Beverage feeder

Abstract

To enhance workability in maintenance inspection of a beverage water supply valve disposed in a machine room of a housing.SOLUTION: A beverage feeder 10 includes: a housing 11 where a front opening part 12a is closed in an openable / closable manner by a front panel 13; a partition plate 14 that is disposed in a middle part in a front-back direction of the housing 11 and divides the housing into a front side for a beverage preparation chamber 15 that prepares a beverage and a back side for a machine room 16; a beverage preparation part 31 that is disposed inside the beverage preparation chamber 15 and prepares the beverage; and a water supply pipeline 50 that is disposed in the machine room 16 and allows beverage water including raw water for the beverage to be prepared in the beverage preparation part 31. In the water supply pipeline 50, beverage water supply valves 62a to 62c are interposed in a position where the pipes do not overlap back and forth with the beverage preparation part 31, the valves passing and shutting off the beverage water, and in the partition plate 14, an opening part 14a that opens a front side of the beverage water supply valves 62a to 62c is formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an invention of a beverage supplying device consisting of a tea dispenser. This beverage supplying device includes a housing with a front opening that can be freely opened and closed by a front panel, and a partition plate disposed in the middle of the housing in the front-rear direction, dividing the front side of the housing into a beverage preparation chamber for preparing a beverage and the rear side into a machine room. The beverage preparation chamber of the housing is provided with a beverage preparation section for preparing a beverage, which includes a raw material powder container for storing raw material powder for the beverage, and a mixing container for stirring and mixing raw material powder for the beverage with cold water or hot water. A placement table for placing a container such as a cup is provided below the beverage preparation section, and the beverage prepared in the beverage preparation section is received in the container such as a cup placed on the placement table. In addition, a cooling tank for producing cold water and a hot water storage tank for storing hot water are provided in the machine room, and drinking water consisting of cold water cooled in the cooling tank and hot water in the hot water storage tank is supplied to the mixing container as raw water by a water supply piping section. The water supply piping section is provided with a drinking water supply valve for passing cold water or hot water, and by opening the drinking water supply valve, the cold water or hot water is supplied to the mixing container as raw water, or is supplied to a container such as a cup on the mounting table as drinking water. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-055307 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the beverage supply device of Patent Document 1, a water supply piping section is provided in the machine room to supply drinking water consisting of cold water and hot water from a cooling tank or a hot water storage tank, and a drinking water supply valve is provided in the water supply piping section to pass cold water and hot water. In this beverage supply device, when performing maintenance and inspection of the drinking water supply valve, the top panel that covers the top opening of the housing and the side panel that covers the side part must be removed, and the drinking water supply valve in the machine room must be maintained and inspected from the top opening and the side part of the housing, making the maintenance and inspection of the drinking water supply valve troublesome. In addition, in this type of beverage supply device, the partition plate can be removed, and the front of the machine room can be opened by removing the partition plate. However, the front of the machine room cannot be opened unless the partition plate is removed after removing various parts that constitute the beverage preparation section in the beverage preparation chamber and a mounting stand on which containers such as cups are placed, and even in this case, the maintenance and inspection of the drinking water supply valve is troublesome. The present invention aims to improve the workability of maintenance and inspection of the drinking water supply valve arranged in the machine room of the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a beverage supply device comprising a housing having a front opening that can be freely opened and closed by a front panel, a partition plate arranged in the middle of the housing in the fore-and-aft direction and dividing the front side of the housing into a beverage production chamber that produces a beverage and a machine chamber at the rear side, a beverage production section arranged within the beverage production chamber and producing a beverage, and a water supply piping section arranged within the machine chamber for circulating drinking water including raw water for the beverage produced in the beverage production section, wherein a drinking water supply valve is interposed in the water supply piping section at a position that does not overlap with the beverage production section in the fore-and-aft direction and which allows the passage and blocking of drinking water, and the partition plate is formed with an opening that opens the front side of the drinking water supply valve.

[0006] In the beverage supply device configured as described above, a drinking water supply valve that passes and blocks drinking water is disposed in the water supply piping at a position that does not overlap with the beverage preparation section, and an opening is formed in the partition plate to open the front side of the drinking water supply valve. When performing maintenance and inspection of the drinking water supply valve, the front panel is opened to expose the beverage preparation chamber in the housing, and the drinking water supply valve can be maintained and inspected through the opening in the partition plate, improving the workability of maintenance and inspection of the drinking water supply valve.

[0007] In the beverage dispenser configured as described above, it is preferable that at least the front part of the drinking water dispense valve is disposed forward of the opening. In this way, the drinking water dispense valve can be attached and detached without inserting fingers or the like through the opening, and the ease of maintenance and inspection of the drinking water dispense valve can be further improved.

[0008] As another embodiment for solving the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a beverage supply device comprising a housing having a front opening that can be freely opened and closed by a front panel, a partition plate arranged in the middle of the housing in the fore-and-aft direction and dividing the front side of the housing into a beverage production chamber for producing a beverage and a machine chamber in the rear side, a beverage production section arranged within the beverage production chamber for producing a beverage, and a water supply piping section arranged within the machine chamber for circulating drinking water including raw water for the beverage produced in the beverage production section, wherein a drinking water supply valve is interposed in the water supply piping section for passing and blocking the drinking water, the drinking water supply valve is provided with a hook that can be detachably engaged with the partition plate, and the partition plate is formed with an engagement hole consisting of a through hole for engaging the hook.

