Method for producing solid-containing beverage, and solid-containing beverage

Abstract

To suppress a failure in charging a solid material into a container even when the surface roughness of the solid material varies.SOLUTION: A method for producing a solid-containing beverage includes holding, via a film, a solid having an outer surface at least partially covered with the film, charging the solid into a container through an opening of the container, injecting a beverage into the container through the opening, sealing the opening of the container into which the solid has been charged and the beverage has been injected, and heating the container having the sealed opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for producing a solids-filled beverage, and to a solids-filled beverage. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a packaged beverage containing a carbonated drink and dried fruit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-172534 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In beverages containing solids such as dried fruit described in Patent Document 1, it is desirable to handle the solids in the manufacturing process by holding them appropriately. When holding the solids, the holding device comes into contact with the solids, but since the surface roughness of the solids varies depending on the individual solids, there is a risk of improper loading into the container.

[0005] The object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for producing a beverage containing solids that can suppress failure to load the solids into a container even if the surface roughness of the solids varies, and a beverage containing solids obtained by this production method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A method for producing a beverage containing solid matter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes holding a solid matter, at least a portion of whose outer surface is covered with a film, via the film and loading it into the interior of a container through an opening of the container, pouring a beverage into the container through the opening, sealing the opening of the container into which the solid matter has been loaded and into which the beverage has been poured, and heating the container with the opening sealed.

[0007] In this method for producing a beverage containing solids, at least a portion of the outer surface of the solid material is covered with a film. The solid material is held via the film and inserted into the container through an opening in the container. Because the solid material is not held directly but via the film, even if there is variation in the surface roughness of the solid material, it can be held without being affected by this variation, and insertion failures into the container can be reduced.

[0008] The beverage is poured into the container through the opening, and the opening is then sealed. The sealed container is then heated to obtain a beverage containing solids. The order in which the solids are poured into the container and the beverage is poured into it does not matter.

[0009] An edible film that melts at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting temperature may be used as the film, and the edible film may be partially or entirely melted by the heating.

[0010] The melted portion of the edible film can be consumed. By melting the entire edible film, it is possible to obtain a beverage containing solids in which no film remains inside the container.

[0011] The temperature of the container may be set to 55°C or higher and 85°C or lower by the heating. By setting the container temperature to 55°C or higher, the beverage and solid matter inside the container can be sterilized. Furthermore, by setting the container temperature to 55°C or higher, the temperature of the film can also be set to the melting temperature or higher, making it possible to reliably melt the film. By heating the container at a temperature of 85°C or lower, heating can be performed without requiring excessive energy.

[0012] In a state where the solid objects are held, the outer surfaces of a plurality of the solid objects may be covered with one of the films.

[0013] This allows multiple solid objects to be held within a single film and placed inside the container.

[0014] The plurality of solid materials may be in powder form.

[0015] Multiple powdery solids can be held together by a single film.

[0016] The solid material may be sealed with the film while being held in place.

[0017] Since the solid matter is sealed in by the film, it is possible to prevent the solid matter from falling off the film. When there are multiple solid matters, it is easy to maintain the state in which the multiple solid matters are integrally held by the film.

[0018] The solid may be sealed by the film.

[0019] Since the solid matter is sealed in the film, the solid matter is not exposed to the outside air, and changes in the physical properties of the solid matter can be suppressed.

[0020] The solid material may be placed inside the container and may include at least one of wood chips, fruits and vegetables, tea bags, jelly, and gummies.

[0021] This results in a beverage containing solids containing at least one of wood chips, fruits and vegetables, tea bags, jelly, and gummies.

[0022] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a beverage containing solid matter, comprising a container, a beverage inside the container, a solid matter inside the container, at least one of a film covering at least a portion of the outer surface of the solid matter and a film melt component formed by melting the film, and a sealing member sealing an opening of the container.

