Beverage supply device

Abstract

To shorten the time it takes to supply beverages. [Solution] A beverage supply device 1 supplies a beverage produced by a beverage production unit 11 located inside a main cabinet 10 that constitutes the main body of the device to a container C located in a beverage supply unit 22 located in a front door 20 that constitutes the main body of the device. The device includes a container detection unit 25 that detects when a container C is placed in the beverage supply unit 22, an information acquisition unit 28 that acquires information on the type of beverage to be supplied, and a control unit 12 that, if type information is acquired through the information acquisition unit 28 before the container detection unit 25 detects when a container C is placed in the beverage supply unit 22, causes the beverage production unit 11 to perform a pre-operation according to the type of beverage.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

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

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the above beverage supply device, when it is detected that a container is arranged in the beverage supply unit and a beverage is selected, the generation of the beverage in the beverage generation unit is started, so the time required for beverage supply is somewhat determined, and it has been difficult to shorten the supply time. In particular, when supplying beverages such as black tea and green tea as well as coffee due to the diversification of supplied beverages, there is a risk of lengthening the supply time.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage supply device capable of shortening the beverage supply time.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the beverage supply device according to the present invention is a beverage supply device that supplies a beverage produced in a beverage production unit provided inside the main body of the device to a container placed in a beverage supply unit provided in the main body of the device, and is characterized by comprising: a container detection unit that detects when a container is placed in the beverage supply unit; an information acquisition unit that acquires information on the type of beverage to be supplied; and a control unit that, when the type information is acquired through the information acquisition unit before the container detection unit detects when a container is placed in the beverage supply unit, causes the beverage production unit to perform a pre-operation according to the type of beverage.

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the beverage supply device described above, if the beverage identified by the type information acquired through the information acquisition unit is a recipe-determining beverage whose recipe is uniquely determined, the control unit causes the beverage production unit to perform a beverage production operation after the pre-operation.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the beverage supply device described above, the control unit supplies a beverage to the beverage supply unit on the condition that the container detection unit detects that a container has been placed in the beverage supply unit when the beverage supply unit has performed the beverage production operation.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the beverage supply device described above, the control unit, when the beverage identified by the type information acquired through the information acquisition unit is a beverage in which the proportion of the beverage's components can be changed, causes the beverage generating unit to generate the beverage, provided that input has been received regarding the adjustment components of the beverage. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, when the control unit acquires type information through the information acquisition unit before the container detection unit detects that a container has been placed in the beverage supply unit, it causes the beverage production unit to perform a pre-operation corresponding to the type of beverage, thereby achieving the effect of shortening the beverage supply time. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a beverage supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a beverage supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a characteristic control system of a beverage supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the various components of a beverage supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing details performed by the control unit shown in Figure 2, etc. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing details of the first beverage supply control process shown in Figure 5. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the preliminary operation of the beverage production unit in Figure 6. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the beverage production process in Figure 6. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the beverage extraction procedure in the beverage production and supply process shown in Figure 6. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the beverage supply procedure in Figure 6. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation procedure of the beverage production unit after the first beverage supply process shown in Figure 6. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation procedure of the beverage production unit after the first beverage supply process shown in Figure 6. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the processing details of the second beverage supply control process shown in Figure 5. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] A preferred embodiment of the beverage supply device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0013] Figures 1 to 4 each show a beverage supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the beverage supply device, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the beverage supply device, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the characteristic control system of the beverage supply device, and Figure 4 is a schematic diagram schematically showing each component of the beverage supply device.

[0014] The beverage supply device 1 illustrated here is, for example, a coffee machine installed in stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores, and performs, for example, bean grinding and extraction processes to supply beverages such as coffee to a container C such as a cup. Such a beverage supply device 1 is configured as an apparatus main body including a main body cabinet 10 and a front door 20.

[0015] The main body cabinet 10 is an apparatus main body having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with a front opening (not shown) on the front surface, and a beverage generation unit 11 and a control unit 12 for generating a beverage (for example, coffee, etc.) are provided inside thereof.

[0016] The front door 20 is a door body having a size sufficient to close the front opening of the main body cabinet 10. This front door 20 is provided so as to be swingable around the central axis of a shaft portion (not shown) extending in the vertical direction at the left edge portion on the front side of the main body cabinet 10, and can open and close the front opening of the main body cabinet 10. Such a front door 20 has a front surface that constitutes a customer-facing surface, and a display unit 21, a beverage supply unit 22, and an opening / closing door 23 are provided thereon.

[0017] The display unit 21 is constituted by, for example, a liquid crystal touch panel, displays various information according to a command given from the control unit 12, and has an input unit 21a for input operations such as touch operations.

