JP6974970B2 - Carbonated water production equipment and carbonated water production method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a carbonated water producing apparatus for producing carbonated water and a carbonated water producing method.

Conventionally, various techniques for producing carbonated water have been known. In Jitsukaihei 6-59979, a cold water tank that is insulated and stores cold water, a carbonator immersed in cold water contained in the cold water tank, a carbon dioxide gas cylinder that supplies carbon dioxide to the carbonator, and drinking water to the carbonator are supplied. A carbonated water production device equipped with a water storage tank is described.

The pipeline extending from the water storage tank has a branch portion, and from the branch portion, a water supply pipeline toward the carbonator and a water injection pipeline extending to the cold water in the cooling tank extend. Two cooling coils are provided in the middle of the water injection pipeline. Cold water passing through the water-dropping pipeline and carbonated water generated by the carbonator are poured out from the pouring nozzle.

Jikkenhei 6-59979 Gazette

By the way, in the above-mentioned carbonated water producing apparatus, it is necessary to sufficiently cool the drinking water in order to surely dissolve the carbonic acid in the drinking water. Further, in order to sufficiently cool the carbonator, a carbonated water producing device for accommodating the carbonator in the water tank of an existing beverage server is known. However, in the carbonated water production device in which the carbonator is housed in the existing beverage server, there is a concern that the cost of the carbonated water production device will be high, and the size of the device may be increased.

An object of the present invention is to provide a carbonated water production apparatus and a carbonated water production method capable of suppressing the increase in size of the apparatus and reducing the cost.

The carbonated water production apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention supplies a carbonated water to a storage unit for accommodating drinking water and the accommodating unit, and the storage unit dissolves the carbonated water into the drinking water to generate carbonated water. Heat exchange provided between the supply section, the pouring section for pouring out the carbonated water generated in the accommodating section, and the accommodating section and the pouring section to cool the carbonated water flowing from the accommodating section to the pouring section. A unit and a refrigerant supply path for supplying the refrigerant of the beverage server to the heat exchange unit.

In this carbonated water production device, the carbon dioxide gas supply unit supplies carbon dioxide gas to the drinking water contained in the storage unit to generate carbonated water, and the generated carbonated water is poured out after being cooled by the heat exchange unit. It is poured out from the department. Therefore, since the carbonated water can be cooled by the heat exchange unit, the carbonic acid can be surely dissolved. Further, the heat exchange unit is supplied with the refrigerant from the beverage server via the refrigerant supply path. Therefore, since the refrigerant of the beverage server can be used for cooling the carbonated water, the cooling device can be eliminated in the carbonated water production apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the carbonated water production apparatus and contribute to cost reduction. Further, the refrigerant supply path from the beverage server can be connected to the heat exchange unit to easily install the carbonated water production device on the beverage server, and the carbonated water production device can be easily removed from the beverage server. be able to. Therefore, it can be easily attached to and detached from the beverage server.

Further, the carbonated water production apparatus described above may include a supply pump for supplying drinking water to the accommodating portion. In this case, since drinking water can be sent to the accommodating portion at high pressure by the supply pump, carbonated water can be efficiently generated.

Further, the above-mentioned carbonated water production apparatus is provided with a circulation path that branches on the way from the accommodating portion to the pouring portion via the heat exchange portion and returns to the accommodating portion, and the accommodating portion is a tank provided in the circulation path. You may. In this case, the carbonated water cooled by the heat exchange section passes through the circulation path, so that the carbonated water circulates in the circulation path while being cooled by the heat exchange section a plurality of times. Therefore, the carbonated water is sufficiently cooled and circulates in the circulation route while being supplied with carbon dioxide gas. Therefore, carbonic acid can be more reliably dissolved in drinking water.

Further, the carbonated water production apparatus described above may be provided in a circulation path and may include a circulation pump for circulating carbonated water through the circulation path. In this case, since the carbonated water can be circulated more efficiently, the carbonated water can be generated and the carbonated water can be cooled more sufficiently.

Further, the heat exchange unit may be provided below the liquid level of the refrigerant stored in the beverage server. By the way, for example, gas may enter the heat exchange section during maintenance of the beverage server. If a gas enters the heat exchange section, the circulation of the refrigerant in the heat exchange section may be hindered. Therefore, when the gas enters the heat exchanger, it is preferable to promptly discharge the gas. Therefore, as described above, when the heat exchange section is provided below the liquid level of the refrigerant, the gas that has entered the heat exchange section can be quickly discharged as bubbles. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the problem that the circulation of the refrigerant is hindered, so that the efficiency of cooling the carbonated water can be maintained high.

