Liquid supply device and liquid supply method

Abstract

To provide a liquid supply device and a liquid supply method capable of improving supply speed.SOLUTION: A liquid supply device 100 comprises: a tank 11 that stores miso soup; a supply part 20 that pours out the miso soup inside the tank 11; and a control part 60 that controls an action of the supply part 20. The control part 60 controls the supply part 20 so as to first pour out the miso soup at a first pour-out speed, and to pour out the miso soup at a second pour-out speed faster than the first pour-out speed after pouring out the miso soup at the first pour-out speed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid supply device and a liquid supply method for supplying liquid to a container.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid supply device including a tank for storing liquid, a liquid supply means such as a solenoid valve coupled to the tank for injecting liquid into tableware, and a mounting table for placing the tableware.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A liquid supply device as disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used, for example, in a restaurant to provide soup, and an improvement in the supply speed is required so as not to keep customers waiting. However, when the speed (flow rate) at which the liquid is discharged is increased, the discharged liquid may spill from the container.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a liquid supply device and a liquid supply method capable of improving the supply speed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to an aspect of the present invention, a liquid supply device includes a tank for storing liquid, a supply unit for discharging the liquid in the tank, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the supply unit. The control unit first discharges the liquid at a first discharge speed, and after discharging the liquid at the first discharge speed, controls the operation of the supply unit so as to discharge the liquid at a second discharge speed higher than the first discharge speed.

[0007] Also, according to an aspect of the present invention, a liquid supply method by a liquid supply device for supplying a liquid to a container is to first discharge the liquid at a first discharge rate, and after discharging the liquid at the first discharge rate, discharge the liquid at a second discharge rate that is faster than the first discharge rate.

Effect of the Invention

[0008] In the present invention, since the liquid is first supplied to the empty container at a first discharge rate such that the liquid does not spill, the liquid in the container serves as a cushion, and even if the liquid is then discharged at a second discharge rate at which the liquid would spill when supplied to an empty container, it is possible to suppress the liquid from spilling from the container. Therefore, it is possible to improve the liquid supply rate without spilling the liquid from the container.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a liquid supply device 100 and a liquid supply method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0011] The liquid supply device 100 is a so-called dispenser device mainly used for providing liquid soups (liquid food and drinks) in restaurants and the like. In this embodiment, it supplies miso soup.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the liquid supply device 100 includes a housing 1, a storage unit 10 for cooking and storing miso soup, a supply unit 20 for supplying the miso soup stored by the storage unit 10, a hot water supply unit 30 for supplying hot water to the storage unit 10, a display unit 40 for performing information display, an operation unit 50 operated by a user, and a control unit 60 for controlling the operations of each component of the liquid supply device 100.

[0013] The housing 1 is installed on the floor and has a box-shaped configuration extending in the vertical direction, which is the up-and-down direction in FIG. 2. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the up and down in the vertical direction will also be simply referred to as "up" and "down". Also, the right side in FIG. 2 is referred to as "front", the left side as "rear", and the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2 is also referred to as "left and right".

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 1 has a first housing portion 2 that houses the storage unit 10, a placement portion 5 on which a container D for supplying miso soup is placed, and a second housing portion 8 that houses the hot water supply unit 30.

[0015] The first housing portion 2 has a front door 3 that opens and closes to the left and right (double-opening, like a sliding door) and a pair of upper units 4 that open and close in the vertical direction. The front door 3 and the pair of upper units 4 form a space for housing the tank 11 of the storage unit 10, which will be described later.

[0016] The placement part 5 is provided vertically downward with respect to the first housing part 2. The miso soup is supplied by its own weight from the storage part 10 to the container D placed on the placement part 5.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the placement part 5 is provided with a positioning part 5a for positioning the container D, a drain port 6 into which the drainage water from the inside of the tank 11 is led, and a container sensor 7 (see FIG. 3) for detecting the presence or absence of the container D positioned by the positioning part 5a.

[0018] The drain port 6 communicates with a drain tank (not shown), and leads the drainage water from the tank 11 to the drain tank. The drain port 6 opens so as to face the placement part 5 on the rear side of the container D positioned by the positioning part 5a.

[0019] The container sensor 7 is, for example, a photoelectric sensor, detects the presence or absence of the container D positioned in contact with the positioning part 5a, and transmits the detection result to the control part 60.

[0020] The second housing part 8 is provided below the placement part 5 and houses the hot water supply part 30.

[0021] In the liquid supply device 100, two storage parts 10 are provided. The two doors of the front door 3 of the first housing part 2 and the pair of upper units 4 are provided corresponding to the two storage parts 10. Since the two storage parts 10 have the same configuration, they will be described below without distinguishing between them.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the storage part 10 includes a tank 11 for storing miso soup, a storage part 12 housed in the tank 11 for storing miso M, a stirring part 13 inserted into the storage part 12 for stirring inside the storage part 12, a pressing part 16 for pressing the miso M in the storage part 12, and a capacity detection part 17 provided outside the tank 11 for detecting the capacity of the miso M in the storage part 12. In the present embodiment, miso M and the like are dissolved in the hot water in the tank 11, and miso soup is cooked (generated) and supplied in the tank 11.

