JP2024139117A - Beverage supply equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a beverage supply device that cleans the inside of a pipe every time a beverage passes through the inside of the pipe without the need to replace a cleaning liquid storage section that stores cleaning liquid with a beverage storage section. [Solution] The beverage supply device of the present disclosure includes a beverage storage section that stores a milk beverage, a milk pipe that supplies the milk beverage from the beverage storage section to a beverage supply nozzle, and a cleaning liquid storage section that is connected to the milk pipe and stores cleaning liquid that cleans the inside of the milk pipe. [Selected Figure] Figure 5

Description

This disclosure relates to a beverage dispensing device.

Conventionally, beverage dispensers that produce a beverage and dispense it from a nozzle or the like have become widespread. In such beverage dispensers, it is important to maintain hygiene of the internal structure, such as the piping that transports the beverage.

Patent document 1 discloses a beverage supply device that supplies milk, and when a cleaning tank is used instead of a milk tank, it is possible to perform pipe cleaning while heating the cleaning liquid drawn from the cleaning liquid tank.

JP 2019-97833 A

In the beverage supply device disclosed in Patent Document 1, when cleaning the inside of the piping, the user of the beverage supply device must remove the milk tank and attach the cleaning liquid tank. This requires manual labor to clean the inside of the piping. In addition, it is difficult to clean the inside of the piping every time a beverage is dispensed.

The present disclosure aims to provide a beverage supply device that can clean the inside of a pipe without having to replace the cleaning liquid storage section that stores the cleaning liquid with a beverage storage section.

A beverage supply device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a beverage storage section for storing a milk beverage, a milk pipe for supplying the milk beverage from the beverage storage section to a beverage supply nozzle, and a cleaning liquid storage section connected to the milk pipe for storing a cleaning liquid for cleaning the inside of the milk pipe.

The beverage supply device disclosed herein allows the inside of the pipes to be cleaned without having to replace the cleaning liquid storage section that stores the cleaning liquid with a beverage storage section.

Front view of the beverage dispenser Conceptual diagram showing the internal structure of the beverage dispenser FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container holder and a nozzle unit provided inside the housing; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle unit and the tray as viewed from the front and diagonally upward left side. A piping schematic diagram showing the main components and piping of the beverage preparation unit. Diagram showing the structure of the cistern A perspective view including the milk tank, the cleaning liquid tank, and the surrounding configuration. Front view of the milk tank, cleaning solution tank, and surrounding structure FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the peripheral configuration with the milk tank and the cleaning liquid tank removed. A functional block diagram for explaining a functional configuration of a beverage supply device. A flowchart for explaining an example of a start-up operation of a beverage supply device Flowchart for explaining the water level monitoring operation Flowchart for explaining an example of a beverage supply operation Flowchart for explaining milk supply operation A flowchart for explaining a first cleaning liquid discharging operation Flowchart for explaining milk transfer operation Flowchart for explaining a first cleaning liquid supply operation Flowchart for explaining a hibernation state transition operation Flowchart for explaining a hibernation state transition operation A flowchart for explaining a cleaning operation using a first cleaning liquid A flowchart for explaining a second cleaning liquid discharging operation Schematic diagram for explaining the amount of cleaning liquid stored in each operation

The following describes a beverage supply device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

<Configuration of beverage supply device 1>
1 is a front view of the beverage dispenser 1. In this specification, the front side is the side that faces the user of the beverage dispenser 1, and the rear side is the opposite side to the front side. The right side is the right side as seen by the user, and the left side is the opposite side to the right side. The upper side is the upper side when the beverage dispenser is installed on a horizontal plane, and the lower side is the opposite side to the upper side.

The beverage supply device 1 includes a housing 10 and an operation display unit 20. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of the beverage supply device 1. FIG. 2 shows the internal structure of the beverage supply device 1, i.e., the structure excluding the housing 10, and includes a part of the milk side unit and cold storage unit shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 2A shows the milk side unit and part of the cold storage unit as viewed from the right side, and FIG. 2B shows the milk side unit and part of the cold storage unit as viewed from the front. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container holding unit 30 and the nozzle unit 40 provided inside the housing 10.

The beverage supply device 1 produces a beverage selected by the user through operation of the operation display unit 20 using the beverage production unit 50 (see FIG. 5) and supplies the beverage to a container C held in the container holding unit 30 via the nozzle unit 40. Examples of the container C include a tumbler, a water bottle, or a cup. In this embodiment, a user is a person who receives a beverage using the beverage supply device 1, and is distinguished from an administrator who operates and manages the beverage supply device 1. An administrator is, for example, an employee of the facility (such as a store) in which the beverage supply device 1 is installed.

A container loading/unloading opening 10A for loading/unloading a container C into/from the housing 10 is formed on the front surface of the housing 10. Also, a loading/unloading opening door 11 for opening/closing the container loading/unloading opening 10A is disposed on the front surface of the housing 10. The loading/unloading opening door 11 is disposed so as to be rotatable, for example, around the left end portion.

The operation display unit 20 is disposed at the upper portion on the front surface of the housing 10. The operation display unit 20 is used to select a beverage. The operation display unit 20 is configured, for example, by a touch panel. The operation display unit 20 displays selection buttons for selecting a beverage that can be served, and when a user presses an area corresponding to a specific selection button, outputs a beverage specification signal that specifies the pressed area to the control unit 60 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later. Note that instead of the operation display unit 20, physical buttons for selecting a beverage that can be served may be disposed on the housing 10.

The container holding section 30 holds the container C that has been inserted into the housing 10 through the container insertion/removal opening 10A. The container holding section 30 has a placement section 31 on which the container C is placed and held. The placement section 31 has a mechanism for positioning the container C, and the position of the container C placed on the placement section 31 is always a fixed position.

As shown in FIG. 2, the interior of the beverage dispenser 1 is divided into a number of compartments. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the beverage dispenser 1 has a room temperature compartment R1, a semi-cold storage compartment R2, a cold storage compartment R3, and a unit compartment R4 as the multiple compartments. The semi-cold storage compartment R2 and the cold storage compartment R3 are separated from the other compartments by insulation or the like, and are cooled by a cooler or the like (not shown). The semi-cold storage compartment R2 is a compartment maintained at a semi-low temperature, for example, about 10°C. The cold storage compartment R3 is a compartment maintained at a low temperature, for example, about 5°C. The cold storage compartment R3 houses a milk tank 52 and a cleaning liquid tank 53, which will be described later. The unit compartment R4 also houses a cooler or the like.

The nozzle unit 40 has at least one nozzle that ejects the beverage generated by the beverage generating unit 50 or the cleaning liquid after cleaning the inside of the beverage generating unit 50. In the present embodiment, as an example, the nozzle unit 40 has, as nozzles, a coffee nozzle 41 that ejects coffee, and a milk nozzle 42 that ejects hot milk, cold milk, or foamed milk (frothed milk). The nozzle unit 40 may further have other nozzles, such as a nozzle that ejects a powdered beverage (such as milk cocoa, milk tea, matcha latte, matcha au lait, cafe latte, or cafe au lait) generated by mixing beverage powder with hot water or milk, and a nozzle that ejects hot water or cold water.

The nozzle unit 40 also has a movement mechanism 43 that moves the nozzle in the front-rear direction. The movement mechanism 43 can move at least the position of the nozzle in the front-rear direction between a supply position when the beverage is supplied from the nozzle to the container C held in the container holding portion 30, and a standby position when not. The supply position is a position forward of the standby position, and is a position where the position of the nozzle in the front-rear direction matches the position of the supply hole 71 of the tray 70 described later. Figure 3 shows a state where the nozzle is in the standby position. The movement mechanism 43 is composed of, for example, a combination of a motor and a rack mechanism. The movement of the nozzle by the movement mechanism 43 is controlled by the control unit 60.

A tray 70 is disposed between the nozzle unit 40 and the container holding section 30. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle unit 40 and the tray 70 as viewed from the front and diagonally above the left. The tray 70 is formed in a rectangular box shape with an open top. A rectangular supply hole 71 is formed in a portion of the tray 70 forward of the center in the front-to-rear direction. The supply hole 71 is formed in a position almost directly above the container C held in the container holding section 30. This ensures that the beverage dispensed from the nozzle aligned to the position of the supply hole 71 in the front-to-rear direction by the movement mechanism 43 is reliably supplied into the container C.

The tray 70 also has a receiving portion 72 for receiving drainage liquid discharged from the nozzle when the beverage dispenser 1 is in a standby state. The drainage liquid is the remaining drops of beverage dripping from the nozzle in a standby state, or cleaning liquid for cleaning the inside of the nozzle and the internal piping of the beverage preparation unit 50. A wall portion 73 is provided around the supply hole 71 to prevent drainage liquid from dropping from the supply hole 71. A drainage slope 74 is formed behind the receiving portion 72, descending toward the rear.

A discharge section 75 is formed further rearward of the discharge inclined surface 74. By forming the discharge section 75 at a position corresponding to the lowest end of the discharge inclined surface 74, the drainage liquid is easily guided to the discharge section 75 and the drainage liquid is prevented from accumulating in the receiving section 72. A discharge pipe is connected further rearward of the discharge section 75, and the drainage liquid is collected by the discharge pipe.

[Beverage preparation unit 50]
Next, a detailed description will be given of the beverage preparation unit 50. The beverage preparation unit 50 is disposed inside the housing 10 (see FIG. 1). FIG. 5 is a schematic piping diagram showing the main components and piping of the beverage preparation unit 50.

The beverage production unit 50 has a cistern 51, a milk tank 52, a cleaning liquid tank 53, a coffee extraction unit 54, and a control unit 60 that controls the entire beverage supply device 1. The cistern 51 is an example of a cleaning liquid production unit of the present disclosure. The milk tank 52 is an example of a beverage storage unit of the present disclosure. The cleaning liquid tank 53 is an example of a cleaning liquid storage unit of the present disclosure.

5, the components of the beverage preparation unit 50 are broadly divided into a coffee-side unit that supplies coffee, a milk-side unit that supplies milk, and a cold storage unit that keeps milk and the like cold. The coffee-side unit includes a cistern 51, a boiler 55, a coffee extraction unit 54, a nozzle unit 40, and a control unit 60. The milk-side unit includes various pipes that supply milk or cleaning liquid from the milk tank 52 and the cleaning liquid tank 53 to the milk nozzle 42 of the nozzle unit 40, and a water bath 56. The cold storage unit includes a milk tank 52 and a cleaning liquid tank 53 that are kept cold in a cold storage room R3. In the present disclosure, the coffee-side unit, the milk-side unit, and the cold storage unit may each be arranged in a separate housing. In addition, in the beverage supply device of the present disclosure, the coffee-side unit, the milk-side unit, and the cold storage unit may not each be separate units, and at least one of them may be the same unit.

