive section 51a drives the ingredient box 51 in response to a command given from the control section 12, so that a predetermined amount of ingredient can be dispensed from the dispensing port 5111 to the brewer 30.

[0040] Incidentally, when accommodating section 512 is removed from dispensing section 511, the following procedure is followed. First, as shown in FIG. 4, after front door 20 is opened, a part of top plate section 13 is removed forward. Next, a pair of left and right protruding pieces 5115a of operating section 5115 are elastically deformed in a manner in which they approach each other, whereby the locked state between locking protrusion 5115b and locked block 5125 is released, and accommodating section 512 is displaced forward relative to dispensing section 511. As a result, insertion piece 5123 moves away from insertion opening 5114, and locked protrusion 5124 displaces a portion below locking protrusion 5113 forward, whereby accommodating section 512 can be removed from dispensing section 511.

[0041] In this way, the raw material box 51 has a storage section 512 that can be freely engaged and disengaged with the dispensing section 511, and an operation section 5115 is formed in the dispensing section 511, which is located below the top plate section 13 of the main cabinet 10, so that the operation section 5115 is disposed inside the main cabinet 10.

[0042] <Extractor 30> Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the extractor 30 shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 11, the extractor 30 includes an extractor main body 31, which is provided with a crusher 32, a brewer unit 34, a pinch mechanism 36, a scraper 38, and a valve group 40.

[0043] The crusher 32 is what is called a mill, and is provided on the upper part of the extractor main body 31. The crusher 32 is driven when a drive command is given to a crusher driving unit 32a, which is an actuator. The crusher 32 is installed below the raw material box 51, and is connected to the raw material box 51 via the raw material supply chute 52.

[0044] When driven, the grinder 32 grinds the coffee beans guided by the raw material supply chute 52 and feeds the ground coffee beans (hereinafter also referred to as ground coffee beans) through the raw material chute section 33 into the brewer unit 34. As shown in Figure 12, this raw material chute section 33 has a raw material passage 331 for dropping the ground coffee beans. The raw material chute section 33 will be described later.

[0045] The brewer unit 34 is configured to include a cylinder 341, a top seal portion 342, and a filter block 343. The cylinder 341 is detachably attached through the removal opening 311 on the front surface of the extractor body 31, and has a substantially cylindrical shape. Since the cylinder 341 is detachable from the extractor body 31, its direction is not clearly defined, but in this specification, its configuration will be described according to the direction when it is attached to the extractor body 31.

[0046] The cylinder 341 has an opening (hereinafter also referred to as a bottom opening) 341a on the bottom surface and an opening (hereinafter also referred to as a top opening) 341b on the top surface. Such a cylinder 341 is mounted in a mounting area 312 facing the take-out opening 311 in the extractor body 31, and when mounted in the extractor body 31, it is pressed upward by a take-out door 313 that opens and closes the take-out opening 311 shown in FIG. 4. When such a take-out door 313 closes a part of the take-out opening 311, the cylinder 341 is pressed upward. On the other hand, when the take-out door 313 swings forward, the cylinder 341 becomes free and can be removed from the mounting area 312.

[0047] The top seal portion 342 is provided on the extractor body 31 in a manner that constitutes an upper portion of the mounting area 312. When the cylinder 341 is pressed upward by the removal door 313, the top seal portion 342 is pressed against the cylinder 341, and closes the upper opening 341b of the cylinder 341.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 12, in such a top seal portion 342, a cylindrical passageway forming member 35 is formed so that the inside of the passageway forming member 35 communicates with the top opening 341b and extends upward. The passageway forming member 35 is made of a resin material such as silicone, and has an elliptical cross section. A part of the ingredient chute portion 33 is inserted from above into the hollow portion of the passageway forming member 35, and the hollow portion forms a passageway 351 through which the ground coffee beans and mixed water (hot water) pass, as will be described in detail later, and the inner wall surface of the passageway 351 is water repellent.

[0049] In addition, a part of the upper end portion of the hollow portion of the passage forming member 35 is connected to an exhaust duct 49 in a manner partitioned from the raw material chute section 33. The exhaust duct 49 not only communicates with the passage forming member 35, but also communicates with the inside of the cylinder 341 via the passage forming member 35 when the cylinder 341 is mounted in the mounting area 312. Such exhaust duct 49 is provided with an exhaust fan 46 as shown in Fig. 3. This exhaust fan 46 is driven by an exhaust fan drive section 46a, which is an actuator, in response to a command given from the control section 12, and when driven, exhausts the air inside the cylinder 341 through the exhaust duct 49 to the outside.

[0050] The filter block 343 is substantially box-shaped and provided movably in the up-down direction below the mounting area 312, and its upper surface is large enough to close the lower opening 341a of the cylinder 341. The filter block 343 is provided with a disk-shaped metal mesh member 343a having a plurality of holes formed therein, and is connected to a beverage supply path 48 that communicates with these holes. The beverage supply path 48 is configured by connecting a beverage supply pipe, and connects the filter block 343 and the nozzle 22a.

[0051] This filter block 343 moves in the up-down direction when filter block driving unit 343b, which is an actuator, is driven in response to a command given from control unit 12. In other words, the filter block 343 moves up and down in a manner approaching and moving away from cylinder 341 mounted in mounting area 312. When filter block 343 moves up, it presses against bottom opening 341a of cylinder 341 to close it.