[0023] This beverage with solids is a beverage in which a beverage and solids are present inside a container, and the opening is sealed with a sealing member. The inside of the container contains at least one of a film covering at least a portion of the outer surface of the solids and a film melt component formed by melting the film. That is, since this beverage with solids can be produced in a state in which the film covers at least a portion of the outer surface of the solids, even if there is variation in the surface roughness of the solids, the beverage can be maintained without being affected by this variation, and poor loading into the container can be suppressed. This also allows the quality of the beverage with solids to be maintained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] The technology disclosed herein can prevent solid objects from being improperly loaded into a container even if the surface roughness of the solid objects varies. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a beverage production system containing solids according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the parallel link robot in the solid-containing beverage manufacturing system of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a state in which an example of a charge is charged into a container in the method for producing a beverage containing solids according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a beverage with solids produced by the method for producing a beverage with solids according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a state in which another example of a charge is charged into a container in the method for producing a beverage containing solids according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a state in which still another example of a charge is charged into a container in the method for producing a beverage containing solids according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a state in which still another example of a charge is charged into a container in the method for producing a beverage containing solids according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a state in which still another example of the charge material is charged into the container in the method for producing a beverage containing solids according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a state in which still another example of the charge material is charged into the container in the method for producing a beverage containing solids according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a state in which still another example of the charge is charged into the container in the method for producing a beverage containing solids according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing a state in which still another example of a charge is charged into a container in the method for producing a beverage containing solids according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing a state in which still another example of a charge is charged into a container in the method for producing a beverage containing solids according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an explanatory view showing a state in which still another example of the charge material is charged into the container in the method for producing a beverage containing solids according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing another example of a beverage with solids produced by the method for producing a beverage with solids according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] An example of an embodiment of the technology of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that components and processes that perform similar operations, actions, and functions are given the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted as appropriate. Each drawing is merely a schematic illustration to allow a sufficient understanding of the technology of the present disclosure. Therefore, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the illustrated examples. Furthermore, in this embodiment, descriptions of configurations that are not directly related to the technology of the present disclosure or well-known configurations may be omitted.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a beverage production system 100 according to a first embodiment. The beverage according to this embodiment of beverage production may be an alcoholic beverage or a non-alcoholic beverage. It may also be a beverage produced through a fermentation process or a beverage produced without a fermentation process. When the beverage to be produced is an alcoholic beverage, the alcohol content (volume concentration of ethanol) and the concentration of extract components are not particularly limited and may be determined appropriately depending on the desired product quality.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the beverage production system 100 according to this embodiment includes a first line L1, a second line L2, a parallel link robot 116, and a control device 114.

[0029] The first line L1 is a line that conveys containers KN. Each container KN has an opening KK into which the charge SB, described below, can be inserted. While cans are examples of containers KN, the containers KN are not limited to cans. Examples of containers KN that can be used include two-piece beverage cans, three-piece beverage cans, bottle cans, flexible containers, and glass bottles. Flexible containers include containers made of flexible resins such as PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), EVOH (ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer), and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) molded into a bottle shape. Flexible containers may be made of a single-layer resin or a multi-layer resin. The rear end of the first line L1 is connected to the next downstream process. After being processed on the first line L1, the containers KN undergo further processing in the next process.

[0030] The second line L2 is a line for transporting the load material SB. The transport direction of the load material SB on the second line L2 is, for example, the same direction as the transport direction of the container KN on the first line L1. Here, the same direction may be parallel or non-parallel. When non-parallel, for example, the traveling direction of the second line L2 is inclined at an angle of 90 degrees or less with respect to the traveling direction of the first line L1.

[0031] In the disclosed technology, the charge SB includes a solid material SS and a film FL. In particular, in the example shown in FIG. 3, a single disk-shaped piece of fruit or vegetable LS is used as an example of the solid material SS. That is, this is an example in which the solid material SS is composed of a single piece of fruit or vegetable LS. However, as will be described later, the solid material SS is not limited to the fruit or vegetable LS, and may be multiple pieces instead of one.

[0032] 3, the solid object SS is a single disk-shaped fruit or vegetable LS. In this case, one surface in the thickness direction of the fruit or vegetable LS is designated as a first surface LS-A, and the other surface is designated as a second surface LS-B.

[0033] The film FL includes a first film piece FL-A covering the first surface LS-A of the fruit or vegetable LS and a second film piece FL-B covering the second surface LS-B. The periphery of the first film piece FL-A extends beyond the first surface LS-A, and the periphery of the second film piece FL-B extends beyond the second surface LS-B. The extending portion of the first film piece FL-A and the extending portion of the second film piece FL-B are joined by welding or adhesive. This results in a structure in which the solid material SS is sealed within the film FL. In particular, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the extending portion of the first film piece FL-A and the extending portion of the second film piece FL-B are tightly attached to surround the periphery of the solid material SS. This seals the solid material SS within the film FL. Sealing the solid material SS prevents air from being exchanged around the solid material SS, thereby suppressing chemical changes that would occur if the solid material SS were exposed to air.

[0034] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the film FL is an edible film. Ingestion of an edible film does not have any adverse effect on the human body. The edible film is made of a material that does not melt at the normal ambient temperature at which the solid-containing beverage 150 is stored, for example, about 40°C, but melts and becomes liquid at a predetermined temperature (melting temperature) or higher. As will be described later, when the container KN is heated by the heating unit 146, the film FL melts, and the components of the film FL dissolve into the beverage LL (see FIG. 4) inside the container KN.

[0035] The taste and smell of the edible film are not limited, but in this embodiment, as an example, a film having a taste, smell, and color that does not substantially affect the taste, smell, and color of the solid material SS and the beverage LL is used. Therefore, even if the film FL melts, it does not affect the taste, smell, etc. of the beverage LL inside the container KN. However, a film having a predetermined taste, smell, and color may be used as the film FL.

