Beverage supply device

Abstract

Provided is a beverage supply device 1 comprising: a milk tank 10 in which a replenishment port 11a is opened / closed by a replenishment door 11b; and a cooling device 34 for cooling the air inside a cooling container 11 in which the milk tank 10 is disposed, wherein the beverage supply device supplies milk cooled by the cooling device 34 while being stored in the milk tank 10 to a cup C as at least a part of a beverage. The beverage supply device comprises: an open / closed state detection unit 35 for detecting the open / closed state of the replenishment port 11a; an internal temperature detection unit 36 for detecting the internal temperature of the cooling container 11; and a control unit 40 for regulating the supply of milk until a predetermined release condition is satisfied when the magnitude of the slope of the internal temperature detected by the internal temperature detection unit 36 in a determination period starting from when a closed state of the replenishment port 11a is detected by the open / closed state detection unit 35 is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value.

Description

Beverage supply device

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

[0002] Conventionally, a beverage supply device that supplies milk, for example, as foamed milk into a cup, which is a container, has been proposed in Patent Document 1. In such a beverage supply device, it is common for the milk to be stored in a raw material tank in a cooled state.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 6875899

[0004] In the above beverage supply device, when the milk in the raw material tank runs out, the milk is replenished into a predetermined container. This replenished milk is usually stored at room temperature and is supplied after being cooled to a low temperature of, for example, 10°C or lower even if it is at room temperature during replenishment.

[0005] However, hygienically, the temperature of the milk cannot be directly detected, and there is a risk that the temperature of the milk may not be at the above low temperature even if the internal temperature of the container in which the raw material tank is arranged is below a predetermined temperature.

[0006] In view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage supply device that can prevent the supply of a raw material to be cooled in a state where it is not properly cooled.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the beverage supply device according to the present invention includes a raw material tank whose replenishment port is opened and closed by a replenishment door, and cooling means for cooling the internal air of a cooling container in which the raw material tank is arranged, and supplies the raw material to be cooled, which is stored in the raw material tank and cooled by the cooling means, as at least a part of a beverage into a container. The beverage supply device is characterized in that it further includes opening / closing detection means for detecting the opening and closing of the replenishment port, internal temperature detection means for detecting the internal temperature of the cooling container, and control means for restricting the supply of the raw material to be cooled until a predetermined release condition is satisfied when the magnitude of the slope of the internal temperature detected by the internal temperature detection means at a determination time starting from the time when the closed state of the replenishment port is detected by the opening / closing detection means is less than or equal to a predetermined reference value.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the beverage supply device described above, the release condition is the elapsed time of release, which changes according to the magnitude of the external temperature detected by the external temperature detection means for detecting the external temperature outside the cooling container.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the beverage supply device described above, the release condition is the elapsed time of a release period related to the season, which is determined by the current date and time.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the beverage supply device described above, the control means allows the supply of the raw material requiring refrigeration on the condition that the internal temperature detected by the internal temperature detection means is below a preset allowable value when the magnitude of the slope at the determination time exceeds the reference value.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the beverage supply device described above, the raw material requiring refrigeration is milk.

[0012] According to the present invention, the control means restricts the supply of refrigerated raw materials until a predetermined release condition is met, if the magnitude of the gradient of the internal temperature detected by the internal temperature detection means during a determination time starting from the moment the closed state of the replenishment port is detected by the open / close detection means is below a predetermined reference value. Therefore, refrigerated raw materials are not supplied in a state where they are not sufficiently cooled. Thus, the effect is achieved in preventing the supply of refrigerated raw materials in a state where they are not properly cooled.

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general circuit configuration of a beverage supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a characteristic control system of a beverage supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing content of the supply determination control performed by the control unit shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0014] A preferred embodiment of the beverage supply device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0015] Figures 1 and 2 show a beverage supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration circuit of the beverage supply device, and Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the characteristic control system of the beverage supply device.

[0016] The beverage dispensing device 1 illustrated here dispenses, for example, milk-based coffee such as a cafe latte into a container called a cup C.