[Description of cistern 51 and piping related to cistern 51]
The cistern 51 is a tank that stores tap water supplied from outside the beverage dispenser 1. The cistern 51 is an example of a cleaning liquid generating section of the present disclosure.

The tap water stored in the cistern 51 is used to extract coffee using the coffee extraction unit 54, or to clean the inside of the piping of the beverage production unit 50. A boiler 55 is disposed between the cistern 51 and the coffee extraction unit 54, and the tap water supplied to the coffee extraction unit 54 is heated by the boiler 55 to become hot water. The tap water heated by the boiler 55 to become hot water is supplied to a water bath 56, and may be used to warm milk. The hot tap water may also be used as steam to froth milk.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the cistern 51. As shown in Figure 6, the cistern 51 has a tap water supply unit 511, a float 512 that measures the water level of the tap water stored inside, and a processing unit 513 that performs an electrolysis process that electrolyzes the stored tap water to produce hypochlorous acid water.

The tap water supply unit 511 supplies tap water to the inside of the cistern 51. The tap water supplied from the tap water supply unit 511 includes tap water supplied from a water supply system that has been filtered using a filter or the like. The float 512 is a water level sensor made of a material that floats on the water surface. The float 512 monitors the level of the tap water stored inside the cistern 51, and when the tap water stored inside the cistern 51 is used, for example to provide beverages, tap water is replenished from the tap water supply unit 511 until the water level reaches a predetermined level.

The water level of the tap water stored in the cistern 51 varies depending on the use of the stored tap water. When the tap water stored in the cistern 51 is used to manufacture beverages or to generate a first cleaning solution, which will be described later, the water level is maintained at a first predetermined position. When the tap water stored in the cistern 51 is used to generate a second cleaning solution, which will be described later, the water level is maintained at a second predetermined position, which is higher than the first predetermined position.

The processing unit 513 has two electrodes 514. The processing unit 513 generates hypochlorous acid using the chlorine ions contained in the tap water by passing an electric current through the two electrodes 514.

In the electrolysis process, the processing unit 513 applies a predetermined current for a predetermined time to tap water at a predetermined water level, such as a first predetermined water level or a second predetermined water level. This allows the hypochlorous acid concentration of the hypochlorous acid water generated inside the cistern 51 to be a desired concentration every time. In addition, by changing the electrolysis time, the hypochlorous acid concentration contained in the hypochlorous acid water generated inside the cistern 51 can be changed. This allows the processing unit 513 to generate at least a first cleaning solution that is hypochlorous acid water with a predetermined first concentration of hypochlorous acid and a second cleaning solution that is hypochlorous acid water with a predetermined second concentration of hypochlorous acid. The first concentration is, for example, 5 ppm, and the second concentration is, for example, 30 ppm. The operation of the processing unit 513 is controlled by the control unit 60. Details of the control by the control unit 60 will be described later.

The first cleaning liquid is used to clean the milk pipe 86 that is the object to be cleaned. The first concentration of the first cleaning liquid, 5 ppm, is a concentration that is not problematic even if ingested by humans. The World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water quality guidelines state that the guideline value for the chlorine concentration in drinking water is 5 mg/L, and the first concentration complies with this guideline.

On the other hand, the second cleaning liquid is a cleaning liquid used for sterilizing the object to be cleaned. The second cleaning liquid is, for example, a sterilizing agent that is a designated additive (a type of food additive) designated by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare based on Article 12 of the Food Sanitation Act. In this case, the Food Sanitation Act requires that the second cleaning liquid be removed before the final food (in this embodiment, a beverage) is completed.

Regarding the concentrations of hypochlorous acid contained in the first cleaning solution and the second cleaning solution, the above-mentioned first concentration and second concentration are merely examples, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The concentration of hypochlorous acid contained in the first cleaning solution may be less than a first concentration (e.g., 5 ppm) with the first concentration as a threshold value, for example. Similarly, the concentration of hypochlorous acid contained in the second cleaning solution may be equal to or greater than a second concentration (e.g., 30 ppm) with the second concentration as a threshold value, for example. In addition, the concentration of hypochlorous acid contained in the first cleaning solution may be in a predetermined first range (e.g., 3 ppm to 5 ppm), and the concentration of hypochlorous acid contained in the second cleaning solution may be in a predetermined second range (e.g., 30 ppm to 40 ppm).

Note that hypochlorous acid water is an example of a cleaning solution of the present disclosure. Hypochlorous acid is also an example of a bactericidal component of the present disclosure.

A first pipe 83 is connected to the cistern 51 via a first pump P1 and a first flowmeter 81. The first pump P1 is a pump that operates based on the control of the control unit 60. The first pipe 83 is connected to a second pipe 84 that is connected to the coffee extraction unit 54 via a solenoid valve V1 and a boiler 55, and a third pipe 85 that is connected to the cleaning liquid tank 53 via a solenoid valve V2.

The solenoid valves V1 and V2 operate under the control of the control unit 60. When the first pump P1 operates with the solenoid valve V1 open and the solenoid valve V2 closed, tap water stored in the cistern 51 is supplied to the boiler 55 through the first pipe 83 and the second pipe 84. On the other hand, when the first pump P1 operates with the solenoid valve V1 closed and the solenoid valve V2 open, the cleaning liquid stored in the cistern 51 is supplied to the cleaning liquid tank 53 through the first pipe 83 and the third pipe 85. The first pipe 83 and the third pipe 85 are an example of the cleaning liquid pipes of the present disclosure.

Although not shown in the figure, the cistern 51 may be connected to a drain pipe for draining the liquid stored inside (tap water or cleaning liquid).

[Description of the milk tank 52, cleaning liquid tank 53, and associated piping]
7, 8, and 9 are diagrams for explaining the milk tank 52 and the cleaning liquid tank 53. FIG. 7 is a perspective view including the milk tank 52, the cleaning liquid tank 53, and the configuration around them. FIG. 8 is a front view of the milk tank 52, the cleaning liquid tank 53, and the configuration around them. In FIG. 8, the front walls of the milk tank 52 and the cleaning liquid tank 53 are omitted so that the insides of the milk tank 52 and the cleaning liquid tank 53 can be seen. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the peripheral configuration with the milk tank 52 and the cleaning liquid tank 53 removed.

In this embodiment, the milk tank 52 stores milk to be mixed with the coffee extracted by the coffee extraction unit 54 to produce a coffee beverage. The milk in this embodiment is an example of a milk beverage of the present disclosure. In this disclosure, the milk beverage may include, in addition to cow's milk, animal milk such as goat milk or sheep milk, or plant milk such as soy milk, nut milk, rice milk, oat milk, or hemp milk. In this disclosure, the milk beverage may also include other substitutes for cow's milk.

As mentioned above, the milk tank 52 and the cleaning liquid tank 53 are arranged inside the cold storage chamber R3 (see FIG. 2). This prevents the milk stored in the milk tank 52 from deteriorating due to heat.

The milk tank 52 is a storage section that stores milk as an example of a beverage. The milk tank 52 is an example of a beverage storage section of the present disclosure. The milk tank 52 has a lid section 521 and a container section 522. The container section 522 is a main body section for storing milk, and the lid section 521 is a section that covers the container section 522.

The lid portion 521 has a suction portion 523. The suction portion 523 is a pipe-shaped configuration that extends from the lid portion 521 toward the inside of the milk tank 52, and sucks up the milk stored in the milk tank 52.

With this configuration, the suction unit 523 can stably suction up milk even when the level of milk stored in the milk tank 52 is low. The suction unit 523 is connected to the suction pipe 89 via the first connection unit 524. The first connection unit 524 detachably connects the suction unit 523 and the suction pipe 89.

The milk piping 86 is a piping that transfers milk drawn up from the milk tank 52 to the milk nozzle 42. In the following description, the milk tank 52 side of the milk piping 86 is described as the upstream side, and the milk nozzle 42 side is described as the downstream side. The upstream end of the milk piping 86 is connected to the three-way valve 87, and the downstream end is connected to the milk nozzle 42. The milk piping 86 is an example of beverage piping of the present disclosure. From the upstream side, the milk piping 86 is provided with a three-way valve 87, a second flow meter 88, a solenoid valve V3, a milk pump P2, a solenoid valve V4, a solenoid valve V5, and a water bath 56.

The three-way valve 87 is a three-way solenoid valve that connects the suction pipe 89, the milk pipe 86, and the fourth pipe 92 extending from inside the cleaning liquid tank 53. The three-way valve 87 and the solenoid valves V3, V4, and V5 operate under the control of the control unit 60. Under the control of the control unit 60, the three-way valve 87 switches the connection destination of the milk pipe 86 to either the suction pipe 89 or the fourth pipe 92. This allows either milk sucked up from the milk tank 52 or cleaning liquid sucked up from the cleaning liquid tank 53 to flow selectively through the milk pipe 86.

As shown in FIG. 5, the milk pipe 86 is connected to the air pipe 93, which will be described later. In addition, downstream of the milk pump P2, the milk pipe 86 branches into a cold milk pipe 86C and a hot milk pipe 86H. Here, pipes are connected to each other at the connection J between the milk pipe 86 and the air pipe 93, and at the branch B between the cold milk pipe 86C and the hot milk pipe 86H, and solenoid valves V4, V5, and V6 prevent milk and the like from entering any pipe other than the desired one.

The second flowmeter 88 measures the flow rate of milk or cleaning liquid flowing through the milk piping 86. The milk pump P2 is a pump that operates under the control of the control unit 60, and operates with the solenoid valve V3 open to transfer milk stored in the milk tank 52 or cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 to the milk nozzle 42 via the milk piping 86. At a connection J upstream of the milk pump P2 and downstream of the solenoid valve V3, an air pipe 93, which will be described later, is connected to the milk piping 86.

As described above, downstream of the milk pump P2, the milk pipe 86 branches into the cold milk pipe 86C and the hot milk pipe 86H. The cold milk pipe 86C is provided with a solenoid valve V4, and the hot milk pipe 86H is provided with a solenoid valve V5. When the solenoid valve V4 is open and the solenoid valve V5 is closed, the milk is transferred to the milk nozzle 42 through the cold milk pipe 86C. On the other hand, when the solenoid valve V5 is open and the solenoid valve V4 is closed, the milk is transferred to the milk nozzle 42 after being warmed by the water bath 56 through the hot milk pipe 86H. The water bath 56 is supplied with hot water from the boiler 55, so the milk passing through the hot milk pipe 86H is warmed by the water bath 56.

Cold or hot milk is supplied from the milk nozzle 42 to the container C (see Figure 1, etc.).

