Beverage supply device

Abstract

To provide a beverage supply device capable of preventing contamination of beverages even when the number of types of beverages that can be supplied is increased, and capable of supplying the beverage without spilling on a periphery even if an opening diameter of a cup or a container, which is a beverage supply destination, is small.SOLUTION: The beverage supply device comprises: a container holding part for holding a container; a nozzle holding part for holding a plurality of nozzles for supplying the beverage to the container; a supply passage for supplying the beverage discharged from the nozzle to the container; a tray having a receiving part for receiving droplets dripped from the nozzle; and a guide part for guiding the nozzle holding part to position a portion or all of the plurality of nozzles above the supply passage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a beverage dispensing device and a beverage dispensing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, devices for supplying beverages to containers are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The beverage supply device described in Patent Document 1 includes a fixed nozzle support part that supports a coffee nozzle and a hot and cold water nozzle, and a movable nozzle support part that supports a milk nozzle. The movable nozzle support part is configured to be swingable between a standby position and a supply position relative to the fixed nozzle support part.

[0003] In addition, a nozzle below tray is arranged between the cup station on which the cups are placed and the fixed nozzle support and movable nozzle support. The nozzle below tray has a dish portion that receives dripping from the milk nozzle and an outlet for discharging milk received by the dish portion. The dish portion is formed with a hole for supplying liquid extracted from the coffee nozzle and the hot and cold water nozzle to the cup, and a hole for supplying milk extracted from the milk nozzle to the cup when the movable nozzle support portion is located in the supply position. The dish portion is also provided below the milk nozzle when the movable nozzle support portion is located in the standby position, and is configured to be able to receive dripping from the milk nozzle in the standby position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-193110 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, beverage dispensers that sell coffee and milk have been able to sell a wide variety of beverages by adding powdered beverages such as cocoa to the menu. In the case of such beverage dispensers, not only the dripping of milk but also the dripping of powdered beverages can cause contamination. However, while the beverage dispenser described in Patent Document 1 can prevent contamination of milk, it cannot prevent contamination of beverages other than milk when the number of beverages that can be sold increases.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a beverage supplying device and a beverage supplying method that can prevent contamination of beverages even when the number of types of beverages that can be supplied is increased, and that can supply beverages without spilling them even when the diameter of the cup or container into which the beverage is to be supplied is small. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The beverage supply device of the present disclosure includes a container holding section for holding a container, a nozzle holding section for holding a plurality of nozzles for supplying beverage to the container, a supply path for supplying the beverage discharged from the nozzles to the container, a tray having a receiving section for receiving droplets dripping from the nozzles, and a guide section for guiding the nozzle holding section to position some or all of the plurality of nozzles above the supply path. and further comprising a nozzle moving unit which moves the nozzle holding unit relative to the guide unit, wherein the plurality of nozzles comprise at least one coffee nozzle for supplying coffee, at least one milk nozzle for supplying milk, and at least one powder drink nozzle for supplying a powder drink made by diluting powder or granules with water or hot water and to be mixed with the milk, wherein the nozzle holding unit holds the plurality of nozzles so that the coffee nozzle, the milk nozzle and the powder drink nozzle are arranged in this order along the movement direction of the nozzle holding unit, and the nozzle moving unit moves the nozzle holding unit so that only the coffee nozzle, only the coffee nozzle and the milk nozzle, only the milk nozzle, only the milk nozzle and the powder drink nozzle, or only the powder drink nozzle is positioned above the supply path.

[0008] The beverage supplying method disclosed herein is a beverage supplying method performed by a beverage supplying device that includes a container holding portion for holding a container, a plurality of nozzles for supplying beverage to the container, a supply path for supplying the beverage ejected from the nozzles to the container, and a tray having a receiving portion for receiving droplets dripping from the nozzles, wherein the beverage supplying device guides the plurality of nozzles to position some or all of the plurality of nozzles above the supply path. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the beverage supply device and beverage supply method disclosed herein, contamination of the beverage can be prevented even if the number of types of beverages that can be supplied is increased, and the beverage can be supplied without spilling even if the cup or container into which the beverage is to be supplied has a small diameter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] Front view of the beverage dispenser [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container installation section and the beverage supply section as viewed from the front and diagonally upward right side; [Diagram 3] Left side view of the container installation section and beverage supply section [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main part of the beverage supply unit as viewed from the front and diagonally above to the right; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the beverage supply unit as viewed from the rear and diagonally upward left side; [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the beverage supply unit as viewed from the front and diagonally upward left side; [Figure 7] 1 is a bottom view showing the positional relationship between the nozzle, the supply hole, and the beverage through hole when the nozzle holding portion is located at different supply positions. [Figure 8] Block diagram of beverage supply device [Figure 9] Flowchart of beverage serving process [Figure 10] Flowchart of beverage serving process [Figure 11] Beverage supply process flow chart [Figure 12] Beverage supply process flow chart DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0012] <Beverage supply device configuration> First, the configuration of the beverage dispenser will be described. Fig. 1 is a front view of the beverage dispenser. The front side is the side that the user of the beverage dispenser faces, and the rear side is the opposite side to the front side. The right side is the right side as seen from the user, and the left side is the opposite side to the right side. The upper side is the upper side when the beverage dispenser is installed on a horizontal plane, and the lower side is the opposite side to the upper side.

[0013] 1, beverage supplying device 1 includes a housing 10, an operation display unit 20, a container installation unit 30, and a beverage supplying unit 40. Beverage supplying device 1 supplies a beverage selected by a user operating operation display unit 20 to a container C. Examples of container C include a cup prepared by an employee or manager (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "employee, etc.") of a store or facility in which beverage supplying device 1 is installed, or a tumbler, water bottle, or cup brought in by a user of the beverage supplying device.

