Dispenser

Abstract

To provide a dispenser improved in cleanability.SOLUTION: A dispenser for providing a beverage includes: a powder discharge port 23; a first shutter 220 that opens / closes the powder discharge port 23; a powder passage 250 through which powder P dropped from the powder discharge port 23 passes; and a second shutter 230 that is positioned lower than the first shutter 220 and that opens / closes the powder passage 250.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present application relates to a dispenser for dispensing beverages. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, dispensers for providing beverages are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cup-type vending machine. This cup-type vending machine includes an ingredient storage box, an ingredient chute, and a cup conveying device. The ingredient chute has a shutter for closing an ingredient outlet provided in the ingredient storage box. The shutter is configured to always close the ingredient outlet. When selling a beverage, the cup conveying device advances while pressing the lever of the shutter to open the shutter. The cup conveying device stops at a position below the ingredient outlet, and powdered ingredients are supplied from the ingredient outlet to the cup. After the powdered ingredients are supplied to the cup, liquid (e.g., hot water) is supplied to the cup and the cup is supplied with the beverage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-92396 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the dispenser described above, water vapor may be generated from the liquid, and the water vapor may enter the container that contains the powder. In the device of Patent Document 1, the shutter may be able to prevent water vapor from entering the raw material container box, but water vapor may adhere to the shutter. Therefore, the shutter that directly blocks the powder outlet may become contaminated.

[0005] In consideration of the above-mentioned problems, the present disclosure aims to provide a dispenser with improved cleanability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a dispenser for providing a beverage comprising a powder outlet, a first shutter for opening and closing the powder outlet, a powder passage through which powder falling from the powder outlet passes, and a second shutter located below the first shutter for opening and closing the powder passage.

[0007] In a dispenser according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a first shutter opens and closes a powder outlet. Powder that falls from the powder outlet and passes through the first shutter passes through a powder passage and is released from the powder passage. This powder passage is closed by a second shutter. Therefore, the second shutter can block water vapor from entering the powder passage. Therefore, water vapor can be prevented from adhering to the powder passage and further to the first shutter that directly opens and closes the powder outlet. This improves cleanliness.

[0008] The dispenser may further include a liquid outlet for supplying liquid, and a cup stand located below the powder outlet and the liquid outlet, on which a cup is placed so as to directly receive the powder from the powder outlet and the liquid from the liquid outlet. In this embodiment, the liquid is directly supplied to the cup below the powder outlet. Therefore, in this embodiment, water vapor may be generated from the liquid supplied to the cup toward the powder outlet above. Also, the liquid supplied to the cup may splash toward the powder outlet. However, the second shutter can prevent the water vapor and liquid from entering the powder passage. Therefore, even in this embodiment in which the liquid is directly supplied to the cup below the powder outlet, the cleanliness is improved.

[0009] The dispenser may further include a screw for sending powder to the powder outlet, and a control device for controlling the operation of the first shutter, the second shutter, and the screw, as well as the supply of liquid, and the control device may be configured to execute the following operations when a command to supply a beverage is received: opening the first shutter, opening the second shutter, driving the screw to release powder from the powder outlet after both the first and second shutters are opened, closing the second shutter after the driving of the screw stops, and supplying liquid from the liquid outlet after the second shutter is closed. According to this aspect, the operation of the second shutter can be automatically controlled to prevent water vapor and liquid from entering the powder passage. The control device may also be further configured to execute the following operations: closing the first shutter after the driving of the screw stops, and supplying liquid from the liquid outlet after both the first and second shutters are closed. In this case, water vapor and liquid can be automatically prevented from entering the powder outlet by both the first shutter and the second shutter. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a dispenser with improved cleanability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the dispenser of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container for powdered beverages. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 5A-5C are schematic cross-sectional views showing the operation of a dispenser. [Figure 6] 5A-5C are schematic cross-sectional views showing the operation of a dispenser. [Figure 7] 5A-5C are schematic cross-sectional views showing the operation of a dispenser. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing a beverage dispensing operation of the dispenser. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, a dispenser according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. For ease of understanding, the scale of the drawings may be changed.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser 100 according to an embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the dispenser 100 of Fig. 1. Referring to Fig. 1, in the dispenser 100, a powdered beverage (which may also be simply referred to as "powder" in this disclosure) P contained in a container 1 is mixed with a liquid (e.g., cold water, room temperature water, or hot water) and provided as a beverage. The dispenser 100 can be fitted with a plurality of containers 1 and can mix a plurality of types of powder P. In another embodiment, the dispenser 100 may be fitted with only a single container 1.