The cleaning liquid tank 53 stores the cleaning liquid produced in the cistern 51. The cleaning liquid tank 53 is an example of a cleaning liquid storage section of the present disclosure. The cleaning liquid tank 53 has a lid section 531 and a container section 532. The container section 532 is a main body section for storing the cleaning liquid, and the lid section 531 is a section that covers the opening at the top of the container section 532 to form a lid.

The lid portion 531 has a suction portion 533, an air intake portion 534, and an opening 535. The suction portion 533 is a pipe-shaped configuration extending from the lid portion 531 toward the inside of the cleaning liquid tank 53, and sucks up the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53. The air intake portion 534 is a pipe-shaped configuration extending from the lid portion 531 toward the inside of the cleaning liquid tank 53. An intake port 538 is provided at the lower end of the air intake portion 534, and air inside the cleaning liquid tank 53 is taken in from the intake port 538 to the air intake portion 534. The air taken in from the intake port 538 to the air intake portion 534 is supplied to the milk pipe 86 through the air pipe 93 described below, and is used to froth milk.

The lower end of the suction section 533 extends close to the bottom surface of the container section 532 of the cleaning liquid tank 53. On the other hand, the air intake section 534 is formed shorter than the suction section 533, and the suction port 538 formed at the lower end of the air intake section 534 is located, for example, away from the bottom surface of the container section 532, 3 to 5 cm from the lid section 531.

With this configuration, the suction unit 533 can stably suction up the cleaning liquid even when the level of the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 is low. The suction unit 533 is connected to the milk pipe 86 via the second connection unit 536 and the fourth pipe 92. The second connection unit 536 detachably connects the suction unit 533 and the fourth pipe 92. The second connection unit 536 is an example of a connection unit disclosed herein.

On the other hand, with the above configuration, when the level of the cleaning liquid is lower than the suction port 538, the suction port 538 can suck in the air inside the cleaning liquid tank 53 without any problems, even if cleaning liquid is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53. In addition, because the opening 535 provided in the lid portion 531 opens the cleaning liquid tank 53 to the atmosphere, it is unlikely that there will be a shortage of air sucked in through the suction port 538.

On the other hand, when the level of the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 becomes higher than the suction port 538, in other words, when the suction port 538 is submerged in the cleaning liquid, if the air pump P3 described below is activated, cleaning liquid is taken in through the suction port 538 instead of air.

The air intake section 534 is connected to the air pipe 93 via the third connection section 537. The third connection section 537 detachably connects the air intake section 534 and the air pipe 93.

With this configuration, the air pipe 93 can be cleaned using the cleaning liquid taken in from the air intake section 534. As the cleaning liquid is taken in from the air intake section 534 to the air pipe 93, the level of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 53 gradually drops, and when the level of the cleaning liquid becomes lower than the suction port 538, the cleaning liquid is no longer taken in from the suction port 538, and cleaning of the air pipe 93 ends.

The air pipe 93 is a pipe that connects the air intake unit 534 and the milk pipe 86. The air pipe 93 is provided with an air pump P3 and an electromagnetic valve V6. The air pump P3 and the electromagnetic valve V6 operate based on the control of the control unit 60. When the liquid level of the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 is lower than the suction port 538, the air pump P3 operates with the electromagnetic valve V6 open, so that air is taken in from the suction port 538 and supplied to the milk pipe 86. As a result, when milk is transferred in the milk pipe 86, the milk is frothed, and when the cleaning liquid is transferred in the milk pipe 86, fine bubbles are generated in the cleaning liquid. In addition, when the liquid level of the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 is at a position higher than the suction port 538, the cleaning liquid is taken in from the suction port 538 and the air pipe 93 is cleaned. For example, a one-way pump such as an air-liquid diaphragm pump may be used as the air pump P3.

The opening 535 is a hole provided in the cover 531 of the cleaning liquid tank 53. As described above, the opening 535 allows the cleaning liquid tank 53 to be opened to the atmosphere. In addition, the opening 535 is aligned with the end E of the third pipe 85 on the cleaning liquid tank 53 side in a plan view. In other words, the end E of the third pipe 85 on the cleaning liquid tank 53 side of the cleaning liquid pipe is located at the center of the opening 535 in a plan view. In addition, when the opening 535 and the end E are viewed from the front, as shown in FIG. 8, the end E is close to the opening 535 and is located above the opening 535. As a result, the cleaning liquid transferred from the cistern 51 through the cleaning liquid pipe (the first pipe 83 and the third pipe 85) is supplied to the inside of the cleaning liquid tank 53 through the opening 535 from the end E of the third pipe on the cleaning liquid tank 53 side. In other words, the opening 535 allows the cleaning liquid supplied from the cistern 51 to flow into the inside.

As described above, the suction part 523 of the milk tank 52 is detachably connected to the suction pipe 89 by the first connection part 524. The suction part 533 and the air intake part 534 of the cleaning liquid tank 53 are detachably connected to the fourth pipe 92 and the air pipe 93 by the second connection part 536 and the third connection part 537. As a result, the milk tank 52 and the cleaning liquid tank 53 can be removed from each pipe as shown in FIG. 9. As a result, the milk tank 52 and the cleaning liquid tank 53 can be removed from the beverage supply device 1 and washed, and the hygiene of the milk tank 52 and the cleaning liquid tank 53 can be ensured. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the milk tank 52 and the cleaning liquid tank 53 may be fixed to the pipes, and the milk tank 52 and the cleaning liquid tank 53 may not be removable.

As described above, the milk tank 52 and the cleaning liquid tank 53 are disposed inside the cold storage chamber R3 (see FIG. 2). In addition, it is preferable that the piping related to the milk tank 52 and the cleaning liquid tank 53 is disposed inside the quasi-cold storage chamber R2. This prevents the milk passing through the piping from deteriorating. As described above, the quasi-cold storage chamber R2 is a space surrounded by insulation or the like inside the housing 10, and the inside of the quasi-cold storage chamber R2 is maintained at a quasi-low temperature by the cold air leaking out of the cold storage chamber R3.

[Description of the boiler 55, coffee extraction unit 54, and associated piping]
As described above, the boiler 55 is connected to the first pipe 83, which is connected to the cistern 51, via the second pipe 84 in which the solenoid valve V1 is disposed. The boiler 55 heats the tap water supplied from the cistern 51 to generate hot water.

The fifth pipe 95 is provided with a solenoid valve V7. Downstream of the boiler 55 and upstream of the solenoid valve V7, the fifth pipe 95 is connected to a sixth pipe 97 which is connected to the water bath 56 via a solenoid valve V8.

Solenoid valves V7 and V8 operate under the control of control unit 60. When solenoid valve V7 is open and solenoid valve V8 is closed, hot water from boiler 55 is supplied to coffee extraction unit 54. When solenoid valve V7 is closed and solenoid valve V8 is open, hot water from boiler 55 is supplied to water bath 56.

The coffee extraction unit 54 extracts coffee liquid, for example, using ground coffee beans. The coffee liquid extracted by the coffee extraction unit 54 is supplied to a container C (see FIG. 1, etc.) from a coffee nozzle 41.

In this embodiment, the beverage preparation unit 50 of the beverage supply device 1 has a coffee extraction unit 54, but the beverage supply device of the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the beverage preparation unit may have at least one of a powdered beverage preparation unit that prepares a powdered beverage, or a tea extraction unit that extracts tea, in addition to or instead of the coffee extraction unit. In the beverage supply device of the present disclosure, the beverage preparation unit may not have a coffee extraction unit, a powdered beverage preparation unit, or a tea extraction unit, and may only have a configuration in which the beverage preparation unit supplies milk. In addition, the beverage supply device of the present disclosure may not include a coffee extraction unit, a powdered beverage preparation unit, or a tea extraction unit, and the beverage supply device of the present disclosure may be connectable to another device that includes a coffee extraction unit, a powdered beverage preparation unit, or a tea extraction unit.

[Functional configuration of beverage supply device 1]
Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the beverage supply device 1. Fig. 10 is a functional block diagram for explaining the functional configuration of the beverage supply device 1.

As shown in FIG. 10, the beverage supply device 1 has the following functional blocks: an operation display unit 20, a cistern 51, a nozzle unit 40, a coffee extraction unit 54, a boiler 55, a milk circuit 110, a communication unit 120, a memory unit 130, and a control unit 60.

The milk circuit 110 is composed of the components of the beverage production unit 50 described above, namely the three-way valve 87 (solenoid valve), the second flow meter 88, the solenoid valve V3, the solenoid valve V4, the solenoid valve V5, the milk pump P2, the air pump P3, the solenoid valve V6, and the water bath 56. The milk circuit 110 includes a component for transporting milk from the milk tank 52 to the milk nozzle 42, a component for heating the milk, and a component for frothing the milk.

The communication unit 120 communicates with the outside world using a communication method such as near field communication (NFC) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication unit 120 communicates with an external mobile terminal device owned by, for example, a user or employee, and can send various notifications to the external mobile terminal device and accept various settings from the external mobile terminal device.

The memory unit 130 stores various information used for the operation of the beverage supply device 1.

<Operation Example of Beverage Supply Device 1>
An example of the operation of the beverage supply device 1 having the above-mentioned configuration will be described in detail below. In describing the example of the operation, it is assumed that the beverage supply device 1 is installed in, for example, a store. The beverage supply device 1 installed in the store starts up when the store opens and transitions to a supply standby state in which beverages can be supplied. During business hours, the beverage supply device 1 is in a supply standby state, and generates, supplies, or cleans beverages as necessary. When the store closes, the beverage supply device 1 transitions to a paused state. The paused state is a state in which the beverage supply device 1 does not provide beverages and is waiting to transition to a supply standby state. Note that in the present disclosure, the beverage supply device does not need to be installed in a store, and in that case, the transition between the supply standby state and the paused state may be performed according to the convenience of the owner of the beverage supply device.

[Startup behavior]
The following describes an example of the startup operation of the beverage supply device 1. Fig. 11 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the startup operation of the beverage supply device 1. As described above, the startup operation is an operation performed when the beverage supply device 1 transitions from a pause state in which the supply of beverages is stopped to a supply standby state in which the beverage supply device 1 is enabled to supply beverages and waits for a request to supply beverages.

In step S1, the control unit 60 starts the transition from the pause state to the supply standby state in response to an operation by the administrator, etc. The transition from the pause state to the supply standby state is started, for example, by the administrator operating a button or switch installed on the housing 10. Alternatively, the transition from the pause state to the supply standby state may be started automatically when the current time reaches a predetermined time that has been set in advance.