[0023] The tank 11 is formed in a box shape with an open upper part in the vertical direction. The tanks 11 of the two storage parts 10 are housed adjacent to each other in the left - right direction within the first housing part 2.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, the opening of the tank 11 is closed by a lid part 11a. The lid part 11a is provided with a water injection port 11b to which hot water from the hot water supply part 30 is supplied. On the bottom surface of the tank 11, an inclined surface 11c that inclines with respect to the horizontal direction and a parallel surface 11d that is parallel to the horizontal direction are formed. On the parallel surface 11d, a supply port 11e that guides the miso soup in the tank 11 to the discharge part 21 of the supply part 20 described later is formed. The inclined surface 11c inclines with respect to the horizontal direction so as to go upward from the parallel surface 11d. By forming the inclined surface 11c on the bottom surface of the tank 11, even if the volume of the miso soup in the tank 11 decreases, the miso soup is guided to the supply port 11e of the parallel surface 11d by the inclined surface 11c. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the miso soup in the tank 11 from remaining without being guided to the supply port 11e.

[0025] The housing part 12 is a rectangular - parallelepiped - shaped metal box having an opening at the upper part. A plurality of through - holes 12a that communicate the inside and outside are provided on the bottom surface and the side surface of the housing part 12, and the housing part 12 is a box constituted by so - called punching metal having the through - holes 12a. The housing part 12 has miso M put into it through the upper opening, and is attached to the lid part 11a of the tank 11 so as to close the opening. The inside of the housing part 12 communicates with the outside (inside the tank 11) through the through - holes 12a, and thereby the miso M in the housing part 12 is dissolved in the hot water in the tank 11.

[0026] Also, food ingredients (for example, powdered dashi, kelp chips, etc.) are housed in the housing part 12 together with the miso M. The size of the through - holes 12a of the housing part 12 is set to a size such that solids such as kelp chips housed therein cannot pass through.

[0027] The stirring unit 13 includes a propeller-shaped stirrer 14 having a plurality of blades 14a (four in this embodiment) radially provided in the radial direction from the shaft portion 14b, and an electric motor 15 that rotates the stirrer 14 around the shaft portion 14b. The stirrer 14 is attached to the lid portion 11a of the tank 11. The blades 14a of the stirrer 14 are inserted into the storage portion 12 so as to be positioned near the bottom surface of the storage portion 12 (at a position close to but not in contact with the bottom surface). Thereby, as will be described later, the blades 14a are buried in the miso M introduced into the storage portion 12 regardless of whether the capacity is small or large. The shaft portion 14b of the stirrer 14 extends in the vertical direction and protrudes outside the tank 11.

[0028] The electric motor 15 is provided in the upper unit 4 of the first housing portion 2 (see FIG. 2). When the upper unit 4 is closed, the electric motor 15 is connected to the shaft portion 14b of the stirrer 14 via a speed reducer (not shown) or the like. By transmitting the rotation of the electric motor 15 to the shaft portion 14b of the stirrer 14 through the speed reducer, the stirrer 14 rotates around the shaft portion 14b. Thereby, the inside of the storage portion 12 (and thus the inside of the tank 11) is stirred, and the miso M in the storage portion 12 is efficiently dissolved in the hot water in the tank 11.

[0029] The pressing portion 16 includes a plate-shaped portion 16a in which a plurality of through holes 16c are formed so as to penetrate in the plate thickness direction, and a rod-shaped protruding portion 16b that extends vertically from the plate-shaped portion 16a and protrudes outside the tank 11.

[0030] The plate-shaped portion 16a is formed in a plate shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape (rectangle) along the horizontal direction of the accommodating portion 12. A slit 16d through which the shaft portion 14b of the stirrer 14 of the stirring portion 13 is inserted is formed in the plate-shaped portion 16a so as to open at the outer peripheral edge of the plate-shaped portion 16a. The protruding portion 16b is inserted into the lid portion 11a so as to be movable in the vertical direction. By inserting the plate-shaped portion 16a into the accommodating portion 12 so as to cover the miso M in the accommodating portion 12 from above, the miso M in the accommodating portion 12 is pressed toward the bottom surface of the accommodating portion 12 (in other words, toward the blades 14a of the stirrer 14 near the bottom surface) by the self-weight of the pressing portion 16. The pressing portion 16 slides toward the bottom surface of the accommodating portion 12 as the miso M in the accommodating portion 12 dissolves in the hot water in the tank 11 and the volume of the miso M in the accommodating portion 12 (the height from the bottom surface of the accommodating portion 12) decreases. In this way, the pressing portion 16 functions as a so-called drop lid with respect to the miso M in the accommodating portion 12.

