JP6543136B2 - Beverage dispenser cleaning method and cleaner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a beverage dispenser cleaner for cleaning a beverage passage inside a beverage dispenser for pouring and dispensing beverages such as draft beer into glasses etc. More specifically, while improving the cleaning effect of the beverage dispenser and scattering the cleaning fluid And a beverage dispenser cleaner capable of preventing noise and noise.

  A beverage dispenser which is connected to a beverage container such as a beer keg and dispenses the beverage into a glass or the like is used as follows. A container stopper (fitting) is attached to a base of a beverage container such as a beer barrel, and a dispensing head is connected to the container stopper. The pressurized gas such as carbon dioxide is supplied into the beverage container containing a beverage such as draft beer through the dispense head, and the beverage in the beverage container is made to flow out of the container.

  The beverage that has flowed out of the dispense head is supplied to the beverage dispenser, cooled in the beverage dispenser, and poured out into a glass or the like. A beverage remains inside the dispense head and the beverage passage in the beverage dispenser, and if it is left as it is, the beverage may deteriorate or rot and contaminate the passage. Thus, there is a need to clean the internal passageway after use of the beverage dispenser.

  As a washing machine of the conventional drink dispenser, a thing like following patent document 1 is known. In Patent Document 1, a dispenser cleaning apparatus stores a cleaning solution inside a container body, attaches a dispensing head to a mounting body, and pumps and cleanses a cleaning solution into a beverage passage of a beverage dispenser by pressurized gas from a gas cylinder. Containers are described.

  Further, as a similar cleaning device, one as disclosed in Patent Document 2 below is known. According to Patent Document 2, in a washing apparatus for washing a beer server, carbon dioxide gas is supplied to the washing liquid from the pores provided at the top of the water flow pipe, and washing is performed with a mixed fluid of water and carbon dioxide gas. Is described.

Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2006-27691 Patent No. 4897037

  As a washing machine of the conventional beverage dispenser, a washing machine like patent document 1 was used. In addition, it is also experimentally known that the cleaning effect is improved by using a cleaning device in which carbon dioxide gas is mixed in the cleaning liquid as in the cleaning device of Patent Document 2. However, as described in Patent Document 2, it was found that the following problems occur when the cleaning operation is performed using a cleaning solution in which carbon dioxide gas is simply mixed.

  When the washing operation is started, the beverage remaining in the beverage passage or the like of the beverage dispenser is pushed out by the carbon dioxide gas-mixed cleaning fluid and discharged from the spout cock of the beverage dispenser or the like. At that time, since the carbon dioxide gas is mixed in the cleaning liquid, the residual beverage spouts intermittently at a high speed, and after spouting, it collides with a container, a floor or the like and scatters around it. Thus, since the remaining beverage is scattered around, it is necessary to remove the scattered beverage. Such splashing of the beverage is also a hygienic problem.

  In addition, intermittent spouting of residual beverage and cleaning fluid at the start of the cleaning operation is accompanied by a large intermittent bursting noise. As described above, there is a problem in that a large noise is generated at the start of the cleaning operation, and there is a problem that the operator can not perform the operation with ease.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage dispenser cleaning method and a beverage dispenser cleaner which can improve the cleaning effect of the beverage dispenser and prevent scattering and noise of the remaining beverage.

In order to achieve the above object, the beverage dispenser cleaning method of the present invention is a beverage dispenser cleaning method in which cleaning fluid pressurized by pressurized gas is circulated in the distribution channel of the beverage dispenser, and at the start of cleaning Only the cleaning solution is circulated to clean the circulation path, and after a predetermined time has passed from the start of the cleaning, the pressurized gas is mixed into the cleaning solution, and the cleaning gas mixed with the pressurized gas is circulated to clean the circulation path. The amount of pressurized gas mixed into the cleaning solution is gradually increased with the passage of time .

  In the above-mentioned beverage dispenser cleaning method, the pressurized gas is preferably carbon dioxide gas.