In step S2, the control unit 60 performs a second cleaning liquid discharge operation to discharge the second cleaning liquid remaining in the piping or the cleaning liquid tank 53 when transitioning to the previous pause operation. The fact that the second cleaning liquid remains in the piping when transitioning to the pause state will be described later in relation to Figures 18 and 19. Details of the second cleaning liquid discharge operation will be described later in relation to Figure 21.

In step S3, the control unit 60 executes a first cleaning liquid supply operation once. The first cleaning liquid supply operation is an operation in which a predetermined amount of a first cleaning liquid (hypochlorous acid water) containing a sterilizing component (hypochlorous acid) at a concentration of 5 ppm is generated in the cistern 51, and the generated first cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning liquid tank 53 and stored therein. Details of the first cleaning liquid supply operation will be described later.

In this embodiment, as described above, when the first cleaning liquid is generated in the cistern 51, the tap water at the first predetermined water level is always subjected to electrolysis for a first predetermined time, and the first cleaning liquid is generated. In other words, when the first cleaning liquid is generated in the cistern 51, a predetermined amount of the first cleaning liquid is always generated. The predetermined amount is equal to the amount of the cistern 51 stored at the first predetermined water level. In this embodiment, the predetermined amount is set to 500 ml. In step S3, the first cleaning liquid supply operation is performed once, and 500 ml of the first cleaning liquid is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 from the cistern 51 through the first pipe 83 and the third pipe 85. Note that the predetermined amount of the first cleaning liquid stored in step S3 is used in its entirety in the cleaning operation using the first cleaning liquid in step S5.

In step S4, the control unit 60 switches the three-way valve 87 to the fourth pipe 92 side. This allows the first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 to be supplied to the milk pipe 86 via the fourth pipe 92.

In step S5, the control unit 60 executes a cleaning operation using a predetermined amount of the first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 in step S3. In steps S2 and S5, the second cleaning liquid remaining in the piping during the previous pause state is discharged, and the inside of the milk piping 86 is cleaned using the first cleaning liquid. As described above, a predetermined amount of the first cleaning liquid is consumed in one cleaning operation in step S5. Details of the cleaning operation using the first cleaning liquid will be described later.

In step S6, the control unit 60 switches the three-way valve 87 to the suction pipe 89 side.

In step S7, the control unit 60 executes the first cleaning liquid supply operation once. Then, in step S8, the control unit 60 executes the first cleaning liquid supply operation once more. Thereafter, the control unit 60 transitions the beverage dispenser 1 to a standby state. By executing the first cleaning liquid supply operation twice in this manner, twice the predetermined amount of first cleaning liquid, i.e., 1000 ml, is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53. Here, the control unit 60 stores storage amount information indicating the amount of first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 in the memory unit 130 (see FIG. 10).

As described above, in the start-up operation of the beverage dispenser 1, a single supply of the first cleaning liquid (approximately 500 ml) is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 in the first cleaning liquid supply operation in step S3, and in step S5, a cleaning operation is performed inside the milk pipe 86 using the stored predetermined amount of the first cleaning liquid.

As a result, the second cleaning liquid inside the milk pipe 86 can be discharged and the milk pipe 86 can be cleaned using a predetermined amount of the first cleaning liquid before the transition from the paused state to the supply standby state is completed. This allows the inside of the milk pipe 86 to be replaced with the first cleaning liquid suitable for drinking and ensures hygiene inside the milk pipe 86.

Furthermore, after the cleaning operation in step S5, two first cleaning liquid supply operations are executed in steps S7 and S8. As a result, immediately after the beverage supply device 1 transitions to a supply standby state, twice the predetermined amount (1000 ml) of first cleaning liquid is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53. This allows cleaning to be performed immediately after a milk supply operation, which will be described later, in the supply standby state. Furthermore, since a sufficient amount of first cleaning liquid is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 quickly runs out, even if, for example, multiple milk supply operations are performed and multiple cleanings of the milk piping 86 are required.

[Supply standby state]
The above-mentioned startup operation causes the beverage dispenser 1 to transition to a supply standby state. In the supply standby state, the beverage dispenser 1 waits for an operation by a user requesting the provision of a beverage or an operation by an administrator requesting the start of cleaning, and appropriately executes a cleaning operation using the first cleaning liquid or a beverage supply operation, depending on the content of the operation. In addition, in the supply standby state, the control unit 60 constantly executes a water level monitoring operation for monitoring the water level (liquid level) inside the cistern 51.

[Water level monitoring operation]
FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the water level monitoring operation.

In step S21, the control unit 60 determines whether the cistern 51 is in the process of supplying a cleaning liquid (first cleaning liquid or second cleaning liquid) to the cleaning liquid tank 53. The operation of supplying the first cleaning liquid (hereinafter, the first cleaning liquid supply operation) corresponds to the operations from step S74 to step S78 in the flowchart of FIG. 17 described below. Also, the operation of supplying the second cleaning liquid (hereinafter, the second cleaning liquid supply operation) corresponds to the operations of step S87 and step S810 in the flowchart of FIG. 18 described below.

If it is determined in step S21 that the cistern 51 is not performing the first cleaning liquid supply operation or the second cleaning liquid supply operation, the control unit 60 advances the operation to step S22. If it is determined that the cistern 51 is performing the first cleaning liquid supply operation or the second cleaning liquid supply operation, the control unit 60 advances the operation to step S24.

In step S22, the control unit 60 determines whether the water level in the cistern 51 is at a preset water level (liquid level) using the float 512 (see Figures 6 and 10). If the water level in the cistern 51 is not at the preset water level, the control unit 60 advances the operation to step S23. If the water level in the cistern 51 is at the preset water level, the tap water stored in the cistern 51 has not decreased, so the control unit 60 advances the operation to step S24.

In step S23, the control unit 60 activates the tap water supply unit 511 to replenish tap water inside the cistern 51. The control unit 60 then returns the operation to step S22.

In step S24, the control unit 60 stops the tap water supply unit 511.

By this operation, when the cistern 51 is not performing the first cleaning liquid supply operation or the second cleaning liquid supply operation, if the water level in the cistern 51 decreases, tap water is quickly replenished. If the water level in the cistern 51 increases, the control unit 60 simply drains the increased amount of tap water from the cistern 51. The cistern 51 may be provided with an overflow path to allow overflowing water to flow out.

[Beverage supply operation]
In the supply standby state, when an operation by a user requesting the supply of a beverage is accepted, the beverage supply device 1 executes a beverage supply operation. Fig. 13 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the beverage supply operation.

In step S31, the control unit 60 accepts a beverage request operation via the operation display unit 20. The beverage request operation includes an operation to select a type of beverage and an operation to start supplying a beverage. The beverage request operation may also be received via the communication unit 120 (see FIG. 10) from an external mobile terminal device owned by, for example, a user or administrator.

In step S32, the control unit 60 determines whether the beverage selected in the beverage request operation uses milk. If the beverage uses milk, the control unit 60 advances the operation to step S33. If the beverage does not use milk, the control unit 60 appropriately executes an operation to supply the selected beverage and ends the operation. Specifically, an operation to supply only hot water, an operation to extract and supply coffee using the coffee extraction unit 54, or an operation to supply a powdered beverage may be appropriately executed.

In step S33, the control unit 60 executes a milk supplying operation. Details of the milk supplying operation will be described later. In the milk supplying operation, either cold milk or hot milk is supplied depending on the type of beverage selected by the user.

In step S34, the control unit 60 switches the three-way solenoid valve 87 to the fourth pipe 92 side. This connects the milk pipe 86 to the cleaning liquid tank 53 via the fourth pipe 92.

In step S35, the control unit 60 determines whether the milk selected in the milk supply operation in step S33 was cold or hot. If the milk selected was cold, the control unit 60 advances the process to step S36, and if it was hot, the control unit 60 advances the process to step S37.

In step S36, the control unit 60 opens solenoid valves V3 and V4. The timing at which solenoid valves V3 and V4 open does not have to be simultaneous; solenoid valve V3 may be opened after solenoid valve V4, or solenoid valve V3 may be opened after solenoid valve V4. On the other hand, if it is determined that the selected milk is hot, in step S37, the control unit 60 opens solenoid valves V3 and V5. The timing at which solenoid valves V3 and V5 open does not have to be simultaneous; solenoid valve V3 may be opened after solenoid valve V5, or solenoid valve V3 may be opened after solenoid valve V5.

In this state, in step S38, the control unit 60 activates the milk pump P2. This causes the first cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 53 to flow through the fourth pipe 92 and the milk pipe 86 to the cold milk pipe 86C or the hot milk pipe 86H, cleaning the inside of the pipe.

In step S39, the control unit 60 determines whether the amount of first cleaning liquid required to clean the inside of the piping (first required amount) has been transferred by the milk pump P2 based on the measurement result of the second flowmeter 88. The first required amount is set based on, for example, the total value of the internal volume of the milk piping 86 from the cleaning liquid tank 53 to the branching portion B (see FIG. 5), the internal volume of the cold milk piping 86C or the hot milk piping 86H, and the internal volume from the connection portion of the cold milk piping 86C and the hot milk piping 86H to the milk nozzle 42. An example of the first required amount is approximately 50 ml. Information regarding the first required amount is pre-stored in the memory unit 130 (see FIG. 10).

If it is determined in step S39 that the first required amount of cleaning fluid has been transferred, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S310; otherwise, it repeats step S39.

In step S310, the control unit 60 determines whether the current amount of the first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 has fallen below the refill reference amount as a result of the cleaning operations in steps S34 to S39. The refill reference amount is the amount of the first cleaning liquid stored that serves as a criterion for determining whether or not cleaning liquid should be refilled into the cleaning liquid tank 53. In this embodiment, it is, for example, 200 ml. Information regarding the refill reference amount is pre-stored in the memory unit 130.

The control unit 60 calculates the current amount of the first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53, for example, by the following method. That is, the control unit 60 reads from the memory unit 130 storage amount information indicating the amount of the first cleaning liquid stored the previous time in the cleaning liquid tank 53, and determines the current storage amount as the value obtained by subtracting the first required amount from the storage amount indicated by the storage amount information.

If it is determined in step S310 that the current storage amount is less than the replenishment reference amount, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S311; if not, it ends the beverage supply operation and returns to the supply standby state.

In step S311, the control unit 60 executes the first cleaning liquid supply operation (see FIG. 17) described below.

By performing this type of beverage supplying operation, the beverage supplying device 1 can provide a beverage that uses milk. After providing the milk-based beverage, the beverage supplying device 1 can clean the milk piping 86 and other components using the first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53. This can prevent milk from remaining inside the milk piping 86, which could lead to an unhygienic state being maintained.

