Beverage supply device

Abstract

To favorably recognize at least one of a state of a content of a constituent of a beverage generation part and a state of the constituent.SOLUTION: A beverage supply device 1 that supplies a beverage generated in a beverage generation part 10 to a container C comprises: a detection sensor 16 disposed in an introduction box 12 connected to an arbitrary constituent of the beverage generation part 10 via an introduction passage 14, and detecting an odor component of an internal atmosphere of the constituent introduced in the introduction box 12 by driving of an introduction pump 14b provided in the introduction passage 14; and a control part 20 carrying out determination control for determining at least one of a state of a content of the constituent and a state of the constituent, according to a detection result of the detection sensor 16. The control part 20, in parallel with the determination control or after the determination control, executes removal processing by introducing external air into the introduction box 12 and removing the odor component adhered on the detection sensor 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a beverage supply device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in stores such as convenience stores, beverage supply devices such as coffee machines are installed. When a beverage is selected by a user, this beverage supply device generates a beverage by performing, for example, coffee bean grinding and extraction processes such as dripping in a beverage generation unit, and discharges and supplies the beverage from a nozzle constituting the beverage supply unit to a container such as a cup arranged in the beverage supply unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the above beverage supply device, it was not possible to recognize the state of the contents of components such as a canister constituting the beverage generation unit and the state of the components.

[0005] In view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage supply device that can satisfactorily recognize at least one of the state of the contents of the components of the beverage generation unit and the state of the components.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a beverage supply device according to the present invention is a beverage supply device that supplies a beverage generated by a beverage generation unit to a container, and is disposed in an introduction box connected through an introduction path to any component of the beverage generation unit, and detects an odor component in the internal atmosphere of the component introduced into the introduction box by driving an introduction pump provided in the introduction path. A detection sensor, and a control unit that performs determination control for determining at least one of the state of the content of the component and the state of the component based on the detection result of the detection sensor, and the control unit is parallel to the determination control or after the determination control. Then, it is characterized in that a removal process is performed to introduce outside air into the introduction box to remove the odor component adhering to the detection sensor.

[0007] Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above beverage supply device, dehumidifying means for dehumidifying the outside air is provided in the middle of the path for guiding the outside air to the introduction box.

[0008] Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above beverage supply device, the introduction box is connected through the introduction path to a canister that constitutes the beverage generation unit and stores raw materials, and the control unit calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor, and determines that the day is a raw material replenishment day on the condition that the determination value is equal to or greater than a replenishment threshold value corresponding to the type of raw material stored in the canister. It is characterized by performing determination control.

[0009] Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above beverage supply device, the introduction box is connected through the introduction path to a beverage extraction unit that constitutes the beverage generation unit and extracts a beverage, and the control unit calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor, and performs determination control for determining the quality of the beverage by comparing the determination value with a preset quality tolerance range.

[0010] Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above beverage supply device, the control unit notifies that the quality is unqualified on the condition that the determination value deviates from the quality tolerance range.

[0011] Further, in the beverage supply device of the present invention, the introduction box is connected to a canister that constitutes the beverage generation unit and stores raw materials through the introduction path, and the control unit calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor, and compares the determination value with a type identification threshold corresponding to the type of raw material that should be originally stored in the canister to perform determination control on whether the raw material of the type set in the canister is stored.

[0012] Further, in the beverage supply device of the present invention, the control unit is characterized by notifying that the types of raw materials are different on the condition that the type of raw material that should be originally stored in the canister is not stored.

[0013] Further, in the beverage supply device of the present invention, the introduction box is connected to a canister that constitutes the beverage generation unit and stores raw materials through the introduction path, and the control unit calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor, and compares the determination value with a deterioration threshold corresponding to the type of raw material stored in the canister to perform determination control on whether the raw material has deteriorated.

[0014] Further, in the beverage supply device of the present invention, the control unit is characterized by notifying that the replacement of the raw material is urged on the condition that it is determined that the raw material has deteriorated.

[0015] Further, in the beverage supply device of the present invention, the control unit calculates a determination value from the detection result of the detection sensor after the removal process, and performs a correction process on the condition that the determination value is equal to or greater than a preset reference value.

[0016] Further, in the beverage supply device of the present invention, the correction process is characterized by correcting the detection result of the detection sensor in the next determination control after the removal process.

[0017] Further, in the present invention, in the beverage supply device, after the removal process, the correction process repeatedly performs a re-removal process of re-introducing outside air into the introduction box to remove the odor components adhering to the detection sensor until the determination value becomes less than the reference value.

[0018] Further, in the present invention, in the beverage supply device, the control unit calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor obtained after cleaning the beverage generation unit, and performs determination control to determine whether the cleaning is sufficient by comparing the determination value with a post-cleaning threshold value that serves as a reference for completion of cleaning.

[0019] Further, in the present invention, in the beverage supply device, the control unit is characterized by notifying that the cleaning is insufficient on the condition that the determination value exceeds the post-cleaning threshold value.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, a detection sensor disposed in an introduction box connected through an introduction path to an arbitrary component of a beverage generation unit detects odor components in the internal atmosphere of the component introduced into the introduction box by driving an introduction pump provided in the introduction path, and a control unit performs determination control to determine at least one of the state of the content of the component and the state of the component based on the detection result of the detection sensor. Moreover, in parallel with or after the determination control, an air removal process is performed to introduce outside air into the introduction box to remove the odor components adhering to the detection sensor. Therefore, it is possible to favorably recognize at least one of the state of the content of the component of the beverage generation unit and the state of the component.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of a beverage supply device according to the present invention will be described in detail.

[0023] <Embodiment 1> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a characteristic part of a beverage supply device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The beverage supply device 1 illustrated here is, for example, a coffee machine installed in a store such as a convenience store, and performs, for example, coffee bean grinding and dripping extraction processing to supply a beverage such as coffee to a container C such as a cup. Such a beverage supply device 1 includes a beverage generation unit 10, an operation unit 11, an introduction box 12, a notification unit 13, and a control unit 20.

[0024] The beverage generation unit 10 is provided inside a device main body (not shown), and generates a beverage by extracting a beverage from raw materials and hot water. The beverage generated by the beverage generation unit 10 is supplied to a container C placed at a predetermined location.

[0025] The operation unit 11 is provided on the front surface of the apparatus main body and is for the user to perform input operations such as selecting a product. When an input operation is performed, this operation unit 11 sends a signal to that effect to the control unit 20.

