JPH0877452A - Beverage dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To reduce the size of the dispenser by making a mixing bowl movable to its stand-by position. CONSTITUTION: A detachable feed water tank is incorporated in a main body 2. A front door 1 which can be opened and closed is assembled to the main body 2 and fitted with the mixing bowl 11 wherein powdery tea is dissolved and mixed with hot water supplied through a pipe 8 for hot water. When the feed water tank is detached, the front door 1 is opened and the mixing bowl 11 is retracted automatically and associatively to a position where interference with the feed water tank is avoided. Therefore, the mixing bowl 11 is positioned normally in the area in front of the feed water tank and then the height of the dispenser can be reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a beverage dispenser.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a dispenser for dissolving and mixing powdered tea put into a mixing bowl with hot water and pouring it out. In such a dispenser, the dispenser body is generally provided with a water supply tank, a heating tank, and a mixing bowl for dissolving and mixing hot water and powdered tea.

[0003]

Usually, most of the water supply tanks are of the cartridge type which can be removed. Therefore, of course, the peripheral members must be arranged so as not to interfere with the attachment and detachment of the water supply tanks. in this case,
Particularly, interference with the mixing bowl or the like becomes a problem, but in order to avoid interference, the arrangement is shifted in the height direction or the width direction. As described above, conventionally, since the space in front of the water supply tank must be secured as an open space, the space efficiency is poor and the size of the entire device is increased. Recently, despite the demand for a device that is as small and slim as possible in view of the installation space, conventional devices have not been able to satisfy these requirements satisfactorily.

The present invention has been developed and devised in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a small-sized beverage dispenser which is easy to use and is also useful when the front door is opened. An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage dispenser that does not stain the surrounding area.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the structure of the invention of claim 1 is such that a tank is detachably provided in the dispenser body, and a mixing device for dissolving and mixing raw materials is provided in front of the tank. A beverage dispenser in which a bowl is arranged is characterized in that the mixing bowl can be moved to a retracted position that can avoid interference with the tank when the water supply tank is attached and detached.

The invention according to claim 2 is the beverage dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the mixing bowl is attached to a front door which can be opened and closed with respect to the dispenser body. Further, the invention of claim 3 is the beverage dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the liquid supply port for supplying the liquid for dissolving the raw material to the mixing bowl and the drain pan for receiving the beverage poured out from the mixing bowl are provided in the front. It is characterized by being provided on the door.

[0007]

[Action]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the mixing bowl, which is normally located in front of the dispenser main body, can be moved to a retracted position separated from the main body as needed. Further, in the inventions of claims 2 and 3, since the mixing bowl is attached to the front door, the mixing bowl is automatically moved to the retracted position by opening the front door.
At this time, in the invention of claim 3, the liquid supply port and the drain pan also move together with the front door.

The effects of the present invention are as follows. According to the invention of claim 1, since the mixing bowl can be moved to the retracted position, the work can be easily performed when the main body side member arranged in the back of the mixing bowl is taken out or maintained. In addition, compared with the case where the mixing bowl is arranged in a position where interference with the main body side member can be avoided in advance, the mixing bowl can be normally placed in a pile on these front regions, so the overall arrangement is made compact by this overlapping arrangement. Is planned.

Further, according to the invention of claim 2, since the mixing bowl can be automatically swung between the normal position and the retracted position in association with the opening / closing operation of the front door, a unique moving operation can be performed. do not need. According to the invention of claim 3, in addition to the effect of claim 2, since the liquid supply port and the tray are also attached to the front door, even if the liquid from the liquid supply port drops when the front door is opened, the liquid is collected in the tray. Therefore, it will not spill outside the aircraft.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of the beverage dispenser of this example, which is used while being placed on a table (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2, this beverage dispenser is composed of a dispenser body (hereinafter, simply referred to as a body 2) and a front door 1 which is attached to the front surface of the dispenser body by a hinge so as to be openable and closable. As shown in FIG. 1, the front door 1 is provided with an operation panel on the upper front portion thereof, which has buttons for pouring operation (hot water button 34 and tea button 35 in this example) or display lamps. . A pouring portion 26 is formed in a lower portion of the front door 1, and a receiving tray 27 on which a cup or the like can be placed is provided on the lower surface thereof. The tray 27 is formed in the shape of a drainboard, and covers the drain pan 28 that is detachably mounted below the tray 27.

