Beverage dispensing device and opening / closing mechanism

Abstract

To reduce frictional force caused by movement of an opening / closing member by reducing force applied to the opening / closing member when closing a passage in a beverage spouting device.SOLUTION: A beverage spouting device 100 for spouting beverage from a beverage container 11 comprises a spout tube 21 where the beverage flows, a lever body 42 that is movable between a spout stop position P0 and a spout position P1, an opening / closing member 71 that moves so as to open / close a passage inside the spout tube 21 in conjunction with moving of the lever body 42, and a guide part 63 for guiding moving of the opening / closing member 71. The guide part 63 is provided so as to receive force acting in a direction of opening the passage for the opening / closing member 71, when the lever body 42 is at the spout stop position P0.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a beverage dispensing device for dispensing beverages including beer and the opening / closing mechanism thereof.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a beverage foam dispensing device having an operation lever for operating a drive member and an opening / closing member that is driven by the drive member to open and close the inside of a tube. When the operation lever is operated in the front-rear direction, this drive member moves back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the tube. Further, the beverage foam dispensing device has a compression coil spring that generates a force in a direction to press the opening / closing member against the tube. When the operation lever is in the dispensing stop position, the protrusion of the drive member and the groove of the opening / closing member are fitted together by the force of the compression coil spring and elastically deformed to block the tube. Thereby, the flow of the beverage is blocked and the dispensing of the beverage stops.

[0003] When the operation lever is operated from the dispensing stop position to the dispensing position, the drive member moves backward. In that case, the inclined portion of the protrusion of the drive member pushes the wall surface of the groove of the opening / closing member backward. Thereby, the opening / closing member retreats upward away from the tube against the compression coil spring. Thereby, the inside of the tube is opened and the flow of the beverage is allowed. On the other hand, when the operation lever is operated from the dispensing stop position to the foam dispensing position, the drive member moves forward. In that case, the inclined portion of the protrusion of the drive member pushes the wall surface of the groove of the opening / closing member forward. Thereby, the opening / closing member retreats upward away from the tube against the compression coil spring. Also in this case, the inside of the tube is opened and the flow of the foam is allowed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0005] In Patent Document 1, when the operating lever is in the dispensing stop position, the opening / closing member is pressed against the tube by a compression coil spring. That is, the tube is closed by the biasing force of the compression coil spring. Therefore, while biased by the compression coil spring, the groove of the opening / closing member slides against the inclined portion of the projection of the drive member. As a result, the groove of the opening / closing member is strongly pressed against the inclined portion of the projection of the drive member by the compression coil spring. This increases the force applied to the opening / closing member when the flow path is closed, which increases the frictional force acting between the two when the opening / closing member moves, requiring a large force to operate the operating lever. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A beverage dispensing device according to one aspect of the present invention is a beverage dispensing device for dispensing a beverage from a beverage container, comprising: a dispensing pipe through which the beverage flows; a lever body movable between a dispensing stop position and a dispensing position; an opening / closing member that moves in conjunction with the movement of the lever body to open and close a flow path in the dispensing pipe; and a guide portion that guides the movement of the opening / closing member, wherein the guide portion is provided to receive a force acting on the opening / closing member in the direction of opening the flow path when the lever body is in the dispensing stop position.

[0007] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a beverage dispensing device further comprising a housing for housing the opening and closing member, wherein the guide portion is a guide groove formed in the housing for receiving the guide pin of the opening and closing member.

[0008] In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide groove has an extended portion and a curved portion continuous with the extended portion, and the guide pin is located in the extended portion when the lever body is in the dispensing stop position.

[0009] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a beverage dispensing device further comprising a biasing member that biases the lever body and an elastic member that biases the biasing member toward the lever body, wherein a part of the lever body abuts against a protruding portion of the biasing member that is biased by the elastic member when the lever body is in the dispensing position, thereby restricting the movement of the lever body.

[0010] In a beverage dispensing device according to another aspect of the present invention, the guide pin contacts a part of the guide groove when the lever body is in the dispensing position.

[0011] In another embodiment of the present invention, the lever body is movable from the dispensing stop position to the foam dispensing position, and the device further includes a biasing member that biases the lever body in the direction of moving it towards the dispensing stop position when the lever body is in the foam dispensing position.

[0012] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a beverage dispensing device that further includes a stopper portion for restricting the movement of the lever body when the lever body is in the foam dispensing position.