[0017] This beverage supply device 1 is comprised of a milk tank (raw material tank) 10, a first gear pump 13, a steam delivery unit 16, an air delivery unit 18, a mixing unit 19, a second gear pump 21, a milk nozzle 23, an operation input unit 31, an extraction unit 32, a cooling device 34, an open / close detection unit 35, an internal temperature detection unit 36, an external temperature detection unit 37, and a control unit 40.

[0018] The milk tank 10 stores milk, which is a beverage ingredient (an ingredient that requires refrigeration). This milk tank 10 is placed in a cooling container 11, which is an insulated container, and refrigerates the milk to a predetermined temperature. The cooling container 11 is provided with a replenishment opening 11a, which is opened and closed by a replenishment door 11b with an insulated structure.

[0019] The first gear pump 13 is connected to the milk tank 10 via a raw material suction line 12 and to the mixing unit 19 via a raw material delivery line 14. When a drive unit such as a motor is driven in response to a command from the control unit 40, the first gear pump 13 sucks milk from the milk tank 10 via the raw material suction line 12 and delivers the milk to the mixing unit 19 via the raw material delivery line 14.

[0020] The raw material suction pipeline 12 is a pipeline formed by connecting multiple pipes, and a first check valve 12a is installed along it. The first check valve 12a allows fluid (milk) to flow from the milk tank 10, while restricting the flow of fluid toward the milk tank 10.

[0021] The raw material delivery pipeline 14 is a pipeline formed by connecting multiple pipes, and an exhaust pipeline 15 and a second check valve 14a are provided along it. The exhaust pipeline 15 is provided in a manner that it branches off from the raw material delivery pipeline 14. This exhaust pipeline 15 is a pipeline formed by connecting multiple pipes, and an exhaust valve 15a is provided along it.

[0022] The exhaust valve 15a is a valve body that opens and closes in response to commands from the control unit 40. When the exhaust valve 15a is open, it allows fluid (air) to flow through the exhaust pipe 15, while when it is closed, it restricts the flow of fluid through the exhaust pipe 15.

[0023] The second check valve 14a is located downstream of the exhaust pipe 15 in the raw material delivery pipe 14. This second check valve 14a allows fluid (milk) to flow toward the mixing section 19, while restricting the flow of fluid from the mixing section 19.

[0024] The steam outlet section 16 is equipped with a steam tank 16a. The steam tank 16a is a tank that heats the supplied water and generates steam from the hot water. This steam tank 16a is connected to the mixing section 19 through a heating steam pipeline 16b and is also connected to the middle of the raw material suction pipeline 12 through a blowdown steam pipeline 17.

[0025] The heating steam pipeline 16b is a pipeline formed by connecting multiple pipes, and a heating steam supply valve 16c and a third check valve 16d are provided along it.

[0026] The heating steam supply valve 16c is a valve body that opens and closes in response to commands given by the control unit 40. When the heating steam supply valve 16c is open, it allows fluid (heating steam) to flow through the heating steam pipeline 16b, while when it is closed, it restricts the flow of fluid through the heating steam pipeline 16b.

[0027] The third check valve 16d is located downstream of the heating steam supply valve 16c in the heating steam pipeline 16b. This third check valve 16d allows fluid (heating steam, etc.) to flow toward the mixing section 19, while restricting the flow of fluid from the mixing section 19.

[0028] The blowdown steam pipeline 17 is a pipeline formed by connecting multiple pipes, with one end connected to the steam tank 16a and the other end connected to the first check valve 12a and the first gear pump 13 in the raw material suction pipeline 12. A blowdown steam supply valve 17a and a fourth check valve 17b are provided along the blowdown steam pipeline 17.

[0029] The blowdown steam supply valve 17a is a valve body that opens and closes in response to commands given from the control unit 40. When the blowdown steam supply valve 17a is open, it allows fluid (blowdown steam) to flow through the blowdown steam pipeline 17, while when it is closed, it restricts the flow of fluid through the blowdown steam pipeline 17.

