WO2002048020A1 - Beverage feeder and cover of plastic container - Google Patents

Abstract

A beverage feeder (10), comprising a beverage tank (20) formed of a bottom wall, a peripheral wall, and a top wall and covered plastic containers (50) having beverage stored therein, wherein the plastic containers (50) are installed in an inverted attitude with the cover provided so that the beverage can be fed to the beverage tank (20), the beverage tank is stored in a housing (12), opening parts (14A, 14B) for plastic container insertion are formed in the housing, the plastic containers are inserted in the housing along tubular walls (16A, 16B) extending from the opening parts to the top wall of the beverage tank, plastic container plug opening means (26) are present at the lower parts of the tubular walls, faucet devices (30) for retrieving the beverage in the beverage tank are installed at the front wall of the housing and, since the top walls of the covers (60) of the plastic containers are formed so as to be locally broken easily, the top walls can be broken by the plug opening means at the time of insertion of the containers, and the beverage is filled into the beverage tank through the broken cover openings.

Description

 Description Beverage dispensers and plastic container lids Technical field

 The present invention has a beverage tank including a bottom wall, a peripheral wall, and a top wall, and supplies a beverage to the beverage tank by mounting a plastic container with a lid for storing the beverage in an inverted posture with the lid attached. The present invention relates to a beverage dispenser configured as described above, and a lid of a plastic container suitably used for the beverage dispenser. Background art

 In recent years, various beverages (commonly known as soft drinks) in blow-molded plastic containers (typically PET bottles) have been marketed, and the demand for mineral water in plastic containers is extremely large. It is a common usage for these plastic beverages to be cooled in a refrigerator together with the container, taken out of the refrigerator each time it is used, and poured into a glass for drinking. This method is not only time-consuming, but also has the disadvantage that the refrigerator interior is always occupied by the plastic container and the refrigerator is inefficiently used. In particular, when a plurality of people use mineral water in a plastic container in summer or at a small number of business establishments or the like, the above-mentioned problem is remarkably exhibited.

 Therefore, equipment for cooling and supplying tap water, or large tanks such as 3 gallons (13,65 liters), 5 gallons (22,75 liters) or 10 liters are provided. A cooling water supply is used.

However, because the former is merely a tap water supply, the essential desire to drink mineral water cannot be met. The latter has a drawback in that it is not widely used due to the large capacity of the tank and is easy to use. In addition, the tank used in the latter is made of plastic and is used repeatedly, which not only causes hygiene problems, but also causes countless minute flaws on the outer surface due to multiple use, leading to an early There is a problem that the surface becomes cloudy and the appearance is deteriorated. On the other hand, JP-A-62-10668027 describes a soft drink mixing apparatus. This device has a cooling water tank and a carbon dioxide gas cylinder, and is used in a state where a plurality of syrup storage containers are mounted on a soft drink mixing device in an inverted posture. The function of this device is to extract a certain amount of syrup in the storage container and a certain amount of water in the cooling water tank and mix it with carbon dioxide gas. It is to provide carbonated drinks to users. Therefore, it is not a device for drinking beverages contained in plastic bottles without any treatment, and does not solve the above-mentioned plastic bottle problem. Disclosure of the invention

 The present invention has been made under such a background, and its purpose is to improve the usability of beverages in plastic containers for sale and to open the refrigerator each time the beverage is taken and to put the beverages from the plastic container into a cup. An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage dispenser having a simple structure that does not require troublesome pouring.

 Under this object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, the following beverage supply device is provided.

 It has a beverage tank consisting of a bottom wall, a peripheral wall, and a top wall, and a plastic container with a lid for storing beverages can be replenished to the beverage tank by being mounted in an inverted position with the lid on. Beverage dispenser,

 A housing having a beverage tank therein and at least one plastic container opening formed in the top wall;

 A tubular wall extending from the opening to the top wall of the beverage tank and defining a plastic container mounting space;

 Plastic container opening means provided on the top wall of the beverage tank at a position aligned with the central axis of the plastic container mounting space;

 A faucet device mounted on the front wall of the housing for taking out the beverage in the beverage tank,

The opening means includes a nozzle tube having a function of piercing the lid of the inserted plastic container and ruptured, and having a function of allowing the passage of the beverage, A beverage dispenser with a container support that supports a plastic container in the container mounting space.

