Raw material canister for beverage supply device

Abstract

This canister includes: a canister body part, which is a container that is arranged at an upper part of a coffee machine and that has an opening part and stores a raw material; and a lid body 11 that covers the opening part. The canister has a lock unit 20 that is detachably held by the lid body 11. The lock unit 20 is held so that the attachment direction with respect to the lid body 11 can be changed, and when the opening part of the canister body part is covered by the lid body 11, the attachment direction can be changed to a first attachment direction in which the canister body part and the lid body 11 can be locked and a second attachment direction in which the canister body part and the lid body 11 cannot be locked.

Description

Ingredient canister for beverage dispenser

[0001] The present invention relates to a locking mechanism for a lid of a canister that stores ingredients and the like for a beverage dispenser.

[0002] Beverage dispensers such as coffee machines found in convenience stores and the like are equipped with canisters, which are containers for storing raw materials such as coffee beans and powder. The canisters are often installed, for example, on top of the coffee machines and have a lid on top that allows raw materials to be replenished into the canister by opening the lid.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cup-type beverage vending machine equipped with a canister for storing coffee powder, a raw material for the beverage. The canister has an opening at the top, and a lid is provided to cover the opening. The canister opening and lid are rectangular, and one side of the lid is supported by a main body (box) of the canister via a hinge so that it can swing up and down. The edge of the canister opening and the lid can be locked together by a magnet on the opposite side of the hinge.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-160944

[0005] However, when a beverage dispenser in which the top of the canister, including the lid, is exposed to the outside is installed in a location accessible to many people, a locking mechanism may be required on the canister lid to prevent tampering. Furthermore, when the beverage dispenser is installed in a location accessible only to store staff, such as behind a counter at a convenience store, a locking mechanism is often unnecessary. Therefore, the specifications of the beverage dispenser vary depending on whether or not it has a locking function, posing a problem for beverage dispenser manufacturers, as it increases the number of parts they need. Furthermore, for users who have installed a beverage dispenser, if the installation location changes from one in which a locking mechanism on the canister lid is not required to one in which one is required, they may have to replace the canister or the entire device with a beverage dispenser with different specifications.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide an ingredient canister for a beverage supply device in which the presence or absence of a locking function for the lid can be easily changed using the same part.

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the ingredient canister of the beverage supply device of the present invention is an ingredient canister comprising a canister main body, which is a container that is placed on the top of the beverage supply device and has an opening for storing ingredients, and a lid that covers the opening, and has a locking unit that is detachably held on the lid, and the locking unit is held so that its attachment direction relative to the lid can be changed, and when the lid covers the opening, the attachment direction can be changed between a first specification in which the canister main body and the lid can be locked, and a second specification in which the attachment direction cannot be locked.

[0008] Alternatively, the ingredient canister of the beverage supply device of the present invention is an ingredient canister comprising a canister main body, which is a container arranged at the top of the beverage supply device and has an opening for storing ingredients, and a lid that covers the opening, and has a locking unit that is detachably held on the canister main body, and the locking unit is held so that its attachment direction relative to the canister main body can be changed, and when the opening is covered by the lid, the attachment direction can be changed between a first specification in which the canister main body and the lid can be locked, and a second specification in which the attachment direction cannot be locked.

[0009] According to the present invention, in the raw material canister of the beverage supply device, the locking unit is detachable from the lid or the canister body, and the presence or absence of the locking function can be changed by changing the mounting direction of the locking unit relative to the lid or the canister body.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the general external shape of a coffee machine equipped with a canister according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outer shape of the canister according to this embodiment; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of the canister with the lid removed, with a lock unit added; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of an attachment portion of the lock unit in a lid having a locking function; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the structure of the lock unit; FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the structure of the lock unit; FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the attachment direction of the lock unit to the lid in a lid having a locking function; FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure of the lock unit attachment portion in a lid having a locking function; FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing the attachment direction of the lock unit to the lid in a case where the locking function is not required; FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the structure of the attachment portion of the lock unit in a lid that does not require a locking function; FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure of the lock unit attachment portion in a lid that does not require a locking function.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the general external shape of a coffee machine 1 (beverage dispenser) equipped with a canister 10 (raw material canister) according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the external shape of the canister 10. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of the canister 10 with the lid 11 removed. Note that in FIG. 3, the lock unit 20 provided on the lid 11 is additionally indicated in the position it would be in with the lid 11 closed. Note that for the sake of convenience, in FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIG. 4 and subsequent figures described below, the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom directions of the installed coffee machine 1 are used, and the canister 10 and lid 11 described below are also described using the directions when installed in the coffee machine. In particular, in FIGS. 4, 7, 9, 10, and 11, the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom directions are used when the lid 11 is closed.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1 , coffee machine 1 is installed in, for example, a convenience store, and has a rectangular box-shaped main body 2 that is open at the front and a main door 2a that closes the opening. The lower front portion of main door 2a is provided with a table 3 on which a cup is placed, a cover 4 that opens and closes and covers the front side of table 3, and a main door lock 2b. An operation panel 5 is provided above table 3 on the front side of main door 2a. Furthermore, the upper portion of main body 2 is provided with multiple canisters 10 that store ingredients for a beverage such as coffee to be served in a cup. The ingredients stored in canisters 10 include multiple types of coffee beans, sugar, powdered milk, etc. In this embodiment, three canisters 10 are provided. Based on operation of operation panel 5, coffee machine 1 produces a beverage such as coffee from the ingredients stored in canisters 10 and serves the beverage in a cup placed on table 3.

