HK1121730B - A connection mechanism between a beverage container and a beverage dispenser and a beverage dispenser using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a connection mechanism with which any damage to an inner wall of a beverage delivering port can be prevented and also a beverage dispenser using the same connection mechanism. Provided is a connection mechanism between a beverage container and a beverage dispenser, the connection mechanism comprising: a container mount having a notch configured for engagement with a beverage delivering port of a beverage delivering member arranged in a beverage container; a connection member having a cylindrical sharp tip portion at a top end thereof to be inserted into in the beverage delivering port and configured to be connected to a piping system; and an operating member serving for inserting the connection member into the beverage delivering port, wherein an end surface of the sharp tip portion opposing to the beverage delivering port defines a guide plane operable to guide the beverage delivering member to move in its allowable moving direction within the notch when the end surface is in contact with a perimeter edge of the beverage delivering port.

Description

Connecting mechanism of beverage container and beverage dispenser

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a connecting mechanism for connecting a beverage container and a beverage dispenser using the same, and more particularly, to a connecting mechanism for connecting a replaceable beverage container and a beverage dispenser in order to draw out a beverage from the beverage container and a beverage dispenser using the same.

Background

Conventionally, various connecting mechanisms and beverage dispensers using the connecting mechanisms have been proposed. Among them, the following method is generally adopted: a flexible bag or the like is filled with a beverage, and a piping system of a beverage dispenser is connected to a beverage outlet by a connecting mechanism to take the beverage from the beverage outlet (see patent document 1: JP 2006-a 27661 (see fig. 7 in particular)).

Specifically, as shown in fig. 11A and 11B, the beverage container 105 is placed on the container stand 123, and the container stand 123 can be positioned in an inclined state and a horizontal state. Fig. 11A and 11B are views showing the container table 123 positioned in a horizontal state. As described above, when the beverage container 105 is positioned at an appropriate position and the container mount 123 is positioned in the horizontal state, the tip end 109 of the connection member 101 is inserted into the beverage outlet port 105c of the beverage outlet member 105 a. Thus, tip portion 109 may pass through sealing membrane 107 and into the interior of beverage container 105. The beverage in the beverage container 105 flows into the connection member 101 from the tip end 109, and further, is branched by the discharge pipe 111 through the internal flow path. Since the beverage container 105 is disposed at the uppermost portion of the beverage dispenser, the beverage is taken to the outside by gravity. At this time, a given gap exists between the inner face wall 105b of the beverage lead-out port 105c and the connecting member 101. However, the leakage of the beverage from the beverage outlet port 105c can be reliably prevented by the O-ring 103d provided on the outer peripheral surface of the connection member 101. Here, the container stage 123 capable of tilting operation and the connection member 101 form a connection mechanism.

On the other hand, fig. 12A and 12B show the case where the position of the beverage container 105 is inappropriate. That is, the relative position between the beverage lead-out member 105a and the connection member 101 is shifted, and the tip end of the connection member 101 slightly contacts the peripheral edge of the beverage lead-out port 105 c. Even in this state, since the beverage lead-out member 105a is made of a resin material such as polyethylene, the beverage container 105 can be horizontally placed if it is pushed downward.

However, as described above, when the beverage container 105 is pressed in a state where the connecting member 101 and the beverage lead-out member 105a are displaced from each other, the following inconveniences may occur. That is, the beverage lead-out member 105a is made of a resin material such as polyethylene as described above, and the inner wall 105b of the beverage lead-out opening 105c may be damaged when the beverage container 105 is pushed downward, as opposed to the connecting member 101 made of metal. If the inner wall of the beverage outlet 105c is damaged, there is a possibility that the beverage may leak from the damaged portion even if the O-ring 103d is provided.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a coupling mechanism which obviates the above-mentioned problems, and it is another object to provide a beverage dispenser using the coupling mechanism.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a connecting mechanism for a beverage container and a beverage dispenser, comprising: a container support base having a notch portion engageable with a beverage outlet of a beverage outlet member provided in the beverage container; a connecting member having a cylindrical tip portion at a distal end thereof for insertion into the beverage outlet port, and connected to a piping system; and an operation portion for inserting the connection member into the beverage outlet port, wherein an end surface of the tip portion facing the beverage outlet port is a guide surface capable of moving the beverage outlet member in a direction in which the beverage outlet port is movable in the notch portion when a peripheral edge of the beverage outlet port contacts the end surface. With this configuration, the tip portion serves as a guide surface for the beverage lead-out member. Therefore, even when the tip end of the tip portion contacts the peripheral edge of the beverage outlet, the peripheral edge of the beverage outlet can be moved in the movable direction in the notch portion by the action of the guide surface. As a result, the relative positional relationship between the beverage lead-out member and the connecting member can be corrected, and the possibility of unintended damage to the inner wall of the beverage lead-out port or the like can be reduced.