[0009] In the beverage supply device configured as described above, a drinking water supply valve for passing and blocking drinking water is provided in the water supply piping, a hook is provided on the drinking water supply valve for detachably engaging with the partition plate, and a locking hole consisting of a through hole for locking the hook is formed in the partition plate. When performing maintenance and inspection of the drinking water supply valve, the front panel is opened to reveal the beverage preparation chamber in the housing, and the hook is operated from the beverage preparation chamber side to disengage it from the locking hole, so that the drinking water supply valve can be pulled up, for example, along the partition plate together with a part of the water supply piping, improving the workability of maintenance and inspection of the drinking water supply valve.

[0010] In the beverage supply device configured as described above, the hook is a screw member having a head and a threaded portion, the locking hole is formed by continuously forming a large diameter portion having a diameter through which the head can be inserted and a small diameter portion having a diameter through which the threaded portion can be inserted but not through which the head cannot be inserted, and it is preferable that the head is disposed on the beverage preparation chamber side so that the threaded portion is locked to the small diameter portion. In this way, the beverage supply valve can be detachably locked to the partition plate with a simple configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a beverage dispenser according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the state in which the front panel of FIG. 1 is opened. [Diagram 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a perspective view of the state in which the cover has been removed to the front from the opening of the partition plate. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is an enlarged perspective view showing the inside of the opening of the partition plate with the left panel of the housing removed; FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a state in which the pressing plate in FIG. 7 has been removed. [Figure 9]4 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the front-rear direction at a position where an opening in the partition plate is formed. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device. [Figure 11] This is an oblique view of the second embodiment of the beverage dispenser with the front panel and the front half of the top panel removed, where (a) is an oblique view showing the engagement hole formed in the partition plate, and (b) is an oblique view showing a portion of the beverage piping section on the rear side of the partition plate. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a perspective view mainly showing the rear side of the partition plate of the beverage dispenser of the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a water supply piping section of a beverage dispenser according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the beverage supply device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The beverage supply device 10 of the present invention is also called a tea dispenser or beverage dispenser, and is capable of supplying drinking water such as hot water or cold water, or a beverage such as tea, to a container such as a cup, a teacup, a tumbler, or a small water bottle. (First embodiment) The first embodiment of the beverage supply device 10 includes a hot water storage tank 41 for storing hot water in a machine chamber 16 within a housing 11, and the beverage supply device 10 can be installed at a height suitable for use, and can be installed on the upper side (adjacent to the upper side) of a sub-housing 18, also called a cabinet, in which a cooler (temperature regulator) 70 for cooling drinking water including raw water for the beverage is arranged to supply a cold beverage.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the beverage dispenser 10 includes a housing 11 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 11 includes a housing body 12 having a front opening 12a, and a front panel 13 that closes the front opening 12a of the housing body 12 in an openable and closable manner. The front panel 13 is supported on the right side of the housing body 12 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis, and the front opening 12a of the housing body 12 can be opened by rotating the front panel 13. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a partition plate 14 is provided in the middle of the housing 11 in the front-rear direction, and a beverage preparation chamber 15 for preparing a beverage such as tea is formed in the front side section of the housing 11 separated by the partition plate 14, and a machine chamber 16 is formed in the rear side section of the housing 11 separated by the partition plate 14.

[0014] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, an opening 13a is formed in the center of the lower part of the front panel 13 in the left-right direction, and a container mounting stand 20 for mounting a container such as a cup or a small water bottle for receiving a beverage is removably provided at the lower part of the beverage preparation chamber 15 at the position where the opening 13a is formed. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the container mounting stand 20 is for mounting a container such as a cup or a small water bottle, and the container mounting stand 20 in this embodiment has a height that allows a small water bottle to be mounted thereon. The container mounting stand 20 includes a mounting portion 21 for mounting a container, a cover portion 22 for covering the rear side, both left and right sides, and the upper side of the mounting portion 21, and a receiving tray portion 23 on the mounting portion 21. The mounting portion 21 is formed in a lattice shape (rafter shape) so that a large number of water passage holes are formed, and the beverage overflowing from the container mounted on the mounting portion 21 is received by the receiving tray portion 23 through the water passage holes of the mounting portion 21 formed in a lattice shape. A drain pipe 24 is connected to the receiving tray 23, and the beverage received in the receiving tray 23 is discharged to the outside through the drain pipe 24. The cover 22 is of a height that allows a small water bottle to be placed on it, and the placement portion 21 is removably provided with a lifting platform 25 for bringing low containers such as cups closer to beverage pouring portions 36a, 36b (described later) provided on the upper side of the cover 22.

[0015] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the beverage preparation chamber 15 is provided with a beverage supplying unit 30 that supplies a beverage into a container placed on the placement portion 21 of the container placement stand 20. The beverage supplying unit 30 includes a beverage preparation unit 31 that prepares a beverage from raw water and powdered raw materials for the beverage, and a beverage guide 36 that guides the beverage prepared in the beverage preparation unit 31 to the container on the placement portion 21. In this embodiment, the beverage preparation unit 31 is disposed to the right of the center in the left-right direction of the beverage preparation chamber 15. The beverage preparation unit 31 includes a powdered raw material container 32 that stores powdered raw materials for the beverage, a mixing container 34 that mixes the powdered raw materials for the beverage with raw water, and a stirring device 35 that stirs and mixes the powdered raw materials and raw water in the mixing container 34.

[0016] The powdered raw material container 32 stores powdered raw materials for a beverage such as tea, and is removably attached to the base 17 provided in the beverage preparation chamber 15. The powdered raw materials for the beverage in the powdered raw material container 32 are carried out by a carrying device 33 provided inside into a mixing container 34 disposed below. The mixing container 34 is a container for mixing the powdered raw materials and raw water, and is removably attached to the base 17 provided in the beverage preparation chamber 15. A discharge port 34a is formed at the bottom of the mixing container 34, and the beverage stirred and mixed in the mixing container 34 by a stirring device 35 is discharged from the discharge port 34a into a beverage guide 36 provided below.