[0031] Further, a stopper portion 16e that protrudes radially outward and engages with the lid portion 11a is provided at the portion of the protruding portion 16b that protrudes from the tank 11. By the stopper portion 16e engaging with the lid portion 11a, the sliding of the pressing portion 16 toward the bottom surface of the accommodating portion 12 is restricted, and contact between the blades 14a of the stirrer 14 near the bottom surface of the accommodating portion 12 and the plate-shaped portion 16a of the pressing portion 16 is prevented.

[0032] The capacity detection unit 17 detects the capacity of the miso M in the storage unit 12 based on the protruding amount of the protruding portion 16b from the tank 11. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the capacity detection unit 17 has a first sensor 17a and a second sensor 17b arranged in the vertical direction. The second sensor 17b is relatively positioned above in the vertical direction. The first sensor 17a and the second sensor 17b each have a slit (not shown) through which the protruding portion 16b of the pressing portion 16 can pass, and are U-shaped (U-shaped) proximity sensors (photoelectric sensors) that turn ON when the protruding portion 16b passes through the slit. The first sensor 17a and the second sensor 17b detect that the protruding portion 16b of the pressing portion 16 has passed through their respective slits, and transmit the detection results to the control unit 60. The capacity detection unit 17 detects the capacity of the miso M in the tank 11 in three stages: zero, small capacity, and large capacity, by such first sensor 17a and second sensor 17b.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 5, the supply unit 20 has a discharge portion 21 into which the miso juice in the tank 11 is guided, a valve portion 22 for controlling the discharge of the miso juice from the discharge portion 21, and a switching portion 28 for switching the discharge direction of the discharge portion 21.

[0034] The discharge portion 21 is a resin tube that can be elastically deformed by an external force, and one end (base end) is connected to the supply port 11e (see FIG. 4) of the tank 11. The discharge portion 21 has a liquid passage 21a through which the miso juice in the tank 11 is guided by its own weight, and a discharge port 21b for discharging the miso juice guided to the liquid passage 21a. The liquid passage 21a communicates with the inside of the tank 11 through the supply port 11e of the tank 11, and guides the miso juice guided by its own weight from the tank 11 to the discharge port 21b. The discharge port 21b is an opening on the tip side of the discharge portion 21.

[0035] The valve portion 22 controls the flow of the miso juice guided by the discharge portion 21. The valve portion 22 has an electric motor 23 whose operation is controlled by the control unit 60, a valve body portion 24 driven by the electric motor 23, and a support portion 25 that supports the discharge portion 21.

[0036] The electric motor 23 is a stepping motor whose rotation angle changes according to the supplied current amount.

[0037] By being driven by the electric motor 23, the valve body portion 24 presses the discharge portion 21 against the support portion 25 to elastically deform the discharge portion 21. The valve body portion 24 is a cam member that is rotationally driven by the electric motor 23 and whose pressing amount for pressing and deforming the discharge portion 21 changes according to the rotation angle. By controlling the rotation angle of the electric motor 23, from the fully closed state (FIG. 6(a)) where the liquid passage 21a of the discharge portion 21 is completely blocked and the passage of miso soup is cut off, to the fully open state (FIG. 6(b)) where the liquid passage 21a is completely opened and miso soup is allowed to pass through, the pressing amount of the discharge portion 21 by the valve body portion 24 (the opening degree of the valve portion 22, and thus the opening degree of the liquid passage 21a) is continuously controlled.

[0038] At the tip of the discharge portion 21, which is on the opposite side of the base end connected to the supply port 11e of the tank 11, a cylindrical throttle portion 27 having a throttle passage 27a with an inner diameter smaller than that of the liquid passage 21a of the discharge portion 21 is inserted. In other words, the throttle passage 27a is provided on the downstream side (the end side opposite to the end connected to the tank 11) of the discharge port 21b side with respect to the portion of the discharge portion 21 that is pressed by the valve portion 22 (where the liquid passage 21a is opened and closed). When miso soup is discharged through the discharge portion 21 and the liquid passage 21a is closed by the valve portion 22, miso soup remains in the liquid passage 21a on the downstream side of the portion pressed by the valve portion 22. On the other hand, by applying a resistance greater than the flow resistance of the liquid passage 21a to the miso soup by the throttle passage 27a, it is possible to suppress the miso soup remaining in the liquid passage 21a from being discharged from the discharge port 21b when the valve portion 22 is closed. That is, by providing the throttle portion 27 at the tip of the discharge portion 21, it is possible to improve the dripping prevention of the miso soup discharged from the discharge port 21b due to the flow resistance exerted by the throttle passage 27a of the throttle portion 27.

