JP5633018B2 - Beverage server - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a beverage server that cools and heats beverages such as drinking water, stores the beverages, and dispenses the beverages. More specifically, the sanitary condition of each part in the beverage server is always maintained well. The present invention relates to a beverage server that can be reduced in size and weight and can be manufactured at low cost.

  Beverage servers that can cool and cool drinking water such as mineral water and hot water that is heated are known. In such a beverage server, in order to prevent the growth of bacteria and the like, it is preferable to use a BIB (bag-in-box) type sealed container as a drinking water supply source. BIB is a paper container in which a bag-like container made of a flexible resin is arranged. In a BIB container, a beverage that has been sufficiently sterilized and sterilized in a factory is filled in the BIB container, and the inside is kept in a sealed state and transported to a final consumption place. For this reason, bacteria etc. do not penetrate | invade into the drink in a BIB container until it reaches the final consumption place.

  As such a beverage server, for example, a technique described in Patent Document 1 below is known. Patent Document 1 describes a beverage server in which a BIB type beverage container is arranged and cold and hot water beverages are supplied from the beverage container. In this beverage server, a sterilization pipe is connected to the high-temperature tank, and the hot water in the high-temperature tank is circulated through each pipe by a circulation pump to perform sterilization of each part. In addition, there has been a beverage server that does not perform hot water circulation as such sterilization treatment, and simply pours drinking water from a beverage container as cold water and hot water.

JP 2006-21893 A

  Conventional beverage servers that do not circulate hot water have relatively few problems in the hot water supply path, but have a problem that bacteria are likely to occur in the cold water tank and supply path. For this reason, it has been necessary to frequently perform sterilization treatment of the cold water tank and the supply path. As a result, maintenance takes time and cost, and the running cost of the beverage server increases. Moreover, if maintenance is neglected, there is a possibility that a drink that is not suitable for drinking may be poured out.

  In addition, a beverage server that circulates hot water circulates the hot water in the high-temperature tank to the piping of each part using a circulation pump. Therefore, a circulation pump is required, and the circulation pump is regularly installed. Also, the control operation of the control unit for making it operate is complicated. For this reason, there existed a problem that a drink server will enlarge, a weight will also increase, and the manufacturing cost of a drink server will also increase.

  In addition, since hot water circulation is performed by pressurizing with a circulation pump, there is a problem in that hot water is inevitably mixed in the beverage container during the hot water circulation and the temperature of the beverage in the beverage container rises. . For this reason, the temperature of the cold water rises for a while after the end of the hot water circulation, and a considerable waiting time is required until the cold water of an appropriate temperature is poured out. In order to reduce this waiting time, there is also a beverage server in which the entire beverage container is stored in a cooling chamber. In this case, however, the beverage server is increased in size, weight, and manufacturing cost. The problem remains.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage server that can always maintain good sanitary conditions of each part by automatically performing hot water circulation and can reduce running costs. Another object of the present invention is to provide a beverage server that can be reduced in size and weight and can be manufactured at low cost.

In order to achieve the above object, a beverage server according to the present invention has a connection portion connected to a beverage container and a low temperature that is disposed below the connection portion and stores the beverage that has flowed out of the beverage container in a cooled state. A tank, a high-temperature tank that is disposed below the low-temperature tank and stores the beverage that has flowed out of the beverage container in a heated state, a cooler that is installed in the low-temperature tank, and a heating that is installed in the high-temperature tank , A low temperature beverage pouring cock for pouring the beverage in the low temperature tank, a high temperature beverage pouring cock for pouring the beverage in the high temperature tank, a lower portion of the low temperature tank, and the high temperature tank A connection pipe that connects the upper part of the connection pipe, an on-off valve provided in the connection pipe, a first beverage pipe that connects the connection part and the low-temperature tank, and an outside of the low-temperature tank, the connection part When The second beverage pipe connecting the lower portion of the high-temperature tank, the on / off of the cooling operation by the cooler and the opening / closing of the on-off valve are controlled so that the high-temperature beverage in the high-temperature tank is transferred to the low-temperature tank, the first beverage It has a control part which circulates through piping and the 2nd drink piping, and stops the circulation.

In the above beverage server, it is preferable that the second beverage pipe is a pipe made of copper or aluminum and has a heat dissipation structure on the outer periphery .