In addition, the beverage dispenser cleaner of the present invention has a mouth at the top, and is connected to a container body capable of containing a cleaning liquid inside, attached to the mouth, and connectable with a dispensing head for supplying fluid to the beverage dispenser. And a down tube provided on the lid member and capable of supplying the cleaning liquid contained in the container body to the outside of the container, and the container through the dispense head A beverage dispenser cleaner for supplying a cleaning liquid to the outside of a container to clean a beverage dispenser by pressurized gas supplied to the inside of the main body, wherein the down tube mixes the pressurized gas with the cleaning liquid supplied to the outside of the container. It is provided at a plurality of height position lower than the water surface of the cleaning liquid when the gas hole is accommodated in the full level in the container main body for causing Than is.

  Further, in the above-mentioned beverage dispenser cleaner, the pressurized gas is preferably carbon dioxide gas.

  Further, in the above-mentioned beverage dispenser cleaning device, the container main body is formed in such a shape that liquid droplets adhering to the inner surface can flow out without remaining from the opening by turning the container main body upside down. Is preferred.

  In the above-mentioned beverage dispenser washer, it is preferable to have a support which supports the bottom of the container body so that the container body does not fall down.

  Since the present invention is configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained.

  At the start of the cleaning operation, no pressurized gas is mixed in with the cleaning liquid, so when residual beverage or cleaning liquid is discharged from the pouring cock of the beverage dispenser, it may be accompanied by loud noise or spouted out at high speed. Nothing happened. Therefore, the cleaning operation can be performed safely and hygienically. Then, by mixing the pressurized gas with the cleaning liquid when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the cleaning, the cleaning effect of the cleaning liquid can be significantly improved.

  According to the beverage dispenser cleaner of the present invention, the cleaning method can be simplified in which the pressurized gas is not mixed into the cleaning solution at the start of cleaning and the mixing amount of the pressurized gas is increased stepwise after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of cleaning. It can be done.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a use state of the beverage dispenser cleaner 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the beverage dispenser cleaner 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the beverage dispenser cleaner 1 as viewed from above. FIG. 4 is a graph showing a time-dependent change in the mixing ratio of the pressurized gas mixed in the cleaning solution. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the bottom shape of the container body of the conventional cleaner.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view showing the state of the cleaning operation of the beverage dispenser 4 by the beverage dispenser cleaning device 1 of the present invention. The beverage dispenser 4 is a device connected to a beverage container such as a beer barrel for pouring and dispensing a beverage such as draft beer into a glass or the like. The beverage supplied to the beverage dispenser 4 is cooled in the beverage dispenser 4 and poured out from the pouring cock 42 into a glass or the like. The beverage dispenser 4 needs to be cleaned daily after use.

  In order to perform the cleaning operation, the dispense head 2 connected to the base of the beer keg or the like is removed and connected to the beverage dispenser cleaning device 1. One end of a beverage hose 41 is connected to the outlet 21 at the upper end of the dispense head 2, and the other end of the beverage hose 41 is connected to the beverage dispenser 4. Further, one end of a gas supply hose 32 is connected to the gas supply port 22, and the other end of the gas supply hose 32 is connected to the cylinder 3. In the cylinder 3, liquefied high pressure carbon dioxide is stored. The carbon dioxide gas vaporized in the cylinder 3 is depressurized by the pressure reducing valve 31 and supplied to the dispense head 2 through the gas supply hose 32.

  When dispensing draft beer using the beverage dispenser 4, the dispense head 2 is connected to the mouth of the beer keg, and the dispense head 2 is connected to the beverage hose 41 and the gas supply hose 32. There is. When the cleaning operation is performed, the dispense head 2 is removed from the mouth of the beer keg and attached to the beverage dispenser cleaner 1 as illustrated. Beverage hose 41 and gas supply hose 32 may remain connected to dispense head 2.

