JP2019119491A - Server and packing - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce a waiting time from operation of pouring a beverage.SOLUTION: A server 1 pours a beverage from a spout 12 and includes: a down tube 10; a closing member 20 which has a through hole 21, into which a lower end of the down tube 10 is inserted, and closes a mouth part of a beverage container C with the down tube inserted into the beverage container C; a pressing mechanism 30 which presses the closing member 20 to the mount part of the beverage container C; and an annular seal 40 which is fixed to the closing member 20 so as to separate an internal space of the beverage container C from an external space with the closing member 20 pressed to the mount part of the beverage container C. The down tube 10 is inserted into a hole part of the annular seal 40 and can slide relative to the annular seal 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a server for pouring a beverage from a spout and a packing incorporated in the server.

  There is known a server in which a beverage container is housed in a main body and poured out from a spout. Such servers can be used at homes and relatively small restaurants and the like. The beverage server described in Patent Document 1 includes a main body having a can storage space capable of storing a plurality of beverage cans and having an open upper end, an inner lid, and an outer lid, and the inner lid includes a plurality of inner lids. A plurality of pumping pipes respectively inserted into the beverage can, a joining portion for joining the plurality of pumping pipes, and a beverage discharge pipe communicating with the joining portion. After the beverage can is accommodated in the can accommodation space, the pumping pipe is inserted into the beverage can, the inner lid is disposed, and the outer lid is closed, the upper surface of the beverage in the beverage can is delivered by feeding air into the can accommodation space. Pressure is applied and the beverage is discharged through the pumping pipe, the junction and the beverage discharge pipe.

Patent No. 5945647 gazette

  In the configuration in which the beverage is dispensed by pressurizing the space containing the beverage container as in the server of Patent Document 1, the pressure of the space is increased to a pressure sufficient to depress the upper surface of the beverage in the beverage container. Takes a considerable amount of time. Therefore, the waiting time until the beverage is actually discharged after the operation for discharging the beverage is long.

  This invention is made in view of said subject, and it aims at providing the technique advantageous in reduction of the waiting time from the operation for the pouring of a drink.

  A first aspect of the present invention relates to a server for pouring a beverage from a spout, wherein the server has a down tube and a through hole into which the lower end of the down tube is inserted, and the down tube is a beverage container A closing member for closing the opening of the beverage container in the inserted state, a pressing mechanism for pressing the closing member against the opening of the beverage container, and the closing member being pressed against the opening And an annular seal fixed to the closing member so as to separate the internal space and the external space of the beverage container, the down tube is inserted into the hole of the annular seal and slides against the annular seal It is possible.

  A second aspect of the present invention relates to a packing incorporated in a server for pouring a beverage from a spout, wherein the packing has a through hole into which the lower end of the down tube is inserted, and the down tube is a beverage container In the inserted state, the closing member closes the opening of the beverage container, and the closing member separates the inner space and the outer space of the beverage container when the closing member is pressed against the opening. And a fixed annular seal, said annular seal having a hole into which said down tube is slidably inserted.

  According to the present invention, an advantageous technique is provided for reducing the waiting time from the operation for pouring out a beverage.

1 is a perspective view of a server of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a server of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Sectional drawing of the server of preferable embodiment of this invention (at the time of accommodation of a large sized drink container). Sectional drawing of the server of preferable embodiment of this invention (when accommodating a small-sized drink container). Sectional drawing which shows the state in front of the server of the preferable embodiment of this invention accommodating a drink container. Sectional drawing which shows the slide mechanism of the server of preferable embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the slide mechanism of the server of preferable embodiment of this invention. The disassembled perspective view of the press mechanism of the server of preferable embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 shows a packing of a server of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a packing of a server of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a packing of a server of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Sectional drawing explaining the function of the packing of the server of the preferable embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a server 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the server 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the server 1 in a state in which the large-sized beverage container C is accommodated. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the server 1 in a state in which a small-sized beverage container is accommodated. FIG. 5 is a cross section of the server 1 in a state immediately before containing the beverage container C. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views showing the slide mechanism of the server 1.