[0014] 2 and 3, the canister 10 has a canister main body 12, which is a generally rectangular box-shaped container that is long in the front-to-rear direction, and an opening 13 for supplying raw materials at the top of the canister main body 12. The lower front part of the canister main body 12 is provided with an outlet 15 for the raw materials stored in the canister 10. The lower part of the canister 10 is provided with a motor-driven spiral (not shown), and the motor is driven based on the operation of the operation panel 5 to discharge the raw materials from the outlet 15.

[0015] A lid 11 is provided on the top of the canister 10 to cover the opening 13. The lid 11 is a substantially rectangular plate-shaped member that fits the opening 13 at the top of the canister main body 12. The canister main body 12 and the lid 11 are made of, for example, resin.

[0016] The lid 11 is detachable from the canister body 12 and is configured to be placed on the edge of the opening 13 of the canister body 12 to close the opening 13. Furthermore, locking units 20 are attached to the front and rear of the underside of the lid 11, which forms the inside of the canister 10. Note that Fig. 3 shows the locking unit 20 but not the lid 11, but this is for the purpose of explaining the position of the locking unit 20 when the opening 13 is closed by the lid 11, i.e., the locking position of the lid 11 by the locking unit 20.

[0017] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of the mounting portion of the lock unit 20 on the cover 11 having a locking function. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the structure of the lock unit 20. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the structure of the lock unit 20, in which the lock unit 20 in Fig. 5 is shown with the front-to-back direction reversed.

[0018] 4, a thin flange 21 is provided on the underside of the lid 11, protruding downward, for example, by approximately 1 cm to 2 cm, around the entire periphery near the outer periphery. The flange 21 is inserted into the opening 13 of the canister body 12 with almost no gap, and is configured so that when the lid 11 closes the opening 13, the lid 11 does not move in any direction, front to back or left to right.

[0019] The underside of the front and rear of the lid 11 is provided with rectangular box-shaped retaining portions 23 into which the lock unit 20 is inserted. The flange portion 21 is cut out in a rectangular shape at the front left-right center and rear left-right center of the lid 11 to form insertion holes 24. The retaining portions 23 are disposed on the inner side of the insertion holes 24 in the front-to-rear direction. The lock unit 20 is inserted into the insertion holes 24 formed in the flange portion 21 of the lid 11 from the outside in the front-to-rear direction and is held by the retaining portions 23 so that the lock unit 20 overlaps the flange portion 21 in the vertical direction. Note that while FIG. 4 shows the front of the lid 11, the rear of the lid 11 is also provided with retaining portions 23 and insertion holes 24, and is configured so that the lock unit 20 is inserted from the outside (rear side) and supported by the retaining portions 23, just like the front portion.

[0020] The lock unit 20 is formed of an elastic material, such as resin. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the lock unit 20 has a generally rectangular box shape, a left-right width slightly smaller than the insertion hole 24, a first surface 20a and a second surface 20b that are parallel to each other in the front-to-rear direction, and a spring portion 20c (biasing portion) that connects the first surface 20a and the second surface 20b. The spring portion 20c functions to bias the first surface 20a and the second surface 20b so that they move away from each other in the front-to-rear direction. The first surface 20a has a claw portion 27 that protrudes outward in the front-to-rear direction. The second surface 20b does not have the claw portion 27 and is flat.