[0052] The pinch mechanism 36 is provided above the top seal portion 342. In this pinch mechanism 36, a first pinch component 361 and a second pinch component 362 extending in the left-right direction are arranged at a distance from each other in the front-rear direction, and a passage component 35 is arranged between the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362.

[0053] In the normal state, the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362 are disposed at the farthest distance from each other, and the pinch mechanism 36 does not act on the passage component 35 as shown in FIG. 13(a). On the other hand, when the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362 are disposed at the closest distance from each other by the driving of the pinch motor 36a, the pinch mechanism 36 elastically deforms the lower part of the passage component 35 to close a part of the passage 351 as shown in FIG. 13(b). By closing a part of the passage 351 in this manner, the passage 351 is restricted from being passed by ground coffee beans or the like. The part where the pinch mechanism 36 clamps the passage component 35 to close a part of the passage 351 is the lower part of the passage component 35, i.e., the part below the area where the raw material chute section 33 is inserted.

[0054] 14, the scraper 38 is a flat plate-like member extending in the vertical direction, with a lower end portion 38a made of a resin material such as rubber. The upper end portion 38b of the scraper 38 is also made of a flexible soft material. The scraper 38 is connected to a scraper body 381.

[0055] When the scraper driving mechanism 382, ​​which is an actuator, is driven by a command given from the control unit 12, power is transmitted to the scraper body 381, and the scraper 38 moves in the front-rear direction.

[0056] More specifically, scraper 38 is installed so as to be movable forward and backward in the front-to-rear direction between a standby position rearward of filter block 343 and an advanced position forward of filter block 343, and is normally disposed in the standby position as shown in FIG. 14.

[0057] Here, driving equipment 383 such as a scraper drive mechanism 382 is housed on the rear side of the filter block 343, and the standby position is a position close to the driving equipment 383, and the advanced position is a position away from the driving equipment 383.

[0058] When the scraper 38 moves forward from the standby position to the advanced position, and when it moves backward from the advanced position to the standby position, the lower end portion 38a can slide against the upper surface of the mesh member 343a of the filter block 343 that has moved most downward, and when the scraper 38 moves forward from the standby position to the advanced position, it removes the extraction residue K placed on the mesh member 343a.

[0059] Such a scraper 38 has a vertical dimension that is slightly smaller than the distance between the cylinder 341 and the filter block 343 that has moved to the lowest position. In other words, the scraper 38 has a vertical dimension such that the upper end portion 38b comes close to the bottom opening 341a of the cylinder 341 when moving back and forth between the standby position and the advanced position.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 11, the valve group 40 is installed at the upper rear side of the extraction machine body 31, and as also shown in FIG. 15, is configured with an air valve (switching valve) 41, a hot water valve (switching valve) 42, and a coffee valve (valve) 43.

[0061] 16 to 18 are cross-sectional views showing the internal structure of air valve 41 shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 15. As shown in Fig. 16 to 18, air valve 41 is configured to include an air valve case 411 and an air valve shaft 412.

[0062] The air valve case 411 is configured by connecting a first air valve case component 4111 and a second air valve case component 4112. The first air valve case component 4111 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The second air valve case component 4112 is formed in a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape with a closed tip, and an internal hollow portion 4111a communicates with the hollow portion 4111a of the first air valve case component 4111. Here, the inner diameter of the hollow portion 4112a of the second air valve case component 4112 is larger than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 4111a of the first air valve case component 4111. The first air valve case component 4111 is formed in a tapered shape such that the inner diameter of a boundary portion 4111b with the second air valve case component 4112 gradually decreases as it moves away from the second air valve case component 4112. The first air valve case component 4111 and the second air valve case component 4112 are connected via an O-ring 413 at a location not exposed to the hollow portions 4111a, 4112a, thereby maintaining airtightness between the hollow portions 4111a, 4112a.

[0063] An air inlet port 411a, an agitating air discharge port 411b, an extracted air discharge port 411c, and an opening port 411d are formed as a plurality of (four) ports in the air valve case 411. These ports communicate with the hollow portions 4111a and 4112a, respectively.

[0064] The air inlet port 411a is formed in the second air valve case component 4112, and is connected to the air supply path 71 of the air supply unit 70. The agitation air discharge port 411b is formed in the second air valve case component 4112, and is connected to the agitation air line 401. This agitation air line 401 is composed of an agitation air supply piping, and is connected to the coffee valve 43.

[0065] The extracted air discharge port 411c is formed in the first air valve case component 4111, and is connected to the extracted air line 402. This extracted air line 402 is formed of an extracted air supply piping, and is connected to the top seal portion 342. The release port 411d is formed in the first air valve case component 4111, and is an opening for opening the inside of the hollow portion 4111a.

[0066] The air valve shaft 412 is provided in hollow portions 4111a, 4112a of the air valve case 411 so as to be displaceable along the axial direction of the air valve case 411. The air valve shaft 412 is configured to have a small diameter portion 412a and a large diameter portion 412b having different outer shapes, and is provided with a plurality of O-rings (annular sealing materials) 414.

