JP7532786B2 - Beverage Production Equipment - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a beverage production device, and in particular to a beverage production device equipped with a stirring unit that stirs beverage ingredients in a container.

Conventionally, beverage production devices equipped with a stirring unit that stirs beverage ingredients in a container are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a beverage production device equipped with a stirring unit that stirs beverage ingredients in a container.

JP 2019-030610 A

In the beverage production device of Patent Document 1, a beverage is produced (cooked) by stirring the beverage ingredients in a container with a stirring unit. Here, the beverage ingredients are preferably stored frozen in order to keep the temperature of the produced (cooked) beverage low and to extend the storage period. However, when producing (cooking) a beverage by stirring frozen beverage ingredients with a stirring unit, it takes time for the beverage ingredients to reach the appropriate temperature if the frictional heating caused by stirring is the only factor. For this reason, there is a demand for a beverage production device that can easily produce a beverage by suppressing the time required to produce (cook) a beverage from frozen beverage ingredients.

This invention was made to solve the above problems, and one object of the invention is to provide a beverage production device that can easily produce beverages by preventing the time required to produce (cook) a beverage from frozen beverage ingredients from being lengthened.

In order to achieve the above object, a beverage production device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a stirring unit for stirring beverage ingredients in a container, a storage unit for storing water, a washing unit for washing the stirring unit with water from the storage unit at a position different from the position where the container is placed in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction when the container is moved to a position where it does not overlap with the stirring unit in the vertical direction, and a supply unit for supplying water from the storage unit into the container containing the beverage ingredients when the stirring unit stirs the beverage ingredients in the container. Note that the "water" is not limited to pure water, but may be tap water, purified water obtained by treating tap water with a water purifier, or any other water that is substantially 100% pure water (H ₂ O) as a component. Note that the "water" may be any temperature as long as it is liquid.

In the beverage production device according to one aspect of the present invention, as described above, a supply unit is provided that supplies water from the storage unit into the container containing the beverage ingredients when the stirring unit stirs the beverage ingredients in the container. This allows water to be added to the beverage ingredients even when the frozen beverage ingredients are stirred by the stirring unit to produce (cook) a beverage, so that the frozen beverage ingredients can be melted by the heat of the added water. This allows the time it takes for the beverage ingredients to reach an appropriate temperature to be shortened compared to when heating is performed only by friction caused by stirring. As a result, the time it takes to produce (cook) a beverage from frozen beverage ingredients can be prevented from being long, and a beverage can be easily produced. In addition, since the water for washing the stirring unit can be used to produce (cook) a beverage, there is no need to provide a separate tank for storing water for producing (cooking) a beverage. This prevents the number of parts from increasing and prevents the device configuration from becoming complicated.

In the beverage production device according to the above aspect, preferably, the storage unit is configured to store heated water, the cleaning unit is configured to clean the stirring unit with the heated water stored in the storage unit, and the supply unit is configured to supply the heated water stored in the storage unit into a container containing the beverage ingredients. With this configuration, the heat amount of the water (hot water) added to the beverage ingredients can be increased, so that the beverage ingredients can be more easily dissolved. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the time required to produce (cook) a beverage from frozen beverage ingredients from being extended. In addition, since the stirring unit can be cleaned with heated water (hot water), it is possible to easily remove components adhering to the stirring unit. This makes it possible to effectively clean the stirring unit.

In the beverage production device according to the above aspect, preferably, a control unit is further provided that controls the supply of water by the supply unit into the container. With this configuration, an appropriate amount of water can be easily supplied to the beverage ingredients, and excess or deficiency of the amount of water added to the beverage ingredients can be prevented. This makes it easy to adjust the temperature of the produced beverage to an appropriate temperature, and the concentration of the beverage to an appropriate concentration.

In the beverage production device having the above-mentioned control unit, the control unit is preferably configured to control the supply unit to supply water into the container at least either before or during stirring of the beverage ingredients in the container by the stirring unit, and to control the cleaning unit to clean the stirring unit every time the beverage ingredients in the container are stirred by the stirring unit. With this configuration, water can be added to the beverage ingredients at an appropriate timing before or during stirring of the beverage ingredients in the container by the stirring unit, so that frozen beverage ingredients can be dissolved efficiently. In addition, the cleaning unit can automatically clean the stirring unit every time the stirring unit is used, so that the user does not need to perform an operation to clean the stirring unit every time the stirring unit is used.

In the beverage production device having the above-mentioned control unit, preferably, an operation unit is further provided that receives an adjustment operation for at least one of the strength and texture of the beverage to be produced, and the control unit is configured to perform control to adjust at least one of the amount of water supplied by the supply unit into the container and the stirring time by the stirring unit based on the adjustment operation received by the operation unit. With this configuration, the strength of the beverage can be diluted by adding more water to the beverage ingredients, and the strength of the beverage can be increased by adding less water to the beverage ingredients. In addition, the texture can be made finer by increasing the stirring time by the stirring unit, and the texture can be made coarser by decreasing the stirring time by the stirring unit.

In a beverage production device having the above-mentioned control unit, preferably, a switching unit is further provided that switches the flow path of the water supplied from the storage unit to either the cleaning unit or the supply unit, and the control unit is configured to control the switching unit so that water is supplied to the cleaning unit when cleaning the stirring unit, and to control the switching unit so that water is supplied to the supply unit when supplying water into a container containing beverage ingredients. With this configuration, the control unit can control the switching unit to easily switch between using water supplied from the common storage unit for cleaning and for producing beverages (cooking).