[0014] The dispenser 100 includes a cup stand 110 and a pipe (liquid outlet) 120. The pipe 120 supplies liquid from a tank T. A pump Pm is provided in a pipe (not shown) between the pipe 120 and the tank T for sending the liquid from the tank T to the pipe 120. A heater (not shown) for heating the liquid may be provided downstream or upstream of the pump Pm in the pipe. The pipe 120 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction so that a flow of liquid occurs in a cup C placed on the cup stand 110. The cup stand 110 is located below the powder outlet 23 (not shown in FIG. 1; details will be described later) and the pipe 120. The cup C is placed on the cup stand 110. Note that in this disclosure, the term "cup" refers to any container that can contain a beverage, such as a Western-style tea bowl or a Japanese-style tea bowl. The cup C placed on the cup stand 110 can directly receive powder from the powder outlet 23 and liquid from the tube 120 .

[0015] In the dispenser 100, a cup C is set on a cup stand 110, and multiple types of powder P or a single powder P is poured into the cup C. Next, liquid is directly supplied from a tube 120 to the cup C, and the powder P and the liquid are mixed in the cup C by the flow of the liquid generated in the cup C. In this way, in the dispenser 100, the powder P and the liquid are mixed in the cup C without being mixed in the components of the dispenser 100. Therefore, the dispenser 100 is kept clean. The dispenser 100 further includes a control device 130, and the above operations are controlled by the control device 130 (described in detail later).

[0016] The powdered beverage can be, for example, a beverage intended to be mixed with a liquid, such as powdered tea, powdered coffee, powdered cocoa, powdered juice, powdered milk, or powdered soup. For example, if the powder P is powdered tea, the dispenser 100 can provide tea by blending multiple powdered teas (e.g., sencha and hojicha, etc.). Also, for example, if the powder P is coffee, the dispenser 100 can provide coffee by blending multiple powdered coffees or powdered milk. Such powdered beverages may be produced, for example, by a spray-drying method or a freeze-drying method.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a container 1 for powdered food. The container 1 includes a powder storage section 10, a lid 15, and a screw holding section 20. The upper and lower surfaces of the powder storage section 10 are completely open. With reference to FIG. 2, the upper opening of the powder storage section 10 defines a powder inlet 12 for powder P. The lid 15 is rotatably attached to the upper part of the powder storage section 10, and can open and close the powder inlet 12. The lower part of the powder storage section 10 is configured to be attached to the screw holding section 20, and the lower opening of the powder storage section 10 directly communicates with the inside of the screw holding section 20.

[0018] 3, the screw holding part 20 has a main body 21, a screw 25 for pushing out the powder P, and a connector 22 connected to the screw. The main body 21 houses the screw 25 inside. The main body 21 has the connector 22 on a wall on one end side of the screw 25, and has an opening on a wall on the other end side of the screw 25. This opening defines a powder outlet 23 for the powder P. The container 1 is configured so that the powder P sinking inside the container 1 is pushed out from the powder outlet 23 by the screw 25.

[0019] 2, the connector 22 is configured to be detachably connected to a motor M, and the connector 22 and the screw 25 are driven by the motor M. The motor M is attached to a panel 160 rotatably connected to a container holding part 150. The container 1 can be removed from the container holding part 150 by rotating the panel 160 to release the connection between the motor M and the connector 22. The dispenser 100 includes a shutter mechanism 200 capable of opening and closing a powder outlet 23 (not shown in FIG. 2) of the container 1 (described in detail later).