A hot water storage tank 3 having a built-in heater is fixed to the bottom of the main body 2, and a water supply tank 4 is disposed above the hot water storage tank 3. As described above, in this embodiment, the tanks 3 and 4 are arranged in the lower portion of the main body 2 to lower the center of gravity of the whole body, thereby achieving slimness. Of these, the water supply tank 4 has an operating handle 5 attached to the front surface thereof, and is mounted on the upper surface of the hot water storage tank 3 through a tank cradle (not shown in detail) and is removably incorporated into the main body 2. Has been. Further, a water supply cylinder having a built-in valve hangs down from the lower surface of the water supply tank 4, and when the water supply tank is set on the hot water storage tank, the valve is opened, and water is supplied to the hot water storage tank 3 and stopped by the action of gravity. It is designed to maintain a certain standard water level.

A water supply amount adjusting unit 6 with a float for detecting the water level is provided in the hot water storage tank 3.
The circuit configuration is such that the amount of water supplied from the water supply tank 4 is adjusted as described above in accordance with the water level detected by the water supply amount adjusting unit with float 6 and, in addition, the energization of the heater in the hot water storage tank is controlled. Has been done. A pumping pump 7 for pumping hot water in the hot water storage tank 3 is attached to the rear portion of the hot water storage tank 3. A pipe 8 for supplying hot water is connected to the pumping pump 7, and the pipe 8 is provided along a side wall in the main body 2, and as will be described later, the pipe 8 is extended to the front door 1 side to mix with the mixing bowl 1.
We are facing 1. However, because the front door 1 is opened and closed, only the connecting portion of the hot water supply pipe to the front door 1 side is connected by the hose 9 having flexibility and heat resistance. The pumping pump 7 is driven by the operation of the tea button 35 for the time (T1) set in the timer.

On the other hand, a canister 12 for storing powdered tea is arranged on the upper part of the main body 2, and the canister 12 is attached with its front part protruding from the main body 2. Canister 12
Is formed in a funnel shape in the left-right direction and narrow in the left-right direction toward the device (see FIGS. 2 and 4), and the upper opening surface is closed by a cover 13. However, the cover 13
The front side (left side in FIG. 6) can be opened and closed by a thin hinge edge 13a, and powder tea can be supplied from here. At the bottom of the canister 12, a screw device 14 for delivering powdered tea is incorporated. The screw device 14 can be rotated at a slow speed by a motor 15 fixed to the outer bottom of the canister 12, and the motor 15 is driven by operating a brown button 35 for a time (T2 <T1) set by a timer (not shown). As a result, a certain amount of powdered tea can be sent forward (to the left in FIG. 6) and dropped from the discharge port 16. The portion where the discharge port 16 is formed is projected and retained in a through hole 18 that opens in the front plate 17, and an opening / closing lid 19 for opening and closing the discharge port 16 is attached to the front plate 17. ing. That is, a rotary shaft 20 is attached to the upper edge of the opening / closing lid 19, and the rotary shaft 20 is rotatably supported by a pair of left and right receiving pieces 21 protruding above the front surface of the front plate 17. One end of the rotary shaft 20 is bent downward, and an operating piece 23 connected to a solenoid 22 is linked to the bent portion. The solenoid 22 is attached to the lower portion of the outer surface of the canister 12, and is driven in conjunction with the motor 15 by operating the brown button 35. Then, in conjunction with this operation, the rotary shaft 20 is pushed out via the operation piece 23, so that the opening / closing lid 19 is opened. A return spring 24 is interposed between the open / close lid 19 and the front plate 17, and the open / close lid 19 is demagnetized as the solenoid 22 is demagnetized.
The discharge port 16 can be closed with the discharge port 16 being in close contact. Further, a sheet heater 25 is incorporated inside the opening / closing lid 19, and the sheet heater 25 is always energized to keep the powder tea near the discharge port 16 in a dry state. I am trying.