In the beverage production device having the above-mentioned control unit, preferably, the supply unit includes a supply pipe that guides water into the container, and the control unit is configured to control the draining of water from the supply pipe before supplying water from the supply pipe into the container. With this configuration, even if water accumulates in the supply pipe during standby for beverage production and the temperature of the water in the supply pipe becomes different from the temperature of the storage unit, the water that has accumulated in the supply pipe is drained, so that the water that has accumulated in the supply pipe is not added to the beverage ingredients. This makes it possible to prevent the beverage from being produced (cooked) at a temperature different from the appropriate temperature.

In a beverage production device having the above-mentioned control unit, preferably, an intrusion sensor is further provided for detecting an intrusion from the outside into the cooking space where the beverage ingredients are stirred, and the control unit is configured to control the supply unit to temporarily halt the supply of water into the container if the intrusion sensor detects an intrusion while water is being supplied into the container by the supply unit. With this configuration, even if an intrusion such as a hand accidentally enters the cooking space, it is possible to prevent water from splashing on the hand (intrusion).

In the beverage production device having the above-mentioned control unit, preferably, a reading unit is further provided that reads the identification unit provided on the container, and the control unit is configured to control the supply unit to adjust the amount of water supplied into the container based on the information of the identification unit read by the reading unit. With this configuration, it is possible to add an appropriate amount of water to each of multiple types of beverage ingredients that differ from each other in amount and ingredients based on the information from the identification unit, so that multiple types of beverages can be produced (cooked) at appropriate temperatures and concentrations.

In the beverage production device having the above-mentioned control unit, preferably, a packaging detection unit is further provided that detects packaging material covering the top of a container placed in the cooking space where the beverage ingredients are stirred, and the control unit is configured to control a notification to prompt the user to remove the packaging material from the container when the packaging detection unit detects the presence of packaging material in the container in the cooking space. With this configuration, the shelf life of the beverage ingredients in the container can be extended by covering the top of the container with packaging material during storage. In addition, when the stirring unit is inserted into the container from above when stirring the beverage ingredients, the stirring unit can be prevented from coming into contact with the packaging material, thereby preventing damage to the stirring unit.

According to the present invention, as described above, it is possible to easily produce a beverage by suppressing the time required to produce (cook) a beverage from frozen beverage ingredients.

1 is a perspective view of a beverage production device according to an embodiment, seen from the front side; 1 is a front view of a beverage production device according to an embodiment; 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the beverage preparation device according to one embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the supply of hot water in a beverage production machine according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates a preference adjustment unit of a beverage production device according to an embodiment. 1A to 1J are diagrams for explaining the cooking operation of a beverage production apparatus according to one embodiment, and 1K and 1L are diagrams for explaining the cleaning operation of a beverage production apparatus according to one embodiment. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of a notification by a display unit of a beverage production device according to an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart for explaining a beverage production process performed by a control unit of the beverage production device of one embodiment. 10 is a flowchart for explaining a hot water adding process performed by a control unit of a beverage preparation device according to one embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a packaging detection process performed by a control unit of the beverage production device according to one embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the supply of hot water in a beverage preparation device according to a first modified example of an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the supply of hot water in a beverage preparation device according to a second modified example of an embodiment. 13 is a diagram showing an agitation unit and a supply unit of a beverage production device according to a third modified example of an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining a packaging detection process performed by a control unit of a beverage production device according to a modified example of an embodiment.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

The configuration of a beverage production device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11.

(Configuration of beverage production device)
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the beverage production device 1 is a device that stirs beverage ingredients (such as vegetables, fruits, ice, etc.) in a container C to produce a beverage (such as a smoothie).

The beverage production device 1 is installed in a store such as a convenience store, and is used by users such as customers of the store. The user places the container C containing beverage ingredients in the beverage production device 1 and performs a beverage production start operation. When the beverage production start operation is performed, the beverage production device 1 stirs and grinds the beverage ingredients in the container C to produce a beverage. Here, in the beverage production device 1, the side where the user is located is the front side (Y1 side), the opposite side is the rear side (Y2 side), and the front-to-back direction is the Y direction. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction in the horizontal direction is the left-to-right direction (X direction), and the direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction is the up-to-down direction (Z direction). The beverage ingredients are frozen, and the container C containing the beverage ingredients is stored in a freezer. In addition, the container C is provided with a packaging material that covers the top. The top of the container C is opened by opening the packaging material (lid).

As shown in FIG. 3, the beverage production device 1 includes a stirring unit 2, a door unit 3, a tray 4, a drain pan 5, a hot water supply unit 6, a drain tank 7, a display panel 8 (see FIG. 2), and a control unit 9 (see FIG. 4). In addition, a cooking space S, which is a space for producing (cooking) a beverage, is provided within the housing 1a of the beverage production device 1.

The stirring unit 2 is configured to stir the beverage ingredients in the container C in the cooking space S. Specifically, the stirring unit 2 includes a rotating shaft 21 extending in the vertical direction (Z direction) and a blade portion 22 provided at the tip of the rotating shaft 21 (the end portion on the Z2 direction side). The rotating shaft 21 of the stirring unit 2 is rotated around the rotation axis extending in the vertical direction by the stirring unit rotation drive motor 23. The tip of the rotating shaft 21 is provided with a lid portion 24 for covering the upper opening of the container C when stirring the beverage ingredients in the container C. The lid portion 24 can prevent the beverage ingredients from scattering from the container C during stirring. In the beverage production device 1, the stirring unit 2 stirs the beverage ingredients in the container C to cook the beverage ingredients and create a beverage.

The beverage production device 1 is equipped with an agitator vertical drive unit 25 that moves the agitator 2 in the vertical direction (Z direction). The agitator vertical drive unit 25 allows the agitator 2 to move vertically between an agitation position M (lowered position) where the blade 22 is lowered into the container C, and a retracted position E (upper position) where the blade 22 is raised outside the container C.