[0017] The beverage guide 36 guides the beverage prepared in the beverage preparation section 31 to a container placed on the placement section 21. The beverage guide 36 has a shallow box shape extending from the lower side of the discharge port 34a of the mixing container 34 to the center in the left-right direction at the front of the placement section 21, and is supported on the upper side of the cover section 22 of the placement section 21. The beverage guide 36 is provided with a cylindrical beverage extraction section 36a extending downward above the center in the left-right direction at the front of the placement section 21, and the beverage discharged from the mixing container 34 to the beverage guide 36 is poured from the beverage extraction section 36a to the container on the placement section 21. In addition, a beverage extraction section 36b (shown in Figs. 4 and 5) for extracting drinking water is provided on the rear side of the beverage extraction section 36a, to which the outlet end of the second hot water delivery pipe 58b described later is connected.

[0018] As shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the machine room 16 is provided with a heater 40 for heating water. The heater 40 heats (adjusts the temperature of) the drinking water or raw water for the beverage dispensed from the beverage dispensers 36a and 36b. The heater 40 includes a hot water tank 41 for storing hot water, and the hot water in the hot water tank 41 is used as hot drinking water or raw water for the hot beverage (hot beverage). The hot water tank 41 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and legs 42 are provided at the bottom of the hot water tank 41 for positioning the tank at a predetermined height. A heater 43 is provided at the bottom front of the hot water tank 41, and the hot water (water) in the hot water tank 41 is heated by the heater 43. A temperature sensor 44 is provided in the hot water tank 41, and the temperature sensor 44 detects the temperature of the hot water (water) in the hot water tank 41. A water level sensor 45 is provided in the hot water storage tank 41, and the water level sensor 45 detects the upper and lower limits of a predetermined water level at which the hot water (water) in the hot water storage tank 41 is suitable for hot water supply.

[0019] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a water supply piping section 50 is provided within the machine room 16, which circulates water supplied from a water source such as a tap as drinking water or raw water for beverages to be dispensed from the beverage dispensers 36a, 36b. The water supply piping section 50 includes a first water supply pipe section 51 which delivers water supplied from a water supply source to the hot water storage tank 41, a hot water supply pipe 55 and first and second hot water delivery pipes 58a, 58b for delivering hot water in the hot water storage tank 41 to the beverage extraction sections 36a, 36b, an outlet pipe section 59 for delivering the water delivered from the first water supply pipe section 51 to a cooler (temperature regulator) 70 in the sub-housing 18, an inlet pipe section 60 which introduces water (cold water) cooled in the cooler 70 in the sub-housing 18, and first and second cold water delivery pipes 63a, 63b which deliver the water (cold water) introduced from the inlet pipe section 60 to the beverage extraction sections 36a, 36b via the first and second hot water delivery pipes 58a, 58b.

[0020] The first water supply pipe 51 supplies water sent from the water supply source to the hot water storage tank 41, and the water inlet end of the water supply connection pipe 51a is connected to a water supply hose (not shown) extending from the water supply source. The water outlet end of the first water supply pipe 51 is connected to the hot water storage tank 41, and water from the water supply source is supplied to the hot water storage tank 41 through the first water supply pipe 51. A first water supply valve (water passage valve) 52 and a flow sensor 53 are interposed in the first water supply pipe 51 immediately downstream of the water supply connection pipe 51a, and a second water supply valve 54 is interposed immediately upstream of the hot water storage tank 41. The water from the water supply source supplied under pressure is supplied to the hot water storage tank 41 by opening the first and second water supply valves 52, 54.

[0021] 4 and 5, one end of a hot water supply pipe 55 for supplying hot water is connected to the bottom of the hot water storage tank 41, and the other end of the hot water supply pipe 55 is connected to the bottom of the hot water storage tank 41. A hot water supply pump 56 is provided in the hot water supply pipe 55, and hot water in the hot water storage tank 41 is supplied to the hot water supply pipe 55 by the hot water supply pump 56 and then returned to the hot water storage tank 41. First and second hot water supply valves 57a, 57b, which are three-way valves, are provided in the hot water supply pipe 55, and first and second hot water supply pipes 58a, 58b are connected to the first and second hot water supply valves 57a, 57b. The outlet end of the first hot water delivery pipe 58a is connected to a raw water supply port (not shown) provided at a position opposite the mixing container 34 of the base 17, and by opening the first hot water delivery valve 57a while the hot water pump 56 is operated, the hot water in the hot water storage tank 41 is delivered from the raw water supply port through the hot water delivery pipe 55 and the first hot water delivery pipe 58a into the mixing container 34. The outlet end of the second hot water delivery pipe 58b is connected to the beverage outlet 36b of the beverage guide 36, and by opening the second hot water delivery valve 57b while the hot water pump 56 is operated, the hot water in the hot water storage tank 41 is delivered from the beverage outlet 36b through the hot water delivery pipe 55 and the second hot water delivery pipe 58b into the container on the container mounting stand 20.

