JP2020048700A - Beverage production apparatus and beverage production method - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage manufacturing technology characterized by liquid temperature adjustment of the beverage. A cooling unit (10d) includes a hollow body (200). In the case of this embodiment, the main body 200 has a tubular shape (especially a cylindrical shape) having a top wall 200a and a bottom wall 200b and closed at the top and bottom ends. The upper wall 200a is provided with an inlet portion 201 through which the coffee beverage before cooling is introduced, and the bottom wall 200b is provided with an outlet portion 202 through which the coffee beverage after cooling is outlet. [Selection drawing] Fig. 13

Description

  The present invention relates to a beverage manufacturing technique.

  Beverage manufacturing apparatuses for manufacturing coffee drinks and the like have been proposed (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4).

JP-A-05-08544 JP-A-2003-024703 JP 2013-66697 A JP-A-09-91534

  However, the conventional beverage manufacturing apparatus has room for improvement in the liquid temperature of the beverage.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage manufacturing technique characterized by adjusting the liquid temperature of the beverage.

According to the present invention, for example,
A beverage manufacturing device that manufactures a beverage and the beverage is poured from a spout,
Before reaching the spout, comprises a cooling unit through which the beverage passes,
The beverage is cooled by the cooling unit,
A beverage manufacturing apparatus is provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the drink manufacturing technique characterized by the liquid temperature adjustment of a drink can be provided.

FIG. 1 is an external view of a beverage manufacturing device. The partial front view of the beverage manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the function of the beverage production apparatus. FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the separation device. The perspective view of a drive unit and an extraction container. The figure which shows the closed state and open state of the extraction container of FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a configuration of a part of an upper unit and a lower unit. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 7. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a central unit. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device of the beverage manufacturing device of FIG. 4A and 4B are flowcharts illustrating a control example executed by the control device. FIG. 4 is an external view of a cooling unit. FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cooling unit in FIG. 13. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 13.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<1. Overview of beverage production equipment>
FIG. 1 is an external view of the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1. The beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is an apparatus for automatically manufacturing a coffee beverage from roasted coffee beans and liquid (here, water), and is capable of manufacturing one cup of coffee beverage per one manufacturing operation. . The roasted coffee beans as the raw material can be stored in the canister 40. A cup placing portion 110 is provided at a lower portion of the beverage production device 1, and the produced coffee beverage is poured into the cup from the pouring portion 10c. The pouring unit 10c is a tubular member that pours the beverage into the cup, and forms a spout.

  The beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a housing 100 that forms an exterior and surrounds an internal mechanism. The housing 100 is roughly divided into a main body 101 and a cover 102 that covers a part of the front surface and a part of the side surface of the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1. The cover 102 is provided with the information display device 12. In the case of the present embodiment, the information display device 12 is a touch-panel display, and can receive input from a manager of the device or a user of a beverage in addition to displaying various information. The information display device 12 is attached to the cover unit 102 via a moving mechanism 12a, and is movable within a certain range in the vertical direction by the moving mechanism 12a.

  The cover unit 102 is also provided with a bean input port 103 and a door 103a for opening and closing the bean input port 103. By opening the opening / closing door 103, roasted coffee beans different from the roasted coffee beans contained in the canister 40 can be introduced into the bean insertion port 103. This makes it possible to provide the drink consumer with a special cup.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the cover portion 102 is formed of a light-transmitting material such as acrylic or glass, and constitutes a transparent cover having a transparent portion as a whole. For this reason, the inside mechanism covered by the cover part 102 is visible from the outside. In the case of the present embodiment, a part of the manufacturing unit that manufactures the coffee beverage is visible through the cover unit 102. In the case of the present embodiment, the main body 101 is entirely a non-transmissive part, and it is difficult to visually recognize the inside from the outside.

  FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 and illustrates a part of a manufacturing unit that can be visually recognized by a user when the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 is viewed from the front. The cover unit 102 and the information display device 12 are illustrated by imaginary lines.

  The housing 100 in the front part of the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 has a double structure of a main body part 101 and a cover part 102 on the outside (front side). A part of the mechanism of the manufacturing unit is arranged between the main unit 101 and the cover unit 12 in the front-rear direction, and is visible to the user via the cover unit 102.

  In the case of the present embodiment, some mechanisms of the manufacturing unit that can be visually recognized by the user via the cover unit 102 include the collective transport unit 42, the grinders 5A and 5B, the separation device 6, and the extraction container 9 described below. A rectangular recessed portion 101a that is recessed toward the back is formed in the front portion of the main body 101, and the extraction container 9 and the like are located at the back inside the recessed portion 101a.

  The fact that these mechanisms are visible from outside via the cover 102 may make it easier for the administrator to perform inspections and operation checks. In addition, there are cases in which a beverage consumer can enjoy the process of producing a coffee beverage.

  The cover 102 is supported by the main body 101 via a hinge 102a at the right end so as to be openable and closable in a laterally open manner. At the left end of the cover 102, an engagement portion 102b for maintaining the main body 101 and the cover 102 in a closed state is provided. The engagement portion 102b is, for example, a combination of a magnet and iron. By opening the cover section 102, the administrator can perform inspection and the like of a part of the manufacturing section described above inside the cover section 102.

  In the present embodiment, the cover 102 is of the horizontal opening type, but may be of the vertical opening type (vertical opening type) or of the sliding type. Further, a configuration in which the cover unit 102 cannot be opened and closed may be employed.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of functions of the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1. The beverage production device 1 includes a bean processing device 2 and an extraction device 3 as a coffee beverage production unit.

  The bean processing device 2 produces ground beans from roasted coffee beans. The extraction device 3 extracts coffee liquid from the ground beans supplied from the bean processing device 2. The extraction device 3 includes a fluid supply unit 7, a drive unit 8, which will be described later, an extraction container 9, and a switching unit 10. The ground beans supplied from the bean processing device 2 are put into the extraction container 9. The fluid supply unit 7 puts hot water into the extraction container 9. The coffee liquid is extracted from the ground beans in the extraction container 9. Hot water containing the extracted coffee liquid is delivered to the cup C as a coffee beverage via the switching unit 10.

<2. Fluid supply unit and switching unit>
The configurations of the fluid supply unit 7 and the switching unit 10 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the fluid supply unit 7 will be described. The fluid supply unit 7 supplies hot water to the extraction container 9 and controls the pressure in the extraction container 9. In the present specification, when the pressure is exemplified by a numeral, it means an absolute pressure unless otherwise specified, and the gauge pressure is a pressure at which the atmospheric pressure is set to 0 atm. The atmospheric pressure refers to the atmospheric pressure around the extraction container 9 or the air pressure of the beverage manufacturing device. For example, when the beverage manufacturing device is installed at a point at 0 m above sea level, the International Civil Aviation Organization (= “International Civil Aviation”) Aviation Organization [[abbreviation] ICAO]) is a standard atmospheric pressure (1013.25 hPa) at 0 m above sea level of the International Standard Atmosphere ([abbreviation] ISA)) established in 1976.

  The fluid supply unit 7 includes pipes L1 to L3. The pipe L1 is a pipe through which air flows, and the pipe L2 is a pipe through which water flows. The pipe L3 is a pipe through which both air and water can flow.

  The fluid supply unit 7 includes a compressor 70 as a pressure source. The compressor 70 compresses and sends out the atmosphere. The compressor 70 is driven using, for example, a motor (not shown) as a drive source. The compressed air sent from the compressor 70 is supplied to a reserve tank (accumulator) 71 via a check valve 71a. The air pressure in the reserve tank 71 is monitored by the pressure sensor 71b, and the compressor 70 is driven so as to be maintained at a predetermined air pressure (in this embodiment, 7 atm (6 atm in gauge pressure)). The reserve tank 71 is provided with a drain 71c for drainage, so that water generated by compression of air can be drained.