[0026] The introduction box 12 is a box body connected to the canister 10a that constitutes the beverage generation unit 10 through an introduction path 14. Here, a plurality (three in the illustrated example) of canisters 10a are provided, each containing a different type of raw material. The introduction path 14 is provided with an introduction valve 14a, an introduction pump 14b, and a dehumidification filter (dehumidification means) 14c.

[0027] A plurality (three in the illustrated example) of introduction valves 14a are provided, each arranged corresponding to a canister 10a. These introduction valves 14a are valve bodies that open and close in response to a command given from the control unit 20. When closed, they regulate the passage of the internal atmosphere of the corresponding canister 10a, while when open, they allow the passage of the internal atmosphere of the corresponding canister 10a.

[0028] Incidentally, an outside air introduction path 15 is connected in the middle of the above introduction path 14, that is, on the downstream side closer to the introduction box 12 than the plurality of introduction valves 14a. The outside air introduction path 15 has an outside air inlet 15a formed at its end and is a passage for outside air introduced from the outside air inlet 15a. The outside air introduction path 15 is provided with a deodorization filter 15b and an outside air introduction valve 15c.

[0029] The deodorization filter 15b is a filter for deodorizing the passing outside air. The outside air introduction valve 15c is a valve body that opens and closes in response to a command given from the control unit 20. When closed, it regulates the passage of outside air, while when open, it allows the passage of outside air.

[0030] The introduction pump 14b is provided on the downstream side of the introduction path 14 closer to the introduction box 12 than the plurality of introduction valves 14a, and more specifically, on the downstream side of the connection portion with the outside air introduction path 15. This introduction pump 14b is driven in response to a command given from the control unit 20, and when driven, it is an air pump that sucks air (the internal atmosphere of the canister 10a or outside air) and sends it to the introduction box 12.

[0031] The dehumidification filter 14c is arranged in a manner that closes an inlet (not shown) of the introduction box 12. This dehumidification filter 14c is a filter that dehumidifies the passing air and collects dust. Here, the dehumidification filter 14c has been described as an example of the dehumidification means of the present invention, but the dehumidification means of the present invention can also adopt a configuration other than the dehumidification filter 14c.

[0032] A detection sensor 16 is provided inside the above-mentioned introduction box 12. This detection sensor 16 detects the smell of the air introduced into the introduction box 12, particularly the internal atmosphere of the canister 10a. This detection sensor 16 is a conventionally known smell sensor and sends the detection result to the control unit 20.

[0033] As described above, the introduction path 14 not only has the function of introducing the internal atmosphere of the canister 10a into the introduction box 12, but also a part of it has the function of introducing outside air into the introduction box 12. As a result, a part of it constitutes a path for outside air.

[0034] The notification unit 13 is composed of, for example, a display device, a device that emits an alarm sound, etc., and performs a notification operation in response to a command given from the control unit 20.

[0035] The control unit 20 is communicably connected to the beverage generation unit 10, the operation unit 11, the notification unit 13, the introduction valve 14a, the introduction pump 14b, the outside air introduction valve 15c, and the detection sensor 16, and comprehensively controls the operations of each part of the beverage supply device 1 according to the programs and data stored in the storage unit 21 that is also communicably connected.

[0036] The storage unit 21 further stores beverage recipe information 21a and replenishment threshold information 21b. The beverage recipe information 21a is information regarding the recipe of the beverage generated by the beverage generation unit 10. The replenishment threshold information 21b is information including the replenishment threshold used in the determination control process described later. Here, the replenishment threshold is a criterion for determining whether the raw material has been replenished to the canister 10a, and is set for each raw material stored in the canister 10a.

[0037] The control unit 20 includes a supply control processing unit 20a and a determination control processing unit 20b. The supply control processing unit 20a controls the operation of generating the beverage selected by the input operation on the operation unit 11 in the beverage generation unit 10 according to the beverage recipe information 21a stored in the storage unit 21. The determination control processing unit 20b performs determination control processing and removal processing, as will be described in detail later.

[0038] In the beverage supply device 1 having the above configuration, when a beverage is selected by inputting an operation to the operation unit 11 with the container C placed at a predetermined location, the supply control processing unit 20a of the control unit 20 generates the beverage in the beverage generation unit 10 according to the beverage recipe information 21a stored in the storage unit 21. Then, the supply control processing unit 20a discharges and supplies the beverage to the container C through a nozzle (not shown). Thereby, the user who has performed the input operation can take out the beverage placed in the container C.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing content executed by the control unit 20 shown in FIG. 1 at a predetermined timing, for example, after supplying a beverage or after a cleaning operation. As shown in this FIG. 2, the determination control processing unit 20b of the control unit 20 performs determination control processing (step S110).

[0040] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing details of the determination control process shown in Figure 2. As shown in this Figure 3, the determination control processing unit 20b opens the introduction valve 14a corresponding to the target canister 10a and drives the introduction pump 14b (step S111, step S112), and waits for the elapse of a preset driving time (step S113).

[0041] Here, the driving time is set to a length that enables good detection by the detection sensor 16. As a result, the internal atmosphere of the target canister 10a is dehumidified by the dehumidification filter 14c and sent to the introduction box 12, and at the detection sensor 16, odor components are induced to a plurality of detection units.

[0042] When the driving time has elapsed (step S113: Yes), the determination control processing unit 20b stops driving the introduction pump 14b and closes the introduction valve 14a (step S114, step S115), and waits for the input of the detection result from the detection sensor 16 (step S116). The detection result from the detection sensor 16 is output data such as the frequency of each detection unit.

[0043] When the detection result is input from the detection sensor 16 (step S116: Yes), the determination control processing unit 20b calculates a determination value from the detection result (step S117). The determination value may be the detection result itself, or may be calculated by combining an average value, maximum value, minimum value, variance value, difference between maximum and minimum, difference between maximum and average, etc. over a certain period of time, or may be calculated using analysis methods such as principal component analysis, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, or machine learning using the above average value, etc.

[0044] The determination control processing unit 20b that has calculated the determination value in this way reads the replenishment threshold value information 21b from the storage unit 21 (step S118), and determines whether the determination value is equal to or greater than the replenishment threshold value corresponding to the type of raw material stored in the canister 10a (step S119).

[0045] When the determination value is equal to or greater than the replenishment threshold (step S118: Yes), the determination control processing unit 20b determines that today is the raw material replenishment date and stores it in the storage unit 21 (step S120), and then returns the procedure to end the current processing.

[0046] According to this, the raw material replenishment date is determined, and the control unit 20 can cause the notification unit 13 to perform a notification operation by displaying, for example, a prompt for raw material replacement after the expiration date (for example, about two weeks) has passed based on the raw material replenishment date.