[0020] The dispenser 100 can be fitted with a plurality of containers 1 (four in FIG. 2). The plurality of containers may be arranged in a matrix of, for example, two rows by n columns (n=1, 2, 3, . . ., two columns in FIG. 2). The plurality of containers arranged in two rows may be arranged symmetrically with the shutter mechanism 200 at the center. Specifically, each container 1 is arranged so that the powder outlet 23 faces the shutter mechanism 200, and each screw 25 is arranged so as to push the powder P toward the shutter mechanism 200. Therefore, the powder outlets 23 of all the containers 1 can be opened and closed by one shutter mechanism 200, and the powder P from the plurality of containers 1 can be discharged below the shutter mechanism 200. For this reason, for example, it is not necessary to provide an additional component such as a tube for guiding the powder P to the cup C for each of the plurality of containers 1.

[0021] Next, the shutter mechanism 200 will be described in detail.

[0022] 5 to 7 are schematic cross-sectional views showing the operation of the dispenser 100, and show cross-sectional views taken along the line VV in FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 5, the shutter mechanism 200 has a shutter housing 210, a first shutter 220, and a second shutter 230. Referring to FIG. 2, the shutter mechanism 200 further has a shutter drive device 240. The shutter housing 210 is fixed to the container holding portion 150.

[0023] 5, the shutter housing 210 has a horizontal hole communicating with the opening of the main body 21 of the screw holding part 20. The horizontal hole defines the powder outlet 23 together with the opening of the main body 21. The shutter housing 210 further has a vertical hole extending downward from the powder outlet 23, and the vertical hole opens into the space above the cup base 110. The vertical hole defines a powder passage 250 through which the powder P that has dropped from the powder outlet 23 passes. The shutter housing 210 slidably holds the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230.

[0024] The first shutter 220 is configured to open and close the powder outlet 23. The first shutter 220 is configured to be moved in a horizontal direction by a shutter drive device 240. When the first shutter 220 closes the powder outlet 23 (see Figures 5 and 7), the powder P cannot be discharged from the powder outlet 23. When the first shutter 220 opens the powder outlet 23 (see Figure 6), the powder P can be discharged from the powder outlet 23.

[0025] The second shutter 230 is located below the first shutter 220 and is configured to open and close the powder passage 250. The second shutter 230 is configured to be moved in the horizontal direction by a shutter drive device 240. When the second shutter 230 closes the powder passage 250 (see Figs. 5 and 7), the powder P cannot be discharged from the powder passage 250 to the cup C, and when the second shutter 230 opens the powder passage 250 (see Fig. 6), the powder P can be discharged from the powder passage 250 to the cup C. In this embodiment, the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 are integrally connected to each other and are configured to be moved synchronously by a common shutter drive device 240.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 2, the shutter driving device 240 is configured to move the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230. Specifically, the shutter driving device 240 is configured to provide a linear motion to the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230. For example, the shutter driving device 240 can be a push-type or pull-type solenoid. The shutter driving device 240 may be another device that provides a linear motion, such as an air cylinder. The shutter driving device 240 may also be a device such as a motor that provides a rotational motion, and the rotational motion may be converted into a linear motion. The first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 may also be shutters that open and close by a rotational motion instead of the above-mentioned linear motion.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a top view showing the shutter mechanism 200. Please note that in FIG. 4, only the containers 1 in one row are shown, and the containers 1 in the other row are removed. The shutter mechanism 200 further includes an elastic means 260 for biasing the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 to the closed position. The elastic means 260 can be, for example, a coil spring. One end of the coil spring is fixed to the shutter housing 210, and the other end is fixed to the top of the first shutter 220. For example, when the shutter driver 240 is a pull-type solenoid, the shutter driver 240 pulls the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 by turning on the shutter driver 240. This action causes the first shutter 220 to pull the elastic means 260 against the biasing force. This causes the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 to slide, opening the powder outlet 23 and the powder passage 250 (see FIG. 6). When the shutter drive device 240 is off, the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 are urged to the closed position by the elastic means, closing the powder outlet 23 and the powder passage 250 (see FIGS. 5 and 7).