[0013] In another embodiment of the present invention, when the lever body is in the dispensing stop position, the biasing member applies a biasing force in a direction that causes the lever body to rotate toward the dispensing position, and the lever body biases the biasing member such that the rotation of the lever body is restricted.

[0014] Furthermore, an opening and closing mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention is an opening and closing mechanism for a beverage dispensing device that dispenses a beverage from a beverage container, which opens and closes a dispensing pipe through which the beverage flows, comprising: a lever body that is movable between a dispensing stop position and a dispensing position; an opening and closing member that moves in conjunction with the movement of the lever body to open and close a flow path in the dispensing pipe; and a guide portion that guides the movement of the opening and closing member, wherein the guide portion is provided to receive a force acting on the opening and closing member in the direction of opening the flow path when the lever body is in the dispensing stop position.

[0015] This can reduce the force applied to the opening and closing member when the flow path is closed, and reduce the frictional force associated with the movement of the opening and closing member.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] Schematic perspective view of the beverage dispensing device. [Figure 2] Schematic perspective view of the lever body. [Figure 3] Schematic perspective view of the slider. [Figure 4] Schematic perspective view of the base. [Figure 5] Schematic perspective view of the biasing member. [Figure 6] Schematic perspective view for explaining the sliding direction. [Figure 7] Schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross-section passing through the central portion in the width direction of the case when dispensing is stopped. [Figure 8] Schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross-section passing through the central portion in the width direction of the case when dispensing. [Figure 9] Schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross-section passing through the central portion in the width direction of the case when foaming is dispensed.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the following embodiments can be arbitrarily set and can be changed according to the configuration of the device to which the present invention is applied or various conditions. Also, unless otherwise specified, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments specifically described below. In this specification, up and down respectively correspond to the upward and downward directions in the gravitational direction. For example, the direction in which the beverage is discharged from the beverage dispensing device corresponds to the downward direction.

[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a beverage server 100, which is a beverage dispensing device, will be described. FIG. 1 shows the dispensing mechanism 20 of the beverage server 100 as viewed from above. In FIG. 1, the beverage container 11 and the supply device 12 provided in the beverage server 100 are schematically shown.

[0019] The beverage server 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a beverage container 11 filled with a foaming beverage such as beer as an example of the beverage, and dispenses the beverage from the beverage container 11. Further, the beverage server 100 may include a holding container (not shown) that houses and holds the beverage container 11. Furthermore, the beverage server 100 includes a supply device 12 such as a gas cylinder that supplies a gas (for example, carbon dioxide gas) for beverage dispensing into the beverage container 11. The beverage container 11 and the dispensing mechanism 20 for dispensing the beverage are connected by a flexible tube 21, which is an example of a dispensing pipe through which the beverage flows. Then, the beverage sent out from the beverage container 11 by the gas pressure is guided through the tube 21 to the nozzle 31 of the dispensing mechanism 20. Also, a cooling unit for cooling the beverage in the beverage container 11 can be installed inside the holding container. Alternatively, the beverage server 100 may be connected to an external beverage container and supply device. For example, when the beverage server 100 includes a dispensing mechanism 20 and a cooling unit, the beverage server 100 is connected to an external beverage container by a flexible tube (not shown).

[0020] The beverage container 11 is, for example, a metal bottle, a glass bottle, or a resin bottle. Also, the capacity of the beverage container 11 is, as an example, from 500 mL to 20,000 mL. The beverage container 11 is provided with a beverage extraction pipe (not shown), and one end of the tube 21 is connected to the extraction pipe. The dispensing mechanism 20 has a nut joint 23 (FIG. 7) and a nut 24 that connects the nut joint 23 and a connection joint (not shown). Then, the dispensing mechanism 20 is connected to the beverage container 11 via the connection joint. The tube 21 connected to the beverage extraction pipe is bent downward through the dispensing mechanism 20 and extends into the nozzle 31. Note that a connecting member connected to the connection joint may be further provided.

[0021] The dispensing mechanism 20 is equipped with an operating lever 41 that the user rotates to operate it. The dispensing position P1 (Figure 8) is the position where the operating lever 41 is rotated away from the nut 24 relative to the dispensing stop position P0 (Figure 7). The foam dispensing position P2 (Figure 9) is the position where the operating lever 41 is rotated closer to the nut 24 relative to the dispensing stop position P0. The dispensing mechanism 20 also includes a case 51, which is provided with a nozzle 31 from which the beverage flows out below the operating lever 41. A roughly cylindrical space is formed inside the nozzle 31 into which the tube 21 is inserted. This nozzle 31 engages with the lower part of a base 61 (Figure 4) housed inside the case 51.