[0047] On the other hand, when the determination value is less than the replenishment threshold (step S118: No), the determination control processing unit 20b ends the current processing by returning the procedure without performing the processing of step S120.

[0048] The control unit 20 that has performed the determination control processing in this way performs the removal processing (step S130).

[0049] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing content of the removal processing shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the determination control processing unit 20b of the control unit 20 opens the outside air introduction valve 15c and drives the introduction pump 14b (steps S131, S132), and waits for the elapse of a preset outside air introduction time (step S133).

[0050] Here, the outside air introduction time is set to a length that can blow the odor components attached to each detection unit of the detection sensor 16 with outside air and remove them well. The outside air introduced through the outside air inlet 15a is deodorized by the deodorizing filter 15b and dehumidified by the dehumidifying filter 14c and then sent to the introduction box 12.

[0051] When the outside air introduction time has elapsed (step S133: Yes), the determination control processing unit 20b stops driving the introduction pump 14b and closes the outside air introduction valve 15c (steps S134, S135), and then returns the procedure to end the current processing. In this way, the control unit 20 that has performed the removal process ends the current processing.

[0052] As described above, according to the beverage supply device 1 which is the first embodiment of the present invention, the detection sensor 16 is disposed in the introduction box 12 which constitutes the beverage generation unit 10 and is connected to the canister 10a that stores the raw materials through the introduction path 14, and detects the odor component of the internal atmosphere of the canister 10a by driving the introduction pump 14b provided in the introduction path 14. The control unit 20 calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor 16, and performs determination control to determine that the day is the raw material replenishment day on the condition that the determination value is equal to or greater than the replenishment threshold corresponding to the raw materials stored in the canister 10a. Moreover, after the determination control, an outside air is introduced into the introduction box 12 to perform a removal process for removing the odor component attached to the detection sensor 16. Therefore, the state of the raw materials (contents) of the canister 10a which is a component of the beverage generation unit 10 can be recognized well.

[0053] <Embodiment 2> FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the characteristic part of the beverage supply device which is the second embodiment of the present invention. In the following, for the components similar to those of the beverage supply device 1 which is the first embodiment described above, the same reference numerals are given and the repeated descriptions are appropriately omitted.

[0054] The beverage supply device 2 exemplified here is configured to include a beverage generation unit 10, an operation unit 11, an introduction box 12, a notification unit 13, and a control unit 30.

[0055] The introduction box 12 is a box connected to the beverage extraction unit 10b that constitutes the beverage generation unit 10 through an introduction path 14. Here, the beverage extraction unit 10b is an element that extracts a beverage from raw materials and hot water. The introduction path 14 is provided with an introduction valve 14a, an introduction pump 14b, and a dehumidification filter (dehumidification member) 14c. This introduction path 14 not only introduces the internal atmosphere of the beverage extraction unit 10b into the introduction box 12, but also has a function of introducing a part of the outside air into the introduction box 12. As a result, a part of it constitutes a path for the outside air.

[0056] The control unit 30 is communicably connected to the beverage generation unit 10, the operation unit 11, the notification unit 13, the introduction valve 14a, the introduction pump 14b, the outside air introduction valve 15c, and the detection sensor 16, and comprehensively controls the operations of each part of the beverage supply device 2 according to the programs and data stored in the storage unit 31 that is also communicably connected.

[0057] The storage unit 31 further stores beverage recipe information 31a and quality tolerance range information 31b. The beverage recipe information 31a is information regarding the recipe of the beverage generated by the beverage generation unit 10. The quality tolerance range information 31b is information including quality tolerance thresholds and quality omen thresholds used in the determination control process described later. Here, the quality tolerance threshold is a criterion for determining whether the quality is unqualified, and has a quality tolerance lower limit value and a quality tolerance upper limit value. The quality tolerance upper limit value is a value larger than the quality tolerance lower limit value. The quality omen threshold is a criterion for determining whether there is a possibility that the quality will change, and has a quality omen lower limit value and a quality omen upper limit value. The quality omen lower limit value is a value larger than the quality tolerance lower limit value. The quality omen upper limit value is a value larger than the quality omen lower limit value and smaller than the quality tolerance upper limit value.

[0058] The control unit 30 includes a supply control processing unit 30a and a determination control processing unit 30b. The supply control processing unit 30a controls the operation of generating a beverage in the beverage generation unit 10 according to the beverage recipe information 31a stored in the storage unit 31 for the beverage selected by the input operation on the operation unit 11. The determination control processing unit 30b performs determination control processing and removal processing, as will be described in detail later.

[0059] In the beverage supply device 2 having the above configuration, when a beverage is selected by an input operation on the operation unit 11 with a container C placed at a predetermined location, the supply control processing unit 30a of the control unit 30 generates a beverage in the beverage generation unit 10 according to the beverage recipe information 31a stored in the storage unit 31. Then, the supply control processing unit 30a discharges and supplies the beverage to the container C through a nozzle (not shown). As a result, the user who has performed the input operation can take out the beverage contained in the container C.

[0060] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing content implemented by the control unit 30 shown in FIG. 5 at a predetermined timing, for example, the timing after supplying a beverage. As shown in this FIG. 6, the determination control processing unit 30b of the control unit 30 performs determination control processing (step S210).

[0061] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing content of the determination control processing shown in FIG. 6. As shown in this FIG. 7, the determination control processing unit 30b opens the introduction valve 14a and drives the introduction pump 14b (steps S211, S212), and waits for the elapse of a preset driving time (step S213).

[0062] Here, the driving time is set to a length that allows the detection sensor 16 to perform detection well. As a result, the internal atmosphere of the target canister 10a is dehumidified by the dehumidification filter 14c and sent to the introduction box 12, and in the detection sensor 16, odor components are induced in a plurality of detection units.

[0063] When the driving time has elapsed (step S213: Yes), the determination control processing unit 30b stops driving the introduction pump 14b and closes the introduction valve 14a (steps S214, S215), and waits for the input of the detection result from the detection sensor 16 (step S216). The detection result from the detection sensor 16 is output data such as the frequency of each detection unit.

[0064] When the detection result is input from the detection sensor 16 (step S216: Yes), the determination control processing unit 30b calculates a determination value from the detection result (step S217). The determination value may be the detection result itself, or may be calculated by combining the average value, maximum value, minimum value, variance value, difference between maximum and minimum, difference between maximum and average, etc. over a certain period of time, or may be calculated using analysis methods such as principal component analysis, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, or machine learning using the above average value, etc.