  The server 1 is configured to dispense the beverage filled in the beverage container C from the spout 12. The server 1 does not limit the type of beverage that should be filled in the beverage container C. In one example, the beverage to be filled in the beverage container C is a carbonated beverage (for example, a beer, a low-malt beer, a beer-based beverage such as a third beer, or a beer-taste beverage), but the beverage container The beverage to be filled in C may be a beverage not containing carbonic acid. The beverage container C may be, for example, a bottle container, a can container, or a PET container, but the bottle container has a small mouth, a hard mouth, and a cross-sectional area on the mouth side smaller than the cross-sectional area on the bottom side. Is preferred.

  The server 1 may include a down tube 10, a packing PK, and a connection tube 14. The down tube 10 is inserted into the internal space of the beverage container C through the mouth of the beverage container C, and the beverage in the internal space of the beverage container C is poured out through the down tube 10.

  The packing PK is a component that closes the mouth of the beverage container C by being pressed against the mouth of the beverage container C. The packing PK may include the closing member 20 and an annular seal 40. The closing member 20 has a through hole 21 into which the lower end of the down tube 10 is inserted, and closes the mouth of the beverage container C in a state where the down tube 10 is inserted into the beverage container C. The annular seal 40 is fixed to the closure member 20 so as to separate the internal space and the external space of the beverage container C in a state where the closure member 20 is pressed against the mouth of the beverage container C. The down tube 10 is inserted into the hole of the annular seal 40 and is slidable relative to the annular seal 40. The connection tube 14 connects the upper end of the down tube 10 and the spout 12. The down tube 10 and the connection tube 14 may be manufactured as separate members and then connected in a separable or non-separable state, or may be integrally formed.

  Here, the fixation of the annular seal 40 to the closure member 20 may be realized by pressing the annular seal 40 against the closure member 20, or the annular seal 40 is coupled to the closure member 20 by an adhesive or the like. It may be done by being carried out, may be done by integral molding of closure member 20 and annular seal 40, and may be done by other methods.

  The server 1 may further include a pressing mechanism 30 for pressing the closing member 20 or the packing PK against the mouth of the beverage container C. The server 1 lowers the down tube 10 so that the lower end of the down tube 10 is lowered to a predetermined height in the beverage container C in a state where the closing member 20 is pressed against the mouth of the beverage container C by the pressing mechanism 30 It can be configured to be able to

  The server 1 may include a body member 90 having a support member 92 for supporting the beverage container C, and a cover member 50 attached to be able to move (slidably) relative to the body member 90. The down tube 10 can be supported by the cover member 50. Also, the down tube 10 can be supported by the cover member 50 so as to move (slide up and down) with the cover member 50.

  The server 1 may further comprise a vibration generator 60 supported by the body member 90. The vibration generator 60 may include, for example, an ultrasonic transducer. The vibration generator 60 causes the beverage to foam by applying vibration (for example, ultrasonic waves) to the beverage when the beverage filled in the beverage container C is a carbonated beverage. Vibration generator 60 may be configured to operate in response to depression of dispense switch 70 (ie, an instruction to dispense). Alternatively, a sensor (not shown) may detect that the beverage passes through the connection tube 14, and the vibration generator 60 may operate in response to this detection.

  The vibration generator 60 may be arranged to contact the connection tube 14 with the cover member 50 pushed down to the lower end position of the sliding range. Vibration (e.g., ultrasound) generated by the vibration generator 60 may be transmitted to the beverage through the connection tube 14, which may cause the beverage to foam. The structure in which the vibration generator 60 is supported not by the cover member 50 but by the body member 90 and contacts the connection tube 14 in a state where the cover member 50 is pushed down to the lower end position of its sliding range It is effective to prevent the battery (power supply) or the cable connecting the drive circuit and the vibration generator 60 shown in the figure from being moved by the sliding movement of the cover member 50, thereby being abraded or broken. For the same reason, it is preferable that the cover member 50 is not attached with an electrical component (for example, a pump or the like).