Further, the heat exchange unit may be a plate heat exchanger. In this case, the cost of the heat exchange unit can be suppressed and high cooling performance can be exhibited.

Further, the carbonated water production apparatus described above may be provided on the downstream side of the heat exchange section in the path through which the carbonated water passes, and may include a decompression section for reducing the pressure due to the carbonated water. In this case, since the decompression can be surely performed in the route of the carbonated water toward the pouring portion, the injection of the carbonated water at the time of pouring can be suppressed.

Further, the carbonated water production apparatus described above may include a control unit that controls the circulation time in which the carbonated water circulates in the circulation path. In this case, since the circulation time of the carbonated water can be controlled by the control unit, it is possible to control the degree of melting of carbonic acid and the degree of cooling.

Further, the beverage server includes a water tank that houses the refrigerant and a beverage pipe that is immersed in the refrigerant in the water tank and distributes the beverage, and the beverage pipe may be detachable from the water tank. In this case, since the connection portion of the beverage hose connected to the beverage pipe is originally formed in the housing of the beverage server, the refrigerant supply path can be easily installed by passing the refrigerant supply path through the connection portion. can. Therefore, it is possible to more easily install the carbonated water production device on the beverage server.

The method for producing carbonated water according to one aspect of the present invention includes a step of accommodating drinking water in an accommodating portion, a step of supplying carbon dioxide gas to the accommodating portion, and a step of dissolving the carbonated water in the drinking water to generate carbonated water. It includes a step of cooling the carbonated water in the heat exchange section, a step of supplying the refrigerant of the beverage server to the heat exchange section, and a step of pouring out the carbonated water cooled in the heat exchange section.

In this production method, carbonated water is generated by supplying carbon dioxide gas to the drinking water contained in the storage section, and the carbonated water is cooled by the heat exchange section and then poured out. Therefore, since the carbonated water can be cooled, the carbonated water can be surely dissolved in the drinking water. Further, since the refrigerant is supplied to the heat exchange unit from the beverage server, it is not necessary to provide a cooling device in the carbonated water production device. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the carbonated water production apparatus and reduce the cost. Further, since the refrigerant supply path from the beverage server can be connected to the heat exchange unit to easily install the carbonated water production device on the beverage server, the carbonated water production device can be easily attached to and detached from the beverage server. Can be done.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the apparatus and the cost.

It is a perspective view which shows an example of the beverage serving apparatus provided with the carbonated water production apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of the beverage server of the beverage providing apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the drinking tube unit which mounts a 1st drinking tube and a 2nd drinking tube. It is a figure which shows the flow of the refrigerant, the carbonated water, the drinking water and the carbon dioxide gas in the carbonated water production apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the heat exchange part in the carbonated water production apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the flow of the refrigerant, the carbonated water, the drinking water and the carbon dioxide gas in the carbonated water production apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the carbonated water production apparatus and the carbonated water production method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted as appropriate.

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a beverage providing device 1 provided with the carbonated water producing device 20 according to the first embodiment. The beverage providing device 1 includes, for example, a beverage server 10 and a carbonated water producing device 20. The beverage server 10 is, for example, an existing beverage server 10, and is separate from the carbonated water producing apparatus 20. For example, the beverage providing device 1 is configured by retrofitting the carbonated water production device 20 to the existing beverage server 10.

The beverage providing device 1 is, for example, a device provided in a restaurant, and the first beverage and the first beverage are obtained by pulling either the first beverage 12 or the second beverage 13 in response to a customer's order or the like. It is possible to pour out any of the two beverages. The carbonated water production device 20 includes an operation panel 21 for performing various operations of the carbonated water production device 20, a pouring unit 22 provided at the bottom of the operation panel 21, and a casing provided with the operation panel 21 and the pouring unit 22. It has a body 23. The carbonated water production apparatus 20 is capable of pouring carbonated water from the pouring unit 22 by operating the operation panel 21.