[0039] The switching unit 28 switches the discharge direction by the discharge unit 21 between the supply direction (solid line in FIG. 5) directed toward the container D placed on the placement unit 5 and the drainage direction (dashed line in FIG. 5) directed toward the drain port 6 facing the placement unit 5. Specifically, the switching unit 28 includes a guide unit 29 that guides the direction of the discharge unit 21 and an actuator (not shown) that drives the guide unit 29. The guide unit 29 is formed in a hook shape that is locked to the tip of the discharge unit 21 (see FIG. 2), and by being driven by the actuator, switches the direction of the discharge unit 21 between the supply direction and the drainage direction. In FIG. 5, the left-right direction corresponds to the front-rear direction, and the right side in FIG. 5 corresponds to the front side.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the hot water supply unit 30 includes a water tank 31 that stores water or hot water (hereinafter also referred to as "water etc." when not distinguished), a heater 32 that heats the water in the water tank 31, and a pump 33 that supplies the water etc. in the water tank 31 to the tank 11 from the water injection port 11b through a pipe (not shown).

[0041] The water tank 31 is housed in the housing 1 below the placement unit 5. The heater 32 is immersed in the water in the water tank 31 to heat the water and boil the water to make hot water. The pump 33 is driven by an electric motor or the like (not shown) and discharges the water etc. in the water tank 31.

[0042] The display unit 40 is provided on each of the two doors of the front door 3 of the housing 1 (see FIG. 1) corresponding to the two storage units 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the display unit 40 includes a remaining amount display unit 41 that displays the remaining amount of the miso soup in the tank 11 and a time display unit 42 that displays the elapsed time since the miso soup was cooked in the tank 11. Also, although not shown, on the front door 3 of the housing 1, there is provided a boiling lamp or the like that indicates that the boiling of the water in the water tank 31 has been completed.

[0043] The remaining amount of miso soup in the tank 11 is calculated by the control unit 60 and displayed by the remaining amount display unit 41. Specifically, the supply amount per time supplied to the container D by the supply unit 20 is determined in advance to be a fixed amount. Also, in this embodiment, no hot water (or miso soup) is added to the tank 11. Further, the control unit 60 stores the number of times miso soup has been supplied after being cooked in the tank 11. Therefore, the remaining amount of miso soup in the tank 11 can be calculated by dividing the amount of miso soup initially cooked in the tank 11 (in other words, the amount of hot water supplied to the tank 11) by the value obtained by multiplying the number of times miso soup has been supplied by the supply amount per time (total supply amount). The time display unit 42 displays, for example, the elapsed time since the completion of cooking of the miso soup measured by a timer (not shown) provided in the control unit 60.

[0044] The operation unit 50 has a supply button 51 for discharging the miso soup cooked in the tank 11 and a hot water supply button 52 for supplying hot water into the tank 11. The supply button 51 and the hot water supply button 52 are push-button switches in which a lamp lights up when they become operable states respectively. Also, the hot water supply button 52 is provided in each of the doors of the front door 3 corresponding to the two tanks 11, with a button for a small capacity (referred to as a small capacity button 52a) and a button for a large capacity (referred to as a large capacity button 52b) as a set.

[0045] The control unit 60 is constituted by a computer including an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU, a storage device, a network connection device, etc. Programs, applications, etc. are stored in advance in the storage device, and the CPU executes these to perform various functions of the control unit 60 described in this specification. Note that the control unit 60 may be configured as one device, or may be divided into a plurality of devices and configured such that each control is distributedly processed by the plurality of devices.

[0046] Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, the liquid supply method and the providing method of this embodiment will be described.

[0047] The method for providing miso soup in this embodiment includes a cooking step of cooking miso soup in the tank 11 of the storage unit 10, a supply step (liquid supply method) of supplying the cooked miso soup, and a cleaning step of cleaning the inside of the tank 11. The control unit 60 controls the operation of each component of the liquid supply device 100 so as to execute the following respective steps.

[0048] [Cooking Step] First, referring to FIG. 7, the cooking step will be described.

[0049] In the cooking step, first, the upper unit 4 of the housing 1 corresponding to one tank 11 is lifted, and the lid portion 11a of the tank 11 is removed. Then, a predetermined amount of miso M and ingredients are stored in the storage portion 12 (step S10). In this embodiment, the miso M input into the storage portion 12 is set in two stages of small capacity and large capacity.

[0050] Next, the stirrer 14 and the pressing portion 16 are assembled to the lid portion 11a of the tank 11 to form a unit, and the unit is attached to the tank 11 so that the lid portion 11a closes the opening of the tank 11 (step S11). At this time, the stirrer 14 of the stirring portion 13 is inserted into the storage portion 12 so as to be buried in the miso M, and the plate-shaped portion 16a of the pressing portion 16 is inserted into the storage portion 12 so as to cover the miso M (see FIG. 4).

[0051] Next, the upper unit 4 is lowered, and as shown in FIG. 2, the electric motor 15 of the stirring portion 13 in the upper unit 4 and the shaft portion 14b of the stirrer 14 are connected (step S12). Further, by lowering the upper unit 4, the protruding portion 16b of the pressing portion 16 is inserted into the slits of the first sensor 17a and / or the second sensor 17b. The protruding amount of the protruding portion 16b varies depending on the capacity of the miso M in the storage portion 12. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the protruding portion 16b is inserted into the slits of both the first sensor 17a and the second sensor 17b.