  The water tank 72 is a storage unit that stores a liquid (here, hot water (water)) constituting the coffee beverage. The water tank 72 is provided with a heater 72a for heating the water in the water tank 72 and a temperature sensor 72b for measuring the temperature of the water. The heater 72a maintains the temperature of the accumulated hot water at a predetermined temperature (120 degrees Celsius in the present embodiment) based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 72b. For example, the heater 72a is turned on when the temperature of the hot water is 118 degrees Celsius, and is turned off when the temperature is 120 degrees Celsius.

  The water tank 72 is also provided with a water level sensor 72c. The water level sensor 72c detects the water level of the hot water in the water tank 72. When the water level sensor 72c detects that the water level has dropped below a predetermined water level, water is supplied to the water tank 72. In the case of the present embodiment, tap water (normal temperature) is supplied via a water purifier (not shown). A cooling unit 10d is provided in the middle of the pipe L2 from the water purifier. The produced coffee beverage is cooled by the cooling unit 10d before reaching the pouring unit 10c. In the case of this embodiment, the cooling unit 10d is a heat exchanger, and cools the coffee beverage to an appropriate temperature using tap water from the water purifier as a cooling medium. In the case of the present embodiment, tap water from the water purifier is first supplied to the cooling unit 10d. As a result, tap water having a relatively low water temperature can be supplied to the cooling unit 10d, and the cooling performance may be improved in some cases.

  An electromagnetic valve 72d is provided in the middle of the pipe L2 from the water purifier. When a decrease in the water level is detected by the water level sensor 72c, the solenoid valve 72d is opened and water is supplied. When the water level reaches a predetermined water level, the solenoid valve 72d is closed and the supply of water is shut off. In this way, the hot water in the water tank 72 is maintained at a constant water level. The water supply to the water tank 72 may be performed each time the hot water used for manufacturing the coffee beverage is discharged.

  The water tank 72 is also provided with a pressure sensor 72g. The pressure sensor 72g detects the atmospheric pressure in the water tank 72. The water tank 72 is supplied with the pressure in the reserve tank 71 via a pressure regulating valve 72e and a solenoid valve 72f. The pressure regulating valve 72e reduces the pressure supplied from the reserve tank 71 to a predetermined pressure. In the case of the present embodiment, the pressure is reduced to 3 atm (2 atm in gauge pressure). The solenoid valve 72f switches between supply and cutoff of the pressure regulated by the pressure regulating valve 72e to the water tank 72. The solenoid valve 72f is controlled to open and close so that the pressure in the water tank 72 is maintained at 3 atm except when tap water is supplied to the water tank 72. At the time of supply of tap water to the water tank 72, the air pressure in the water tank 72 is set to a pressure lower than the water pressure of the tap water by the solenoid valve 72h so that tap water is supplied to the water tank 72 smoothly by the water pressure. (For example, less than 2.5 atm). The solenoid valve 72h switches whether or not to release the inside of the water tank 72 to the atmosphere, and releases the inside of the water tank 72 to the atmosphere when the pressure is reduced. Also, the solenoid valve 72h releases the inside of the water tank 72 to the atmosphere when the pressure in the water tank 72 exceeds 3 atm and supplies the inside of the water tank 72 to 3 atm other than when supplying tap water to the water tank 72. maintain.

  Hot water in the water tank 72 is supplied to the extraction container 9 via the check valve 72j, the solenoid valve 72i, and the pipe L3. Hot water is supplied to the extraction container 9 by opening the electromagnetic valve 72i, and shut off by closing it. The amount of hot water supplied to the extraction container 9 can be controlled by the opening time of the solenoid valve 72i. However, the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 72i may be controlled by measuring the supply amount. The pipe L3 is provided with a temperature sensor 73e for measuring the temperature of the hot water, and monitors the temperature of the hot water supplied to the extraction container 9.

  The pressure in the reserve tank 71 is supplied to the extraction container 9 via a pressure regulating valve 73a and a solenoid valve 73b. The pressure regulating valve 73a reduces the pressure supplied from the reserve tank 71 to a predetermined pressure. In the case of the present embodiment, the pressure is reduced to 5 atm (4 atm in gauge pressure). The solenoid valve 73b switches between supply and cutoff of the pressure regulated by the pressure regulating valve 73a to the extraction container 9. The air pressure in the extraction container 9 is detected by the pressure sensor 73d. At the time of pressurizing the inside of the extraction container 9, the solenoid valve 73b is opened based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 73d, and the inside of the extraction container 9 is kept at a predetermined atmospheric pressure (in the case of the present embodiment, 5 atm (4 atm in gauge pressure) )). The pressure in the extraction container 9 can be reduced by the solenoid valve 73c. The solenoid valve 73c switches whether or not to release the inside of the extraction container 9 to the atmosphere, and releases the inside of the extraction container 9 to the atmosphere when the pressure is abnormal (for example, when the inside of the extraction container 9 exceeds 5 atm).

  After one production of the coffee beverage, in the case of the present embodiment, the inside of the extraction container 9 is washed with tap water. The solenoid valve 73f is opened at the time of washing, and supplies tap water to the extraction container 9.

  Next, the switching unit 10 will be described. The switching unit 10 is a unit that switches the destination of the liquid delivered from the extraction container 9 to one of the pouring unit 10c and the waste tank T. The switching unit 10 includes a switching valve 10a and a motor 10b that drives the switching valve 10a. When sending out the coffee beverage in the extraction container 9, the switching valve 10a switches the flow path to the cooling unit 10d. After the coffee beverage is cooled to an appropriate temperature in the cooling unit 10d, it is poured into the cup C from the pouring unit 10c. When discharging the waste liquid (tap water) and the residue (ground beans) at the time of washing, the flow path is switched to the waste tank T. The switching valve 10a is a three-port ball valve in this embodiment. Since the residue passes through the switching valve 10a at the time of washing, the switching valve 10a is preferably a ball valve, and the motor 10b switches its flow path by rotating its rotation shaft.

<3. Bean processing equipment>
The bean processing apparatus 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. The bean processing device 2 includes a storage device 4 and a crushing device 5.

<3-1. Storage device>
The storage device 4 includes a plurality of canisters 40 in which roasted coffee beans are stored. In the case of the present embodiment, three canisters 40 are provided. The canister 40 includes a cylindrical main body 40a that stores roasted coffee beans, and a handle 40b provided on the main body 40a, and is configured to be detachable from the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1.

  Each of the canisters 40 may store different types of roasted coffee beans, and may select the type of roasted coffee beans used for producing a coffee beverage by operating input to the information display device 12. The different types of roasted coffee beans are, for example, roasted coffee beans having different types of coffee beans. The roasted coffee beans of different types are coffee beans of the same variety, but may be roasted coffee beans having different roasting degrees. Further, the roasted coffee beans having different types may be roasted coffee beans having different varieties and roasting degrees. Further, at least one of the three canisters 40 may accommodate roasted coffee beans in which a plurality of types of roasted coffee beans are mixed. In this case, the roasted coffee beans of each variety may have the same degree of roasting.

  Although a plurality of canisters 40 are provided in the present embodiment, a configuration in which only one canister 40 is provided may be employed. When a plurality of canisters 40 are provided, the same type of roasted coffee beans may be stored in all or a plurality of canisters 40.

  Each canister 40 is detachably mounted on the measuring and conveying device 41. The weighing / conveying device 41 is, for example, an electric screw conveyor, and automatically weighs out a predetermined amount of roasted coffee beans stored in the canister 40 and sends out the roasted coffee beans to the downstream side.