 In the beverage dispenser according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, an opening corresponding to the lid of the plastic container is formed in the top wall of the beverage tank, and an opening means is provided in the opening. The opening means includes a nozzle tube and a nozzle tube support member for supporting the nozzle tube, and the nozzle tube support member is a member protruding from a peripheral surface of an opening formed in the wall. In the beverage dispenser according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is distinguished from the first preferred embodiment, the nozzle pipe penetrates the top wall of the beverage tank, and the plastic container mounting space and the internal space of the beverage tank are separated. They are communicated by a nozzle tube. In this case, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the container support that supports the plastic container in the plastic container mounting space is part of the top wall of the beverage tank, and a part of the lid of the plastic container is supported by the container support. .

 In the beverage dispenser according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container supporting portion is formed by narrowing a portion near the lower end of the tubular wall defining the plastic container mounting space, and the shoulder portion of the plastic container becomes the container supporting portion. It has become supported by. In the beverage supply device according to the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention, an electric temperature control device for adjusting the temperature of the stored beverage is provided in the beverage tank. Preferably, the electric temperature control device is a cooling device. Further, depending on the usage, a heating device may be used as the electric temperature control device.

 Further, according to a second aspect of the present invention, the following lid for a plastic container for beverages is provided.

A top wall, and a peripheral wall extending from a periphery of the top wall, an annular thin portion is formed in a central region of the top wall, and the center of the annular thin portion is a center axis of the lid. When a pressing force is applied to a portion of the top wall surrounded by the annular thin portion, the annular thin portion is broken, and the plastic container is opened. In the lid of the plastic container, the annular thin portion is formed by an annular groove on the surface of the top wall. This lid is preferably formed of plastic. In a modified example, the annular thin portion has a plurality of concave It is formed by providing a depression.

 In a lid of a plastic container according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a female screw is provided inside a peripheral wall, and the female screw is screwed to a male screw on the outer periphery of an opening of the plastic container.

 According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plastic container provided with the lid. Brief description of the drawings,

 FIG. 1 is a front view of a beverage supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

 FIG. 2 is a side view of the beverage dispenser shown in FIG.

 FIG. 3 is a plan view of the beverage supply device shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.

 FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a part of the internal structure of the beverage supply device shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view of a lid according to one embodiment of the present invention.

 FIG. 6 is a top view of the lid shown in FIG.

 FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the lid shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 along the line VII-VII. Specific modes for carrying out the invention

 Hereinafter, a specific example of the illustrated embodiment will be described.

 Beverage dispenser

 A beverage dispenser 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. A plastic container (commonly known as a PET bottle) 60 having a lid according to a specific example of the present invention is attached to the beverage dispenser 1 ◦ in an upside down posture.

The beverage supply device 10 includes a housing 12 as an outer member, a beverage tank 20 as an inner member, a faucet device 30 and an electric cooling device 40 as main members. The housing 12 is a bottomed box-shaped body having two openings 14A and 14B at the top for loading the plastic container 60.The housing 12 surrounds the beverage tank 2◦ and is fixedly supported. I have. The beverage tank 20 may be fixed in the housing 12 as a separate product, but when the entire housing 12 is configured as an assembly of a plurality of divided members, the beverage tank 20 is integrally formed with the divided members. You can also. In this case, preferably, the housing 12 is made of resin and the housing 12 and the beverage container are formed by injection molding. The link 20 can be formed integrally.