[0014] A container loading / unloading opening 10A for loading and unloading a container C into and from the housing 10 is formed on the front surface of the housing 10. Also, an loading / unloading opening door 11 for opening and closing the container loading / unloading opening 10A is disposed on the front surface of the housing 10. The loading / unloading opening door 11 is disposed so as to be rotatable about the left end portion, for example.

[0015] The operation display unit 20 is disposed at an upper portion on the front surface of the housing 10. The operation display unit 20 is used for selecting a beverage. The operation display unit 20 is configured with a touch panel. The operation display unit 20 displays selection buttons for selecting a beverage that can be served, and when a user presses an area corresponding to a predetermined selection button, outputs a beverage specification signal that specifies the pressed area to a control unit 73 (see FIG. 8) described later. Note that instead of the operation display unit 20, a physical button for selecting a beverage that can be served may be disposed on the housing 10.

[0016] The container installation unit 30 is disposed on the lower side inside the housing 10. A container C is installed in the container installation unit 30. The container installation unit 30 will be described in detail later.

[0017] The beverage supply unit 40 is disposed mainly on the upper side inside the housing 10. The beverage supply unit 40 supplies a beverage selected by a user to a container C installed in the container installation unit 30. A detailed description of the beverage supply unit 40 will be given later.

[0018] Next, the detailed configuration of the container installation section 30 will be described.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, which is a perspective view of the container installation unit 30 and the beverage supply unit 40 as viewed from the front and diagonally upper right side, the container installation unit 30 includes a container lifting chamber 31.

[0020] The container lifting chamber 31 is formed in a vertically long rectangular box shape with an open front. The interior of the container lifting chamber 31 forms a lifting space through which the container C lifts and lowers. A beverage through hole 312 is formed in the left-right center of a top plate 311 that forms the container lifting chamber 31. A beverage supplied from the beverage supply unit 40 passes through the beverage through hole 312 and is supplied to the container C in the container lifting chamber 31. A rack through hole 313 is formed in a left-hand portion of the top plate 311. The rack through hole 313 forms an opening through which a lifting rack unit 61 described later passes.

[0021] The container installation unit 30 further includes a container holding unit 32. The container holding unit 32 holds the container C in the container lifting chamber 31, and moves up and down within the container lifting chamber 31. The container holding unit 32 includes a placement unit 33 and an adjustment unit .

[0022] The placement section 33 is formed in a box shape with openings on the front and top. The placement section 33 is arranged so as to be able to rise and fall within the container lifting chamber 31. A container C is placed on a bottom plate section 331 of the placement section 33. A lifting rack section 61 is provided on a left side plate 332 of the placement section 33 so as to extend from a lower end of the left side plate 332 to a position above the left side plate 332. The lifting rack section 61 is provided so as to pass through the rack through hole 313 when the placement section 33 rises. The lifting rack section 61 constitutes a relative moving section 60 which will be described later.

[0023] The adjustment unit 34 adjusts the horizontal position of the container C by moving the container C in the horizontal direction in synchronization with the movement of the placement unit 33. The adjustment unit 34 includes a pair of contact members 341 and an interlocking control unit (not shown).

[0024] The pair of abutment members 341 are formed in a shape extending in the front-rear direction, and are disposed so as to sandwich the container C from the left and right. The interlocking control unit moves the pair of abutment members 341 in directions approaching each other in synchronization with the upward movement of the mounting unit 33. The interlocking control unit is configured so that if the pair of abutment members 341 come into contact with the container C during the upward movement of the mounting unit 33, the interlocking control unit will not move the pair of abutment members 341 in directions approaching each other even if the mounting unit 33 further rises. In addition, the interlocking control unit moves the pair of abutment members 341 in directions away from each other in synchronization with the downward movement of the mounting unit 33.

[0025] The beverage supply device 1 further includes a relative moving unit 60 that raises and lowers the container holding unit 32. The relative moving unit 60 includes the above-described lifting rack unit 61 and lifting motor 62. As shown in FIG. 3, which is a left side view of the container installation unit 30 and the beverage supply unit 40, a rack groove 611 is formed in almost the entire left main surface of the lifting rack unit 61. Note that FIG. 3 illustrates a part of the rack groove 611. The lifting motor 62 is configured by, for example, a servo motor. A drive gear 621 is disposed on the rotation shaft of the lifting motor 62. The lifting motor 62 is disposed so that a part of the drive gear 621 is located inside the container lifting chamber 31 through a gear through hole formed in the left side plate 314 that constitutes the container lifting chamber 31 and engages with the rack groove 611. The container holding unit 32 is raised and lowered by driving the lifting motor 62.

[0026] Next, a detailed configuration of the beverage supply unit 40 will be described. The beverage supply unit 40 supplies a beverage selected by a user to a container C installed in the container installation unit 30. The beverage supply unit 40 includes a beverage preparation unit 41 (see FIG. 8) that prepares a beverage. The beverage preparation unit 41 includes, for example, a mechanism for extracting coffee from coffee beans, a mechanism for preparing a powder beverage by diluting powder or granules with water or hot water, a mechanism for supplying milk, and the like.

[0027] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the main parts of the beverage supply unit 40 when viewed from the front and diagonally upper right side. As shown in Fig. 4, the beverage supply unit 40 further includes a plurality of nozzles 42 (six in this embodiment), a nozzle holding part 43, a guide part 44, and a nozzle moving part 45.

[0028] Each nozzle 42 is connected to the beverage preparation unit 41 via a pipe (not shown) and discharges the beverage prepared by the beverage preparation unit 41 into the container C. The six nozzles 42 are composed of two coffee nozzles 42A, one milk nozzle 42B, and three powdered beverage nozzles 42C. For example, one of the two coffee nozzles 42A discharges espresso extracted from coffee beans, and the other coffee nozzle 42A discharges drip-flavored coffee extracted from coffee beans (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "drip coffee"). The milk nozzle 42B discharges milk. The three powdered beverage nozzles 42C each discharge a different powdered beverage. Examples of powdered beverages include cocoa, black tea, matcha, and coffee. In addition, the nozzles 42 may discharge hot water or water, or carbonated water.