[0021] A pair of locking portions 20d are provided, extending from the left and right ends of the first surface portion 20a toward the second surface portion 20b on both left and right sides of the spring portion 20c. Each locking portion 20d has a retaining projection 28 that projects outward in the left-right direction, formed approximately at the center of the front-to-rear direction of the lock unit 20. The rear end of each locking portion 20d is elastically movable about its front end, allowing it to move slightly left and right.

[0022] The holding portion 23 of the lock unit 20 provided on the underside of the lid 11 is formed in a box shape to fit the underside 11a of the lid 11 so that the lock unit 20 can be inserted and held. The holding portion 23 has a pair of side plate portions 23a extending inward from the left and right edges of the insertion hole 24 of the flange portion 21, a lower plate portion 23b extending parallel to the underside 11a of the lid 11 between the lower ends of the side plate portions 23a, and an inner plate portion 23c extending vertically downward from the underside of the lid 11 and connecting the rear ends of the pair of side plate portions 23a and the lower plate portion 23b.

[0023] The pair of side plate portions 23a are each provided with a retaining hole 25 so as to support the retaining protrusion 28 of the lock unit 20 inserted into the retaining portion 23. The inner plate portion 23c is also provided with a hole 26. The retaining hole 25 and the hole 26 are each cut out and extend around the lower plate portion 23b, and are sized so that the fingers of an operator (such as the manager of the coffee machine 1) can press the lock unit 20 held in the retaining portion 23.

[0024] Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the mounting direction of the lock unit to the cover body having a locking function, and Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure of the lock unit mounting portion of the cover body having a locking function.

[0025] As shown in Figure 7, when the lock unit 20 is inserted into the insertion hole 24 from the second surface 20b side until it abuts against the inner plate portion 23c inside the holding portion 23, the pair of holding protrusions 28 are supported by the holding holes 25, respectively, as shown in Figure 4, and the lock unit 20 is held in the holding portion 23 of the lid 11. At this time, the first surface 20a of the lock unit 20 is positioned approximately flush with the outer surface 21a of the flange portion 21 in the front-to-rear direction or slightly inward from the outer surface 21a, and the claw portions 27 of the first surface 20a are positioned so as to protrude outward from the outer surface 21a of the flange portion 21.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 8, an engagement hole 16 for the claw portion 27 of the locking unit 20 is provided in the upper part of the front wall 12a of the canister main body 12, and when the opening 13 of the canister main body 12 is closed by the lid body 11, the claw portion 27 of the locking unit 20 engages with the engagement hole 16 of the canister main body 12, thereby locking the lid body 11 and the canister main body 12 together.

[0027] The claw portion 27 has one vertical surface, a flat surface 27a, which is perpendicular to the vertical direction, and the other surface, an inclined surface 27b, which is inclined so that the vertical width decreases outward. If a locking mechanism is required for the lid 11 of the canister 10, when the lock unit 20 is attached to the lid 11, the flat surface 27a faces upward and the inclined surface 27b faces downward. This allows the upper end of the front wall 12a to come into contact with the inclined surface 27b when the lid 11 is closed, compressing the spring portion 20c and pushing the front portion of the lock unit 20 inward, thereby making it easy to close the lid 11. Furthermore, by attaching the claw portion 27 so that the flat surface 27a faces upward, even if an attempt is made to lift the lid 11 from its closed state, the flat surface 27a of the claw portion 27 engages with the locking hole 16, providing a strong lock that prevents lifting. A groove 29 is provided on the lock unit 20 side and a protrusion 30 is provided on the lid 11 side so that the flat surface 27a faces upward when the lock unit 20 is attached to the lid 11.

[0028] Furthermore, it is preferable that the locking hole 16 is smaller than the tip of a finger, which makes it difficult to release the lock easily. By using a rod-like object thinner than a fingertip to push inward the claw portion 27 of the lock unit 20 that is locked in the locking hole 16, the claw portion 27 is released from the locking hole 16, the lock between the canister body 12 and the lid 11 is released, and the lid 11 can be lifted up and opened.

[0029] Furthermore, the dimensions of the locking hole 16 may be slightly larger than the dimensions of a cross section perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the insertion portion of a key used to lock and unlock the main door of the coffee machine 1. This makes it possible to unlock the lid 11 using the key for the main door lock without having to prepare a special rod-shaped object, making it easier to maintain the coffee machine 1 and to replenish the canister with ingredients.