[0036] The edible film may be, for example, a film made from a natural material such as seaweed, such as agar, or polysaccharides, and may be a processed product made from these materials.

[0037] When the solid material SS is a fruit or vegetable LS, the fruit or vegetable LS may be, for example, dried fruit. The type of fruit used as the raw material for the dried fruit is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately selected from fruits commonly used in beverages, such as citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, and oranges, as well as apples, blueberries, plums (including pickled plums), peaches, strawberries, pineapples, grapes, mangoes, figs, apricots, pears, bananas, and kiwis. One type of dried fruit may be used, or two or more types may be used. Furthermore, when the fruit or vegetable LS is a citrus fruit, the albedo (the cotton-like or fibrous white part inside the peel of the citrus fruit) and the exocarp may be included, or the albedo and exocarp may be removed. The shape of the fruit or vegetable LS is not particularly limited, and can be, for example, sliced ​​or other shapes.

[0038] When dried fruit is sliced ​​as the fruit or vegetable LS, the thickness before drying may be, for example, 1.0 mm to 8.0 mm, or 2.0 mm to 6.0 mm. For convenience, the thickness may be the thickness at the time the dried fruit is added to the beverage LL. In this case, the thickness of the dried fruit may be, for example, 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm, or 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm. Furthermore, the thickness of the dried fruit in the beverage LL may be 1.0 mm to 8.0 mm, or 2.0 mm to 6.0 mm, due to the impregnation of the beverage LL. Adjusting the thickness of the dried fruit to the above numerical ranges makes it less susceptible to breakage.

[0039] The projection area of ​​the load material SB has a shape that fits inside the area of ​​the opening KK of the container KN. The "projection area" is the area of ​​a shadow that is projected onto a surface including the opening KK when light projected perpendicularly toward the opening KK hits the load material SB. Since the projection area of ​​the load material SB fits inside the area of ​​the opening KK, a configuration is realized in which the load material SB can be loaded into the container KN through the opening KK. The shape of the load material SB is not particularly limited as long as it can be loaded into the container KN.

[0040] Although the projected area of ​​the load material SB charged into the container KN needs to be within the area of ​​the opening KK of the container KN, it is not necessary for the entire projected area of ​​the load material SB transported to the second line L2 to be within the area of ​​the opening KK. As will be described later, the load material SB charged into the container KN is sorted in advance, so load materials SB of various sizes may be transported to the second line L2.

[0041] The projected area of ​​the charge material SB includes not only the solid material SS but also the film FL surrounding the solid material SS. Because the film FL has a protruding portion, in order to enable the charge material SB to be charged into the container KN through the opening KK, it is desirable that the projected area including the protruding portion of the film FL has a shape that fits inside the area of ​​the opening KK of the container KN. However, because the protruding portion of the film FL is easily deformed, the protruding portion does not substantially affect the charge material SB when it is charged into the container KN through the opening KK.

[0042] Next, the first line L1 and the second line L2 will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

[0043] The first line L1 has a loading section 140, an injection section 142, a sealing section 144, and a heating section 146. The loading section 140, the injection section 142, the sealing section 144, and the heating section 146 constitute a solid-containing beverage manufacturing apparatus 120. Hereinafter, the "solid-containing beverage manufacturing apparatus" will be simply referred to as the "manufacturing apparatus."

[0044] Containers KN loaded on pallets (not shown) are transferred to the first line L1. The containers KN transferred to the first line L1 are transported by a timing screw.

[0045] Meanwhile, in the second line L2, the temporarily stored burden materials SB are placed on a belt, transported, and supplied to a bowl feeder 110. The bowl feeder 110 aligns the burden materials SB transported by the belt in a certain position by applying vibration to the burden materials SB, and supplies them to a classifying conveyor 111. The classifying conveyor 111 sifts the burden materials SB. The burden materials SB sifted by the classifying conveyor 111 are placed on a belt and transported.

[0046] The parallel link robot 116 is a type of industrial robot that employs a "parallel link mechanism" that controls multiple mechanisms (parts) in parallel to operate the final output destination. The parallel link mechanism is mainly composed of a motor and bearings, and has a simpler structure than conventional articulated robots. The parallel link robot 116 has, for example, robots R1 to R5, which are controlled in parallel.

[0047] The control device 114 is a controller that is communicatively connected to the parallel link robot 116 and controls the operation of the parallel link robot 116. For example, a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer (PC) is used as the control device 114. The control device 114 may be provided outside the parallel link robot 116, or may be provided integrally with the parallel link robot 116.

[0048] Each of the robots R1 to R5 has the same configuration. The configuration of the robot R1 will be described below as an example.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 2, the robot R1 includes a main body 121 and a holding unit 124. The main body 121 includes a camera 122 and a driving unit 123. One camera 122 is provided for each robot. The camera 122 photographs from above the plurality of charge materials SB being transported on the second line L2, and the robot R1 transmits the obtained photographed images to the control device 114. The driving unit 123 moves the robot R1 and drives the holding unit 124 in accordance with instructions from the control device 114 to hold and feed the charge materials SB.