The door section 3 is a door that separates the cooking space S (inside the housing 1a) from the outside, and is provided on the front side (Y1 direction side) of the beverage production device 1. The door section 3 is a sliding door that opens when moved upward (Z1 direction) and closes when moved downward (Z2 direction). The door section 3 is also made of a material that allows the inside of the cooking space S to be seen. Note that the door section 3 is not shown in Figures 1 and 2.

As shown in FIG. 4, the beverage production device 1 is equipped with a door drive unit 31 that moves the door unit 3 in the vertical direction (Z direction) to open and close the door unit 3. The door drive unit 31 is configured to be able to move the door unit 3 in the vertical direction between an open position (raised position) that is a fully open position, and a closed position (lowered position) that is a fully closed position. Note that FIG. 3 illustrates a state in which the door unit 3 is in the closed position.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the beverage production device 1 is equipped with a door open detection sensor 32 for detecting that the door unit 3 is in the open position, and a door closed detection sensor 33 for detecting that the door unit 3 is in the closed position. The door open detection sensor 32 and the door closed detection sensor 33 are, for example, optical sensors. When the door unit 3 is opened, it is moved upward (Z1 direction) by the door drive unit 31 to a position (open position) detected by the door open detection sensor 32. When the door unit 3 is closed, it is moved downward (Z2 direction) by the door drive unit 31 to a position (closed position) detected by the door closed detection sensor 33.

3, the tray 4 includes a cleaning container section 40 and a container placement section 41. The container C is held in the container placement section 41. That is, the tray 4 holds the container C and moves the container C to the stirring position (work position W). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the beverage production device 1 includes a tray drive section 42 that moves the tray 4 in the front-rear direction (Y direction). The tray drive section 42 is configured to be able to move the container placement section 41 to the work position W (rear position) and the removal position R (front position). The work position W is a position where the container placement section 41 is located directly below the blade section 22 of the stirring section 2 in the cooking space S. The removal position R is a position where the container placement section 41 is located outside the cooking space S (outside the housing 1a). The cleaning container section 40 is located in the cooking space S regardless of whether the container placement section 41 is located in the removal position R or the work position W.

As shown in FIG. 3, the beverage production device 1 is equipped with a removal position detection sensor RS for detecting that the tray 4 is located at the removal position R, and a working position detection sensor WS for detecting that the tray 4 is located at the working position W. The removal position detection sensor RS and the working position detection sensor WS are, for example, microswitches. The tray 4 is moved forward (Y1 direction) by the tray drive unit 42 to a position (removal position R) detected by the removal position detection sensor RS. The tray 4 is also moved backward (Y2 direction) by the tray drive unit 42 to a position (working position W) detected by the working position detection sensor WS.

The beverage production device 1 is equipped with a product detection sensor MS for detecting the presence or absence of a product (beverage ingredients). That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the product detection sensor MS is configured to detect the presence of beverage ingredients in the container C when the beverage ingredients in the container C are stirred by the stirring unit 2. Specifically, the product detection sensor MS is configured to detect whether or not beverage ingredients are contained in the container C on the container mounting unit 41 when the container mounting unit 41 is moved to the working position W. If no beverage ingredients are contained in the container C, the stirring operation by the stirring unit 2 is not performed. The product detection sensor MS is, for example, an optical sensor.

As shown in FIG. 3, the drain pan 5 is configured to receive the drainage liquid discharged from the discharge port of the cleaning container portion 40 of the tray 4. The drain pan 5 includes a pan portion 51 that receives the drainage liquid, and a discharge passage 52 for discharging the drainage liquid received in the pan portion 51. A hose 53 that guides the drainage liquid to the drainage tank 7 is connected to the discharge passage 52. The drainage liquid is temporarily stored in the drainage tank 7 via the discharge passage 52 and the hose 53. The drain pan 5 also holds the tray 4 so that it can move in the front-to-rear direction (Y direction).

The hot water supply unit 6 is configured to supply hot water into the cooking space S. As shown in FIG. 5, the hot water supply unit 6 includes a storage unit 60, a cleaning unit 61, and a supply unit 62.

The cleaning section 61 is configured to supply warm water to the tip of the rotating shaft 21 and the blade section 22 of the stirring section 2 within the cooking space S to clean the stirring section 2.
The hot water supply unit 6 includes a water supply passage 6a, a water supply electromagnetic valve 6b, a drain passage 6c, a drain valve 6d, and an overflow passage 6e. The storage unit 60 is disposed at the upper part of the rear (Y2 side) in the housing 1a of the beverage production device 1, as shown in FIG.

The water supply passage 6a is configured to supply water from the water supply source to the storage section 60. The water supply passage 6a mechanically connects the water supply source to the storage section 60. The water supply solenoid valve 6b has the function of regulating the amount of water supplied from the water supply source to the storage section 60.

The storage unit 60 is configured to store water. Specifically, the storage unit 60 is configured to store heated water (hot water). The storage unit 60 also has a heater 63, a water level sensor 64, a temperature sensor 65, and an overflow solenoid valve 66. The storage unit 60 stores water supplied from a water supply source, and the stored water is heated by the heater 63 to become hot water.

The temperature sensor 65 has the function of measuring the temperature of the hot water (hot water) in the storage section 60. The control section 9 controls the heater 63 based on the measurement result of the hot water temperature by the temperature sensor 65, thereby heating the hot water in the storage section 60 to a predetermined temperature (for example, 98°C).