[0065] The determination control processing unit 30b that has calculated the determination value in this way reads the quality tolerance range information 31b from the storage unit 31 (step S218), and determines whether the determination value is greater than or equal to the quality tolerance lower limit value and less than or equal to the quality tolerance upper limit value (step S219).

[0066] When the determination value is not greater than or equal to the quality tolerance lower limit value and less than or equal to the quality tolerance upper limit value (step S219: No), that is, when the determination value is less than the quality tolerance lower limit value, or when the determination value exceeds the quality tolerance upper limit value, the determination control processing unit 30b determines that the quality is NG (step S220).

[0067] The determination control processing unit 30b that has determined that the quality is NG in this way causes the notification unit 13 to perform a notification operation to display that the quality is unqualified (step S221), and then returns the procedure to end the current process.

[0068] According to this, it is recognized that there is a problem with the quality of the beverage extracted by the beverage extraction unit 10b, and the supply of the beverage is stopped, etc.

[0069] On the other hand, when the determination value is equal to or greater than the lower quality tolerance limit value and equal to or less than the upper quality tolerance limit value (step S219: Yes), the determination control processing unit 30b determines whether the determination value is equal to or greater than the lower quality prediction limit value and equal to or less than the upper quality prediction limit value (step S222).

[0070] When the determination value is not equal to or greater than the lower quality prediction limit value and equal to or less than the upper quality prediction limit value (step S222: No), that is, when the determination value is less than the lower quality prediction limit value or the determination value exceeds the upper quality prediction limit value, the determination control processing unit 30b determines that there is a possibility that the quality will change (step S223).

[0071] The determination control processing unit 30b that has determined that there is a possibility that the quality will change in this way causes the notification unit 13 to perform a notification operation of displaying a message prompting cleaning or the like (step S224), and then returns the procedure to end the current process.

[0072] By the way, when the determination value is equal to or greater than the lower quality prediction limit value and equal to or less than the upper quality prediction limit value (step S222: Yes), the determination control processing unit 30b determines that the quality is OK (step S225), and then returns the procedure to end the current process.

[0073] The control unit 30 that has performed the determination control process in this way performs a removal process (step S230).

[0074] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing content of the removal process shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 8, the determination control processing unit 30b of the control unit 30 opens the outside air introduction valve 15c and drives the introduction pump 14b (steps S231, S232), and waits for the elapse of a preset outside air introduction time (step S233).

[0075] Here, the outside air introduction time is set to a length that can blow off the odor components attached to each detection unit of the detection sensor 16 with outside air and remove them satisfactorily. Incidentally, the outside air introduced through the outside air inlet 15a is deodorized by the deodorizing filter 15b and dehumidified by the dehumidifying filter 14c and sent to the introduction box 12.

[0076] When the outside air introduction time has elapsed (step S233: Yes), the determination control unit 30b stops driving the introduction pump 14b and closes the outside air introduction valve 15c (steps S234, S235), and then returns the procedure to end the current process. In this way, the control unit 30 that has performed the removal process ends the current process.

[0077] As described above, according to the beverage supply device 2 which is the second embodiment of the present invention, the detection sensor 16 is disposed in the introduction box 12 that constitutes the beverage generation unit 10 and is connected to the beverage extraction unit 10b that extracts the beverage through the introduction path 14, and detects the odor component of the internal atmosphere of the beverage extraction unit 10b by driving the introduction pump 14b provided in the introduction path 14. The control unit 30 calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor 16, compares the determination value with a preset quality tolerance range, and performs determination control to determine the quality of the beverage. Moreover, after the determination control, an outside air is introduced into the introduction box 12 to perform a removal process for removing the odor component adhering to the detection sensor 16. Therefore, the state of the content of the beverage extraction unit 10b which is a component of the beverage generation unit 10 can be recognized well.

[0078] <Embodiment 3> FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a characteristic part of a beverage supply device which is the third embodiment of the present invention. In the following, for the same components as those of the beverage supply device 1 which is the first embodiment described above, the same reference numerals are given and the overlapping descriptions are appropriately omitted.

[0079] The beverage supply device 3 exemplified here is configured to include a beverage generation unit 10, an operation unit 11, an introduction box 12, a notification unit 13, and a control unit 40.

[0080] The control unit 40 is communicably connected to the beverage generation unit 10, the operation unit 11, the notification unit 13, the introduction valve 14a, the introduction pump 14b, the outside air introduction valve 15c, and the detection sensor 16, and comprehensively controls the operations of the respective parts of the beverage supply device 3 according to the programs and data stored in the storage unit 41 which is also communicably connected.

[0081] The storage unit 41 further stores beverage recipe information 41a and type identification threshold information 41b. The beverage recipe information 41a is information regarding the recipe of the beverage generated by the beverage generation unit 10. The type identification threshold information 41b is information including a type identification threshold corresponding to the type of raw material that should originally be stored in the corresponding canister 10a. The type identification threshold is a threshold for determining whether the type is normal or abnormal, and is set for each raw material stored in the canister 10a. The type identification threshold has a type identification lower limit value and a type identification upper limit value for each raw material. The type identification upper limit value is a value larger than the type identification lower limit value.

[0082] The above control unit 40 includes a supply control processing unit 40a and a determination control processing unit 40b. The supply control processing unit 40a controls the operation of generating the beverage selected by the input operation on the operation unit 11 in the beverage generation unit 10 according to the beverage recipe information 41a stored in the storage unit 41. The determination control processing unit 40b performs determination control processing and removal processing, as will be described in detail later.

[0083] In the beverage supply device 3 having the above configuration, when a beverage is selected by inputting an operation to the operation unit 11 with the container C placed at a predetermined location, the supply control processing unit 40a of the control unit 40 generates the beverage in the beverage generation unit 10 according to the beverage recipe information 41a stored in the storage unit 41. Then, the supply control processing unit 40a discharges and supplies the beverage to the container C through a nozzle (not shown). Thereby, the user who has performed the input operation can take out the beverage placed in the container C.

[0084] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing content that the control unit 40 shown in FIG. 9 performs at a predetermined timing, for example, after supplying a beverage or after a cleaning operation. As shown in FIG. 10, the determination control processing unit 40b of the control unit 40 performs determination control processing (step S310).

[0085] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing content of the determination control processing shown in FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 11, the determination control processing unit 40b opens the introduction valve 14a corresponding to the target canister 10a and drives the introduction pump 14b (steps S311, step S312), and waits for the elapse of a preset driving time (step S313).

