JP3226403B2 - Heating structure of liquid supply machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a liquid feeder for diluting a concentrated liquid at a normal temperature supplied from a storage tank to a discharge nozzle at a part of the discharge nozzle with hot water heated by a heater. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heating structure of a liquid supply device capable of heating a concentrated liquid while the concentrated liquid passes through a pipe from a storage tank to a discharge nozzle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A soup dispenser is known as a liquid feeder for diluting a concentrated liquid with hot water and discharging a liquid having a required concentration. If the basic structure of this soup dispenser is described as an example, a concentrated soup at room temperature is stored in a tank arranged in the dispenser, and a soup pump having a suction port connected to the tank is driven to drive the soup pump. It is configured to supply a required amount of concentrated soup to a discharge nozzle connected to the discharge port.
The required amount of water is stored in a water tank with a built-in heater.
Water is heated to a required temperature by energizing the heater. A suction port of a hot water pump having a discharge port connected to the discharge nozzle is connected to the water tank, and a required amount of hot water is supplied to the discharge nozzle by driving the pump. ing. That is, by driving both pumps, the concentrated soup at normal temperature and the high-temperature hot water are supplied to the discharge nozzle at a required ratio, and the concentrated soup is diluted with the hot water at the nozzle. Then, the soup having a required concentration and a temperature suitable for eating and drinking is discharged from the discharging nozzle to the outside.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned soup dispenser, the ratio between the concentrated soup to be supplied to the discharge nozzle and the hot water is changed depending on the concentration of the concentrated soup stored in the tank. In this case, when the ratio of the hot water kept at a high temperature to the concentrated soup kept at a normal temperature is large, the temperature of the diluted soup does not decrease so much from the temperature of the hot water, and is suitable for eating and drinking. It is possible to dispense at the temperature. However, when the ratio of hot water to concentrated soup is low, the temperature of the diluted soup drops significantly from the temperature of hot water, and there is a disadvantage that the soup cannot be poured at an appropriate temperature (a temperature suitable for eating and drinking). Was.

[0004] Therefore, it is conceivable to heat the concentrated soup stored in the tank to a required temperature in advance, but when the tank is heated by a heater or the like to keep the concentrated soup at a high temperature, the water content of the concentrated soup is required. Has a drawback that the taste of soup discharged from the discharging nozzle changes with the elapse of time. In addition, even if the temperature is kept at a low temperature (40 ° C. to 60 ° C.) in order to suppress the evaporation amount of water in the concentrated soup, it is pointed out that if the warming time is prolonged, the quality of the concentrated soup deteriorates and the taste changes. You. Further, when heating a large amount of concentrated soup stored in the tank, a high-temperature heat source is required, which increases the cost and, unless sufficient stirring is performed, causes a problem that the soup is burned in the heated portion.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems inherent in the prior art, and has been proposed to appropriately solve the problem. It is an object to provide means capable of supplying

[0006]

[Means for solving the problems] To overcome the above-mentioned problems,
In order to suitably achieve the intended purpose, the present invention supplies a concentrated liquid stored in a storage tank to an ejection nozzle and pours hot water stored in a container and heated to a required temperature by a heater. In a liquid supply device adapted to be supplied to the discharge nozzle, a required portion of a conduit of the concentrated liquid from the storage tank to the discharge nozzle is piped so as to be immersed in hot water stored in the container. I do.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, a heating structure of a liquid supply device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, taking a soup dispenser as a preferred embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, soup dispenser 1
0 has a box-shaped exterior body 12,
A mounting plate 14 made of a non-magnetic material such as stainless steel is horizontally disposed inside the device. A stirring motor 16 is disposed below the mounting plate 14 in an upright posture, and a magnet 18 close to the lower surface of the mounting plate 14 is disposed on an output shaft of the motor 16 that faces the mounting plate 14. Has been established. On the upper surface of the mounting plate 14, a storage tank 20 for storing a required amount of concentrated soup is mounted. Further, inside the storage tank 20, a stirring blade 24 having a magnet 22 disposed at a lower end is rotatably disposed. That is, by driving the stirring motor 16, the stirring blade 24 rotates in a non-contact state with the motor 16 under the magnetic force of the two magnets 18 and 22, so that the soup is stirred. Thereby, the storage tank 20 can be easily taken out from the main body 12.