[0022] The opening and closing mechanism 26 (Figure 7) will be described below with reference to Figures 2 to 6. Note that in Figure 4, one wall portion 65 of the base 61 is not shown in order to show the internal shape of the base 61.

[0023] In the opening / closing mechanism 26, the slider 71 (Figure 3) moves in conjunction with the movement of the lever body 42 (Figure 2) of the operating lever 41 to open and close the flow path within the tube 21. This opens and closes the flow path within the tube 21 located in the base 61. Specifically, when the lever body 42 is in the dispensing stop position P0, the slider 71 crushes the tube 21 and closes the flow path. When the lever body 42 is in the dispensing position P1, the slider 71 moves away from the tube 21 to open the flow path. Furthermore, when the lever body 42 is in the foam dispensing position P2, the slider 71 moves away from the tube 21 to open a portion of the flow path.

[0024] As shown in Figure 4, the base 61 has a curved groove 62 with a roughly U-shaped cross-section for holding the tube 21. The tube 21 is held in the dispensing mechanism 20 by the connection between the base 61 and the nut joint 23, so that it passes through the nut joint 23, the base 61, and the nozzle 31. The base 61, which functions as a housing, houses the lower part of the lever body 42, the slider 71 which is fitted into the sliding groove 43 of the lever body 42 and functions as an opening and closing member, and the biasing member 81 which biases the lever body 42 when it is in the foam dispensing position P2.

[0025] The curved groove 62 of the base 61 has a shape complementary to the outer shape of the tube 21 and is inclined downward toward the nozzle 31. The base 61 also has guide grooves 63 which function as guides for the movement of the slider 71. These guide grooves 63 are formed in a pair of opposing wall portions 65 of the base 61 to receive the guide pins 72, which are substantially cylindrical members of the slider 71. Each guide groove 63 has an extended portion 63A that extends along the tube 21 and a curved portion 63B that is continuous with the extended portion 63A. The curved portion 63B curves upward from the extended portion 63A.

[0026] Furthermore, the base 61 has a first receiving portion 64 formed therein, which receives one end of a compression coil spring 91 that functions as an elastic member. This first receiving portion 64 has a substantially circular shape so as to receive one end of the compression coil spring 91 that biases the biasing member 81 toward the lever body 42. The other end of the compression coil spring 91 is received by a substantially circular second receiving portion 82 (Figure 6) formed on the biasing member 81. Note that the elastic member is not limited to a compression coil spring 91, but may be other materials such as elastic rubber.

[0027] As shown in Figure 5, the biasing member 81 that biases the lever body 42 has a substantially L-shaped outer form and is biased toward the lever body 42 by a compression coil spring 91 and rotates around a biasing pivot axis 83. This biasing pivot axis 83 is a substantially cylindrical member of the biasing member 81. The biasing member 81 also has a lower contact portion 84 that protrudes on the opposite side from the second receiving portion 82 and abuts against the tube 21 from below. The lower contact portion 84 extends in a direction transverse to the tube 21, and a through hole 85 is formed inside the lower contact portion 84. The tube 21 is inserted into the nozzle 31 through the through hole 85. The tip of the lower contact portion 84 is rounded so as not to damage the tube 21.

[0028] Furthermore, the biasing member 81 has a projection 86 that contacts a substantially cylindrical lever pin 47, which is part of the lever body 42, when the lever body 42 is in the dispensing position P1. The projection 86 also protrudes toward the lever body 42. Substantially cylindrical biasing pins 87 protrude from both sides of the projection 86. These biasing pins 87 contact the biasing portion 44 (Figure 2) of the lever body 42 when the lever body 42 rotates toward the foam dispensing position P2.

[0029] Returning to Figure 2, sliding grooves 43 for receiving the slider 71 are formed on both sides of the lower part of the lever body 42. The inner width of these sliding grooves 43 is slightly larger than the outer width of the pair of sliding portions 74 of the slider 71. Therefore, the slider 71 can slide along the sliding grooves 43 in the sliding direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 6. A substantially cylindrical lever pivot shaft 45 protrudes from the inside of these sliding grooves 43. The lever pivot shaft 45 engages with the engagement groove 73 of the slider 71. Furthermore, a substantially rectangular opening 46 is formed in the lever body 42 at a position facing the protruding portion 86 of the biasing member 81. The protruding portion 86 is inserted into this opening 46. The lever pin 47 crosses this opening 46 so as to contact the protruding portion 86, which is biased by the compression coil spring 91, when the lever body 42 is in the dispensing position P1.