In addition, the following structure is adopted: the guide surface is an inclined surface relative to the beverage outlet. With this configuration, the inclined surface as the guide surface comes into contact with the peripheral edge of the beverage outlet, and the same effect as described above can be obtained. In addition, even if the connecting member is provided opposite to the front surface and the back surface of the beverage dispenser, the same effect can be obtained.

In addition, the following structure is adopted: a cutout is formed in a side wall of the tip portion. The pointed portion penetrates the sealing cover of the beverage container, but at this time, since the side wall of the pointed portion is formed with the notch, the notch portion is not cut off, and the beverage container is held in a state of maintaining the connection between the sealing cover and the other portion.

In addition, the following structure is adopted: a through hole is formed in a side wall of the tip portion. By forming the through hole in the side wall of the tip portion, even when the amount of beverage in the beverage container is reduced and the liquid surface is lower than the tip end of the tip portion, the beverage can be drawn out through the through hole. Thus, the beverage can be taken approximately completely.

In addition, the following structure is adopted: the connecting member has an insertion portion inserted into the beverage outlet port while the tip portion is placed thereon, and a guide portion that moves the beverage outlet member in a movable direction in the cutout portion is formed at an end portion of the insertion portion on the beverage outlet port side, when a peripheral edge of the beverage outlet port is in contact with the end portion. With this configuration, when the connecting member is inserted into the beverage outlet, the guide portion contacts the periphery of the beverage outlet, and the beverage outlet member can be moved to an appropriate position with respect to the connecting member. Therefore, even if the position of the beverage lead-out member is slightly shifted from the connecting member, the positional deviation can be corrected.

Further, the beverage dispenser of the present invention is configured as follows: the connection mechanism is provided with any one of the connection mechanisms. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the inner wall of the beverage outlet of the beverage container from being damaged when the beverage container is exchanged with the beverage dispenser.

According to the present invention, even when the relative positional relationship between the beverage lead-out member and the connecting member is deviated, the relative positional relationship between the beverage lead-out member and the connecting member can be appropriately corrected, and the inner surface wall of the beverage lead-out port can be prevented from being damaged.

Drawings

Fig. 1A to 1C are connection members used in a first embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 1A shows a plan view, fig. 1B shows a front view, and fig. 1C shows a right side view.

Fig. 2 is a front view showing a beverage dispenser using the connecting member disclosed in fig. 1A to 1C.

Fig. 3A to 3C are views showing a connection mechanism using the connection member disclosed in fig. 1A to 1C, fig. 3A is a plan view showing a beverage outlet port by imaginary lines, fig. 3B is a front view, and fig. 3C is a front view showing a cross-section obtained by cutting the beverage outlet port.

Fig. 4A and 4B show a state in which the position of the beverage container is shifted from the connection member disclosed in fig. 1A to 1C, fig. 4A is a plan view, and fig. 4B is a right side view of a cut surface obtained by cutting only the beverage outlet port.

Fig. 5A and 5B are views showing a state in which the position of the beverage container is further shifted, as compared with the state shown in fig. 4A and 4B, in which fig. 5A is a plan view, and fig. 5B is a right side view of a cut surface obtained by cutting only the beverage outlet port.

Fig. 6A and 6B are views for explaining an operation portion constituting the connection mechanism, fig. 6A is a plan view, and fig. 6B is a right side view of a cut surface obtained by cutting only the beverage outlet port.