[0022] 4 and 5, the first water supply pipe 51 is provided with a branch 51b between the flow sensor 53 and the second water supply valve 54, and an outlet pipe 59 for outletting water to a cooler (temperature regulator) 70 in the sub-housing 18 is connected to the branch 51b of the first water supply pipe 51. An outlet-side connection end 59a for connection to the cooler 70 is provided at the end of the water outlet side of the outlet pipe 59, and the outlet-side connection end 59a is provided so as to protrude downward from the bottom wall of the housing 11 facing the sub-housing 18, and is detachably connected to the cooler 70 in the sub-housing 18. An inlet pipe 60 for introducing cooled water (cold water) from the cooler 70 in the sub-housing 18 is provided in the machine chamber 16. An inlet side connection end 60a for connecting to a cooler 70 is provided at the end of the water inlet side of the inlet pipe section 60, and the inlet side connection end 60a of the inlet pipe section 60 protrudes downward from the bottom wall of the housing 11 that faces the sub-housing 18, and is detachably connected to the cooler 70 inside the sub-housing 18.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the end of the water outlet side of the inlet pipe section 60 is provided with three branched parts 60b-60d, and the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a-62c are interposed in the branched parts 60b-60d. The first to third cold water delivery valves 62a-62c are connected to the first to third cold water delivery pipes 63a-63c, and the outlet side ends of the first and second cold water delivery pipes 63a, 63b are connected to the middle parts of the first and second hot water delivery pipes 58a, 58b, and the outlet side end of the third cold water delivery pipe 63c is connected to a drainage path. When the first water supply valve 52 and the first cold water delivery valve 62a are opened, the water from the water supply source is cooled as it passes through the cooling pipe 76 and becomes cold water, which is delivered into the mixing vessel 34 through the inlet pipe section 60, the first cold water delivery pipe 63a, and the first hot water delivery pipe 58a. When the first water supply valve 52 and the second cold water delivery valve 62b are opened, the water from the water supply source is cooled as it passes through the cooling pipe 76 to become cold water, and is delivered from the beverage outlet 36b through the inlet pipe 60, the second cold water delivery pipe 63b, and the second hot water delivery pipe 58b. When the first water supply valve 52 and the third cold water delivery valve 62c are opened, the water from the water supply source is cooled as it passes through the cooling pipe 76 to become cold water, and is delivered to the drainage path through the inlet pipe 60 and the third cold water delivery pipe 63c.

[0024] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a cooler 70 for cooling water is provided in the sub-housing 18. The cooler 70 cools (adjusts the temperature of) the drinking water or raw water for the drinking water dispensed from the beverage dispensers 36a and 36b. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the cooler 70 includes a cooling tank 71 for storing cooling water for cooling the water sent from the water supply source, and a refrigeration device 72 for cooling the cooling water in the cooling tank 71. An evaporation tube (evaporator) 73 of the refrigeration device 72 is spirally provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cooling tank 71, and the cooling water in the cooling tank 71 is cooled by the refrigerant circulating through the evaporation tube 73. The refrigeration device 72 liquefies and condenses the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 74 in a condenser 75, and cools the periphery of the evaporation tube 73 by the heat of vaporization when the refrigerant liquefied in the condenser 75 is vaporized in the evaporation tube 73 in the cooling tank 71. The cooling water in the cooling tank 71 is cooled by the heat of vaporization of the refrigerant circulating through the evaporator pipe 73 of the refrigeration device 72, and freezes around the evaporator pipe 73 to form an ice layer.

[0025] 3 and 5, a cooling pipe 76 for cooling the water delivered from the outlet pipe section 59 of the water supply pipe section 50 is provided in the cooling tank 71, and the cooling pipe 76 is wound in a coil shape inside the spiral evaporation pipe 73 in the cooling tank 71. An inlet side end 76a of the cooling pipe 76 is detachably connected to the outlet side connection end 59a of the outlet pipe section 59, and an outlet side end 76b of the cooling pipe 76 is detachably connected to the inlet side connection end 60a of the introduction pipe section 60. Water supplied from a water supply source to the water supply pipe section 50 is delivered from the outlet pipe section 59 to the cooling pipe 76, and becomes cold drinking water or raw water for a beverage when passing through the cooling pipe 76, and is delivered to the introduction pipe section 60.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3, the cooling tank 71 is provided with an agitator 77 that agitates the cooling water. The agitator 77 has an agitator blade 77a inside the coiled cooling pipe 76, and generates a downward water current in the cooling water by rotating the agitator blade 77a. The cooling water in the cooling tank 71 is cooled as it circulates between the inside and outside of the coiled cooling pipe 76 by the agitator 77 and passes around the evaporation pipe 73, and the water passing through the cooling pipe 76 is cooled by the cooling water circulating inside and outside the cooling pipe 76 in the cooling tank 71.

[0027] 5, an ice detection sensor 78 is provided inside an evaporation pipe 73 that is spirally provided inside the cooling tank 71, and the ice detection sensor 78 is used to detect the thickness of an ice layer that freezes and forms around the evaporation pipe 73. A temperature sensor 79 is provided inside the cooling tank 71, and the temperature sensor 79 is used to detect the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling tank 71.

[0028] In this beverage supply device 10, a first water supply valve 52, a second water supply valve 54, first and second hot water delivery valves 57a, 57b, and first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c are provided in the machine room 16 as drinking water supply valves for passing and blocking drinking water including raw water for beverages. In this beverage supply device 10, in order to improve the workability of maintenance and inspection such as repair and replacement of the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c, which are part of these drinking water supply valves, maintenance and inspection work can be performed from the beverage preparation chamber 15 side.

[0029] In this type of beverage dispenser, the first and second cold water delivery valves 62a, 62b are located close to the first and second hot water delivery pipes 58a, 58b, thereby shortening the first and second cold water delivery pipes 63a, 63b. By shortening the first and second cold water delivery pipes 63a, 63b, the time from when the first and second cold water delivery valves 62a, 62b are opened until water starts to be delivered from the beverage delivery parts 36a, 36b can be shortened, the time from when the first and second cold water delivery valves 62a, 62b are closed until water finishes being delivered from the beverage delivery parts 36a, 36b can be shortened, and water is less likely to remain in the first and second cold water delivery pipes 63a, 63b. In this embodiment of the beverage supply device 10, a cooler 70 for cooling drinking water including raw water for the beverage is arranged within the sub-housing 18, so that the first and second cold water delivery valves 62a, 62b can be positioned with a high degree of freedom within the machine chamber 16.