[0018] The beverage supply unit 22 is located below the display unit 21 and has a nozzle 22a and a stage 22b. The nozzle 22a discharges the beverage produced in the beverage generation unit 11 downwards. The stage 22b is located below the nozzle 22a. This stage 22b is on which the container C is placed. A drain tray 24 is installed below the stage 22b.

[0019] The opening / closing door 23 is made of a light-transmitting material such as transparent resin, and is large enough to cover the inlet 22c of the beverage supply unit 22. The left end of this opening / closing door 23 is pivotally supported on the front door 20 and is swingable along the front-rear direction. In other words, the opening / closing door 23 is swingable along the front-rear direction in a manner that moves it closer to and further away from the beverage supply unit 22. When swinging backward in a manner that moves it closer to the beverage supply unit 22, it is possible to close the inlet 22c of the beverage supply unit 22, and when swinging forward in a manner that moves it away from the beverage supply unit 22, it is possible to open the inlet 22c of the beverage supply unit 22.

[0020] The beverage production unit 11 is comprised of an extractor 30, a raw material supply unit 50, a hot water supply unit 60, an air supply unit 70, and a waste bucket 80.

[0021] The extraction machine 30 extracts a beverage from the raw materials supplied from the raw material supply unit 50 and the hot water supplied from the hot water supply unit 60, and supplies it to the beverage supply unit 22.

[0022] The extraction machine 30 is comprised of a grinder 32, a brewing unit 34, a pinching mechanism 36, a scraper 38, and a group of valves 40.

[0023] The grinder 32 is what is commonly referred to as a mill. This grinder 32 is driven when a drive command is given to the grinder drive unit 32a, which is an actuator. This grinder 32 is installed in the area below the raw material box 51 in which coffee beans are stored as raw material, and is connected to the raw material box 51 via a raw material supply chute 52.

[0024] The above-mentioned grinder 32, when driven, grinds the raw material (coffee beans) guided by the raw material supply chute 52 and feeds the ground raw material (hereinafter also referred to as ground raw material) through the guide chute 33 into the brewing unit 34. This guide chute 33 has a raw material passage for dropping the ground raw material.

[0025] By the way, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, there are, for example, three raw material boxes 51, which store coffee beans, tea leaves for black tea, and tea leaves for green tea. Although I will omit the details, a grinder 32 and a guide chute 33 may also be provided in the lower area of ​​the raw material box 51 that stores tea leaves for black tea as a raw material, or a guide chute 33 may be provided that directly guides the tea leaves for black tea or green tea to the brewing unit 34, even if the grinder 32 is not provided.

[0026] The brewer unit 34 comprises a cylinder 341, a top seal portion 342, and a filter block 343. The cylinder 341 has a substantially cylindrical shape. The top seal portion 342 opens and closes the upper opening of the cylinder 341. The top seal portion 342 is formed such that a cylindrical passage component 35, whose interior communicates with the upper opening, extends upward.

[0027] This passage component 35 is made of a resin material such as silicone, and its cross-section is elliptical. A part of the guide chute 33 is inserted from above into the hollow portion of such passage component 35, so that the hollow portion forms a passage through which the crushed raw material and mixed molten metal pass, and its inner wall surface is water-repellent.

[0028] Furthermore, a portion of the upper end of the hollow section of the passage component 35 is connected to the exhaust duct 49 in a manner that separates it from the guide chute 33. The exhaust duct 49 not only communicates with the passage component 35, but also communicates with the inside of the cylinder 341 via the passage component 35. An exhaust fan 46 is provided in this exhaust duct 49. This exhaust fan 46 is driven by an exhaust fan drive unit 46a, which is an actuator, in response to commands given by the control unit 12. When driven, it discharges the internal air of the cylinder 341 to the outside through the exhaust duct 49.

[0029] The filter block 343 is a substantially box-shaped structure that is movable vertically in the area below the cylinder 341, and its upper surface is large enough to close the lower opening of the cylinder 341. The filter block 343 is provided with a disc-shaped metal mesh member (not shown) having a plurality of holes, and a beverage supply path 48 communicating with these holes is connected to it. This beverage supply path 48 is configured by connecting a beverage supply pipe and connects the filter block 343 to the nozzle 22a.

[0030] This filter block 343 moves vertically when the filter block drive unit 343b, which is an actuator, is driven in response to a command given by the control unit 12. When the filter block 343 rises, it presses against and closes the lower opening of the cylinder 341.

[0031] The pinch mechanism 36 is provided above the top seal portion 342. This pinch mechanism 36 consists of a first pinch component 361 and a second pinch component 362 that extend in the left-right direction relative to each other and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction, with a passage component 35 positioned between the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362.