On the other hand, on the back side (inner surface side) of the front door 1,
A bowl receiver 29 is horizontally attached at a height position near the pouring portion 26. An insertion hole 30 is opened in the center of the bowl receiver 29, and the mixing bowl 11
The tip of the is inserted so that it can be removed. The mixing bowl 11 is for mixing the powdered tea discharged from the discharge port 16 and the hot water supplied from the hot water supply pipe 8, and the upper side has a cylindrical shape and the lower side has a tapered conical shape. It is formed in the shape of a funnel that opens up and down as a whole. This mixing bowl 11 is located in front of the water tank 4 when the front door 1 is closed,
When the front door 1 is opened to the opening as shown in FIG. 3, it can be retracted to a position (retracted position) that does not interfere with the desorption operation of the water supply tank 4.

Further, as described above, the hot water supply pipe 8 in the front door 1 portion is constituted by connecting the pipe 10 to the hose 9, and the lower end thereof is bent so as to face the upper edge portion in the mixing bowl 11. ing. Further, in this example, the hot water supply speed from the pipe 10 is set to be higher than the extraction speed of the mixing bowl 11, but the capacity of the mixing bowl 11 is set so that it does not overflow outside during the hot water supply operation. There is. Further, a support plate 31 as shown in FIG. 5 is vertically mounted inside the front door 1. A holding ring 32 is horizontally attached to the upper portion of the support plate 31, and the powder tea discharged from the discharge port 16 of the canister 12 is mixed therein.
A guide 33 for guiding to 1 is fitted in a removable manner. The mixing bowl 11 is disposed between the discharge port 16 of the canister 12 and the mixing bowl 11, and is located substantially coaxial with the mixing bowl 11. This guide 33 is also formed in a funnel shape that opens up and down, and the tip of the discharge port 16 surely enters the upper region of the mixing bowl 11, so that the powder tea extruded from the discharge port 16 is surrounded. So that it doesn't scatter. Further, the opening on the lower side of the guide 33 has a narrowed opening area so that steam generated in the mixing bowl 11 does not easily enter the inside thereof, and its height position is slightly higher than the upper edge of the mixing bowl 11. It is on the upper side.

Next, the function and effect of this embodiment having the above-mentioned structure will be specifically described. After setting the cup on the tray 27, when the brown button 35 on the operation panel is pressed, the solenoid 22 is first excited to rotate the rotary shaft 2 via the operating piece 23.
0 is pushed, whereby the opening / closing lid 19 opens the discharge port 16 against the return spring 24. At the same time, the motor 15 of the canister 12 is driven and the screw device 14 is driven for a time set by a timer (not shown).
A certain amount of powdered tea in the canister 12 is delivered and the discharge port 1
It is dropped from 6. When the motor 15 is stopped by the lapse of the timer time and the dropping supply of the powdered tea is completed, the solenoid 22 is demagnetized, so that the opening / closing lid 19 closes the discharge port 16 again by the return spring 24. On the other hand, the powdered tea dropped from the outlet 16 is introduced into the mixing bowl 11 through the guide 33, but during this period, the supply is guided by the guide, so that the powdered tea will not be scattered around.

On the other hand, the hot water pump 7 is simultaneously driven by operating the tea button 35, so that the hot water in the hot water storage tank 3 is discharged from the mixing bowl 11 through the hot water supply pipe 8. At this time, as described above, the hot water supply speed exceeds the extraction speed from the mixing bowl 11, and the hot water discharge time (T2) is set longer than the powder tea discharge time (T1). The hot water is gradually stored in the container, and the powdered tea is surely melted and mixed in the mixing bowl 11, and the desired tea is extracted into the cup. By the way, since the steam rises by supplying hot water to the mixing bowl 11 during the discharge of the powdered tea, there is a concern that the powdered tea in the canister 12 (near the discharge port 16) becomes humid. However, in this example, since the guide 33 formed in a funnel shape is arranged above the mixing bowl 11, that is, the steam passing through the lower opening having a small opening area is very small, and standing on the outside of the guide 33. As the rising steam diffuses along the gradient of the outer surface of the guide 33 as shown in FIG. 8, the discharge port 16 portion is not directly exposed to the steam. Moreover, in this example, although the powdered tea in the vicinity of the discharge port 16 is slight, even if the powdered tea may be moistened, the planar heater 25 is heated while the dispenser is energized. , Is dried while the opening / closing lid 19 is closed. Therefore, the deterioration of the powdered tea is avoided, and no lumps of the powdered tea are generated in the discharge port 16 portion. Therefore, a constant quality is maintained and the quantitative release of the powdered tea is secured.