[0030] In this embodiment of the beverage supply device 10, in order to improve the ease of maintenance and inspection of the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c, including the first and second cold water delivery valves 62a, 62b, as shown in Figures 2, 4 and 6, the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c are positioned to the left of the left-right center where the beverage production unit 31 is not located, and the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c are positioned in a position where they do not overlap front-to-back with the beverage production unit 31 in the beverage production chamber 15. At this time, the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c, including the first and second cold water delivery valves 62a, 62b, are positioned at a higher position than the first and second hot water delivery pipes 58a, 58b and the beverage extraction sections 36a, 36b, so that water quickly flows down from the first and second cold water delivery pipes 63a, 63b to the first and second hot water delivery pipes 58a, 58b and drinking water is less likely to remain in the first and second cold water delivery pipes 63a, 63b.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6, an opening 14a is formed in the upper left side of the partition plate 14, and the opening 14a is formed in front of the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c in the machine chamber 16. Maintenance and inspection of the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c can be performed through the opening 14a from the front side, which is the beverage preparation chamber 15 side. A cover 19 is detachably provided on the opening 14a, and the opening 14a can be opened and closed by attaching and detaching the cover 19. The cover 19 is box-shaped with an opening on the rear side, and flanges are formed on the top, bottom, left and right sides. The lower flange of the cover 19 is inserted into the lower part of the opening 14a, and the upper and left and right flanges of the cover 19 are abutted against the peripheral portion of the opening 14a, and the left and right flanges of the cover 19 are fixed to the peripheral portion of the opening 14a by screw members 19a. The cover 19 is fastened to the peripheral edge of the opening 14 of the partition plate 14 by screw members 19a inserted from the front side, which is the beverage production chamber 15 side, making it easy to attach and remove the cover 19.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, a seat 64 is provided in the vertical middle of the opening 14a of the partition plate 14, and the seat 64 is fixed to the left and right side edges of the opening 14a. The first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c are supported by the seat 64, and a pressing plate 65 for fixing the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c is removably attached to the seat 64. As shown in Fig. 8, when the pressing plate 65 is removed from the seat 64, the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c can be removed from the seat 64. The pressing plate 65 is attached to the seat 64 on the front side of the partition plate 14 by a screw member 65a, so that the screw member 65a can be attached and detached from the beverage production chamber 15 side on the front side of the partition plate 14.

[0033] The first to third cold water discharge valves 62a to 62c are arranged on this base 64 with the water inlet side at the front and the water outlet side at the rear, and branch sections 60b to 60d of the inlet pipe section 60 are detachably connected to the water inlet sides of the first to third cold water discharge valves 62a to 62c, and the first to third cold water discharge pipes 63a to 63c are detachably connected to the water outlet sides of the first to third cold water discharge valves 62a to 62c. When connecting the branched portions 60b-60d of the inlet pipe section 60 and the first to third cold water delivery pipes 63a-63c to the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a-62c, the first to third cold water delivery pipes 63a-63c located on the rear side are first connected to the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a-62c, and then the branched portions 60b-60d of the inlet pipe section 60 located on the front side are connected to the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a-62c. When removing the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c, the branched portions 60b to 60d of the inlet pipe portion 60 arranged at the front side are first detached from the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c, and then the first to third cold water delivery pipes 63a to 63c arranged at the rear side are detached from the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c. In this manner, since the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c have the water inlet side and outlet side arranged at the front and rear, the workability can be improved when attaching and detaching the first to third cold water delivery pipes 63a to 63c and the branched portions 60b to 60d of the inlet pipe portion 60 to the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c.

[0034] 9, the first to third chilled water delivery valves 62a to 62c are supported on the base 64 with their front half or more portions positioned forward of the opening 14a, and maintenance work, including attachment and detachment, of the first to third chilled water delivery valves 62a to 62c can be performed through the opening 14a of the partition plate 14 without inserting one's fingers through the opening 14a deep into the machine room 16. In particular, because the water inlet sides of the first to third chilled water delivery valves 62a to 62c are positioned forward of the opening 14a of the partition plate 14, the workability of attaching and detaching the branched portions 60b to 60d of the introduction pipe portion 60 to the water inlet sides of the first to third chilled water delivery valves 62a to 62c can be improved. Furthermore, since the water inlet sides of the first to third cold water discharge valves 62a to 62c are located in front of the opening 14a of the partition plate 14 and face forward, the first to third cold water discharge valves 62a to 62c can be connected to the water inlet sides by inserting the branched portions 60b to 60d of the inlet pipe section 60 into the back side, and can be detached by pulling the branched portions 60b to 60d of the inlet pipe section 60 toward the front, thereby improving the ease of attaching and detaching the first to third cold water discharge valves 62a to 62 and the branched portions 60b to 60d.

[0035] 10, beverage supply device 10 includes a control device 80, which is connected to discharge device 33, agitator 35, heater 43, temperature sensor 44, water level sensor 45, first water supply valve 52, flow sensor 53, second water supply valve 54, hot water pump 56, first and second hot water delivery valves 57a, 57b, first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c, and an operation panel 81. Control device 80 includes beverage supply means for supplying beverages, which include hot beverage supply means for supplying hot beverages such as hot tea, hot water supply means for supplying hot drinking water (hot water), cold beverage supply means for supplying cold beverages such as cold tea, and cold water supply means for supplying cold drinking water (cold water).