[0032] In its normal state, the pinch mechanism 36 has the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362 positioned as far apart from each other as possible, and does not act on the passage component 35. On the other hand, when the pinch motor 36a drives the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362 to be closest to each other, the pinch mechanism 36 elastically deforms the lower part of the passage component 35, thereby closing off a portion of the passage. By closing off a portion of the passage in this way, the passage is restricted from being filled with crushed material or the like. The point where the pinch mechanism 36 grips the passage component 35 and closes off a portion of the passage is the lower part of the passage component 35, that is, the part below the area into which the guide chute 33 is inserted.

[0033] The scraper 38 moves along the front-rear direction when power is transmitted by a scraper drive unit 382, ​​which is an actuator, driven by a command given by the control unit 12. More specifically, the scraper 38 is installed to be able to move back and forth along the front-rear direction between a standby position behind the filter block 343 and an advanced position in front of the filter block 343, and is normally positioned in the standby position.

[0034] Furthermore, the scraper 38 is capable of sliding against the upper surface of the mesh member of the filter block 343 when it moves forward from the standby position to the advanced position, and when it moves backward from the advanced position to the standby position, thereby removing the extracted residue K (see Figure 11) placed on the mesh member when it moves forward from the standby position to the advanced position.

[0035] The valve group 40 is comprised of an air valve 41, a hot water valve 42, and a drinking valve 43.

[0036] The air valve 41 is a switching valve configured in which an air valve shaft is displaceable inside an air valve case, and switches the communication state of four ports formed in the air valve case as the air valve shaft is displaced. The four ports formed in this air valve case are an air inlet port 411a, a stirring air discharge port 411b, an extraction air discharge port 411c, and an open port 411d.

[0037] The air inlet port 411a is connected to the air supply path 71 that constitutes the air supply unit 70. The agitation air discharge port 411b is connected to the agitation air supply path 401. This agitation air supply path 401 is made up of agitation air supply piping and is connected to the beverage valve 43.

[0038] The extraction air discharge port 411c is connected to the extraction air line 402. This extraction air line 402 is composed of extraction air supply piping and is connected to the top seal portion 342. The open port 411d is an opening for opening the inside of the air valve case.

[0039] The air valve shaft is normally positioned at a reference position and is displaced to its tip position when it is pressed.

[0040] In such an air valve 41, when the air valve shaft is positioned at the reference position, the air inlet port 411a and the agitated air discharge port 411b are in communication, and the extraction air discharge port 411c and the open port 411d are in communication. On the other hand, when the air valve shaft is positioned at the tip position, the air inlet port 411a and the extraction air discharge port 411c are in communication, but the agitated air discharge port 411b and the open port 411d are not in communication.

[0041] Incidentally, the air valve shaft of the air valve 41 can also be positioned at an intermediate position between the above-mentioned reference position and the above-mentioned tip position. When the air valve shaft is positioned at this intermediate position, the air introduction port 411a, the agitated air discharge port 411b, the extraction air discharge port 411c, and the open port 411d are all in communication with each other.

[0042] The hot water valve 42 is a switching valve configured in which a hot water valve shaft is displaceable inside the hot water valve case, and switches the communication state of three ports formed in the hot water valve case in accordance with the displacement of the hot water valve shaft. The three ports formed in this hot water valve case are a hot water inlet port 421a, a first hot water discharge port 421b, and a second hot water discharge port 421c.

[0043] The hot water inlet port 421a is connected to the hot water supply path 65 which constitutes the hot water supply unit 60. The first hot water discharge port 421b is connected to the mixed hot water supply path 403. This mixed hot water supply path 403 is made up of mixed hot water supply piping and is connected to a mixed hot water nozzle (not shown) formed in the guide chute 33. The mixed hot water nozzle is provided facing the raw material passage in the guide chute 33 and discharges the mixed hot water in a fan shape diagonally downward. More specifically, the mixed hot water nozzle discharges the mixed hot water in a manner that blocks a portion of the raw material passage in the guide chute 33.

[0044] As a result, the extraction machine 30 mixes the crushed raw material and the mixed hot water in the air in the guide chute 33, and then causes this mixture to collide with the inner wall surface of the raw material passage and fall downward along the inner wall surface, so as not to come into contact with the inner wall surface of the passage component member 35.

[0045] The second hot water discharge port 421c is connected to the hot water supply path 405. This hot water supply path 405 is made up of hot water piping and is connected to a hot water nozzle (not shown) formed in the top seal portion 342. The hot water nozzle here discharges the hot water supplied through the hot water supply path 405 downward in a shower-like manner.

[0046] The hot water valve shaft is normally positioned at a reference position and is displaced to its tip position when it is pressed.