[0030] The fourth check valve 17b is located downstream of the blowdown steam supply valve 17a in the blowdown steam pipeline 17. This fourth check valve 17b allows fluid (blowdown steam) to flow from the steam tank 16a, while restricting the flow of fluid toward the steam tank 16a.

[0031] The air supply unit 18 is equipped with an air pump 18a. The air pump 18a is connected to the heating steam pipeline 16b via a pressurized air pipeline 18b. This air pump 18a generates pressurized air when a drive unit, such as a motor, is driven in response to a command given by the control unit 40.

[0032] The pressurized air pipeline 18b is a pipeline formed by connecting multiple pipes, with one end connected to the air pump 18a and the other end connected between the heating steam supply valve 16c and the third check valve 16d in the heating steam pipeline 16b. This air delivery unit 18 generates pressurized air with the air pump 18a and sends it to the mixing unit 19.

[0033] The mixing unit 19 is a container having a space inside that allows for mixing. The second gear pump 21 is connected to the mixing unit 19 through an inlet pipe 20 and to the milk nozzle 23 through an outlet pipe 22. When a drive unit such as a motor is driven in response to a command from the control unit 40, the second gear pump 21 compresses the fluid, such as the mixture, that flows in from the mixing unit 19 through the inlet pipe 20 and sends it to the milk nozzle 23 through the outlet pipe 22.

[0034] The inlet pipeline 20 is a pipeline formed by connecting multiple pipes. The outlet pipeline 22 is a pipeline formed by connecting multiple pipes, and an orifice section 22a is provided in the middle of it. The orifice section 22a is a part in which the inner diameter of the passage is smaller than the inner diameter of the passage of the outlet pipeline 22. Here, the inner diameter of the passage of the orifice section 22a is, for example, about 1 to 2 mm.

[0035] The milk nozzle 23 dispenses milk that has been sent to it into a cup C placed on a stage (not shown). Although not explicitly shown in the diagram, the milk nozzle 23 has a built-in shutter mechanism, which allows it to either dispense the fluid sent to it into the cup C, or to discharge it into a discharge path without discharging it into the cup C.

[0036] The operation input unit 31 is an input means for performing operations such as selecting products. The operation input unit 31 also allows administrators to configure various settings. The extraction unit 32 extracts coffee and delivers it to the coffee nozzle 33.

[0037] The cooling device 34 consists of a circuit for circulating a refrigerant and a Peltier element, and is a cooling means for cooling the air inside the cooling container 11. As a result, the milk stored in the milk tank 10 is cooled.

[0038] The opening / closing detection unit 35 is located near the replenishment port 11a of the cooling container 11 and is an opening / closing detection means for detecting the opening and closing of the replenishment port 11a. The internal temperature detection unit 36 ​​is located inside the cooling container 11. This internal temperature detection unit 36 ​​is an internal temperature detection means that periodically detects the internal temperature of the cooling container 11 and outputs the detected internal temperature to the control unit 40 each time.

[0039] The external temperature detection unit 37 is located outside the cooling container 11. This external temperature detection unit 37 is an external temperature detection means that periodically detects the temperature outside the cooling container 11 and outputs the detected external temperature to the control unit 40 each time.

[0040] The control unit 40 is a control means that comprehensively controls the operation of the beverage supply device 1 according to the programs and data stored in the storage unit 41. More specifically, the control unit 40 is communicatively connected to the first gear pump 13, the heating steam supply valve 16c, the blow steam supply valve 17a, the air pump 18a, the second gear pump 21, the milk nozzle 23, the operation input unit 31, the extraction unit 32, the coffee nozzle 33, the cooling device 34, the opening / closing detection unit 35, the internal temperature detection unit 36, and the external temperature detection unit 37, and includes a supply processing unit 40a and a supply determination processing unit 40b.

[0041] The supply processing unit 40a drives the first gear pump 13 and the like to perform the process of supplying the beverage (coffee and milk) to cup C. The supply determination processing unit 40b performs the supply determination control described later.