 The openings 14A, 14B are formed in the top wall of the housing 12 for inserting two plastic containers 60 into the housing 12. The shapes of the openings 14A and 14B are roughly rectangular, as shown in Fig. 3, to match the shape of most commercially available PET bottles. The plastic container 60 is inserted into the openings 14A and 14B in the inverted posture (overturned posture), and is guided so that the plastic container 60 inserted to the deepest position can be supported in a stable posture. A tubular wall 16A, 16B is provided from the openings 14A, 14B to the position of the top wall 22 of the beverage tank 20, and the tubular wall defines a plastic container mounting space. The lower halves of the tubular walls 16A, 16B are roughly funnel-shaped in accordance with the contour of the shoulder of the plastic container 60, and the lower-end small-diameter portion 1 extending further downward from the funnel-shaped portions 16a, 16b Has 8 A and 18 B.

 A pair of beverage receiving ports 24 are formed in the top wall 22 of the beverage tank 20 in a concentric relationship with the lower end small diameter portions 18A, 18B of the tubular walls 16A, 16B. Each of the beverage receiving ports 24 has a diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter of the plastic container 60, and the opening means 26 is disposed inside the beverage receiving port 24. The opening means 26 includes a nozzle pipe 26A concentric with each of the beverage receiving ports 24, and a support member 26B supporting the nozzle pipe 26A. The upper end portion of the nozzle tube 26A extends above the top wall 22 and enters the lower end small diameter portions 18A and 18B of the tubular walls 16A and 16B, respectively. The plastic container 60 inserted into the tubular walls 16A and 16B is supported by the funnel-like portions 16a and 16b of the tubular walls 16A and 16B, and the lid attached to the mouth portion is provided with a beverage. It does not enter the entrance 24. In addition, the upper end surface of the nozzle tube 26A is inclined, and forms an acute angle in a side view. According to this acute angle shape, the lid of the plastic container 60 described later can be successfully broken.

Further, the front surface of the housing 12 has a shape in which an upper portion 12A protrudes in an eaves-like shape, and portions other than the upper portion recede accordingly. A pair of general-purpose faucet devices 30 is provided on the wall of the housing 12 so as to face the space portion 12 B provided by the retreated shape. The plumbing 32 of each faucet device 30 includes the wall of the housing 12 and the wall of the beverage tank 20 (the housing and the beverage tank are integrally formed. If they are, they extend vertically downward from the L-shaped bend through the common wall) to reach a position near the base of the beverage tank 20, and the lower end of the liquid tank 20 This is If the inside of the beverage tank 20 is a closed space and an appropriate internal pressurizing means is provided, the faucet position of the faucet device 30 should be the highest position directly below the eaves-shaped upper part 12A. It can be placed, but otherwise the faucet position must be placed as close as possible to the base level of the beverage tank 20. This arrangement is performed in view of how the remaining amount of the beverage in the beverage tank 20 can be reduced by lowering the height of the faucet within a range that does not hinder the insertion of a drinking container such as a cup below the faucet. Should. In this specific example, the force S for providing the pair of faucet devices 30 does not necessarily have to be a pair, and may be a single faucet device. However, if two drinking tanks 20 are provided and two faucets 30 are provided for each, two different kinds of beverages can be stored, and the convenience of the beverage dispenser 10 will increase. . Further, a small electric cooling device (for example, a cooling device utilizing the Peltier effect) 40 is provided in the beverage tank 20. The cooling device 40 is disposed so as to penetrate the rear wall of the beverage tank 20, and heat released from a heat radiating portion outside the tank is supplied to the housing 40.

It is designed to escape to the surrounding space through a heat radiation port (which may be formed with a plurality of slots) provided on the back surface of 12.

 Plastic container and lid

 The plastic container 50 to be loaded into the beverage dispenser 10 is a general-purpose type having a generally rectangular cross-section at its body, and preferably has a capacity of 2 liters. The shoulder 52 of the plastic container 50 has an inclined surface, and as described above, conforms to the shape of the funnel-shaped portions 16a, 16b of the tubular walls 16A, 16B.