  The beverage dispenser cleaner 1 generally comprises a container body 11 and a lid member 12. The container main body 11 is a bottomed container having an opening 111 (see FIG. 2) formed at the top, and the cleaning liquid is accommodated in the container main body 11. Further, the support base 15 supports the bottom of the container body 11 so that the container body 11 does not fall down. The lid member 12 is connected to the opening 111 of the container body 11 by screw connection, and the connection portion is sealed by a sealing member. Dispensing head connecting portion 121 (see FIG. 2) is formed above lid member 12, and dispensing head 2 can be attached to this dispensing head connecting portion 121.

  Once the dispensing head 2 is connected to the beverage dispenser cleaner 1, the cleaning operation is started. First, the pouring cock 42 of the beverage dispenser 4 is fixed in the open state. Then, the pressure of the pressurized gas (carbon dioxide gas) supplied from the cylinder 3 is adjusted to a predetermined value by the pressure reducing valve 31, and the handle 23 of the dispense head 2 is operated to supply the pressurized gas into the container body 11. The cleaning fluid in the container body 11 is pressurized by the pressurized gas and supplied from the outlet 21 of the dispensing head 2 to the beverage dispenser 4 via the beverage hose 41. Thus, the washing operation of the beverage dispenser 4 is performed.

  Next, the configuration of each part of the beverage dispenser cleaner 1 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the beverage dispenser cleaner 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the beverage dispenser cleaner 1 as viewed from above. The container body 11 is a substantially cylindrical bottomed container formed from a thin plate of stainless steel. The container body 11 may be made of materials other than stainless steel, and may be made of, for example, a thin plate of aluminum or a synthetic resin. The upper portion of the container body 11 is gradually reduced in diameter, and the uppermost portion is formed as a mouth portion 111.

  The upper surface of the mouth portion 111 is an opening, and the cleaning liquid can be introduced from the opening and accommodated in the container body 11. Usable tap water can be used as the cleaning liquid. Further, an external thread is formed on the outer periphery of the opening 111.

  The lid member 12 is made of synthetic resin, has a container connection portion 123 at the lower portion, and has a dispense head connection portion 121 at the upper portion. On the inner surface of the container connection portion 123, a female screw is formed to be screwed to the male screw of the mouth portion 111 of the container body 11. The lid member 12 and the container body 11 are coupled by these screw connections. A seal ring 124 having a sealing function is disposed on the inner surface side of the container connection portion 123, and the connection portion between the lid member 12 and the container body 11 is maintained in a sealed state.

  In order to attach the lid member 12 to the container body 11, the container member 123 is rotated by screwing the container connection portion 123 into the opening 111 while the container connection portion 123 is covered with the opening 111. The lid member 12 can be attached to 11. At this time, since the diameter of the mouth portion 111 is small, the screwing torque for bringing the lid member 12 into a sufficiently coupled state is also small. For this reason, even a worker with weak arm strength can easily assemble the beverage dispenser cleaning device 1.

  A dispensing head connection portion 121 to which the dispensing head 2 can be connected is formed on the top surface of the lid member 12. An inward projecting engagement protrusion 122 is formed on the top of the dispense head connection portion 121, and the dispense head 2 is locked to the dispense head connection portion 121 by the engagement protrusion 122. The inner diameter of the dispense head connection portion 121 gradually decreases downward.

  A down tube 14 is integrally formed on the bottom surface of the dispense head connection portion 121. The down tube 14 is a pipe member for pushing up the cleaning fluid in the container body 11 toward the dispensing head 2. The cleaning liquid in the container body 11 reaches the dispense head 2 through the down tube 14 and is further supplied from the dispense head 2 to a beverage dispenser or the like outside the container.

  The down tube 14 is formed with a gas passage hole 141 for mixing the pressurized gas into the cleaning solution. The gas passage holes 141 are provided at a plurality of height positions of the down tube 14. In this case, the gas passage holes 141 are formed at three positions, but the gas passage holes 141 can be provided at one or more arbitrary number of height positions. That is, although it is preferable to form a plurality of gas passage holes 141, only one gas passage hole may be formed.