[0047] In such a hot water valve 42, when the hot water valve shaft is positioned at the reference position, the hot water inlet port 421a and the first hot water discharge port 421b are in communication. On the other hand, when the hot water valve shaft is positioned at the tip position, the hot water inlet port 421a and the second hot water discharge port 421c are in communication.

[0048] The beverage valve 43 is located in the middle of the beverage supply path 48. This beverage valve 43 is a switching valve similar to the air valve 41 and hot water valve 42 described above, and switches the communication state of the three ports.

[0049] The three ports in the beverage valve 43 are the beverage inlet port 431a, the agitation air inlet port 431b, and the beverage discharge port 431c. The beverage inlet port 431a is connected to the filter block 343 (brewer unit 34) through a portion of the beverage supply path 48. The agitation air inlet port 431b is connected to the agitation air supply path 401. The beverage discharge port 431c is connected to the nozzle 22a of the beverage supply unit 22 through a portion of the beverage supply path 48.

[0050] Such a beverage valve 43 switches between a first communication state in which the beverage inlet port 431a and the beverage discharge port 431c are in communication, and a second communication state in which the agitated air inlet port 431b and the beverage inlet port 431a are in communication.

[0051] In such a valve group 40, the air valve 41, the hot water valve 42, and the beverage valve 43 are linked to a common valve actuator 40b, and the valve actuator 40b is driven to rotate a cam or gear, which switches the communication state of each port of the air valve 41, the hot water valve 42, and the beverage valve 43.

[0052] Incidentally, as shown in Figure 4, a drain valve 44 is provided in the beverage supply path 48 that connects the filter block 343 and the beverage valve 43.

[0053] The drain valve 44 is a switching valve similar to the air valve 41, hot water valve 42, and drinking water valve 43 described above, and switches the communication state of the three ports.

[0054] The three ports in the drain valve 44 are the inlet port 441a, the first discharge port 441b, and the second discharge port 441c. The inlet port 441a is connected to the filter block 343 (brewer unit 34) through a portion of the beverage supply path 48. The first discharge port 441b is connected to the drainage path 471, which extends to the sludge bucket 80. The second discharge port 441c is connected to the beverage supply piping which is connected to the beverage valve 43.

[0055] Such a drain valve 44 switches between a first discharge state in which the inlet port 441a and the first discharge port 441b are in communication, and a second discharge state in which the inlet port 441a and the second discharge port 441c are in communication.

[0056] The raw material supply unit 50 supplies beverage raw materials to the extraction machine 30 and is equipped with three raw material boxes 51. Each raw material box 51 is provided such that a portion of it penetrates a rectangular opening 13a formed in the top plate portion 13 of the main cabinet 10 and protrudes upward from the top plate portion 13. A raw material supply drive unit 51a is provided in each raw material box 51. The raw material supply drive unit 51a is driven when a drive command is given from the control unit 12 to the raw material supply motor 51b, which is the drive source, and dispenses a predetermined amount of beverage raw materials included in the drive command through the raw material supply chute 52.

[0057] The hot water supply unit 60 supplies hot water to the extraction machine 30, and is configured by sequentially connecting a hot water tank 61, a first hot water pump 62, a sub-tank 63, and a second hot water pump 64 to a hot water supply path 65 which is made up of hot water supply piping.

[0058] The hot water tank 61 stores hot water by heating supplied tap water or other water with a heater (not shown). The first hot water pump 62 is configured as, for example, a centrifugal pump, and when driven by a command given by the control unit 12, it sends a fixed amount of hot water from the hot water tank 61 to the sub-tank 63. The sub-tank 63 has a smaller volume than the hot water tank 61 and temporarily stores the hot water sent by the first hot water pump 62. The second hot water pump 64 is configured as, for example, a gear pump, and when driven by a command given by the control unit 12, it sends the hot water from the sub-tank 63.

[0059] The air supply unit 70 supplies pressurized air to the extraction machine 30. This air supply unit 70 is configured with an air pump 72 installed in an air supply path 71, which is made up of air supply piping. The air pump 72 is driven in response to commands given by the control unit 12 and compresses air to deliver pressurized air.

[0060] The waste bucket 80 is installed in the area below the extraction machine 30 and is used to contain the extraction waste K and other materials generated by the extraction of beverages in the extraction machine 30.

[0061] As shown in Figure 3, the beverage supply device 1 includes a container detection unit 25, a door opening / closing detection unit 26, a door opening / closing locking mechanism 27, and an information acquisition unit 28.

[0062] The container detection unit 25 is composed of, for example, an optical sensor, and detects whether or not a container C is placed in the beverage supply unit 22, that is, whether or not a container C is placed on the stage 22b. The container detection unit 25 provides the control unit 12 with the result of detecting the presence or absence of container C.