  Each of the measuring and conveying devices 41 discharges the roasted coffee beans to the collective conveying section 42 on the downstream side. The collective transport section 42 is formed of a hollow member, and forms a transport path for roasted coffee beans from each conveyor 41 to the crusher 5 (particularly the grinder 5A). The roasted coffee beans discharged from each of the weighing and transporting devices 41 move inside the collective transporting unit 42 by its own weight, and flow down to the crushing device 5.

  A guide portion 42 a is formed in the collective transport portion 42 at a position corresponding to the bean input port 103. The guide portion 42a forms a passage for guiding the roasted coffee beans input from the bean input port 103 to the grinding device 5 (particularly, the grinder 5A). Thereby, in addition to the roasted coffee beans accommodated in the canister 40, a coffee beverage using roasted coffee beans input from the bean input port 103 as a raw material can also be manufactured.

<3-2. Crusher>
The pulverizing device 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the separating device 6. The pulverizing device 5 includes grinders 5A and 5B and a separating device 6. The grinders 5A and 5B are mechanisms for grinding the roasted coffee beans supplied from the storage device 4. The roasted coffee beans supplied from the storage device 4 are ground by a grinder 5A, then further ground by a grinder 5B to form a powder, and put into the extraction container 9 through a discharge pipe 5C.

  The grinders 5A and 5B differ in the grain size at which the beans are ground. The grinder 5A is a grinder for coarse grinding, and the grinder 5B is a grinder for fine grinding. Each of the grinders 5A and 5B is an electric grinder, and includes a motor as a driving source, a rotary blade driven by the motor, and the like. The size (granularity) of the roasted coffee beans to be ground can be changed by changing the rotation speed of the rotary blade.

  The separation device 6 is a mechanism for separating unnecessary materials from the ground beans. The separation device 6 includes a passage 63a disposed between the grinder 5A and the grinder 5B. The passage portion 63a is a hollow body forming a separation chamber through which the ground beans freely falling from the grinder 5A pass. The passage portion 63b is connected to a passage portion 63b extending in a direction (left and right direction in the present embodiment) intersecting with the passage direction (vertical direction in the present embodiment) of the ground beans. The suction unit 60 is connected to the portion 63b. When the suction unit 60 sucks the air in the passage portion 63a, light objects such as chaff and fine powder are sucked. Thereby, unnecessary materials can be separated from the ground beans.

  The suction unit 60 is a centrifugal separation type mechanism. The suction unit 60 includes a blowing unit 60A and a collection container 60B. In the case of the present embodiment, the blower unit 60A is a fan motor, and exhausts the air in the collection container 60B upward.

  The collection container 60B includes an upper portion 61 and a lower portion 62 that are separably engaged. The lower part 62 has a bottomed cylindrical shape whose upper part is open, and forms a space for storing unnecessary objects. The upper part 61 constitutes a lid mounted on the opening of the lower part 62. The upper part 61 includes a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 61a and an exhaust pipe 61b formed coaxially with the outer peripheral wall 61a. The blower unit 60A is fixed to the upper part 61 above the exhaust pipe 61b so as to suck air in the exhaust pipe 61b. A passage portion 63b is connected to the upper portion 61. The passage 63b is open to the side of the exhaust pipe 61b.

  By driving the air blowing unit 60A, an airflow indicated by arrows d1 to d3 in FIG. 4 is generated. By this airflow, air containing unnecessary substances is sucked from the passage portion 63a into the collection container 60B through the passage portion 63b. Since the passage portion 63b is opened to the side of the exhaust pipe 61b, the air containing unnecessary substances turns around the exhaust pipe 61b. Unnecessary matter D in the air falls due to its weight and is collected in a part of the collection container 60B (accumulates on the bottom surface of the lower part 62). The air is exhausted upward through the inside of the exhaust pipe 61b.

  A plurality of fins 61d are integrally formed on the peripheral surface of the exhaust pipe 61b. The plurality of fins 61d are arranged in the circumferential direction of the exhaust pipe 61b. Each fin 61d is obliquely inclined with respect to the axial direction of the exhaust pipe 61b. By providing such fins 61, the turning of the air including the unnecessary matter D around the exhaust pipe 61b is promoted.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the lower portion 62 is formed of a material having a light-transmitting property such as acrylic or glass, and constitutes a transparent container having a transparent portion as a whole. The lower part 62 is a part covered by the cover part 102 (FIG. 2). The administrator and the user of the beverage can visually recognize the unnecessary objects D accumulated in the lower portion 62 through the peripheral wall of the cover portion 102 and the lower portion 62. In some cases, it is easy for the administrator to confirm the cleaning timing of the lower portion 62, and since it is possible for the user of the beverage to visually recognize that the unnecessary material D has been removed, the expectation of the quality of the coffee beverage being manufactured increases. There are cases.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the roasted coffee beans supplied from the storage device 4 are first coarsely ground by the grinder 5A, and when the coarsely ground beans pass through the passage portion 63a, unnecessary materials are separated by the separation device 6. Are separated. The coarsely ground beans from which unnecessary materials are separated are finely ground by the grinder 5B. Unnecessary substances separated by the separation device 6 are typically chaff and fine powder. These may reduce the taste of the coffee beverage, and the quality of the coffee beverage can be improved by removing chaff and the like from the ground beans.

  The grinding of the roasted coffee beans may be performed by one grinder (one-stage grinding). However, by performing the two-stage pulverization using the two grinders 5A and 5B as in the present embodiment, the particle size of the ground beans can be easily made uniform, and the degree of extraction of the coffee liquid can be made constant. When the beans are crushed, heat may be generated due to friction between the cutter and the beans. By using two-stage pulverization, heat generation due to friction at the time of pulverization can be suppressed, and deterioration of the ground beans (for example, a decrease in flavor) can also be prevented.

  In addition, by going through the steps of coarse grinding → separation of unnecessary materials → fine grinding, when separating unnecessary materials such as chaff, the mass difference between the unnecessary materials and the ground beans (necessary part) can be increased. This can increase the efficiency of separating unnecessary substances and can prevent the ground beans (required portion) from being separated as unnecessary substances. In addition, since the separation of unnecessary substances using air suction is interposed between the coarse grinding and the fine grinding, the heat generation of the ground beans can be suppressed by air cooling.

<4. Drive unit and extraction container>
<4-1. Overview>
The drive unit 8 and the extraction container 9 of the extraction device 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the drive unit 8 and the extraction container 9. Most of the drive unit 8 is surrounded by the main body 101.

  The drive unit 8 is supported by the frame F. The frame F includes upper and lower beams F1 and F2 and a column F3 that supports the beams F1 and F2. The drive unit 8 is roughly divided into three units: an upper unit 8A, a middle unit 8B, and a lower unit 8C. The upper unit 8A is supported by the beam F1. The middle unit 8B is supported by the beam F1 and the column F3 between the beam F1 and the beam F2. The lower unit 8C is supported by the beam F2.

  The extraction container 9 is a chamber including a container main body 90 and a lid unit 91. The extraction container 9 may be called a chamber. The middle unit 8B includes an arm member 820 that detachably holds the container body 90. The arm member 820 includes a holding member 820a and a pair of shaft members 820b that are separated to the left and right. The holding member 820a is an elastic member such as a resin formed in a C-shaped clip shape, and holds the container body 90 by its elastic force. The holding member 82a holds the left and right sides of the container body 90, and exposes the front side of the container body 90. This makes it easier to visually recognize the inside of the container main body 90 in a front view.

  The container main body 90 is attached to and detached from the holding member 820a by a manual operation, and the container main body 90 is mounted on the holding member 820a by pressing the container main body 90 rearward in the front-rear direction against the holding member 820a. Further, the container main body 90 can be separated from the holding member 820a by pulling out the container main body 90 from the holding member 820a to the front side in the front-rear direction.