[0036] When the hot beverage supplying means is executed, the discharge device 33 of the beverage supplying section 30 is operated, the hot water pump 56 is operated, and the first hot water delivery valve 57a is opened. The powdered ingredients in the powdered ingredient container 32 are delivered to the mixing container 34, and the hot water in the hot water storage tank 41 is supplied to the mixing container 34 through the hot water delivery pipe 55 and the first hot water delivery pipe 58a. In addition, by operating the stirring device 35, the powdered ingredients and hot water of the beverage supplied to the mixing container 34 are stirred and mixed to become a hot beverage, and the generated hot beverage is poured through the beverage guide 36 from the beverage pouring section 36a into a container such as a cup on the container mounting table 20, and the hot beverage is supplied to the user.

[0037] When the hot water supply means is executed, the hot water pump 56 is operated and the second hot water delivery valve 57b is opened according to the time that the operation button on the operation panel 81 is pressed. The hot water in the hot water storage tank 41 is delivered through the hot water delivery pipe 55 and the second hot water delivery pipe 58b and delivered from the beverage delivery section 36b to a container such as a cup on the container mounting stand 20, and hot drinking water (hot water) is supplied to the user.

[0038] When the cold beverage supplying means is executed, the discharge device 33 of the beverage supplying section 30 is operated to open the first water supply valve 52 and the first cold water delivery valve 62a. The powdered raw materials in the powdered raw materials container 32 are delivered to the mixing container 34, and water cooled by the cooling pipe 76 in the cooling tank 71 is supplied to the mixing container 34 through the introduction pipe section 60, the first cold water delivery pipe 63a, and the first hot water delivery pipe 58a. In addition, by operating the stirring device 35, the powdered raw materials and cold water of the beverage supplied to the mixing container 34 are stirred and mixed to become a cold beverage, and the generated cold beverage is poured through the beverage guide 36 from the beverage pouring section 36a into a container such as a cup on the container mounting table 20, and the cold beverage is supplied to the user.

[0039] When the cold water supply means is executed, the first water supply valve 52 and the second cold water delivery valve 62b are opened according to the time that the operation button on the operation panel 81 is pressed. The cold water cooled in the cooling tank 71 passes through the inlet pipe 60, the second cold water delivery pipe 63b, and the second hot water delivery pipe 58b and is delivered from the beverage delivery part 36b to a container such as a cup on the container mounting stand 20, and cold water (cold beverage) is supplied to the user.

[0040] This beverage supply device 10 comprises a housing 11 having a front opening 12a that can be freely opened and closed by a front panel 13, a partition plate 14 arranged in the middle of the housing 11 in the fore-and-aft direction and dividing the front side of the housing 11 into a beverage production chamber 15 that produces a beverage and a rear side into a machine chamber 16, a beverage production section 31 arranged in the beverage production chamber 15 that produces a beverage, and a water supply piping section 50 arranged in the machine chamber 16 for circulating drinking water including raw water for the beverage produced in the beverage production section 31.

[0041] In this beverage supply device 10, first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c are interposed in the water supply piping section 50 as drinking water supply valves that pass and block drinking water at positions that do not overlap with the beverage preparation section 31 in the front and rear, and an opening 14a that opens the front sides of the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c is formed in the partition plate 14. When performing maintenance and inspection of the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c, the front panel 13 is opened to expose the beverage preparation chamber 15 in the housing 11, and the cover 19 that closes the opening 14a so as to be freely opened and closed is removed, whereby the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c can be maintained and inspected through the opening 14a of the partition plate 14, improving the workability of the maintenance and inspection of the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c.

[0042] In this beverage dispenser 10, the front half (at least the front part) of the first to third cold water delivery valves (drinking water supply valves) 62a to 62c is disposed forward of the opening 14a. This allows maintenance work such as attaching and detaching the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c to be performed without inserting fingers or the like deep into the opening 14a of the partition plate 14, and further improves the workability of maintenance and inspection of the drinking water supply valves. In this embodiment, the front half parts of the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c are disposed forward of the opening 14a, but this is not limited thereto, and the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c may be moved further forward to dispose the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c, including their rear parts, forward of the opening 14a. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c having at least their front portions disposed forward of the opening 14a, but may have the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c disposed rearward of the opening 14a, although this may require inserting fingers or the like through the opening 14a to perform the operation. In this case, the cover 19 may be made flat rather than box-shaped with an opening on the rear side, thereby preventing the interior of the beverage preparation chamber 15 from becoming narrow.

[0043] In the first embodiment, the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c constituting the drinking water supply valve are arranged at positions where they do not overlap the beverage preparation unit 31 in the front-rear direction, and an opening 14a is formed in the partition plate 14 to open the front side of the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c. The present invention is not limited to this, and at least one of the first water supply valve 52, the second water supply valve 54, the first and second hot water delivery valves 57a, 57b, and the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c constituting the drinking water supply valve may be arranged at positions where they do not overlap the beverage preparation unit 31 in the front-rear direction, and the partition plate 14 may further be formed with an opening to open the front side of at least one of the first water supply valve 52, the second water supply valve 54, the first and second hot water delivery valves 57a, 57b, and the first to third cold water delivery valves 62a to 62c.

[0044] Second embodiment The beverage supply device 10 of the first embodiment described above is adapted to produce a beverage by stirring and mixing powdered beverage ingredients and raw water, whereas the beverage supply device 10A of the second embodiment described below is adapted to produce a tea beverage by passing hot water through tea leaves in a tea strainer 34A. In addition, the beverage supply device 10 of the first embodiment described above is adapted to cool drinking water including raw water of the beverage by the cooler 70 in the sub-housing 18, whereas the beverage supply device 10A of the second embodiment is adapted not to cool drinking water including raw water of the beverage by the cooler 70 in the sub-housing 18. The beverage supply device 10A of the second embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the beverage supply device 10 of the first embodiment.