[0030] Furthermore, the lever body 42 has an orifice forming portion 48 that crushes the tube 21 to form an orifice. This orifice forming portion 48 protrudes downward from the bottom of the lever body 42. In addition, flat portions 49 that contact the stopper portion 66 of the base 61 are formed on both sides of the orifice forming portion 48. Furthermore, the tip of the orifice forming portion 48 is rounded so as not to damage the tube 21. In the direction traversing the tube 21, the width of the orifice forming portion 48 is set to be shorter than the width of the tube 21. Furthermore, on the side of the lever body 42 opposite to the orifice forming portion 48, a biasing portion 44 is formed that contacts the biasing pin 87 of the biasing member 81. A part of this biasing portion 44 is curved to follow the outer shape of the substantially cylindrical biasing pin 87.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, the slider 71 has a pair of sliding parts 74 that protrude upward toward the lever pivot shaft 45 and are received in the sliding groove 43. A substantially U-shaped engagement groove 73 is formed in each sliding part 74, and the lever pivot shaft 45 is inserted into the engagement groove 73. The slider 71 also has a substantially cylindrical guide pin 72, which protrudes from both sides of the slider 71. The guide pin 72 is inserted into guide grooves 63 formed on both sides of the base 61.

[0032] When the lever body 42 rotates, the guide pin 72 is guided into the guide groove 63, and the slider 71 slides in the vertical direction shown by the arrow in Figure 6 within the engagement groove 73 of the lever body 42. Furthermore, the slider 71 has an upper contact portion 75 that extends in a direction transverse to the tube 21. This upper contact portion 75 extends across the sliding portion 74 and protrudes downward, contacting the tube 21 from above. In the transverse direction of the tube 21, the width of the upper contact portion 75 is set to be longer than the width of the tube 21. In addition, the tip of the upper contact portion 75 is rounded so as not to damage the tube 21.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, the base 61 has a pair of wall portions 65 that face each other and have guide grooves 63 formed therein (one of the wall portions 65 is omitted in Figure 4). The wall portions 65 have a first shaft hole 67A into which the biasing pivot shaft 83 is inserted, and a second shaft hole 67B into which the lever pivot shaft 45 is inserted. The base 61 also has a stopper portion 66 that straddles the curved groove 62. This stopper portion 66 restricts the movement of the lever body 42 when the lever body 42 is in the foam dispensing position P2. Specifically, when the lever body 42 moves to the foam dispensing position P2, the flat portion 49 of the lever body 42 comes into contact with the stopper portion 66. This restricts the rotation of the lever body 42 at a position where an orifice of the appropriate size is formed inside the tube 21. Furthermore, on the side of the base 61 opposite to the curved groove 62, there is a first receiving portion 64 that receives one end of the compression coil spring 91.

[0034] The rotation of the lever body 42 will be explained with reference to Figures 7 to 9. For the sake of clarity, in Figures 7 to 9, the tube 21 before it is crushed is shown with a dotted line. Also, a portion of the guide groove 63 of the base 61 is shown with a dotted line.

[0035] Figure 7 shows the lever body 42 in the dispensing stop position P0, where the dispensing of the beverage has stopped. When the lever body 42 is in the dispensing stop position P0, the upper contact portion 75 of the slider 71 protrudes toward the tube 21. The tube 21 is then elastically deformed so that its internal space is closed while being sandwiched between this upper contact portion 75 and the lower contact portion 84 of the biasing member 81. As a result, the flow of the beverage inside the tube 21 is blocked, and the dispensing of the beverage stops.

[0036] When the lever body 42 is in the dispensing stop position P0, the guide pin 72 of the slider 71 is located in the extended portion 63A of the guide groove 63. Then, an upward reaction force from the tube 21, indicated by arrow A, is applied to the upper contact portion 75 of the slider 71, and the guide pin 72 is pressed against its upper inner wall in the extended portion 63A. As a result, the slider 71 is fixed to the base 61 by the frictional force acting between them. In other words, when the lever body 42 is in the dispensing stop position P0, the guide groove 63 is provided such that the slider 71 receives a force acting in the direction of opening the flow path in the tube 21. Thus, the movement of the slider 71 is restricted by the extended portion 63A of the guide groove 63. In other words, the guide pin 72 of the slider 71 does not move from the extended portion 63A to the curved portion 63B.