[0029] At least one of the coffee discharged from the two coffee nozzles 42A and the powdered beverages discharged from the three powdered beverage nozzles 42C is sold in combination with milk.

[0030] The nozzle holding portion 43 holds the nozzle 42. The nozzle holding portion 43 includes a main body portion 431, a holding portion 432, and a cover 433.

[0031] The main body 431 is formed in a rectangular box shape. Guide rails 431A extending forward and backward are formed on the left and right side surfaces of the main body 431. A forward and backward rack portion 431B extending forward and backward is formed on the left side portion of the upper surface of the main body 431. A switch operation protrusion 431C is formed on the right rear portion of the upper surface of the main body 431.

[0032] The holding portion 432 is disposed so as to protrude forward from the front surface of the main body portion 431 in the shape of a rectangular plate. The holding portion 432 holds the six nozzles 42 so that the upper ends of the nozzles 42 are located above the holding portion 432 and the lower ends are located below the holding portion 432. Specifically, the holding portion 432 holds the six nozzles 42 so that two coffee nozzles 42A are arranged side by side at the very front, one milk nozzle 42B is located behind the two coffee nozzles 42A, and three powdered beverage nozzles 42C are arranged side by side behind the one milk nozzle 42B. That is, the holding portion 432 holds the six nozzles 42 so that they are arranged in three rows from front to back. Locking holes 432A are formed on both the left and right ends of the upper surface of the holding portion 432.

[0033] The cover 433 is detachably fixed to the nozzle holding part 43 in a state of covering the lower surface of the holding part 432, that is, the part of the nozzle holding part 43 that holds the nozzles 42 from below. The cover 433 has a function of preventing liquid splashed from the container C when dispensing a beverage from adhering to the lower surface of the holding part 432. The cover 433 includes a box-shaped cover main body 433A with openings on the rear and top, and an attachment part 433B extending upward in a plate shape from both left and right side edges of the cover main body 433A. The cover main body 433A is formed with six insertion holes 433C through which the six nozzles 42 are respectively inserted. The attachment part 433B is configured to be elastically deformable. A locking claw 433D is formed at the tip of the attachment part 433B.

[0034] The cover 433 having the above configuration can be attached to the nozzle holding part 43 as shown in FIG. 2 by an employee or the like engaging the locking claws 433D with the periphery of the locking hole 432A. The cover 433 is attached to the nozzle holding part 43 so that the cover body 433A covers the lower surface of the holding part 432 and the tip of each nozzle 42 protrudes below the cover body 433A or is exposed below the cover 433 through each insertion hole 433C. In addition, an employee or the like can remove the cover 433 from the nozzle holding part 43 as shown in FIG. 4 by elastically deforming the mounting part 433B to release the engagement between the locking claws 433D and the locking hole 432A. By making the cover 433 detachable from the nozzle holding part 43 in this way, the cover 433 with liquid attached thereto can be easily washed, and the nozzle holding part 43 can be kept clean.

[0035] The nozzle moving section 45 moves the nozzle holding section 43 in the front-rear direction relative to the guide section 44. The nozzle moving section 45 includes the advancing / retreating rack section 431B and the advancing / retreating motor 451 described above.

[0036] The advance / retract motor 451 is configured by, for example, a servo motor. A drive gear 452 is disposed on the rotation shaft of the advance / retract motor 451. The advance / retract motor 451 is fixed to a rear side wall 474 on the left side of the frame 47, which will be described later, so that the drive gear 452 meshes with the advance / retract rack portion 431B. When the advance / retract motor 451 is driven, the nozzle holding portion 43 moves back and forth.

[0037] A nozzle movement amount detection unit 46 is attached to the advance / retract motor 451. The nozzle movement amount detection unit 46 detects the amount of movement of the nozzle holding unit 43 (hereinafter, may be referred to as the "nozzle holding unit movement amount"). The nozzle movement amount detection unit 46 is configured with an encoder that detects the rotation angle of the advance / retract motor 451 and outputs a pulse signal corresponding to the detected rotation angle to the control unit 73.

[0038] 5 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts of the beverage dispenser 40 when viewed from the rear and diagonally upper left side. As shown in FIG. 5, the guide unit 44 includes a frame 47, a fixing magnet 48, a pair of guide members 49, and a tray storage unit 50.

[0039] The frame 47 includes a front frame 47A and a rear frame 47B. The front frame 47A includes a front bottom wall 471 having a rectangular plate shape. A pair of front side walls 472 extending upward in a plate shape are provided on both left and right side edges of the front bottom wall 471. The rear frame 47B includes a rear bottom wall 473 having a rectangular plate shape. The width dimension (dimension in the left-right direction) of the rear frame 47B is the same as the width dimension of the front bottom wall 471. A pair of rear side walls 474 extending upward in a plate shape are provided on both left and right side edges of the rear bottom wall 473. A magnet support part 475 extending downward in a plate shape is provided on the right side part of the front end edge of the rear bottom wall 473. A horizontally long rectangular through hole (not shown) is formed in the magnet support part 475.