[0030] Furthermore, when a rod-shaped object is inserted through the locking hole 16 to unlock the lid 11, the tip of the rod-shaped object abuts against the inclined surface 27b of the claw 27. Further pushing the rod-shaped object deflects the spring 20c, retracting the front portion of the lock unit 20. When the flat surface 27a of the claw 27 disengages from the locking hole 16, the tip of the rod-shaped object presses against the inclined surface 27b, generating an upward vector force on the claw 27. As a result, the lid 11 floats upward, and even when the rod-shaped object is pulled out, the claw 27 is pushed forward by the return force of the spring 20c, and is maintained in the raised position due to friction between the tip of the claw 27 and the inner upper edge of the front wall 12a. This makes it easier to hook the end of the lid 11 with one's fingers, facilitating the opening of the lid 11.

[0031] Furthermore, the lock unit 20 held in the cover body 11 can be easily removed from the holding portion 23 of the cover body 11 by pushing the pair of holding protrusions 28 inward to release the engagement between the holding protrusions 28 and the holding hole 25, and then pushing the second surface portion 20b of the lock unit 20 visible from the engagement hole 16 forward from the hole portion 26.

[0032] Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the mounting direction of the lock unit 20 to the cover 11 when the cover 11 does not require a locking function. Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the structure of the lock unit mounting portion of the cover 11 when the locking function is not required. Fig. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure of the lock unit mounting portion of the cover 11 when the locking function is not required.

[0033] As shown in Figure 9, even if the lock unit 20 is inserted into the insertion hole 24 from the first surface portion 20a side until it abuts against the inner plate portion 23c inside the holding portion 23, the pair of holding protrusions 28 are supported by the respective holding holes 25, and the lock unit 20 is held in the holding portion 23 of the lid body 11, as shown in Figure 10. At this time, the claw portions 27 of the first surface portion 20a of the lock unit 20 are located inside the holding portion 23 of the lid body 11 (towards the inner plate portion 23c), and the second surface portion 20b without the claw portions 27 is located approximately flush with the outer surface 21a in the front-to-rear direction of the flange portion 21 or slightly inward from the outer surface 21a.

[0034] Therefore, as shown in Figure 11, when the opening 13 of the canister main body 12 is closed by the lid 11, the lid 11 and the canister main body 12 are not locked together, and the lid 11 can be easily lifted and removed from the canister main body 12, thereby opening the opening 13 of the canister 10.

[0035] As described above, the canister 10 of this embodiment comprises the canister main body 12 and the lid 11 that covers the opening 13 at the top of the canister main body 12, and the locking unit 20 is detachably provided on the lid 11. The locking unit 20 can be attached inverted to the lid 11, and can be attached in either a first specification mounting direction in which the claws 27 face outward, or a second specification mounting direction in which the claws 27 face inward.

[0036] When the opening 13 is covered with the first specification lid 11, the claws 27 engage with the locking holes 16 in the canister body 12, locking the canister body 12 and the lid 11 together. This makes it impossible to easily remove the lid 11 from the canister body 12. This makes it possible to prevent foreign objects from being thrown into the canister 10 or raw materials from being taken out of the canister 10, for example, when the coffee machine 1 is installed in a location where it can be handled by many people.

[0037] When the opening 13 is covered with the second specification lid 11, the claws 27 do not engage with the locking holes 16 in the canister body 12, and the canister body 12 and the lid 11 are not locked together. Therefore, the lid 11 can be easily removed from the canister body 12 to open the opening 13 and replenish raw materials and the like into the canister body 12. For example, if the coffee machine 1 is installed in a location accessible only to store staff, such as behind a counter in a convenience store, the lid 11 can be opened without performing an unlocking operation, and raw materials and the like can be easily replenished into the canister 10.

[0038] In this way, canisters 10 for coffee machines 1 with a first specification that locks the lid 11 and a second specification that does not lock the lid 11 can be easily changed by changing the attachment direction of the lock unit 20. Therefore, for manufacturers of coffee machines 1, it is possible to standardize parts between the first and second specifications, and also to standardize the specifications at the time of shipment.

[0039] Furthermore, for a user who has installed the coffee machine 1 in a store or the like, if the installation location changes after installation from a location where a locking mechanism is not required for the lid 11 of the canister 10 to a location where one is required, the change can be made easily and inexpensively without having to replace the canister 10 or the entire device with a beverage supply device with different specifications.

[0040] The lock unit 20 has a first surface 20a having outwardly protruding claws 27, and a flat second surface 20b facing the first surface 20a. By holding the first surface 20a facing outward on the holding portion 23 of the lid 11, the claws 27 protrude outward from the insertion holes 24 of the lid 11, and the first specification can be configured so that the claws 27 can be locked into the locking holes 16 provided in the canister main body 12.