On the other hand, when the water supply tank 4 becomes empty and it becomes necessary to supply water, the front door 1 is first opened. When the front door 1 is opened to the position shown in FIG. 3, the mixing bowl 11 and the guide 33 are separated from the main body 2 at the same time. That is, in this example, the mixing bowl 11 is normally located in front of the water supply tank 4, but the front door 1
Since the water is automatically retracted to the side by opening, the water supply tank 4 can be taken out without interfering with these. When the water tank 4 is reset to its original position after water is supplied, interference is similarly avoided, so that the water tank 4 can be smoothly attached and detached. Further, in this embodiment, the tip of the hot water supply pipe 8 and the cup tray 27 are provided.
Since it is also arranged on the front door 1, there is an effect that when the front door 1 is opened, the spill of hot water to the outside of the machine is eliminated and the surrounding area is not polluted.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the mixing bowl 11 is arranged on the side of the front door 1 which can be opened and closed. Therefore, even if the mixing bowl 11 is normally located in front of the water supply tank 4. , Can be automatically moved to the retracted position in conjunction with the opening operation of the front door 1,
Therefore, it is possible to open the front region of the water supply tank 4 widely and smoothly perform the attaching / detaching operation. On the contrary, since the mixing bowl 11 is normally placed in the front region of the water supply tank 4 so as to be overlapped with each other, the space efficiency is improved and the size of the entire device in the height direction can be reduced. In addition, in this example, since the opening area of the lower portion of the guide 33 is narrowed, the amount of steam entering is reduced. Therefore, powder tea is less likely to adhere to the inner wall of the guide 33. In addition, even if it adheres, the guide 33
Since it is easily attached to the holding ring 32 and can be easily removed, cleaning can be performed easily.

The present invention can be modified in various ways,
The following modifications are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In this example, the case where the mixing bowl 11 is attached to the front door 1 has been shown, but if the mixing bowl 11 is to be retracted to a position that avoids interference during the detaching operation of the water supply tank 4, it is arranged on the main body 2 side. Also, the retreating direction may be not only the horizontal direction but also the vertical direction. A method for suppressing the rise of steam to the discharge port 16 is as follows.
Various types are conceivable, and for example, the one shown in FIG. 9 may be used. What is shown in FIG. 9 is the mixing bowl 11.
A guide 33 formed in a cylindrical shape is fitted in the interior of the guide 33, and the inside of the guide 33 is divided into two chambers by a partition plate inserted obliquely. One chamber is a raw material charging chamber 36 in which the powdered tea from the discharge port 16 is dropped, and the other chamber is a hot water supply chamber 37 to which the tip of the hot water supply pipe 8 is connected to introduce hot water. By doing so, rising of steam is regulated by the partition plate.

In any of the examples, if the powdered tea in the vicinity of the discharge port 16 can be maintained in a good dry state, the opening / closing lid 19 need not necessarily be provided with the heater 25.

[Brief description of drawings]

1] Front view of a beverage dispenser

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the internal structure.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which a front door is opened.

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing a state in which a front door is omitted.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which a front door is opened.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the canister partially broken away.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a canister.

8A is a side view showing the flow of steam, and FIG. 8B is a front view of the steam.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing another example of steam shielding means.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Front door 2 ... Main body 4 ... Water supply tank 8 ... Hot water supply pipe 11 ... Mixing bowl 12 ... Canister 27 ...
Saucer

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Motoki Nojiri 16-16 Hoshizaki Electric Co., Ltd. 3-3 South Building, Sakaemachi, Toyoake City, Aichi Prefecture

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A beverage dispenser in which a mixing bowl for dissolving and mixing raw materials is arranged in front of the dispenser body, wherein the mixing bowl is movable to a retracted position separated from the dispenser body. A featured beverage dispenser. 2. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the mixing bowl is attached to a front door that can be opened and closed with respect to the dispenser body. 3. The beverage dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the front door is provided with a liquid supply port for supplying a liquid for dissolving the raw material to the mixing bowl and a drain pan for receiving the beverage poured from the mixing bowl. A beverage dispenser characterized by the above.