The storage unit 60 is controlled so that the level of the stored hot water does not exceed a set upper limit. Here, the water level sensor 64 has a function of measuring the level of the hot water in the storage unit 60. Specifically, in the storage unit 60, the control unit 9 controls the overflow solenoid valve 66 based on the measurement result of the hot water level by the water level sensor 64, thereby controlling the hot water level in the storage unit 60. When the overflow solenoid valve 66 is opened, the hot water in the storage unit 60 flows through the overflow path 6e to the drain tank 7. This causes the level of the hot water in the storage unit 60 to drop. Note that in the storage unit 60, it is also possible to manually open the drain valve 6d to allow the hot water in the storage unit 60 to flow through the drain path 6c to the drain tank 7.

As shown in FIG. 5, the hot water supply unit 6 is configured to discharge hot water supplied from the storage unit 60 to the stirring unit 2 via the discharge unit 61b of the cleaning unit 61 arranged in the cleaning container unit 40. The hot water supply unit 6 is configured to discharge hot water supplied from the storage unit 60 into the container C via the discharge unit 62b of the supply unit 62 arranged in the cooking space S.

The cleaning unit 61 is configured to clean the stirring unit 2 with water (warm water) from the storage unit 60. Specifically, the cleaning unit 61 is configured to clean the stirring unit 2 with heated water (warm water) stored in the storage unit 60. The cleaning unit 61 cleans the position where the beverage ingredients come into contact with the stirring unit 2 during cooking (stirring).

The cleaning unit 61 includes a supply pipe 61a, a discharge part 61b, and an electromagnetic valve 61c. The cleaning unit 61 discharges the hot water in the storage unit 60, which is fed by the pump 67, from the discharge part 61b via the electromagnetic valve 61c and the supply pipe 61a, and washes the stirring unit 2 with the discharged hot water. The hot water that has washed the stirring unit 2 is discharged into the drain pan 5. The washing container part 40 is a container used when performing a washing operation to wash the stirring unit 2 that is exposed to the beverage when cooking the beverage ingredients. Specifically, the washing container part 40 is provided on the tray 4 and is formed in a cylindrical shape so that it can surround the washing part of the stirring unit 2. The washing container part 40 has an inner wall surface part that suppresses the scattering of hot water during washing of the stirring unit 2. The electromagnetic valve 61c is an example of a "switching part" in the claims.

Here, in this embodiment, the supply unit 62 is configured to supply water from the storage unit 60 into the container C containing the beverage ingredients when the stirring unit 2 stirs the beverage ingredients in the container C. Specifically, the supply unit 62 is configured to supply heated water (hot water) stored in the storage unit 60 into the container C containing the beverage ingredients.

The supply unit 62 includes a supply pipe 62a, a discharge part 62b, and an electromagnetic valve 62c. The supply unit 62 discharges the hot water in the storage unit 60, which is pumped by the pump 67, from the discharge part 62b via the electromagnetic valve 62c and the supply pipe 62a, and supplies the discharged hot water into a container C containing beverage ingredients. In other words, the supply pipe 62a is configured to guide the water in the storage unit 60 into the container C. The discharge part 62b is disposed so as to be located diagonally above the container C at the stirring position. The supply unit 62 is configured to supply hot water near the center of the container C in a plan view. The electromagnetic valve 62c is an example of a "switching part" in the claims.

The pump 67 is configured to pump the hot water in the storage section 60. The pump 67 includes a diaphragm pump. The pump 67 is configured to pump an amount of hot water that is proportional to the operating time. In other words, the amount of hot water pumped by the pump 67 is controlled by controlling the operating time.

As shown in FIG. 2, the display panel 8 is a panel that allows the user to perform operations and indicates the status of the beverage production device 1. Specifically, the display panel 8 includes a sales button 81, a preference adjustment section 82, and a display section 83. The sales button 81 is a button that allows the user to perform an operation to start beverage production.

The preference adjustment unit 82 accepts adjustment operations for the strength and texture of the beverage to be produced. As shown in FIG. 6, the preference adjustment unit 82 includes selection buttons for selecting the beverage strength from among "weak," "standard," and "strong." The preference adjustment unit 82 also includes selection buttons for selecting the beverage texture from among "fine," "standard," and "coarse." If the user does not select any button, the strength is set to "standard," and the texture is set to "standard." The preference adjustment unit 82 is an example of an "operation unit" in the claims.

The display unit 83 is configured to display information related to beverage production. The display unit 83 also includes a thin display such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence display.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 9 is configured to control each part of the beverage production device 1 based on the detection results of each sensor and the operation results of each button. The control unit 9 functions as a control circuit that controls the operation of the beverage production device 1. The control unit 9 is electrically connected to the hot water supply unit 6, the stirring unit rotation drive motor 23, the stirring unit up/down drive unit 25, the door drive unit 31, the door open detection sensor 32, the door closed detection sensor 33, the tray drive unit 42, the sales button 81, the preference adjustment unit 82, the display unit 83, the intrusion sensor 93, the packaging detection unit 94, the reading unit 95, the work position detection sensor WS, the removal position detection sensor RS, and the product detection sensor MS.

The control unit 9 includes a CPU 91 (Central Processing Unit) and a memory 92. The memory 92 stores a cooking and cleaning program that performs a cooking and cleaning process, which is a process for stirring (cooking) the beverage ingredients in the container C and cleaning the stirring unit 2 after cooking. The memory 92 stores data on the amount of hot water to add and the stirring time according to the type of product (beverage ingredients).

The control unit 9 is also configured to control the supply of water by the supply unit 62 into the container C. Specifically, the control unit 9 controls the opening and closing of the solenoid valves 61c and 62c, and controls the drive time of the pump 67 to control the amount of water supplied by the supply unit 62 into the container C. When the control unit 9 opens the solenoid valve 61c, it closes the solenoid valve 62c. When the control unit 9 opens the solenoid valve 62c, it closes the solenoid valve 61c. As a result, the solenoid valves 61c and 62c switch the flow path of the water supplied from the storage unit 60 to either the cleaning unit 61 or the supply unit 62.

