JPH0720792Y2 - Flow controller for beverage circuit of cup type vending machine - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial field of application] The present invention is arranged in a cold air chamber that is partitioned by a heat insulating wall and whose inside is cooled, and supplies a beverage or its raw material to a container such as a cup each time it is sold. Adjust the flow rate of the beverage circuit,
The present invention relates to a flow controller for a beverage circuit of a cup type vending machine that sells cold beverages.

[Conventional technology]

In a conventional cup-type vending machine that sells cold beverages cooked and manufactured inside by placing them in a container such as a cup, a premixed beverage manufacturing method that sells beverages such as juice and cola stored in the machine as they are On the other hand, carbonated water prepared by dissolving carbon dioxide gas filled in a high-pressure gas cylinder stored and installed in the machine in water under high pressure, water, etc. and raw materials such as concentrated syrup are separately poured into a container such as a cup, There is a post-mix method in which a soft drink is manufactured by stirring and mixing in this container. In both cases, the beverage and the raw material flow through the beverage circuit while being cooled, and the flow rate adjustment is arranged in the cold air chamber in which the inside is cooled by being partitioned by the heat insulating wall provided in the beverage circuit. The flow rate is adjusted by the container, and a fixed amount is supplied to the container each time it is sold. FIGS. 2 and 3 show a flow regulator for a beverage circuit of a conventional cup type vending machine of this type. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an internal configuration including a flow rate regulator of a beverage circuit of a conventional cup type vending machine, and FIG. 3 is a front view of a main part showing a configuration of a beverage circuit including the flow rate regulator of FIG. Is.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a frame, and a cup supply device 3 for supplying one container 2 containing cups or the like to the upper center of the frame 1 each time the product is sold, and this cup supply device 3 The lower side of the cup shooter 4 conveys the container 2 supplied by the cup supply device 3, and the lower end of the cup shooter 4 conveys the container 2 conveyed by the cup shooter 4.
There is provided a cup cradle 5 and the like on which is mounted. Further, a water tank 7 in which cold water cooled by the refrigerator 6 is stored in the lower left of the frame 1, a high-pressure gas cylinder 8 behind the water tank 7, and a water storage for storing water supplied from the outside through a transformer 9 in the right center. A tank 10 and the like are provided. The water in the water storage tank 10 is supplied to an ice making machine 11 arranged in the upper right and becomes ice, and is supplied to the container 2 through the ice shooter 12, while it is kept as it is or in a carbonated water manufacturing apparatus (not shown) at high pressure. After changing to carbonated water by the carbon dioxide gas that is decompressed and supplied from the gas cylinder 8 by the pressure reducing valve 13, the pump 14 arranged in the right center of the frame 1 passes the beverage circuit 15 through the nozzle 16 connected to the end of the container 2 and the container 2.
Supplied within. Further, in the lower right of the frame 1, there are provided a plurality of pressure resistant containers 17 for accommodating raw materials such as various concentrated syrups.
Is stored in the pressure-resistant container 17, and one of the two pressure-feeding pipes 18 connected at one end to the high-pressure gas cylinder 8 is depressurized by carbon dioxide gas introduced from the other end, A raw material such as concentrated syrup is poured into the container 2 from the nozzle 16 through the beverage circuit 15 in a state where carbon dioxide gas is partially dissolved. The drink circuit 15 is cooled by the nozzle 16 and the cold water in the water tank 7 that is sent through the cooling pipe 20 having one end connected to the pump 19 immersed in the cold water in the water tank 7, and is insulated at the upper right of the water tank 7. A flow controller provided in a cold air chamber 22 defined by a heat insulating wall 21 filled with a material.
Solenoid valve 24 with a built-in 23 and the nozzle through this solenoid valve 24
It is configured by a beverage pipe 25 having one end connected to 16.
A coil-shaped cooling unit 26 immersed in cold water in the water tank 7 is formed in the middle of the beverage pipe 25, and the heat insulating wall 21 is vertically moved on the adjusting screw 27 at the upper end of the flow rate adjuster 23. A hole 28 having a diameter small enough for a driver to be inserted is formed so as to prevent the cold air therein from escaping as much as possible. A screwdriver is inserted into the hole 28 and the adjusting screw 27 is turned to adjust the flow rate of the beverage circuit 15 from outside the cold air chamber 22. In this beverage circuit 15, when the solenoid valve 24 is opened by the sales command control signal, water, carbonated water, concentrated syrup, etc. are cooled in the cooling unit 26 through the beverage pipe 25 and the flow rate thereof is adjusted by the flow rate regulator 23. It is adjusted and supplied to the container 2 in fixed amounts. Water, carbonated water, concentrated syrup, etc., which are respectively supplied into the container 2 in fixed amounts, are stirred and mixed with each other in the container 2 depending on the flow velocity when flowing out from the nozzle 16 to form a beverage.
The pump 19 is rotationally driven by a motor 30 arranged at the upper left of the water tank 7 and having a shaft end fitted with a stirring blade 29 for stirring the cold water in the water tank 7.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