[0037] The downward reaction force from the tube 21, indicated by arrow B, is applied to the lower contact portion 84 of the biasing member 81. As a result, a force is applied to the biasing member 81 in a direction that causes it to rotate toward the compression coil spring 91 around the biasing pivot axis 83. On the other hand, the biasing member 81 is biased by the compression coil spring 91, and a force is applied to it in a direction that causes it to rotate toward the lever body 42. Therefore, a force is applied to the biasing pin 87 in the direction indicated by arrow C, biasing the biasing portion 44 of the lever body 42. As a result, a force is applied to the lever body 42 in a direction that causes it to rotate toward the dispensing position P1 around the lever pivot axis 45. Therefore, the biasing portion 44 pushes the biasing pin 87 in the direction that the lower part of the lever pivot axis 45 approaches the biasing member 81, that is, in the opposite direction to the direction indicated by arrow C.

[0038] When the biasing part 44 pushes the biasing pin 87, the compression coil spring 91 compresses, increasing the biasing force of the compression coil spring 91. As a result, the force with which the biasing pin 87 biases the biasing part 44 balances the force with which the biasing part 44 pushes the biasing pin 87. This causes the lever body 42 to remain in the dispensing stop position P0 without rotating. Furthermore, the compression coil spring 91 is at its longest length when the lever body 42 is in the dispensing stop position P0. Therefore, the biasing force applied to the biasing member 81 and the lever body 42 by the compression coil spring 91 is minimal.

[0039] Furthermore, when a force is applied in a direction that rotates the lever towards the dispensing position P1 around the lever pivot axis 45, a force is also applied to the slider 71 from the lever body 42 in the direction indicated by arrow D. However, this force is canceled out by the frictional force acting between the sliding portion 74 of the slider 71 and the sliding groove 43 of the lever body 42. As a result, the slider 71 remains in the position that crushes the tube 21. In this way, the slider 71 crushes the tube 21 without relying on the biasing force of the compression coil spring 91. Therefore, there is no need to crush the tube 21 using an elastic member with a large biasing force. This allows the biasing force of the compression coil spring 91 to be set to a small value.

[0040] Even when the lever body 42 is in the dispensing stop position P0 and there is no tube 21, the biasing member 81 is biased by the compression coil spring 91. The biasing member 81 then applies a biasing force in the direction that causes the lever body 42 to rotate toward the dispensing position P1. At the same time, the lever body 42 biases the biasing member 81 in such a way that the rotation of the lever body 42 is restricted. That is, a force is applied to the biasing member 81 in the direction that causes it to rotate toward the lever body 42 around the biasing rotation axis 83. As a result, the biasing pin 87 biases the biasing part 44 in the direction indicated by arrow C. This causes a force to be applied to the lever body 42 in the direction that causes it to rotate toward the dispensing position P1 around the lever rotation axis 45. Therefore, the biasing part 44 pushes the biasing pin 87 in the opposite direction to the direction in which the biasing force is applied by the biasing pin 87. As a result, the force with which the biasing pin 87 biases the biasing part 44 is balanced by the force with which the biasing part 44 pushes the biasing pin 87. This ensures that even without the tube 21, the lever body 42 remains in the dispensing stop position P0 without rotating.

[0041] Figure 8 shows the lever body 42 in the dispensing position P1 and the beverage being dispensed. To dispense the beverage, the user operates the lever body 42 to rotate it from the dispensing stop position P0 towards the dispensing position P1. When the lever body 42 rotates from the dispensing stop position P0 in the direction indicated by arrow E, the slider 71 in the sliding groove 43 of the lever body 42 is pushed upward by the inner wall of the sliding groove 43. As a result, the guide pin 72 is guided from the extended portion 63A to the curved portion 63B of the guide groove 63, and the slider 71 slides in the sliding groove 43 away from the tube 21. When the lever body 42 reaches the dispensing position P1, the guide pin 72 is positioned at the upper end of the curved portion 63B of the guide groove 63.