[0050] The holding unit 124 holds the load material SB in a detachable manner. For example, a vacuum suction type gripper is used for the holding unit 124. The shape of this gripper is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it is, for example, a Bernoulli type gripper. More preferably, it may be a Bernoulli type gripper to which the Coanda effect is added. By using this Bernoulli type gripper, the load material SB can be held without being damaged.

[0051] In this embodiment, the charge SB includes solid materials SS and a film FL. The film FL covers the outer surface of the solid materials SS. The holding portion 124 does not directly contact the solid materials SS, but adsorbs and holds the solid materials SS via the film FL.

[0052] The robot R1 can hold the load materials SB transported on the second line L2 one unit at a time. The robot R1 can then insert the held load materials SB into the container KN through the opening KK. The robot R1 photographs the load materials SB with a camera 122, acquires coordinate data of the load materials SB that can be picked up by the holding unit 124, and picks up, for example, one load material SB. The robot R1 synchronizes with the encoder of the timing screw that transports the container KN and releases (loads) the load materials SB into the container KN. The release into the container KN is performed by linking each robot with the corresponding container KN (here, one container) in a synchronization mode (also called a tracking mode).

[0053] The camera 122 receives a trigger from the encoder of the timing screw before the charge material SB is charged into the container KN, or in response to a trigger from the camera 122 itself, and takes an image of the pickable area. The robot R1 acquires coordinate data of one or more charge materials SB that can be charged from the captured image. The control device 114 controls the robot R1 based on the coordinate data obtained from the robot R1 to pick the charge material SB. Note that the robot R1 passes charge materials SB that are, for example, overlapping, have an incorrect size, are missing, or have a bunch missing defect, without giving them picking coordinates. However, even if the charge materials SB are overlapping, it is possible to determine the top and bottom by image analysis, so the upper charge material SB can be picked up.

[0054] Each robot R1 to R5 of the parallel link robot 116, under the control of the control device 114, holds the load material SB transported on the second line L2 (belt conveyance) one unit at a time, and deposits the held load material SB into the opening of the container KN transported on the first line L1 (timing screw).

[0055] The container KN into which the load material SB has been placed by the parallel link robot 116 is transported to the filling section 142. In the filling section 142, the beverage LL is poured into the container KN. The container KN into which the beverage LL has been poured is sent to the sealing section 144. In the sealing section 144, for example, a lid LD (see FIG. 4) is attached to the body portion, and the opening KK is sealed. The lid LD is an example of a sealing member. The container KN whose opening KK has been sealed with the lid LD is sent to the heating section 146.

[0056] In the heating section 146, the container KN is heated to a predetermined temperature. The heating sterilizes the inside of the container KN. In this embodiment, an edible film that melts at a predetermined melting temperature is used as the film FL. By heating in the heating section 146, the film FL is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting temperature and melts.

[0057] The heating temperature by the heating unit 146 is set to, for example, 55°C or higher and 85°C or lower. By setting the heating temperature to 55°C or higher, the film FL can be melted. Depending on the type of film FL, the melting temperature may be higher than 55°C (for example, a film that melts at about 80°C). The heating temperature by the heating unit 146 may be set according to the melting temperature of the film FL. Furthermore, by setting the heating temperature by the heating unit 146 to 85°C or lower, excessive heating can be prevented, and the energy required for heating can be reduced.

[0058] The heating temperature by the heating unit 146 can be set as the temperature of the container KN, for example. If the container KN is in thermal equilibrium with the beverage LL and solids SS, the beverage LL and solids SS will be at the same temperature as the container KN. In this case, the surface temperature of the container KN may be monitored by a temperature sensor, and the heating unit 146 may be controlled based on the monitoring results. Alternatively, the relationship between the output of the heating unit 146 and the temperature of the container KN may be stored in a database in advance, and the output of the heating unit 146 may be controlled so that the temperature of the container KN becomes the desired temperature. The container KN heated by the heating unit 146 is sent to the next process.

[0059] Meanwhile, the return NG inspection machine 112 of the second line L2 rejects the charge materials SB that do not meet the standards in terms of shape, color area, etc. from among the charge materials SB that have not been picked up by the parallel link robot 116. Then, the charge materials SB that have not been rejected by the return NG inspection machine 112 are supplied again to the bowl feeder 110.

[0060] The control device 114 controls the bowl feeder 110 , the classification conveyor 111 , the return NG inspection machine 112 , the parallel link robot 116 , the loading section 140 , the injection section 142 , the sealing section 144 , and the heating section 146 .