[0028] Next, the control device 130 will be described in detail.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 1, the control device 130 is configured to control the operation of various components of the dispenser 100. Specifically, the control device 130 is capable of communicating with, for example, the shutter driving device 240, the motor M, and the pump Pm by wire or wirelessly, and is configured to control these components. The control device 130 may be further configured to control other components, for example, a heater. The control device 130 has, for example, a processor 131, a memory 132, and an operation unit 133. The control device 130 may further have other components, such as a communication unit for communicating with an external device. Each component of the control device 130 can be provided in any suitable location, for example, inside or outside the housing of the dispenser 100.

[0030] The processor 131 may include, for example, one or more central processing units (CPUs). A separate integrated circuit, microprocessor, and / or firmware may also be used in place of the processor 131.

[0031] The memory 132 may include, for example, a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) such as a flash memory, and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 132 may store various programs executed by the processor 131. The programs may be installed in the memory 132 using a known setup program or the like from a computer-readable portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory) or a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory).

[0032] The operation unit 133 may have an input function and a display function, and may include, for example, a touch panel. Alternatively or additionally, the operation unit 133 may include other components (for example, a liquid crystal display, a button, a mouse, and / or a keyboard, etc.). A user of the dispenser 100 may instruct the dispenser 100 to dispense a beverage through the operation unit 133.

[0033] Next, the beverage dispensing operation of the dispenser 100 will be described.

[0034] 5, before starting the operation, the user places the cup C on the cup stand 110. Before the operation starts, the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 are closed.

[0035] 8 is a flowchart showing a beverage dispensing operation of the dispenser. This operation is started by a user instructing the control device 130 to dispense a beverage through the operation unit 133. When the command to dispense a beverage is issued, the processor 131 transmits a signal to the shutter driving device 240 to open the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 (steps S100 and S102). In this embodiment, the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 are moved synchronously by the common shutter driving device 240, so that steps S100 and S102 are executed simultaneously.

[0036] Next, the processor 131 sends a signal to the motor M to cause the screw 25 to release the powder P from the powder outlet 23 (step S104). The processor 131 sends a signal to the motor M of the corresponding one or more containers 1 to release the powder P required to prepare the beverage selected by the user. With reference to FIG. 6, this operation supplies the powder P to the cup C. With reference to FIG. 8, the processor 131 then waits for a predetermined period (e.g., several seconds, tens of seconds, or several tens of seconds) to wait for the release of the powder P to be completed (step S106).

[0037] Next, the processor 131 sends a signal to the shutter driving device 240 to close the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 (steps S108 and S110). In this embodiment, the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 are moved synchronously by the common shutter driving device 240, so steps S108 and S112 are executed simultaneously.

[0038] Next, the processor 131 sends a signal to the pump Pm to supply liquid (e.g., hot water) from the tube 120 to the cup C (step S112), and a series of operations is completed. This operation generates a flow of liquid in the cup C, and the powder P and the liquid in the cup C are mixed to prepare a beverage. With reference to FIG. 7, particularly when the liquid is hot water, water vapor L is generated from the liquid supplied to the cup C toward the powder passage 250. This water vapor L is blocked by the second shutter 230. Although there is a possibility that the water vapor L adheres to the second shutter 230, the powder passage 250 and the first shutter 220 are protected by the second shutter 230.

[0039] In the dispenser 100 according to the present disclosure as described above, the first shutter 220 opens and closes the powder outlet 23. The powder P that falls from the powder outlet 23 and passes through the first shutter 220 passes through the powder passage 250 and is discharged from the powder passage 250 into the cup C. This powder passage 250 is closed by the second shutter 230. Therefore, the second shutter 230 can block the water vapor L from entering the powder passage 250. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the water vapor L from adhering to the powder passage 250 and further to the first shutter 220 that directly opens and closes the powder outlet 23. This improves the cleanliness.