[0042] When the lever body 42 rotates, the biasing portion 44 of the lever body 42 biases the biasing pin 87 of the biasing member 81 against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 91. As the lever body 42 rotates further toward the dispensing position P1, the lever pin 47 of the lever body 42 moves to the right in Figure 8 and rides up onto the tip of the protrusion 86 of the biasing member 81. Subsequently, the lever pin 47 biases the protrusion 86 against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 91. As a result, the compression coil spring 91 compresses, and the biasing portion 44 rotates toward the compression coil spring 91 around the biasing rotation axis 83. Consequently, the lower contact portion 84 of the biasing member 81 moves away from the tube 21. In other words, the lower contact portion 84 and the upper contact portion 75 of the slider 71 move away from the tube 21. Therefore, the tube 21 returns to its original shape due to its own elastic force. This releases the blockage in the flow path within tube 21, allowing the beverage to flow through tube 21 and be dispensed from nozzle 31 through tube 21.

[0043] When the lever body 42 reaches the dispensing position P1, the biasing force of the compression coil spring 91 causes the projection 86 to bias the lever pin 47 in the direction indicated by arrow G. As a result, a force is applied to the lever body 42 in a direction that causes it to rotate around the lever pivot axis 45 in the direction indicated by arrow F. Therefore, the slider 71 is pushed upward by the inner wall of the sliding groove 43 of the lever body 42. However, since the guide pin 72 of the slider 71 is in contact with a part of the guide groove 63, the sliding of the slider 71 is restricted. As a result, the lever body 42 is held in the dispensing position P1, and the movement of the lever body 42 is restricted. This means that even when the user releases their hand from the operating lever 41 and no force is applied to the lever body 42, the lever body 42 is held in the dispensing position P1, and the beverage can be dispensed as is. Alternatively, when the lever body 42 reaches the dispensing position P1, the guide pin 72 may come into contact with a part of the curved portion 63B other than the upper end. For example, the guide pin 72 may abut against a groove that extends in a direction intersecting the curved portion 63B.

[0044] To stop dispensing the beverage, the user operates the lever body 42 to rotate it from the dispensing position P1 to the dispensing stop position P0. When the lever body 42 rotates from the dispensing position P1 in the direction indicated by arrow F, the slider 71 in the sliding groove 43 of the lever body 42 is pushed downward by the inner wall of the sliding groove 43. As a result, the guide pin 72 is guided from the curved portion 63B to the extended portion 63A of the guide groove 63, and the slider 71 slides within the sliding groove 43 toward the tube 21. When the lever body 42 reaches the dispensing stop position P0, the guide pin 72 is guided to the extended portion 63A of the guide groove 63, as shown in Figure 7.

[0045] When the lever body 42 rotates, the protruding portion 86 of the biasing member 81 biases the lever pin 47 of the lever body 42 by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 91. As the lever body 42 rotates further toward the dispensing stop position P0, the lever pin 47 moves above the protruding portion 86 and moves to the left in Figure 8. As a result, the lever pin 47 moves away from the tip of the protruding portion 86. Subsequently, the biasing pin 87 of the biasing member 81 biases the biasing portion 44 of the lever body 42 by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 91. As a result, the compression coil spring 91 stretches and the biasing member 81 rotates toward the lever body 42 around the biasing rotation axis 83. When the lever body 42 reaches the dispensing stop position P0, the lower contact portion 84 and the upper contact portion 75 of the slider 71 crush the tube 21, as shown in Figure 7. This prevents the flow of the beverage within tube 21, stopping the dispensing of the beverage.

[0046] Figure 9 shows the lever body 42 in the foam dispensing position P2 and foam being dispensed. To dispense foam, the user operates the lever body 42 to rotate it from the dispensing stop position P0 towards the foam dispensing position P2. When the lever body 42 rotates from the dispensing stop position P0 in the direction indicated by arrow H, the slider 71 in the sliding groove 43 of the lever body 42 is pushed to the left in Figure 9 by the inner wall of the sliding groove 43. As a result, the guide pin 72 is guided within the extended portion 63A of the guide groove 63, and the slider 71 slides in a direction toward the biasing member 81.

[0047] When the lever body 42 is rotated, the biasing portion 44 of the lever body 42 biases the biasing pin 87 of the biasing member 81 against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 91. As a result, the compression coil spring 91 compresses, and the biasing portion 44 rotates toward the compression coil spring 91 around the biasing rotation axis 83. Consequently, the lower contact portion 84 of the biasing member 81 moves away from the tube 21. Therefore, the tube 21 attempts to return to its original shape by its own elastic force, releasing the blockage of the flow path inside the tube 21 and allowing the beverage and foam to flow through the tube 21.