Fig. 7A to 7C are connection members used in a second embodiment of the present invention, fig. 7A is a plan view, fig. 7B is a front view, and fig. 7C is a right side view.

Fig. 8A to 8C are connection members used in a third embodiment of the present invention, fig. 8A is a plan view, fig. 8B is a front view, and fig. 8C is a right side view.

Fig. 9 is a front view of a connecting member used in the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a front view of a connecting member used in a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11A and 11B are views showing a state where a connecting member of a conventional connecting mechanism and a beverage outlet of a beverage container are in a correct positional relationship, fig. 11A is a plan view, and fig. 11B is a right side view of a cut surface obtained by cutting only the beverage outlet.

Fig. 12A and 12B show a state in which the position of the beverage container is shifted from the connection member disclosed in fig. 11A and 11B, fig. 12A is a plan view, and fig. 12B is a right side view of a cut surface obtained by cutting only the beverage outlet port.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention of the present application will be described with reference to the drawings.

Connecting mechanism

The connection mechanism S (see fig. 2 to 6B) of the present invention includes: a container mount 23 that supports the beverage container 5 in the beverage dispenser D and has a notch 25 into which a beverage lead-out member 5a provided in the beverage container 5 is engaged; a connection member 1 having a tubular tip end portion 9 at the tip end thereof, into which the drink outlet 5d of the drink outlet 5a is inserted, and connected to the downstream piping systems 2a and 2 b; and an operation portion 29 for inserting the connection member 1 into the beverage outlet 5 d.

Container bearing table

The container support 23 is disposed within the beverage dispenser D and supports the beverage containers 5. More specifically, in the beverage dispenser D, the container stand 23 is disposed in a horizontal direction, and the beverage container 5 is placed on the container stand 23. A notch 25 (see fig. 3A to 3C) is formed in the container mount 23 at the center in the left-right direction when viewed from the front side, and a constricted portion 5C formed on the outer peripheral surface of the beverage lead-out member 5a of the beverage container 5 is pushed into the notch 25. When the constricted portion 5c of the beverage lead-out member 5a is pushed into the notch portion 25, the movement of the beverage lead-out member 5a in the left-right direction Q and the up-down direction perpendicular to the pushing-in direction P is restricted. That is, in this embodiment, the direction along the pushing direction P is a direction in which the beverage lead-out member 5a can move.

Connecting part

As shown in fig. 1A to 5B, a connecting member 1 of the present invention includes: a connecting member body 3 having a flow path through which beverage flows formed therein; a tip portion 9 disposed at an upper end of the connecting member body 3 and penetrating the sealing cap 7 of the beverage container 5; and a discharge pipe 11 connected to a lower end of the connecting member body 3 and branched to discharge the beverage in two directions. Here, fig. 1B shows a front view, and when a beverage dispenser D (see fig. 2) described later is viewed from the front, the connecting member 1 is disposed in the direction shown in fig. 1B.

The connection member body 3 includes an insertion portion 3a for receiving the tip portion 9, a branch portion 3c for branching the internal flow path, and a connection portion 3b for connecting the insertion portion 3a and the branch portion 3 c. The insertion portion 3a is formed with a predetermined diameter so as to be inserted into the beverage outlet 5d of the beverage container 5. Further, an O-ring 3d made of an elastic material (e.g., rubber) or the like is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion 3 b. The O-ring 3d is a member for sealing the tubular member 5b in the beverage outlet 5d from the beverage leaking to the outside. The branch portion 3c forms a flow path that branches inside, and more specifically, forms an internal flow path in the longitudinal direction of the connection member body 3 from the distal end portion 9 side, and also forms a discharge flow path in a direction perpendicular to the internal flow path. Namely, a T-shaped flow path is formed. However, the present invention is not limited to the case of branching in two directions, and may be configured to branch in three or more directions.