[0063] The door opening / closing detection unit 26 is located near the inlet 22c of the beverage supply unit 22 and is composed of, for example, an optical sensor. This door opening / closing detection unit 26 detects the opening and closing of the inlet 22c by the opening / closing door 23, and more specifically, it detects whether the inlet 22c is closed, that is, whether the opening / closing door 23 is closed or not. The door opening / closing detection unit 26 provides the control unit 12 with the detection result of whether the opening / closing door 23 is closed or not.

[0064] The door opening / closing lock mechanism 27 is located near the inlet 22c of the beverage supply unit 22. This door opening / closing lock mechanism 27 can selectively switch between a locked state, which holds the opening / closing door 23 that closes the inlet 22c closed and restricts the opening / closing door 23 from swinging forward, and an unlocked state, which allows the opening / closing door 23 to swing forward. The switching of this door opening / closing lock mechanism 27 is performed in accordance with a command given by the control unit 12.

[0065] The information acquisition unit 28 is composed of, for example, a barcode reader and is installed at any location on the front door 20. This information acquisition unit 28 reads and acquires beverage type information through a graphic code in which the beverage type information is represented graphically. This information acquisition unit 28 outputs the acquired beverage type information to the control unit 12.

[0066] Here, the beverage type information refers to information about the type of beverage (e.g., coffee, black tea, green tea, etc.), and is printed on the receipt R or container C in a graphic form, such as a QR code (registered trademark).

[0067] In this embodiment, the information acquisition unit 28 is described as acquiring information about the type of beverage printed on a receipt R issued when a user purchases a container C for the product (beverage).

[0068] The control unit 12 comprehensively controls the operation of each part of the beverage supply device 1 according to the programs and data stored in the storage unit 12a. The storage unit 12a stores recipe information for each beverage.

[0069] Furthermore, the control unit 12 may be implemented, for example, by causing a processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) to execute a program, i.e., by software; or by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit); or by using a combination of software and hardware.

[0070] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing steps performed by the control unit 12, as shown in Figure 2. The operation of the beverage supply device 1 will be explained while describing these processing steps.

[0071] The control unit 12 determines whether or not the information acquisition unit 28 acquires information about the type of beverage before the container detection unit 25 detects that there is a container C in the beverage supply unit 22 (steps S110, S130).

[0072] If the information acquisition unit 28 acquires information about the type of beverage before the container detection unit 25 detects that container C is present in the beverage supply unit 22 (step S110: Yes, step S130: No), that is, if the information acquisition unit 28 acquires information about the type of beverage before the container detection unit 25 detects that container C has been placed in the beverage supply unit 22, the control unit 12 performs the first beverage supply control process (step S150).

[0073] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing details of the first beverage supply control process shown in Figure 5. For the purposes of this explanation, it is assumed that the beverage type information obtained in step S110 was "coffee".

[0074] In the first beverage supply control process, the control unit 12 causes the beverage generating unit 11 to perform a pre-operation corresponding to the type of beverage based on the type information acquired in step S110 (step S151).

[0075] This preliminary operation will now be explained. As a prerequisite, hot water is stored in the hot water tank 61, and in the air valve 41, the air valve shaft is positioned in the reference position, with the air inlet port 411a and the agitated air discharge port 411b in communication, and the extraction air discharge port 411c and the open port 411d in communication. In addition, in the hot water valve 42, the hot water inlet port 421a and the first hot water discharge port 421b are in communication, and in the drinking valve 43, the agitated air inlet port 431b and the drinking inlet port 431a are in communication.

[0076] As a preliminary action, the control unit 12 issues a command to the filter block drive unit 343b, as shown in Figure 7, to move the filter block 343 upward. The control unit 12 also sets the drain valve 44 to the second discharge state, connecting the inlet port 441a and the second discharge port 441c.

[0077] The control unit 12, having performed the pre-operation on the beverage production unit 11 in this manner, determines whether the beverage identified by the above-mentioned type information is a recipe-determining beverage (step S152). Here, a recipe-determining beverage is a beverage in which the amount of raw materials and hot water used to produce one batch of beverage is uniquely determined without the user having to make adjustments such as "stronger" or "weaker."

[0078] If the beverage identified by the type information is the recipe-determining beverage (step S152: Yes), the control unit 12 causes the beverage production unit 11 to perform the beverage production operation (step S153) while waiting for the container detection unit 25 to detect a container (step S154).

[0079] The beverage production process will now be explained. The control unit 12 issues a drive command to the raw material supply drive unit 51a to dispense a quantity of raw material (coffee beans) corresponding to the beverage into the grinder 32. After a predetermined amount of raw material has been dispensed into the grinder 32, the control unit 12 stops the raw material supply drive unit 51a from driving.