[0052] When no miso M is input into the storage portion 12, both the first sensor 17a and the second sensor 17b are turned off. In this case, all the hot water supply buttons 52 are in an inoperable state.

[0053] When the amount of miso M in the storage section 12 is small, the protruding portion 16b is inserted into the slit of the first sensor 17a and not into the slit of the second sensor 17b. In this case, the first sensor 17a turns ON and the second sensor 17b turns OFF, enabling the operation of the small-capacity button 52a among the hot water supply buttons 52.

[0054] When the miso M is in a large amount, since the protruding amount of the protruding portion 16b from the tank 11 is large, the protruding portion 16b is inserted into the slits of both the first sensor 17a and the second sensor 17b. In this case, both the first sensor 17a and the second sensor 17b turn ON, enabling the operation of the large-capacity button 52b among the hot water supply buttons 52.

[0055] In this way, based on the detection results of the first sensor 17a and the second sensor 17b, it is possible to detect whether the amount of miso M in the storage section 12 is zero, small, or large (step S13).

[0056] When the hot water supply button 52 is operated, a command signal is sent from the control unit 60 to the hot water supply section 30, and hot water is supplied from the hot water supply section 30 into the tank 11 in an amount of hot water corresponding to the amount of miso M in the storage section 12 (in other words, the type of the operated hot water supply button 52) (step S14). The amount of hot water by the hot water supply section 30 for the type of the hot water supply button 52 (the input amount of miso M) is predetermined and stored in the control unit 60. When a predetermined amount of hot water is supplied into the tank 11, water for use in the next cooking process in the tank 11 of the other storage section 10 is supplied to the water tank 31, and new water is boiled. In this way, by providing two storage sections 10 and using them alternately, the efficiency of cooking and providing miso soup can be improved.

[0057] Then, a command signal is transmitted from the control unit 60 to the electric motor 15 of the stirring unit 13, and the stirrer 14 is driven at a predetermined rotational speed for a predetermined time, so that the hot water and the miso M in the tank 11 are stirred (step S15). As a result, the miso M is dissolved in the hot water, and the miso soup is cooked. Further, since the miso M in the storage unit 12 is pressed by the pressing unit 16 toward the bottom surface of the storage unit 12, the miso M is not floated in the storage unit 12 and is efficiently stirred by the stirrer 14.

[0058] When the stirrer 14 is driven for a predetermined time, assuming that the cooking of the miso soup is completed, the tank 11 is put into a standby state in which the miso soup can be provided. After the cooking of the miso soup is completed, the stirring unit 13 is controlled to operate, for example, to intermittently stir the miso soup in the tank 11 at time intervals or to continuously stir it.

[0059] As described above, the miso soup is cooked in the tank 11, and the cooking process is completed.

[0060] [Supply Process] Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the supply process will be described.

[0061] When the cooking process is completed and the miso soup is in a standby state where it can be provided, when the direction of the discharge unit 21 corresponding to the tank 11 in which the miso soup is cooked is switched to the supply direction and the container D is detected by the container sensor 7 to be placed on the placement unit 5, the supply button 51 becomes operable and the lamp of the shared button lights up (step S20). When the supply button 51 is pressed (step S21), the operation of the valve unit 22 is controlled by the control unit 60, and the miso soup is discharged (supplied) from the discharge unit 21 to the container D on the placement unit 5.

[0062] Hereinafter, the supply process will be specifically described.

[0063] When the supply button 51 is pressed, the control unit 60 controls the operation of the supply unit 20 so as to discharge a predetermined amount of miso soup for one serving. In discharging the miso soup for one serving, the supply unit 20 is controlled to first discharge the miso soup at the first discharge speed for a predetermined time (step S22), and then discharge the miso soup at the second discharge speed faster than the first discharge speed for a predetermined time (step S23). That is, in the present embodiment, the miso soup is discharged in two stages: a relatively slow first discharge speed and a relatively fast second discharge speed.

[0064] More specifically, the control unit 60 outputs a command signal (current) to the electric motor 23 of the valve unit 22 so that the opening degree corresponds to the first discharge speed stored in advance from the state where the liquid passage 21a is blocked. Thereby, the miso soup in the tank 11 is guided to the liquid passage 21a of the discharge unit 21 by its own weight and discharged from the discharge port 21b at the first discharge speed.

[0065] When the miso soup is discharged at the first discharge speed for a predetermined time, the control unit 60 outputs a command signal to the electric motor 23 of the valve unit 22 so that the opening degree corresponds to the second discharge speed stored in advance, and increases the opening degree of the valve unit 22. Thereby, the miso soup in the tank 11 is discharged from the discharge port 21b at the second discharge speed faster than the first discharge speed.

[0066] When the miso soup is discharged at the second discharge speed for a predetermined time, the control unit 60 outputs a command signal to the electric motor 23 of the valve unit 22 to block the liquid passage 21a and stop the discharge of the miso soup (step S24).

[0067] The first discharge speed and the second discharge speed are set to be common speeds regardless of the remaining amount in the tank 11. The first discharge speed is set to a speed such that the miso soup does not spill from the container D even when the miso soup is discharged into the empty container D.