The tip end portion 9 of the connection member 1 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and an end surface (a side facing the beverage container 5) thereof is a guide surface. Specifically, the guide surface is a portion that moves the beverage lead-out member 5a in a direction in which it can move in the notch 25 when the peripheral edge 5e of the beverage lead-out port 5d contacts the end surface of the pointed portion 9, and is actually an inclined surface. The tip end portion 9 of the present embodiment is an inclined surface with a high right side when viewed from the front as shown in fig. 1B. Therefore, the inclined surface is inclined so as to be lowered to the left and right sides about the longest portion (the portion closest to the beverage lead-out member 5 a) of the pointed end portion 9 as seen in fig. 1C as a right view. A predetermined notch 9a is formed in the shortest portion (left side surface side) of the distal end portion 9. The notch 9a is a part left by cutting so that the tip end part of the seal cap 7 does not fall off when the seal cap 7 of the beverage container 5 is pierced.

A predetermined through hole 9b is formed in the distal end portion 9 on the right side. The through hole 9b is a portion for guiding out the beverage in the beverage container 5 when the tip portion 9 is inserted into the beverage container 5. Therefore, the through hole 9b is provided at a position where the entire through hole 9b enters the beverage container 5 when the pointed end 9 enters the beverage container 5. In addition, although only 1 through hole 9b is formed in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto, and 2 or more through holes may be provided. The through-hole 9b is not limited to a simple circular shape, and may have any shape.

The 2 discharge pipes 11 connected to the connecting member body 3 are provided at the lower end portions of the branch portions 3c, and project in mutually opposite directions. A drop-off prevention portion is formed on the surface of the discharge pipe 11 to prevent the piping systems 2a and 2b connected to the discharge pipe 11 from dropping off.

The above-described connecting member 1 is made of stainless steel. Specifically, the connecting member body 3 and the distal end portion 9 are formed by cutting a stainless steel round bar material. A flow path is formed inside the connecting member body 3. Thereafter, the branch portion of the coupling member body 3 is joined to the discharge pipe 11 by welding. However, the material of the connecting member 1 of the present invention is not limited to stainless steel, and other metal or non-metal materials may be used if they are stable against drinks and do not cause changes in characteristics such as corrosion.

Operation part

As shown in fig. 6A and 6B, the operating portion 29 is an operating lever member that engages with the connecting member 1 and is disposed along the pushing direction P of the beverage container 5. More specifically, the operation unit 29 supports the link member 1 from both the left and right sides and is provided to be rotatable in the vertical direction about the shaft 30. A grip 29a is provided at the front end of the operation portion 29, and the user operates the grip 29 a. With this configuration, when the beverage lead-out member 5a of the beverage container 5 and the beverage dispenser D are connected, the beverage container 5 is placed on the container placement base 23, and the beverage lead-out member 5a is inserted into the notch 25. Then, the grip portion 29a of the operation portion 29 is gripped by fingers and moved upward. Thereby, the distal end portion 9 of the connecting member 1 is moved upward and inserted into the beverage outlet 5 d. On the other hand, when the beverage container 5 and the beverage dispenser are disconnected from each other, the grip portion 29a of the grip operation portion 29 moves downward.

In addition, although the above embodiment describes the case where the connecting member 1 is pushed upward and inserted into the beverage outlet 5d, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, as shown in fig. 11A to 12B, the container stand 123 may be rotated from the inclined state to the horizontal state to insert the fixed connection member 101 into the beverage outlet 105 c. Specifically, by rotating and pressing the container stand 123 downward, the peripheral edge 105d of the beverage outlet 105c is brought into contact with the pointed end 109. The beverage lead-out member 105a is appropriately moved by making the tip end portion 109 a guide surface as described in the above embodiment.

Beverage dispenser

Next, a beverage dispenser D using the above-described connecting mechanism S will be described.

As shown in fig. 2, the beverage dispenser D includes a cooling chamber 21 in an upper portion thereof, and the beverage container 5 is accommodated in the cooling chamber 21. More specifically, the container table 23 is provided below the cooling chamber 21 in the horizontal direction, and the beverage container 5 is placed on the container table 23. A predetermined notch 25 (see fig. 3) is formed in the center of the container platform 23 when viewed from the front, and a constricted portion 5c formed on the outer peripheral surface of the beverage lead-out member 5a of the beverage container 5 is pushed into the notch 25. When the constricted portion 5c of the beverage lead-out member 5a is pushed into the notch portion 25, the beverage container 5 is restricted from moving in the left-right direction Q and the up-down direction perpendicular to the pushing-in direction P. The cooling chamber 21 is not essential to the present invention, and may be a container storage chamber at normal temperature. Further, as long as the hygienic conditions of the periphery of the connecting mechanism S, particularly the connecting member 1 and the beverage lead-out member 5a can be appropriately maintained, since no foreign germs are mixed into the beverage, the beverage container 5 itself may be exposed to the outside atmosphere.