  As illustrated in FIG. 5, the cover member 50 has an opening 55, and in the opening 55 in a state where the cover member 50 is pushed down to a predetermined position (in a state where preparation for pouring out a beverage is completed). The cover member 50 and the pouring switch 70 can be configured such that the pouring switch 70 is located at the position of the feeding switch 70. Such a configuration is effective to prevent the dispensing switch 70 from being pressed by mistake when preparation for dispensing the beverage is not completed.

  The sliding mechanism of the cover member 50 with respect to the main body member 90 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. The cover member 50 has a groove 54, and the main body member 90 has a projection 94 engaged with the groove 54, and the slide motion of the cover member 50 can be guided by the groove 54 and the projection 94. In FIG. 7, S1 indicates the relative position of the projection 94 to the groove 54 when the cover member 50 is positioned at the lower end of the sliding range as shown in FIG.

  S2 indicates the relative position of the projection 94 with respect to the groove 54 when the cover member 50 is manually lifted up to the upper end of the slide range from the state of S1 and abuts against the first position TE1 of the groove 54. S3 indicates the relative position of the projection 94 with respect to the groove 54 when the cover member 50 slightly descends downward due to releasing the hand from the cover member 50 in the state of S2 and abuts on the second position TE2 of the groove 54 and stops. ing. The state of S3 corresponds to the state shown in FIG.

  S4 shows the relative position of the projection 94 to the groove 54 when the cover member 50 is again lifted by hand from the state of S3 and abuts on the third position TE3 of the groove 54. The state of S4 is a state in which the cover member 50 can be pushed downward. And if the cover member 50 is pushed down below, it will be in the state of S1. In the state where the beverage container C is not present (the state not held by the support member 92), when the cover member 50 is released in the state of S4, the cover member 50 descends by its own weight and becomes the state of S4. It can be.

  That is, when the cover member 50 is lifted up to the upper end (upper position) of the slide range from the state (S1) where the cover member 50 is positioned at the lower end (lower position) of the slide range (S2), the cover member 50 is released The member 50 is stopped or latched at a position slightly lowered from the upper end of the sliding range. Thereafter, when the cover member 50 is lifted up by hand again, the latch is released and the cover member 50 can be pushed downward.

  According to such a configuration, even if the cover member 50 is lifted up to the upper end and the hand is accidentally released, the space between the lower end of the cover member 50 and the main body member 90 does not fall off. Can prevent fingers from being pinched. A damper function may be provided to slow the movement of the cover member 50 downward by its own weight.

  6 and 7, the cover member 50 has the groove 54 and the main body member 90 has the projection 94, but the cover member has the projection and the main body member 90 has the groove. May be

  Next, the procedure for accommodating the beverage container C in the server 1 will be described. First, the cover member 50 is lifted by hand upward and released from the cover member 50. As a result, the state (S3) shown in FIG. 5 is obtained. In this state, the beverage container C is disposed on the support member 92. Next, when the cover member 50 is slightly raised by hand, the state of S4 is obtained, and the latch is released. In this state, if the hand is released or the cover member 50 is moved downward by hand, the lower end of the down tube 10 is inserted into the mouth of the beverage container C, and then the lower end of the closure member 20 is the beverage container C. I hit the mouth.

  Next, when the cover member 50 is moved downward by hand, the down tube 10 is lowered together with the cover member 50 while the closing member 20 is pressed against the opening of the beverage container C by the pressing mechanism 30. At this time, the down tube 10 slides on the annular seal 40 of the packing PK. That is, the packing PK (the closing member 20 and the annular seal 40) abuts on the mouth of the beverage container C and does not descend, but the down tube 10 descends while sliding relative to the annular seal 40. . Thus, the beverage container C can be accommodated in the server 1 as illustrated in FIG. 3 or 4.