The mouth of the plastic container 50 is closed with the lid 60 as usual. The lid 60 is usually a resin molded product, and is a cup-shaped body including a peripheral wall (skirt portion) 62 and a top wall 66. A plurality of female screw ridges 64 are formed on the inner periphery of the peripheral wall 62 so as to be screwed with a male screw formed on the outer periphery of the mouth portion of the plastic container 50. In addition, an annular projection 66 b is formed inside the top wall 66 so as to secure sealing performance by engaging with the mouth portion of the plastic container 50 and increase the rigidity of the top wall 66. It has become. The center of the annular projection 66 b coincides with the axis of the lid 60. An annular groove 66 a concentric with the axis of the lid 60 is formed on the outer surface of the top wall 66. The annular groove 66 a is provided for partially weakening the top wall by providing a thin portion in a part of the wall 66. Therefore, when an external force is applied to the central portion 68 of the top wall 66, the top wall 66 is easily broken at the position of the annular groove 66a, and the central portion 68 retracts by the pressing force to allow the passage of the beverage. A small opening occurs.

 Usage of beverage dispenser

 The beverage tank 20 of the beverage dispenser 10 has a capacity of 4 liters or more, and is capable of injecting two liters of one-volume plastic container of two beverages. In relation to the level of the faucet device 30 with respect to the base of the beverage tank 20 and the level of the faucet 30, there will always be a certain remaining amount in the beverage tank 20, and in addition to this amount, 4 liters It should be noted that the capacity of the plastic container 50 is required to hold one beverage.

 The lid 60 of the plastic container 50 is preferably covered in advance with an easily breakable sheet material. After removing this sheet material, the plastic container 50 is turned upside down with the lid 60 attached, and the housing is removed. 12 Insert into the opening 14A. Of course, the plastic container 50 may be initially inserted into the opening 14B, but for convenience of explanation, the plastic container 50 is first inserted into the opening 14A. The inserted plastic container 50 is guided by the tubular wall 16A and reaches the funnel-shaped part 16a. In this position, the shoulder of the plastic container 50 abuts the funnel-shaped part 16a, and the funnel-shaped part 16a supports the plastic container 50.

On the other hand, just before the shoulder of the plastic container 50 hits the funnel-shaped part 16a, the top wall 66 of the lid 60 collides with the nozzle pipe 26A of the opening means 26 and the central part 68 is pushed. As a result, the top wall 66 breaks at the annular groove 66a. At this time, since the upper end surface of the nozzle pipe 26A is inclined at an acute angle, first, the central portion 68 of the top wall 66 is pushed at a position off the center, and the annular groove 6 is formed on the pushed side. The thin part of 6a breaks. From this state, as the lid 60 descends, the thin portion gradually breaks, and finally, the central portion 68 stays in an inclined posture that is not completely separated from the top wall 66. During this time, the contents of the plastic container 50 begin to flow at the same time as the first break of the top wall 66, and as the area of the small opening increases due to the progress of the break of the central portion 68, the flow speed of the contents increases. Or Thus, the contents of the plastic container 50 (ie, a beverage such as water) are transferred into the beverage tank 20. The upper end surface of the nozzle tube 26 A does not always need to be inclined. In that case, it is preferable to form a single small protrusion at the upper end of the nozzle tube 26A in order to facilitate the breaking of the top wall 66. This is because the force acting on the central portion 68 of the top wall 66 is concentrated at one location, and the fracture starts at one location of the annular groove 66a. In the illustrated example, the annular wall 66a is formed in the top wall 66 to form a thin portion. The center portion can be easily broken.

 After the insertion of the plastic container 50 into the opening 14A of the housing 12 is completed, the plastic container 50 may be inserted into the opening 14B in the same manner. By loading the two plastic containers 50, a sufficient amount of beverage is replenished in the beverage tank 20.

 After loading two plastic containers 50, it is better not to remove them until the next refill. This is because the plastic container 50 also serves as a stopper for the beverage receiving small opening of the beverage tank 20. Alternatively, after filling the beverage, the plastic container 50 can be removed and covered with a lid provided with openings 14A and 14B.

 The beverage replenished in the beverage tank 20 can be cooled to an appropriate temperature by operating the cooling device 40. As an alternative, using an electric heater instead of a cooling device would be suitable for the use of beverage dispensers in winter. When the beverage tank 20 is of a two-tank type, it is necessary to provide a cooling device 40 in each of the tanks.