In the beverage dispenser D, the beverage container 5 is a sealed container of a bag-in-box type, and a beverage lead-out member 5a provided in connection with an inner bag of the beverage container 5 is connected to the piping systems 2a and 2b (see fig. 2 to 3C) on the beverage dispenser D side through a connecting member 1. Here, the liner bag box type container is a container comprising a case B made of corrugated paper or the like and a flexible liner bag disposed in the case B. Since the beverage lead-out member 5a is attached to the flexible liner bag, the beverage lead-out member 5a can slightly move when an external force is applied even if the housing B itself is in a stationary state. The sealing cap 7 is provided inside the beverage outlet 5d to ensure sterility of the beverage filled in a sterile state.

The beverage container 5 in the beverage dispenser D can be cooled to about 4-10 ℃ by the cooling chamber 21. This is because the beverage is kept at a low temperature suitable for drinking and at a low temperature at which the growth of bacteria is difficult in order to reduce the possibility of contamination of the beverage in the beverage container 5. In addition, since the connection member 1, which is a connection portion between the beverage container 5 and the beverage dispenser D, is also in the cooling chamber 21, and is in a state of being isolated from the outside atmosphere, and is placed in a low-temperature environment, it is difficult for bacteria to enter and propagate.

The above-described connecting member 1 is inserted into the beverage outlet 5d of the beverage container 5. More specifically, as shown in fig. 3A to 3C, a tubular member 5b having an inner diameter corresponding to the O-ring 3d of the connecting member 1 is provided inside the beverage lead-out member 5 a. Therefore, even when the tip end 9 of the connecting member 1 passes through the sealing cap 7 of the beverage container 5, the beverage can be prevented from leaking by the cooperation of the O-ring 3d and the tubular member 5 b. When the beverage container 5 is exchanged, the connection member 1 is pulled out from the beverage outlet 5d by pressing the operation portion 29 downward, and the empty beverage container 5 can be taken out by pulling the beverage container 5 from the front to the front. Then, a new beverage container 5 is horizontally pushed in from the front (pushing direction P), and the beverage lead-out member 5a can be pushed into the notch 25 as described above. Thereafter, the connection member 1 is inserted into the beverage outlet 5d by pushing the operation portion 29 upward, and the beverage is discharged through the sealing cap 7 (see fig. 3A to 3C).

In addition, as shown in fig. 2, an injection port 27 for injecting the beverage is provided in the middle of the beverage dispenser D. In the beverage dispenser D of the present embodiment, 2 injection ports 27 are provided. The piping systems 2a and 2b are connected to the inlet 27 via the connecting member 1, and the beverage in the beverage container 5 is supplied. The inlet 27 of the present embodiment is provided with a heating tank 4a and a cooling tank 4b for temporarily storing the beverage so that the cold beverage and the hot beverage can be provided separately. The heating tank 4a can be supplied with a drink from the piping system 2a, and the cooling tank 4b can be supplied with a drink from the piping system 2 b. Further, a heating device 6a for heating the beverage is provided on the surface of the heating tank 4a, and a cooling device 6b for cooling the beverage is provided on the surface of the cooling tank 4 b.

Function of

Next, the operation of the connection mechanism S according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 4A and 4B. Fig. 4A is a plan view of the connecting member 1 and the beverage lead-out member 5a as viewed from above, and fig. 4B is a side view thereof. However, for convenience of explanation, the beverage lead-out member 5a is shown by a chain line in fig. 4A, and fig. 4B is a sectional view obtained by cutting only the beverage lead-out member 5 a. In the figure, the left side is the front side, and when the beverage container 5 is pushed into the beverage dispenser D, the beverage lead-out member 5a moves from the left side to the right side (push-in direction P).