[0042] Furthermore, the control unit 40 may be implemented by, for example, causing a processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) to execute a program, i.e., by software; by, by, hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit); or by, by, a combination of software and hardware.

[0043] The supply of milk in the beverage supply device 1 having the above configuration, for example, the supply of hot foamed milk, will now be described.

[0044] Further, on the premise that the steam supply valve 16c for heating is in the closed state, the steam supply valve 17a for blowing is in the closed state, the exhaust valve 15a is in the open state, the air pump 18a, the first gear pump 13, and the second gear pump 21 are stopped from driving, and the cup C is placed on the stage. Also, the milk nozzle 23 is in a state where the fluid sent to itself is discharged to the discharge path by the shutter mechanism.

[0045] The supply processing unit 40a of the control unit 40 opens the steam supply valve 16c for heating and closes the exhaust valve 15a, and drives the air pump 18a and the second gear pump 21. Thereby, the heating steam generated in the steam tank 16a is circulated in the order of the heating steam pipeline 16b, the mixing unit 19, the inflow pipeline 20, the second gear pump 21, the outflow pipeline 22, and the milk nozzle 23 and discharged to the discharge path, and these paths can be sterilized. Also, the orifice portion 22a can be preheated.

[0046] Thereafter, the supply processing unit 40a of the control unit 40 drives the first gear pump 13. The first gear pump 13, the air pump 18a, and the second gear pump 21 are driven with variable voltage. Also, the supply processing unit 40a makes the milk nozzle 23 capable of discharging the fluid sent to itself to the cup C by driving the shutter mechanism. Thereby, the first gear pump 13 sucks the milk in the milk tank 10 and sends it to the mixing unit 19, the heating steam generated in the steam tank 16a is sent to the mixing unit 19, the pressurized air generated by the air pump 18a is sent to the mixing unit 19, and the milk is mixed with the pressurized air while being heated. The second gear pump 21 compresses the heated milk and pressurized air sent to the mixing unit 19 and sends it to the orifice portion 22a to generate foamed milk, and hot foamed milk is discharged and supplied from the milk nozzle 23 to the cup C.

[0047] Then, the supply processing unit 40a stops driving the first gear pump 13, closes the heating steam supply valve 16c, and opens the blowing steam supply valve 17a. As a result, the steam (blowing steam) generated in the steam tank 16a can be circulated in the order of the blowing steam pipeline 17, the raw material suction pipeline 12, the first gear pump 13, the raw material delivery pipeline 14, and the mixing unit 19, and the milk remaining in the path can be sent to the mixing unit 19. Further, since the air pump 18a is driving, the pressurized air generated by the air pump 18a can be sent to the mixing unit 19, and the second gear pump 21 during driving sends the milk remaining in the path after the mixing unit 19 to the milk nozzle 23, and can discharge and supply it to the cup C through the milk nozzle 23.

[0048] Then, the supply processing unit 40a closes the blowing steam supply valve 17a while opening the heating steam supply valve 16c. As a result, the heating steam can be sent to the mixing unit 19, and the second gear pump 21 during driving sends the milk remaining in the path after the mixing unit 19 to the milk nozzle 23, and can discharge and supply it to the cup C through the milk nozzle 23.

[0049] Then, the supply processing unit 40a closes the heating steam supply valve 16c, opens the blowing steam supply valve 17a, and stops driving the air pump 18a. Further, the supply processing unit 40a drives the shutter mechanism so that the fluid sent to itself is discharged to the discharge path at the milk nozzle 23. As a result, the blowing steam can be circulated in the order of the blowing steam pipeline 17, the raw material suction pipeline 12, the first gear pump 13, the raw material delivery pipeline 14, and the mixing unit 19, and the sterilization process can be performed while cleaning these paths.

[0050] Then, the supply processing unit 40a closes the blowing steam supply valve 17a and opens the heating steam supply valve 16c. As a result, the heating steam can be circulated in the order of the heating steam pipeline 16b, the mixing unit 19, the inflow pipeline 20, the second gear pump 21, the outflow pipeline 22, and the milk nozzle 23 and discharged to the discharge path, and the sterilization process can be performed while cleaning these paths.