[0040] The front frame 47A and the rear frame 47B are arranged to sandwich a plate-shaped support member (not shown) and are supported by the support member. The support member has an upper opening, a lower right opening, and a lower left opening. The upper opening is formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape. The width dimension of the upper opening is approximately the same as the width dimension of the rear bottom wall 473. The height dimension of the upper opening is longer than the height dimension of the rear side wall 474. The lower right opening is formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape on the right side of the lower part of the upper opening. The lower right opening is formed in a shape slightly larger than the through hole of the magnet support part 475. The lower left opening is formed in a vertically long rectangular shape on the left side of the lower right opening. The lower right opening is formed in a shape that allows the discharge part 525 described later to be inserted. The rear frame 47B is attached to the rear main surface of the support member so that the rear bottom wall 473 is located at approximately the same height as the lower edge of the upper opening, the left and right rear side walls 474 are located outside the left and right side edges of the upper opening, respectively, and the through hole of the magnet support part 475 is located inside the right lower opening. The front frame 47A is attached to the front main surface of the support member so that the upper end of the front side wall 472 is located at approximately the same height as the upper end of the rear side wall 474.

[0041] The fixing magnet 48 is fixed to the magnet support portion 475. The fixing magnet 48 is fixed so that a portion of the fixing magnet 48 is exposed to the front side of the support member through the through hole of the magnet support portion 475 and the lower right opening.

[0042] One of the pair of guide members 49 is disposed from the left front side wall 472 to the rear side wall 474. The other guide member 49 is disposed from the right front side wall 472 to the rear side wall 474. That is, the pair of guide members 49 are disposed such that the front portion is located forward of the support member and the rear portion is located rearward of the support member. Guide grooves 491 extending in the front-rear direction are formed on the opposing surfaces of the pair of guide members 49. The guide rail 431A of the nozzle holding portion 43 is fitted into the guide groove 491, so that the guide portion 44 can guide the nozzle holding portion 43 in the front-rear direction.

[0043] The tray storage section 50 stores a tray 52 (see FIG. 6), which will be described later, below the nozzle holding section 43. The tray storage section 50 is composed of a front bottom wall 471 and lower portions of a pair of front side walls 472.

[0044] A nozzle origin switch 51 is disposed on the rear side wall 474 on the right side of the frame 47. The nozzle origin switch 51 detects that all of the six nozzles 42 are located behind a supply hole 521 (see FIG. 6) of the tray 52, which will be described later. In the following, when all of the six nozzles 42 are not located above the supply hole 521 (located above a receiving portion 523, which will be described later) (see FIG. 2), it may be said that "the nozzle holding portion 43 is located at the nozzle origin position." The nozzle origin switch 51 includes a leaf spring (not shown) and a contact 511 disposed at the tip of the leaf spring. The nozzle origin switch 51 is fixed so that the contact 511 can be located above a switch operation protrusion 431C of the nozzle holding portion 43.

[0045] When the nozzle holding part 43 is located at the nozzle origin position, the contact 511 of the nozzle origin switch 51 is pushed upward by the switch operation protrusion 431C, so that the operator is also pushed and a nozzle origin detection signal is output (nozzle origin switch 51 is on). On the other hand, when the nozzle holding part 43 is located forward of the nozzle origin position, the switch operation protrusion 431C is located forward of the contact 511 of the nozzle origin switch 51, and the contact 511 is not pushed upward by the switch operation protrusion 431C, so that the operator is not pushed either and the nozzle origin detection signal is not output (nozzle origin switch 51 is off).

[0046] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the beverage supply unit 40 when viewed from the front and diagonally upward to the left. As shown in FIG. 6, the beverage supply unit 40 further includes a tray 52. ​​The tray 52 is formed in a rectangular box shape with an open top. A rectangular supply hole 521 is formed in a portion of the tray 52 forward of the center in the front-rear direction. The supply hole 521 is an example of a supply path of the present disclosure. The supply hole 521, which will be described in detail later, is formed in a shape that exposes one row or two rows of nozzles 42 arranged in the front-rear direction below the tray 52, among the three rows of nozzles 42 arranged in the front-rear direction, while not exposing the remaining rows of nozzles 42 below the tray 52.

[0047] A cylindrical portion 522 protruding in a rectangular cylindrical shape from the outer edge of the supply hole 521 is formed on the upper surface of the bottom wall constituting the tray 52. ​​The cylindrical portion 522 is formed so that its upper end is located lower than the upper ends of the four side walls (front wall, rear wall, left and right side walls) constituting the tray 52. ​​The bottom wall, side walls and cylindrical portion 522 of the tray 52 constitute a receiving portion 523 for receiving droplets dripping from the nozzle 42 and a cleaning liquid used for the nozzle 42 by a cleaning unit 70 described later. In the following description, when the droplets and cleaning liquid received by the receiving portion 523 are not distinguished from each other, at least one of the droplets and cleaning liquid received by the receiving portion 523 may be referred to as waste liquid. A discharge inclined surface 524 is formed on the bottom surface of the receiving portion 523 at a portion rearward of the cylindrical portion 522, and descends toward the rear left side.

[0048] A discharge portion 525 protruding rearward is formed in a left portion of the rear wall of tray 52. ​​A discharge groove 526 is formed in discharge portion 525 for discharging the liquid received in receiver 523 from the tip surface of discharge portion 525. By forming discharge portion 525 at a position corresponding to the very bottom end of discharge inclined surface 524 in this manner, it is possible to easily guide waste liquid to discharge portion 525. As shown in FIG. 5, a magnet receiver 527 is disposed in a right portion of the rear wall of tray 52.

[0049] The tray 52 having the above-mentioned configuration is stored in the tray storage section 50 so that the supply hole 521 protrudes forward from the tray storage section 50, as shown in Fig. 2. In this stored state, the magnet receiver 527 of the tray 52 is attracted to the fixing magnet 48, so that the tray 52 is fixed to the guide section 44. Meanwhile, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the tray 52 is pulled forward relative to the guide section 44, so that the attraction of the magnet receiver 527 by the fixing magnet 48 is released, and the tray 52 is removed from the guide section 44. By making the tray 52 detachable from the guide section 44 in this way, the tray 52 to which waste liquid has adhered can be easily washed, and the tray 52 can be kept clean.