[0067] The small diameter portion 412a has a maximum diameter portion which is smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 4111a of the first air valve case component 4111, and the large diameter portion 412b has an outer diameter which is larger than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 4111a of the first air valve case component 4111 and smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 4112a of the second air valve case component 4112.

[0068] Such an air valve shaft 412 is positioned at a reference position by the biasing force of an air valve shaft spring 415, which is a biasing means. When positioned at the reference position, as shown in FIG. 16, one end of the small diameter portion 412a protrudes outward from the air valve case 411, and a part of the large diameter portion 412b contacts the boundary portion 4111b between the first air valve case component 4111 and the second air valve case component 4112.

[0069] When one end of the air valve shaft 412 is pressed and displaced against the biasing force of the air valve shaft spring 415 to be positioned at the tip position, the tip portion 416 of the air valve shaft 412 abuts against the tip portion of the second air valve case component 4112, as shown in FIG. 17.

[0070] In such an air valve 41, when the air valve shaft 412 is placed in the reference position, the air introduction port 411a and the agitation air discharge port 411b communicate with each other, and the extraction air discharge port 411c and the release port 411d communicate with each other.

[0071] On the other hand, when the air valve shaft 412 is located at the tip position, the air introduction port 411a and the extraction air discharge port 411c communicate with each other, and the agitation air discharge port 411b and the release port 411d do not communicate with each other.

[0072] Incidentally, the air valve shaft 412 of the air valve 41 can also be disposed at an intermediate position between the reference position and the tip position, as shown in Fig. 18. When the air valve shaft 412 is disposed at the intermediate position in this manner, the air introduction port 411a, the agitating air discharge port 411b, the extracted air discharge port 411c, and the release port 411d are all in communication with each other.

[0073] In the air valve 41 as described above, the tip portion 416 of the air valve shaft 412, i.e., the tip portion 416 of the large diameter portion, is formed in an umbrella shape with a cross-sectional area that gradually decreases toward the tip. In the air valve 41, as shown in Fig. 19, a support rib 417 that can slide against an O-ring 414 provided on the tip side of the air valve shaft 412 is formed on the inner surface of the second air valve case component 4112. Such a support rib 417 extends along the axial direction of the air valve case 411 and is formed along the circumferential direction of the air valve case 411, but a notch 418 is formed in a portion close to the air introduction port 411a, i.e., a portion separated from the tip of the air valve case 411.

[0074] Figures 20 to 23 show the hot water valve 42 shown in Figures 3 and 15, respectively, where Figure 20 is an oblique view showing the external configuration of the hot water valve 42, Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the hot water valve 42, Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the hot water valve 42, and Figure 23 is an oblique view showing the external configuration of the hot water valve 42.

[0075] As shown in these FIGS. 20 to 23, the hot water valve 42 is configured to include a hot water valve case 421 and a hot water valve shaft 422.

[0076] The hot water valve case 421 is formed by connecting a first hot water valve case component 4211 and a second hot water valve case component 4212. The first hot water valve case component 4211 is in a substantially cylindrical shape. The second hot water valve case component 4212 is in a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape with a closed tip, and an internal hollow section 4212a is connected to a hollow section 4211a of the first hot water valve case component 4211. Here, the inner diameter of the hollow section 4212a of the second hot water valve case component 4212 is larger than the inner diameter of the hollow section 4211a of the first hot water valve case component 4211. The first hot water valve case component 4211 is formed in a tapered shape such that the inner diameter of a boundary section 4211b with the second hot water valve case component 4212 gradually decreases as it moves away from the second hot water valve case component 4212. The first hot water valve case component 4211 and the second hot water valve case component 4212 are connected via an O-ring 423 at a location not exposed to the hollow portions 4211a, 4212a, thereby maintaining airtightness between the hollow portions 4211a, 4112a.

[0077] A hot water introduction port 421a, a mixed hot water discharge port 421b, and an added hot water discharge port 421c are formed in the hot water valve case 421. These ports communicate with the hollow portions 4211a and 4112a, respectively.

[0078] The hot water inlet port 421a is connected to the hot water supply path 65 of the hot water supply unit 60. The mixed hot water discharge port 421b is connected to the mixed hot water supply path 403. This mixed hot water supply path 403 is composed of a mixed hot water supply pipe, and is connected to a mixed hot water nozzle 404 formed in the raw material chute section 33 as shown in FIG.

[0079] Here, the mixed hot water nozzle 404 is provided in a manner facing the raw material passage 331 in the raw material chute section 33, and ejects the mixed hot water in a fan shape diagonally downward. More specifically, the mixed hot water nozzle 404 ejects the mixed hot water in a manner that blocks a part of the raw material passage 331 in the raw material chute section 33.

[0080] As a result, the extractor 30 mixes the ground coffee beans and mixed water in the air in the raw material chute section 33, and causes this mixture to collide with the inner wall surface of the raw material passage 331 and then drop downward along said inner wall surface, without coming into contact with the inner wall surface of the passage configuration member 35.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 12, in the extractor 30, an air intake 45 for sucking in air is formed above the portion where the ground coffee beans are discharged from the grinder 32 into the raw material chute portion 33.