The beverage server 10 includes a housing 11 to which the first curan 12 and the second curan 13 are attached. Both the first curan 12 and the second curan 13 are directly attached to the front surface 11a of the housing 11 of the beverage server 10. The housing 11 is provided with a lid 11b that can be opened and closed on the upper portion thereof. The first beverage is poured out from the first curan 12, and the second beverage is poured out from the second curan 13. The first beverage and the second beverage include alcoholic beverages such as beer, chu-hi, low-malt beer and wine, and alcohol-free beverages.

For example, two beverage hoses are connected to the beverage server 10, and the first beverage and the second beverage are supplied from the two beverage hoses to the inside of the beverage server 10. The beverage server 10 cools the supplied first beverage and second beverage. The beverage server 10 is, for example, an electric instant cooling server.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a water tank 14 and a beverage tube unit 15 that is detachable from the water tank 14 are arranged inside the housing 11. Cooling water W1 (see FIG. 4) used as a refrigerant is housed inside the water tank 14. The water tank 14 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Behind the water tank 14 (opposite the front surface 11a), a refrigerating cycle mechanism such as a compressor for cooling the cooling water W1 in the water tank 14 is provided. The beverage tube unit 15 is placed on the bottom of the water tank 14.

The beverage tube unit 15 includes a first beverage tube 17 connected to the first curan 12 and a second beverage tube 18 connected to the second curan 13. Both the first drinking tube 17 and the second drinking tube 18 have a circular tubular shape. The beverage tube unit 15 integrates the first beverage tube 17 and the second beverage tube 18. Both the first drinking tube 17 and the second drinking tube 18 are spiral, and the first drinking tube 17 is arranged outside the second drinking tube 18 in a plan view.

The beverage tube unit 15 includes a beverage inflow unit 16a into which the first beverage flows in, and a top plate 15a provided with a beverage inflow unit 16b in which the second beverage flows in. The top plate 15a is provided above the first drinking tube 17 and the second drinking tube 18. The top plate 15a is formed in a rectangular shape as an example.

The top plate 15a is formed with holes 15b and 15c formed in pairs on the left and right. The upper end of the first drinking tube 17 and the upper end of the second drinking tube 18 are passed through the holes 15b and 15c, respectively. The first beverage tube 17 and the second beverage tube 18 extending upward from the holes 15b and 15c are the beverage outflows of the beverage tube unit 15 located in front of the holes 15b and 15c (downward in FIG. 3). It is connected to the part.

Therefore, the first beverage that has flowed into the first beverage pipe 17 from the beverage inflow portion 16a is cooled while flowing spirally in the first beverage pipe 17, and then the beverage outflow located in front of the hole portion 15b. It is poured out from the first curan 12 through the part. Further, the second beverage that has flowed into the second beverage pipe 18 from the beverage inflow portion 16b is cooled while flowing spirally in the second beverage pipe 18, and then the beverage outflow portion in front of the hole portion 15c is formed. It is poured out from the second curan 13 through.

The top plate 15a is formed with an opening 15d in which a motor M for stirring the cooling water W1 housed in the water tank 14 is projected upward. The top plate 15a is provided with a support portion 19 extending linearly downward, and a first beverage pipe 17 and a second beverage pipe 18 are supported by the support portion 19. The support portions 19 are provided at three locations, for example, and the support portions 19 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the first beverage pipe 17 and the second beverage pipe 18.

In the beverage server 10, the number of currants and the number of types of beverages may not be two, but may be one or three or more. Further, the beverage server may have a configuration different from that of the beverage server 10 described above, and the shape, size, number, material, and arrangement mode of each part of the beverage server can be appropriately changed.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an internal configuration and a function of the beverage providing device 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the carbonated water production apparatus 20 is connected to the beverage server 10 via the refrigerant supply path C through which the cooling water W1 housed in the water tank 14 passes. The carbonated water production apparatus 20 includes a plurality of pumps 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, a tank 25 for accommodating the carbonated water W2, and a heat exchange unit 30 for cooling the carbonated water W2 generated in the tank 25. Cooling water W1 passing through the refrigerant supply path C is supplied to the heat exchange unit 30 as a refrigerant.

Two connecting portions A1 and A2 are interposed between the beverage server 10 and the carbonated water producing apparatus 20. The connecting portion A1 is provided above the connecting portion A2. The connection portion A1 is, for example, a notch provided at the upper end of the housing 11, and includes a box-shaped portion sandwiched between the beverage server 10 and the carbonated water production device 20 at a position facing the notch. The connection portion A2 is, for example, a hose-shaped member extending from the lower part of the housing 11 to the lower part of the carbonated water production apparatus 20.