[0086] Here, the driving time is set to a length that allows the detection sensor 16 to perform detection well. As a result, the internal atmosphere of the target canister 10a is dehumidified by the dehumidification filter 14c and sent to the introduction box 12, and in the detection sensor 16, odor components are induced to a plurality of detection units.

[0087] When the driving time has elapsed (step S313: Yes), the determination control processing unit 40b stops driving the introduction pump 14b and closes the introduction valve 14a (steps S314, step S315), and waits for the input of the detection result from the detection sensor 16 (step S316). The detection result from the detection sensor 16 is output data such as the frequency of each detection unit.

[0088] When the detection result is input from the detection sensor 16 (step S316: Yes), the determination control processing unit 40b calculates a determination value from the detection result (step S317). The determination value may be the detection result itself, or may be calculated by combining the average value, maximum value, minimum value, variance value, difference between maximum and minimum, difference between maximum and average, etc. over a certain period of time, or may be calculated using analysis methods such as principal component analysis, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, and machine learning using the above average value, etc.

[0089] The determination control processing unit 40b that has calculated the determination value in this way reads the type discrimination threshold value information 41b from the storage unit 41 (step S318), and determines whether the determination value is equal to or greater than the type discrimination lower limit value and equal to or less than the type discrimination upper limit value in the type discrimination threshold value corresponding to the type of raw material stored in the canister 10a (step S319).

[0090] When the determination value is equal to or greater than the type discrimination lower limit value and equal to or less than the type discrimination upper limit value (step S319: Yes), the determination control processing unit 40b determines that the type of raw material is normal (step S320), and then returns the procedure to end the current process.

[0091] On the other hand, when the determination value is not equal to or greater than the type discrimination lower limit value and equal to or less than the type discrimination upper limit value (step S319: No), that is, when the determination value is less than the type discrimination lower limit value, or when the determination value exceeds the type discrimination upper limit value, the determination control processing unit 40b determines that the type of raw material is abnormal (step S321).

[0092] The determination control processing unit 40b that has determined that the type of raw material is abnormal in this way causes the notification unit 13 to perform a notification operation to display that the type of raw material is different (step S322), and then returns the procedure to end the current process.

[0093] The control unit 40 that has performed the determination control process in this way performs the removal process (step S330).

[0094] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing content of the removal process shown in FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 12, the determination control processing unit 40b of the control unit 40 opens the outside air introduction valve 15c and drives the introduction pump 14b (steps S331, S332), and waits for the elapse of a preset outside air introduction time (step S333).

[0095] Here, the outside air introduction time is set to a length that can blow the odor components adhering to each detection part of the detection sensor 16 with the outside air and can remove them satisfactorily. Incidentally, the outside air introduced through the outside air introduction port 15a is deodorized by the deodorizing filter 15b and dehumidified by the dehumidifying filter 14c and then sent to the introduction box 12.

[0096] When the outside air introduction time has elapsed (step S333: Yes), the determination control processing unit 40b stops driving the introduction pump 14b and closes the outside air introduction valve 15c (steps S334, step S335), and then returns the procedure to end the current processing. The control unit 40 that has performed the removal process in this way ends the current processing.

[0097] As described above, according to the beverage supply device 3 which is the third embodiment of the present invention, the detection sensor 16 is disposed in the introduction box 12 which constitutes the beverage generation unit 10 and is connected through the introduction path 14 to the canister 10a that stores the raw material, and detects the odor components in the internal atmosphere of the canister 10a by driving the introduction pump 14b provided in the introduction path 14. The control unit 40 calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor 16, compares the determination value with the type identification threshold corresponding to the type of the raw material that should be originally stored in the canister 10a, and performs determination control on whether the raw material of the type set in the canister 10a is stored. Moreover, after the determination control, an outside air is introduced into the introduction box 12 to perform a removal process for removing the odor components adhering to the detection sensor 16. Therefore, the state of the raw material (contents) of the canister 10a which is a component of the beverage generation unit 10 can be recognized satisfactorily.

[0098] <Embodiment 4> FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a characteristic part of a beverage supply device which is the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Incidentally, hereinafter, for the same components as those of the beverage supply device 3 which is the first embodiment described above, the same reference numerals are given and the overlapping description is appropriately omitted.

[0099] The beverage supply device 4 illustrated herein is configured to include a beverage generation unit 10, an operation unit 11, an introduction box 12, a notification unit 13, and a control unit 50.

[0100] The control unit 50 is communicably connected to the beverage generation unit 10, the operation unit 11, the notification unit 13, an introduction valve 14a, an introduction pump 14b, an outside air introduction valve 15c, and a detection sensor 16, and comprehensively controls the operations of each part of the beverage supply device 4 according to programs and data stored in a storage unit 51 that is also communicably connected.

[0101] The storage unit 51 further stores beverage recipe information 51a and deterioration threshold value information 51b. The beverage recipe information 51a is information regarding the recipe of the beverage generated by the beverage generation unit 10. The deterioration threshold value information 51b is information including a deterioration threshold value corresponding to the type of raw material stored in the canister 10a. The deterioration threshold value is a threshold value serving as a criterion for determining whether the raw material has deteriorated, and is set for each raw material stored in the canister 10a. The deterioration threshold value has a deterioration allowable lower limit value and a deterioration allowable upper limit value for each raw material. The deterioration allowable upper limit value is a value larger than the deterioration allowable lower limit value.

[0102] The control unit 50 includes a supply control processing unit 50a and a determination control processing unit 50b. The supply control processing unit 50a controls the operation of generating, in the beverage generation unit 10, the beverage selected by an input operation on the operation unit 11 according to the beverage recipe information 51a stored in the storage unit 51. The determination control processing unit 50b performs determination control processing and removal processing, as will be described in detail later.

[0103] In the beverage supply device 4 having the above configuration, when a beverage is selected by an input operation on the operation unit 11 with a container C placed at a predetermined location, the supply control processing unit 50a of the control unit 50 generates the beverage in the beverage generation unit 10 according to the beverage recipe information 51a stored in the storage unit 51. Then, the supply control processing unit 50a discharges and supplies the beverage to the container C through a nozzle (not shown). Thereby, the user who has performed the input operation can take out the beverage placed in the container C.

[0104] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the processing content to be executed by the control unit 50 shown in Figure 13 at a predetermined timing, for example, after supplying a beverage or after a cleaning operation. As shown in this Figure 14, the determination control processing unit 50b of the control unit 50 performs determination control processing (step S410).

[0105] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the processing content of the determination control processing shown in Figure 14. As shown in this Figure 15, the determination control processing unit 50b opens the introduction valve 14a corresponding to the target canister 10a and drives the introduction pump 14b (steps S411, step S412), and waits for the elapse of a preset driving time (step S413).