A door 26 is provided on the front surface of the main body 12 so as to correspond to the opening 12a formed in the main body 12, so as to open and close the opening 12a. Body 1
2, a switch 28 for detecting the open / closed state of the door 26 is provided, and while the closed state of the door 26 is detected by the switch 28, the power to the stirring motor 16 can be supplied. When the open state of the door 26 is detected, the power supply to the stirring motor 16 is disabled (cut off). The control device 29 provided in the main body 12 is provided with a power switch, a liquid discharging switch (both not shown), and the like, and when the power switch is turned on, the soup dispenser 10 becomes operable.

The upper opening of the storage tank 20 is
0, the cover 3 is openably and closably closed.
2, a suction pipe 34 for the concentrated soup is detachably mounted. A nozzle 36 is provided at the lower end of the suction pipe 34.
The suction pipe 34 is mounted in a detachable manner so that the tip of the nozzle 36 faces the inner bottom of the storage tank 20 in a non-contact state. Further, inside the main body 12, a remaining amount detecting means 56 having a built-in remaining amount detecting circuit (not shown) is provided, and one electrode 60 connected to the detecting means 56 is provided on the lower surface of the mounting plate 14 described above. It is attached in a contact state, and the other electrode 64 is attached so as to contact the suction pipe 34 extending upward from the fixture 32. The remaining amount of the concentrated soup in the storage tank 20 is detected based on the energized state of the two electrodes 60 and 64. That is, the storage tank 2
0, the lid 30, the mounting table 14, and the suction pipe 34 are all formed of a metal material (conductor) having good conductive properties, and the fixture 32 is formed of a material (insulator) having electrical insulation properties. The suction pipe 34 is attached to the lid 30 and the storage tank 20 in an electrically non-contact state. Then, the conductive concentrated soup stored in the storage tank 20 comes into contact with the suction pipe 34, and the two electrodes maintained in an energized state via the mounting plate 14, the concentrated soup, and the suction pipe 34 which are conductors. The remaining amount detecting means 56 is set so as to detect and operate when the concentrated soup is in a non-energized state because the concentrated soup does not contact the suction pipe 34.

A soup pump 40 is provided inside the main body 12.
The suction pipe 42 of the pump 40 is detachably connected to the end of the suction pipe 34 extending upward from the fixture 32 via male and female joints 38, 44. It has become so. Further, the discharge pipe 46 of the soup pump 40 is connected to a discharge nozzle 54 through a heating tank 50 and a pipe 52 facing the inside of a sealed container 48 described later.
Is connected to the That is, the soup pump 40
, The concentrated soup in the storage tank 20 is dispensed with the nozzle 36, the suction pipe 34, and the joints 38 and 4.
After being sucked into the pump 40 through the suction pipe 4 and the suction pipe 42, it is discharged to the discharge nozzle 54 through the discharge pipe 46, the heating tank 50, and the pipe 52 (see FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 1, inside the main body 12,
A closed container 48 is arranged, and a water supply pipe 70 connected to an external water supply system is connected to the closed container 48. By opening a water supply valve 72 disposed on the water supply pipe 70, water is supplied to the closed container 48. Is supplied. A water level detector 73 for detecting the water level in the container is provided in the sealed container 48.
The water level detector 73 is configured to control the opening and closing of the water supply valve 72 so that water is always stored at a constant level. Further, an insulated electric heater 74 is provided in the closed container 48, and the water stored in the container is heated by the heater 74. A temperature sensing element 76 such as a thermostat is provided in the closed container 48, monitors the temperature of the water heated by the heater 74, and controls the energization of the heater 74 to keep the water temperature constant.