[0068] When discharging miso soup by its own weight without using power such as that of the pump 33 as in this embodiment, the discharge speed varies depending on the remaining amount of miso soup in the tank 11. And the amount of one cup of miso soup finally supplied to the container D is set to be constant regardless of the remaining amount of miso soup in the tank 11. Therefore, in the control unit 60, the opening degree of the valve unit 22 (command current value to the electric motor 23) for realizing the desired first discharge speed and second discharge speed while keeping the discharge amount of miso soup into the container D constant is stored for each remaining amount of the tank 11.

[0069] Note that depending on the capacity (remaining amount) of the tank 11, there may be cases where, even when discharging one cup of miso soup, substantially the same first discharge speed and second discharge speed can be realized without changing the opening degree of the valve unit 22. Therefore, the opening degree of the valve unit 22 may be set for each remaining amount of miso soup that varies by one cup at a time, or a plurality of levels having a predetermined width larger than one cup with respect to the remaining amount may be set and the opening degree of the valve unit 22 may be set for each level. In this case, when the remaining amount of miso soup in the tank 11 is less, the change in the discharge amount with respect to the change in the opening degree of the valve unit 22 is larger. That is, since the sensitivity of the discharge amount with respect to the opening degree of the valve unit 22 increases, it is desirable to set the opening degree individually according to the remaining amount (reduce the level at which the remaining amount is set) as the remaining amount is less.

[0070] As described above, when the supply button 51 is pressed, the control unit 60 controls the operation of the valve unit 22 according to the remaining amount of miso soup at that time so as to realize discharge at the first discharge speed and the second discharge speed.

[0071] Here, as a liquid supply device for miso soup, there are those that mix hot water and miso each time miso soup is supplied and then supply it. In such a form, since hot water and miso are mixed each time miso soup is supplied, it takes time for the supply. Also, in a device that mixes each time, it is necessary to use something in which dashi, etc. is previously mixed with miso, and it is difficult to improve the flavor and taste.

[0072] In order to improve the quality of miso soup while improving the supply speed, it is conceivable to cook the miso soup in advance and supply the miso soup to the container at a high speed. However, in the form of supplying miso soup using power such as a pump, in order to improve the supply speed, it is necessary to increase the size of the power of the pump or the like, so it is not easy to improve the supply speed. Further, even if the supply speed can be improved, the risk of the miso soup spilling from the container increases accordingly.

[0073] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the miso soup cooked in advance in the tank 11 in the cooking process is discharged into the container D by its own weight while controlling the opening degree of the liquid passage 21a of the discharge part 21 without using power such as a pump. Then, the discharge of the miso soup is performed at two-stage speeds, namely, the first discharge speed and the second discharge speed. First, the miso soup is supplied at the first discharge speed so that the miso soup does not spill out of the empty container D. Therefore, the miso soup in the container D serves as a cushion, and even if the miso soup is subsequently discharged at the second discharge speed, which is faster than the first discharge speed (for example, if it is supplied to the empty container D, the miso soup will spill out of the container D), it is possible to suppress the miso soup from spilling out of the container D. Therefore, it is possible to quickly supply miso soup with good quality such as taste and flavor without spilling it from the container D.

[0074] Further, in the present embodiment, the predetermined time for discharging the miso soup at the first discharge speed and the predetermined time for discharging the miso soup at the second discharge speed are set to be the same. As a result, the amount of miso soup discharged at the second discharge speed is larger than the amount of miso soup discharged at the first discharge speed. In this way, by relatively increasing the discharge amount of the miso soup at the faster second discharge speed, the supply time can be further shortened and the efficiency can be improved. In addition, in order to relatively increase the amount of miso soup discharged at the second discharge speed, the time for discharging the miso soup at the second discharge speed may be set longer than that in the case of the first discharge speed.

[0075] [Washing process] Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the washing process will be described.

[0076] The supply device has a cleaning function of supplying water into the tank 11 for preliminary cleaning. Hereinafter, the cleaning process performed by the cleaning function will be described.

[0077] When all the miso soup in the tank 11 is supplied, or when a predetermined time serving as a criterion for disposal has elapsed since the cooking of the miso soup (specifically, the completion of step S15 which is the last step of the cooking process), the cleaning process shown in FIG. 9 is automatically executed by the control unit 60. Note that the cleaning process may also be executed when an operator operates a cleaning button or the like at the timing when all the miso soup in the tank 11 is supplied, or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the cooking of the miso soup.

[0078] If the miso soup supplied by the supply device is stored for a long time, there is a possibility that the flavor may deteriorate and quality problems may occur. For this reason, in a restaurant, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the cooking of the miso soup, the miso soup is discarded. Therefore, when the cleaning process is started, first, a disposal process of discarding the miso soup is performed.