[0106] Here, the driving time is set to a length that allows the detection sensor 16 to perform detection satisfactorily. As a result, the internal atmosphere of the target canister 10a is dehumidified by the dehumidification filter 14c and sent to the introduction box 12, and in the detection sensor 16, odor components are induced in a plurality of detection units.

[0107] When the driving time has elapsed (step S413: Yes), the determination control processing unit 50b stops driving the introduction pump 14b and closes the introduction valve 14a (steps S414, step S415), and waits for the input of the detection result from the detection sensor 16 (step S416). The detection result from the detection sensor 16 is output data such as the frequency of each detection unit.

[0108] When the detection result is input from the detection sensor 16 (step S416: Yes), the determination control processing unit 50b calculates a determination value from the detection result (step S417). The determination value may be the detection result itself, or may be calculated by combining an average value, a maximum value, a minimum value, a variance value, a difference between the maximum and minimum values, a difference between the maximum and average values, etc. over a certain period of time, or may be calculated using an analysis method such as principal component analysis, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, or machine learning using the above average value, etc.

[0109] The determination control processing unit 50b that has calculated the determination value in this way reads the deterioration threshold value information 51b from the storage unit 51 (step S418), and determines whether the determination value is equal to or greater than the lower limit of deterioration tolerance and equal to or less than the upper limit of deterioration tolerance in the deterioration threshold value corresponding to the type of raw material stored in the canister 10a (step S419).

[0110] When the determination value is equal to or greater than the lower limit of deterioration tolerance and equal to or less than the upper limit of deterioration tolerance (step S419: Yes), the determination control processing unit 50b determines that the raw material is normal (step S420), and then returns the procedure to end the current process.

[0111] On the other hand, when the determination value is not equal to or greater than the lower limit of deterioration tolerance and equal to or less than the upper limit of deterioration tolerance (step S419: No), that is, when the determination value is less than the lower limit of deterioration tolerance or the determination value exceeds the upper limit of deterioration tolerance, the determination control processing unit 50b determines that the raw material has deteriorated (step S421).

[0112] The determination control processing unit 50b that has determined that the raw material has deteriorated in this way causes the notification unit 13 to perform a notification operation to display a message prompting the replacement of the raw material (step S422), and then returns the procedure to end the current process.

[0113] The control unit 50 that has performed the determination control process in this way performs the removal process (step S430).

[0114] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the processing content of the removal process shown in FIG. 14. As shown in FIG. 16, the determination control processing unit 50b of the control unit 50 opens the outside air introduction valve 15c and drives the introduction pump 14b (steps S431, S432), and waits for the elapse of a preset outside air introduction time (step S433).

[0115] Here, the outside air introduction time is set to a length that can blow off the odor components adhering to each detection part of the detection sensor 16 with outside air and can remove them satisfactorily. Incidentally, the outside air introduced through the outside air introduction port 15a is deodorized by the deodorizing filter 15b and dehumidified by the dehumidifying filter 14c and then sent to the introduction box 12.

[0116] When the outside air introduction time has elapsed (step S433: Yes), the determination control processing unit 50b stops driving the introduction pump 14b and closes the outside air introduction valve 15c (steps S434, step S435), and then returns the procedure to end the current processing. The control unit 50 that has performed the removal process in this way ends the current processing.

[0117] As described above, according to the beverage supply device 4 which is the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the detection sensor 16 is disposed in the introduction box 12 that constitutes the beverage generation unit 10 and is connected to the canister 10a that stores the raw material through the introduction path 14, and detects the odor components in the internal atmosphere of the canister 10a by driving the introduction pump 14b provided in the introduction path 14. The control unit 50 calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor 16, compares the determination value with the deterioration threshold value corresponding to the type of the raw material stored in the canister 10a, and performs determination control as to whether the raw material has deteriorated. Moreover, after the determination control, an outside air introduction process for introducing outside air into the introduction box 12 to remove the odor components adhering to the detection sensor 16 is performed. Therefore, the state of the raw material (contents) of the canister 10a which is a component of the beverage generation unit 10 can be recognized satisfactorily.

[0118] <Embodiment 5> FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a characteristic part of a beverage supply device which is the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Incidentally, hereinafter, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the beverage supply device 1 which is the first embodiment described above, and the overlapping description is appropriately omitted.

[0119] The beverage supply device 5 exemplified here is configured to include a beverage generation unit 10, an operation unit 11, an introduction box 12, a notification unit 13, and a control unit 60.

[0120] The control unit 60 is communicably connected to the beverage generation unit 10, the operation unit 11, the notification unit 13, the introduction valve 14a, the introduction pump 14b, the outside air introduction valve 15c, and the detection sensor 16, and comprehensively controls the operations of each part of the beverage supply device 5 according to the programs and data stored in the memory unit 61 which is also communicably connected.

[0121] The memory unit 61 further stores beverage recipe information 61a and post - cleaning threshold value information 61b. The beverage recipe information 61a is information regarding the recipe of the beverage generated by the beverage generation unit 10. The post - cleaning threshold value information 61b is information including the post - cleaning threshold values which serve as the criteria for completion of cleaning for each part of the beverage generation unit 10.

[0122] The control unit 60 includes a supply control processing unit 60a and a determination control processing unit 60b. The supply control processing unit 60a controls the operation of generating the beverage selected by the input operation on the operation unit 11 in the beverage generation unit 10 according to the beverage recipe information 61a stored in the memory unit 61. The determination control processing unit 60b performs determination control processing and removal processing, as will be described in detail later.

[0123] In the beverage supply device 5 having the above - described configuration, when a beverage is selected by an input operation on the operation unit 11 with a container C placed at a predetermined location, the supply control processing unit 60a of the control unit 60 generates the beverage in the beverage generation unit 10 according to the beverage recipe information 61a stored in the memory unit 61. Then, the supply control processing unit 60a discharges and supplies the beverage to the container C through a nozzle (not shown). As a result, the user who has performed the input operation can take out the beverage contained in the container C.

[0124] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the processing content implemented by the control unit 60 shown in FIG. 17 at a predetermined timing, for example, the timing after a cleaning operation. As shown in this FIG. 18, the determination control processing unit 60b of the control unit 60 performs determination control processing (step S510).

[0125] FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the processing content of the determination control process shown in FIG. 18. As shown in FIG. 19, the determination control processing unit 60b opens the introduction valve 14a corresponding to the target canister 10a and drives the introduction pump 14b (step S511, step S512), and waits for the elapse of a preset driving time (step S513).