[0061] Next, the operation of the manufacturing apparatus 120 of this embodiment and the method for manufacturing the solid-containing beverage 150 will be described.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 1, the container KN introduced into the first line L1 is sent to the loading section 140. In the loading section 140, the container KN is transported by a timing screw. Then, each robot R1 to R5 of the parallel link robot 116 holds the load material SB transported on the second line L2 (belt transport) one unit at a time, and feeds the held load material SB from an opening KK into the inside of the container KN transported on the first line L1 (timing screw).

[0063] 3, in this embodiment, the load SB has a solid material SS and a film FL. That is, a first surface LS-A and a second surface LS-B of the solid material SS are covered by a first film piece FL-A and a second film piece FL-B, respectively. Each of the robots R1 to R5 holds the solid material SS by a holding unit 124. In this case, the holding unit 124 does not directly contact the solid material SS, but adsorbs and holds the solid material SS via the film FL.

[0064] Here, as a comparative example, consider a configuration in which the outer surface of the solid object SS is exposed and not covered with a film FL. In the configuration of the comparative example, when holding the solid object SS, the holding portion 124 contacts and holds the outer surface of the solid object SS. However, since the surface roughness of the outer surface of the solid object SS varies depending on individual differences, there is a risk that the solid object SS may not be properly charged into the container KN. In contrast, in this embodiment, the outer surface of the solid object SS is covered with a film FL. Since the surface roughness of the film FL is uniform compared to the surface roughness of the outer surface of the solid object SS, the charge object SB can be reliably held, and poor charging into the container KN can be suppressed.

[0065] The container KN with the fruits or vegetables LS placed inside is sent to the pouring section 142. In the pouring section 142, the beverage LL is poured into the container KN.

[0066] The container KN with the beverage LL poured therein is sent to the sealing section 144. In the sealing section 144, for example, a lid LD is attached to the body portion, and the opening KK is sealed.

[0067] The container KN with the opening KK sealed is sent to the heating section 146. In the heating section 146, the container KN is heated to a predetermined temperature. The solid material SS and beverage LL inside the container KN are sterilized by the heating. The film FL of this embodiment is a film that is required by the heating section 146. Therefore, the film FL melts when heated and dissolves in the beverage LL. Because the film FL is an edible film, consuming a beverage LL containing components of the melted film FL will not have any adverse effect on the consumer.

[0068] In this way, a beverage with solids 150 is obtained as shown in Fig. 4. This beverage with solids 150 contains a beverage LL and solids SS, and furthermore, the beverage LL contains a component resulting from the melting of the film FL.

[0069] As can be seen from the above description, according to this embodiment, the outer surface of the solid object SS is covered with the film FL, and the holding portion 124 holds the solid object SS via the film FL. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the solid object SS is held without the film FL, the solid object SS can be held more reliably by the holding portion 124, and failures in loading into the container KN can be reduced.

[0070] Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3, since the entire outer surface of the solid object SS is covered with the film FL, when the solid object SS is held by the holding portion 124, there is no restriction on the holding position.

[0071] The solid material SS is sealed with a film FL. Because the solid material SS is kept surrounded by the film FL, it is possible to prevent the solid material SS from falling off the film FL, and it is possible to stably maintain the state in which the film FL covers the outer surface of the solid material SS.

[0072] In particular, in the above example, the solid material SS is sealed with a film FL. Because the solid material SS is not exposed to the outside air until it is placed inside the container KN, changes in the physical properties of the solid material SS are suppressed. For example, if the solid material SS is fruit or vegetables LS, deterioration of the taste and smell of the fruit or vegetables LS can be suppressed.

[0073] In the above, an example of the load material SB is a structure in which a single disk-shaped fruit or vegetable LS is sealed in a film FL. The specific configuration of the load material SB, i.e., the configuration of the solid material SS and the configuration of the film, are not limited to this, and various configurations listed below can be exemplified. Furthermore, "holding" in the technology disclosed herein is not limited to the above-mentioned "adsorption" and may be, for example, "grasping" depending on the shape of the solid material SS and the film FL. In the case of gripping, a gripping-type gripper may be used.

[0074] In the example shown in FIG. 5, there are multiple (two) solid objects SS. The type of solid objects SS may be, for example, the same fruit and vegetable as the fruit and vegetable LS shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The multiple solid objects SS shown in FIG. 5 are stacked in the thickness direction and sealed with a film FL. In this way, by using the film FL, it is possible to stack and hold the multiple solid objects SS together. Even in this case, because the multiple solid objects SS are sealed with the film FL, changes in the physical properties of the solid objects SS are suppressed.

[0075] In the example shown in Fig. 5, the thickness of the solid material SS may be about half that of one solid material SS shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. In this case, by stacking two solid materials SS, a thickness equivalent to that of one solid material SS shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 can be obtained. If the solid material SS is divided into N pieces in the thickness direction (N is a natural number), by stacking the N solid materials SS, a thickness equivalent to that of one solid material SS before division can be obtained.