[0080] The control unit 12 then issues drive commands to the first hot water pump 62 and the second hot water pump 64, while also issuing a drive command to the crusher drive unit 32a. As a result, as shown in Figure 8, the hot water from the hot water tank 61 is supplied to the mixed hot water nozzle through the hot water valve 42 and the mixed hot water supply path 403, and is discharged as mixed hot water from the mixed hot water nozzle. At the same time, the crusher 32 crushes the raw material and discharges the crushed raw material into the guide chute 33. As a result, in the guide chute 33, the crushed raw material falls and mixes with the mixed hot water in the air, and the mixture collides with the inner wall surface of the raw material passage before being fed into the cylinder 341. The control unit 12 also stops the crusher drive unit 32a after a predetermined amount of crushed raw material has been discharged, and stops the first hot water pump 62 and the second hot water pump 64 after a predetermined amount of mixed hot water has been discharged.

[0081] Subsequently, the control unit 12 drives the air pump 72, and pressurized air is sent in the following order, as shown in Figure 8: air valve 41 (air inlet port 411a - agitation air discharge port 411b), agitation air supply path 401, beverage valve 43, beverage supply path 48, drain valve 44 (second discharge port 441c - inlet port 441a), and brewing unit 34, to agitate the mixture. The pressurized air sent to the brewing unit 34 and used to agitate the mixture is then sent in the following order: extraction air line 402, air valve 41 (extraction air discharge port 411c - open port 411d), and released from the open port 411d.

[0082] Having stirred the mixture in this manner, the control unit 12 gives a drive command to the valve actuator 40b, displacing the hot water valve shaft of the hot water valve 42 to connect the hot water inlet port 421a and the second hot water discharge port 421c.

[0083] The control unit 12 then issues drive commands to the first hot water pump 62 and the second hot water pump 64, so that, as shown in Figure 9, hot water from the hot water tank 61 is supplied to the hot water nozzle through the hot water valve 42 and the hot water supply path 405, and discharged from the hot water nozzle in a shower-like manner. Pressurized air is also sent in the following order to the air valve 41 (air inlet port 411a - stirring air discharge port 411b), stirring air supply path 401, beverage valve 43, beverage supply path 48, drain valve 44 (second discharge port 441c - inlet port 441a), and brewing unit 34 to further stir the mixture. The pressurized air that has been sent to the brewing unit 34 and used to stir the mixture is then sent in the following order to the extraction air line 402 and the air valve 41 (extraction air discharge port 411c - open port 411d), and released from the open port 411d. Furthermore, the control unit 12 stops the operation of the first hot water pump 62 and the second hot water pump 64 after a predetermined amount of hot water has been discharged.

[0084] Subsequently, if the presence of container C is detected in step S154 (step S154: Yes), the control unit 12 determines whether the door 23 is closed or not based on the detection result of the door opening / closing detection unit 26 (step S155). If the door 23 is not closed (step S155: No), the determination process in step S155 is repeated.

[0085] On the other hand, if the opening / closing door 23 is closed (step S155: Yes), the control unit 12 uses the door opening / closing lock mechanism 27 to lock the opening / closing door 23 in the closed position (step S156) and supplies the beverage (step S157).

[0086] The supply of beverages in step S157 will now be described. As shown in Figure 10, the control unit 12 drives the pinch motor 36a to bring the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362 closer together, thereby elastically deforming the lower part of the passage component 35 and closing off a portion of the passage. This seals the inside of the cylinder 341.

[0087] Furthermore, the control unit 12 provides a drive command to the valve actuator 40b, thereby displacing the air valve shaft of the air valve 41 to its tip position and connecting the air inlet port 411a and the extracted air discharge port 411c. It also connects the beverage inlet port 431a and the beverage discharge port 431c of the beverage valve 43.

[0088] As a result, as shown in Figure 10, pressurized air from the air pump 72 is delivered in the following order: air valve 41 (air inlet port 411a - extraction air discharge port 411c), extraction air line 402, and brewing unit 34, thereby extracting coffee. The extracted coffee is supplied to the nozzle 22a via the beverage supply path 48 and discharged from the nozzle 22a into container C. Thus, the entire beverage supply path 48 constitutes a beverage supply line, while a portion of it (the section from the filter block 343 to the beverage valve 43) together with the stirring air supply path 401 constitutes a stirring air line.