  Here, the server 1 can be configured to be able to correspond to beverage containers C of various sizes. The server 1 in the state which accommodated the large sized drink container C is shown by FIG. The server 1 in the state which accommodated the small-sized drink container C is shown by FIG. Depending on the size of the beverage container C, the position of the packing PK may be different.

  An exploded perspective view of the pressing mechanism 30 is illustrated in FIG. The pressing mechanism 30 may include, for example, the packing holding portions 31 and 32, the pressing spring 33, the down tube holding portion 34, and the guide 35. The packing PK is held by the packing holding portions 31 and 32, and the packing PK can be pressed against the mouth of the beverage container C by the pressing spring 33 via the packing holding portions 31 and 32.

  A configuration example of the packing PK will be described with reference to FIGS. 9, 10, 11 and 12. FIG. 9 illustrates the packing PK in a natural state, that is, in a state where no force is applied. In FIG. 10, the packing PK in a natural state incorporated in the pressing mechanism 30 is illustrated. FIG. 11 illustrates the packing PK incorporated in the pressing mechanism 30 and pressed against the mouth of the beverage container C. FIG. 12 schematically shows the function of the annular seal 40 of the packing PK which is incorporated in the pressing mechanism 30 and pressed against the mouth of the beverage container C.

  As illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10, 11 and 12, the packing PK may include a closure member 20 and an annular seal 40. The closing member 20 has a through hole 21 into which the lower end of the down tube 10 is inserted, and closes the mouth of the beverage container C in a state where the down tube 10 is inserted into the beverage container C. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the annular seal 40 may have a tubular shape having one end E1 and the other end E2 in the natural state, and one end E1 is fixed to the closing member 20. The diameter of the annular seal 40 may gradually increase after the diameter gradually decreases from the side of the one end E1 to the side of the other end E2.

  The annular seal 40 can be fixed to the closing member 20 in a state where the other end E2 is pressed against the one end E1 by the packing holding portions 31 and 32 illustrated in FIG. 8. The annular seal 40 can constitute the valve portion 42 pressed against the down tube 10 with the other end E2 pressed against the one end E1 as illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10, 11 and 12. The state illustrated in FIG. 10 is a state in which the packing PK is not pressed against the beverage container C, that is, a state in which the pressing spring 33 of the pressing mechanism 30 is extended. In this state, the valve portion 42 can have an upwardly curved shape.

  The state illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 is a state in which the packing PK is pressed against the beverage container C, that is, a state in which the pressing spring 33 of the pressing mechanism 30 is in a contracted state (a compressed state). The down tube 10 is inserted into the hole 45 of the annular seal 40 and is slidable relative to the annular seal 40. The state illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 is a state in which the down tube 10 is moved downward relative to the packing PK while the down tube 10 slides with respect to the valve portion 42. In this state, the valve portion 42 can have a shape which is curved downward.

  In the state illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, the annular seal 40 separates the inner space and the outer space of the beverage container C. That is, when the down tube 10 descends and the closing member 20 of the packing PK is pressed against the mouth of the beverage container C, the annular seal 40 of the packing PK passes through the through hole 21 and the hole 45 and the internal space of the beverage container C And prevent the gas from moving to the outside space. The closing member 20 may have a gas supply flow path 23 for supplying a gas (air) to the internal space of the beverage container C. The gas supply flow path 23 communicates with the connection port 37 illustrated in FIG. 8, and the connection port 37 and the pump 80 illustrated in FIG. 2 are connected by a tube (not shown). The pump 80 operates when the pouring switch 70 is pressed, and supplies gas to the internal space of the beverage container C through the gas supply flow path 23 of the closing member 20. As a result, the pressure in the internal space of the beverage container C rises, and the upper surface of the beverage in the beverage container C is pushed downward, and the beverage in the beverage container C passes through the down tube 10, the connection tube 14 and the spout 12 Be paid out.