[0050] 3, when the tray 52 is fixed to the guide section 44 by the attraction of the fixing magnets 48, the discharge section 525 is inserted into the lower right opening of the support member and projects rearward from the support member. By connecting a waste liquid recovery section (not shown) to the discharge section 525 projecting rearward in this manner through a discharge pipe (not shown), the waste liquid received by the receiver 523 can be recovered by the waste liquid recovery section. This makes it possible to prevent the waste liquid from accumulating in the discharge section 525.

[0051] 2, the guide unit 44 provided with the nozzle holding unit 43, the nozzle moving unit 45, and the tray 52 is fixed on the top plate 311 of the container lifting chamber 31 in a state in which the supply hole 521 of the tray 52 is located inside the beverage through hole 312 in a plan view. The nozzle moving unit 45 moves the nozzle holding unit 43 relative to the tray 52 so that, based on the type of beverage to be supplied to the container C, one row or two rows of nozzles 42 arranged in a front-to-rear direction are positioned above the supply hole 521, while the remaining rows of nozzles 42 are not positioned above the supply hole 521. In other words, the nozzle moving unit 45 moves the nozzle holding unit 43 to a supply position where some of the nozzles 42 are positioned above the supply hole 521 of the tray 52, while the remaining of the nozzles 42 are positioned above the receiving portion 523 of the tray 52. That is, the nozzle moving section 45 moves the nozzle holding section 43 to a supply position where, of the N nozzles 42 (N is an integer of 2 or more), at least 1 but less than N nozzles 42 are positioned above the supply holes 521 of the tray 52, while the remaining nozzles 42 are positioned above the receiving sections 523 of the tray 52. ​​In this embodiment, the nozzle moving section 45 moves the nozzle holding section 43 to five mutually different supply positions. The positional relationship between the nozzles 42, the supply holes 521, and the beverage through-holes 312 when the nozzle holding section 43 is positioned at the mutually different supply positions will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 7 which is a bottom view showing the positional relationship.

[0052] When the beverage to be supplied is coffee that is not mixed with milk (e.g., espresso or drip coffee (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "coffee without milk")), as shown in the upper left diagram of Figure 7, the nozzle moving portion 45 moves the nozzle holding portion 43 to a supply position where only the coffee nozzle 42A is exposed below the top plate 311 (via the supply hole 521 and the beverage through hole 312).

[0053] Furthermore, when the beverage to be dispensed is coffee mixed with milk (for example, caffe latte or cafe au lait (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "coffee with milk")), the nozzle moving section 45 moves the nozzle holding section 43 to a supply position where only the coffee nozzle 42A and the milk nozzle 42B are exposed below the top plate 311, as shown in the diagram in the top center of Figure 7.

[0054] In addition, when the beverage to be dispensed is milk, the nozzle moving section 45 moves the nozzle holding section 43 to a dispensing position where only the milk nozzle 42B is exposed below the top plate 311, as shown in the upper right diagram of Figure 7.

[0055] In addition, when the beverage to be dispensed is a powdered beverage mixed with milk (for example, milk cocoa, milk tea, matcha latte, matcha au lait, caffe latte or cafe au lait (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "powdered beverage with milk")), the nozzle moving unit 45 moves the nozzle holding unit 43 to a supply position where only the milk nozzle 42B and the powdered beverage nozzle 42C are exposed below the top plate 311, as shown in the diagram on the lower left of Figure 7.

[0056] In addition, when the beverage to be dispensed is a powdered beverage that is not mixed with milk (for example, cocoa, straight tea, matcha, coffee (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "powdered beverage without milk")), the nozzle moving unit 45 moves the nozzle holding unit 43 to a supply position where only the nozzle 42C for the powdered beverage is exposed below the top plate 311, as shown in the diagram on the lower right side of Figure 7.

[0057] Furthermore, when the beverage to be dispensed is a product called cafe mocha, the nozzle holding part 43 can be moved as shown in the upper left diagram of Fig. 7 to dispense a milk-free coffee beverage (first beverage) extracted from coffee beans from the coffee nozzle 42A (first nozzle) into the container C, and then the nozzle holding part 43 can be moved as shown in the lower right diagram of Fig. 7 to dispense a cocoa powder beverage (second beverage) from the powder beverage nozzle 42C (second nozzle) into the container C. In other words, the nozzle holding part 43 can be moved multiple times to dispense one product.

[0058] In other words, the movement amount of the nozzle holding portion 43 based on the nozzle origin position (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "beverage-corresponding movement amount") is set to gradually increase in the order of coffee without milk, coffee with milk, milk, powdered drink with milk, and powdered drink without milk.

[0059] With the above-mentioned configuration, when a beverage is supplied to the container C from at least one nozzle 42 among the 1 or more and less than N nozzles 42 positioned above the supply hole 521, even if liquid drips from the remaining nozzles 42 positioned above the receiving portion 523, the dripped liquid can be prevented from entering the container C. For example, as shown in the upper left diagram of FIG. 7, when coffee without milk is supplied, even if milk drips from the milk nozzle 42B or powdered beverage drips from the powdered beverage nozzle 42C, the dripped milk and powdered beverage are received by the receiving portion 523, and therefore can be prevented from entering the container C. Therefore, even if the number of types of beverages that can be supplied is increased, contamination of the beverage can be prevented.

[0060] In addition, because the tray 52 is fixed and the nozzle holding part 43 is movable, the beverage can be supplied to a position vertically below the supply hole 521 in the container C regardless of the arrangement position of the nozzle 42 in the nozzle holding part 43. In other words, even if the diameter (caliber) of the opening of the container C is small, the nozzle 42 that dispenses the beverage can be positioned near the center of the opening of the container C by moving the nozzle holding part 43, so that the beverage can be supplied to the container C without spilling.