  Each of the pair of shaft members 820b is a rod extending in the front-rear direction, and is a member that supports the holding member 820a. In this embodiment, the number of the shaft members 820b is two, but may be one or three or more. The holding member 820a is fixed to front ends of the pair of shaft members 820b. By a mechanism described later, the pair of shaft members 82b is moved forward and backward, whereby the holding member 820a is moved forward and backward, so that a movement operation of moving the container body 90 in the front and rear direction can be performed. The middle unit 8B can also perform a rotating operation of turning the extraction container 9 upside down, as described later.

<4-2. Extraction container>
The extraction container 9 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 shows the closed state and the open state of the extraction container 9. As described above, the extraction container 9 is turned upside down by the middle unit 8B. The extraction container 9 in FIG. 6 shows a basic posture in which the lid unit 91 is located on the upper side. In the following description, a vertical positional relationship means a vertical positional relationship in a basic posture unless otherwise specified.

  The container main body 90 is a container with a bottom and has a bottle shape having a neck portion 90b, a shoulder portion 90d, a body portion 90e, and a bottom portion 90f. A flange portion 90c that defines an opening 90a that communicates with the internal space of the container body 90 is formed at an end of the neck portion 90b (an upper end portion of the container body 90).

  Each of the neck portion 90b and the body portion 90e has a cylindrical shape. The shoulder portion 90d is a portion between the neck portion 90b and the body portion 90e, and has a tapered shape such that the cross-sectional area of its internal space gradually decreases from the body portion 90e side to the neck portion 90b side. ing.

  The lid unit 91 is a unit that opens and closes the opening 90a. The opening / closing operation (elevation operation) of the lid unit 91 is performed by the upper unit 8A.

  The container main body 90 includes a main body member 900 and a bottom member 901. The main body member 900 is a cylindrical member that opens up and down and forms a neck portion 90b, a shoulder portion 90d, and a body portion 90e. The bottom member 901 is a member that forms the bottom part 90f, and is inserted and fixed below the main body member 900. A seal member 902 is interposed between the main body member 900 and the bottom member 901 to improve the airtightness inside the container main body 90.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the main body member 900 is formed of a translucent material such as acrylic or glass, and constitutes a transparent container in which the whole is a transmissive portion. The administrator and the consumer of the beverage can visually check the extraction state of the coffee beverage in the container main body 90 through the cover portion 102 and the main body member 900 of the container main body 90. In some cases, the brewing operation may be easily confirmed by the manager, and in some cases, the brewing user may enjoy the brewing situation.

  A convex portion 901c is provided at the center of the bottom member 901. The convex portion 901c has a communication hole for communicating the inside of the container body 90 to the outside, and a valve (valve 903 in FIG. 8) for opening and closing the communication hole. Is provided. The communication hole is used for discharging waste liquid and residue when cleaning the inside of the container body 90. The projection 901c is provided with a seal member 908. The seal member 908 is a member for maintaining the airtightness between the upper unit 8A or the lower unit 8C and the bottom member 901.

  The lid unit 91 includes a hat-shaped base member 911. The base member 911 has a protrusion 911d and a flange 911c that overlaps the flange 90c when closed. The protruding portion 911d has the same structure as the protruding portion 901c of the container main body 90, and is provided with a communication hole for communicating the inside of the container main body 90 with the outside and a valve (valve 913 in FIG. 8) for opening and closing the communication hole. Have been. The communication hole of the convex portion 911d is mainly used for injecting hot water into the container main body 90 and sending out a coffee beverage. The projection 911d is provided with a seal member 918a. The seal member 918a is a member for maintaining the airtightness between the upper unit 8A or the lower unit 8C and the base member 911. The lid unit 91 is also provided with a seal member 919. The sealing member 919 improves the airtightness between the lid unit 91 and the container body 90 when the lid unit 91 is closed. The lid unit 91 holds a filter for filtration.

<4-3. Upper unit and lower unit>
The upper unit 8A and the lower unit 8C will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a front view showing a configuration of a part of the upper unit 8A and the lower unit 8C, and FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG.

  The upper unit 8A includes an operation unit 81A. The operation unit 81A performs an opening / closing operation (elevating / lowering) of the lid unit 91 with respect to the container body 90 and an opening / closing operation of the valves of the convex portions 901c and 911d. The operation unit 81A includes a support member 800, a holding member 801, a lifting shaft 802, and a probe 803.

  The support member 800 is fixedly provided so that the relative position with respect to the frame F does not change, and accommodates the holding member 801. The support member 800 further includes a communication portion 800a that allows the pipe L3 to communicate with the inside of the support member 800. Hot water, tap water, and air pressure supplied from the pipe L3 are introduced into the support member 800 via the communication portion 800a.

  The holding member 801 is a member that can detachably hold the lid unit 91. The holding member 801 has a cylindrical space into which the protrusion 911d of the lid unit 91 or the protrusion 901c of the bottom member 901 is inserted, and has a mechanism for detachably holding these. This mechanism is, for example, a snap ring mechanism, which is engaged by a certain pressing force and released by a certain separating force. Hot water, tap water, and air pressure supplied from the pipe L3 can be supplied into the extraction container 9 through the communication portion 800a and the communication hole 801a of the holding member 801.

  The holding member 801 is also a movable member slidably provided in the support member 800 in a vertical direction. The elevating shaft 802 is provided so that its axial direction is the up-down direction. The elevating shaft 802 vertically penetrates the top of the support member 800 in an airtight manner, and is provided to be vertically movable with respect to the support member 800.

  The top of the holding member 801 is fixed to the lower end of the elevating shaft 802. The holding member 801 slides up and down by the raising and lowering of the elevating shaft 802, so that the holding member 801 can be attached to and separated from the protrusions 911 d and 901 c. Further, the lid unit 91 can be opened and closed with respect to the container body 90.

  A screw 802a constituting a lead screw mechanism is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the elevating shaft 802. A nut 804b is screwed to the screw 802a. The upper unit 8A includes a motor 804a, and the nut 804b is rotated on the spot (without moving up and down) by the driving force of the motor 804a. The rotation of the nut 804b causes the lifting shaft 802 to move up and down.

  The elevating shaft 802 is a tubular shaft having a through hole at the center axis, and a probe 803 is inserted into the through hole so as to be slidable up and down. The probe 803 penetrates the top of the holding member 801 in an airtight manner in the vertical direction, and is provided so as to be vertically movable with respect to the support member 800 and the holding member 801.

  The probe 803 is an operator for opening and closing the valves 913 and 903 provided inside the convex portions 911d and 901c. The probe 803 lowers the valves 913 and 903 from the closed state to the open state, and raises the probe 803 to open the valves 913 and 903. The state can be changed from the open state to the closed state (by the action of a return spring (not shown)).

  A screw 803a constituting a lead screw mechanism is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the probe 803. A nut 805b is screwed to the screw 803a. The upper unit 8A includes a motor 805a, and the nut 805b is provided so as to rotate on the spot (without moving up and down) by the driving force of the motor 805a. The probe 803 moves up and down by the rotation of the nut 805b.

  The lower unit 8C includes an operation unit 81C. The operation unit 81C has a configuration in which the operation unit 81A is turned upside down, and performs opening and closing operations of valves 913 and 903 provided inside the protrusions 911d and 901c. The operation unit 81C is also configured to be able to open and close the lid unit 91. However, in this embodiment, the operation unit 81C is not used to open and close the lid unit 91.

  Hereinafter, the operation unit 81C is substantially the same as the operation unit 81A, but the operation unit 81C is described. The operation unit 81C includes a support member 810, a holding member 811, an elevating shaft 812, and a probe 813.