[0076] In this case, the number of solids SS may be adjusted according to the capacity of the container KN. Specifically, for example, if the capacity of the container KN is about 350 ml, two solids SS may be used, and if the capacity is about 500 ml, three solids SS may be used.

[0077] The example shown in FIG. 6 has multiple (four) solid objects SS. The type of solid objects SS may be, for example, the same fruit or vegetable as the fruit or vegetable LS shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The multiple solid objects SS shown in FIG. 6 are arranged horizontally and sealed with a film FL. In this way, by using a film FL, it is possible to arrange multiple solid objects SS horizontally and hold them with the film FL. Even in this case, since the multiple solid objects SS are sealed with the film FL, changes in the physical properties of the solid objects SS are suppressed. If the fruit or vegetable LS is lemon slices, it is possible to radially divide one disk-shaped lemon slice into multiple fan-shaped slices. Then, by circumferentially arranging the multiple fan-shaped slices, it is possible to reproduce the shape of a circular lemon slice.

[0078] In the example shown in FIG. 7, a single plate-shaped (e.g., disk-shaped) solid material SS is folded in half. This solid material SS is maintained in a folded state by being covered with a film FL. Because the solid material SS is folded in half, the projected area is smaller than, for example, the example shown in FIG. 3, making it easier to insert into the container KN. When the film FL is melted by heating, if the solid material SS has elasticity, it will return to the shape it had before being folded in half. However, the shape of the solid material SS does not have to be restored when the film FL is melted.

[0079] In the example shown in FIG. 8, the solid material SS is in powder form. That is, a large number of powdery solid materials SS are integrated by being wrapped in a film FL. The particle size of the powder here is, for example, 50 μm or more and 2 mm or less. The powder is solid as an individual powder. However, when the powder aggregates, it behaves like a liquid. In this way, the solid material SS, which behaves like a liquid as an aggregate, is integrated by the film FL, making it easier to handle. Furthermore, when the film FL is melted by heating the container KN, the solid material SS can be dispersed in the beverage LL. For example, the solid material SS can be made by drying and powdering fruits and vegetables LS.

[0080] In the example shown in FIG. 9, the configuration of the solid object SS is the same as the example shown in FIG. 3, and there is one solid object SS. There is also one film FL. This one film FL is attached to one surface of the solid object SS (the first surface LS-A in the example of FIG. 9, but it may also be the second surface LS-B). The film FL is attached to the solid object SS without protruding beyond the solid object SS.

[0081] In this way, even in a configuration in which the film FL does not seal the solid object SS but covers part of the outer surface of the solid object SS, it is possible to hold the solid object SS via the film FL.

[0082] The example shown in Fig. 10 has a plurality of solid objects SS, similar to the example shown in Fig. 6. A single film FL is attached to all of the solid objects SS. The film FL does not seal the solid objects SS. However, since the film FL is attached to all of the solid objects SS in this manner, it is possible to hold the solid objects SS together via the film FL.

[0083] In the example shown in Fig. 11, the configuration of the solid object SS is the same as the example shown in Fig. 3. Also, there is one film FL. A part of this film FL forms a "protruding portion" that protrudes from the solid object SS.

[0084] In this way, in a configuration using one film FL, if there is a protruding portion of the film FL, this protruding portion can be used to hold the solid object SS. In this case, the holding unit 124 can "hold" the solid object SS using a gripping type gripper.

[0085] As shown in Fig. 11, the burden material SB can be charged into the container KN in an upright position. By holding the burden material SB in an upright position, the projection area of ​​the burden material SB onto the opening KK of the container KN becomes smaller, making it easier to charge the burden material SB.

[0086] The example shown in Fig. 12 has multiple solid objects SS, similar to the example shown in Fig. 6. A single film FL is attached to all of the multiple solid objects SS. A portion of the film FL is a protruding portion that protrudes from the solid objects SS.

[0087] In this way, in a configuration in which one film FL is attached in common to a plurality of solid objects SS, if a protruding portion is provided, the solid objects SS can be held by utilizing this protruding portion.

[0088] 12, the load material SB can be charged into the container KN in an upright position. By placing the load material SB in an upright position, the projection area of ​​the load material SB onto the opening KK of the container KN becomes smaller, making it easier to charge the load material SB.

[0089] 13, the solid object SS is a rectangular parallelepiped having six sides, and the film FL is attached to two opposing side surfaces of the solid object SS.

[0090] In this way, when the film FL covers the outer surface of the rectangular solid object SS, the solid object SS can be held via this film FL. The solid object SS can be held by either "adsorption" or "holding." Alternatively, a portion of the film FL may be allowed to protrude from the rectangular solid object SS, and the protruding portion may be adsorbed or held to hold the solid object SS.