[0040] The dispenser 100 also includes a tube 120 for supplying liquid, and a cup stand 110 located below the powder outlet 23 and the tube 120, on which a cup C is placed so as to directly receive the powder P from the powder outlet 23 and the liquid from the tube 120. In such a dispenser 100, the liquid is directly supplied to the cup C below the powder outlet 23. Therefore, there is a possibility that water vapor L is generated from the liquid supplied to the cup C toward the powder outlet 23. In addition, there is a possibility that the liquid supplied to the cup C splashes toward the powder outlet 23. However, the second shutter can prevent the water vapor and liquid from entering the powder passage 250. Therefore, even in this embodiment in which the liquid is directly supplied to the cup C below the powder outlet 23, the cleanliness is improved.

[0041] The dispenser 100 further includes a screw 25 for sending the powder P to the powder outlet 23, and a control device 130 for controlling the operation of the first shutter 220, the second shutter 230, and the screw 25, as well as the supply of liquid. The control device 130 is configured to execute the following operations when a command to supply a beverage is received: opening the first shutter 220, opening the second shutter 230, driving the screw 25 to discharge the powder P from the powder outlet 23 after both the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 are opened, closing the second shutter 230 after the driving of the screw 25 stops, and supplying liquid from the tube 120 after the second shutter 230 is closed. In such a dispenser 100, the operation of the second shutter 230 can be automatically controlled to prevent water vapor and liquid from entering the powder passage 250. Although moisture can be prevented at least by closing the second shutter 230, in this embodiment, the control device 130 is further configured to execute the following: closing the first shutter 220 after the driving of the screw 25 stops, and supplying liquid from the tube 120 after both the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 are closed. Therefore, water vapor and liquid can be automatically prevented from entering the powder outlet 23 by both the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230. In other embodiments, the control device 130 may be configured to execute the following: supplying liquid from the tube 120 after closing only the second shutter 230.

[0042] Although the embodiment of the dispenser has been described, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications of the above embodiment are possible.

[0043] For example, in the above embodiment, the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 are integrally connected to each other and are configured to be moved synchronously by a common shutter drive device 240. However, in other embodiments, the first shutter 220 and the second shutter 230 may be separated from each other and may be configured to be moved independently by separate devices.

[0044] Also, for example, in the above embodiment, the dispenser 100 starts dispensing a beverage when the user commands the dispenser 100 to dispense a beverage through the operation unit 133. In other embodiments, for example, the control device 130 may have a communication unit for communicating with an external device such as a smartphone or a tablet, and the dispenser 100 may start dispensing a beverage in a manner similar to that described above when the user commands the dispenser 100 to dispense a beverage from the external device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 23 Powder outlet 25 Screw 100 Dispenser 110 Cup stand 120 pipe (liquid outlet) 130 Control device 220 First Shutter 230 Second Shutter 250 Powder aisle C Cup P powder

Claims

1. 1. A dispenser for providing beverages, comprising: A powder outlet; a first shutter for opening and closing the powder outlet; a powder passage through which the powder falling from the powder outlet passes; a second shutter located below the first shutter for opening and closing the powder passage; The dispenser comprises:

2. a liquid outlet for supplying liquid; a cup stand located below the powder outlet and the liquid outlet, on which a cup is placed so as to directly receive the powder from the powder outlet and the liquid from the liquid outlet; The dispenser of claim 1 further comprising:

3. a screw for delivering the powder to the powder outlet; A control device is further provided that controls the operation of the first shutter, the second shutter, and the screw, and the supply of the liquid, When a command to dispense a beverage is received, the control device opening a first shutter; opening a second shutter; After both the first shutter and the second shutter are opened, driving the screw to discharge the powder from the powder outlet; closing the second shutter after the driving of the screw has stopped; dispensing liquid from the liquid outlet after the second shutter is closed; The dispenser of claim 2 configured to perform the following:

4. The control device includes: closing the first shutter after the driving of the screw has stopped; dispensing liquid from the liquid outlet after both the first shutter and the second shutter are closed; The dispenser of claim 3 , further configured to:

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