In the example shown in FIG. 13, the beverage supplying device 1 cleans the milk piping 86 every time it serves a beverage that uses milk, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the beverage supplying device 1 may clean the milk piping 86 using the first cleaning liquid a certain amount of time after serving a beverage that uses milk. This makes it possible to reduce the frequency of cleaning. Since new beverages cannot be served during cleaning, by cleaning less frequently, it is possible to ensure the hygiene of the milk piping 86 and shorten the time during which beverages cannot be served.

When the beverage is dispensed, if the amount of the first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 falls below the refill reference amount due to the cleaning operation, the first cleaning liquid is automatically replenished. This makes it possible to maintain the state in which the first cleaning liquid is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53.

In addition, if the milk selected in step S33 is cold milk, solenoid valves V3 and V4 are opened to clean the cold milk pipe 86C, and if it is hot milk, solenoid valves V3 and V5 are opened to clean the hot milk pipe 86H. This ensures that the pipes that have been used, either the cold milk pipe 86C or the hot milk pipe 86H, are cleaned reliably.

In the example operation shown in FIG. 13, the solenoid valves V4 and V5 are used to switch the pipes to be cleaned based on whether the selected milk is cold or hot, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, both the cold milk pipe 86C and the hot milk pipe 86H may be cleaned regardless of whether the selected milk is cold or hot. In this case, for example, after opening the solenoid valves V3 and V4 to complete cleaning of the cold milk pipe 86C, the solenoid valve V4 may be closed and the solenoid valve V5 may be opened to clean the hot milk pipe 86H.

[Milk supply operation]
Next, a description will be given of the milk supplying operation in step S33 in Fig. 13. Fig. 14 is a flow chart for explaining the milk supplying operation.

In step S41, the control unit 60 executes a first cleaning liquid discharge operation to discharge the first cleaning liquid remaining inside the milk pipe 86. Details of the first cleaning liquid discharge operation will be described later. As described above, although there is no particular problem if the first cleaning liquid is ingested by humans, in this embodiment, such an operation is executed to avoid impairing the flavor of the milk.

In step S42, the control unit 60 moves (advances) the milk nozzle 42 (see FIG. 3) to the supply position. This allows milk to be ejected from the milk nozzle 42 and supplied to the container C.

In step S43, the control unit 60 executes a milk transfer operation. The milk transfer operation is an operation for transferring milk stored in the milk tank 52 to the milk nozzle 42 through the milk piping 86. The milk transfer operation will be described in detail later.

In step S44, the control unit 60 moves (retracts) the milk nozzle 42 to the standby position. This prevents the cleaning liquid used to clean the milk pipe 86 from being mistakenly supplied to the container C, and allows the cleaning liquid to be discharged through the receiving portion 72 (see Figure 4).

[First cleaning liquid discharging operation]
The first cleaning liquid discharging operation in step S41 of Fig. 14 will be described below. Fig. 15 is a flow chart for explaining the first cleaning liquid discharging operation.

In step S51, the control unit 60 switches the three-way valve 87 to the suction pipe 89 side.

In step S52, the control unit 60 determines whether the milk selected in the beverage supply operation (see FIG. 13) is cold milk or hot milk. If it is determined in step S52 that the milk is cold milk, the control unit 60 advances the operation to step S53, and if it is determined that the milk is hot milk, the control unit 60 advances the operation to step S54.

If it is determined that the selected milk is cold milk, in step S53, the control unit 60 opens solenoid valves V3 and V4. Note that solenoid valves V3 and V4 do not have to be opened simultaneously, and these solenoid valves may be opened sequentially in any suitable order.

If it is determined that the selected milk is hot milk, in step S54, the control unit 60 opens solenoid valves V3 and V5. Note that solenoid valves V3 and V5 do not have to be opened simultaneously, and these solenoid valves may be opened sequentially.

In step S55, the control unit 60 activates the milk pump P2. This causes the milk stored in the milk tank 52 to flow through the milk pipe 86, washing away any cleaning liquid remaining in the milk pipe 86 and discharging it from the milk nozzle 42.

In step S56, the control unit 60 determines whether the first specified amount of milk has been transferred based on the measurement result of the second flow meter 88.

When the selected milk is cold, the first designated amount is an amount designated based on the internal volume of the milk pipe 86 from the three-way valve 87 to the branching part B (see FIG. 5), the internal volume of the cold milk pipe 86C, and the internal volume from the connection part of the cold milk pipe 86C and the hot milk pipe 86H to the milk nozzle 42. When the selected milk is hot in the beverage supply operation, the first designated amount is an amount designated based on the internal volume of the milk pipe 86 from the three-way valve 87 to the branching part B, the internal volume of the hot milk pipe 86H, and the internal volume from the connection part of the cold milk pipe 86C and the hot milk pipe 86H to the milk nozzle 42. The first designated amount may be the same as the first required amount (see step S39 in FIG. 13), for example. Information regarding the first designated amount is stored in the memory unit 130.

If it is determined in step S56 that the first specified amount of milk has been transferred, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S57; otherwise, it returns to the operation of step S55.

In step S57, the control unit 60 stops the milk pump P2.

In step S58, the control unit 60 closes the open solenoid valve V3, and the open solenoid valve V4 or solenoid valve V5.

By performing the above operations, before a beverage that uses milk is dispensed, the cleaning liquid remaining inside the milk pipe 86 can be flushed away using milk. The flushed cleaning liquid is discharged from the milk nozzle 42 in the standby position. At this time, by flushing away the first cleaning liquid using the first specified amount of milk, the milk to be used next remains inside the milk pipe 86. This makes it possible to minimize the amount of milk required to flush away the first cleaning liquid.

If the next milk to be used is foamed milk, the air pump P3 may be operated to incorporate air into the milk when the milk is used to flush away the first cleaning liquid.

[Milk transfer operation]
The milk transfer operation will now be described. Fig. 16 is a flow chart for explaining the milk transfer operation.

In step S61, the control unit 60 determines whether the beverage selected by the user is a beverage that uses cold milk or a beverage that uses hot milk. If the control unit 60 determines in step S61 that the beverage selected is a beverage that uses cold milk, the control unit 60 advances the operation to step S62, and if the control unit 60 determines that the beverage selected is a beverage that uses hot milk, the control unit 60 advances the operation to step S63.

If it is determined that the beverage uses cold milk, in step S62, the control unit 60 opens solenoid valves V3 and V4.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the beverage uses hot milk, in step S63, the control unit 60 opens solenoid valves V3 and V5.

In step S64, the control unit 60 operates the milk pump P2. This transfers milk to the cold milk pipe 86C or the hot milk pipe 86H. The milk supplied to the hot milk pipe 86H is heated by the water bath 56.

In step S65, the control unit 60 determines whether the selected beverage is a beverage that uses milk foam. If the control unit 60 determines in step S65 that the selected beverage is a beverage that uses milk foam, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S66; otherwise, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S68.

In step S66, the control unit 60 opens the solenoid valve V6. In step S67, the control unit 60 activates the air pump P3. This supplies air for frothing to the milk pipe 86.

In step S68, the control unit 60 determines whether or not a second specified amount of milk has been transferred based on the measurement result of the second flow meter 88. The second specified amount is the amount of milk required to produce the selected beverage. Information regarding the second specified amount is stored in the memory unit 130.

If it is determined in step S68 that the second specified amount of milk has been transferred, the control unit 60 advances the operation to step S69. If the second specified amount of milk has not been transferred, the control unit 60 returns the operation to step S64.

In step S69, the control unit 60 stops the milk pump P2 and the air pump P3 that are in operation.

In step S610, the control unit 60 closes the solenoid valves V3, V4, V5, and V6 that are open.

By performing the above operations, milk can be dispensed in a form suitable for the beverage selected by the user. Specifically, it is possible to dispense cold milk, cold foamed milk, hot milk, and hot foamed milk.

[First Cleaning Liquid Supply Operation]
The first cleaning liquid supplying operation in step S311 in Fig. 13 will be described in detail below. Fig. 17 is a flow chart for explaining the first cleaning liquid supplying operation.

In step S71, the control unit 60 determines whether the water level inside the cistern 51 is the first predetermined water level based on the water level measurement result from the float 512. If the water level inside the cistern 51 is not the first predetermined water level, the control unit 60 advances the operation to step S72, and if the water level is the first predetermined water level, the control unit 60 advances the operation to step S73.

In step S72, the control unit 60 operates the tap water supply unit 511 to replenish tap water into the cistern 51 until the first predetermined water level is reached. If the water level inside the cistern 51 is higher than the first predetermined water level, tap water is discharged from the discharge unit until the water level reaches the first predetermined water level.

In step S73, the control unit 60 controls the processing unit 513 of the cistern 51 to perform electrolysis for a first predetermined time. The first predetermined time is an electrolysis time that is preset to generate a first cleaning solution having a first concentration (e.g., 5 ppm) of the sterilizing component (hypochlorous acid).

In this way, in the first cleaning liquid supply operation, when the water level inside the cistern 51 is at the first predetermined water level, electrolysis is performed for a fixed time. As a result, the amount of the first cleaning liquid generated in the cistern 51 is always constant, and the concentration of hypochlorous acid contained in the first cleaning liquid is also always constant.

In addition, in the present disclosure, in order to supply a first cleaning solution having a constant concentration, a method of generating the first cleaning solution other than the above may be adopted. For example, a sensor that measures the concentration of hypochlorous acid may be provided in the cistern, and electrolysis may be performed until the target first concentration (5 ppm) is reached while referring to the measured concentration value output by the sensor.

The method of producing the first cleaning solution disclosed herein includes cases where the concentration of the first cleaning solution is strictly constant, as well as cases where the concentration deviates from the desired value (5 ppm) to an extent that does not cause practical problems for the first cleaning solution.

In step S74, the control unit 60 opens the solenoid valve V2.

In step S75, the control unit 60 operates the first pump P1.

In step S76, the control unit 60 determines whether the first flow meter 81 is spinning idle. The first flow meter 81 is spinning idle when the cistern 51 becomes empty. If the first flow meter 81 is spinning idle, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S77; if not, the control unit 60 returns to the operation of step S75.

In step S77, the control unit 60 stops the first pump P1.

In step S78, the control unit 60 closes the solenoid valve V2.

In this way, in the first cleaning liquid supply operation, when a predetermined amount of water is stored in the cistern 51, the electrolytic process is performed for the first predetermined time, so that a first cleaning liquid having a constant concentration can always be generated. In addition, the predetermined amount of first cleaning liquid generated by the electrolytic process is transferred to the cleaning liquid tank 53 through the first pipe 83 and the third pipe 85 until the cistern 51 is empty. That is, in the first cleaning liquid supply operation, all of the predetermined amount of first cleaning liquid generated in the cistern 51 is transferred to the cleaning liquid tank 53. As a result, the amount of first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 and the concentration of hypochlorous acid contained in the first cleaning liquid are always constant.