The connection portion A1 is provided at the upper end of the housing 11 with the lid 11b open. A beverage hose that supplies the above-mentioned first beverage and the second beverage to the inside of the beverage server 10 is passed through the connection portion A1. That is, the connection portion A1 was originally provided in the beverage server 10 for passing the beverage hose, and in the present embodiment, the connection portion A1 is effectively used for passing the refrigerant supply path C.

The refrigerant supply path C is a circulation path extending from the water tank 14 to the connection portion A2, the pump 24a, the heat exchange portion 30, and the connection portion A1. Therefore, the cooling water W1 of the water tank 14 circulates in the refrigerant supply path C through the connection portion A2, the heat exchange portion 30, and the connection portion A1 by the pump 24a. The heat exchange unit 30 is arranged on the lower side of the carbonated water production apparatus 20, and the cooling water W1 is supplied to the heat exchange unit 30 from the refrigerant supply path C extending from the lower side of the water tank 14. Therefore, the low-temperature cooling water W1 located below the water tank 14 can be reliably and directly supplied to the heat exchange unit 30.

In addition to the refrigerant supply path C, the heat exchange section 30 is passed through a circulation path B through which the carbonated water W2 generated in the tank 25 circulates. The circulation path B is a path for circulating the heat exchange unit 30, the pump 24b, and the tank 25. The pump 24b is a circulation pump provided in the circulation path B. The carbonated water W2 in the tank 25 is repeatedly passed through the heat exchange section 30 by the pump 24b.

A control unit 28 that controls the circulation time in the circulation path B of the carbonated water W2 is connected to the pump 24b. The control unit 28 is a timer capable of setting, for example, the circulation time of the carbonated water W2 in the circulation path B (the operating time of the pump 24b) and the pause time during which the carbonated water W2 is not circulated (the pause time of the pump 24b). As an example, the circulation time set in the control unit 28 is 5 minutes, and the rest time set in the control unit 28 is 60 minutes. However, the circulation time and the rest time set in the control unit 28 can be appropriately changed by operating the operation panel 21.

Further, a watering nozzle 25a is provided at a position of entering the tank 25 of the circulation path B, and the carbonated water W2 entering the tank 25 from the circulation path B is scattered by the watering nozzle 25a. By scattering the carbonated water W2 by the watering nozzle 25a in this way, it is possible to more reliably dissolve the carbon dioxide gas.

The tank 25 is connected to a drinking water supply path D for supplying drinking water to the tank 25 and a carbon dioxide gas supply path G for supplying carbon dioxide gas to the tank 25. The drinking water supply path D and the carbon dioxide gas supply path G extend rearward from, for example, the rear surface of the housing 23 (the surface opposite to the operation panel 21). The drinking water supply path D is provided with a pump 24c, which is a supply pump for supplying drinking water to the tank 25. Drinking water is supplied to the tank 25 by the pump 24c at a pressure higher than that of carbon dioxide gas. Further, a check valve 29 for preventing backflow is arranged between the pump 24c and the tank 25. The drinking water is, for example, water supplied to the inside of the carbonated water production apparatus 20 via a filter, and tap water as an example.

On the opposite side of the carbon dioxide gas supply path G from the tank 25, a carbon dioxide gas supply unit 27 for flowing carbon dioxide gas into the carbon dioxide gas supply path G is arranged. The carbon dioxide gas supply unit 27 is, for example, a carbon dioxide gas cylinder. As an example, the carbon dioxide gas supply unit 27 supplies carbon dioxide gas to the tank 25 at a pressure of 0.7 MPa.

The tank 25 is provided with a float 25b inside which detects the height of the liquid level H2 of the carbonated water W2. As a result, in the tank 25, the level control of the liquid level H2 of the carbonated water W2 is executed. Specifically, when the carbonated water W2 is poured out and the liquid level H2 of the carbonated water W2 drops, the carbon dioxide gas is supplied from the carbon dioxide gas supply unit 27, and the drinking water from the drinking water supply path D is supplied. Is supplied.