[0041] Furthermore, by holding the second surface portion 20b facing outward on the holding portion 23 of the lid body 11, a second specification can be configured in which the claw portion 27 does not protrude outward from the insertion hole 24 of the lid body 11 and the claw portion 27 cannot engage with the engagement hole 16 provided in the canister main body portion 12.

[0042] The lock unit 20 is made of resin, and the spring portion 20c, which biases the first surface portion 20a and the second surface portion 20b in a direction separating them from each other, is integrally formed with the first surface portion 20a and the second surface portion 20b. This allows the lock unit 20 to be constructed with a simple structure and at low cost. Furthermore, by using a simple resin structure for the lid body 11 including the retaining portion 23 and the lock unit 20, it is possible to achieve excellent hygienic performance.

[0043] Furthermore, by having the spring portion 20c, when the first surface portion 20a is installed facing outward, the claw portion 27 can be biased in a direction that causes it to protrude outward, and when the claw portion 27 is engaged with the engagement hole 16, the claw portion 27 is less likely to come off the engagement hole 16, thereby improving the locking performance of the lid body 11.

[0044] Furthermore, when the opening 13 is covered with the lid 11, the locking hole 16 in the front wall 12a of the canister body 12 is closed by the first surface 20a of the locking unit 20 in the first specification, and by the second surface 20b of the locking unit 20 in the second specification. This makes it possible to prevent insects and other foreign objects from entering the canister body 12 through the locking hole 16 in both the first and second specifications.

[0045] Furthermore, the lid 11 can be unlocked by pushing the claw 27 exposed through the locking hole 16 inward, but the locking hole 16 is smaller than a fingertip. Therefore, it is not possible to unlock the lid 11 by pushing the claw 27 inward with a finger. This makes it difficult to remove the lid 11 by mischief, etc. The lid 11 can be unlocked by pushing the claw 27 inward with a thin-tipped stick or similar object, but an administrator can prevent others from unlocking the coffee machine 1 by storing this object separately from the administrator.

[0046] Furthermore, in the coffee machine 1 of this embodiment, locking units 20 can be attached to the front and rear of the lid 11. For example, if the front and rear locking units 20 are both of the first specification, which allows them to be locked, and one of the front or rear locking units 20 is unlocked, the other locking unit 20 functions like a hinge, allowing the unlocked side of the lid 11 to be lifted and raw materials and the like to be replenished into the canister 10 from that side. Therefore, if the installation position of the coffee machine is changed and raw materials and the like are often replenished from the rear side of the canister, by releasing the locking unit 20 on the rear side of the lid 11, raw materials and the like can be easily replenished into the canister 10 from the rear side.

[0047] Furthermore, the mounting directions of the locking units 20 on the front and rear of the lid 11 can be different for the first and second specifications. For example, when the coffee machine 1 is installed in a convenience store, beverages may be served to consumers from the front, while ingredients may be refilled into the canisters 10 by a store clerk from the rear. In such a case, it is preferable that the lid 11 cannot be easily opened from the front, but can be easily opened from the rear. This can be easily achieved in this embodiment by configuring the front side as the first specification and the rear side as the second specification. In this embodiment, the locking units 20 can be mounted on the front and rear of the lid 11. However, the locking units 20 may be mounted on either the front or rear of the lid 11, and the other side may not be mountable, for example, by providing a fixed claw (protrusion) on the flange 21 at the position where the claw 27 is located and engaging the locking hole 16.

[0048] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the locking units 20 are attached to the front and rear of the lid 11, but the present invention may also be applied to a configuration in which the canister body 12 and the lid 11 are connected by a hinge, for example, so that they can be opened and closed, and the lid 11 is fixed to the canister body 12 by a single locking unit 20.