[0082] The added hot water discharge port 421c is connected to an added hot water supply path 405. This added hot water supply path 405 is composed of an added hot water supply pipe, and is connected to an added hot water nozzle (not shown) formed in the top seal portion 342. Here, the added hot water nozzle discharges the added hot water supplied through the added hot water supply path 405 downward in a shower-like manner.

[0083] The hot water valve shaft 422 is provided in hollow portions 4211a, 4212a of the hot water valve case 421 so as to be displaceable along the axial direction of the hot water valve case 421. This hot water valve shaft 422 is configured to have a small diameter portion 422a and a large diameter portion 422b with different outer shapes, and is provided with multiple O-rings (annular sealing material) 424.

[0084] The small diameter portion 422a has a maximum diameter portion smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 4211a of the first hot water valve case component 4211, and the large diameter portion 422b has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 4211a of the first hot water valve case component 4211 and smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 4212a of the second hot water valve case component 4212.

[0085] Such a hot water valve shaft 422 is positioned at a reference position by the biasing force of a hot water valve shaft spring 425, which is a biasing means, and when positioned at the reference position, as shown in Figure 21, one end of the small diameter portion 422a protrudes outward from the hot water valve case 421, and a part of the large diameter portion 422b contacts the boundary portion 4211b between the first hot water valve case component 4211 and the second hot water valve case component 4212.

[0086] When one end of the hot water valve shaft 422 is pressed and displaced against the biasing force of the hot water valve shaft spring 425 to be positioned at the tip position, the tip portion 426 of the hot water valve shaft 422 abuts against the tip portion of the second hot water valve case component 4212, as shown in Figure 22.

[0087] In such a hot water valve 4242a, when the hot water valve shaft 422 is placed at the reference position, the hot water inlet port 421a and the mixed hot water outlet port 421b are in communication with each other. On the other hand, when the hot water valve shaft 422 is placed at the tip position, the hot water inlet port 421a and the added hot water outlet port 421c are in communication with each other.

[0088] In the hot water valve 42 as described above, the tip portion 426 of the hot water valve shaft 422, i.e., the tip portion 426 of the large diameter portion, is umbrella-shaped with a cross-sectional area that gradually decreases toward the tip. Also, in the hot water valve 42, as shown in Figure 24, a support rib 427 that can slide against an O-ring 424 provided on the tip side of the hot water valve shaft 422 is formed on the inner surface of the second hot water valve case component 4212. Such a support rib 427 extends along the axial direction of the hot water valve case 421 and is formed along the circumferential direction of the hot water valve case 421, but a notch 428 is formed in the portion close to the hot water introduction port 421a, i.e., the portion separated from the tip of the hot water valve case 421.

[0089] The coffee valve 43 is disposed midway along the beverage supply path 48. As shown in Fig. 25, the coffee valve 43 is configured by inserting an inner member 432 into a hollow portion 431f of a cylindrical outer member 431 with a bottom.

[0090] A coffee introduction port 431a and a stirring air introduction port 431b are formed in the outer member 431. An opening (first opening) 4311 constituting the coffee introduction port 431a and an opening (second opening) (not shown) constituting the air introduction port 411a face each other, and a guide rib 431c is formed in the opening 4311 constituting the coffee introduction port 431a, dividing it into upper and lower parts.

[0091] The inner member 432 has a coffee discharge port 432a formed therein, and an inlet portion 432b communicating with the coffee discharge port 432a formed in the lower portion thereof. An O-ring (annular sealing material) 433 is disposed in the lower portion of the inner member 432 so as to surround the inlet portion 432b, and a notch portion 432c is formed in the area excluding the inlet portion 432b.

[0092] The coffee introduction port 431a is connected to the filter block 343 (the brewer unit 34) through a portion of the beverage supply path 48. The stirring air introduction port 431b is connected to the stirring air line 401. The coffee discharge port 432a is connected to the nozzle 22a of the beverage supply unit 22 through a portion of the beverage supply path 48.

[0093] In such a coffee valve 43, when the inlet portion 432b of the inner member 432 is disposed facing the opening 4311 constituting the coffee introduction port 431a, the coffee introduction port 431a and the coffee discharge port 432a communicate with each other. On the other hand, when the inner member 432 is rotated about 90° about its own central axis, the notch 432c faces the opening 4311 of the coffee introduction port 431a and the opening of the stirring air introduction port 431b, whereby the stirring air introduction port 431b and the coffee introduction port 431a communicate with each other.

[0094] 15, in such a valve group 40, an air valve 41, a hot water valve 42, and a coffee valve 43 are linked by a common valve actuator 40a. The valve actuator 40a is configured so that the communication state of each port of the air valve 41, the hot water valve 42, and the coffee valve 43 is switched by the rotation of cams and gears caused by the drive of a valve motor 40b constituting the valve actuator 40a.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 3, the beverage supply path 48 connecting the filter block 343 and the coffee valve 43 is provided with a drain valve 44.

[0096] Fig. 26 and Fig. 27 show the drainage valve 44 shown in Fig. 3, with Fig. 26 being a perspective view showing the external configuration and Fig. 27 being an exploded perspective view. As shown in Fig. 26 and Fig. 27, the drainage valve 44 is configured by inserting an inner component part 442 into a hollow part 441a of a cylindrical outer component part 441.