In order to reliably transfer all of the first cleaning liquid produced in the cistern 51 to the cleaning liquid tank 53, a method other than the above-mentioned method (continuing transfer until the first flowmeter 81 runs idle) may be adopted. For example, the time until a predetermined amount of the first cleaning liquid is completely transferred from the cistern 51 may be experimentally measured in advance, and the first pump P1 may be operated for a time sufficiently longer than the measured time (for example, twice the measured time). Furthermore, if the first cleaning liquid remains in the cistern 51 after the first pump P1 has been operated for a certain period of time, the remaining first cleaning liquid may be discharged from the discharge part of the cistern 51.

As described in steps S7 and S8 of FIG. 11, the above-mentioned first cleaning liquid supply operation may be repeated multiple times. This makes it possible to store a predetermined amount of the first cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 53 in an integer multiple. In this embodiment, for example, when the start-up operation of the beverage supply device 1 is completed and the device transitions to a supply standby state, twice the predetermined amount (500 ml) of the first cleaning liquid (1000 ml) is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53. In the supply standby state of the beverage supply device 1, the first required amount (for example, 50 ml) of the first cleaning liquid is used each time a beverage is supplied, but since a large amount (1000 ml) of the first cleaning liquid is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 compared to the first required amount used for one cleaning, even if multiple cleanings are performed, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 runs out. The hypochlorous acid water used as the first cleaning liquid in this embodiment is highly stable, so even if a large amount is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53, it is unlikely to lose its cleaning ability. This means that the first cleaning liquid supply operation shown in FIG. 17 does not need to be performed frequently.

[Hibernation behavior]
A description will now be given of the operation of the beverage dispenser 1 to transition to a pause state. Figures 18 and 19 are flow charts for explaining the operation of the beverage dispenser 1 to transition to a pause state.

In step S81, the control unit 60 accepts a pause state transition operation via the operation display unit 20. The pause state transition operation is an operation for transitioning the beverage dispenser 1 from a supply standby state to a pause state, for example, when the store is closed. After step S81, the control unit 60 performs the operations of steps S82 and S83 in parallel with the operations of steps S84 and S85. Note that the transition from the supply standby state to the pause state may be triggered by something other than the pause state transition operation. For example, the transition from the supply standby state to the pause state may be automatically initiated when the current time reaches a predetermined time that has been set in advance.

In step S82, the control unit 60 executes a second cleaning liquid generating operation once. The second cleaning liquid generating operation is an operation for generating a predetermined amount of a second cleaning liquid (hypochlorous acid water) in which the concentration of the bactericidal component (hypochlorous acid) contained therein is a second concentration (e.g., 30 ppm) in the cistern 51.

In the second cleaning liquid generation operation, when the water level in the cistern 51 is at a second predetermined water level, in other words when a predetermined amount of water is stored in the cistern 51, electrolysis is performed on the tap water in the cistern 51 for a second predetermined time. This ensures that a predetermined amount of second cleaning liquid with a constant concentration is generated. The second predetermined time is the electrolysis time that is set in advance to generate second cleaning liquid with a second concentration of the bactericidal component (hypochlorous acid).

Here, the second predetermined water level during the second cleaning liquid generating operation is set higher than the first predetermined water level during beverage supply standby or the first cleaning liquid supply operation. As a result, the amount of second cleaning liquid generated per second cleaning liquid generating operation is greater than the first cleaning liquid generated in the first cleaning liquid supply operation. In the following description, the amount of second cleaning liquid generated in one second cleaning liquid generating operation is referred to as the second predetermined amount. The second predetermined amount is greater than the predetermined amount, which is the amount of first cleaning liquid generated in cistern 51. If the amount of first cleaning liquid generated (predetermined amount) is 500 ml, the second predetermined amount may be set to, for example, 520 ml.

The control unit 60 also generates the second cleaning solution by performing an electrolytic process on a second predetermined amount of tap water for a second predetermined time that is longer than the first predetermined time for generating the first cleaning solution. This makes it possible to generate a constant amount of second cleaning solution with a constant concentration of hypochlorous acid for each second cleaning solution generation operation.

6, the amount of tap water stored inside the cistern 51 is monitored by the float 512, and each time the stored tap water is used, the tap water supply unit 511 replenishes the water so that the water level is the first predetermined water level or the second predetermined water level. In other words, the water level of the tap water stored in the cistern 51 is controlled to be at approximately the same position. As described above, when the second cleaning liquid is generated in the cistern 51, the control unit 60 controls the water level to be at a second predetermined position higher than the first predetermined water level. Therefore, the area where the water level of the tap water at the first predetermined water level touches the inner surface of the cistern 51 during beverage supply standby or first cleaning liquid supply operation is covered by the second cleaning liquid at the second predetermined water level. The area where the surface of the tap water at the first specified water level touches the inner surface of the cistern 51 is the interface between the tap water and the air, and dirt tends to collect there; however, by covering this interface with the second cleaning solution, which contains a relatively large amount of bactericidal components, the interface can be sterilized, and hygiene of the inner surface of the cistern 51 can be ensured.

In step S83, the control unit 60 determines whether the second cleaning liquid generating operation in step S82 has been completed. If it is determined that the second cleaning liquid generating operation has been completed, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S86; otherwise, it repeats step S83.

In step S84, the control unit 60 switches the three-way valve 87 to the fourth pipe 92 side. This causes the first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 to flow through the fourth pipe 92 to the milk pipe 86.

In step S85, the control unit 60 executes a cleaning operation (see FIG. 20 described below) using the first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53. After the operation of step S85, the control unit 60 proceeds to the operation of step S86.

If it is determined in step S83 that the second cleaning liquid generating operation is completed, or after the operation of step S85, in step S86, the control unit 60 determines whether the cleaning liquid tank 53 is empty. The control unit 60 may check whether the cleaning liquid tank 53 is empty, for example, based on a detection signal from a sensor provided in the cleaning liquid tank 53.

If it is determined in step S86 that the cleaning liquid tank 53 is empty, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S87; if not, it repeats the determination operation of step S86.

In step S87, the control unit 60 transfers the second cleaning liquid produced in step S82 to an empty cleaning liquid tank 53.

In step S88, the control unit 60 executes the second cleaning liquid generating operation once again. The second cleaning liquid generating operation executed in step S88 is the same as the second cleaning liquid generating operation executed in step S82.

In step S89, the control unit 60 determines whether the second cleaning liquid generating operation of step S88 has been completed. If it is determined that the second cleaning liquid generating operation has been completed, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S810, and if not, repeats the determination operation of step S89.

In step S810, the control unit 60 transfers the second cleaning liquid produced in step S82 to the cleaning liquid tank 53 in which a second cleaning liquid supply is already stored.

In step S811, the control unit 60 determines whether or not an operation of transferring two more doses of the second cleaning liquid has been performed after the operation of transferring one dose of the second cleaning liquid in step S87. If it is determined in step S811 that an operation of transferring two more doses of the second cleaning liquid has been performed, the control unit 60 advances the operation to step S91 in FIG. 19. If an operation of transferring two more doses of the second cleaning liquid has not been performed in step S811, i.e., if only one more dose of the second cleaning liquid has been performed after the operation of transferring one dose of the second cleaning liquid in step S87, the control unit 60 returns the operation to step S88.

In this way, according to the operations from step S81 to step S811, the operation of generating the second cleaning liquid and the operation of transferring the generated second cleaning liquid to the cleaning liquid tank 53 are repeated a total of three times. As a result, three times (e.g., 1560 ml) of the second cleaning liquid is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 as much as the second predetermined amount (e.g., 520 ml).

Three times of the second cleaning liquid generating operation and the transfer operation cause three times the second predetermined amount of second cleaning liquid to be stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53, so that the liquid level in the cleaning liquid tank 53 is higher than the suction port 538. In other words, by repeating the second cleaning liquid generating operation and the transfer operation multiple times, the liquid level of the second cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 can be made higher than the suction port 538. As a result, the suction port 538 becomes submerged in the second cleaning liquid, so that the second cleaning liquid can be taken in by the air pipe 93 connected to the air intake section 534.

In this embodiment, an example is described in which the second cleaning liquid generating operation and the transfer operation are repeated three times, but the number of repetitions is not limited to three. The number of repetitions may be set to an appropriate number of times so that the level of the second cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 becomes higher than the intake port 538 after the repetition.

In step S91 of FIG. 19, the control unit 60 opens solenoid valves V3, V4, and V6.

In step S92, the control unit 60 activates the milk pump P2 and the air pump P3. This causes the second cleaning liquid to be taken in through the intake port 538 and flow into the air pipe 93. This allows the air pipe 93 to be cleaned and sterilized.

In step S93, the control unit 60 judges whether or not it is no longer possible to take in the second cleaning liquid from the suction port 538. This judgment is made, for example, based on whether or not the air pump P3 is running idle. For example, the air pump P3 runs idle when the amount of second cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 decreases and it is no longer possible to take in the second cleaning liquid from the suction port 538. Alternatively, in step S93, the control unit 60 may judge that it is no longer possible to take in the second cleaning liquid from the suction port 538 when the flow rate indicated by a flow meter (not shown) becomes zero. Furthermore, in step S93, the control unit 60 may judge that it is no longer possible to take in the second cleaning liquid from the suction port 538 when the time during which the air pump P3 operates reaches a predetermined time. In this case, for example, the air pump P3 is operated from a state in which three times the second cleaning liquid is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53, and the time until it is no longer possible to take in the second cleaning liquid from the suction port 538 is experimentally measured in advance, and the measurement result may be stored as a judgment criterion. If it is determined that the second cleaning liquid can no longer be taken in through the intake port 538, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S94; otherwise, it returns to step S92.

In step S94, the control unit 60 determines whether the second required amount of second cleaning liquid required to clean the inside of the cold milk pipe 86C has been transferred by the milk pump P2 based on the measurement result of the second flow meter 88. The second required amount is, for example, 500 ml.

If it is determined in step S94 that the second required amount of second cleaning liquid has been transferred, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S95; otherwise, it repeats step S94.

In step S95, the control unit 60 closes solenoid valve V4 and opens solenoid valve V5. This allows the second cleaning liquid to flow through the hot milk pipe 86H.

In step S96, the control unit 60 determines whether the third required amount of the second cleaning liquid necessary for cleaning and sterilizing the milk piping 86 has been transferred by the milk pump P2 based on the measurement result of the second flow meter 88. The third required amount is, for example, 500 ml.

If it is determined in step S96 that the third required amount of second cleaning liquid has been transferred, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S97, otherwise step S96 is repeated. Through such an operation, the milk piping 86 is cleaned and sterilized with a sufficient amount of second cleaning liquid, and hygiene is maintained.