 In the illustrated example, a beverage receiving port 24 is formed on the top wall 22 of the beverage tank 20, and a nozzle pipe 26A supported by a support member 26B is provided facing the beverage receiving port 24. However, without having to provide a drinking department entrance 24 having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the nozzle tube 26 A, the support member 26 B is omitted, and the nozzle tube 26 A is It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the nozzle pipe 26 A is tightly penetrated in close contact with the wall 22 and has no air gap around the nozzle pipe 26 A.

 The advantages of the present invention are as follows.

1. The beverage dispenser of the present invention transfers a beverage in a plastic container to a beverage tank, stores the beverage, and a person who wants to drink the beverage uses a faucet device to appropriately store the stored beverage. It is configured so that it can be put into a cup or the like. (A) It is more hygienic than drinking beverage directly from a beverage plastic container or drinking a beverage directly from a plastic container. (B) It is easy to use, (c) It is possible to prevent accidents such as overturning the plastic container with the lid removed and contaminating surrounding documents, etc., and (d) There are advantages such as no discomfort caused by placing beverage plastic containers on each person (improvement of aesthetics in the workplace environment).

 2. The plastic container is attached to the beverage dispenser in an inverted position with the lid on, and the container is automatically destroyed by the opening means. The plastic container with the lid removed is tilted to the beverage tank. Beverage replenishment is simpler and less complicated than pouring beverages inside, and it is sanitary because the infused beverage does not come into direct contact with the surrounding air.

 3. The lid of the plastic container is composed of a top wall and a peripheral wall extending from the periphery of the top wall, an annular thin portion is formed in a central region of the top wall, and the center of the annular thin portion is defined by the center axis of the lid. When the pressing force is applied to a portion of the top wall surrounded by the annular thin portion, the annular thin portion is broken, and the plastic container is opened. Therefore, when a plastic container with a lid is loaded into the beverage dispenser, the central area of the wall is broken by the opening means, and the beverage in the plastic container is automatically poured into the beverage tank. This guarantees the advantages of item 2 above.

 4. According to the structure in which the opening corresponding to the lid of the plastic container is formed in the top wall of the beverage tank, and the nozzle tube serving as the opening means is arranged in the opening, the plastic container for the beverage supply device is inserted. When a plastic container is inserted into the opening, the lid of the plastic container collides with the upper end of the nozzle tube, and the top wall of the lid breaks at the annular thin portion. In this case, it is recommended that the plastic container be introduced only by its own weight from the viewpoint of preventing damage to the tubular wall defining the plastic container mounting space of the beverage container and damage to the opening means. By properly setting the thickness of the annular thin portion, the top wall of the lid can be easily ruptured only by the weight of the beverage.

5. In a structure in which the nozzle pipe, which is the opening means, penetrates the top wall of the beverage tank and the plastic container mounting space and the internal space of the beverage tank are connected by the nozzle pipe, the lid of the plastic container is placed in the interior space of the beverage tank. Because it does not come directly, it is more hygienic It is profitable. In addition, the nozzle tube support member can be omitted, which can reduce the number of parts and the production cost.

 6. The central area of the top wall, which is surrounded by the annular thin section of the lid top wall, will be pushed by the nozzle tube and will not be completely separated. If such a thing happens, the separated central area Will fall into the beverage tank. Although packing the lids of commercially available plastic containers does not create a sanitary problem due to the depression of the central area, it is not desirable that the number of such containers increase and accumulate at the bottom of the beverage tank. Such concerns can be reliably eliminated by making the upper end of the nozzle tube an inclined surface. According to the nozzle pipe with the upper end inclined surface, the first pressing force acts on the part away from the center of the center area of the top wall, and the annular thin part starts to break from one point and gradually progresses. As a result, the top wall is crushed in the inclined position where the top wall center area is pushed into the plastic container, and the top wall rupture ends, so that complete separation of the center area can be avoided. In addition, if the upper end surface of the nozzle tube is inclined, the top wall of the lid is reliably destroyed only by the weight of the plastic container containing the beverage.