[0091] In the example shown in Fig. 13, a film that does not melt when heated by the heating unit 146 (see Fig. 1) may be used as the film FL. In this case, as shown in Fig. 14, in the solid-containing beverage 150, unmelted film FL is present inside the container KN. The film FL may remain attached to the solid material SS, or may be separated from the solid material SS.

[0092] The shape of the solid object SS is not limited to the rectangular parallelepiped shown in Fig. 13, but may be a prism, a cylinder, a pyramid, a cone, a sphere, a spheroid, etc. Furthermore, it may be a polyhedron that does not fall into any of these shapes, a shape that combines flat and curved surfaces, or a shape that is composed of only curved surfaces.

[0093] For example, if the beverage LL to be poured into the container KN is whiskey or sake, wood chips may be used as the solid material SS instead of the fruits or vegetables LS. By adding the wood chips as the solid material SS to the whiskey or sake and aging it, it is possible to impart a suitable flavor to the whiskey or sake. In the case of wood chips, the shape is not particularly limited, and for example, they may be rectangular as shown in FIG. 13. They may also be sliced. In the case of rectangular wood chips, the length of one side is, for example, 15 mm or more and 30 mm or less. In the case of sliced ​​wood chips, the thickness may be, for example, 1.0 mm or more and 15 mm or less, or 5.0 mm or more and 9.0 mm or less.

[0094] In addition to the above-mentioned fruits and vegetables and wood chips, examples of the solid matter SS include tea bags, jelly, and gummies. A tea bag contains tea leaves in a bag body with fine holes. In this case, even if the surface roughness of the bag body varies, the holding portion 124 (see Figures 1 to 3) can be reliably held by covering part or all of the outer surface of the tea bag with a film FL. In this case, the solid matter-containing beverage 150 contains tea leaves as the solid matter SS in the beverage LL.

[0095] In the technology of the present disclosure, the water activity of the solid material SS is controlled within a predetermined range. This allows the growth of microorganisms to be suppressed even when the solid material SS is, for example, fruit or vegetable LS, contributing to improving the quality of packaged beverages and maintaining their taste. Furthermore, deformation and discoloration of the fruit or vegetable LS due to microbial growth can also be suppressed.

[0096] Water activity is the value obtained by dividing the water vapor pressure of food by the water vapor pressure under the same conditions. Specifically, the water activity Aw of the food being measured is calculated by storing the food in a sealed container, where P is the water vapor pressure inside the sealed container when the food reaches equilibrium, and P0 is the water vapor pressure when the food is replaced with pure water and the same container reaches equilibrium. Aw=P / P0 It can be defined as: If the water activity is 1.0, the water in the food is only so-called "free water" and there is no "bound water," so microorganisms can easily grow. The lower the water activity value, the smaller the ratio of "free water" to the water in the food and the greater the ratio of "bound water," making it difficult for microorganisms to grow.

[0097] In this case, if the water activity is 0.80 or less, there is an effect of inhibiting the growth of microorganisms in, for example, dried fruit, which is an example of the fruits and vegetables LS.

[0098] Furthermore, a water activity of 0.75 or less is more effective in inhibiting microbial growth in dried fruit than a water activity of over 0.75 and up to 0.80. Also, a water activity of 0.75 or less is effective in inhibiting microbial growth even if the solid is, for example, jelly (edible "gel").

[0099] In particular, if the water activity is 0.65 or less, the effect of inhibiting the growth of microorganisms in dried fruit is even greater than when the water activity is greater than 0.65 and less than 0.75.

[0100] The technique disclosed herein uses the "AquaLab TDL 2" water activity measuring device manufactured by Meter Japan Co., Ltd. (hereinafter simply referred to as the "water activity measuring device"). This water activity measuring device measures the relative humidity by irradiating the space above the sample with a tunable diode laser, thereby determining water activity. This allows water activity to be measured without being affected by the volatile components of fruits and vegetables (LS).

[0101] Before using the water activity measuring device or at an appropriate time during use, check the accuracy of the device and calibrate it if the accuracy has decreased. For this check and calibration, use the following two types of water activity standard solutions manufactured by Meter Japan Co., Ltd. as reagents. Water activity standard solution A: 0.250aw 6mol / kg Nacl Water activity standard solution B:0.760aw 13.41mol / kg Licl Then, place the sample cups containing each water activity standard solution in the chamber of the water activity measuring device and check that the difference between the two measured water activity values ​​is within the measurement precision (±0.005). If the difference between the two measured water activity values ​​for either water activity standard solution A or B exceeds the measurement precision, calibrate the water activity measuring device according to the specified calibration procedure.