[0061] In addition, since the coffee nozzle 42A, the milk nozzle 42B and the powdered beverage nozzle 42C are arranged in the appropriate order along the movement direction (front-back direction) of the nozzle holding portion 43, coffee or powdered beverage with milk, coffee or powdered beverage without milk, or milk can be provided with a simple configuration of just moving the nozzle holding portion 43 back and forth.

[0062] 8 is a block diagram of the beverage dispenser 1. As shown in FIG. 8, the beverage dispenser 1 further includes a cleaning unit 70, a detection unit 71, a storage unit 72, and a control unit 73.

[0063] The cleaning unit 70 cleans the nozzle 42 by causing a cleaning liquid to flow through the nozzle 42 .

[0064] The detection unit 71 includes a container origin switch 711, a container detection unit 712, an uppermost position detection unit 713, the nozzle movement amount detection unit 46 and the nozzle origin switch 51 described above.

[0065] The container origin switch 711 detects that the container holding part 32 is located at the bottom of the movement range of the container holding part 32. In the following, the bottom position of the movement range of the container holding part 32 may be referred to as the "container origin position."

[0066] The container detection unit 712 detects the presence of the container C in the container holder 32 located at the container origin position.

[0067] The uppermost position detection unit 713 detects that the container C placed on the container holding unit 32 is at a preset uppermost position. The uppermost position is a position where the container C is located when the distance from the upper end of the container C to the lower end of the nozzle 42 becomes a set distance.

[0068] It should be noted that the container origin switch 711, the container detector 712, and the uppermost position detector 713 may be configured in a known manner having the above-mentioned functions.

[0069] The storage unit 72 is configured to be able to transmit and receive various data to and from the control unit 73. The storage unit 72 stores various data for controlling the beverage supply device 1. The storage unit 72 also stores supply control information that associates a plurality of different (five in this embodiment) beverage-corresponding movement amounts with the types of beverages that respectively correspond to the plurality of beverage-corresponding movement amounts.

[0070] The control unit 73 is configured to be able to transmit and receive various signals between the operation display unit 20, the beverage preparation unit 41, the advance / retract motor 451, the lift motor 62, the cleaning unit 70, and the detection unit 71. The control unit 73 controls the entire beverage supply device 1. The control performed by the control unit 73 will be described later.

[0071] <Operation of beverage supply device> Next, the operation of the beverage supplying device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12 which are flowcharts of the beverage supplying process.

[0072] First, in a state where the container holding unit 32 is waiting at the container origin position, as shown in Fig. 9, the control unit 73 determines whether or not a container C is present in the container holding unit 32 located at the container origin position, that is, whether or not a container C has been placed on the container holding unit 32, based on the detection result of the container detection unit 712 (step S1). If the control unit 73 determines that a container C is not present (step S1: NO), it performs the process of step S1 again. On the other hand, if the control unit 73 determines that a container C has been placed on the container holding unit 32 (step S1: YES), it determines whether or not a beverage has been selected based on the output state of the beverage specification signal from the operation display unit 20 (step S2). If the control unit 73 determines that a beverage has not been selected (step S2: NO), it performs the process of step S2 again.

[0073] On the other hand, when the control unit 73 determines that a beverage has been selected (step S2: YES), it determines whether or not the container C is at the top position based on the detection result of the top position detection unit 713 (step S3). In this step S3, it is determined that the container C is not at the top position when the container C is a relatively low-height cup or the like, and it is determined that the container C is at the top position when the container C is a relatively high-height tumbler or water bottle or the like. When it is determined that the container C is not at the top position (step S3: NO), the control unit 73 controls the lift motor 62 to start lifting the container holding unit 32 (step S4). When the container holding unit 32 starts to lift, the container origin switch 711 is switched from on to off. Also, when the container holding unit 32 starts to lift, the pair of abutting members 341 move in a direction approaching each other, and when they come into contact with the container C, they stop in a state of gripping the container C.

[0074] The control unit 73 determines whether or not the container C is in the top position based on the detection result of the top position detection unit 713 (step S5). When the control unit 73 determines that the container C is not in the top position (step S5: NO), it executes the process of step S5 again. On the other hand, when the control unit 73 determines that the upper end of the container C is in the top position (step S5: YES), it controls the lift motor 62 so that the lift of the container holding unit 32 ends (step S6). By the process of step S6, the container holding unit 32 stops at a position where the distance from the upper end of the container C to the lower end of the nozzle 42 becomes the set distance.

[0075] After performing the process of step S6, the control unit 73 performs a beverage supply process (step S7) by controlling the beverage supply unit 40 to supply the beverage selected by the user to the container C as shown in Fig. 10. The details of the beverage supply process will be described later. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 9, when the control unit 73 determines that the container C is in the uppermost position after the process of step S2 (step S3: YES), it performs the beverage supply process of step S7 shown in Fig. 10.

[0076] When the beverage supply process of step S7 is completed, the control unit 73 determines whether or not the container C that was in the top position is still present, that is, whether or not the container C has been removed from the beverage supply device 1, based on the detection result of the top position detection unit 713 (step S8). When the control unit 73 determines that the container C has not been removed (step S8: NO), it performs the process of step S8 again.

[0077] On the other hand, when the control unit 73 determines that the container C has been removed (step S8: YES), it controls the lift motor 62 to start lowering the container holding unit 32 (step S9). The control unit 73 determines whether the container holding unit 32 has reached the container origin position based on the on / off state of the container origin switch 711 (step S10). When the control unit 73 determines that the container holding unit 32 has not reached the container origin position (step S10: NO), it performs the process of step S10 again. On the other hand, when the control unit 73 determines that the container holding unit 32 has reached the container origin position (step S10: YES), it controls the lift motor 62 to end the lowering of the container holding unit 32 (step S11). This ends the beverage serving process.