[0097] A drainage discharge port 441b is formed in the outer component 441. This drainage discharge port 441b is connected to a drainage path 471 that is provided in a manner extending to the containing bucket 80. A guide rib 441c that divides the drainage discharge port 441b into two is formed in an opening 4411 that constitutes the drainage discharge port 441b.

[0098] The inner component 442 has a first inner port 442a and a second inner port 442b formed therein, and also has an inlet portion 442c communicating with the first inner port 442a and the second inner port 442b formed therein. An O-ring (annular sealing material) 443 is disposed in the inner component 442 so as to surround the inlet portion 442c.

[0099] The first inner port 442a is connected to the filter block 343 (the brewer unit 34) through a part of the beverage supply path 48. The second inner port 442b is connected to a beverage supply pipe connected to the coffee valve 43.

[0100] In such a drainage valve 44, the outer component 441 rotates about its own central axis in conjunction with the up and down movement of the filter block 343. When the filter block 343 is lowered, the inlet 442c of the inner component 442 is disposed opposite the opening 4411 constituting the drainage discharge port 441b, and the first inner port 442a and the drainage discharge port 441b communicate with each other. The first inner port 442a and the second inner port 442b also communicate with each other.

[0101] On the other hand, when the filter block 343 is raised, the outer component 441 rotates about 90° about its own central axis, dissolving the inlet 442c from the opening 4411 constituting the drainage discharge port 441b, and the inlet 442c is closed by the inner surface of the outer component 441. This places the first inner port 442a and the second inner port 442b in communication with each other.

[0102] <Supply Operation of Beverage Supply Device 1> In the beverage dispenser 1 described above, as shown in Fig. 28 to Fig. 33, coffee can be dispensed to a cup C placed on the stage 22b of the beverage dispenser 22. As a premise, hot water is stored in the hot water tank 61, and in the air valve 41, the air valve shaft 412 is disposed at a reference position, and the air introduction port 411a and the stirring air discharge port 411b communicate with each other, and the extraction air discharge port 411c and the release port 411d communicate with each other. In the hot water valve 42, the hot water introduction port 421a and the mixed hot water discharge port 421b communicate with each other, and in the coffee valve 43, the stirring air introduction port 431b and the coffee introduction port 431a communicate with each other.

[0103] When the user touches the display unit 21, the control unit 12 receives a sales signal for the selected beverage, and issues a command to the filter block drive unit 343b to move the filter block 343 upward, as shown in Fig. 28. When the filter block 343 rises in this manner, in the drainage valve 44, the opposing arrangement between the inlet portion 442c of the inner component 442 and the opening 4411 constituting the drainage discharge port 441b is eliminated, and the inlet portion 442c is closed by the inner surface of the outer component 441. That is, in the drainage valve 44, only the first inner port 442a and the second inner port 442b are in communication with each other.

[0104] Thereafter, a drive command is given to the raw material supply drive unit 51a to cause the grinder 32 to dispense an amount of coffee beans corresponding to the beverage. After a predetermined amount of coffee beans has been dispensed to the grinder 32, the control unit 12 stops driving the raw material supply drive unit 51a.

[0105] Then, the control unit 12 issues a drive command to the pulverizer drive unit 32a while issuing a drive command to the first hot water supply pump 62 and the second hot water supply pump 64. As a result, as shown in Fig. 29, hot water in the hot water tank 61 is supplied to the mixed hot water nozzle 404 through the hot water valve 42 and the mixed hot water supply path 403, and is discharged as mixed hot water from the mixed hot water nozzle 404, and the coffee beans are ground by the pulverizer 32 to be discharged into the raw material chute unit 33. As a result, as shown in Fig. 12, the ground coffee beans fall in the raw material chute unit 33 and are mixed with the mixed hot water in the air, and the mixture collides with the inner wall surface of the raw material passage 331 and is then thrown into the cylinder 341. The control unit 12 stops the drive of the pulverizer drive unit 32a after discharging a predetermined amount of ground coffee beans, and stops the drive of the first hot water supply pump 62 and the second hot water supply pump 64 after discharging a predetermined amount of mixed hot water.

[0106] Thereafter, the control unit 12 drives the air pump 72, and the pressurized air is sent in the order of the air valve 41 (air inlet port 411a-mixing air discharge port 411b), the mixing air line 401, the coffee valve 43, the beverage supply path 48, the drain valve 44 (inner second port 442b-inner first port 442a), and the brewer unit 34 to mix the mixture, as shown in Fig. 29. The pressurized air sent to the brewer unit 34 and used to mix the mixture is sent in this order to the extraction air line 402 and the air valve 41 (extraction air discharge port 411c-open port 411d), and is released from the open port 411d.

[0107] After stirring the mixture in this manner, the control unit 12 issues a drive command to the valve actuator 40a, which displaces the hot water valve shaft 422 of the hot water valve 42 to communicate between the hot water inlet port 421a and the added hot water outlet port 421c.