  In the above beverage server, the beverage server includes a second heater provided in a pipe connecting the low temperature beverage dispensing cock and the low temperature tank, and the control unit starts a circulation operation of the high temperature beverage. Is to stop the cooling operation by the cooler, open the on-off valve, and start the heating operation by the second heater. It is preferable that the cooling operation by the cooler is started, the on-off valve is closed, and the heating operation by the second heater is stopped.

  In the beverage server, it is preferable that the high-temperature tank is provided with a steam hole for removing steam on an upper surface, and has a steam pipe that connects the steam hole and the second beverage pipe.

  In the above beverage server, the beverage container may be a bottle made of a synthetic resin.

  Since this invention is comprised as mentioned above, there exist the following effects.

  According to the beverage server of the present invention, periodic hot water circulation operation for sterilization of each part can be automatically executed, and the hygienic state of each part in the beverage server can always be kept good. . And the maintenance cost and running cost for it can be reduced. In addition, a circulating pump is not required for the hot water circulation operation, and the beverage server can be reduced in size and weight and the manufacturing cost can be greatly reduced. Furthermore, since the hot water circulation operation is performed by thermal convection, the temperature of the beverage in the beverage container hardly changes even if the hot water circulation operation is performed. For this reason, when the hot water circulation operation is completed and the normal operation is resumed, cold water having an appropriate temperature is poured out in a short time. Further, a cooling chamber for cooling the entire beverage container is not required.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the beverage server 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a beverage distribution route during a normal operation of the beverage server 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a beverage distribution route during the sterilization operation of the beverage server 1.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, as a drink, drink water, such as mineral water, will be described as an example. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the beverage server 1 of the present invention. Here, in order to clearly show the connection state of each part of the beverage server 1, the display of the body part cover and the like of the beverage server 1 is omitted. A connection part 3 is arranged at the top of the beverage server 1. The connecting portion 3 is connected to the beverage container 2 with the mouth portion 22 facing downward.

  As the beverage container 2, for example, a BIB (bag in box) type container as shown in the figure can be used. BIB is one in which a bag-like container 21 made of a flexible resin is arranged in a paper outer box. In a BIB container, a beverage that has been sufficiently sterilized and sterilized in a factory is filled in a bag-like container 21, and the inside is kept in a sealed state and transported to a final consumption place. For this reason, bacteria or the like do not enter the beverage in the BIB container until the final consumption place is reached. In addition, as the beverage container 2, it is also possible to use a thing other than the BIB container (for example, a synthetic resin transparent bottle or the like).

  The beverage container 2 is turned upside down so that the mouth portion 22 faces downward, and the mouth portion 22 is connected to the connection portion 3. When the mouth part 22 is connected to the connection part 3, the beverage in the beverage container 2 can flow out from the connection part 3 to each part of the beverage server 1. A low temperature tank 5 is disposed below the connecting portion 3. A high temperature tank 6 is arranged below the low temperature tank 5. The connecting part 3 and the low temperature tank 5 are connected by a first beverage pipe 41, and the connecting part 3 and the high temperature tank 6 are connected by a second beverage pipe 42.

  The low temperature tank 5 is for storing the beverage in a state where the beverage is kept at an appropriate temperature (for example, 5 to 7 ° C. or less) as cold water. Moreover, the high temperature tank 6 is for storing a beverage in a state where the beverage is maintained at a substantially constant high temperature (for example, 80 to 90 ° C.). The beverage supplied from the beverage container 2 branches into two below the connecting portion 3 and flows into the low temperature tank 5 through the first beverage pipe 41 and enters the high temperature tank 6 through the second beverage pipe 42. Inflow.

  A cooler 53 is provided in the low temperature tank 5 to cool the beverage in the low temperature tank 5 to an appropriate temperature. The cooler 53 is supplied with the refrigerant cooled to a low temperature by the cooling device 54. The cooling device 54 is on / off controlled by the control unit 7. The low temperature tank 5 is provided with a temperature sensor, and is controlled by the control unit 7 so that the beverage in the low temperature tank 5 has an appropriate temperature.

  A heater 63 is provided inside the high temperature tank 6. The heater 63 is for heating a drink and keeping the temperature high. The high-temperature tank 6 is also provided with a temperature sensor, and the heater 63 is controlled by the control unit 7 so that the beverage in the high-temperature tank 6 maintains a substantially constant high temperature.

  The beverage in the low temperature tank 5 is supplied to the cold water cock 51 via the pipe 52. When the lever of the cold water cock 51 is operated to make it open, low temperature cold water is poured out from the cold water cock 51. When cold water is poured out from the cold water cock 51, the same amount of beverage is introduced from the beverage container 2 into the low temperature tank 5. Thus, the inside of the low temperature tank 5 is always full. The periphery of the low temperature tank 5 is surrounded by a heat insulating member, and the low temperature tank 5 is thermally blocked from the outside.