In fig. 4, the beverage lead-out member 5a is offset leftward with respect to the connecting member 1. This is the state if in other words the amount of pushing in of the beverage container 5 with respect to the beverage dispenser D is insufficient. The movable direction of the beverage lead-out member 5a in this state is the direction P along the notch 25 or the opposite direction. Although the center of the drink outlet 5d and the center of the tip 9 must substantially coincide with each other, the peripheral edge of the drink outlet 5d contacts the tip of the tip 9 because of insufficient pushing-in amount in the drawing. In this state, when the beverage guide member 5a is inserted into the notch 25 of the container mount 23 formed in the cooling chamber 21, the beverage guide member 5a is caught by the notch 25 and stops, and the user may erroneously think that the beverage container 5 has been pushed into the innermost portion.

In this state, in order to insert the connection member 1 into the beverage outlet 5d, the user lifts the connection member 1 upward using the operation portion 29. At this time, as shown in fig. 4B, although the tip end portion 9 contacts the peripheral edge 5e of the drink outlet 5d, the contact portion toward the tip end portion 9 is a guide surface (inclined surface) that descends toward the right side with a predetermined inclination α, and therefore, a component force is generated rightward (in the pushing direction P of the drink container 5) with respect to the drink outlet member 5a, and the drink outlet member 5a is appropriately moved. That is, the position of the beverage lead-out member 5a is corrected so that the relative positional relationship between the beverage lead-out member 5a and the connecting member 1 is appropriate. Therefore, the inner wall of the beverage outlet 5d is not damaged, as compared with a conventional connecting member having no inclined surface in the pushing direction P of the beverage container 5.

The above description is of the case where the peripheral edge of the beverage outlet 5d is located on the right of the longest portion (the portion closest to the beverage container) of the tip portion 9. However, in an actual usage, as shown in fig. 5, the peripheral edge 5e of the beverage outlet 5d may be located on the left side of the longest portion of the distal end portion 9. In this state, the tip end of the pointed end portion 9 abuts on the lower surface of the beverage lead-out member 5a, and the connecting member 1 cannot be further pushed upward. Thus, the user can notice an improper or some improper situation of the position of the beverage container 5. Thus, the inner surface wall of the tubular member 5b in the beverage lead-out port 5d is not damaged.

As described above, in the present invention, the tip end of the pointed end portion 9 of the connecting member 1 may be a guide surface slightly inclined in the pushing direction P of the beverage container 5 (the direction in which the beverage container can move in the notch portion 25). With this guide surface, the beverage lead-out member 5a can be guided to an appropriate position with the rise of the connecting member 1, or the connecting member 1 itself cannot be pressed upward any more, so that an intermediate action of damaging the inner wall of the beverage lead-out port 5d can be eliminated.

Second embodiment

Next, the connecting member 31 used in the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 7A to 7C. The connecting member 31 in this embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except for the structure of the tip portion 39. Therefore, only the tip portion 39 will be described, and the description of the other portions will be omitted. The tip portion 39 of the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the longest portion is on the left side surface side and the shortest portion is on the right side surface side. Therefore, the notch 39a is formed on the longest side and the through hole 39b is formed on the shortest side. Therefore, in fig. 7C showing a right view of the connection member 31, the shortest side where the through hole 39b is formed is visible. Even in the connecting member 31 having such a configuration, as shown in fig. 7C, the tip end of the tip portion 39 has an inclined surface in the pushing direction P of the beverage container, and therefore, functions in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

Third embodiment

Next, a connecting member 41 used in a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 8A to 8C. The coupling member 41 in this embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment except for the configuration of the tip portion 49 and the insertion portion 43 a. Therefore, only the distal end portion 49 and the insertion portion 43a will be described, and the description of the other portions will be omitted. The tip portion 49 of the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the longest portion is formed on both the left side surface and the right side surface, and the shortest portion is formed on the front surface side and the back surface side. That is, the tip portion is closest to both right and left sides perpendicular to the pushing direction P of the beverage container 5, and therefore, the tip end of the tip portion 49 is a V-shaped inclined surface when viewed from the front (see fig. 8B). Further, a notch 49a is formed on the front side, and a through hole 49b is formed on the left side. As shown in fig. 8C, which is a right side view showing the coupling member 41, the tip portion 49 has an inclined surface at the tip end thereof in the pushing direction P of the beverage container, and therefore functions in the same manner as the first embodiment.