[0108] Then, the control unit 12 issues a drive command to the first hot water supply pump 62 and the second hot water supply pump 64, so that the hot water in the hot water tank 61 is supplied to the added hot water nozzle through the hot water valve 42 and the added hot water supply path 405, and is discharged from the added hot water nozzle in a shower-like manner as added hot water, as shown in Fig. 30. Pressurized air is sent in the order of the air valve 41 (air introduction port 411a-mixing air discharge port 411b), the mixing air line 401, the coffee valve 43, the beverage supply path 48, the drain valve 44 (inner second port 442b-inner first port 442a), and the brewer unit 34 to further mix the mixture. The pressurized air sent to the brewer unit 34 and used to mix the mixture is sent in the order of the extraction air line 402 and the air valve 41 (extraction air discharge port 411c-open port 411d), and is released from the open port 411d. In addition, the control unit 12 stops driving the first hot water supply pump 62 and the second hot water supply pump 64 after a predetermined amount of added hot water is discharged.

[0109] After discharging a predetermined amount of added hot water, the control unit 12 drives the pinch motor 36a to move the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362 close to each other, as shown in Fig. 31, thereby elastically deforming the lower part of the passage component 35 to close a part of the passage 351. This allows the inside of the cylinder 341 to be sealed.

[0110] The control unit 12 also issues a drive command to the valve actuator 40a to displace the air valve shaft 412 of the air valve 41 to the tip position, thereby connecting the air introduction port 411a to the extracted air discharge port 411c, and connecting the coffee introduction port 431a to the coffee discharge port 432a of the coffee valve 43.

[0111] As a result, as shown in FIG. 31, pressurized air from the air pump 72 is sent in the order of the air valve 41 (air inlet port 411a-extracted air outlet port 411c), the extraction air line 402, and the brewer unit 34, thereby extracting coffee. The extracted coffee is then supplied to the nozzle 22a via the beverage supply path 48 and dispensed from the nozzle 22a into the cup C.

[0112] When a predetermined amount of coffee has been supplied by being dispensed into cup C, the control unit 12 issues a drive command to the valve actuator 40a to displace the air valve shaft 412 of the air valve 41 to a reference position, connecting the air inlet port 411a to the stirring air discharge port 411b, connecting the extraction air discharge port 411c to the release port 411d, and connecting the stirring air inlet port 431b to the coffee inlet port 431a of the coffee valve 43, and then stops driving the air pump 72.

[0113] This allows the user to swing the open / close door 23 in the opening direction to take out the cup C from the beverage supply unit 22. The pressurized air used for extraction is sent out in this order from the extraction air line 402 and the air valve 41 (extracted air discharge port 411c-open port 411d), and is released from the open port 411d, thereby reducing the internal pressure of the brewer unit 34. The control unit 12 also drives the pinch motor 36a to separate the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362 from each other, thereby elastically deforming the passage component 35 to its original state and releasing the closed state.

[0114] 32, the control unit 12 issues a command to the filter block driving unit 343b to lower the filter block 343. At this time, the extraction residue K is placed above the filter block 343.

[0115] After lowering the filter block 343, the control unit 12 issues a forward rotation drive command to the scraper drive mechanism 382 to move the scraper 38 forward from the standby position to the advanced position, as shown in Fig. 33. This allows the extracted residue K to be removed from the upper area of ​​the filter block 343 and discharged into the collection bucket 80. Thereafter, the control unit 12 issues a reverse rotation drive command to the scraper drive mechanism 382 to move the scraper 38 backward from the advanced position to the standby position.

[0116] Although not described in the above coffee extraction, the control unit 12 drives the exhaust fan 46 when coffee is extracted. As described above, the intake port 45 for sucking air is formed above the portion where the ground coffee beans are discharged from the grinder 32 to the raw material chute unit 33. Therefore, by driving the exhaust fan 46, as shown by the two-dot chain arrow in FIG. 12, the air sucked from the intake port 45 passes through the raw material passage 331 and is discharged to the outside through the exhaust duct 49, and the air inside the cylinder 341 is discharged to the outside via the exhaust duct 49 without passing through the raw material passage 331. This makes it possible to prevent steam from being sent to the portion of the grinder 32 where the ground coffee beans are discharged. In addition, the control unit 12 reduces the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 46 when the ground coffee beans are discharged from the grinder 32.

[0117] Thereafter, although a detailed description is omitted, the hot water is supplied to the brewer unit 34, etc. as cleaning hot water to clean the brewer unit 34, etc. The hot water (cleaning hot water) used for cleaning the brewer unit 34, etc., flows through the drainage path 471 by the filter block 343 descending, and is discharged into the storage bucket 80 after the first inner port 442a and the drainage discharge port 441b are communicated in the drainage valve 44. Note that, although the first inner port 442a and the second inner port 442b are communicated in the drainage valve 44, the coffee valve 43 to which the second inner port 442b is connected through the beverage supply path 48 communicates with the stirring air introduction port 431b and the coffee introduction port 431a, so that the cleaning hot water introduced from the first inner port 442a is not discharged from the second inner port 442b.

[0118] Incidentally, in the beverage dispenser 1, the mixing air line 401 and the extraction air line 402 are cleaned at predetermined intervals (for example, every year or every six months) as follows.