The control unit 9 is also configured to control the supply of water by the cleaning unit 61 to the stirring unit 2 for cleaning. Specifically, the control unit 9 controls the opening and closing of the solenoid valves 61c and 62c, and controls the drive time of the pump 67 to control the amount of water supplied by the cleaning unit 61 to the stirring unit 2 for cleaning.

The control unit 9 is also configured to control the cleaning unit 61 to clean the stirring unit 2 each time the stirring unit 2 stirs the beverage ingredients in the container C.

Specifically, the control unit 9 performs the operations (cooking and cleaning operations) shown in (A) to (L) of FIG. 7 each time a beverage is produced. In the beverage production device 1 before cooking shown in FIG. 7 (A), the container placement unit 41 is located at the removal position R, the stirring unit 2 is located at the retreat position E, the door unit 3 is located at the closed position, and the cleaning container unit 40 is located at the work position W. Here, in the beverage production device 1, the user operates the sales button 81 to start beverage production. At this time, the user has placed a container C containing beverage ingredients on the container placement unit 41. When the beverage production start operation is performed, as shown in FIG. 7 (B), the door unit 3 is moved upward by the door unit drive unit 31 to a position (open position) detected by the door open detection sensor 32. Next, as shown in FIG. 7 (C), the tray 4 is moved backward by the tray drive unit 42 to a position (work position W) detected by the work position detection sensor WS. Next, as shown in FIG. 7(D), the door 3 is moved downward by the door drive unit 31 to a position (closed position) detected by the door closing detection sensor 33. Then, the product detection sensor MS detects whether or not there is any beverage ingredient in the container C.

As shown in FIG. 7(E), water from the storage section 60 is supplied from the discharge section 62b of the supply section 62 into the container C containing the beverage ingredients.

As shown in FIG. 7(F), the stirring unit 2 is moved downward by the stirring unit vertical drive unit 25 to a stirring position M where the beverage ingredients in the container C can be cooked (stirred) and crushed. Next, the rotating shaft 21 and blade portion 22 of the stirring unit 2 are rotated by the stirring unit rotation drive motor 23 and raised and lowered by the stirring unit vertical drive unit 25. This causes the beverage ingredients in the container C to be stirred and crushed.

When stirring by the stirring unit 2 is completed, the stirring unit 2 is moved upward by the stirring unit up/down drive unit 25 to the retracted position E, as shown in FIG. 7(G). As shown in FIG. 7(H), the door unit 3 is moved upward by the door unit drive unit 31 to a position (open position) detected by the door open detection sensor 32. As shown in FIG. 7(I), the tray 4 is moved forward by the tray drive unit 42 to a position (removal position R) detected by the removal position detection sensor RS. This allows the user to remove the container C containing the produced beverage from the container placement unit 41 of the tray 4. Next, as shown in FIG. 7(J), the door unit 3 is moved downward by the door unit drive unit 31 to a position (closed position) detected by the door close detection sensor 33.

As shown in FIG. 7 (K), the agitator 2 is moved downward to agitation position M by the agitator vertical drive unit 25 in order to perform cleaning with warm water in the cleaning unit 61. When a predetermined cleaning time has elapsed since the start of cleaning, the agitator 2 is moved upward to retracted position E by the agitator vertical drive unit 25 as shown in FIG. 7 (L). This completes the cleaning operation. During the cleaning operation, the door unit 3 is kept closed.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit 9 is configured to control the supply unit 62 to supply water into the container C before the stirring unit 2 stirs the beverage ingredients in the container C.

The control unit 9 is also configured to control the amount of water supplied by the supply unit 62 into the container C and the stirring time by the stirring unit 2 based on the adjustment operation received by the preference adjustment unit 82. Specifically, when the preference adjustment unit 82 selects "weak" as the beverage strength, the control unit 9 makes the amount of water supplied by the supply unit 62 into the container C larger than the standard amount. Specifically, when the supply unit 62 supplies water into the container C, the operation time of the pump 67 is made longer than the standard amount. When the preference adjustment unit 82 selects "strong" as the beverage strength, the control unit 9 makes the amount of water supplied by the supply unit 62 into the container C smaller than the standard amount. Specifically, when the supply unit 62 supplies water into the container C, the operation time of the pump 67 is made shorter than the standard amount.

In addition, when the preference adjustment unit 82 selects "fine" as the texture of the beverage, the control unit 9 makes the stirring unit 2 stir the beverage ingredients for a longer time than the standard.In addition, when the preference adjustment unit 82 selects "coarse" as the texture of the beverage, the control unit 9 makes the stirring unit 2 stir the beverage ingredients for a shorter time than the standard.

In addition, in this embodiment, when cleaning the stirring unit 2, the control unit 9 controls solenoid valve 61c to be open for a predetermined time so that water is supplied to the cleaning unit 61, and controls solenoid valve 62c to be closed. Furthermore, when supplying water into a container C containing beverage ingredients, the control unit 9 controls solenoid valve 61c to be closed so that water is supplied to the supply unit 62, and controls solenoid valve 62c to be open for a predetermined time.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit 9 is configured to control the draining of water from the supply pipe 62a before supplying water from the supply pipe 62a into the container C. Specifically, the control unit 9 opens the solenoid valve 62c for a predetermined time, closes the solenoid valve 61c, and operates the pump 67 for a predetermined time so that water is delivered in an amount equal to or greater than the capacity of the supply pipe 62a between the storage unit 60 and the discharge unit 62b.

The intrusion sensor 93 is configured to detect an object entering the cooking space S, where the beverage ingredients are stirred, from the outside. As shown in FIG. 3, the intrusion sensor 93 is provided on the front side (Y1 direction side) of the cooking space S. The intrusion sensor 93 is, for example, an optical sensor.