[0078] Next, the details of the beverage supply process in step S7 will be described. As shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 73 determines the amount of beverage to be supplied (step S21). For example, the control unit 73 may determine the amount of beverage to be supplied based on the amount of movement of the container holding unit 32 from the container origin position to a position where the distance from the upper end of the container C to the lower end of the nozzle 42 is a set distance (hereinafter, may be referred to as the "container holding unit movement amount"). In this case, the control unit 73 increases the amount of supply as the container holding unit movement amount is shorter, that is, as the container C is higher and has a larger capacity. Examples of methods for detecting the amount of container holding unit movement include a method of detecting based on the rotation angle of the lift motor 62, and a method of detecting based on the rising speed of the container holding unit 32 and the time from the start of the rise to the end of the rise.

[0079] Next, the control unit 73 determines the beverage-corresponding movement amount (step S22). Specifically, the control unit 73 searches the storage unit 72 for supply control information related to the type of beverage selected by the user, and performs a process of acquiring the beverage-corresponding movement amount included in the searched supply control information as a process of determining the beverage-corresponding movement amount. Thereafter, the control unit 73 controls the advance / retract motor 451 to start advancing the nozzle holding unit 43 (step S23). When the nozzle holding unit 43 starts advancing, the nozzle movement amount detection unit 46 also starts a process of detecting the rotation angle of the advance / retract motor 451 as the nozzle holding unit movement amount, that is, a process of outputting a pulse signal corresponding to the rotation angle. When the nozzle holding unit 43 starts advancing, the nozzle origin switch 51 is switched from on to off.

[0080] The control unit 73 judges whether the nozzle holding unit movement amount based on the pulse signal from the nozzle movement amount detection unit 46 has reached the beverage-compatible movement amount (step S24). When the control unit 73 judges that the nozzle holding unit movement amount has not reached the beverage-compatible movement amount (step S24: NO), it executes the process of step S24 again. On the other hand, when the control unit 73 judges that the nozzle holding unit movement amount has reached the beverage-compatible movement amount (step S24: YES), it controls the forward / backward motor 451 so that the forward movement of the nozzle holding unit 43 ends (step S25). When the process of step S25 ends, the exposure state of the nozzle 42 through the supply hole 521 and the beverage through hole 312 becomes a state shown in any one of the five diagrams shown in FIG. 7, that is, a state in which coffee without milk, coffee with milk, milk, a powdered drink with milk, or a powdered drink without milk can be supplied.

[0081] 12, the control unit 73 controls the beverage preparation unit 41 to supply the beverage selected by the user in the amount determined in step S21 to the container C (step S26). When supplying coffee without milk or coffee with milk, the beverage preparation unit 41 ejects coffee from only one of the two coffee nozzles 42A that corresponds to the type of coffee selected by the user. When supplying a powdered beverage with milk or a powdered beverage without milk, the beverage preparation unit 41 ejects the powdered beverage from only one of the three powdered beverage nozzles 42C that corresponds to the type of powdered beverage selected by the user.

[0082] When the beverage supply process is completed, the control unit 73 controls the advance / retract motor 451 to start retracting the nozzle holding unit 43 (step S27). When the nozzle holding unit 43 starts retracting, the nozzle movement amount detection unit 46 starts a process of detecting the rotation angle of the advance / retract motor 451 as the nozzle holding unit movement amount. However, the nozzle holding unit movement amount detected at this time is not used for control in the control unit 73. The control unit 73 determines whether the nozzle holding unit 43 has reached the nozzle origin position based on the on / off state of the nozzle origin switch 51 (step S28).

[0083] When the control unit 73 determines that the nozzle origin switch 51 is off and the nozzle holding unit 43 has not reached the nozzle origin position (step S28: NO), it executes the process of step S28 again. On the other hand, when the control unit 73 determines that the nozzle origin switch 51 is switched from off to on and the nozzle holding unit 43 has reached the nozzle origin position (step S28: YES), it controls the forward / backward motor 451 to end the movement of the nozzle holding unit 43 (step S29).

[0084] Thereafter, the control unit 73 controls the cleaning unit 70 to clean the nozzles 42 (step S30). At this time, the cleaning unit 70 may cause the cleaning liquid to flow only through the nozzles 42 that have just supplied the beverage, or may cause the cleaning liquid to flow only through all the nozzles 42. In this way, by configuring the nozzles 42 to be cleaned while the nozzle holding unit 43 is positioned at the nozzle origin position, that is, while all the nozzles 42 are positioned above the receiving portion 523, all the nozzles 42 can be cleaned simultaneously. With the above, the beverage serving process is completed.

[0085] The control unit 73 may perform a cleaning process for the nozzle 42 similar to step S30 if the next beverage serving is not started even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the beverage serving process ended, or if a set time has arrived.

[0086] [Variations] Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the supply hole 521 of the tray 52 is illustrated as an example of the supply path of the present disclosure, but the following supply path may be applied. For example, instead of the tray 52, a tray having a size such that the front end does not protrude forward from the tray storage section 50, does not have a supply hole, and has a receiving portion may be stored in the tray storage section 50, and the supply path may be formed by the space in front of the tray. Also, a plurality of trays having no supply hole and receiving portions may be arranged horizontally, and the supply path may be formed by the space between the plurality of trays.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the nozzle holding part 43 is moved by driving the nozzle moving part 45, but the nozzle holding part 43 may be moved manually by an employee or the like. Such a configuration in which an employee or the like moves the nozzle holding part 43 can be used in cases where an employee or the like is always near the beverage supply device 1, such as when a street sale is performed using the beverage supply device 1. Furthermore, the nozzle holding part 43 may be moved in two axial directions (for example, forward / backward and left / right directions).