  The support member 810 is fixedly provided so that the relative position with respect to the frame F does not change, and accommodates the holding member 811. The support member 810 further includes a communication portion 810a that allows the switching valve 10a of the switching unit 10 to communicate with the inside of the support member 810. The coffee beverage, tap water, and ground bean residues in the container body 90 are introduced into the switching valve 10a via the communication portion 810a.

  The holding member 811 has a cylindrical space into which the protrusion 911d of the lid unit 91 or the protrusion 901c of the bottom member 901 is inserted, and includes a mechanism for detachably holding these. This mechanism is, for example, a snap ring mechanism, which is engaged by a certain pressing force and released by a certain separating force. The coffee beverage, tap water, and ground bean residues in the container body 90 are introduced into the switching valve 10a through the communication portion 810a and the communication hole 811a of the holding member 811.

  The holding member 811 is also a movable member provided to be slidable vertically in the support member 810. The elevating shaft 812 is provided so that its axial direction is the up-down direction. The elevating shaft 812 vertically penetrates the bottom of the support member 800 in an airtight manner, and is provided to be vertically movable with respect to the support member 810.

  The bottom of the holding member 811 is fixed to the lower end of the elevating shaft 812. The holding member 811 slides up and down by the raising and lowering of the elevating shaft 812, so that the holding member 811 can be attached to and separated from the protrusions 901c and 911d.

  A screw 812a constituting a lead screw mechanism is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the elevating shaft 812. A nut 814b is screwed to the screw 812a. The lower unit 8C includes a motor 814a, and the nut 814b is rotated on the spot (without moving up and down) by the driving force of the motor 814a. The rotation of the nut 814b causes the lifting shaft 812 to move up and down.

  The elevating shaft 812 is a tubular shaft having a through hole at the center axis, and a probe 813 is inserted into the through hole so as to be slidable up and down. The probe 813 penetrates the bottom of the holding member 811 in an airtight manner in the vertical direction, and is provided so as to be vertically movable with respect to the support member 810 and the holding member 811.

  The probe 813 is an operator for opening and closing the valves 913 and 903 provided inside the convex portions 911 d and 901 c. The rising of the probe 813 changes the valves 913 and 903 from the closed state to the open state. The state can be changed from the open state to the closed state (by the action of a return spring (not shown)).

  On the outer peripheral surface of the probe 813, a screw 813a constituting a lead screw mechanism is formed. A nut 815b is screwed to the screw 813a. The lower unit 8C includes a motor 815a, and the nut 815b is provided so as to rotate on the spot (without moving up and down) by the driving force of the motor 815a. The probe 813 moves up and down by rotation of the nut 815b.

<4-4. Chubu Unit>
The middle unit 8B will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the middle unit 8B. The middle unit 8B includes a support unit 81B that supports the extraction container 9. The support unit 81B includes a unit main body 81B ′ that supports the lock mechanism 821, in addition to the arm member 820 described above.

  The lock mechanism 821 is a mechanism that maintains the lid unit 91 in a closed state with respect to the container main body 90. The lock mechanism 821 includes a pair of gripping members 821a that vertically clamp the flange 911c of the lid unit 91 and the flange 90c of the container body 90. The pair of gripping members 821a have a C-shaped cross section that fits by sandwiching the flange portion 911c and the flange portion 90c, and is opened and closed in the left and right directions by the driving force of the motor 822. When the pair of gripping members 821a are in the closed state, as shown by solid lines in the encircled view of FIG. The unit 91 is hermetically locked to the container body 90. In this locked state, the lid unit 91 does not move (the lock is not released) even if the lid unit 91 is opened by raising the holding member 801 by the elevating shaft 802. That is, the locking force of the lock mechanism 821 is set to be stronger than the force of opening the lid unit 91 using the holding member 801. Thus, it is possible to prevent the lid unit 91 from being opened with respect to the container main body 90 in the event of an abnormality.

  When the pair of grip members 821a are in the open state, as shown by broken lines in the encircled view of FIG. 9, each grip member 821a is separated from the flange portion 911c and the flange portion 90c, and the lid unit 91 and the container body 90 are separated. The lock with is released.

  When the holding member 801 is in the state of holding the lid unit 91 and the holding member 801 is raised from the lowered position to the raised position, when the pair of gripping members 821a are in the open state, the lid unit 91 is moved from the container body 90. Separated. Conversely, when the pair of gripping members 821a are in the closed state, the holding member 801 for the lid unit 91 is released, and only the holding member 801 rises.

  The middle unit 8B also includes a mechanism that horizontally moves the arm member 820 in the front-rear direction using the motor 823 as a driving source. Thereby, the container main body 90 supported by the arm member 820 can be moved between the rear extraction position (state ST1) and the front bean insertion position (state ST2). The bean charging position is a position where the ground beans are charged into the container main body 90, and the ground beans ground by the grinder 5B are supplied from the discharge pipe 5C into the opening 90a of the container main body 90 from which the lid unit 91 is separated. In other words, the position of the discharge pipe 5C is above the container main body 90 located at the bean input position.

  The extraction position is a position where the container main body 90 can be operated by the operation unit 81A and the operation unit 81C, is a position coaxial with the probes 803 and 813, and is a position where the coffee liquid is extracted. The extraction position is a position on the back side of the bean input position. FIGS. 5, 7, and 8 all show the case where the container body 90 is at the extraction position. Thus, by making the position of the container main body 90 different between the input of the ground bean, the extraction of the coffee liquid, and the supply of the water, the steam generated at the time of extracting the coffee liquid is discharged from the discharge pipe serving as the supply section of the ground bean. Adhesion to 5C can be prevented.

  The middle unit 8B also includes a mechanism for rotating the support unit 81B around a shaft 825 in the front-rear direction using the motor 824 as a drive source. Thereby, the posture of the container body 90 (extraction container 9) can be changed from the upright posture (state ST1) in which the neck portion 90b is on the upper side to the inverted posture (state ST3) in which the neck portion 90b is on the lower side. While the extraction container 9 is rotating, the state where the lid unit 91 is locked to the container main body 90 by the lock mechanism 821 is maintained. The extraction container 9 is turned upside down between the upright posture and the inverted posture. The convex portion 911c is located at the position of the convex portion 901c in the upright posture, and the convex portion 911d is located at the position of the inverted posture. In the upright posture, the convex portion 911c is located at the position of the convex portion 911d in the upright posture. Therefore, in the inverted posture, the operation unit 81A can perform the opening / closing operation on the valve 903, and the operation unit 81C can perform the opening / closing operation on the valve 913.

<5. Control device>
The control device 11 of the beverage production device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the control device 11.

  The control device 11 controls the entire beverage manufacturing device 1. The control device 11 includes a processing unit 11a, a storage unit 11b, and an I / F (interface) unit 11c. The processing unit 11a is a processor such as a CPU, for example. The storage unit 11b is, for example, a RAM or a ROM. The I / F unit 11c includes an input / output interface that inputs and outputs signals between the external device and the processing unit 11a. The I / F unit 11c also includes a communication interface capable of performing data communication with the server 16 via a communication network 15 such as the Internet. The server 16 can communicate with a mobile terminal 17 having a touch panel such as a smartphone via the communication network 15. For example, the server 16 receives information such as a reservation of beverage production and an impression from the mobile terminal 17 of a beverage consumer. It is possible.

  The processing unit 11a executes a program stored in the storage unit 11b, and controls the actuator group 14 based on an instruction from the information display device 12, a detection result of the sensor group 13, or an instruction from the server 16. The sensor group 13 is various sensors (for example, a hot water temperature sensor, a mechanism operation position detection sensor, a pressure sensor, and the like) provided in the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1. The actuator group 14 is various actuators (for example, a motor, a solenoid valve, a heater, and the like) provided in the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1.