In the connecting member 41 of the present embodiment, the insertion portion 43a has a truncated cone shape having a tapered shape. In this way, by making the insertion portion 43a have a truncated cone shape, even if the position of the beverage lead-out member of the beverage container is displaced with respect to the position of the connection member 41, the peripheral edge of the beverage lead-out port abuts against the tapered surface of the truncated cone. As a result, the beverage lead-out member is guided to an appropriate position with the rise of the connecting member 41. Then, the O-ring 43d finally attached to the connecting member 41 is fitted into the tubular member of the beverage outlet, and the connecting member and the beverage outlet member can be appropriately positioned.

Fourth embodiment

Next, a connection member 51 used in a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 9. The connecting member 51 in this embodiment is approximately the same as that in the first embodiment except for the structure of the tip portion 59. The tip portion 59 is the same as the tip portion 49 of the third embodiment. That is, the tip portion 59 of the connector 51 of this embodiment is formed in a V shape in front view, and the insertion portion 53a of the connector body 53 is formed in a cylindrical shape. Therefore, the tip portion 59 functions in the same manner as the third embodiment when the tip end contacts the peripheral edge of the beverage introduction port.

Fifth embodiment

Next, a connecting member 61 used in a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 10. The connecting member 61 in this embodiment is approximately the same as the third embodiment except for the structure of the insertion portion 63 a. In the connecting member 61 of the present embodiment, the insertion portion 63a has a guide portion 63e formed by a chamfered portion at an end portion on the beverage lead-out member side, and is connected thereto to form a predetermined inclined truncated cone shape, and the lower end portion is a cylindrical portion. With this configuration, when the pointed end portion 69 contacts the periphery of the beverage introduction port, the function is similar to that of the third embodiment, and thereafter, the beverage lead-out member can be guided to an appropriate position by the function of the guide portion 63e and the truncated cone-shaped portion.

The present invention can be used for a connecting mechanism for connecting a beverage outlet of a beverage container to a beverage dispenser and a beverage dispenser using the connecting mechanism.

Claims (8)

1. A connecting mechanism for a beverage container and a beverage dispenser includes:

a container support base having a notch portion engageable with a beverage outlet of a beverage outlet member provided in the beverage container;

a connecting member having a cylindrical tip portion at a distal end thereof for insertion into the beverage outlet port, and connected to a piping system; and

an operating part for inserting the connecting member into the beverage outlet port,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

an end surface of the tip portion facing the beverage outlet port may be a guide surface that moves the beverage outlet member in a movable direction in the notch portion when a peripheral edge of the beverage outlet port contacts the end surface.

2. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the mechanism further comprises:

the guide surface is an inclined surface relative to the beverage outlet.

3. The mechanism of claim 1 or 2, wherein:

a cutout is formed in a side wall of the tip portion.

4. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the mechanism further comprises:

a through hole is formed in a side wall of the tip portion.

5. A beverage container and beverage dispenser connection according to claim 3, wherein:

a through hole is formed in a side wall of the tip portion.

6. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the mechanism further comprises:

the connecting member has an insertion portion inserted into the beverage outlet port while the tip portion is placed thereon, and a guide portion that moves the beverage outlet member in a movable direction in the cutout portion is formed at an end portion of the insertion portion on the beverage outlet port side, when a peripheral edge of the beverage outlet port is in contact with the end portion.

7. The mechanism of claim 5, wherein:

the connecting member has an insertion portion inserted into the beverage outlet port while the tip portion is placed thereon, and a guide portion that moves the beverage outlet member in a movable direction in the cutout portion is formed at an end portion of the insertion portion on the beverage outlet port side, when a peripheral edge of the beverage outlet port is in contact with the end portion.

8. A beverage dispenser, characterized by: the connecting mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7.