  A rectifying plate 56 is provided in the vicinity of the upper surface inside the low-temperature tank 5. When the beverage flows into the low temperature tank 5 from the first beverage pipe 41, the flow direction of the beverage is changed by the rectifying plate 56 to the outer peripheral direction of the low temperature tank 5. Furthermore, the beverage descends along the outer wall of the low temperature tank 5. Since the outer wall of the low temperature tank 5 is cooled to a low temperature by the cooler 53, the beverage that has flowed in is also efficiently cooled through the outer wall. Inside the low-temperature tank 5, the lower beverage is kept at a substantially constant low temperature, and the appropriate temperature beverage is supplied to the cold water cock 51.

  The piping 52 connecting the cold water cock 51 and the low temperature tank 5 is provided with a heating jacket 55 so as to surround the outer periphery. In the hot water circulation state regularly performed for the sterilization process, since hot water is not circulated through the pipe 52, the pipe 52 is heated by the heating jacket 55 to perform the sterilization process. On / off control of the heating jacket 55 is performed by the control unit 7. In a normal operation state of the beverage server 1, the heating jacket 55 is turned off and no heating is performed. In the hot water circulation state, the heating jacket 55 is turned on, and the pipe 52 is sterilized by heating.

  The beverage in the high temperature tank 6 is supplied to the hot water cock 61 through the pipe 62. When the lever of the hot water cock 61 is operated to open the hot water cock 61, hot hot water is poured out from the hot water cock 61. When hot water is poured out from the hot water cock 61, the same amount of beverage is introduced from the beverage container 2 into the high temperature tank 6. Thus, the inside of the high temperature tank 6 is always full. The periphery of the high temperature tank 6 is also surrounded by a heat insulating member, and the high temperature tank 6 is thermally blocked from the outside. A drain pipe 65 and a drain valve 66 for completely discharging the beverage in the low temperature tank 5 and the high temperature tank 6 when not in use are provided on the lower surface side of the high temperature tank 6.

  The beverage is supplied to the high temperature tank 6 through the second beverage pipe 42, and the second beverage pipe 42 is connected to the high temperature tank 6 at a lower position of the high temperature tank 6. The beverage flowing in from the lower part of the high temperature tank 6 is heated by the heater 63 and becomes high temperature, and rises to the upper part of the high temperature tank 6. Inside the high-temperature tank 6, the beverage at the top is kept at a substantially constant high temperature, and the beverage at the appropriate temperature is supplied to the hot water cock 61.

  The lower surface side of the low temperature tank 5 and the upper surface side of the high temperature tank 6 are connected to each other by a connection pipe 43. The connection pipe 43 is provided with an on-off valve 44. The on-off valve 44 can be controlled to open / close by the control unit 7, and an electromagnetic on-off valve or the like is preferable. When the on-off valve 44 is opened, the beverage can be circulated through the connection pipe 43 between the low temperature tank 5 and the high temperature tank 6. When the on-off valve 44 is closed, the low temperature tank 5 and the high temperature tank 6 are disconnected. In the normal operation state of the beverage server 1, the on-off valve 44 is closed. In the hot water circulation state periodically performed for the sterilization treatment, the on-off valve 44 is opened.

  In addition, a small diameter steam hole 64 is provided on the upper surface of the high-temperature tank 6 so that the steam can be discharged. Since water vapor is generated inside the high-temperature tank 6 due to heating and accumulates in the upper part, it is necessary to discharge the water vapor from the high-temperature tank 6 in order to keep the high-temperature tank 6 full. The steam hole 64 is connected to the second beverage pipe 42 by a steam pipe 45. The water vapor discharged from the steam hole 64 to the outside of the high-temperature tank 6 further flows into the beverage container 2 through the steam pipe 45 and the second beverage pipe 42.

  Next, the normal operation state of the beverage server 1 and the hot water circulation state periodically performed for a certain time will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a beverage distribution route in a normal operation state of the beverage server 1. In the normal operation state, cold water cooled to an appropriate temperature in the low temperature tank 5 can be poured out from the cold water cock 51, and hot water heated to an appropriate temperature in the high temperature tank 6 can be poured out from the hot water cock 61. In this normal operation state, the on-off valve 44 is closed by the control unit 7 and the low temperature tank 5 and the high temperature tank 6 are disconnected. The heating jacket 55 is turned off.