<6. Operation control example>
An example of control processing of the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 executed by the processing unit 11a will be described with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B. FIG. 11A shows a control example related to one coffee beverage production operation. The state of the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 before the production instruction is called a standby state. The state of each mechanism in the standby state is as follows.

  The extraction device 3 is in the state of FIG. The extraction container 9 is in the upright posture and is located at the extraction position. The lock mechanism 821 is in a closed state, and the lid unit 91 closes the opening 90 a of the container main body 90. The holding member 801 is at the lowered position and is mounted on the convex portion 911d. The holding member 811 is at the raised position and is mounted on the convex portion 901c. Valves 903 and 913 are closed. The switching valve 10a makes the communication part 810a of the operation unit 8C communicate with the waste tank T.

  In the standby state, when there is a coffee beverage production instruction, the processing in FIG. 11A is executed. In S1, a pre-heat treatment is performed. This process is a process of pouring hot water into the container main body 90 and heating the container main body 90 in advance. First, the valves 903 and 913 are opened. Thereby, the pipe L3, the extraction container 9, and the waste tank T are brought into a communicating state.

  The electromagnetic valve 72i is closed after being opened for a predetermined time (for example, 1500 ms). Thereby, hot water is poured from the water tank 72 into the extraction container 9. Subsequently, the solenoid valve 73 is opened for a predetermined time (for example, 500 ms) and then closed. Thereby, the air in the extraction container 9 is pressurized, and the discharge of hot water to the waste tank T is promoted. By the above processing, the inside of the extraction container 9 and the pipe L2 are preheated, and it is possible to reduce the cooling of hot water in the subsequent production of a coffee beverage.

  In S2, a grinding process is performed. Here, the roasted coffee beans are pulverized, and the ground beans are put into the container body 90. First, the lock mechanism 821 is opened, and the holding member 801 is raised to the raised position. The lid unit 91 is held by the holding member 801 and rises together with the holding member 801. As a result, the lid unit 91 is separated from the container body 90. The holding member 811 descends to the descending position. The container body 90 is moved to the bean charging position. Subsequently, the storage device 4 and the crushing device 5 are operated. Thereby, one cup of roasted coffee beans is supplied from the storage device 4 to the grinder 5A. The roasted coffee beans are ground in two stages by the grinders 5A and 5B, and unnecessary materials are separated by the separation device 6. The ground beans are put into the container body 90.

  Return the container body 90 to the extraction position. The holding member 801 is lowered to the lowered position, and the lid unit 91 is mounted on the container body 90. The lock mechanism 821 is closed, and the lid unit 91 is hermetically locked to the container body 90. The holding member 811 is raised to the raised position. Of the valves 903 and 913, the valve 903 is opened and the valve 913 is closed.

  In S3, an extraction process is performed. Here, the coffee liquid is extracted from the ground beans in the container body 90. FIG. 11B is a flowchart of the extraction processing in S3.

  In S11, in order to steam the ground beans in the extraction container 9, an amount of hot water smaller than one cup of hot water is poured into the extraction container 9. Here, the electromagnetic valve 72i is opened and closed for a predetermined time (for example, 500 ms). Thereby, hot water is poured from the water tank 72 into the extraction container 9. Then, after waiting for a predetermined time (for example, 5000 ms), the process of S11 ends. With this process, the ground beans can be steamed. By steaming the ground beans, carbon dioxide contained in the ground beans can be released, and the subsequent extraction effect can be enhanced.

  In S12, the remaining amount of hot water is poured into the extraction container 9 so that one cup of hot water is stored in the extraction container 9. Here, the electromagnetic valve 72i is opened and closed for a predetermined time (for example, 7000 ms). Thereby, hot water is poured from the water tank 72 into the extraction container 9.

  By the process of S12, the inside of the extraction container 9 can be brought into a state of a temperature of more than 100 degrees Celsius at 1 atm (for example, about 110 degrees Celsius). Subsequently, the inside of the extraction container 9 is pressurized by S13. Here, the electromagnetic valve 73b is opened and closed for a predetermined time (for example, 1000 ms), and the inside of the extraction container 9 is pressurized to a pressure at which hot water does not boil (for example, about 4 atm (about 3 atm in gauge pressure)). Thereafter, the valve 903 is closed.

  Subsequently, this state is maintained for a predetermined time (for example, 7000 ms), and immersion coffee liquid extraction is performed (S14). Thus, the coffee liquor is extracted by the immersion method under high temperature and high pressure. The following effects can be expected by immersion extraction under high temperature and high pressure. First, by applying a high pressure, hot water can easily penetrate into the ground beans, and the extraction of coffee liquid can be promoted. Second, the high temperature promotes extraction of the coffee liquor. Third, by raising the temperature, the viscosity of the oil contained in the ground beans is reduced, and the extraction of the oil is promoted. Thereby, a fragrant coffee beverage can be manufactured.

  The temperature of the hot water (high-temperature water) may be higher than 100 degrees Celsius, but a higher temperature is more advantageous in extracting coffee liquid. On the other hand, raising the temperature of hot water generally increases costs. Therefore, the temperature of the hot water may be, for example, 105 degrees Celsius or higher, 110 degrees Celsius or higher, or 115 degrees Celsius or higher, and, for example, 130 degrees Celsius or lower, or 120 degrees Celsius or lower. The pressure may be any pressure at which hot water does not boil.

  In S15, the pressure inside the extraction container 9 is reduced. Here, the pressure in the extraction container 9 is switched to the pressure at which the hot water boils. Specifically, the valve 913 is opened, and the solenoid valve 73c is opened and closed for a predetermined time (for example, 1000 ms). The inside of the extraction container 9 is released to the atmosphere. Thereafter, the valve 913 is closed again.

  The pressure in the extraction container 9 is rapidly reduced to a pressure lower than the boiling point pressure, and the hot water in the extraction container 9 boils at a stretch. Hot water and ground beans in the extraction container 9 explode in the extraction container 9. Thereby, hot water can be boiled uniformly. Further, the destruction of the cell wall of the ground bean can be promoted, and the subsequent extraction of the coffee liquid can be further promoted. In addition, since the ground beans and the hot water can be stirred by the boiling, the extraction of the coffee liquid can be promoted. Thus, in this embodiment, the extraction efficiency of the coffee liquid can be improved.

  In S16, the extraction container 9 is reversed from the upright posture to the inverted posture. Here, the holding member 801 is moved to the raised position, and the holding member 811 is moved to the lowered position. Then, the support unit 81B is rotated. Thereafter, the holding member 801 is returned to the lowered position, and the holding member 811 is returned to the raised position. In the extraction container 9 in the inverted posture, the neck portion 90b and the lid unit 91 are located on the lower side.

  In step S17, a permeation-type coffee liquid extraction is performed, and the coffee beverage is delivered to the cup C via the cooling unit 10d. Here, the switching valve 10a is switched so that the cooling unit 10d communicates with the passage 810a of the operation unit 81C. Further, both the valves 903 and 913 are opened. Further, the solenoid valve 73b is opened for a predetermined time (for example, 10,000 ms), and the inside of the extraction container 9 is set to a predetermined pressure (for example, 1.7 atm (0.7 atm in gauge pressure)). In the extraction container 9, the coffee beverage in which the coffee liquid is dissolved in the hot water passes through the filter provided in the lid unit 91 and is sent out to the cup C via the cooling unit 10d. The filter regulates the leakage of ground bean residues. Thus, the extraction process ends.