In step S97, the control unit 60 stops the operation of the air pump P3 and closes the solenoid valve V6. In step S98, the control unit 60 stops the operation of the milk pump P2.

In step S99, the control unit 60 closes the solenoid valves V3 and V5. In step S910, the control unit 60 switches the three-way valve 87 from the fourth pipe 92 side to the suction pipe 89 side. This causes the second cleaning liquid to remain inside the milk pipe 86 during the pause state.

After step S910 is completed, the beverage supply device transitions to a paused state. In the paused state, the cleaning liquid tank 53 contains the unused second cleaning liquid from the three second cleaning liquid generation operations (e.g., 1560 ml) stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 in the operations up to step S811 in FIG. 18. In addition, as described above, the second cleaning liquid used for cleaning and sterilization remains inside the milk pipe 86. The second cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 in the paused state and the second cleaning liquid remaining in the milk pipe 86 are washed away by the second cleaning liquid discharge operation (step S2 in FIG. 11) during the next startup operation.

In the operation example shown in Figures 18 and 19, after it is determined in step S93 that the second cleaning liquid cannot be taken in, until it is determined in step S96 that the third required amount of second cleaning liquid has been transferred, the control unit 60 continues to drive the air pump P3 with the solenoid valve V6 open. This makes it possible to use the air pump P3 to blow air into the second cleaning liquid downstream of the connection J of the milk pipe 86 with the air pipe 93, and to generate a second cleaning liquid containing fine bubbles. This makes it possible to improve the cleaning ability of the second cleaning liquid compared to when it does not contain fine bubbles.

As described above, in the pause state transition operation, the beverage supply device 1 uses all of the first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 to clean the milk piping 86, and then generates a second cleaning liquid with a higher concentration of sterilizing components and stores it in the cleaning liquid tank 53. At this time, the generation and transfer operations of the second cleaning liquid are repeated multiple times (three times in the example of Figure 18) so that the level of the second cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 53 is higher than the suction port 538. This allows the second cleaning liquid to be taken in from the suction port 538, and the inside of the air piping 93 connected to the air intake section 534 can be cleaned and sterilized.

The inside of the milk pipe 86 and the air pipe 93 are cleaned and sterilized using the second cleaning liquid, and the second cleaning liquid used for cleaning and sterilization remains in the milk pipe 86 during the resting state. This makes it possible to suppress the proliferation of bacteria inside the milk pipe 86.

18 and 19, the second cleaning liquid remains in the milk pipe 86 during the pause state, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, after the milk pipe 86 and the air pipe 93 are cleaned using all of the second cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53, the first cleaning liquid supply operation shown in FIG. 17 and the cleaning operation using the first cleaning liquid shown in FIG. 20 may be performed to wash away the second cleaning liquid using the first cleaning liquid. In this case, the first cleaning liquid remains in the milk pipe 86 during the pause state. For example, when the hypochlorous acid concentration of the first cleaning liquid is relatively high, such an operation can also maintain the hygiene of the milk pipe 86 during the pause state.

18 and 19, the second cleaning liquid containing fine bubbles is generated by continuing to operate the air pump P3 with the solenoid valve V6 open even after it is no longer possible to take in the second cleaning liquid from the suction port 538. The present disclosure is not limited to this, and when it is determined in step S811 that the second cleaning liquid cannot be taken in, the control unit 60 may close the solenoid valve V6 and stop the air pump P3. In this case, it is not possible to include fine bubbles in the second cleaning liquid, but the second cleaning liquid can remain in the air piping 93 during the pause state.

[Cleaning Operation Using First Cleaning Solution]
The cleaning operation using the first cleaning liquid in step S5 in Fig. 11 or step S85 in Fig. 18 will be described below. Fig. 20 is a flow chart for explaining the cleaning operation using the first cleaning liquid.

In step S101, the control unit 60 opens solenoid valves V3 and V4.

In step S102, the control unit 60 activates the milk pump P2. This causes the first cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 53 to flow through the fourth pipe 92 and the milk pipe 86 to the cold milk pipe 86C, cleaning the inside of the pipe.

In step S103, the control unit 60 determines whether the fourth required amount of the first cleaning liquid for cleaning the inside of the cold milk pipe 86C has been transferred by the milk pump P2 based on the measurement result of the second flow meter 88. The fourth required amount is an amount that is set based on, for example, the total value of the internal volume of the milk pipe 86 from the cleaning liquid tank 53 to the branching portion B (see FIG. 5), the internal volume of the cold milk pipe 86C, and the internal volume from the connection portion between the cold milk pipe 86C and the hot milk pipe 86H to the milk nozzle 42.

If it is determined in step S103 that the fourth required amount of cleaning liquid has been transferred, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S104; otherwise, it repeats step S103.

In step S104, the control unit 60 closes the solenoid valve V4 and opens the solenoid valve V5. This allows the first cleaning liquid to flow through the hot milk pipe 86H.

In step S105, the control unit 60 determines whether the cleaning liquid tank 53 has become empty due to the transfer of the first cleaning liquid up to step S104. The control unit 60 may check whether the cleaning liquid tank 53 has become empty, for example, based on a detection signal from a sensor provided in the cleaning liquid tank 53.

If it is determined in step S105 that the cleaning liquid tank 53 is empty, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S106; otherwise, it repeats step S105.

In step S106, the control unit 60 stops operation of the milk pump P2.

In step S107, the control unit 60 closes solenoid valves V3 and V5.

In this way, in the cleaning operation using the first cleaning liquid, the entire milk piping 86, including the cold milk piping 86C and the hot milk piping 86H, can be cleaned with the first cleaning liquid. Note that in the cleaning operation using the first cleaning liquid, fine bubbles may be contained in the first cleaning liquid downstream of the connection J of the milk piping 86 with the air piping 93 by opening the solenoid valves V3 and V6 and operating the air pump P3. This improves the cleaning ability of the first cleaning liquid compared to when fine bubbles are not contained.

[Second Cleaning Liquid Discharge Operation]
Next, a description will be given of details of the second cleaning liquid discharging operation in step S2 of Fig. 11. Fig. 21 is a flow chart for explaining the second cleaning liquid discharging operation.

In step S111, the control unit 60 switches the three-way valve 87 to the fourth pipe 92 side.

In step S112, the control unit 60 opens solenoid valve V3 and solenoid valve V4 or solenoid valve V5. Here, solenoid valve V4 or V5 is opened to discharge the second cleaning liquid, not to clean the inside of the piping, so the control unit 60 may open either solenoid valve V4 or V5.

In step S113, the control unit 60 operates the milk pump P2. This causes the second cleaning liquid remaining in the cleaning liquid tank 53 to be discharged from the milk nozzle 42.

In step S114, the control unit 60 determines whether the cleaning liquid tank 53 is empty. The control unit 60 determines whether the cleaning liquid tank 53 is empty, for example, based on whether the second flow meter 88 has run idle. Alternatively, the control unit 60 may determine in advance the amount of second cleaning liquid remaining in the cleaning liquid tank 53, and determine whether that amount of second cleaning liquid has passed through the second flow meter 88. In this case, the control unit 60 only needs to determine the amount of second cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 and the amount of second cleaning liquid used for cleaning in the previous pause state transition operation.

If it is determined in step S114 that the cleaning liquid tank 53 is empty, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S115; if not, it repeats the operation of step S114.

In step S115, the control unit 60 closes the open solenoid valve V3, and the open solenoid valve V4 or solenoid valve V5.

In step S116, the control unit 60 stops the milk pump P2.

This second cleaning liquid discharge operation allows all of the second cleaning liquid remaining in the cleaning liquid tank 53 or inside the piping during the previous pause state transition operation to be discharged, preventing the second cleaning liquid from being mixed into the beverage when it is served.

[Notification operation]
A description will now be given of the notification operation of the beverage supply device 1. The notification operation is an operation for notifying an administrator, a user, or the like of the operating state when the beverage supply device 1 is performing a cleaning operation using the first cleaning liquid, or a cleaning and sterilizing operation using the second cleaning liquid.

When the control unit 60 is performing a cleaning operation using the first cleaning liquid or a cleaning and sterilization operation using the second cleaning liquid in each of the above-mentioned operations, the control unit 60 causes the operation display unit 20 to display the operating status.

More specifically, when the first cleaning liquid or the second cleaning liquid is being generated, the control unit 60 causes the display of a message, symbol, icon, or the like such as "Cleaning liquid being generated!". Also, when the first cleaning liquid or the second cleaning liquid is being transferred from the cistern 51 to the cleaning liquid tank 53, the control unit 60 causes the display of a message, symbol, icon, or the like such as "Cleaning liquid being transferred!". Furthermore, when a cleaning operation using the first cleaning liquid or a cleaning and sterilization operation using the second cleaning liquid is being performed, the control unit 60 causes the display of a message, symbol, icon, or the like such as "Pipe cleaning in progress!" or "Pipe sterilization in progress!".

This allows the manager or user of the beverage supply device 1 to recognize what operations the beverage supply device 1 is performing to maintain hygiene of the piping inside the beverage supply device 1. This provides the manager or user with a sense of security when using the beverage supply device 1.

In the present disclosure, various notification modes may be adopted for the administrator or user in the notification operation other than the above-mentioned examples. For example, information indicating the generation state or storage state of the first or second cleaning liquid may be displayed on a display unit (not shown). The information indicating the generation state of the first or second cleaning liquid is information including the amount, current concentration, and target concentration of the cleaning liquid being generated when the first or second cleaning liquid is generated by electrolysis in the cistern 51. The information indicating the storage state is information indicating the amount and concentration of the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53. The information indicating the generation state or storage state may be displayed on a display unit in the form of characters, for example, or may be displayed on a display unit in the form of an image that diagrammatically indicates the generation amount or storage amount, as exemplified in FIG. 22 described later.

The beverage supply device 1 may also count and notify the number of cleaning operations performed in the supply standby state or paused state.

The beverage supply device 1 may be provided with a communication unit capable of communicating with an external public network to transmit various pieces of information that should be notified to the administrator or user, and may transmit information indicating the operating status to a mobile device carried by the administrator or user, causing the mobile device to make the notification.

<Amount of cleaning liquid stored in cleaning liquid tank 53>
As described above, in the beverage dispenser 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, an amount of cleaning fluid corresponding to each operation to be performed is stored and used in the cleaning fluid tank 53. The amount of cleaning fluid stored in the cleaning fluid tank 53 for each operation will be summarized below.