[0051] Then, the supply processing unit 40a closes the heating steam supply valve 16c and stops the second gear pump 21, thereby ending the supply of hot foamed milk for this batch. The supply processing unit 40a also opens the exhaust valve 15a to prevent negative pressure from forming in the passage.

[0052] On the other hand, in the beverage supply device 1 described above, when the milk in the milk tank 10 runs out, the replenishment door 11b is swung in the direction of opening, the replenishment opening 11a opens, and milk is replenished in the milk tank 10. When such milk replenishment is performed, the beverage supply device 1 performs the following supply determination control.

[0053] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing details of the supply determination control performed by the control unit 40 shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0054] In this supply determination control, the supply determination processing unit 40b of the control unit 40 determines whether or not the opening / closing detection unit 35 has detected the replenishment port 11a to be closed (step S101). If the opening / closing detection unit 35 does not detect the replenishment port 11a to be closed (step S101: No), that is, if the replenishment port 11a is in an open state, the supply determination processing unit 40b repeats this determination process.

[0055] On the other hand, if the opening / closing detection unit 35 detects that the replenishment port 11a is closed (step S101: Yes), the supply determination processing unit 40b waits for a predetermined determination time (for example, 30 seconds to 5 minutes) to elapse (step S102).

[0056] Then, after the judgment time has elapsed (step S102: Yes), the supply judgment processing unit 40b calculates the slope of the detection result (internal temperature) of the internal temperature detection unit 36 ​​during the judgment time (step S103), and determines whether the magnitude of the calculated slope is less than or equal to a predetermined reference value read from the storage unit 41 (step S104). Here, the reference value is stored as reference value information in the storage unit 41 and is a threshold value used to determine whether or not the replenished milk was stored at room temperature.

[0057] If the magnitude of the slope is below the standard value (step S104: Yes), the supply determination processing unit 40b restricts the milk supply as if the replenished milk had been stored at room temperature (step S105).

[0058] Specifically, the control unit 40 restricts the selection of beverages containing milk through the operation input unit 31. However, the control unit 40 also allows the selection of beverages that do not contain milk (such as coffee) through the operation input unit 31, enabling the supply of beverages from the extraction unit 32.

[0059] In this manner, the supply determination processing unit 40b, which has regulated the milk supply, waits for a release time to elapse, which is determined according to the magnitude of the detected external temperature, provided that the external temperature detection unit 37 detects an external temperature (step S106: Yes) (step S107).

[0060] Here, the length of the release time is such that, for example, it is about 6 hours when the external temperature is 32°C or higher, and about 2 hours when the external temperature is 25°C or lower. Furthermore, when the external temperature is greater than 25°C but less than 32°C, it is about 3 to 5 hours. Such release times are determined to be sufficient time to cool the milk to a predetermined temperature (for example, 10°C or lower) when milk that has been stored at room temperature is replenished in the milk tank 10.

[0061] If the release time has elapsed (step S107: Yes), the supply determination processing unit 40b assumes that the milk has cooled to a predetermined temperature and allows the milk to be supplied (step S108), and then returns to the previous step to terminate the current process.

[0062] If the magnitude of the slope exceeds the reference value in step S104 (step S104: No), the supply determination processing unit 40b assumes that the replenished milk was stored under cooling and determines whether the internal temperature, which is the result of detecting the internal temperature, is less than or equal to the allowable value read from the storage unit 41 (step S109).

[0063] Here, the permissible value is stored as permissible value information in the memory unit 41 and is a threshold value experimentally determined to determine that the replenished milk is below a predetermined temperature. If the internal temperature exceeds the permissible value (step S109: No), the supply determination processing unit 40b repeats this process.

[0064] On the other hand, if the internal temperature is below the allowable value (step S109: Yes), the supply determination processing unit 40b assumes that the milk has cooled to a predetermined temperature, performs the process in step S108 described above, and then returns to the previous step to terminate the current process.