[0079] In the disposal process, the discharge direction by the discharge unit 21 is switched by the switching unit 28 to the drainage direction (step S30). Then, the opening degree of the liquid passage 21a of the discharge unit 21 is fully opened by the valve unit 22, and the miso soup remaining in the tank 11 is discharged toward the drain port 6 (step S31).

[0080] When all the miso soup in the tank 11 is discarded, cold water is supplied into the water tank 31 from a water supply source such as a water pipe, and the cold water in the water tank 31 is supplied into the tank 11 (step S32). The cold water supplied into the tank 11 is discharged through the discharge unit 21 to the drain port 6 (step S33). Thereby, the inside of the tank 11 is cleaned with cold water, and the tank 11 whose temperature has risen due to the heat of the miso soup is cooled.

[0081] When a predetermined amount of water is supplied into the tank 11 and is eventually discharged, the cleaning process is completed. When the cleaning process is completed, the tank 11 and the stirrer 14 attached to the tank 11 are removed from the housing 1, and thorough cleaning and the like are performed. Thus, since the tank 11 is cleaned and cooled with cold water in the cleaning process, when removing the tank 11 and the like, the operator does not handle the heated tank 11, and the safety is improved.

[0082] Next, a modification of the present embodiment will be described.

[0083] In the present embodiment, the liquid supply device 100 does not have a power source such as a pump 33 and discharges the miso soup by its own weight. On the other hand, the liquid supply method of the present embodiment is useful for the liquid supply device 100 that discharges the miso soup by its own weight, but may also be performed by a liquid supply device 100 equipped with a power source such as a pump 33.

[0084] Further, the liquid supply method of the present embodiment is not limited to the provision of miso soup, and may also be used for the provision (supply) of other liquids.

[0085] Also, in the liquid supply method of the present embodiment, the miso soup is discharged at two discharge speeds, a first discharge speed and a second discharge speed. On the other hand, in the liquid supply method, as long as the discharge is first performed at the first discharge speed and then the discharge is performed at the second discharge speed, the miso soup may be discharged at three or more discharge speeds. Further, the liquid supply method is not limited to a stepwise speed change, and may be configured to continuously change the speed from a relatively slow first discharge speed to a relatively fast second discharge speed.

[0086] Also, in the liquid supply method, regardless of the remaining amount in the tank 11, it is set to have the same (common) first discharge speed and second discharge speed. On the other hand, as long as the second discharge speed is set to be faster than the first discharge speed, for example, the first discharge speed and / or the second discharge speed may be set to be different according to the remaining amount.

[0087] In addition, the structures of the discharge unit 21 and the valve unit 22 are not limited to those of the above-described embodiment, and can be any structure. For example, a solenoid valve may be used for the valve unit 22.

[0088] Further, in the above-described embodiment, the remaining amount of the miso soup in the tank 11 is obtained from the amount of the miso soup cooked in the tank 11 and the number of discharges. On the other hand, the remaining amount in the tank 11 may be configured to be detected by a remaining amount detection sensor such as a sensor that measures weight or a sensor that measures the liquid level.

[0089] According to the above embodiments, the following operational effects are achieved.

[0090] The liquid supply device 100 that supplies miso soup to the container D includes a tank 11 for storing miso soup, a supply unit 20 that discharges the miso soup in the tank 11, and a control unit 60 that controls the operation of the supply unit 20. The liquid supply method executed by controlling the operation of the supply unit 20 by the control unit 60 is to first discharge the miso soup at a first discharge speed, and after discharging the miso soup at the first discharge speed, discharge the miso soup at a second discharge speed that is faster than the first discharge speed.

[0091] In the present embodiment, since the miso soup is first supplied to the empty container D at the first discharge speed so that the miso soup does not spill, the miso soup in the container D serves as a cushion, and even if the miso soup is subsequently discharged at the second discharge speed at which it would spill when supplied to the empty container D, spilling from the container D can be suppressed. Therefore, the supply speed can be improved without spilling the miso soup from the container D.

[0092] Also, in the present embodiment, the discharge amount at the second discharge speed is set to be larger than the discharge amount at the first discharge speed.

[0093] According to such a present embodiment, since the discharge amount at the second discharge speed, which is relatively fast, increases, the supply time can be further shortened and the efficiency can be improved.

[0094] In addition, the liquid supply device 100 includes a discharge portion 21 through which the miso soup in the tank 11 is guided by its own weight, and a valve portion 22 that controls the flow of the miso soup guided by the discharge portion 21. The control unit 60 controls the valve portion 22 according to the remaining amount of the miso soup in the tank 11 so that the miso soup is discharged at the first discharge speed and the second discharge speed.

[0095] According to such an embodiment, since the first discharge speed and the second discharge speed can be maintained even when the remaining amount in the tank 11 fluctuates, it is possible to improve the supply speed regardless of the remaining amount in the tank 11.