  In the state illustrated in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the valve portion 42 has a shape that is curved downward. Therefore, gas is supplied by the pump 80 to the internal space of the beverage container C for pouring out the beverage, and the internal space of the drinking container C is kept airtight by the valve portion 42 even if the pressure in the internal space is increased. sell. In this state, when the down tube is lowered by the pressing mechanism 30 while the packing PK is pressed against the opening CL of the beverage container C, the down tube 10 slides while the down tube 10 slides against the valve portion 42. It is formed by moving downward relative to.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the beverage PK is supplied by supplying gas to the internal space of the beverage container C while pressing the packing PK against the mouth of the beverage container C to make the internal space of the beverage container C a closed space. Be paid out. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the space to be pressurized to apply pressure to the upper surface of the beverage in the beverage container C is small, and hence the beverage with a slight delay with respect to the operation (on) of the pouring switch 70 Can be dispensed.

1: server, 10: down tube, 12: injection port, 14: connection tube, 20: closing member, 21: through hole, 23: gas supply flow path, 30: pressing mechanism, 31, 32: packing holder, 33 Reference numeral 34: down tube holder 37: connection port 40: annular seal 42: valve 45: hole E1: one end E2: the other end 50: cover member 54: groove 55 : Opening, 60: Vibration generator, 70: Operation switch, 80: Pump, 90: Body member, 92: Support member, 94: Projection, PK: Packing, C: Beverage container, CL: Mouth

Claims (13)

It is a server that pours out the beverage from the spout,
Down tube,
A closing member having a through hole into which the lower end of the down tube is inserted, and closing the opening of the beverage container when the down tube is inserted into the beverage container;
A pressing mechanism for pressing the closing member against the mouth of the beverage container;
And an annular seal fixed to the closing member so as to separate the internal space and the external space of the beverage container in a state where the closing member is pressed against the opening.
The down tube is inserted into the hole of the annular seal and is slidable relative to the annular seal.
Server characterized by The down tube can be lowered such that the lower end of the down tube is lowered to a predetermined height in the beverage container, with the closing member pressed against the opening by the pressing mechanism.
The server according to claim 1, characterized in that: The down tube moves with a cover member mounted elevatingly relative to a body member having a support member supporting the beverage container.
A server according to claim 2, characterized in that. A connecting tube connecting the upper end of the down tube and the spout;
And a vibration generator supported by the body member,
The vibration generator is arranged to contact the connection tube with the cover member pushed down to the lower end position.
The server according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cover member is latched in a state of being lifted from the lower position to the upper position, and then can be pushed downward by releasing the latch.
The server according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The apparatus further comprises a pouring switch attached to the body member,
The cover member has an opening, and the cover member and the pouring switch are configured such that the pouring switch is positioned in the opening when the cover member is pressed down.
The server according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: The closing member has a gas supply flow path for feeding a gas into the internal space of the beverage container,
The server further comprises a pump for delivering the beverage in the beverage container through the down tube by delivering gas to the interior space of the beverage container via the gas supply flow path.
The server according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that: The pump is supported by the body member
The server according to claim 7, characterized in that. There is no electrical component attached to the cover member,
The server according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that: The downward movement of the down tube prevents the annular seal from moving gas from the internal space of the beverage container to the external space through the through hole and the hole.
A server according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that. The annular seal has a tubular shape in which one end is fixed to the closing member, and the diameter of the annular seal gradually increases after gradually decreasing from the one end side to the other end side, The annular seal is fixed to the closing member with the other end pressed against the one end.
The server according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: A packing that is incorporated into a server that dispenses a beverage from a spout,
A closing member having a through hole into which the lower end of the down tube is inserted, and closing the mouth of the beverage container when the down tube is inserted into the beverage container;
And an annular seal fixed to the closing member so as to separate the internal space and the external space of the beverage container in a state where the closing member is pressed against the opening.
The annular seal has a hole into which the down tube is slidably inserted.
Packing characterized by. The annular seal has a tubular shape in which one end is fixed to the closing member, and the diameter of the annular seal gradually increases after gradually decreasing from the one end side to the other end side, The annular seal is fixed to the closing member with the other end pressed against the one end.
The packing according to claim 12, characterized in that.

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