[0065] As described above, according to the beverage supply device 1, which is an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 40 restricts the supply of milk when the magnitude of the gradient of the internal temperature detected by the internal temperature detection unit 36 ​​during the determination time after the closed state of the replenishment port 11a is detected by the opening / closing detection unit 35 is below a reference value. Therefore, the milk is not supplied in a state that is not sufficiently cooled. Thus, it is possible to prevent the supply of milk that is not properly cooled. Moreover, since the supply of milk is permitted after the release time, which is the release condition, it is possible to supply milk that has been properly cooled.

[0066] According to the beverage supply device 1 described above, the control unit 40 allows the supply of beverages by the extraction unit 32 even when the supply of milk is restricted, thus preventing the loss of beverage supply opportunities.

[0067] Furthermore, according to the beverage supply device 1 described above, the control unit 40 permits the supply of milk on the condition that the internal temperature detected by the internal temperature detection unit 36 ​​is below an acceptable value when the magnitude of the slope during the determination time exceeds a standard value. Therefore, milk that has been cooled before replenishment can be supplied earlier.

[0068] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made.

[0069] In the embodiments described above, milk was explained as an example of a refrigerated ingredient, but in the present invention, the refrigerated ingredient is not limited to milk.

[0070] In the embodiments described above, the passage of a release time determined according to the magnitude of the external temperature was explained as the fulfillment of the release condition. However, in the present invention, various conditions can be used to define the fulfillment of the release condition.

[0071] For example, the duration of the deactivation period may be determined by the current date and time and related to the season. More specifically, if the current date and time is December 1st, the deactivation period may be set to approximately 2 hours for the winter season; if the current date and time is August 1st, the deactivation period may be set to approximately 6 hours for the summer season; and if the current date and time is May 1st or October 1st, the deactivation period may be set to approximately 3 to 5 hours for the intermediate season. In other words, in this invention, an external temperature detection means is not necessarily required.

[0072] 1...Beverage supply device, 10...Milk tank, 11...Cooling container, 11a...Refill port, 11b...Refill door, 12...Raw material suction line, 13...First gear pump, 14...Raw material delivery line, 15...Exhaust line, 16...Steam delivery section, 17...Blowdown steam line, 18...Air delivery section, 19...Mixing section, 20...Inlet line, 21...Second gear pump, 22...Outlet line, 23...Milk nozzle, 31...Operation input section, 32...Extraction unit, 33...Coffee nozzle, 34...Cooling device, 35...Open / close detection section, 36...Internal temperature detection section, 37...External temperature detection section, 40...Control unit, 40a...Supply processing section, 40b...Supply determination processing section, 41...Storage section, C...Cup.

Claims

1. A beverage supply device comprising: a raw material tank whose replenishment opening is opened and closed by a replenishment door; and a cooling means for cooling the internal air of a cooling container in which the raw material tank is located; wherein the refrigerated raw material stored in the raw material tank and cooled by the cooling means is supplied to a container as at least part of a beverage, the device further comprising: an opening / closing detection means for detecting the opening and closing of the replenishment opening; an internal temperature detection means for detecting the internal temperature of the cooling container; and a control means for restricting the supply of the refrigerated raw material until a predetermined release condition is met, when the magnitude of the slope of the internal temperature detected by the internal temperature detection means during a determination time starting from the time when the replenishment opening is detected to be closed by the opening / closing detection means is less than or equal to a predetermined standard value.

2. The beverage supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that the release condition is the elapsed time of a release period that changes according to the magnitude of the external temperature detected by the external temperature detection means for detecting the external temperature outside the cooling container.

3. The beverage supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that the release condition is the elapsed time of a release period related to the season determined by the current date and time.

4. The beverage supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means allows the supply of the raw material requiring refrigeration on the condition that the internal temperature detected by the internal temperature detection means is below a preset allowable value when the magnitude of the slope during the determination time exceeds the reference value.

5. The beverage supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the raw material requiring refrigeration is milk.

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