  In this embodiment, the extraction efficiency of the coffee liquid can be improved by using both the immersion extraction in S14 and the transmission extraction in S17. When the extraction container 9 is in the upright posture, the ground beans are deposited from the body 90e to the bottom 90f. On the other hand, when the extraction container 9 is in the inverted posture, the ground beans are deposited from the shoulder 90d to the neck 90b. The cross-sectional area of the trunk portion 90e is larger than the cross-sectional area of the neck portion 90b, and the accumulation thickness of the ground beans in the inverted posture is larger than that in the upright posture. That is, the ground beans are relatively thin and widely accumulated when the extraction container 9 is in the upright posture, and relatively thick and narrowly accumulated when the extraction container 9 is in the inverted posture.

  In the case of the present embodiment, since the immersion extraction in S14 is performed in a state where the extraction container 9 is in the upright posture, the hot water and the ground beans can be brought into wide contact with each other, and the extraction efficiency of the coffee liquid can be improved. However, in this case, the hot water and the ground beans tend to partially contact. On the other hand, since the permeation extraction in S17 is performed in a state where the extraction container 9 is in an inverted posture, the hot water passes through the accumulated ground beans while contacting more ground beans. The hot water comes into contact with the ground beans more evenly, and the extraction efficiency of the coffee liquid can be further improved.

  Returning to FIG. 11A, after the extraction processing in S3, the discharging processing in S4 is performed. Here, processing related to cleaning of the inside of the extraction container 9 is performed. The cleaning of the extraction container 9 is performed by returning the extraction container 9 from the inverted posture to the upright posture and supplying tap water (purified water) to the extraction container 9. Then, the pressure in the extraction container 9 is increased, and the water in the extraction container 9 is discharged to the waste tank T together with the residue of the ground beans.

  Thus, one coffee beverage manufacturing process ends. Thereafter, the same processing is repeated for each manufacturing instruction. The time required for one production of a coffee beverage is, for example, about 60 to 90 seconds.

<7. Cooling coffee drinks>
In the present embodiment, since the immersion extraction is performed under a high temperature and a high pressure, the coffee beverage immediately after being delivered from the extraction container 9 may have a relatively high liquid temperature. If the liquid temperature of the coffee beverage is too high, the intended taste may not be exhibited. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the cooling unit 10d is provided before the pouring unit 10c, and the coffee beverage delivered from the extraction container 9 may be cooled to an appropriate temperature before being poured into the cup C.

  FIG. 12 is an external view of the cooling unit 10d, and FIG. 13 is a sectional view (longitudinal sectional view) showing the internal structure of the cooling unit 10d. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 13 and is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the cooling unit 10d.

  The cooling unit 10d of the present embodiment is a heat exchanger using tap water as a cooling medium. This tap water is a liquid that is supplied to the extraction container 9 after being supplied to the water tank 72 and becomes a coffee beverage. The cooling medium may be another liquid or gas, but by using the liquid constituting the coffee beverage as the cooling medium as in the present embodiment, the dedicated equipment for the cooling medium may be reduced in some cases.

  The cooling unit 10d includes a hollow main body 200. In the case of the present embodiment, the main body 200 has a cylindrical shape (particularly a cylindrical shape) having an upper wall 200a and a bottom wall 200b and having upper and lower ends closed. The upper wall 200a is provided with an inlet 201 serving as an inlet for introducing the uncooled coffee drink, and the bottom wall 200b is provided with an outlet 202 serving as an outlet for the cooled coffee drink. In the case of the present embodiment, the outlet portion 202 forms the pouring portion 10c, but the outlet portion 202 may be connected to the pouring portion 10c as a separate member by piping. Each of the inlet part 201 and the outlet part 202 is a pipe member (particularly a circular pipe member) extending in the vertical direction, and communicates with the internal space of the main body 200. The inlet part 201 and the outlet part 202 may be formed integrally with the main body 200 or may be connected to the main body 200 separately. The location of the inlet part 201 and the outlet part 202 is not limited to the upper wall 200a and the bottom wall 200b, but may be a side wall (peripheral wall) 200c.

  The side wall 200c of the main body 200 is provided with an inlet 203 serving as an inlet for introducing tap water before heat exchange and an outlet 204 serving as an outlet for sending out tap water after heat exchange. Each of the inlet portion 203 and the outlet portion 203 is a tube member (particularly a circular tube member) extending in the horizontal direction (left and right direction), and communicates with the internal space of the main body 200. The inlet 203 and the outlet 204 may be formed integrally with the main body 200 or may be connected to the main body 200 separately. The location of the inlet 203 and the outlet 204 is not limited to the side wall 200c, but may be the upper wall 200a and the bottom wall 200b.

  The main body 200 is further provided with a decompression unit 205. The pressure reducing unit 205 forms a passage for releasing the internal pressure of the main body 200 to the atmosphere. In the case of the present embodiment, the coffee beverage is sent out at S17 with the extraction container 9 set to a predetermined pressure (for example, 1.7 atm). If the air pressure at this time is set to be higher, the delivery efficiency of the coffee beverage is improved, but the strength of the coffee beverage poured into the cup C may increase and the coffee beverage may be spilled. By releasing the internal pressure of the main body 200 to the atmosphere, the coffee beverage can be depressurized, and the coffee beverage can be more gently poured into the cup C.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the decompression unit 205 is a vertically extending pipe member (particularly a circular pipe member), and is provided on the upper wall 200a to form a communication hole between the internal space of the main body 200 and the atmosphere. According to this arrangement portion, the internal pressure of the main body 200 can be released to the atmosphere while preventing the coffee beverage inside the main body 200 from leaking from the decompression section 205.

  Please refer to FIG. 13 and FIG. The internal space of the main body 200 is vertically partitioned by vertically separated partition walls 200d and 200e. The partition walls 200d and 200e are formed of, for example, a material having high thermal conductivity.

  Between the upper wall 200a and the partition wall 200d, a front chamber 210 which is in direct communication with the entrance 201 is formed. The initial introduction of the coffee beverage into the relatively large anterior chamber 210 reduces its pressure and allows the coffee beverage to be poured more gently into the cup C. In addition, a decompression unit 205 directly communicates with the front room 210 to promote decompression of the coffee beverage.

  A flow chamber 213 for tap water is formed between the partition wall 200d and the partition wall 200e. The inlet 203 and the outlet 204 are in direct communication with the flow chamber 213.

  A pipe 212 extending vertically is connected to the partition walls 200d and 200e. The pipe section 212 communicates with the front chamber 210 and the rear chamber 211 and forms a passage through which the coffee beverage passes. The tube portion 212 is formed of, for example, a material having high thermal conductivity. The number of the pipe section 212 may be one, but in the case of the present embodiment, a plurality of the pipe sections 212 are provided (four). In some cases, the heat exchange performance can be improved by increasing the surface area.

  The coffee beverage introduced into the front room 210 is naturally distributed and flows into each pipe 212. The cross-sectional area (cross-sectional area) of the anterior chamber 210 is larger than the cross-sectional area (also cross-sectional area) of the tube portion 212. When the cross-sectional area changes from large to small, flow resistance is generated, and the decompression effect of the coffee beverage can be enhanced. In addition, the coffee beverage can be more evenly distributed to the respective pipe sections 212.

  The rear chamber 211 is formed between the partition wall 200e and the bottom wall 200b, and directly communicates with the outlet 202. When the coffee beverage is finally introduced into the relatively large rear chamber 211, the pressure can be reduced and the coffee beverage can be poured more gently into the cup C. The cross-sectional area (cross-sectional area) of the rear chamber 211 is also larger than the cross-sectional area (same cross-sectional area) of the pipe 212, and the coffee beverage is uniformly introduced into the rear chamber 211 from each pipe 212.

  In the cooling unit 10d having such a configuration, the pipe 212 penetrates vertically through the flow chamber 213, and the tap water flows around the pipe 212 in the flow chamber 213 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. Have been. The coffee beverage can be cooled by removing the heat of the coffee beverage passing through the tubular portion 212 to the tap water through the tubular portion 212.