  Then, the cooling device 54 is controlled to be turned on / off by the control unit 7, and the temperature is controlled so that the beverage in the low temperature tank 5 has an appropriate temperature. For example, when the beverage temperature is maintained at 5 to 7 ° C., the control is performed so that the cooling device 54 is turned on when the beverage temperature exceeds 7 ° C., and the cooling device 54 is turned off when the beverage temperature is less than 5 ° C. Is called.

  Further, the heater 63 is controlled to be turned on / off by the control unit 7, and the temperature is controlled so that the beverage in the high temperature tank 6 has an appropriate temperature. For example, when the beverage temperature is maintained at 80 to 90 ° C., the heater 63 is turned on when the beverage temperature is less than 80 ° C., and the heater 63 is turned off when the beverage temperature exceeds 90 ° C. Is called.

  In this normal operation state, the beverage that has flowed out of the beverage container 2 branches into the first beverage pipe 41 and the second beverage pipe 42 as indicated by arrows, and flows into the low temperature tank 5 and the high temperature tank 6 respectively. The beverage that has flowed into the low-temperature tank 5 descends along the outer wall of the low-temperature tank 5 by the current plate 56, and the beverage cooled to an appropriate temperature is poured out from the cold water cock 51 through the pipe 52. Also, the beverage that has flowed into the lower portion of the high temperature tank 6 from the second beverage pipe 42 is heated to an appropriate temperature by the heater 63, and is poured out from the hot water cock 61 through the pipe 62. Water vapor generated during heating is discharged from the steam hole 64 through the steam pipe 45 as indicated by the dotted arrow.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a beverage distribution route when the beverage server 1 is circulating hot water. The hot water circulation operation is periodically performed for a certain period of time in order to sterilize each part of the beverage server 1 and keep each part clean. By setting the timer, the hot water circulation operation is started at a least frequently used time zone (for example, midnight 2 to 3 o'clock) and continues for a certain time (for example, 40 minutes), and then the hot water circulation operation is terminated. Return to normal operation. This hot water circulation operation can be automatically performed every day. Also, the hot water circulation operation can be manually started and stopped at any time.

  At the start of the hot water circulation operation, the controller 7 turns off the cooling device 54 and opens the on-off valve 44. Thereby, the cooling operation by the cooler 53 is stopped, and the beverage can pass through the connection pipe 43 between the low temperature tank 5 and the high temperature tank 6. Further, the control unit 7 turns on the heating jacket 55 and heats the pipe 52. Further, the on / off control of the heater 63 is performed in the same manner as in the normal operation, and the beverage in the high temperature tank 6 is kept at a substantially constant high temperature (80 to 90 ° C.).

  Since the on-off valve 44 is in the open state, the high-temperature beverage that has been heated, expanded, and reduced in density rises through the connection pipe 43 as indicated by an arrow. The high temperature beverage further circulates from the low temperature tank 5 through the first beverage pipe 41 and the second beverage pipe 42 and returns to the lower part of the high temperature tank 6. This is circulation by thermal convection. The second beverage pipe 42 is made of a material having a high thermal conductivity (for example, copper, aluminum, etc.) so as to increase heat dissipation. Furthermore, a heat radiating structure such as a heat radiating fin may be provided on the outer periphery of the second beverage pipe 42. Due to the heat radiation action of the second beverage pipe 42, the beverage in the second beverage pipe 42 is cooled and the density increases. This increases the circulation of heat convection.

  The actual temperature of the beverage at each part in the beverage server 1 during hot water circulation was as follows. The beverage temperature at the upper part of the high temperature tank 6 is 80 to 90 ° C., the beverage temperature at the low temperature tank 5 is about 70 ° C., the beverage temperature at the pipe branching portion below the connection part 3 is about 65 ° C. 6 Beverage temperature in the vicinity of the connection to the lower part was about 55 ° C.

  Thus, at the time of hot water circulation, the high temperature beverage circulates in the high temperature tank 6 → the connection pipe 43 → the low temperature tank 5 → the first beverage pipe 41 → the second beverage pipe 42 → the high temperature tank 6 to perform sterilization of each part. . This circulation is natural circulation by heat convection and does not require a pressurizing device such as a circulation pump. Moreover, since a hot beverage is circulated without being pressurized, the hot beverage does not enter the beverage container 2 and the temperature of the beverage in the beverage container 2 hardly changes. For this reason, when the hot water circulation operation is completed and the normal operation is resumed, cold water having an appropriate temperature is poured out in a short time.