  In FIG. 2, the water surface of the cleaning liquid in a full water state stored in the container body 11 is indicated by a horizontal dotted line. As described above, since the water surface of the cleaning liquid in the full water state at the start of the cleaning operation is located above all the gas holes 141, the pressurized gas is not supplied to the cleaning liquid supplied to the beverage dispenser 4 at the start of the cleaning operation. It does not mix. When a predetermined time elapses from the start of the cleaning operation, the water surface of the cleaning solution lowers and the water surface lowers than the uppermost gas passage hole 141, the pressurized gas is mixed into the cleaning solution through the gas passage hole 141.

  When time passes and the water surface lowers than the central gas passage hole 141, the amount of mixed pressurized gas increases. When the water surface is lower than the lowermost gas passage hole 141, the amount of mixing of the pressurized gas further increases. As described above, the pressurized gas is not mixed in the cleaning liquid supplied to the beverage dispenser 4 at the start of the cleaning operation, and the mixing amount of the pressurized gas is gradually increased as time passes. This will be described in more detail later.

  Further, a through hole is formed on the bottom surface of the dispense head connection portion 121. The through hole is for supplying pressurized gas from the dispensing head 2 into the container body 11. Here, four through holes are formed on the circumference as long long holes. The through holes can be of any shape and number.

  The lid member 12 is provided with a safety valve 13. The safety valve 13 has a function of releasing the internal pressure gas to the outside when the pressure inside the container body 11 exceeds a predetermined safety upper limit value. When the internal pressure exceeds a predetermined upper safety limit, the internal pressure gas is released to the outside through the safety valve 13.

  The lid member 12 is formed in the direction of the outer periphery 4 with a blade-like portion projecting outward in the form of a blade, and a protrusion 125 projecting upward is provided at a position near the outer periphery of the upper surface of the blade-like portion. That is, the lid member 12 is provided with four protrusions 125. The projection 125 is for keeping the central axis of the container body 11 in the vertical direction when the container body 11 and the lid member 12 are placed on the upper surface of the work table or the like in an inverted state.

  In addition, water droplets or the like flowing out of the container body 11 can flow out through the gap formed between the lid member 12 and the upper surface of the work table or the like. The protrusion 125 forms this gap. The number of the protrusions 125 is not limited to four, and may be three or more. For example, the blade-like portion may be formed in the outer peripheral 3 direction, and three protrusions may be provided.

  The inner surface of the container main body 11 is fluorine resin processed. That is, a film of a fluorocarbon resin (for example, polytetrafluoroethylene) is formed on the inner surface of the container main body 11, so that it is difficult for the stain to adhere and the stain is likely to be dropped. The internal cleaning operation can be performed only by storing tap water for cleaning inside the container body 11 and strongly shaking the container body vertically and horizontally. The inside can be easily and sufficiently cleaned by such a cleaning method. Cleaning of the inside of the container body 11 is performed in a state where the lid member 12 and the down tube 14 are removed from the container body 11.

  Thus, the beverage dispenser cleaning device 1 of the present invention can perform the cleaning operation easily and sufficiently. Further, the inner surface of the container main body 11 is excellent in water repellency by processing with a fluorine resin, and water can be removed from the inside of the container main body 11 simply by holding the container main body 11 in an inverted state. The inside of can be brought into a dry state in a short time.

  The container body 11 is formed in a shape in which the central portion of the bottom surface 112 is located at the lowermost position. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the shape of the bottom surface 112q of the container body 11q of the conventional cleaning device. As shown in FIG. 5, in the conventional cleaning device, the bottom surface 112 q of the container body 11 q generally has a shape in which the central portion protrudes above the peripheral portion. However, in the uneven shape such as the bottom surface 112q, even if the container main body 11q is held in the inverted state, a portion where water does not flow and remains on the inner surface is generated.