The control unit 9 is configured to control the supply unit 62 to temporarily stop supplying water to the container C if the intrusion sensor 93 detects an intrusion while the supply unit 62 is supplying water to the container C.

The packaging detection unit 94 is configured to detect the packaging material covering the top of the container C placed in the cooking space S in which the beverage ingredients are stirred. The packaging detection unit 94 is, for example, an optical sensor.

The control unit 9 is configured to control a notification to prompt the user to remove the packaging material from the container C when the packaging detection unit 94 detects that there is packaging material in the container C in the cooking space S. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 9 controls the display unit 83 to display a notification saying "Please open."

The reading unit 95 reads the identification portion provided on the container C. For example, the reading unit 95 reads the size, color tone, saturation, and symbols, bar codes, and RF tags attached to the container C as the identification portion.

The control unit 9 is configured to control the supply unit 62 to adjust the amount of water supplied into the container C based on the information of the identification unit read by the reading unit 95. Specifically, the control unit 9 determines the type of product (beverage ingredients) based on the information of the identification unit read by the reading unit 95, and controls the supply of a preset amount of water into the container C during stirring according to the determined type of product. The control unit 9 is also configured to control the adjustment of the stirring time of the beverage ingredients by the stirring unit 2 based on the information of the identification unit read by the reading unit 95. Specifically, the control unit 9 determines the type of product (beverage ingredients) based on the information of the identification unit read by the reading unit 95, and controls the stirring of the beverage ingredients for a preset stirring time according to the determined type of product.

(Beverage manufacturing process)
Next, a beverage production process performed by the control unit 9 of the beverage production device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

In step S1 of FIG. 9, the identification portion of the container C is read by the reading unit 95 to identify the type of product (beverage ingredient). In step S2, the type of product (beverage ingredient) is displayed on the display unit 83.

When the user confirms that the product type is correct and operates the sales button 81, the operation of the sales button 81 is accepted in step S3. In step S4, the operation of the preference adjustment button of the preference adjustment unit 82 is accepted. Then, the amount of warm water (hot water) to be added and the mixing time are set according to the selected preference adjustment button.

In step S5, solenoid valve 62c is opened for a predetermined time. Also, solenoid valve 61c is closed. Then, immediately (or simultaneously), in step S6, pump 67 is operated to drain the water in supply pipe 62a.

In step S7, the container C is transported into the cooking space S. In step S8, the pump 67 is operated for a set time to supply (add) hot water (hot water) into the container C.

In step S9, the beverage ingredients in container C are stirred for a set time by stirring unit 2. In step S10, container C is transported to removal position R. Then, container C from removal position R is removed by the user.

In step S11, the solenoid valve 61c is opened for a predetermined time. Also, the solenoid valve 62c is closed. In step S12, the pump 67 is operated to discharge hot water (hot water) from the cleaning unit 61 to the stirring unit 2, thereby cleaning the stirring unit 2.

In step S13, the machine transitions to a sales standby state. The beverage production process then ends.

(Hot water addition treatment)
Next, the hot water adding process for adding hot water in step S8 in Fig. 9 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 10. This hot water adding process is performed under the control of the control unit 9 of the beverage production device 1.

In step S21, it is determined whether or not an intrusion has been detected by the intrusion sensor 93. If an intrusion has been detected, the determination in step S21 is repeated until an intrusion is no longer detected. If an intrusion has not been detected, the process proceeds to step S22. In step S22, the operation of the pump 67 is started. The control unit 9 also starts measuring the operation time of the pump 67.

In step S23, it is determined whether or not an intrusion has been detected by the intrusion sensor 93. If an intrusion has been detected, the process proceeds to step S24, and if an intrusion has not been detected, the process proceeds to step S27. In step S24, the operation of the pump 67 is temporarily stopped. In addition, the measurement of the operation time of the pump 67 is also temporarily stopped.

In step S25, it is determined whether or not an intrusion has been detected by the intrusion sensor 93. If an intrusion has been detected, the determination in step S25 is repeated until an intrusion is no longer detected. If an intrusion has not been detected, the process proceeds to step S26. In step S26, the operation of the pump 67 is resumed. Measurement of the operation time of the pump 67 is also resumed. Then, the process returns to step S23.

In step S27, it is determined whether the total operating time of the pump 67 has exceeded a set predetermined time. If the predetermined time has not been exceeded, the process returns to step S23. If the predetermined time has been exceeded, the process proceeds to step S28. In step S28, the operation of the pump 67 is stopped. In addition, the measurement of the operating time of the pump 67 is also stopped, and the measured time is reset. This ends the hot water addition process.

(Package detection process)
Next, a packaging detection process performed by the control unit 9 of the beverage production machine 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

In step S31 of FIG. 11, the packaging detection unit 94 determines whether packaging has been detected on top of the container C. If no packaging is detected, the packaging detection process ends. If packaging is detected, the process proceeds to step S32. In step S32, a notification "Please open" is displayed on the display unit 83. The packaging detection process then ends. Also, if packaging is detected, the container C is removed by the user, the packaging is removed, and the container is set back into the beverage production device 1.

(Effects of this embodiment)
In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

In this embodiment, as described above, when the stirring unit 2 stirs the beverage ingredients in the container C, a supply unit 62 is provided that supplies water from the storage unit 60 into the container C containing the beverage ingredients. This allows water to be added to the beverage ingredients even when the frozen beverage ingredients are stirred by the stirring unit 2 to produce (cook) a beverage, so that the frozen beverage ingredients can be melted by the heat of the added water. This allows the time required for the beverage ingredients to reach an appropriate temperature to be shortened compared to when heating is performed only by friction caused by stirring. As a result, the time required to produce (cook) a beverage from frozen beverage ingredients can be reduced, and a beverage can be easily produced. In addition, since the water for washing the stirring unit 2 can be used to produce (cook) a beverage, there is no need to provide a separate tank for storing water for producing (cooking) a beverage. This allows the number of parts to be reduced and the device configuration to be reduced in complexity.