[0089] Once a predetermined amount of coffee is supplied to container C in this manner, the control unit 12 issues a drive command to the valve actuator 40b to displace the air valve shaft of the air valve 41 to its reference position, connecting the air inlet port 411a with the stirring air discharge port 411b and the extraction air discharge port 411c with the open port 411d. Furthermore, it connects the stirring air inlet port 431b with the beverage inlet port 431a of the beverage valve 43, and then stops the air pump 72 from operating.

[0090] The control unit 12 determines whether or not the beverage supply by the beverage generation unit 11 has finished (step S158). If the beverage supply has not finished (step S158: No), the control unit 12 repeats this determination process. On the other hand, if the beverage supply has finished (step S158: Yes), the control unit 12 releases the lock on the closed state of the opening / closing door 23 by the door opening / closing lock mechanism 27 (step S159), and then returns to the previous step to end the current first beverage supply control process.

[0091] This allows the user to swing the opening / closing door 23 in the opening direction to remove the container C from the beverage supply unit 22. The pressurized air used for extraction is delivered in the order of extraction air line 402 and air valve 41 (extraction air discharge port 411c - open port 411d), and is released from the open port 411d, thereby reducing the internal pressure of the brewer unit 34. The control unit 12 also drives the pinch motor 36a to separate the first pinch component 361 and the second pinch component 362 from each other, thereby elastically deforming the passage component 35 back to its original state and releasing the closed state.

[0092] Subsequently, the control unit 12 issues a command to the filter block drive unit 343b to lower the filter block 343, as shown in Figure 11. At this time, the extracted residue K is placed on the filter member of the filter block 343.

[0093] As shown in Figure 12, the control unit 12, having lowered the filter block 343, issues a forward rotation drive command to the scraper drive unit 382, ​​causing the scraper 38 to move from the standby position to the extended position. This allows the extracted residue K to be separated from the upper area of ​​the filter block 343 and discharged into the residue bucket 80. Subsequently, the control unit 12 issues a reverse rotation drive command to the scraper drive unit 382, ​​causing the scraper 38 to move backward from the extended position to the standby position.

[0094] On the other hand, if the beverage identified by the type information in step S152 is not a recipe determination beverage (step S152: No), that is, if the proportion of the beverage's components can be changed, the control unit 12 determines whether the container detection unit 25 has detected that container C is in the beverage supply unit 22 (step S160). That is, the container detection unit 25 detects whether or not container C is placed on the stage 22b. If container C is not detected to be present (step S160: No), the control unit 12 repeats the determination process in step S160.

[0095] If container C is detected to be present (step S160: Yes), the control unit 12 determines whether the door 23 is closed or not based on the detection result of the door opening / closing detection unit 26 (step S161). If the door 23 is not closed (step S161: No), the determination process in step S161 is repeated.

[0096] On the other hand, if the opening / closing door 23 is closed (step S161: Yes), the control unit 12 uses the door opening / closing lock mechanism 27 to lock the opening / closing door 23 in the closed position (step S162).

[0097] The control unit 12 then displays the beverage's adjustment components, identified by the type information, on the display unit 21, and provides guidance on touching the input unit 21a (step S163).

[0098] Subsequently, the control unit 12 determines whether or not the input unit 21a has been touched (step S164). If the input unit 21a is not touched (step S164: No), the control unit 12 repeats the determination process in step S164.

[0099] On the other hand, if the input unit 21a is touched (step S164: Yes), the control unit 12 determines that the recipe for the beverage has been decided and instructs the beverage production unit 11 to produce and supply the beverage (step S165). This production and supply of the beverage is a combination of the contents of steps S153 and S157 described above, so no further explanation is provided.

[0100] Having generated and supplied the beverage in this manner, the control unit 12 performs the processes of steps S158 and S159 described above, and then returns to the previous step to terminate the first beverage supply control process.

[0101] The control unit 12, having performed the first beverage supply control process, displays a completion message to the display unit 21 indicating that the beverage supply has ended (step S190), and then terminates the process.

[0102] By the way, in steps S110 and S130, if the information acquisition unit 28 does not acquire information about the type of beverage, and the container detection unit 25 detects that there is a container C in the beverage supply unit 22 (step S110: No, step S130: Yes), the control unit 12 performs a second beverage supply control process (step S170).

[0103] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the processing details of the second beverage supply control process shown in Figure 5. Note that, in this explanation, we will assume that the beverage type information obtained in step S110 was "coffee".

[0104] In this second beverage supply control process, the control unit 12 determines whether the door 23 is closed or not based on the detection result of the door opening / closing detection unit 26 (step S171). If the door 23 is not closed (step S171: No), the determination process in step S171 is repeated.

[0105] On the other hand, if the opening / closing door 23 is closed (step S171: Yes), the control unit 12 uses the door opening / closing lock mechanism 27 to lock the opening / closing door 23 in the closed position (step S172).