[0048] When the lever body 42 reaches the foam dispensing position P2, the flat portions 49 formed on both sides of the orifice-forming portion 48 of the lever body 42 come into contact with the stopper portion 66 of the base 61. This restricts the rotation of the lever body 42 at the position where an orifice is formed in the tube 21. Specifically, when the orifice-forming portion 48 is pushed into the tube 21, the outward elastic deformation of the tube 21 is restricted by the curved groove 62 of the base 61. As a result, the tube 21 elastically deforms symmetrically on both sides of the orifice-forming portion 48, becoming rounded upwards. This creates an orifice with a small cross-sectional area around the orifice-forming portion 48.

[0049] As a result, the pressure difference of the beverage between the downstream and upstream sides of the orifice in the direction of beverage flow increases. This generates beverage foam, which is then dispensed from the nozzle 31 through the tube 21. The cross-sectional area of ​​the orifice can be set according to the dimensions of the tube 21 and the shape and dimensions of the orifice forming section 48. Furthermore, the dimensions and shape of the orifice may be set to be suitable for foam generation depending on the type of beverage.

[0050] To stop dispensing foam, the user releases their hand from the operating lever 41 and releases the force applied to the lever body 42. When the lever body 42 is in the foam dispensing position P2, the biasing member 81 biases the lever body 42 in the direction of moving towards the dispensing stop position P0. That is, the biasing force of the compression coil spring 91 causes the biasing pin 87 of the biasing member 81 to bias the biasing portion 44 of the lever body 42. As a result, the lever body 42 rotates around the lever pivot axis 45 in the direction indicated by arrow I due to the biasing force of the compression coil spring 91. Therefore, even without the user applying force, the lever body 42 rotates toward the dispensing stop position P0.

[0051] When the lever body 42 rotates from the foam dispensing position P2 in the direction indicated by arrow I, the slider 71 in the sliding groove 43 of the lever body 42 is pushed to the right in Figure 9 by the inner wall of the sliding groove 43. As a result, the guide pin 72 is guided within the extended portion 63A of the guide groove 63, and the slider 71 slides within the sliding groove 43 away from the biasing member 81. Then, when the lever body 42 reaches the dispensing stop position P0, the guide pin 72 is fixed in the extended portion 63A of the guide groove 63, as shown in Figure 7.

[0052] As the lever moves to the dispensing stop position P0, the compression coil spring 91 extends, and the biasing member 81 rotates toward the lever body 42 around the biasing pivot axis 83. As a result, the lower contact portion 84 of the biasing member 81 moves toward the tube 21. Then, when the lever body 42 reaches the dispensing stop position P0, as shown in Figure 7, the lower contact portion 84 and the upper contact portion 75 of the slider 71 crush the tube 21. This prevents the flow of beverage inside the tube 21, and the dispensing of foam is stopped.

[0053] According to the beverage dispensing device described above, when the slider 71 closes the flow path in the tube 21, the biasing force from the compression coil spring 91 is hardly applied to the slider 71. In other words, the length of the compression coil spring 91 is set to approximately coincide with the free height when the tube 21 is closed. Therefore, the force applied to the slider 71 when the flow path is closed is reduced, and the frictional force associated with the movement of the slider 71 is reduced. This prevents the slider 71 from sliding when biased with a large force, allowing the user to operate the operating lever 41 with little force. In addition, wear of the slider 71 and the sliding groove 43 can be suppressed. Furthermore, when stopping the dispensing of foam, the biasing force of the compression coil spring 91 causes the lever body 42 to rotate toward the dispensing stop position P0. Therefore, the user can stop the dispensing of foam without applying force to the lever body 42.

[0054] For example, commercial beverage dispensers used in restaurants and other establishments dispense a larger volume of beverage compared to home beverage dispensers. Therefore, larger diameter tubes are sometimes used, resulting in a greater reaction force when the internal flow path is closed. Even with such commercial beverage dispensers, the force applied to the slider 71 when the flow path is closed is small, allowing the user to operate the control lever 41 with minimal force.

[0055] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments described, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Inventions modified within the scope that does not contradict the present invention, and inventions equivalent to the present invention are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, each embodiment and each variation can be appropriately combined within the scope that does not contradict the present invention.

[0056] For example, the opening / closing member only needs to be able to move away from the tube 21 and towards the tube 21 in accordance with the rotation of the lever body 42. As an example, a cam may be provided on the lever body 42, and the rotation of the cam may be converted into the movement of the opening / closing member. Furthermore, the movement of the operating lever 41 is not limited to rotation. As an example, the force may be converted into the rotation of the lever body 42 via a conversion mechanism by moving the operating lever 41 horizontally or by rotating the operating lever 41 around a vertical axis.