[0126] Here, the driving time is set to a length that enables good detection by the detection sensor 16. As a result, the internal atmosphere of the target canister 10a is dehumidified by the dehumidification filter 14c and sent to the introduction box 12, and at the detection sensor 16, odor components are induced to a plurality of detection units.

[0127] When the driving time has elapsed (step S513: Yes), the determination control processing unit 60b stops driving the introduction pump 14b and closes the introduction valve 14a (step S514, step S515), and waits for the input of the detection result from the detection sensor 16 (step S516). The detection result from the detection sensor 16 is output data such as the frequency of each detection unit.

[0128] When the detection result is input from the detection sensor 16 (step S516: Yes), the determination control processing unit 60b calculates a determination value from the detection result (step S517). The determination value may be the detection result itself, or may be calculated by combining an average value, maximum value, minimum value, variance value, difference between maximum and minimum, difference between maximum and average, etc. over a certain period of time, or may be calculated using analysis methods such as principal component analysis, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, or machine learning using the above average value, etc.

[0129] The determination control processing unit 60b that has calculated the determination value in this way reads the post-cleaning threshold value information 61b from the storage unit 61 (step S518), and determines whether the determination value is less than or equal to the post-cleaning threshold value (step S519).

[0130] When the determination value is less than or equal to the post-cleaning threshold (step S519: Yes), the determination control processing unit 60b determines that the cleaning is normal (step S520), and then returns the procedure to end the current processing.

[0131] On the other hand, when the determination value is not less than or equal to the post-cleaning threshold (step S519: No), the determination control processing unit 60b determines that the cleaning is insufficient (step S521).

[0132] The determination control processing unit 60b that has determined that the cleaning is insufficient in this way causes the notification unit 13 to perform a notification operation of displaying that the cleaning is insufficient (step S522), and then returns the procedure to end the current processing.

[0133] The control unit 60 that has performed the determination control processing in this way performs the removal processing (step S530).

[0134] FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the processing details of the removal processing shown in FIG. 18. As shown in FIG. 20, the determination control processing unit 60b of the control unit 60 opens the outside air introduction valve 15c and drives the introduction pump 14b (steps S531, S532), and waits for the elapse of a preset outside air introduction time (step S533).

[0135] Here, the outside air introduction time is set to a length that can blow the odor components attached to each detection unit of the detection sensor 16 with outside air and remove them satisfactorily. Incidentally, the outside air introduced through the outside air inlet 15a is deodorized by the deodorizing filter 15b and dehumidified by the dehumidifying filter 14c and sent to the introduction box 12.

[0136] When the outside air introduction time has elapsed (step S533: Yes), the determination control processing unit 60b stops driving the introduction pump 14b and closes the outside air introduction valve 15c (steps S534, S535), and then returns the procedure to end the current processing. The control unit 60 that has performed the removal processing in this way ends the current processing.

[0137] As described above, according to the beverage supply device 5 which is the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the detection sensor 16 is disposed in the introduction box 12 which constitutes the beverage generation unit 10 and is connected through the introduction path 14 to the canister 10a that stores the raw materials, and detects the odor components in the internal atmosphere of the canister 10a by driving the introduction pump 14b provided in the introduction path 14. The control unit 60 calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor 16, compares the determination value with a post-cleaning threshold value that serves as a reference for completion of cleaning, and performs determination control on whether the cleaning is sufficient. Moreover, after the determination control, an air introduction process is performed to introduce outside air into the introduction box 12 to remove the odor components adhering to the detection sensor 16. Therefore, the state of the canister 10a which is a component of the beverage generation unit 10 can be recognized well.

[0138] <Modification example of the removal process> FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of a modification example of the above-described removal process. As shown in this FIG. 21, the control unit 20 etc. open the outside air introduction valve 15c and drive the introduction pump 14b (step S601, step S602), and wait for the elapse of a preset outside air introduction time (step S603).

[0139] Here, the outside air introduction time is set to a length that can blow the odor components adhering to each detection part of the detection sensor 16 with outside air and remove them well. Note that the outside air introduced through the outside air inlet 15a is deodorized by the deodorizing filter 15b and dehumidified by the dehumidifying filter 14c and then sent to the introduction box 12.

[0140] When the outside air introduction time has elapsed (step S603: Yes), the control unit 20 etc. stop driving the introduction pump 14b and close the outside air introduction valve 15c (step S604, step S605).

[0141] Then, the control unit 20 etc. wait for the input of the detection result from the detection sensor 16 (step S606). The detection result from the detection sensor 16 is output data such as the frequency of each detection part.

[0142] When the detection result is input from the detection sensor 16 (step S606: Yes), the control unit 20 etc. calculates a determination value from the detection result (step S607). The determination value may be the detection result itself, or may be calculated by combining the average value, maximum value, minimum value, variance value, difference between maximum and minimum, difference between maximum and average, etc. over a certain period of time, or may be calculated using analysis methods such as principal component analysis, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, or machine learning using the above average value etc.

[0143] The control unit 20 etc. that have calculated the determination value in this way determines whether the determination value is less than or equal to a reference value previously read from the storage unit 61 etc. (step S608). Here, the reference value is a threshold value for determining that the odor components attached to each detection unit of the detection sensor 16 have been removed.

[0144] When the determination value is less than or equal to the reference value (step S608: Yes), the control unit 20 etc. determines that it is normal (step S609), and then returns the procedure to end the current process.

[0145] On the other hand, when the determination value exceeds the reference value (step S608: No), the control unit 20 etc. repeats the processing after step S601 described above. That is, the control unit 60 repeats the re-removal process of re-introducing outside air into the introduction box 12 after the removal process to remove the odor components attached to the detection sensor 16 until the determination value becomes less than the reference value.

[0146] According to this, the odor components of the detection sensor 16 can be removed, and it is possible to prevent false determination in subsequent determination control.

[0147] FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of another modification in the above-described removal process. As shown in this FIG. 22, the control unit 20 etc. opens the outside air introduction valve 15c and drives the introduction pump 14b (step S611, step S612), and waits for the elapse of a preset outside air introduction time (step S613).

[0148] Here, the outside air introduction time is set to a length that can blow the odor components adhering to each detection part of the detection sensor 16 with outside air and remove them satisfactorily. Incidentally, the outside air introduced through the outside air inlet 15a is deodorized by the deodorizing filter 15b and dehumidified by the dehumidifying filter 14c and then sent to the introduction box 12.