From the branch portion V between the heat exchange portion 30 and the pump 24b in the circulation path B, the pouring path E into which the carbonated water W2 is poured extends. The dispensing portion 22 is provided at the end of the dispensing path E on the opposite side of the branch portion V. The pouring path E is provided with a carbonated water supply valve 26a that controls the supply of the carbonated water W2 from the circulation path B to the pouring section 22. Further, in parallel with the injection route E, a beverage route S through which a beverage such as shochu passes extends from the injection unit 22. The beverage path S is provided with a pump 24d and a beverage supply valve 26b. Beverages supplied from the beverage route S include, for example, undiluted solution (syrup) of soft drinks, alcoholic beverages such as shochu, whiskey, fruit liquor, spirits, brandy, and sake.

The dispensing section 22 includes a carbonated water pouring section 22a communicating with the pouring route E, a beverage pouring section 22b communicating with the drinking path S, and a depressurizing section 22c for reducing the pressure of the carbonated water W2 in the pouring path E. include. The decompression unit 22c is, for example, arranged inside the injection unit 22 and includes a mechanism for reducing the pressure of the carbonated water W2 passing through the injection path E.

Further, by operating the operation panel 21 with the beverage container T arranged under the carbonated water injection unit 22a and the beverage injection unit 22b, the carbonated water W2 is discharged from the carbonated water injection unit 22a to the beverage container T. It is possible to pour the beverage into the beverage container T from the beverage dispensing unit 22b. Further, it is possible to pour only the carbonated water W2 or only the beverage into the beverage container T.

The heat exchange unit 30 is arranged below the liquid level H1 of the cooling water W1 of the water tank 14. Further, the heat exchange unit 30 is arranged below the liquid level H2 of the carbonated water W2 of the tank 25, and may be further arranged at the lowermost part of the housing 23. In the heat exchange section 30, the refrigerant inflow section 30a into which the cooling water W1 from the water tank 14 flows in, the refrigerant outflow section 30b in which the cooling water W1 flows out, the carbonated water inflow section 30c in which the carbonated water W2 flows in, and the carbonated water W2 flow out. It has a carbonated water outflow portion 30d.

As shown in FIG. 5, the heat exchange unit 30 includes an accommodating unit 31 that accommodates a plurality of plates laminated inside. The accommodating portion 31 has, for example, a flat plate shape that extends long in one direction. The accommodating portion 31 has a planar shape including a pair of short sides 31a and a pair of long sides 31b. In the present embodiment, the heat exchange portion 30 is arranged so that the flat surface portion 31A composed of a pair of short sides 31a and a pair of long sides 31b extends in the horizontal direction.

A refrigerant inflow portion 30a and a carbonated water outflow portion 30d are arranged near one short side 31a of the accommodating portion 31, and a refrigerant outflow portion 30b and a carbonated water inflow are arranged near the other short side 31a of the accommodating portion 31. The portion 30c is arranged. The refrigerant inflow portion 30a and the refrigerant outflow portion 30b are arranged on one diagonal line of the flat surface portion 31A, and the carbonated water inflow portion 30c and the carbonated water outflow portion 30d are arranged on the other diagonal line of the flat surface portion 31A. There is.

Therefore, the path from the refrigerant inflow section 30a to the refrigerant outflow section 30b and the path from the carbonated water inflow section 30c to the carbonated water outflow section 30d are arranged to extend long inside the accommodating section 31. Therefore, the carbonated water W2 passing from the carbonated water inflow section 30c to the carbonated water outflow section 30d is sufficiently cooled by the cooling water W1 passing from the refrigerant inflow section 30a to the refrigerant outflow section 30b.

A method for producing carbonated water W2 from the carbonated water producing apparatus 20 configured as described above will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 4, the pump 24c is operated to supply drinking water to the tank 25 (step of supplying drinking water), and carbon dioxide gas is supplied to the tank 25 from the carbon dioxide gas supply unit 27.

By supplying drinking water to the tank 25 as described above and supplying carbon dioxide gas to the tank 25 from the carbon dioxide gas supply unit 27, carbonated water is dissolved in the drinking water inside the tank 25 to generate carbonated water W2. (Step to generate carbonated water). The generated carbonated water W2 circulates in the circulation path B under the control of the pump 24b by the control unit 28.