By the way, in order to avoid the temperature rise of water, carbonated water, concentrated syrup, etc., which is supplied to the container 2 through the beverage circuit 15, the flow rate adjuster 23 of the beverage circuit of the cup type vending machine as described above, An electromagnetic valve 24 containing a flow rate adjuster 23 is arranged in a cold air chamber 22 which is partitioned by the heat insulating wall 21 and is cooled. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the flow rate of the beverage circuit 15 by turning the adjustment screw 27, which cannot be seen directly with the eyes, with a driver inserted through the hole 28 from the outside of the cold air chamber 22. Therefore, there is a problem in that the work of adjusting the flow rate of the beverage circuit 15 is a blind work that is extremely difficult to perform, and therefore, the adjusting screw 27
Over the adjustment range or cold air leaks from the hole 28, damaging the flow rate regulator 23 and water, carbonated water, concentrated syrup, etc. flowing through the beverage circuit 15 leaking from the flow rate regulator 23 or inside the container 2. There is also a problem that the temperature of the beverage produced by the company increases.

This invention is a flow controller for a drink circuit of a cup-type vending machine that can easily perform a flow adjustment work and does not rotate the adjustment screw too much beyond its adjustment range or raise the temperature of water, carbonated water, concentrated syrup, etc. The challenge is to provide.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, it is arranged in a cold air chamber where the interior is cooled by being formed by a heat insulating wall having a heat insulating property, and a juice or juice as a raw material thereof, a concentrated syrup, In a flow controller for a beverage circuit of a cup-type vending machine that adjusts the flow rate of a beverage circuit that is supplied while cooling carbonated water, water, etc. to a container such as a cup each time it is sold, the heat insulating wall communicating with the inside and outside of the cold air chamber A hole formed in the hole, a knob inserted into the hole to adjust screw of the flow rate controller for adjusting the flow rate of the beverage circuit, one end of which is connected to the other end, and the other end of which is projected to the outside of the cold air chamber; A contact portion that contacts the heat insulating wall to restrict movement of the adjusting screw in one direction of the pitch direction; and a bush fitted in the hole portion that closes the gap between the knob and the hole portion And

[Action]

A hole part formed in a heat insulating wall that forms a compartment of a cold air chamber in which a flow rate adjuster is disposed and communicating with the inside and outside of the cold air chamber, and an adjustment of a flow rate adjuster that is inserted into this hole part and adjusts the flow rate of the beverage circuit A knob having one end connected to the screw and the other end protruding to the outside of the cold air chamber, and a contact portion formed on this knob and abutting against the heat insulating wall to restrict movement of the adjusting screw in one direction of the pitch direction, Since there is a bush fitted in this hole that closes the gap between the knob and the hole, the other end of the knob protruding to the outside of the cold air chamber can be grasped by hand and the adjustment screw can be turned to adjust the flow rate of the beverage circuit. At the same time, it is possible to prevent the adjustment screw from being excessively rotated beyond the adjustment range by the contact portion, and it is possible to prevent the cool air in the cool air chamber from leaking through the gap between the steering knob and the hole.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of this invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a front portion of a main part showing the structure of a flow rate controller of a beverage circuit of a cup type vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The same or like parts as those in FIGS. 2 and 3 are designated by the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 1, 7 is a water tank for storing cold water, and at the upper right of the water tank 7, there is provided a cold air chamber 22 defined by a heat insulating wall 21 filled with a heat insulating material. Cold water cooled by the refrigerator 6 in the water tank 7 is supplied to the cooling pipe 20 connected to the above to cool the inside of the cold air chamber 22. A solenoid valve that is installed in this cold air chamber 22 and has a flow rate regulator 23 built in at the left end.
24, a nozzle 16 provided on the container 2 with its tip facing toward the inside of the container 2, and a beverage pipe 25 having one end connected to the nozzle 16 via the electromagnetic valve 24, a juice or juice as a raw material thereof, A beverage circuit 15 is configured to supply concentrated syrup, carbonated water, water, etc. to the container 2 at the lower right of each sale. The heat insulating wall 21 above the adjusting screw 27 at the upper end of the flow rate regulator 23 for adjusting the flow rate of the beverage circuit 15 is formed with a hole portion 31 which communicates with the inside and outside of the cold air chamber 22 and penetrates vertically. Insert a pin-shaped knob 32 with a head with a large diameter part that protrudes above the outside of the cool air chamber 22 and has a knurled outer periphery on the upper end, and adjust to the hole 33 formed at the lower end of this knob 32. The upper end of the screw 27 is fitted and the knob 32 is connected to the adjusting screw 27. This knob 32 has a hole under the large diameter portion that protrudes above the cold air chamber 22.
While forming a flange-shaped contact portion 34 having a diameter larger than 31,
A bush 35 that closes the gap between the hole 31 and the knob 32 is fitted into the upper end of the hole 31. Further, the flange-shaped abutment portion 34 of the knob 32 is moved in one direction of the pitch direction of the adjustment screw 27 when the knob 32 is turned, that is, the downward movement is adjusted screw 27.
When the adjustment limit is reached, the heat insulating wall 21 is abutted.