In this embodiment, as described above, the storage unit 60 is configured to store heated water. The cleaning unit 61 is configured to clean the stirring unit 2 with the heated water stored in the storage unit 60. The supply unit 62 is configured to supply the heated water stored in the storage unit 60 into the container C containing the beverage ingredients. This allows the heat amount of the water (hot water) added to the beverage ingredients to be increased, making it easier to dissolve the beverage ingredients. As a result, it is possible to more effectively prevent the time required to produce (cook) a beverage from frozen beverage ingredients from being extended. In addition, since the stirring unit 2 can be cleaned with heated water (hot water), it is possible to easily remove components attached to the stirring unit 2. This allows the stirring unit 2 to be effectively cleaned.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, a control unit 9 is provided that controls the supply of water by the supply unit 62 into the container C. This makes it possible to easily supply an appropriate amount of water to the beverage ingredients, thereby preventing excess or deficiency of water added to the beverage ingredients. As a result, the temperature of the produced beverage can be easily adjusted to an appropriate temperature, and the concentration of the beverage can easily be adjusted to an appropriate concentration.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the control unit 9 is configured to control the supply unit 62 to supply water into the container C at least either before or during stirring of the beverage ingredients in the container C by the stirring unit 2, and to control the cleaning unit 61 to clean the stirring unit 2 every time the stirring unit 2 stirs the beverage ingredients in the container C. This allows water to be added to the beverage ingredients at an appropriate timing before or during stirring of the beverage ingredients in the container C by the stirring unit 2, so that frozen beverage ingredients can be dissolved efficiently. In addition, the cleaning unit 61 can automatically clean the stirring unit 2 every time the stirring unit 2 is used, so that the user does not need to perform an operation to clean the stirring unit 2 every time the stirring unit 2 is used.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, a preference adjustment unit 82 is provided that accepts adjustment operations for the strength and texture of the beverage to be produced. The control unit 9 is also configured to control the amount of water supplied by the supply unit 62 into the container C and the stirring time by the stirring unit 2 based on the adjustment operations accepted by the preference adjustment unit 82. As a result, the strength of the beverage can be made thinner by adding more water to the beverage ingredients, and the strength of the beverage can be made thicker by adding less water to the beverage ingredients. Furthermore, the texture can be made finer by extending the stirring time by the stirring unit 2, and the texture can be made coarse by shortening the stirring time by the stirring unit 2.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, solenoid valves 61c, 62c are provided to switch the flow path of water supplied from the storage unit 60 to either the cleaning unit 61 or the supply unit 62. The control unit 9 is configured to control the solenoid valves 61c, 62c so that water is supplied to the cleaning unit 61 when cleaning the stirring unit 2, and to control the solenoid valves 61c, 62c so that water is supplied to the supply unit 62 when supplying water into the container C containing beverage ingredients. In this way, by controlling the solenoid valves 61c, 62c by the control unit 9, the water supplied from the common storage unit 60 can be easily switched and used for cleaning and beverage production (cooking).

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the control unit 9 is configured to control the draining of water in the supply pipe 62a before supplying water from the supply pipe 62a into the container C. As a result, even if water remains in the supply pipe 62a during standby for beverage production, causing the temperature of the water in the supply pipe 62a to become different from the temperature of the storage section 60, the water that has remained in the supply pipe 62a is drained, so that the water that has remained in the supply pipe 62a is not added to the beverage ingredients. This makes it possible to prevent the beverage from being produced (cooked) at a temperature different from the appropriate temperature.

In this embodiment, as described above, an intrusion sensor 93 is provided that detects an intrusion from the outside into the cooking space S where the beverage ingredients are stirred. Furthermore, the control unit 9 is configured to control the supply unit 62 to temporarily halt the supply of water into the container C if the intrusion sensor 93 detects an intrusion while water is being supplied into the container C by the supply unit 62. This makes it possible to prevent hot water (hot water) from splashing on the hand (intruder) even if an intruder such as a hand accidentally enters the cooking space S.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, a reading unit 95 is provided that reads the identification unit provided on the container C. The control unit 9 is also configured to control the adjustment of the amount of water supplied by the supply unit 62 to the container C based on the information of the identification unit read by the reading unit 95. This allows appropriate amounts of water to be added to multiple types of beverage ingredients that differ from each other in amount and ingredients based on the information from the identification unit, so that multiple types of beverages can be produced (cooked) at appropriate temperatures and concentrations.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, a packaging detection unit 94 is provided that detects packaging material covering the top of the container C placed in the cooking space S where the beverage ingredients are stirred. In addition, the control unit 9 is configured to control the control unit 9 to issue a notification urging the user to remove the packaging material from the container C when the packaging detection unit 94 detects that there is packaging material on the container C in the cooking space S. This makes it possible to extend the shelf life of the beverage ingredients in the container C by covering the top of the container C with packaging material during storage. In addition, when the stirring unit 2 is inserted into the container C from above when stirring the beverage ingredients, it is possible to prevent the stirring unit 2 from coming into contact with the packaging material, thereby preventing damage to the stirring unit 2.

(Modification)
It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

For example, in the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which hot water at 98°C is stored in the storage unit is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the storage unit may store liquid water at a temperature other than 98°C.

In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which an electromagnetic valve is provided in each of the cleaning unit and the supply unit to switch the flow path of the water supplied from the storage unit is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, for example, as in the first modified example shown in FIG. 12, a three-way valve 68 may be provided at the branch point of the cleaning unit 61 and the supply unit 62 to switch the flow path of the water supplied from the storage unit 60. In this case, the three-way valve 68 is an example of a "switching unit" in the claims.