Figure 22 is a schematic diagram for explaining the amount of cleaning solution stored in each operation. As described above, when cleaning solution is generated in cistern 51, if the water level in cistern 51 is below a predetermined water level, the generation of cleaning solution is not started. As a result, a predetermined amount (e.g., 500 ml) of first cleaning solution is generated in cistern 51 each time. Similarly, a second predetermined amount (e.g., 520 ml) of second cleaning solution is generated each time. At this time, as described above, when a predetermined amount or a second predetermined amount of tap water is stored in cistern 51, electrolysis is performed for a first predetermined time or a second predetermined time. As a result, the concentration of the first cleaning solution or the second cleaning solution generated in cistern 51 can be kept constant each time.

In this way, in cistern 51, in order to keep the concentration of the cleaning liquid constant, the first cleaning liquid is produced in a predetermined amount and the second cleaning liquid is produced in a second predetermined amount. Therefore, the amount of cleaning liquid stored in cleaning liquid tank 53 is an integer multiple of the predetermined amount or the second predetermined amount.

Figure 22A shows the amount of first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 during the first cleaning liquid supply operation (see step S3 in Figure 11) performed during startup operation. As described above, one first cleaning liquid supply operation is performed here, so Figure 22A shows a predetermined amount (500 ml) of first cleaning liquid being stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53.

Figure 22B shows the amount of first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 during the first cleaning liquid supply operation (see steps S7 and S8 in Figure 11) that is performed at the end of the startup operation and before transitioning to the supply standby state. As described above, two first cleaning liquid supply operations are performed here, so Figure 22B shows that twice the specified amount (1000 ml) of first cleaning liquid is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53.

Figure 22C shows the amount of cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 before the first cleaning liquid supply operation (see step S311 in Figure 13 and Figure 17) is performed during beverage supply operation. Here, because the first cleaning liquid is used in steps S35 to S39 in Figure 13, the amount of cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 is reduced, and Figure 22C shows the amount of cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 being 200 ml, which is an example of the standard refill amount. After that, the first cleaning liquid supply operation is performed, and a predetermined amount of first cleaning liquid is added to the cleaning liquid tank 53. Figure 22D shows the amount of cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 after the predetermined amount of first cleaning liquid has been added. Figure 22D shows the amount of first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 being 500 ml, which is a predetermined amount, when the amount of first cleaning liquid remaining in the cleaning liquid tank 53 is 200 ml, which is the standard refill amount.

Figure 22E shows how, during the pause state transition operation, three transfers of the second cleaning liquid (see steps S82 to S811 in Figure 18) result in three times the second predetermined amount (520 ml) of second cleaning liquid (1560 ml) being stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53. As shown in Figure 22E, when three times the second predetermined amount of second cleaning liquid is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53, the liquid level of the second cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 53 becomes higher than the suction port 538. This allows the second cleaning liquid taken in through the suction port 538 to clean and sterilize the air piping 93.

<Action and Effects>
As described above, the beverage supply device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a milk tank 52 (an example of a beverage storage section of the present disclosure) for storing a milk beverage, a milk piping 86 for supplying the milk beverage from the milk tank 52 to a milk nozzle 42 (an example of a beverage supply nozzle of the present disclosure), and a cleaning liquid tank 53 (an example of a cleaning liquid storage section of the present disclosure) connected to the milk piping 86 for storing a cleaning liquid for cleaning the inside of the milk piping 86.

With this configuration, there is no need to replace the cleaning liquid tank 53 that stores the cleaning liquid with the milk tank 52. This makes it possible to clean or sterilize the inside of the piping of the beverage supply device 1 with little effort.

The beverage dispenser 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a cistern 51 (an example of a cleaning liquid generating section of the present disclosure) that generates cleaning liquid, and a first pipe 83 and a third pipe 85 (an example of cleaning liquid pipes of the present disclosure) that supply cleaning liquid from the cistern 51 to the cleaning liquid tank 53. This allows the cleaning liquid to be quickly transferred to the cleaning liquid tank 53.

Furthermore, according to the beverage supply device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the cistern 51 can change the concentration of the bactericidal component contained in the cleaning liquid. Furthermore, the cistern 51 generates hypochlorous acid water as the cleaning liquid.

Furthermore, according to the beverage supply device 1 of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaning liquid tank 53 and the milk piping 86 are detachably connected. Furthermore, according to the beverage supply device 1 of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaning liquid tank 53 has an opening 535 that allows the cleaning liquid supplied from the cistern 51 to flow into the interior. This allows the cleaning liquid tank 53 to be removed from the beverage supply device 1 and the interior to be cleaned, thereby maintaining hygiene.

According to the beverage supply device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaning liquid tank 53 includes a suction section 533 connected to the milk pipe 86 for suctioning up the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 53, a second connection section 536 connected to the milk pipe 86, and a lid section 531 having an opening 535. The cleaning liquid tank 53 is open to the atmosphere through the opening 535. In a plan view, the opening 535 is aligned with the tip of the pipe (first pipe 83 and third pipe 85) connected to the cistern 51 on the cleaning liquid tank 53 side. Furthermore, the beverage supply device 1 further includes an air pipe 93 for supplying air to a part of the milk pipe 86, and the lid section 531 has an air intake section 534 connected to the air pipe 93, and the air intake section 534 is provided inside the cleaning liquid tank 53.

This configuration allows air to be taken in from inside the cleaning liquid tank 53 to froth the milk drink. And because the cleaning liquid tank 53 is open to the atmosphere through the opening 535, air can be steadily taken in through the suction port 538 provided in the air intake section 534.

When the level of the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53 is higher than the intake port 538, the inside of the air pipe 93 is cleaned with the cleaning liquid. This makes it possible to clean not only the milk pipe 86 but also the inside of the air pipe 93 with a simple structure.

Furthermore, according to the beverage supplying device 1 of the embodiment of the present disclosure, when serving a beverage using milk, it is possible to clean the inside of the milk pipe 86 using the first cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 53. This makes it possible to maintain hygiene inside the pipe even after the beverage has passed through it.

<Modification>
In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the cleaning solution is generated in the cistern 51. The present disclosure is not limited to this, and for example, a processing unit and electrodes may be provided in the cleaning solution tank 53, and the cleaning solution may be generated within the cleaning solution tank 53. Even in this case, the milk tank 52 and the cleaning solution tank 53 are provided independently, which is preferable since there is no need to replace them when cleaning.

In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the first cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid are hypochlorous acid water. For example, in the present disclosure, at least one of the first cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid does not have to be hypochlorous acid water, and another solution containing a sterilizing component, such as ozone water, may be used. In this case, an ozone water generating device is required in addition to the processing unit 513 and the electrode 514, but it is possible to clean and sterilize the milk piping 86 using two types of cleaning liquid.

In the above-described embodiment, the air intake section 534 is formed shorter than the suction section 533, and the suction port 538 formed at the lower end of the air intake section 534 is disposed at a position away from the bottom surface of the container section 532, for example. In the present disclosure, for example, the air intake section may be configured to be movable up and down. In this case, by moving the suction port provided in the air intake section up and down, the cleaning liquid can be sucked in even if the liquid level of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank is low. In addition, in the present disclosure, the air intake section may extend to the vicinity of the bottom surface of the cleaning liquid tank, and multiple suction ports may be provided at different heights of the air intake section. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, multiple air intake sections may be provided in the cleaning liquid tank, and the heights of the suction ports provided in the multiple air intake sections may be different. In this case, a solenoid valve is provided to connect the air piping to one of the multiple air intake sections, and when the liquid level of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank is low and the air piping is to be cleaned, the solenoid valve may be switched so that the air intake section with the lower suction port position is connected to the air intake section.

This disclosure is suitable for use in beverage supply devices that provide beverages.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1 Beverage supply device 10 Housing 10A Container insertion/removal opening 11 Insertion/removal opening door 20 Operation display unit 30 Container holding unit 31 Placement unit 40 Nozzle unit 41 Coffee nozzle 42 Milk nozzle 43 Movement mechanism 50 Beverage production unit 51 Cistern 511 Tap water supply unit 512 Float 513 Processing unit 514 Electrode 52 Milk tank 521 Lid unit 522 Container unit 523 Suction unit 524 First connection unit 53 Cleaning liquid tank 531 Lid unit 532 Container unit 533 Suction unit 534 Air intake unit 535 Opening 536 Second connection unit 537 Third connection unit 538 Inlet 54 Coffee extraction unit 55 Boiler 56 Water bath 60 Control unit 70 Tray DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 71 Supply hole 72 Receiving portion 73 Wall portion 74 Discharge inclined surface 75 Discharge portion 81 First flow meter 83 First pipe 84 Second pipe 85 Third pipe 86 Milk pipe 86C Cold milk pipe 86H Hot milk pipe 87 Three-way valve 88 Second flow meter 89 Suction pipe 92 Fourth pipe 93 Air pipe 95 Fifth pipe 97 Sixth pipe 110 Milk circuit 120 Communication unit 130 Memory unit V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, V6, V7, V8 Solenoid valve P1 First pump P2 Milk pump P3 Air pump

Claims (11)

a beverage storage section for storing a milk beverage;
a milk pipe for supplying the milk beverage from the beverage reservoir to a beverage supply nozzle;
A cleaning liquid storage section connected to the milk pipe and storing a cleaning liquid for cleaning the inside of the milk pipe;
A beverage supply device comprising: A cleaning liquid generating unit that generates the cleaning liquid;
a cleaning liquid pipe that supplies the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid generating unit to the cleaning liquid storage unit;
Further comprising:
2. The beverage dispenser of claim 1. The cleaning liquid generating unit is capable of changing the concentration of a sterilizing component contained in the cleaning liquid.
3. The beverage dispenser of claim 2. The cleaning liquid generating unit generates hypochlorous acid water as the cleaning liquid.
3. The beverage dispenser of claim 2. The cleaning liquid storage section and the milk piping are detachably connected.
2. The beverage dispenser of claim 1. The cleaning liquid storage unit has an opening through which the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid generating unit flows into the interior thereof.
3. The beverage dispenser of claim 2. The cleaning liquid storage portion is connected to the milk piping and includes a suction portion that sucks up the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid storage portion, a connection portion that is connected to the milk piping, and a cover portion having the opening.
7. The beverage dispenser of claim 6. The cleaning liquid storage section is open to the atmosphere through the opening.
7. The beverage dispenser of claim 6. The opening is aligned with a tip end of a cleaning liquid pipe connected to the cleaning liquid generator on the cleaning liquid storage unit side in a plan view.
9. The beverage dispenser of claim 8. An air pipe for supplying air to a portion of the milk pipe,
The cover portion has an air intake portion connected to the air piping,
An intake port for sucking air in the air intake section is provided inside the cleaning liquid storage section.
8. The beverage dispenser of claim 7. When a liquid level of the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid storage section is higher than that of the suction port, the inside of the air pipe is cleaned with the cleaning liquid.
11. The beverage dispensing apparatus of claim 10.

Images