[0096] The liquid supply device 100 further includes a tank 11 for storing miso soup, a storage portion 12 having a through hole 12a for communicating the inside and outside and being accommodated in the tank 11 and storing miso M dissolved in the hot water in the tank 11, a discharge portion 21 having a liquid passage 21a through which the miso soup in the tank 11 is guided by its own weight and a discharge port 21b for discharging the miso soup guided to the liquid passage 21a, the discharge portion 21 being elastically deformable by an external force, a valve portion 22 for elastically deforming the discharge portion 21 to open and close the liquid passage 21a, and a control unit 60 for controlling the operation of the valve portion 22 to control the discharge of the miso soup from the discharge portion 21.

[0097] In such an embodiment, miso M is dissolved in hot water in the storage portion 12 to pre-generate miso soup, and the miso soup in the tank 11 is discharged. Therefore, compared with a device that mixes miso M and hot water each time, miso soup can be provided quickly. Further, in the liquid supply device 100, since the discharge of the miso soup is controlled by elastically deforming the discharge portion 21 by the valve portion 22, the liquid passage 21a can be opened and closed at a position close to the discharge port 21b. Thereby, when an appropriate amount of miso soup is discharged, the liquid passage 21a can be closed immediately, so that there is no need to wait until the miso soup in the liquid passage 21a is discharged, and the provision time can be shortened. Therefore, according to this embodiment, an appropriate amount of miso soup can be provided quickly.

[0098] In addition, in the liquid supply device 100, the valve unit 22 includes an electric motor 23 and a valve body unit 24 that is rotationally driven by the electric motor 23 and whose pressing amount that presses and deforms the discharge unit 21 changes according to the rotation angle.

[0099] In such an embodiment, the rotation angle of the valve body unit 24 can be accurately and responsively controlled by the electric motor 23.

[0100] The liquid supply device 100 further includes a stirring unit 13 that is inserted into the storage unit 12 and stirs the inside of the storage unit 12, and a pressing unit 16 that presses the miso M in the storage unit 12.

[0101] In such an embodiment, since the miso M is pressed by the pressing unit 16, the miso M can be surely stirred by the stirrer 14, and the miso M can be efficiently dissolved in hot water. Therefore, a miso soup with a good taste can be provided.

[0102] In addition, in the liquid supply device 100, the pressing unit 16 has a protruding portion 16b that protrudes outside the tank 11, and outside the tank 11, a capacity detection unit 17 for detecting the capacity of the miso M in the storage unit 12 based on the protruding amount of the protruding portion 16b from the tank 11 is provided.

[0103] The liquid supply device 100 further includes an injection unit for injecting hot water into the tank 11, and the control unit 60 controls the injection unit so as to inject hot water into the tank 11 in an amount corresponding to the capacity of the miso M detected by the capacity detection unit 17.

[0104] In such an embodiment, since hot water is injected into the tank 11 in an amount based on the detected capacity of the miso M, the occurrence of an error in the amount of hot water injected is suppressed, and miso soup of appropriate quality can be cooked.

[0105] In addition, in the liquid supply device 100, on the discharge port 21b side of the portion opened and closed by the valve unit 22 in the discharge unit 21, a throttle portion 27 that imparts a resistance greater than the flow path resistance of the liquid passage 21a to the miso soup is provided.

[0106] In such an embodiment, it is possible to suppress the miso soup remaining in the liquid passage 21a from being discharged from the discharge port 21b in a state where the liquid passage 21a is blocked by the valve portion 22. That is, by providing the throttle portion 27 at the tip of the discharge portion 21, it is possible to improve the dripping of the miso soup discharged from the discharge port 21b due to the flow path resistance exerted by the throttle passage 27a of the throttle portion 27.

[0107] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the above embodiments merely show a part of the application examples of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0108] 100 Liquid supply device 11 Tank 12 Accommodating portion 13 Stirring portion 16 Pressing portion 16b Protruding portion 17 Capacity detection portion 20 Supply portion 21 Discharge portion 21a Liquid passage 21b Discharge port 22 Valve portion 23 Electric motor 24 Valve body portion 27 Throttle portion 27a Throttle passage 60 Control portion D Container

Claims

1. A liquid supply device for supplying a liquid to a container, comprising: a tank for storing the liquid; a supply unit for discharging the liquid in the tank; a control unit for controlling the operation of the supply unit, wherein the control unit first discharges the liquid at a first discharge rate, and controls the operation of the supply unit so as to discharge the liquid at a second discharge rate higher than the first discharge rate after discharging the liquid at the first discharge rate.

2. The liquid supply device according to Claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the operation of the supply unit so that the discharge amount at the second discharge rate is larger than the discharge amount at the first discharge rate.

3. The liquid supply device according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the supply unit has a discharge part through which the liquid in the tank is guided by its own weight, and a valve part for controlling the flow of the liquid guided by the discharge part, and the control unit controls the valve part according to the remaining amount of the liquid in the tank so that the liquid is discharged at the first discharge rate and the second discharge rate.

4. A liquid supply method by a liquid supply device for supplying a liquid to a container, comprising: first discharging the liquid at a first discharge rate, and discharging the liquid at a second discharge rate faster than the first discharge rate after discharging the liquid at the first discharge rate.

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