[0045] 11, beverage preparation chamber 15 of beverage supplying device 10A is provided with beverage preparation unit 31A, which prepares a beverage made of tea by pouring hot water onto tea leaves. Beverage preparation unit 31A includes tea leaf container 32A for storing tea leaves, tea leaf delivery unit 33A for delivering the tea leaves from tea leaf container 32A, tea strainer 34A for receiving the tea leaves delivered from tea leaf delivery unit 33A, and funnel unit 35A having beverage delivery unit 35Aa for receiving the tea prepared in tea strainer 34A and delivering the tea into a container such as a cup placed on container placement stand 20.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 11, tea leaf container 32A stores tea leaves, and a tea leaf delivery port 32Aa with a shutter is provided at the bottom of tea leaf container 32A. A tea leaf delivery section 33A equipped with a metering drum that delivers tea leaves at a predetermined amount is provided at the bottom of tea leaf container 32A, and the tea leaves in tea leaf container 32A are delivered from tea leaf delivery port 32Aa to tea strainer 34A below by rotating the metering drum of tea leaf delivery section 33A. Tea strainer 34A has a substantially hemispherical net member and is designed to receive the tea leaves delivered by tea leaf delivery section 33A from tea leaf container 32A. Tea strainer 34A is supported on partition plate 14A so as to be rotatable around an axis in the front-rear direction, and used tea leaves (tea grounds) in tea strainer 34A are discarded into discarded tea leaf receiving container 36A provided on the left side by rotating tea strainer 34A to the left. In addition, a delivery outlet of first hot water delivery pipe 58Aa is provided on the upper side of tea strainer 34A, and hot water can be supplied to tea strainer 34A from first hot water delivery pipe 58Aa.

[0047] 12 and 13, a water supply pipe section 50A is provided in the machine room 16 to circulate water supplied from a water supply source such as a tap as drinking water or raw water for beverages to be dispensed from the beverage dispensers 35Aa, 35Ab. The water supply pipe section 50A includes a first water supply pipe section 51A for delivering water supplied from the water supply source to the hot water storage tank 41, first and second hot water delivery pipes 58Aa, 58Ab for delivering hot water in the hot water storage tank 41 to the beverage dispensers 35Aa, 35Ab, and a water delivery pipe section 59A for delivering water delivered from the first water supply pipe section 51A to the beverage dispenser 35Ab.

[0048] The first water supply pipe section 51A supplies water sent from the water supply source to the hot water storage tank 41. The water outlet end of the first water supply pipe section 51A is connected to the hot water storage tank 41, and water from the water supply source is supplied to the hot water storage tank 41 through the first water supply pipe section 51A. A first water supply valve (water passage valve) 52A and a flow sensor 53A are interposed in the first water supply pipe section 51A immediately downstream of the water inlet end, and a second water supply valve 54A is interposed immediately upstream of the hot water storage tank 41. Water from the water supply source supplied under pressure is supplied to the hot water storage tank 41 by opening the first and second water supply valves 52A, 54A.

[0049] In addition, the first water supply pipe 51A is provided with a branch 51Ab between the flow sensor 53A and the second water supply valve 54A, and a water delivery pipe 59A for delivering drinking water to the beverage extraction part 35Ab is connected to the branch 51Ab of the first water supply pipe 51A. The outlet end of the water delivery pipe 59A is connected to the beverage extraction part 35Ab provided on the upper part of the cover part 22 of the container mounting stand 20. A third water supply valve 60A is interposed in the water delivery pipe 59A, and water from the water supply source supplied under pressure is supplied from the beverage extraction part 35Ab to a container placed on the container mounting stand 20 by opening the first and third water supply valves 52A, 60A. First and second hot water delivery valves 57Aa, 57Ab are provided at the bottom of the hot water storage tank 41, and first and second hot water delivery pipes 58Aa, 58Ab are connected to the first and second hot water delivery valves 57Aa, 57Ab. The outlet end of the first hot water delivery pipe 58Aa is disposed above the tea strainer 34A, and the outlet end of the second hot water delivery pipe 58Ab is connected to the middle part of the water delivery pipe 59A.

[0050] The third water supply valve (drinking water supply valve) 60A is attached to the partition plate 14A via a bracket 61A in the machine room 16. As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the third water supply valve 60A is provided with a screw member (hook) 62A for detachably engaging with the partition plate 14A via the bracket 61A, and a locking hole 14Aa consisting of a through hole for locking the screw member (hook) 62A is formed in the upper right part of the partition plate 14A. The screw member 62A has a head 62Aa and a threaded portion (not shown) formed with a diameter smaller than that of the head 62Aa. As shown in Fig. 11(a), the locking hole 14Aa is a so-called potbellied hole, and is formed by continuously forming a large diameter portion 14Ab through which the head 62Aa of the screw member 62A can be inserted and a small diameter portion 14Ac through which the head 62Aa of the screw member 62A cannot be inserted but the threaded portion can be inserted.