In the above embodiment, a common pump is provided for the cleaning unit and the supply unit, and water from the storage unit is sent to each of the cleaning unit and the supply unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the present invention, as in the second modified example shown in FIG. 13, a pump 67a may be provided in the cleaning unit 61 and a pump 67b may be provided in the supply unit 62.

In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which water is supplied from diagonally above the container at the stirring position is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, water may be supplied from approximately directly above the container C at the stirring position. In this case, as shown in FIG. 14, a supply unit 621 may be provided on the rotation shaft 21 of the stirring unit 2, and water may be supplied from the stirring unit 2.

In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the supply unit supplies water into the container before the stirring unit stirs the beverage ingredients in the container, is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the supply unit may supply water into the container at least either before or during stirring of the beverage ingredients in the container by the stirring unit.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example of a configuration was shown in which adjustment operations for both the strength and texture of the beverage to be produced were accepted, and the amount of water supplied into the container by the supply unit and the stirring time by the stirring unit were adjusted based on the accepted adjustment operations, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, an adjustment operation for at least one of the strength and texture of the beverage to be produced may be accepted. Also, at least one of the amount of water supplied into the container by the supply unit and the stirring time by the stirring unit may be adjusted based on the accepted adjustment operations.

In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the packaging material of the container is detected by a sensor is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the packaging material may be detected by utilizing a timeout of the descent time of the stirring unit, as in the modified example shown in FIG. 15. In the example shown in FIG. 15, in step S41, the container C is transported into the cooking space S. In step S42, the descent of the stirring unit 2 is started. In step S43, it is determined whether or not the descent of the stirring unit 2 to the stirring position M is detected. If the stirring unit 2 is lowered to the stirring position M, the packaging detection process is terminated. If the stirring unit 2 is not lowered to the stirring position M, the process proceeds to step S44. In step S44, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S43, and if the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S45. In step S45, the packaging material of the container C is detected due to a timeout. In step S46, a notification of "Please open" is displayed on the display unit 83. Thereafter, the packaging detection process is terminated.

In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which water from the storage section is supplied to each of the cleaning section and the supply section by a pump is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, water from the storage section may be supplied to each of the cleaning section and the supply section by the water head of the storage section 60. In this case, the amount of water supplied may be controlled by the opening time of the valve.

In the above embodiment, for convenience of explanation, an example was shown in which the control processing of the control unit was explained using a flow-driven flowchart in which processing is performed in order according to a processing flow, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the control processing of the image processing unit may be performed by event-driven processing in which processing is performed on an event-by-event basis. In this case, the control processing may be performed completely event-driven, or may be a combination of event-driven and flow-driven.

1 beverage production device 2 stirring unit 9 control unit 60 storage unit 61 cleaning unit 61c, 62c solenoid valve (switching unit)
62 Supply unit 62a Supply pipe 68 Three-way valve (switching unit)
82 Preference adjustment section (operation section)
85 Display unit 93 Intrusion sensor 94 Packaging detection unit 95 Reading unit C Container S Cooking space

Claims (10)

A stirring unit that stirs the beverage ingredients in the container;
A storage section for storing water;
a washing unit that washes the stirring unit with water from the storage unit at a position different from a position where the container is placed in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction when the container is moved to a position where the container does not overlap with the stirring unit in the vertical direction;
A beverage production apparatus comprising: a supply unit that supplies water from the storage unit into the container containing the beverage ingredients when the stirring unit stirs the beverage ingredients in the container. The storage unit is configured to store heated water,
The cleaning unit is configured to clean the stirring unit with heated water stored in the storage unit,
The beverage production apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supply unit is configured to supply heated water stored in the storage unit into the container containing beverage ingredients. The beverage production device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a control unit that controls the supply of water into the container by the supply unit. The beverage production device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to control the supply unit to supply water into the container at least either before or during stirring of the beverage ingredients in the container by the stirring unit, and to control the cleaning unit to clean the stirring unit every time the beverage ingredients in the container are stirred by the stirring unit. An operation unit is further provided for receiving an operation for adjusting at least one of the strength and texture of the beverage to be produced,
The beverage production device of claim 3 or 4, wherein the control unit is configured to perform control to adjust at least one of the amount of water supplied by the supply unit to the container and the stirring time by the stirring unit based on an adjustment operation received by the operation unit. a switching unit that switches a flow path of the water supplied from the storage unit to either the cleaning unit or the supply unit;
The beverage production apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the control unit is configured to control the switching unit so that water is supplied to the cleaning unit when cleaning the stirring unit, and to control the switching unit so that water is supplied to the supply unit when supplying water into the container containing beverage ingredients. The supply unit includes a supply pipe that guides water into the container,
The beverage production device according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the control unit is configured to control the draining of water from the supply pipe before supplying water from the supply pipe into the container. An intrusion sensor is further provided for detecting an intrusion of an object from the outside into a cooking space in which the beverage ingredients are stirred,
A beverage production device as described in any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the control unit is configured to control the supply unit to temporarily halt the supply of water into the container when the intrusion sensor detects an intrusion while the supply unit is supplying water into the container. A reading unit that reads an identification unit provided on the container is further provided.
A beverage production device as described in any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the control unit is configured to control the amount of water supplied by the supply unit to the container based on the information of the identification unit read by the reading unit. The beverage ingredient is further provided with a packaging detection unit that detects a packaging material covering an upper portion of the container disposed in the cooking space in which the beverage ingredient is stirred,
The beverage manufacturing device of any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the control unit is configured to control a notification to prompt the user to remove the packaging material from the container when the packaging detection unit detects that the packaging material is present in the container in the cooking space.

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