  In the present embodiment, the coffee beverage passes through the pipe 212 and the tap water flows around the pipe 212 in the circulation chamber 213. On the contrary, the tap water passes through the pipe 212 and the surroundings. May be configured such that the coffee beverage flows in the distribution chamber 213. In this case, the decompression unit 205 may be provided so as to communicate with the circulation chamber 213.

<Other embodiments>
In the above embodiment, coffee beverages are exclusively used, but various beverages such as teas such as Japanese tea and black tea, soups, and soup can also be used. Also, coffee beans, green coffee beans, ground coffee beans, roasted coffee beans, ground coffee beans, unroasted coffee beans, unroasted coffee beans can be extracted. Beans, powdered coffee beans, instant coffee, coffee in a pod, and the like have been exemplified, coffee beverages and the like have been exemplified as beverages, and coffee fluids have been exemplified as beverage fluids, but are not limited thereto. In addition, tea leaves such as Japanese tea, black tea, and oolong tea, ground tea leaves, vegetables, crushed vegetables, fruits, crushed fruits, cereals, crushed grains, mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms, and mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms Mashed, dried mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms, heated and dried mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms, crushed fish such as bonito, crushed fish such as bonito, bonito Heated and dried fish such as bonito, dried and dried fish such as bonito, crushed seaweed such as konbu, crushed seaweed such as konbu, and heated seaweed such as konbu After dried, dried seaweed such as konbu, dried and dried meat, such as cows, pigs, birds, etc., dried meat after heating, etc. Crushed, beef bone, pork bone, bird bone, etc. Beverages may be extracted materials such as crushed materials obtained by heating and drying bones and the like, and beverages such as Japanese tea, black tea, oolong tea, vegetable juice, fruit juice, juice, dashi, soup, etc. As a beverage, any extract such as Japanese tea extract, black tea extract, oolong tea extract, vegetable extract, fruit extract, mushroom extract, fish extract, meat extract, bone extract, etc. may be used. . In the examples, water, tap water, purified water, hot water, there is a place to be described as washing water, for example, replace the water with hot water, or replace any of the hot water may be replaced with water. It may be replaced with the description, and all may be replaced with liquid, steam, high temperature water, cooling water, cold water and the like. For example, if the extraction target (for example, ground coffee beans) and hot water are put into the extraction container 9, the extraction target (for example, ground coffee beans) and cold water (or simply water) may be used. It may be replaced with the description of putting in the extraction container 9, and in this case, it may be considered as a method for extracting cold coffee or the like or a beverage production device.

<Summary of Embodiment>
The embodiment discloses at least the following devices.

1. The beverage manufacturing apparatus of the embodiment is a beverage manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a beverage (eg, 1) and pours a beverage from a spout (eg, 10c),
Before reaching the spout, comprises a cooling unit (for example, 10d) through which the beverage passes,
The beverage is cooled by the cooling unit.

  According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a beverage manufacturing technique having a feature in adjusting the liquid temperature of the beverage. In some cases, the manufactured beverage can be cooled to an appropriate temperature.

2. In the beverage manufacturing device,
A storage unit (for example, 72) capable of storing a liquid,
An extraction container (e.g., 9) in which a liquid from the storage unit and an extraction target for extracting a beverage liquid are stored,
In the cooling unit, the beverage is cooled by depriving the heat of the beverage by the liquid supplied to the storage unit.

  According to this embodiment, the liquid constituting the beverage can be used also as a cooling medium for the beverage, and equipment dedicated to the cooling medium may be reduced in some cases.

3. In the beverage manufacturing device,
In the cooling unit, the pressure of the beverage is reduced.

  According to this embodiment, the produced beverage can be gently delivered to a cup or the like.

4. In the beverage manufacturing device,
The cooling unit includes a tube (eg, 212) through which one of the beverage and the liquid passes,
The other of the beverage and the liquid is configured to flow around the tube (for example, 213).

  According to this embodiment, the beverage may be able to be cooled by heat exchange.

5. In the beverage manufacturing device,
The cooling unit includes a plurality of the pipe units.

  According to this embodiment, the efficiency of heat exchange can be improved in some cases.

6. In the beverage manufacturing device,
A front chamber (for example, 210) is provided between an inlet (for example, 201) of the cooling unit and the pipe (for example, 212),
The cross-sectional area of the front chamber is larger than the cross-sectional area of the tube.

  According to this embodiment, the beverage may be able to be depressurized and flow gently.

7. In the beverage manufacturing device,
A supply unit (for example, 7) for supplying a liquid and an air pressure to the extraction container,
A control unit (for example, 11) for controlling the supply unit,
The control unit includes:
The extraction container containing the liquid to be extracted and the liquid is subjected to pressure reduction control (for example, S15) of reducing the pressure from a first pressure to a second pressure lower than the first pressure.
The first pressure is a pressure at which the liquid at a predetermined temperature does not boil,
The second pressure is a pressure at which the liquid that did not boil at the first pressure is boiled,
The decompression is performed by releasing the atmospheric pressure of the extraction container to the atmosphere around the beverage production device.

  According to this embodiment, the beverage may be cooled to an appropriate temperature while improving the extraction efficiency of the extraction target.

8. The beverage manufacturing method of the embodiment is a beverage manufacturing method in which a beverage (eg, 1) is manufactured and a beverage is poured from a spout (eg, 10c),
Cooling the beverage in a cooling section (for example, 10d) through which the beverage passes before reaching the spout.

  According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a beverage manufacturing technique having a feature in adjusting the liquid temperature of the beverage. In some cases, the manufactured beverage can be cooled to an appropriate temperature.

1 Beverage production equipment

Claims (8)

A beverage manufacturing device that manufactures a beverage and the beverage is poured from a spout,
Before reaching the spout, comprises a cooling unit through which the beverage passes,
The beverage is cooled by the cooling unit,
A beverage manufacturing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The beverage manufacturing device according to claim 1,
A storage unit capable of storing a liquid,
Liquid from the storage unit, comprising an extraction container in which an extraction target for extracting a beverage liquid is stored,
In the cooling unit, the beverage is cooled by depriving the heat of the beverage to the liquid supplied to the storage unit,
A beverage manufacturing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. It is a beverage production device according to claim 1 or claim 2,
In the cooling unit, the beverage is decompressed,
A beverage manufacturing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The beverage manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2,
The cooling unit includes a tube through which one of the beverage and the liquid passes,
The other of the beverage and the liquid is configured to flow around the pipe portion,
A beverage manufacturing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The beverage manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4,
The cooling unit includes a plurality of the pipe units,
A beverage manufacturing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The beverage manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4,
A front chamber is provided between the inlet of the cooling section and the pipe section,
The cross-sectional area of the anterior chamber is larger than the cross-sectional area of the pipe portion.
A beverage manufacturing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The beverage manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2,
A supply unit for supplying a liquid and an air pressure to the extraction container,
A control unit for controlling the supply unit,
The control unit includes:
The extraction container containing the liquid to be extracted and the liquid is subjected to pressure reduction control for reducing the pressure from a first pressure to a second pressure lower than the first pressure,
The first pressure is a pressure at which the liquid at a predetermined temperature does not boil,
The second pressure is a pressure at which the liquid that did not boil at the first pressure is boiled,
The reduced pressure is performed by releasing the pressure of the extraction container to the ambient atmosphere of the beverage manufacturing device,
A beverage manufacturing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. A method for producing a beverage, wherein the beverage is poured from a spout,
Before reaching the spout, including a step of cooling the beverage in a cooling unit through which the beverage passes,
A method for producing a beverage, comprising:

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