  In addition, since the piping 52 is not included in the circulation path of the high-temperature beverage, the piping 52 is heated by the heating jacket 55 and sterilized. The hot water circulation operation as described above is continued for a certain time, and then the hot water circulation operation is terminated and the normal operation is resumed. About 40 minutes is sufficient for the duration of the hot water circulation operation.

  As described above, according to the beverage server 1 of the present invention, the periodic hot water circulation operation for the sterilization treatment of each part can be automatically executed, and the hygienic state of each part in the beverage server is always good. Can be maintained. And the maintenance cost and running cost for it can be reduced. In addition, a circulating pump is not required for the hot water circulation operation, and the beverage server can be reduced in size and weight and the manufacturing cost can be greatly reduced. Furthermore, since the hot water circulation operation is performed by thermal convection, the temperature of the beverage in the beverage container 2 hardly changes even if the hot water circulation operation is performed. For this reason, when the hot water circulation operation is completed and the normal operation is resumed, cold water having an appropriate temperature is poured out in a short time. In addition, a cooling chamber for cooling the entire beverage container 2 is not required.

  In the above description, the beverage container 2 is a BIB container, but any beverage container can be used in the present invention. The beverage container may be a transparent bottle made of synthetic resin, for example.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the hot water circulation can be performed automatically, the sanitary state of each part can always be maintained favorable, and the drink server which can reduce a running cost can be provided. The beverage server can be reduced in size and weight and can be manufactured at low cost.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Beverage server 2 Beverage container 3 Connection part 5 Low temperature tank 6 High temperature tank 7 Control part 21 Bag-like container 22 Mouth part 41 1st drink piping 42 2nd drink piping 43 Connection piping 44 On-off valve 45 Steam piping 51 Cold water cock 52 Piping 53 Cooler 54 Cooling device 55 Heating jacket 56 Current plate 61 Hot water cock 62 Piping 63 Heater 64 Steam hole 65 Drain pipe 66 Drain valve

Claims (5)

A connection (3) connected to the beverage container (2);
A low-temperature tank (5) disposed below the connecting portion (3) and storing the beverage that has flowed out of the beverage container (2) in a cooled state; and
A high-temperature tank (6) disposed below the low-temperature tank (5) and storing the beverage that has flowed out of the beverage container (2) in a heated state;
A cooler (53) installed in the low temperature tank (5);
A heater (63) installed in the high temperature tank (6);
A low temperature beverage dispensing cock (51) for dispensing the beverage in the low temperature tank (5);
A high temperature beverage dispensing cock (61) for dispensing the beverage in the high temperature tank (6);
A connection pipe (43) connecting the lower part of the low temperature tank (5) and the upper part of the high temperature tank (6);
An on-off valve (44) provided in the connection pipe (43);
A first beverage pipe (41) connecting the connection (3) and the low temperature tank (5);
A second beverage pipe (42) disposed outside the low temperature tank (5) and connecting the connecting portion ( 3 ) and the lower portion of the high temperature tank (6);
By controlling on / off of the cooling operation by the cooler (53) and opening / closing of the on-off valve (44), the high temperature beverage in the high temperature tank (6) is supplied to the low temperature tank (5) and the first beverage pipe (41). ) And the second beverage pipe (42), and a beverage server having a control unit (7) for stopping the circulation. The beverage server according to claim 1,
The said 2nd drink piping (42) is a drink server which is piping which consists of copper or aluminum, and provided the structure for thermal radiation in the outer periphery . The beverage server according to any one of claims 1 and 2,
A second heater (55) provided in a pipe (52) connecting the low-temperature beverage pouring cock (51) and the low-temperature tank (5);
The control unit (7)
When the circulation operation of the high temperature beverage is started, the cooling operation by the cooler (53) is stopped, the on-off valve (44) is opened, and the heating operation by the second heater (55) is performed. Is to start,
When stopping the circulation operation of the high temperature beverage, the cooling operation by the cooler (53) is started, the on-off valve (44) is closed, and the heating operation by the second heater (55) is performed. Beverage server that is to be stopped. It is a drink server given in any 1 paragraph of Claims 1-3,
The high-temperature tank (6) is provided with a steam hole (64) for removing steam on the upper surface,
A beverage server having a steam pipe (45) connecting the steam hole (64) and the second beverage pipe (42). It is a drink server given in any 1 paragraph of Claims 1-4,
The beverage container is a beverage server which is a bottle made of a synthetic resin.

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