[0051] When the third water supply valve 60A is attached to the partition plate 14A in the machine chamber 16, the threaded portion of the screw member 62A is engaged with the small diameter portion 14Ac of the engagement hole 14Aa with the head 62Aa of the screw member 62A positioned on the beverage production chamber 15 side. In this state, the screw member 62A is inserted through the engagement hole 14Aa of the partition plate 14A and fastened and fixed to the bracket 61A, and the third water supply valve 60A is attached to the partition plate 14 with the head 62Aa of the screw member 62A and the bracket 61A sandwiching the partition plate 14A from the front and rear. When performing maintenance and inspection of the third water supply valve 60A, the screw member 62A is loosened from the bracket 61A, and the head 62Aa of the screw member 62A is moved upward from the beverage preparation chamber 15 side to the height position of the large diameter portion 14Ab of the locking hole 14Aa, so that the head 62Aa of the screw member 62A can move from the beverage preparation chamber 15 side to the machine chamber 16 side. When the head 62Aa of the screw member 62A is moved toward the machine chamber 16 side, the screw member 62A serving as a hook of the third water supply valve 60A is no longer locked to the partition plate 14A within the machine chamber 16. As shown in FIG. 11, the third water supply valve 60A can be repaired, replaced, or otherwise maintained and inspected by pulling the third water supply valve 60A together with the bracket 61A upward from the rear side of the partition plate 14A with at least the upper front part of the housing 11 open by removing the front half of the top panel, for example. In this embodiment, when it is difficult to pull the third water supply valve 60A upward even when at least the front top of the housing 11 is opened, for example, by removing the front half of the top panel, the third water supply valve 60A can be pulled upward by removing the screw member securing the upper part of the partition plate 14A and tilting the upper part of the partition plate 14 forward to expand the machine room 16 side of the front top of the housing 11.

[0052] In this way, in the beverage supply device 10A of the second embodiment, the third water supply valve 60A can be removed from the partition plate 14A in the machine chamber 16 by operating the screw member 62A as a hook from the beverage preparation chamber 15 side to disengage the screw member 62A from the locking hole 14Aa, and the workability of maintenance and inspection such as repair and replacement of the third water supply valve 60A can be improved. In the second embodiment, the screw member 62A is used as a hook, but this is not limited thereto, and the third water supply valve 60A may be locked to the locking hole 14Aa of the partition plate 14A using a hook having a shape that can be locked to the locking hole such as a pin or a protrusion. In addition, a hook made of the screw member 62A is provided on the bracket 61A for mounting the third water supply valve 60A constituting the drinking water supply valve, and a locking hole 14Aa made of a through hole for locking the hook made of the screw member 62A is formed in the partition plate 14A. The present invention is not limited to this, and a hook may be provided on at least one of the first water supply valve 52A, the second water supply valve 54A, the first and second hot water delivery valves 57Aa, 57Ab, and the third water supply valve 60A that constitute the drinking water supply valve, and a locking hole consisting of a through hole for locking the hook may be formed in the partition plate 14.

[0053] The beverage supply apparatus 10 of the first embodiment is adapted to produce a beverage by stirring and mixing powdered raw materials and raw water, and the beverage supply apparatus 10A of the second embodiment is adapted to produce a tea-like beverage by passing hot water through tea leaves in a tea strainer, but the beverage supply apparatus 10 of the first embodiment may be adapted to produce a tea-like beverage by passing hot water through tea leaves in a tea strainer like the beverage supply apparatus 10A of the second embodiment, and the beverage supply apparatus 10A of the second embodiment may be adapted to produce a beverage by stirring and mixing powdered raw materials and raw water like the beverage supply apparatus 10 of the first embodiment.

[0054] 10, 10A... beverage supply device, 11... housing, 12a... front opening, 13... front panel, 14, 14A... partition plate, 14a... opening, 14Aa... engagement hole, 14Ab... large diameter portion, 14Ac... small diameter portion, 15... beverage preparation chamber, 16... machine chamber, 31, 31A... beverage preparation section, 50, 50A... water supply piping section, 35Aa, 35Ab, 36a, 36b... beverage extraction section, 50... water supply piping section, 60A... drinking water supply valve (third water supply valve), 62A... hook (screw member), 62Aa... head, 62a to 62c... drinking water supply valves (first to third cold water delivery valves).

Claims

1. a housing having a front opening that is closed by a front panel in an openable and closable manner; a partition plate disposed in a middle portion of the housing in a front-rear direction to separate a front portion of the housing into a beverage preparation chamber for preparing a beverage and a rear portion of the housing into a machine chamber; a beverage preparation unit disposed in the beverage preparation chamber and configured to prepare a beverage; a water supply piping section disposed in the machine room for circulating drinking water including raw water for the beverage produced by the beverage production section, A drinking water supply valve for passing and blocking drinking water is interposed in the water supply piping section at a position not overlapping the beverage preparation section in the front and rear, A beverage supply device according to claim 1, wherein the partition plate has an opening for opening the front side of the drinking water supply valve.

2. 2. The beverage supply device according to claim 1, A beverage supply device, characterized in that at least a front portion of the drinking water supply valve is disposed forward of the opening.

3. a housing having a front opening that is closed by a front panel in an openable and closable manner; a partition plate disposed in a middle portion of the housing in a front-rear direction to separate a front portion of the housing into a beverage preparation chamber for preparing a beverage and a rear portion of the housing into a machine chamber; a beverage preparation unit disposed in the beverage preparation chamber and configured to prepare a beverage; a water supply piping section disposed in the machine room for circulating drinking water including raw water for the beverage produced by the beverage production section, A drinking water supply valve for passing and blocking drinking water is interposed in the water supply piping section, a hook for detachably engaging with a partition plate is provided on the drinking water supply valve, and an engaging hole consisting of a through hole for engaging the hook is formed in the partition plate.

4. 4. The beverage supply device according to claim 3, The hook is made of a screw member having a head and a threaded portion, the locking hole is formed so as to be continuous with a large diameter portion having a diameter through which the head portion can be inserted and a small diameter portion having a diameter through which the screw portion can be inserted but not through which the head portion can be inserted, A beverage supplying device, characterized in that the head is arranged on the beverage preparation chamber side and the screw portion is engaged with the small diameter portion.

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