[0102] When actually measuring the water activity of fruit or vegetable LS, each step of the measurement is carried out according to the following procedure: In the following, slices of lemon (lemon slices) are used as an example of fruit or vegetable LS. (1) Warm up the water activity measuring device and confirm that the base temperature is stable at the specified temperature (25°C). (2) Make sure that the sample cup of the water activity measuring device is free of moisture and is sufficiently dry. (3) Crush the sample (10 or more lemon slices). (4) Transfer the crushed material to a sample cup. (5) The sample cup is placed in the chamber of the water activity measuring device, and the water activity is measured. (6) A second measurement of water activity is performed using steps (4) and (5), and the two measurements are compared. If the difference between the measurements is within the measurement precision (±0.005), the first measurement is adopted as the correct one. If the difference between the measurements exceeds the measurement precision, for example, the water activity measuring device is cleaned, and then the above-mentioned calibration is performed, and the water activity of the fruit or vegetable LS is measured again according to the measurement procedures (1) to (6). Note that the water activity measuring device is cleaned according to a predetermined procedure.

[0103] In the above step (3), the particle size of the pulverized sample is set to a level that is not affected by the uneven distribution of water activity in the sample before pulverization. For example, if the sample is pulverized to a so-called powder state, it will not be affected by the water activity in the sample before pulverization.

[0104] Furthermore, the surfaces of the jelly and gummies may be rough or sticky. Even in such cases, by covering part or all of the outer surfaces of the jelly and gummies with film FL, they can be securely held by the holding portion 124 (see FIGS. 1 to 3) and placed in the container KN. In this case, the solid-containing beverage 150 contains jelly and gummies as solids SS in the beverage LL.

[0105] In the above example, the charge material SB is charged into the container KN and then the beverage LL is poured into the container KN. However, the charge material SB may be charged after the beverage LL is poured into the container KN.

[0106] Furthermore, the following notes are disclosed: (Appendix 1) a solid object having at least a portion of an outer surface covered with a film is held via the film and inserted into the container through an opening of the container; pouring a beverage into the container through the opening; sealing the opening of the container into which the solid material has been placed and into which the beverage has been poured; heating the container with the opening sealed; A method for producing a solid beverage. (Appendix 2) The method for producing a beverage containing solids described in Appendix 1, wherein an edible film that melts at a melting temperature or higher is used as the film, and the heating melts part or all of the edible film. (Appendix 3) The method for producing a beverage containing solids described in Appendix 2, wherein the temperature of the container is set to 55°C or higher and 85°C or lower by heating. (Appendix 4) A method for producing a beverage containing solids described in any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 3, wherein the outer surfaces of multiple solids are covered with one of the films while the solids are held in place. (Appendix 5) The method for producing a beverage containing solids according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of solids are in powder form. (Appendix 6) 6. The method for producing a beverage containing solids according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the solids are sealed with the film in a state in which the solids are held. (Appendix 7) The method for producing a beverage containing solids described in Appendix 6, wherein the solids are sealed by the film. (Appendix 8) A method for producing a solid-containing beverage described in any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 7, wherein the solid material includes at least one of wood chips, fruits and vegetables, tea bags, jelly, and gummies, and is placed inside the container. (Appendix 9) A container and a beverage within the container; and a solid material inside the container; and At least one of a film covering at least a part of the outer surface of the solid body and a film melt component formed by melting the film; a sealing member sealing the opening of the container; Solid beverages containing [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 100 Beverage Production System 120 Manufacturing equipment 140 Loading section 142 Injection part 144 Sealing part 146 Heating section 150 solid drinks 116 Parallel Link Robot FL Film FS charge KN container KK opening LL Beverage LS Fruits and Vegetables SB charge SS solids

Claims

1. a solid object having at least a portion of an outer surface covered with a film is held via the film and inserted into the container through an opening of the container; pouring a beverage into the container through the opening; sealing the opening of the container into which the solid material has been placed and into which the beverage has been poured; heating the container with the opening sealed; A method for producing a solid beverage.

2. The method for producing a beverage containing solids according to claim 1 , wherein an edible film that melts at a melting temperature or higher is used as the film, and the heating melts part or all of the edible film.

3. The method for producing a beverage containing solids according to claim 2, wherein the temperature of the container is set to 55°C or higher and 85°C or lower by the heating.

4. The method for producing a beverage containing solids according to claim 1 , wherein the outer surfaces of a plurality of the solids are covered with one of the films while the solids are held in place.

5. The method for producing a beverage with solids according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of solids are in powder form.

6. The method for producing a beverage containing solids according to claim 1 , wherein the solids are sealed by the film in a state where the solids are held.

7. The method for producing a beverage with solids according to claim 6, wherein the solids are sealed by the film.

8. 2. The method for producing a beverage containing solids according to claim 1, wherein the solids, which include at least one of wood chips, fruits and vegetables, tea bags, jelly, and gummies, are placed inside the container.

9. A container and a beverage within the container; and a solid material inside the container; and At least one of a film covering at least a part of the outer surface of the solid body and a film melt component formed by melting the film; a sealing member sealing the opening of the container; Solid beverages containing

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