The carbonated water W2 circulating in the circulation path B is cooled to the heat exchange unit 30 by passing through the heat exchange unit 30 (cooling step). Further, the cooling water W1 is supplied as a refrigerant from the water tank 14 of the beverage server 10 to the heat exchange unit 30 (step of supplying the refrigerant). The cooling water W1 from the water tank 14 circulates in the refrigerant supply path C by the pump 24a. The supply of the cooling water W1 of the water tank 14 to the heat exchange unit 30 can be performed at any time before the pouring of the carbonated water W2.

As described above, the carbonated water W2 circulates in the circulation path B and the cooling water W1 circulates in the refrigerant supply path C, so that the carbonated water W2 is cooled and the carbonated water surely dissolves in the carbonated water W2. Then, by operating the operation panel 21, the carbonated water W2 in the circulation path B is poured out from the carbonated water pouring portion 22a (step of pouring out the carbonated water).

The circulation of the carbonated water W2 in the circulation path B is executed according to the circulation time and the rest time set in the control unit 28, but when the operation panel 21 is operated, the above circulation is interrupted and the carbonated water is circulated. W2 is poured out. When the carbonated water W2 is poured out, the liquid level H2 inside the tank 25 drops, and the carbon dioxide gas supply from the carbon dioxide gas supply unit 27 and the supply of drinking water from the drinking water supply channel D are supplied to the tank 25. It is done against.

Next, the action and effect obtained from the carbonated water production apparatus 20 and the carbonated water production method according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

In the carbonated water production apparatus 20 and the carbonated water production method, the carbonated water supply unit 27 supplies carbon dioxide gas to the drinking water contained in the tank 25 to generate carbonated water W2, and the generated carbonated water W2 exchanges heat. After being cooled by the portion 30, it is dispensed from the dispensing portion 22. Therefore, since the carbonated water W2 can be cooled by the heat exchange unit 30, carbonic acid can be reliably dissolved.

Further, the cooling water W1 is supplied to the heat exchange unit 30 from the beverage server 10 via the refrigerant supply path C. Therefore, since the refrigerant of the beverage server 10 can be used for cooling the carbonated water W2, it is possible to eliminate the need for a cooling device such as a compressor in the carbonated water production apparatus 20. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the carbonated water production apparatus 20, and it contributes to cost reduction.

Further, the refrigerant supply path C from the beverage server 10 can be connected to the heat exchange unit 30 to easily install the carbonated water production device 20 in the beverage server 10, and the carbonated water production device from the beverage server 10 can be easily installed. 20 can be easily removed. Therefore, it can be easily attached to and detached from the beverage server 10.

Further, the carbonated water production apparatus 20 includes a pump 24c that supplies drinking water to the tank 25. Therefore, since drinking water can be sent to the tank 25 at high pressure by the pump 24c, carbonated water W2 can be efficiently generated.

Further, the carbonated water production apparatus 20 includes a circulation path B that branches on the way from the tank 25 to the pouring unit 22 via the heat exchange unit 30 and returns to the tank 25. Therefore, the carbonated water W2 cooled by the heat exchange unit 30 passes through the circulation path B, so that the carbonated water W2 circulates in the circulation path B while being cooled by the heat exchange unit 30 a plurality of times. Therefore, the carbonated water W2 circulates in the circulation path B while being sufficiently cooled and being supplied with carbon dioxide gas. Therefore, carbonic acid can be more reliably dissolved in drinking water.

Further, the carbonated water production apparatus 20 is provided in the circulation path B and includes a pump 24b for circulating the carbonated water W2 through the circulation path B. Therefore, since the carbonated water W2 can be circulated more efficiently, the carbonated water W2 can be generated and the carbonated water W2 can be cooled more sufficiently.

Further, the heat exchange unit 30 is provided below the liquid level H1 of the cooling water W1 stored in the beverage server 10. By providing the heat exchange unit 30 below the liquid level H1 of the cooling water W1, the gas that has entered the heat exchange unit 30 can be quickly discharged as bubbles. Therefore, since the problem that the circulation of the cooling water W1 is hindered can be avoided, the cooling efficiency of the carbonated water W2 can be maintained high.

Further, the heat exchange unit 30 is a plate type heat exchanger. Therefore, the cost of the heat exchange unit 30 can be suppressed and high cooling performance can be exhibited.