  Therefore, in the beverage dispenser cleaning device 1 of the present invention, the bottom surface is shaped as a smooth curved surface in which the central portion of the bottom surface 112 is positioned at the lowermost position. As such a curved surface, there are a hemispherical curved surface and a curved surface obtained by cutting an spheroid in half. With such a bottom surface shape, the water droplets of the cleaning liquid adhering to the inner surface of the container main body 11 after the cleaning work can be smoothly made from the inside of the container main body 11 only by holding the container main body 11 in an inverted state. It will flow down and be discharged to the outside.

  Thus, in addition to the inner surface of the container main body 11 being fluorine-resin-processed, the shape of the bottom surface 112 is a hemispherical shape, by forming a smooth curved surface in which the central portion is located at the lowermost position. The water discharge from the inside of the container body 11 can be promoted. Thereby, the inside of the container main body 11 can be in a dry state in a short time. That is, by holding the container body 11 in the inverted state after the cleaning operation of the inside of the container body 11, it is possible to easily remove the water from the inside of the container body 11 and dry the inside.

  When used as the beverage dispenser washer 1, it is necessary to keep the central axis of the container body 11 in the vertical direction, with the mouth 111 of the container body 11 facing upward. Therefore, a support base 15 for supporting the bottom of the container body 11 is attached to the container body 11. Since the bottom surface 112 of the container body 11 has a hemispherical shape, it is not possible to stand alone and maintain the central axis in the vertical direction with the container body 11 alone. The support base 15 can keep the central axis of the container body 11 in the vertical direction. The support base 15 may be fixed to the container main body 11 or may be detachable from the container main body 11.

  As described above, in the beverage dispenser cleaner 1, a coating of a fluorocarbon resin is formed on the inner surface of the container main body 11, and further, droplets having the shape of the container main body 11 attached to the inner surface invert the container main body 11. By being in a state, it is formed in a shape that can flow out without leaving the mouth, so that the inside of the container body 11 after use can be easily cleaned. Further, by holding the container body 11 in an inverted state after the cleaning operation of the inside of the container body 11, it is possible to easily remove water from the inside of the container body 11 and dry the inside. Furthermore, the beverage dispenser cleaner 1 is simple in structure and can reduce the manufacturing cost.

  FIG. 4 is a graph showing a change with time of the mixing ratio of the pressurized gas mixed in the cleaning liquid when the cleaning operation is performed by the beverage dispenser cleaning device 1 of the present invention. The vertical axis in FIG. 4 represents the gas mixing ratio (volume percentage), and the horizontal axis represents the time (seconds) from the start of the cleaning operation. Note that this graph schematically shows the mixing ratio of pressurized gas, and is not a strict measurement result.

  In the down tube 14 of the beverage dispenser cleaner 1, gas holes 141 (see FIG. 2) are formed at a plurality of height positions. At the start of the cleaning operation, the cleaning liquid in the container body 11 is full of water, and the surface of the cleaning liquid is located above all the gas holes 141. Therefore, the pressurized gas is not mixed in the cleaning liquid supplied to the beverage dispenser 4 at the start of the cleaning operation. When a predetermined time elapses from the start of the cleaning operation, the water surface of the cleaning solution lowers and the water surface lowers than the uppermost gas passage hole 141, the pressurized gas is mixed into the cleaning solution through the gas passage hole 141. Therefore, the gas mixing rate increases stepwise.

  When time passes and the water surface lowers than the central gas passage hole 141, the amount of mixed pressurized gas increases. Therefore, the gas mixing rate increases stepwise again. When the water surface is lower than the lowermost gas passage hole 141, the amount of mixing of the pressurized gas further increases. Then, the gas mixing rate increases stepwise again. As described above, the pressurized gas is not mixed in the cleaning liquid supplied to the beverage dispenser 4 at the start of the cleaning operation, and the gas mixing ratio of the pressurized gas increases stepwise with the passage of time.

  By mixing the pressurized gas into the cleaning liquid as described above, the cleaning effect of the beverage dispenser 4 is significantly improved. In addition, the cleaning effect is also improved as the mixing amount of the pressurized gas is increased. This is considered to be due to the turbulent flow of the flow of the cleaning liquid due to the bubbles of the pressurized gas, the vibration action and the like.