[0149] When the outside air introduction time has elapsed (step S613: Yes), the control unit 20 etc. stop driving the introduction pump 14b and close the outside air introduction valve 15c (step S614, step S615).

[0150] Then, the control unit 20 etc. wait for the input of the detection result from the detection sensor 16 (step S616). The detection result from the detection sensor 16 is output data such as the frequency of each detection part.

[0151] When the detection result is input from the detection sensor 16 (step S616: Yes), the control unit 20 etc. calculate a determination value from the detection result (step S617). The determination value may be the detection result itself, or may be calculated by combining the average value, maximum value, minimum value, variance value, difference between maximum and minimum, difference between maximum and average, etc. for a certain period of time, or may be calculated using analysis methods such as principal component analysis, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, or machine learning using the above average value etc.

[0152] The control unit 20 etc. that have calculated the determination value in this way determine whether the determination value is less than or equal to the reference value previously read from the storage unit 61 etc. (step S618). Here, the reference value is a threshold value for determining that the odor components adhering to each detection part of the detection sensor 16 have been removed.

[0153] When the determination value is less than or equal to the reference value (step S618: Yes), the control unit 20 etc. determine that it is normal (step S619), and then return the procedure to end the current process.

[0154] On the other hand, when the determination value exceeds the reference value (step S618: No), the control unit 20 etc. perform correction processing (step S620). This correction processing is to obtain a correction value (Δd) that adds the increase (Δd) obtained by subtracting the reference value from the determination value to the determination value in future determination control. The control unit 20 etc. that have performed this correction processing store the correction value in the storage unit 61 (step S621), return the subsequent procedure, and end the current processing.

[0155] According to this, even when the odor component of the detection sensor 16 cannot be removed well, it is possible to prevent causing false determination by adding the correction value to the determination value in subsequent determination control.

[0156] As described above, the preferred embodiments 1 to 5 of the present invention and the modification examples of the removal processing have been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various changes can be made.

[0157] In the above-described embodiments 1 to 5, the removal processing was performed after the determination control processing, but in the present invention, the removal processing may be performed after the input of the detection result of the detection sensor in the determination control processing. That is, the removal processing may be performed in parallel with the determination control processing.

[0158] In the above-described embodiment 5, it was determined whether the cleaning of the canister 10a in the beverage generation unit 10 was sufficient, but in the present invention, it is not limited to only the canister, and it can be applied to each part constituting the beverage generation unit.

[0159] In the above modification example of the removal processing, the processing of FIG. 21 and the processing of FIG. 22 were listed, but in the present invention, in the removal processing of FIG. 21, when the re-removal processing is performed a predetermined number of times, the removal processing of FIG. 22 may be performed.

[0160] Although not mentioned in the above-described embodiments 1 to 5, in the present invention, not only the notification operation for the notification unit 13 but also the notification operation may be performed on other devices using wireless communication or the like.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0161] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... beverage supply device, 10... beverage generation unit, 10a... canister, 10b... beverage extraction unit, 11... operation unit, 12... introduction box, 13... notification unit, 14... introduction path, 14a... introduction valve, 14b... introduction pump, 14c... dehumidification filter, 15... outside air introduction path, 15a... outside air inlet, 15b... deodorization filter, 15c... outside air introduction valve, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60... control unit, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61... memory unit, C... container.

Claims

1. A beverage supply device that supplies a beverage generated by a beverage generation unit to a container, arranged in an introduction box connected through an introduction path to any component of the beverage generation unit, and detecting an odor component of the internal atmosphere of the component introduced into the introduction box by driving an introduction pump provided in the introduction path; a detection sensor, a control unit that performs determination control for determining at least one of the state of the content of the component and the state of the component based on the detection result of the detection sensor and comprising, The control unit performs a removal process of introducing outside air into the introduction box to remove the odor component adhering to the detection sensor in parallel with or after the determination control. A beverage supply device characterized by that.

2. The beverage supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a dehumidifying means provided in the middle of a path for guiding the outside air to the introduction box and dehumidifying the outside air.

3. The introduction box is connected through the introduction path to a canister that constitutes the beverage generation unit and stores raw materials, The control unit calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor, and performs determination control for determining that day as a raw material replenishment day on the condition that the determination value is equal to or greater than a replenishment threshold corresponding to the type of raw material stored in the canister. The beverage supply device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by that.

4. The introduction box is connected through the introduction path to a beverage extraction unit that constitutes the beverage generation unit and extracts a beverage, The control unit calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor, and performs determination control for determining the quality of the beverage by comparing the determination value with a preset quality tolerance range. The beverage supply device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by that.

5. The beverage supply device according to claim 4, characterized in that the control unit notifies that the quality is unqualified on the condition that the determination value deviates from the quality tolerance range.

6. The introduction box is connected through the introduction path to a canister that constitutes the beverage generation unit and stores raw materials, The control unit calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor, and compares the determination value with a type identification threshold value corresponding to the type of raw material that should originally be stored in the canister, and performs determination control on whether the type of raw material set in the canister is stored. The beverage supply device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that.

7. The control unit notifies that the types of raw materials are different on the condition that the type of raw material that should originally be stored in the canister is not stored. The beverage supply device according to claim 6, characterized in that.

8. The introduction box constitutes the beverage generation unit and is connected to the canister that stores the raw material through the introduction path. The control unit calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor, and compares the determination value with a deterioration threshold value corresponding to the type of raw material stored in the canister, and performs determination control on whether the raw material has deteriorated. The beverage supply device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that.

9. The control unit notifies that the replacement of the raw material is to be promoted on the condition that it is determined that the raw material has deteriorated. The beverage supply device according to claim 8, characterized in that.

10. The control unit calculates a determination value from the detection result of the detection sensor after the removal process, and performs a correction process on the condition that the determination value is equal to or greater than a preset reference value. The beverage supply device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that.

11. The correction process is to correct the detection result of the detection sensor in the next determination control after the removal process. The beverage supply device according to claim 10, characterized in that.

12. The correction process is to repeatedly perform a re-removal process of re-introducing outside air into the introduction box after the removal process to remove the odor components adhering to the detection sensor until the determination value becomes less than the reference value. The beverage supply device according to claim 10, characterized in that.

13. The control unit calculates a determination value based on the detection result of the detection sensor obtained after cleaning the beverage generation unit, and compares the determination value with a post-cleaning threshold value that is a reference for completion of cleaning, and performs determination control on whether the cleaning is sufficient. The beverage supply device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that.

14. The control unit notifies that the cleaning is insufficient on the condition that the determination value exceeds the post-cleaning threshold value. The beverage supply device according to claim 13, characterized in that.

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