[0057] Furthermore, if foam dispensing is not required, the rotation of the lever body 42 to the foam dispensing position P2 can be omitted. In this case, the orifice forming portion 48 may be omitted. Alternatively, a protrusion having an extended portion and a curved portion may be formed on the base 61 as a guide portion. In this case, a groove portion for receiving the protrusion is formed on the slider 71. Alternatively, a pair of rotating parts that face each other on either side of the protrusion and rotate when the slider 71 slides may be provided on the slider 71. In addition, when stopping foam dispensing, the biasing force of the compression coil spring 91 may be set so that the lever body 42 rotates when the user applies force to the lever body 42, in addition to the biasing force of the compression coil spring 91.

[0058] Furthermore, the guide pin 72 may be a separate component inserted into the slider 71, or it may be integrally formed with the slider 71 so as to protrude outward. Also, the biasing pivot shaft 83 and the biasing pin 87 may be separate components inserted into the biasing member 81, or they may be integrally formed with the biasing member 81 so as to protrude outward. Also, the lever pivot shaft 45 and the lever pin 47 may be separate components inserted into the lever body 42, or they may be integrally formed with the lever body 42 so as to protrude outward. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 11: Beverage container 21: Tube (dispensing tube) 26: Opening and closing mechanism 42: Lever body 61: Base (storage area) 63: Guide groove (guide section) 63A: Extension part 63B: Curved section 66: Stopper part 71: Slider (opening / closing mechanism) 72: Guide pin 81: Biasing member 86: Protrusion 91: Elastic member 100: Beverage dispensing device P0: Pour stop position P1: Pour position P2: Foam pouring position

Claims

1. A beverage dispensing device for dispensing beverages from beverage containers, A dispensing pipe through which the beverage flows, It comprises a lever body that is movable between a dispensing stop position, a dispensing position, and a foam dispensing position, and has an orifice forming portion formed therein, The orifice forming section, when the lever body is in the foam dispensing position, crushes the dispensing tube to form an orifice. The lever body further comprises a flat portion, the flat portion restricting the movement of the lever body when the lever body is in the foam dispensing position. The beverage dispensing device is provided in which the flat portions are formed on both sides of the orifice forming portion.

2. A beverage dispensing device for dispensing a beverage from a beverage container, A dispensing pipe through which the beverage flows, It comprises a lever body that is movable between a dispensing stop position, a dispensing position, and a foam dispensing position, and has an orifice forming portion formed therein, The orifice forming section, when the lever body is in the foam dispensing position, crushes the dispensing tube to form an orifice. An opening / closing member that opens and closes the flow path of the dispensing pipe in accordance with the movement of the lever body, The guide portion further includes a guide portion that guides the movement of the opening and closing member and has an extended portion formed along the dispensing pipe and a curved portion that is continuous with the extended portion, A beverage dispensing device in which, when the lever body is in the foam dispensing position, the opening / closing member is in a position guided by the extended portion.

3. A beverage dispensing device for dispensing a beverage from a beverage container, A dispensing pipe through which the beverage flows, A lever body that is movable between the dispensing stop position, the dispensing position, and the foam dispensing position, and has an orifice forming section formed therein, The contact portion that comes into contact with the aforementioned dispensing pipe, The dispensing tube is inserted into a nozzle from which the beverage flows out, The orifice forming section, when the lever body is in the foam dispensing position, crushes the dispensing tube to form an orifice. The contact portion closes the internal space of the dispensing pipe and stops the dispensing of the beverage when the lever body is in the dispensing stop position. A beverage dispensing device wherein the orifice forming portion is located further from the nozzle than the contact portion.

4. The beverage dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tip of the orifice forming portion is rounded and narrower than the width of the dispensing tube.

5. The device further comprises a contact portion that contacts the aforementioned dispensing pipe, The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the lever body moves from the dispensing stop position to the foam dispensing position, the contact portion moves in a direction away from the dispensing pipe.

6. In a beverage dispensing device for dispensing beverages from a beverage container, an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the dispensing pipe through which the beverage flows, It is movable between the dispensing stop position, the dispensing position, and the foam dispensing position, and has a lever body with an orifice forming section. The orifice-forming section crushes the dispensing tube to form an orifice when the lever body is in the foam dispensing position. The lever body further comprises a flat portion, the flat portion restricting the movement of the lever body when the lever body is in the foam dispensing position. The aforementioned planar portion is an opening and closing mechanism formed on both sides of the orifice forming portion.

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