Further, the carbonated water production apparatus 20 is provided on the downstream side of the heat exchange unit 30 in the path through which the carbonated water W2 passes, and includes a pressure reducing unit 22c that reduces the pressure due to the carbonated water W2. Therefore, since the decompression can be reliably performed in the path of the carbonated water W2 toward the pouring portion 22, the injection of the carbonated water W2 at the time of pouring can be suppressed.

Further, the carbonated water production apparatus 20 includes a control unit 28 that controls the circulation time in which the carbonated water W2 circulates in the circulation path B. Therefore, since the circulation time of the carbonated water W2 can be controlled by the control unit 28, the degree of melting of carbonic acid and the degree of cooling can be controlled.

Further, the beverage server 10 includes a water tank 14 that accommodates the cooling water W1 and a beverage pipe unit 15 (beverage pipe) that is immersed in the cooling water W1 in the water tank 14 and distributes beverages. , Is removable from the water tank 14. Therefore, since the connection portion A1 of the beverage hose connected to the beverage pipe unit 15 is formed in the housing 11 of the beverage server 10, the refrigerant supply path C is installed by passing the refrigerant supply path C through the connection portion A1. It can be done easily. Therefore, the carbonated water production device 20 can be more easily installed on the beverage server 10.

Further, in the carbonated water production apparatus 20, a pump 24b for circulating carbonated water W2 in the circulation path B and a pump 24c for supplying drinking water to the tank 25 are separately provided. Therefore, the circulation of the carbonated water W2 in the circulation path B and the supply of drinking water to the tank 25 can be performed independently of each other. Further, in the present embodiment, since one tank 25 is provided as an accommodating portion for accommodating drinking water, the size can be further reduced as compared with the case where a plurality of tanks are provided.

(Second Embodiment)
Subsequently, the carbonated water production apparatus 50 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Hereinafter, the description overlapping with the first embodiment will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 6, the carbonated water production device 50 constitutes a beverage providing device 41 together with the beverage server 10. The carbonated water production apparatus 50 includes one pump 54 in place of the above-mentioned pumps 24b and 24c.

In the carbonated water production apparatus 50 according to the second embodiment, the circulation path B is a circulation path passing through the tank 25, the heat exchange unit 30, the switching valve 55, and the pump 54. The switching valve 55 is a valve that switches the supply of drinking water from the drinking water supply path D and the circulation of the carbonated water W2 in the circulation path B. Since the carbonated water production apparatus 50 includes one pump 54, the number of pumps 54 can be reduced. Therefore, since the number of parts can be reduced, the carbonated water production apparatus 50 can be further miniaturized and the cost can be suppressed.

Although the embodiments of the carbonated water production apparatus and the carbonated water production method according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and does not change the gist described in each claim. It may be modified in a range or applied to something else. That is, the present invention can be variously modified without changing the gist described in the claims, and the configuration of each part constituting the carbonated water production apparatus and each step constituting the carbonated water production method are , Can be changed as appropriate without departing from the above points.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the heat exchange unit 30 is provided at the lowermost portion of the housing 23 has been described, but the arrangement position, arrangement mode, shape, size, and number of the heat exchange units 30 can be appropriately changed. be. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the heat exchange unit 30 which is a plate type heat exchanger has been described. However, the heat exchange unit may be a heat exchange unit other than the plate type, such as a shell-and-tube heat exchanger.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the carbonated water W2 is cooled through the cooling water W1 in the heat exchange unit 30 has been described, but the heat exchange unit submerges the path through which the carbonated water W2 passes to submerge the carbonated water W2. It may be cooled. As described above, the means and method of heat exchange of the heat exchange unit can be appropriately changed.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the accommodating portion for accommodating drinking water is the tank 25 has been described. However, the accommodating portion may be something other than a tank, and for example, a pipeline through which drinking water passes may be used as the accommodating portion. In this case, carbonated water W2 is generated by supplying carbon dioxide gas while passing drinking water through the pipeline. Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the beverage route S is provided in parallel with the injection route E has been described. However, this beverage route S can be omitted.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the beverage server 10 provided with the water tank 14 for accommodating the cooling water W1 and the removable beverage pipe unit 15 has been described. However, the configuration and type of the beverage server can be changed as appropriate. For example, the first beverage tube 17 and the second beverage tube 18 may be provided with a non-unitized beverage tube instead of the unitized beverage tube unit 15. Further, the drinking pipe does not have to be removable from the water tank. Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the refrigerant of the beverage server 10 is the cooling water W1 has been described. However, the refrigerant of the beverage server 10 may be something other than water, such as antifreeze or brine.