[0119] When a cleaning command for the stirring air line 401 and the extraction air line 402 is given, the control unit 12 raises the filter block 343 and then gives a drive command to the valve actuator 40a to move the air valve shaft 412 of the air valve 41 from the reference position to the intermediate position, thereby communicating the air introduction port 411a, the stirring air discharge port 411b, the extraction air discharge port 411c, and the release port 411d. The control unit 12 also places the hot water valve shaft 422 at the tip position, and communicates the hot water introduction port 421a and the added hot water discharge port 421c in the hot water valve 42. Furthermore, the control unit 12 communicates the coffee introduction port 431a and the stirring air introduction port 431b in the coffee valve 43. In other words, the extractor 30, the stirring air line 401, and the extraction air line 402 are communicated through a part of the beverage supply path 48.

[0120] Then, the control unit 12 drives the first hot water supply pump 62 and the second hot water supply pump 64 to supply hot water to the brewer unit 34 through the added hot water supply path 405. As a result, as shown in Fig. 34, the hot water supplied to the brewer unit 34 enters the mixing air line 401 from the beverage supply path 48, and also enters the extraction air line 402 from the brewer unit 34, and is discharged from the open port 411d of the air valve 41. This allows the mixing air line 401 and the extraction air line 402 to be cleaned.

[0121] <Beverage supply device 1 and effects of each part of the beverage supply device 1> The beverage supply device 1 as described above provides the following advantages.

[0122] According to the beverage supply device 1, ingredient box 51 is composed of dispensing section 511 and storage section 512, and operation section 5115 for engaging and disengaging storage section 512 with dispensing section 511 is disposed inside main body cabinet 10, so that operation section 5115 can be prevented from being operated by an unintended person. Moreover, when storage section 512 is detached from dispensing section 511, cleaning of storage section 512 can be easily performed. Therefore, cleaning of ingredient box 51 can be simplified while preventing ingredients from being extracted.

[0123] Moreover, operation unit 5115 is disposed in dispensing unit 511, and when an operating force is applied to it, it is disengaged from locked block 5125, thereby disengaging dispensing unit 511 from storage unit 512 and allowing storage unit 512 to be removed from dispensing unit 511, so that the operation of operation unit 5115 and the operation for removing storage unit 512 from dispensing unit 511 must be performed with different hands and cannot be performed with one hand. Therefore, unintentional operation of operation unit 5115 during cleaning or the like can be prevented, which can prevent storage unit 512 from being removed from dispensing unit 511, and as a result, it is possible to prevent the raw materials stored in storage unit 512 from spilling out to the outside.

[0124] Moreover, since the container 512 can be detached from the dispensing section 511 by sliding it in the front-rear direction relative to the dispensing section 511, it is possible to prevent a large amount of raw material from overflowing.

[0125] According to the beverage supply device 1 described above, the scraper 38 is normally positioned in a standby position behind the filter block 343 and close to the driving equipment 383 such as the scraper drive mechanism 382. When moving back and forth between the standby position and the advanced position, the scraper 38 has a vertical dimension such that the upper end portion 38b is close to the lower opening 341a of the cylinder 341. Therefore, even if poor extraction by the extractor 30 causes the filter block 343 to descend with beverage inside, causing the beverage to splash, it is possible to prevent the beverage from splashing onto the driving equipment 383.

[0126] In the above-mentioned switching valve (air valve 41 and hot water valve 42), the valve shaft (air valve shaft 412 and hot water valve shaft 422) is configured to have small diameter sections 412a, 422a and large diameter sections 412b, 422b with different outer diameters, and the valve case (air valve case 411 and hot water valve case 421) is configured by connecting a first valve case component (first air valve case component 4111, first hot water valve case component 4211) in which the inner diameter of hollow sections 4111a, 4211a is smaller than the outer diameter of the large diameter sections 412b, 422b, and a second valve case component (second air valve case component 4112, second hot water valve case component 4212) in which the inner diameter of hollow sections 4112a, 4212a is larger than the outer diameter of the large diameter sections 412b, 422b, so that the valve shaft can be prevented from coming out of the valve case.

[0127] In the above-mentioned switching valve (air valve 41 and hot water valve 42), support ribs 417, 427 are formed on the inner surface of the second valve case component so as to be in sliding contact with O-rings 414, 424 provided at the tip side of the valve shaft. Therefore, when the valve shaft is displaced along the axial direction of the valve case, the O-rings 414, 424 are always in sliding contact with the support ribs 417, 427, which prevents the O-rings 414, 424 from becoming eccentric or becoming damaged or twisted when the valve shaft is displaced, thereby extending the service life.

[0128] In particular, while the tip portions 416, 426 of the valve shafts are umbrella-shaped, notches 418, 428 are formed in the support ribs 417, 427 at portions spaced from the tip of the valve case, so that the piping resistance of the valve case caused by the formation of the support ribs 417, 427 can be reduced.

[0129] In the coffee valve 43, the opening 4311 constituting the coffee introduction port 431a in the outer member 431 is formed with a guide rib 431c dividing it into upper and lower parts, so that when the inner member 432 inserted into the outer member 431 rotates, a part of the O-ring 433 surrounding the inlet portion 432b slides against the guide rib 431c, and the elastic restoring force prevents the O-ring 433 from sliding against the edge of the opening 4311. This prevents damage to the O-ring 433 caused by the rotation of the inner member 432, and extends the service life.