A pump 78 for hot water is provided in the closed container 48.
Of the pump 78 is connected to the suction pipe 80 of the pump 78.
2 is connected to the discharge nozzle 54 through a discharge valve 84. That is, by driving the hot water pump 78 and then opening the discharge valve 84, the hot water maintained at the required temperature is supplied to the discharge nozzle 54, and the concentrated soup is diluted in the nozzle 54. It has become.
Then, the container 86 set below the pouring nozzle 54
Then, the soup with the required concentration is poured out. FIG.
Reference numeral 90 denotes a return pipe that communicates between the discharge pipe 82 of the hot water pump 78 and the sealed container 48.
Numeral 0 functions to return the hot water remaining in the discharge pipe 82 to the closed container 48 after the supply of the hot water is stopped.

As shown in FIG. 1, the water level of the hot water controlled by the water level
(Water surface position) A heating tank 50 positioned so as to always be immersed in warm water is provided, and a discharge pipe 46 of the soup pump 40 is connected to one end of the tank 50. I have. The other end of the heating tank 50 is connected to a pipe 52 that is connected to the discharge nozzle 54. That is, from the soup pump 40 to the discharge pipe 46
Is passed through the heating tank 50, heat exchange with hot water is performed, and the concentrated soup heated to a required temperature is supplied to the discharge nozzle 54 through the pipe 52. It is supplied (see FIG. 2). In addition,
Since the heat storage amount of the hot water in the closed container 48 is large, the concentrated soup discharged from the pump 40 and passing through the heating tank 50 is immediately heated to an appropriate temperature.

A steam pipe 88 opened outside the main body 12 is connected to the closed container 48 so that the steam generated in the closed container 48 is exhausted to the outside through the steam pipe 88. A large-diameter portion 88a is formed in the steam pipe 88, and a pipe 52 extending from the heating tank 50 is provided in the large-diameter portion 88a over a required length.
The inner diameter of the large-diameter portion 88a is set to a size that does not hinder the flow of steam when the pipe 52 is inserted, and the steam flowing through the large-diameter portion 88a of the steam pipe 88 and the pipe The heat exchange with the concentrated soup flowing in the body 52 is performed. Thus, the temperature of the concentrated soup flowing out of the heating tank 50 and flowing through the pipe 52 can be prevented from lowering. Further, a check valve 87 is inserted into a connection portion between the pipe 52 and the discharge nozzle 54, and the discharge nozzle 5
The inflow of air from the four sides and the backflow of the concentrated soup in the tube body 52 are prevented. In addition, heating tank 5
The internal capacity of the pipe 52 up to 0 and the check valve 87 is set to be substantially the same as the amount of one discharge of the concentrated soup. That is,
When the concentrated soup is intermittently poured, the check valve 8
As a result of closing 7, only the concentrated soup to be discharged next time stored in the pipe 52 and the heating tank 50 is heated by the hot water and the steam.

[0016]

Next, the operation of the heating structure of the liquid supply device according to the embodiment will be described below. When the water supply valve 72 is opened and water is supplied into the closed container 48, the water level detector 73 detects a rise in the water level in the container and closes the water supply valve 72, whereby the closed container 48 is closed. The required amount of water is stored inside. Further, when the heater 74 is energized, the water temperature gradually rises, and the temperature-sensitive element 76 operates near a predetermined temperature to cut off the energization of the heater 74 and maintain the temperature at a substantially constant temperature. A storage tank 20 storing a required amount of concentrated soup is placed on the placing plate 14, and a suction pipe 34 is attached to the tank 20. At this time, the main body 12
Since the door 26 is closed, power can be supplied to the stirring motor 16 by the switch 28.
By the driving of the motor 16, the stirring blade 24 stored in the storage tank 20 rotates under the magnetic action of the magnets 18 and 22, and the concentrated soup at room temperature is stirred.