[0049] Furthermore, while in the above embodiment the lock unit 20 is configured to be detachable from the lid 11, the lock unit 20 may also be configured to be detachable from the canister body 12. In this case, the canister body 12 is provided with a portion such as a holding portion 23 for holding the lock unit 20, and the lock unit 20 can be attached inverted to this holding portion of the canister body 12. Furthermore, the lid 11 is provided with locking holes 16 into which the claws 27 of the lock unit 20 can be engaged. For example, when the lid 11 covers the opening 13 of the canister body 12, the flange portion 21 of the lid 11 may be positioned outside the edge of the opening 13 of the canister body 12, and the locking holes 16 may be provided in the flange portion 21. As a result, similar to the above embodiment, by changing the attachment direction of the lock unit 20 (attaching it inverted), the lid 11 can be easily switched between a first lockable specification and a second non-lockable specification.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the present invention is applied to the canister 10 used in the coffee machine 1, but the present invention is not limited to coffee machines and may be applied to containers such as canisters or hoppers with lids used in various beverage supply devices and machines for various purposes. In this embodiment, in addition to the configuration in which the lock is released by inserting a rod-shaped object thinner than a fingertip through the locking hole 16 and pushing the claw portion 27 inward as described above, the lock may also be released by a cylinder lock located at approximately the same position as the locking hole 16. For example, a locking hole 16 is provided at the back (inside the canister) of a cylinder lock positioned at approximately the same position as the locking hole 16, and the lock unit 20 is configured to be able to be attached at a position inward of the flange portion 21 so that the claw portion 27 engages with the locking hole 16.When unlocking the cylinder lock with a key, the cylinder with the key inserted is pushed (into the inside of the canister), or a cylindrical object cut diagonally with respect to the rotation axis is attached to the rear end of the cylinder, and as the cylinder rotates, the rear end of the cylinder lock (inside the canister) pushes the claw portion 27 inward, thereby releasing the lock.

[0051] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 coffee machine (drink supply device) 10 canister (raw material canister) 11 lid 12 canister main body 13 opening 16 locking hole 20 lock unit 20a first surface 20b second surface 20c spring (biasing portion) 23 holding portion 27 claw portion

Claims

1. A raw material canister for a beverage supply device, comprising a canister body which is a container having an opening and which stores raw materials and is placed on the top of the beverage supply device, and a lid which covers the opening, the raw material canister having a locking unit which is removably held on the lid, the locking unit being held so that its mounting direction relative to the lid can be changed, and which can be changed between a first mounting direction in which the canister body and the lid can be locked when the lid covers the opening, and a second mounting direction in which the canister body and the lid cannot be locked.

2. The raw material canister for the beverage supply device described in claim 1, characterized in that the locking unit has a first surface having a claw portion protruding outward, and a second surface opposite the first surface which is flat, the canister main body is provided with a locking hole into which the claw portion locks, and the lid is provided with a holding portion for holding the locking unit, and by holding either the first surface or the second surface facing outwardly of the lid, the locking unit can be changed between the first specification in which the claw portion can lock into the locking hole when the lid is used to cover the opening, and the second specification in which the claw portion does not lock into the locking hole.

3. The raw material canister for the beverage supply device described in claim 2, characterized in that the locking unit has a biasing part that biases the first surface portion and the second surface portion in a direction separating them, and when the opening is covered with the lid body of the first specification, the claw portion engages with the engagement hole to lock the canister main body portion and the lid body, and by moving the first surface portion in a direction approaching the second surface portion against the bias of the biasing part, the engagement between the claw portion and the engagement hole is released and the canister main body portion and the lid body are unlocked.

4. The raw material canister for the beverage supply device described in claim 3, characterized in that when the opening is covered with the lid body of the first specification, the tip of the claw of the locking unit is exposed to the outside through the locking hole, and the tip of the claw exposed from the locking hole is pushed inward, thereby releasing the engagement between the claw and the locking hole, and the locking hole is smaller than the tip of a finger.

5. A raw material canister for a beverage supply device as described in claim 2, characterized in that the holding portion is provided at each of a pair of opposing ends of the lid body, and the canister main body is provided with locking holes for locking the claw portions of the lock unit held by the holding portions, respectively, with respect to the holding portions.

6. A raw material canister for a beverage supply device, comprising a canister body which is a container arranged on the top of the beverage supply device, has an opening and stores raw materials, and a lid which covers the opening, the raw material canister having a locking unit which is removably held on the canister body, the locking unit being held so that its mounting direction relative to the canister body can be changed, and which can be changed between a first mounting direction in which the canister body and the lid can be locked when the opening is covered by the lid, and a second mounting direction in which the canister body and the lid cannot be locked.

7. A raw material canister for a beverage supply device as described in claim 6, characterized in that the locking unit has a first surface having a claw portion protruding outward, and a second surface opposite the first surface and which is flat, the lid is provided with a locking hole into which the claw portion engages, and the canister main body is provided with a holding portion for holding the locking unit, and by holding either the first surface or the second surface facing outward from the canister main body, when the lid is used to cover the opening, the first specification can be changed between one in which the claw portion can engage with the locking hole and one in which the claw portion does not engage with the locking hole.

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