  Then, when the cleaning liquid in the container body 11 is exhausted, only the pressurized gas is supplied to the beverage dispenser cleaning device 1. In this case, the gas mixing rate is 100%. In FIG. 4, 0 to 70 seconds after the start of the cleaning operation is the cleaning process with the cleaning solution or the gas-containing cleaning solution, and after 70 seconds is the drying process by the supply of only the pressurized gas. Thus, the drying process can be performed continuously following the washing process of the beverage dispenser 4.

  As described above, according to the beverage dispenser cleaning device 1 of the present invention, the pressurized gas is not mixed into the cleaning solution at the start of cleaning, and the mixing amount of the pressurized gas is gradually increased after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of cleaning. Can be easily implemented. At the start of the cleaning operation, no pressurized gas is mixed in with the cleaning liquid, so when residual beverage or cleaning liquid is discharged from the pouring cock of the beverage dispenser, it may be accompanied by loud noise or spouted out at high speed. Nothing happened. Therefore, the cleaning operation can be performed safely and hygienically. Then, by mixing the pressurized gas with the cleaning liquid when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the cleaning, the cleaning effect of the cleaning liquid can be significantly improved.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beverage dispenser cleaner capable of improving the cleaning effect of the beverage dispenser and preventing scattering and noise of the remaining beverage and the cleaning solution.

Reference Signs List 1 beverage dispenser cleaning device 2 dispense head 3 cylinder 4 beverage dispenser 11 container body 12 lid member 13 safety valve 14 down tube 15 support base 21 outlet 22 gas supply port 23 handle 31 pressure reducing valve 32 gas supply hose 41 beverage hose 42 spout cock 111 mouth 112 bottom surface 121 dispense head connection part 122 engagement projection 123 container connection part 124 seal ring 125 projection 141 gas passing hole

Claims (6)

A method for cleaning a beverage dispenser, which is performed by circulating a cleaning solution pressurized by pressurized gas in the distribution channel of the beverage dispenser,
At the start of cleaning, only the cleaning solution is circulated to clean the circulation path,
After a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the cleaning, a pressurized gas is mixed into the cleaning solution, and the cleaning solution mixed with the pressurized gas is circulated to clean the circulation path .
A beverage dispenser cleaning method, wherein the amount of pressurized gas mixed in the cleaning solution is increased stepwise as time passes . A method for cleaning a beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein
A method for cleaning a beverage dispenser, wherein the pressurized gas is carbon dioxide gas. A container body (11) provided with a mouth (111) at the top and capable of containing a cleaning solution inside;
A lid member (12) comprising a dispense head connection (121) attached to the mouth (111) and connectable to a dispense head for supplying fluid to a beverage dispenser;
And a down tube (14) provided on the lid member (12) and capable of supplying the cleaning liquid contained in the container body (11) to the outside of the container;
A beverage dispenser cleaning device for supplying a cleaning solution to the outside of a container by means of a pressurized gas supplied to the inside of the container body (11) via the dispense head to clean a beverage dispenser,
The down tube (14) is more than the water surface of the cleaning liquid when the gas passage hole (141) for mixing the pressurized gas into the cleaning liquid supplied to the outside of the container is accommodated in the container body (11) in a full water state. A beverage dispenser cleaner which is provided at a plurality of lower elevations . A beverage dispenser cleaner as claimed in claim 3 , wherein
Beverage dispenser cleaner that pressurized gas is carbon dioxide gas. A beverage dispenser cleaner as claimed in any one of claims 3 and 4 .
A beverage wherein the container body (11) is formed in such a shape that droplets adhering to the inner surface can flow out without remaining from the mouth (111) by turning the container body (11) upside down. Dispenser washer. The beverage dispenser cleaner according to any one of claims 3 to 5 , wherein
Beverage dispenser cleaner having a support (15) for supporting the bottom of the container body (11) so that the container body (11) does not fall down.

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