[0130] In the beverage supply device 1, after a predetermined amount of coffee is dispensed into cup C, the coffee introduction port 431a and the stirring air introduction port 431b of the coffee valve 43 are communicated with each other, and then the driving of the air pump 72 is stopped. Therefore, when the coffee valve 43 switches from a state in which the coffee introduction port 431a is communicated with the coffee discharge port 432a to a state in which the coffee introduction port 431a is communicated with the stirring air introduction port 431b, coffee remaining inside can be prevented from entering the stirring air line 401.

[0131] According to the beverage supply device 1, when a cleaning command is given, the control unit 12 brings the extractor 30, the stirring air line 401, and the extraction air line 402 into communication and fills them with hot water, so that the stirring air line 401 and the extraction air line 402 can also be cleaned satisfactorily, which was previously difficult.

[0132] In the beverage supply device 1 described above, the drainage valve 44 is linked to the vertical movement of the filter block 343. When the filter block 343 rises, the inlet portion 442c of the inner component part 442 is blocked by the inner surface of the outer component part 441, and when the filter block 343 descends, the inlet portion 442c of the inner component part 442 is opposed to the opening 4411 that constitutes the drainage discharge port 441b, thereby achieving the following effects.

[0133] That is, when performing cleaning by supplying cleaning hot water to the brewer unit 34 or the like, the filter block 343 is lowered so that the inlet portion 442c of the inner component 442 faces the opening 4411 of the waste liquid discharge port 441b, and the cleaning hot water is discharged into the storage bucket 80 through the drainage path 471. After that, the filter block 343 is raised again to re-introduce hot water into the cylinder 341, and then the filter block 343 is lowered so that the re-introduced hot water passes through the waste liquid discharge port 441b, thereby cleaning the waste liquid discharge port 441b.

[0134] <Modifications of the beverage supply device 1> Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications can be made.

[0135] In the beverage dispenser 1 of the present invention, the ingredient chute section 33 can be cleaned as follows. That is, the pinch mechanism 36 elastically deforms the lower part of the passageway component 35 to close a part of the passageway 351, and then the first hot water supply pump 62 and the second hot water supply pump 64 are driven to supply hot water into the ingredient chute section 33 and cause it to remain there, thereby cleaning the ingredient chute section 33. The hot water used to clean the ingredient chute section 33 can then be released from the closed state of the passageway component 35 by the pinch mechanism 36, and can be supplied to the brewer unit 34 or the like and discharged.

[0136] Alternatively, without closing the passage component 35 by the pinch mechanism 36, the filter block 343 may be raised, and then the first hot water supply pump 62 and the second hot water supply pump 64 may be driven to store hot water in the cylinder 341 and the passage component 35. In this case, the air pump 72 may be driven to send air in the order of the air valve 41 (air inlet port 411a-mixing air outlet port 411b), the mixing air line 401, the coffee valve 43, the beverage supply path 48, the drain valve 44 (inner second port 442b-inner first port 442a), and the brewer unit 34, to stir the stored hot water.

[0137] Although not mentioned in the above embodiment, a strainer may be provided near the outlet of the extraction air line in the top seal portion, which can prevent extraction residue and the like from entering the extraction air line.

[0138] In the above-described embodiment, the hot water supply unit 60 includes the first hot water pump 62, the sub-tank 63, and the second hot water pump 64. However, in the present invention, the first hot water pump 62, which is a centrifugal pump, and the sub-tank 63 may be omitted, and the hot water supply unit 60 may include the second hot water pump, which is a gear pump, and a flow meter. This can suppress a temperature drop caused by temporarily storing hot water in the sub-tank 63.

[0139] Although not specifically mentioned in the above embodiment, after coffee is delivered from the brewer unit 34 to the nozzle 22a, hot water can be added to the brewer unit 34 as additional hot water to extract coffee. When adding additional hot water in this way, it is preferable to drive the air pump 72 to deliver air in the order of the air valve 41 (air inlet port 411a-mixing air outlet port 411b), the mixing air line 401, the coffee valve 43, the beverage supply path 48, the drain valve 44 (inner second port 442b-inner first port 442a), and the brewer unit 34 to mix again. This makes it possible to break down the ground coffee beans that have been compressed during the first extraction, and to supply a large amount of coffee satisfactorily. [Explanation of symbols]

[0140] 1...beverage supply device, 10...main cabinet, 11...production unit, 12...control unit, 20...front door, 22...beverage supply unit, 30...extractor, 50...ingredient supply unit, 60...hot water supply unit, 70...air supply unit, 80...storage bucket, C...cup.

Claims

1. an extractor into which the ground raw material and hot water are added; a control unit that drives an air pump to supply pressurized air through a mixing air line to mix the ingredients and the hot water, and drives the air pump to supply pressurized air through an extraction air line to extract a beverage; Equipped with A beverage supplying device that supplies a beverage extracted by the extractor to a cup, The control unit, when a cleaning command is given, brings the extractor, the stirring air line, and the extraction air line into communication and fills them with hot water.

2. The extractor comprises: A cylindrical cylinder; a top seal portion that closes an upper opening of the cylinder; a filter block for opening and closing a bottom opening of the cylinder; Equipped with 2. The beverage supply device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit supplies the pressurized air to the cylinder through the stirring air line connected to the filter block to stir the beverage, and supplies the pressurized air to the cylinder through the extraction air line connected to the top seal unit to extract the beverage.

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