1,41 ... Beverage providing device, 10 ... Beverage server, 11 ... Housing, 11a ... Front, 11b ... Lid, 12 ... First curan, 13 ... Second curan, 14 ... Water tank, 15 ... Beverage tube unit, 15a ... top plate, 15b, 15c ... hole, 15d ... opening, 16a, 16b ... beverage inflow, 17 ... first beverage tube, 18 ... second beverage tube, 19 ... support, 20,50 ... carbonated water. Water production device, 21 ... Operation panel, 22 ... Dispensing section, 22a ... Carbonated water dispensing section, 22b ... Beverage dispensing section, 22c ... Decompressing section, 23 ... Housing, 24a, 24d, 54 ... Pump, 24b ... Pump (circulation pump), 24c ... Pump (supply pump), 25 ... Tank (accommodation), 25a ... Sprinkler nozzle, 25b ... Float, 26a ... Carbonated water supply valve, 26b ... Beverage supply valve, 27 ... Carbonated gas supply section , 28 ... control unit, 29 ... check valve, 30 ... heat exchange unit, 30a ... refrigerant inflow unit, 30b ... refrigerant outflow unit, 30c ... carbonated water inflow unit, 30d ... carbonated water outflow unit, 31 ... accommodating unit, 31A ... flat surface, 31a ... short side, 31b ... long side, 55 ... switching valve, A1, A2 ... connection, B ... circulation path, C ... refrigerant supply path, D ... drinking water supply path, E ... pouring path, G ... Carbonated gas supply path, H1, H2 ... Liquid level, M ... Motor, S ... Beverage path, T ... Beverage container, V ... Branch, W1 ... Cooling water, W2 ... Carbonated water.

Claims (10)

A containment unit that houses drinking water,
A carbon dioxide gas supply unit that supplies carbon dioxide gas to the storage unit and dissolves the carbon dioxide gas in the drinking water in the storage unit to generate carbon dioxide water.
A pouring section for pouring out the carbonated water generated in the accommodating section, and a pouring section.
A heat exchange unit provided between the accommodating portion and the pouring portion to cool carbonated water flowing from the accommodating portion toward the pouring portion.
A refrigerant supply path that supplies the refrigerant of the beverage server to the heat exchange unit,
Equipped with
The beverage server has a housing and a water tank that is arranged inside the housing and contains cooling water in which a beverage pipe for distributing beverages is immersed.
The cooling water as the refrigerant is supplied to the heat exchange unit from the refrigerant supply path extending from the lower side of the water tank.
Carbonated water production equipment. A supply pump for supplying drinking water to the accommodating portion.
The carbonated water production apparatus according to claim 1. It is provided with a circulation path that branches on the way from the accommodating portion to the pouring portion via the heat exchange portion and returns to the accommodating portion.
The accommodating portion is a tank provided in the circulation path.
The carbonated water production apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. A circulation pump provided in the circulation path for circulating the carbonated water through the circulation path is provided.
The carbonated water production apparatus according to claim 3. The heat exchange unit is provided below the liquid level of the cooling water stored in the beverage server.
The carbonated water production apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger.
The carbonated water production apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A decompression unit provided on the downstream side of the heat exchange unit in the path through which the carbonated water passes and for reducing the pressure due to the carbonated water is provided.
The carbonated water production apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A control unit for controlling the circulation time in which carbonated water circulates in the circulation path is provided.
The carbonated water production apparatus according to claim 3 or 4. Before SL beverage tube is freely detachable from the water tub,
The carbonated water production apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The process of accommodating drinking water in the storage unit,
A step of supplying carbon dioxide gas to the accommodating portion and dissolving the carbon dioxide gas in the drinking water to generate carbonated water.
The step of cooling the carbonated water in the heat exchange section and
The process of supplying the refrigerant of the beverage server to the heat exchange unit,
The step of pouring out the carbonated water cooled by the heat exchange unit, and
Equipped with
The beverage server has a housing and a water tank that is arranged inside the housing and contains cooling water in which a beverage pipe for distributing beverages is immersed.
In the supply step, the cooling water as the refrigerant is supplied to the heat exchange unit from a refrigerant supply path extending from the lower side of the water tank.
Carbonated water production method.

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