[0089] Before the supply of beverage from the nozzle 42 to the container C begins, or after the supply is completed, when the nozzle holding portion 43 is in the nozzle origin position, ice, topping powder, topping syrup, sugar, thickening powder (powder that increases the viscosity of the beverage), etc. may be added to the container C to which the beverage has been supplied from an addition portion fixed above the beverage through hole 312.

[0090] It is also possible not to provide the discharge section 525 on the tray 52, and have an employee or the like remove the tray 52 and discard the waste liquid when a certain amount of waste liquid accumulates in the receiving section 523.

[0091] Although the beverage dispenser 1 is configured so that the nozzle holding part 43 can be positioned at the nozzle origin position, it may be configured so that it cannot be positioned at the nozzle origin position. For example, after the supply of the beverage is completed, the nozzle holding part 43 may not need to be moved until the supply of the next beverage is started.

[0092] Although the configuration in which N nozzles 42 are arranged in three rows from front to back has been exemplified, it may be arranged in one row, two rows, or four or more rows. Furthermore, four or more nozzles 42 may be arranged from left to right. Furthermore, although the configuration in which the milk nozzle 42B is arranged between the coffee nozzle 42A and the powdered beverage nozzle 42C has been exemplified, for example, the milk nozzle 42B, the coffee nozzle 42A, and the powdered beverage nozzle 42C may be arranged in this order from the front. Furthermore, it may be arranged such that only one or two types of nozzles are arranged among the coffee nozzle 42A, the milk nozzle 42B, and the powdered beverage nozzle 42C, or a nozzle for supplying beverages extracted from tea leaves such as black tea, green tea, or oolong tea may be further provided.

[0093] Screws may be used as a configuration for detachably fixing the tray 52 to the guide portion 44. Also, the tray 52 and the guide portion 44 may be formed integrally.

[0094] Although an encoder that outputs a pulse signal corresponding to the rotation angle of the advance / retract motor 451 has been exemplified as the nozzle movement amount detection unit 46, for example, a configuration may be applied that detects the nozzle holding unit movement amount based on the advance speed of the nozzle holding unit 43 and the time from the start of advancement to the end of advancement. Also, a stepping motor may be applied as the advance / retract motor 451, and a configuration may be applied as the nozzle movement amount detection unit 46 that detects the nozzle holding unit movement amount based on the number of drive pulses of the stepping motor.

[0095] The beverage dispenser 1 does not necessarily have to be provided with the cleaning unit 70. The nozzle holder 43 does not necessarily have to be provided with the cover 433. [Industrial Applicability]

[0096] The present disclosure can be applied to a beverage supplying device and a beverage supplying method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1 Beverage dispensing equipment 10. Chassis 10A Container insertion / removal opening 11 Access door 20 Operation display section 30 Container installation part 31 Container lifting room 32 Container holding part 33 Placement section 34 Adjustment part 40 Beverage supply section 41 Beverage production department 42 Nozzle 42A Coffee Nozzle 42B Milk nozzle 42C Powdered drink nozzle 43 Nozzle holder 44 Guide part 45 Nozzle moving part 46 Nozzle movement amount detection unit 47 Frames 47A Front Frame 47B Rear frame 48 Fixed magnet 49 Guide member 50 Tray storage area 51 Nozzle origin switch 52 Tray 60 Relative moving part 61 Lifting rack section 62 Lifting motor 70 Cleaning section 71 Detection unit 72 Memory section 73 Control Unit 311 Tabletop 312 Beverage through hole 313 Rack through hole 314 Left side plate 331 Bottom plate part 332 Left side plate 341 Contact member 431 Main body 431A Guide Rail 431B Rack for moving forward and backward 431C Switch operation protrusion 432 Holding part 432A Locking hole 433 Cover 433A Cover body 433B Mounting part 433C Insertion hole 433D Locking claw 451 Advance / retract motor 452 Drive Gear 471 Front bottom wall 472 Front side wall 473 Rear bottom wall 474 Rear sidewall 475 Magnet support part 491 Guide groove 511 Contact 521 Supply hole 522 Cylinder part 523 Receiving part 524 Discharge slope 525 Discharge section 526 Discharge groove 527 Magnet holder 611 Rack groove 621 Drive Gear 711 Container origin switch 712 Container detection unit 713 Top position detector C container

Claims

1. A container holding portion that holds a container; a nozzle holder for holding a plurality of nozzles for supplying beverages to the container; a supply passage for supplying the beverage discharged from the nozzle to the container; a tray having a receiving portion for receiving droplets dripping from the nozzle; a guide portion that guides the nozzle holding portion to position some or all of the plurality of nozzles above the supply path, a nozzle moving unit that moves the nozzle holding unit relative to the guide unit, The plurality of nozzles include at least one coffee nozzle for dispensing coffee; at least one milk nozzle for supplying milk; A powder drink made by diluting powder or granules with water or hot water, and at least one nozzle for supplying the powder drink to be mixed with the milk; the nozzle holding portion holds the plurality of nozzles so that the coffee nozzle, the milk nozzle, and the powdered beverage nozzle are arranged in this order along a moving direction of the nozzle holding portion; The nozzle moving unit includes: Only the coffee nozzle, Only the coffee nozzle and the milk nozzle, The milk nozzle only, or only the milk nozzle and the powdered beverage nozzle; The nozzle holder is moved so that only the powder beverage nozzle is positioned above the supply path. Beverage dispensing equipment.

2. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the supply passage is a supply hole formed in the tray for supplying the beverage dispensed from the nozzle to the container.

3. The receiving portion is formed with a discharge portion for discharging the liquid received in the receiving portion.

3. A beverage supply device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The nozzle moving unit includes: moving the nozzle holding portion to an origin position where all of the plurality of nozzles are positioned above the receiving portion; A beverage dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. a cleaning unit that cleans the nozzle when the nozzle holding unit is located at the origin position, 5. The beverage dispenser of claim 4.

6. The tray is removably fixed to the guide portion. A beverage dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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