JP7574574B2 - Beverage production apparatus and method for cleaning the beverage production apparatus - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a beverage production device, and in particular to a beverage production device equipped with a cleaning unit that cleans the stirring unit with liquid, and a method for cleaning the beverage production device.

Conventionally, beverage production devices and methods for cleaning beverage production devices that include a cleaning unit that cleans the stirring unit with liquid are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a beverage production device that includes an agitator blade that agitates and grinds beverage ingredients in a container, and a cleaning container for cleaning the agitator blade. In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, in order to remove residual beverage ingredients adhering to the agitator blade, the agitator blade is rotated in the cleaning container and the agitator blade is cleaned by supplying liquid to the cleaning container. Also, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, wastewater after cleaning is discharged into a drainage tank.

JP 2020-62146 A

As disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, residual beverage ingredients are removed from the stirring blades (stirring part) by draining the liquid after cleaning, but it is thought that some of the residual beverage ingredients float in the liquid and adhere to the stirring part during drainage. In this case, there is a problem that some of the residual beverage ingredients remain on the stirring part despite cleaning.

This invention has been made to solve the above problems, and one object of the invention is to provide a beverage production device and a method for cleaning the beverage production device that can prevent some of the beverage ingredient residue from remaining in the stirring section.

A beverage manufacturing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a main body, a stirring unit provided within the main body for stirring beverage ingredients within a container, a washing unit provided within the main body and including a washing container for washing the stirring unit and washing the stirring unit with liquid, a water supply unit for supplying liquid to the washing unit, a control unit for controlling the stirring unit and the water supply unit, and a lid unit for covering an opening of the washing container of the washing unit, wherein the control unit sequentially performs a first process of supplying liquid from the water supply unit to the washing unit and washing the stirring unit in the washing unit, a second process of stopping the water supply unit and draining the liquid in the washing container, and a third process of supplying liquid from the water supply unit to the washing unit and removing residue of beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit, and is configured such that the processing time of the third process is shorter than the processing times of the first process and the second process , and the washing unit includes a discharge unit for supplying liquid to the washing container to wash the stirring unit, and a nozzle unit for supplying liquid to the lid unit to wash the lid .

In the beverage production apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, as described above, the control unit is configured to sequentially perform a first process of supplying liquid from the water supply unit to the washing unit and washing the stirring unit in the washing unit, a second process of stopping the water supply unit and draining the liquid in the washing container, and a third process of supplying liquid from the water supply unit to the washing unit and removing residual beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit. In this way, by performing the third process of removing residual beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit in addition to the first process of washing the stirring unit and the second process of stopping the water supply unit and draining the liquid in the washing container, even if some of the residual beverage ingredients adhere to the stirring unit when draining the liquid after washing the stirring unit, the residual beverage ingredients can be removed from the stirring unit by the third process. As a result, it is possible to suppress some of the residual beverage ingredients from remaining on the stirring unit. Furthermore, since the processing time of the third process is configured to be shorter than the processing time of the first process, the third process is performed in a shorter time than the first process, which prevents the time required to clean the stirring section from the start of the first process to the end of the third process from becoming longer, and the amount of liquid used when performing the third process can be made smaller than that of the first process.

In the beverage production device according to the first aspect, preferably, the water supply unit includes a pump that supplies liquid, the stirring unit includes a motor that rotates the stirring unit, and the control unit is configured to control the pump to supply liquid to the cleaning unit in the first process and to control the motor to rotate the stirring unit within the cleaning unit, to control the pump to stop the supply of water to the cleaning container in the second process, and to control the pump to supply liquid to the cleaning unit in the third process. With this configuration, the control unit controls the pump and the motor to perform the first to third processes, so that residues of beverage ingredients can be prevented from remaining in the stirring unit without complex control.

In the beverage production apparatus according to the first aspect, the nozzle is preferably configured to squirt the liquid toward the underside of the lid. With this configuration, the lid can be cleaned by squirting the liquid toward the lid, so that residual beverage ingredients adhering to the lid can be washed away.

In this case, the lid is preferably annular, and the nozzle is configured to spray liquid toward the underside of the inner circumferential side of the lid closer to the nozzle. With this configuration, since the lid is annular, the liquid sprayed toward the lid can be circulated throughout the entire lid by the force of the spray. Furthermore, since the nozzle is configured to spray liquid toward the underside of the lid closer to the nozzle, the liquid can be circulated toward a position away from the position closer to the nozzle on the underside of the lid, so that the entire lid can be cleaned.