 7. By arranging a cooling device, which is an electric temperature control device, in the beverage tank, the beverage in the beverage tank can be cooled and kept cool, and the plastic container stored in the storage can be used. Each time, it is not necessary to take the trouble of taking out of the refrigerator, pouring into a glass, and returning to the refrigerator again. A beverage dispenser equipped with a cooling device is useful and convenient. Also, when a large number of people use the beverage dispenser at the workplace or in other organizations, a large amount of wasteful labor is eliminated compared to when each person opens and closes the refrigerator and drinks plastic containers. Not only can it prevent the loss of electrical energy from opening and closing the refrigerator.

 8. By arranging a heating device, which is an electric temperature control device, in the beverage tank, it is possible to drink heated beverages (coffee, etc.) without separately heating the water, especially in winter. Industrial applicability

 The beverage contained in the plastic container provided with the lid according to the present invention can be drunk with the temperature adjusted by the beverage dispenser of the present invention.

Claims

The scope of the claims 1. A beverage container having a bottom wall, a peripheral wall, and a top wall, and a beverage container with a lid for containing the beverage is mounted in an inverted posture with the lid on, so that the beverage tank can be replenished with the beverage. Beverage dispenser  A housing having the beverage tank therein, at least one plastic container insertion opening formed in a top wall;  A tubular wall extending from the opening to the top wall of the beverage tank and defining a plastic container mounting space;  Plastic container opening means provided on the top wall of the beverage tank at a position aligned with the center axis of the plastic container mounting space,  A faucet device attached to a front wall of the housing for taking out a beverage in the drinking tank,  The opening means includes a nozzle tube having a function of piercing the lid of the inserted plastic container to rupture and permit passage of the beverage,  A beverage dispenser comprising a container supporting portion for supporting the plastic container in the plastic container mounting space.  2. An opening corresponding to the lid of the plastic container is formed in the top wall of the beverage tank, and the opening means is disposed in the opening, and the opening means comprises the nozzle tube, 2. The beverage supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a nozzle tube support member for supporting the nozzle tube, wherein the nozzle tube support member is a member protruding from a peripheral surface of an opening formed in the wall.  3. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle pipe penetrates a top wall of the beverage tank, and the plastic container mounting space and the internal space of the beverage tank are communicated by the nozzle pipe. .  4. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the container support is formed by narrowing a portion near a lower end of the tubular wall, and a shoulder portion of the plastic container is supported by the container support. 5. The container support is part of a top wall of the beverage tank, and the plastic is 4. The beverage container according to claim 3, wherein a part of the lid of the beverage container is supported by the container supporting portion. 6. The beverage dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the beverage tank is provided with an electric temperature controller for adjusting the temperature of the contained beverage.  7. The beverage supply according to claim 6, wherein the electric temperature control device is a cooling device. 8. The beverage supply according to claim 6, wherein the electric temperature control device is a heating device. 9. In a lid of a plastic container containing the beverage,  The lid is a cup-shaped body, comprising: a top wall; and a peripheral wall extending from a periphery of the top wall, wherein an annular thin portion is formed in a central region of the top wall, and the center of the annular thin portion is the lid. When a pressing force is applied to a portion of the top wall that is coincident with the central axis and is surrounded by the annular thin portion, the annular thin portion is broken, and the plastic container is opened. And plastic container lid.  10. The plastic container lid according to claim 9, wherein the annular thin portion is formed by an annular groove on the surface of the top wall.  11. The plastic container lid according to claim 9, wherein the annular thin portion is formed by providing a plurality of recesses as annular rows on the surface of the top wall.  12. The female screw according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein a female screw is provided inside the peripheral wall, and the female screw is screwed to a male screw on the outer periphery of an opening of the plastic container. The lid of the plastic container described in the paragraph.  13. The plastic container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the plastic container according to any one of claims 9 to 12 is applied to the beverage dispenser defined in any one of claims 1 to 8. Lid.  14. The plastic container lid according to any one of claims 9 to 13, which is made of plastic.  15. A plastic container provided with a lid as defined in any one of claims 9 to 14.