When the liquid discharge switch is turned on in this state, as shown in FIG. 2, the soup pump 40 is driven, and the concentrated soup at normal temperature in the storage tank 20 is discharged from the nozzle 3.
6. The air is sucked by the pump 40 through the suction pipe 34, both the joints 38 and 44, and the suction pipe 42. Next, the concentrated soup is supplied from the discharge pipe 46 to the heating tank 50,
In the process of passing through the tank 50, heat is exchanged between the hot water and the concentrated soup to heat the soup, and the heated concentrated soup is supplied to the discharge nozzle 54 through the pipe 52. . The tube 52 is, as described above, a closed container 48.
Is disposed inside the steam pipe 88 through which the steam generated inside the pipe flows, so that the temperature drop of the concentrated soup discharged from the heating tank 50 to the pipe body 52 can be effectively prevented. The hot water pump 78 is driven, and the hot water in the closed container 48 maintained at a required temperature by the heater 74 is supplied to the discharge nozzle 54 through the suction pipe 80, the pump 78, and the discharge pipe 82. , The concentrated soup is diluted, and the soup of a required concentration is poured into a container 86 set below the pouring nozzle 54. Since the heated concentrated soup and hot water are supplied to the pouring nozzle 54, the container 86
Can be poured soup at a temperature suitable for eating and drinking.

When the supply of the concentrated soup for one time to the discharge nozzle 54 is completed and the soup pump 40 is stopped, the check valve 87 is closed, and as shown in FIG. The concentrated soup for the next time is stored in the heating tank 52 and the heating tank 50. Since this concentrated soup is indirectly heated by hot water and steam, its quality does not deteriorate until the next liquid dispense, and soup that has not changed in taste has always been supplied at the appropriate temperature. What you get.

In the embodiment, the configuration in which the heating tank is disposed in the closed container and the discharge pipe and the pipe of the soup pump are connected to the tank has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the discharge pipe may be connected to the discharge nozzle without providing a separate heating tank, and a part of the discharge pipe may be connected to be immersed in hot water. It is also possible to immerse the suction pipe side of the soup pump in warm water in a closed container. Furthermore, instead of mixing the concentrated soup and hot water in the pouring nozzle as in the embodiment,
For example, dispensing nozzles are respectively arranged in the discharge pipe of the pump and the pipe connected to the heating tank, and the concentrated soup and the hot water are separately poured into the container, whereby the concentrated soup is placed in the container. It is possible to adopt a structure for dilution with hot water. Further, it is also possible to adopt a structure in which two passages are provided in one pouring nozzle, and the concentrated soup and the hot water are separately discharged into the container via each passage.

[0020]

As described above, according to the heating structure of the liquid supply device according to the present invention, the concentrated liquid stored in the storage tank is heated while being supplied from the tank to the discharge nozzle. Therefore, the liquid diluted with the hot water can be kept at a high temperature. Further, since the concentrated liquid in the storage tank is not heated, the quality of the concentrated liquid does not deteriorate with time. Moreover, since the concentrated liquid is heated using hot water, a dedicated heating means is not required and the cost can be reduced. In addition, the steam pipe connected to the container in which the hot water is stored and the pipe through which the concentrated liquid flows are piped in a heat-exchangeable state, thereby suppressing a decrease in the temperature of the concentrated liquid after being heated by the hot water. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a liquid supply device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a concentrated soup is poured out in the liquid supply device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the supply of concentrated soup is stopped in the liquid supply device according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 20 storage tank, 42 suction pipe, 46 discharge pipe, 48 closed vessel 50 heating tank, 52 pipe, 54 discharge nozzle, 7
4 heater 88 steam pipe

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A23L 1/39 A47J 31/00 G07F 13/06 102

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A concentrated liquid stored in a storage tank (20) is supplied to a discharge nozzle (54), and is stored in a container (48) and heated to a required temperature by a heater (74). In a liquid feeder configured to supply hot water to the discharge nozzle (54), a pipe (42, 46, 50, 52) for the concentrated liquid from the storage tank (20) to the discharge nozzle (54) is required. Place (50) the container (48)
A heating structure for a liquid feeder, characterized in that piping is arranged so as to be immersed in warm water stored in a liquid supply device. 2. A steam pipe (88) for evacuating steam generated in the vessel (48) to the outside is provided in the vessel (48),
A portion (52) of the pipe (42, 46, 50, 52) extending from the container (48) toward the pouring nozzle (54) in a state where heat exchange with the steam pipe (88) is possible. The heating structure for a liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the piping is provided with a pipe.