[0106] The control unit 12 then displays to the display unit 21 the beverages that can be supplied and provides guidance on touching the input unit 21a (step S173).

[0107] Subsequently, the control unit 12 determines whether or not the input unit 21a has been touched (step S174). If the input unit 21a is not touched (step S174: No), the control unit 12 repeats the determination process in step S174.

[0108] On the other hand, if the input unit 21a is touched (step S174: Yes), the control unit 12 instructs the beverage generation unit 11 to perform the process of generating and supplying the beverage selected in step S174 (step S175). This generation and supply of beverage is a combination of the contents of steps S153 and S157 described above, so no further explanation is provided.

[0109] Having generated and supplied the beverage in this manner, the control unit 12 determines whether or not the beverage supply by the beverage generation unit 11 has finished (step S176). If the beverage supply has not finished (step S176: No), the control unit 12 repeats this determination process. On the other hand, if the beverage supply has finished (step S176: Yes), the control unit 12 releases the lock on the closed state of the opening / closing door 23 by the door opening / closing lock mechanism 27 (step S177), and then returns to the previous step to terminate this second beverage supply control process.

[0110] The control unit 12, having performed the second beverage supply control processing, then performs the process described in step S190 above, and then terminates the current process.

[0111] As described above, according to the beverage supply device 1, which is an embodiment of the present invention, if the control unit 12 acquires type information through the information acquisition unit 28 before the container detection unit 25 detects that a container C has been placed in the beverage supply unit 22, it causes the beverage generation unit 11 to perform a pre-operation according to the type of beverage, thereby shortening the beverage supply time.

[0112] According to the beverage supply device 1 described above, if the beverage identified by the type information acquired through the information acquisition unit 28 is a recipe-determined beverage, the control unit 12 causes the beverage production unit 11 to perform a beverage production operation after a preliminary operation, thereby further shortening the beverage supply time.

[0113] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made.

[0114] In the embodiment described above, the beverage type information obtained through the information acquisition unit 28 was assumed to be "coffee," but in the present invention, the beverage type information obtained through the information acquisition unit 28 may be "black tea" or "green tea."

[0115] If the beverage type information is "black tea," as a preliminary action, the control unit 12 moves the filter block 343 upwards while maintaining the drain valve 44 in the first discharge state, and further energizes the heater inside the hot water tank 61 to heat the water. Then, the control unit 12 supplies the water from the hot water tank 61 to the brewing unit 34 to heat its interior.

[0116] If the beverage type information is "green tea," as a preliminary action, the control unit 12 moves the filter block 343 upwards while setting the drain valve 44 to the second discharge state. The control unit 12 also mixes the hot water from the hot water tank 61 with cold water such as tap water in a mixing unit (not shown).

[0117] In the embodiment described above, the information acquisition unit 28 acquired beverage type information by reading graphic codes written on container C or receipt R. However, in the present invention, the information acquisition unit may acquire beverage type information by various methods, not limited to graphic codes. That is, the information acquisition unit may acquire beverage type information via communication from the store's cash register system or store management device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1...Beverage supply device, 10...Main cabinet, 11...Beverage generation unit, 12...Control unit, 12a...Storage unit, 20...Front door, 21...Display unit, 21a...Input unit, 22...Beverage supply unit, 25...Container detection unit, 26...Door opening / closing detection unit, 27...Door opening / closing lock mechanism, 28...Information acquisition unit, 30...Extractor, 50...Raw material supply unit, 60...Hot water supply unit, 70...Air supply unit, 80...Lash bucket, C...Container.

Claims

1. A beverage supply device that supplies a beverage produced in a beverage production unit located inside the main body of the device to a container located in a beverage supply unit located inside the main body of the device, A container detection unit that detects when a container is placed in the beverage supply unit, An information acquisition unit that acquires information on the type of beverage to be supplied, When the container detection unit detects that a container has been placed in the beverage supply unit, and the type information is acquired through the information acquisition unit, the control unit causes the beverage generation unit to perform a pre-operation according to the type of beverage. A beverage supply device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. The beverage supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that, if the control unit is a recipe-determining beverage whose recipe is uniquely determined, it causes the beverage production unit to perform a beverage production operation after the pre-operation.

3. The beverage supply device according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit supplies a beverage to the beverage supply unit on the condition that the container detection unit detects that a container has been placed in the beverage supply unit when the beverage supply unit has performed the beverage supply operation.

4. The beverage supply apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit, when the beverage identified by the type information acquired through the information acquisition unit is a beverage in which the proportion of the beverage's components can be changed, causes the beverage production unit to produce a beverage, provided that input has been made regarding the adjustment components of the beverage.

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