In the above configuration, the solenoid valve 24 is operated by the sales command control signal.
When opened, the beverage or its raw material juice, water, carbonated water, concentrated syrup, etc. flowing through each beverage circuit 15 is cooled through the beverage pipe 25 and its flow rate is adjusted by the flow rate regulator 23. A fixed amount of each is supplied into the container 2. Water, carbonated water, which are each supplied in a fixed amount in the container 2,
When it is necessary to adjust the flow rate of the beverage or its ingredients flowing in the beverage circuit 15 such as concentrated syrup, look at the large-diameter head of the knob 32 protruding above the cold air chamber 22 without feeling any tools without any tools. While holding it by hand and turning the adjusting screw 27 by hand, adjustment work can be performed easily without blind work. Further, when the adjusting screw 27 is turned downward to its adjustment limit, the contact portion 34 comes into contact with the heat insulating wall 21 and cannot rotate any more.Therefore, during the flow rate adjusting work, the adjusting screw 27 is excessively turned beyond the adjustment limit and the flow rate regulator Beverages or ingredients will not leak from the flow regulator 23 due to damage to 23. Further, the gap between the knob 32 and the hole 31 is
Since it is closed by the bush 35 which is fitted in the cold air chamber 22, the cold air in the cold air chamber 22 does not leak from the hole 31 and the temperature of the flow rate regulator 23 rises, so that the temperature of the beverage in the container 2 does not rise. In addition, the beverage or the raw material thereof supplied to the container 2 in a fixed amount, respectively,
Beverages such as juice and cola become beverages as they are, whereas the raw materials flow in the container 2 depending on the flow rate when flowing out from the nozzle 16.
Stir and mix with each other to form a beverage.

[Effect of device]

According to this invention, a hole is formed in a heat insulating wall that defines a cold air chamber in which a flow rate controller is disposed, and the hole communicates with the inside and outside of the cold air chamber, and is inserted into this hole to adjust the flow rate of the beverage circuit. A knob having one end connected to the adjusting screw of the flow rate adjuster and the other end protruding outside the cold air chamber, and a knob formed on this knob and abutting against the heat insulating wall to restrict movement of the adjusting screw in one direction in the pitch direction. Since it has a contact portion and a bush fitted in the hole portion that closes the gap between the knob and the hole portion,
While grasping the other end of the knob protruding outside the cold air chamber by hand and turning the adjusting screw to adjust the flow rate of the beverage circuit, the contact part can prevent the adjusting screw from being turned too far beyond its adjustment range. As a result of preventing the cool air in the cool air chamber from leaking from the gap with the hole, the flow rate adjustment work can be easily done by turning the knob while visually observing without the need of any tools.
In addition, it is possible to obtain an effect that the flow rate controller is not damaged during the adjustment and the cold air in the cold air chamber does not leak to cause the temperature rise of the beverage in the container.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a front portion of a main portion showing the structure of a flow rate controller of a beverage circuit of a cup type vending machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a beverage circuit of a conventional cup type vending machine. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the internal configuration including the flow rate regulator of FIG.
It is a principal part front view which shows the structure of the drink circuit containing the flow regulator of the figure. 1 ... Frame, 2 ... Container, 3 ... Cup feeder, 4 ...
… Cup shooter, 5 …… Cup cradle, 6 …… Refrigerator, 7 …… Water tank, 8 …… High pressure gas cylinder, 9 …… Transporter, 10 …… Water tank, 11 …… Ice maker, 12 …… Ice Shooter, 13 ... Pressure reducing valve, 14, 19 ... Pump, 15 ... Beverage circuit, 16 ... Nozzle, 17 ... Pressure resistant container, 18 ... Pressure pipe, 20
…… Cooling pipe, 21 …… Insulation wall, 22 …… Cold air chamber, 23 …… Flow regulator, 24 …… Solenoid valve, 25 …… Beverage pipe, 26 …… Cooling section,
27 …… Adjusting screw, 28,31,33 …… Hole, 29 …… Stirring blade,
30 …… motor, 32 …… knob, 34 …… contact part, 35 …… bush.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A cool air chamber, which is formed by being partitioned by a heat insulating wall and has a cooled interior, is provided with a drink or its raw material such as juice, concentrated syrup, carbonated water, and water each time a cup is sold. A flow regulator for a beverage circuit of a cup-type vending machine that adjusts the flow rate of a beverage circuit to be supplied while cooling the container, and a hole formed in the heat insulating wall that communicates with the inside and outside of the cold air chamber, and is inserted into this hole. Then, a knob that has one end connected to the adjusting screw of the flow rate adjuster that adjusts the flow rate of the beverage circuit and the other end that protrudes outside the cold air chamber, and the pitch of the adjusting screw that is formed on this knob and abuts against the heat insulating wall Beverage for a cup-type vending machine, comprising: an abutting part that restricts movement in one direction of the direction; and a bush fitted in this hole that closes the gap between the knob and the hole. Circuit flow regulator.