In the beverage production device according to the above aspect, preferably, the inner peripheral surface of the cleaning container is provided with a rib portion extending upward. With this configuration, the provision of the rib portion extending upward causes the vortex formed by the rotation of the stirring portion to flow upward along the rib portion, so that the liquid can be applied to the lid portion. As a result, it is possible to further prevent the beverage ingredient residue from remaining on the lid portion.

A method for cleaning a beverage production apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is a method for cleaning a beverage production apparatus including a stirring unit that stirs beverage ingredients in a container and a cleaning unit that washes the stirring unit with liquid, the method including the steps of: supplying liquid to the cleaning unit and rotating the stirring unit in the cleaning unit to wash the stirring unit; after the step of cleaning the stirring unit, stopping the supply of liquid and draining the liquid from the cleaning unit; after the step of draining the liquid from the cleaning unit, supplying liquid to the cleaning unit to remove residue of beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit; and supplying liquid to the lid unit by a nozzle unit different from the discharge unit used in the steps of cleaning the stirring unit and removing residue adhering to the stirring unit, and the step of removing residue adhering to the stirring unit takes a shorter processing time for the step of removing residue of beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit than the steps of cleaning the stirring unit and draining liquid from the cleaning unit.

In the method for cleaning a beverage production device according to the second aspect of the present invention, as described above, after the step of draining liquid from the cleaning section, a step of supplying liquid to the cleaning section to remove residual beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring section is provided. As a result, in addition to the step of supplying liquid to the cleaning section and rotating the stirring section in the cleaning section to clean the stirring section, a step of supplying liquid to the cleaning section to remove residual beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring section is provided after the step of draining liquid from the cleaning section. Even if some residual beverage ingredients adhere to the stirring section during the draining step, the residual beverage ingredients can be removed by the step of removing the residual beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring section. As a result, it is possible to prevent residual beverage ingredients from remaining on the stirring section.

As described above, the present invention provides a beverage production device and a method for cleaning the beverage production device that can prevent some of the beverage ingredient residue from remaining in the stirring section.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a beverage production apparatus; FIG. 2 is a front view of the beverage production apparatus. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 300-300 in FIG. 2. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the beverage production device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the movement of the stirring unit and the cleaning unit when producing a beverage. FIG. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the state of the motor and the pump during cleaning. 10 is a flowchart for explaining control of cleaning of the agitation unit. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a cleaning container in a second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view for explaining a nozzle portion. FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a rib portion according to a third embodiment, as viewed from the front. FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged view of a cleaning container in a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a rib portion according to a third embodiment, as viewed from the side. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the state of the motor and the pump during cleaning in the modified example. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating states of a motor and a pump during cleaning in another modified example.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
The configuration of a beverage production apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the beverage production apparatus 100 is an apparatus for producing a beverage (such as a smoothie) by pulverizing beverage ingredients (e.g., frozen vegetables and fruits) that are solid matter in a container 110. In this specification, "smoothie" refers to a beverage produced by mixing vegetables and fruits with a mixer or the like.

The beverage production device 100 is placed in a store such as a convenience store, and is used by users such as customers of the store. The beverage ingredients are frozen, and the container 110 containing the beverage ingredients is stored in a freezer. The container 110 is provided with a packaging material that covers the top. The top of the container 110 is opened by opening the packaging material (lid). The user places the container 110 in the beverage production device 100 with the beverage ingredients contained therein, and performs an operation to start beverage production. When the operation to start beverage production is performed, the beverage production device 100 stirs and crushes the beverage ingredients in the container 110 to produce a beverage. Here, in the beverage production device 100, the side where the user is located is the front side (Y1 side), the opposite side is the rear side (Y2 side), and the front-to-back direction is the Y direction. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction in the horizontal direction is the left-to-right direction (X direction), and the direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction is the up-to-down direction (Z direction).

As shown in FIG. 3, the beverage production device 100 includes a main body 1. The beverage production device 100 also includes an agitation unit 2, a cleaning unit 3, a tray 4, a drain pan 5, a water supply unit 6, and a control unit 7 (see FIG. 4), which are provided inside the main body 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. A door 11 is provided below the front side of the main body 1, and a display unit 12 is provided above it.

The door unit 11 is a door that separates the inside and outside of the beverage production device 100, and is provided on the front side (Y1 direction side) of the beverage production device 100. The door unit 11 is configured to be rotatable around an axis that is provided on one end side in the left-right direction (X direction) and extends along the up-down direction (Z direction). The door unit 11 is configured so that when the door unit 11 is open (open state), a user can place a container 110 on the container holding unit 8, and when the door unit 11 is closed (closed state), a user cannot touch the container 110 placed on the container holding unit 8. The door unit 11 is made of a transparent material. In addition, the door unit 11 is configured so that it is locked and cannot be opened or closed during cooking.

The display unit 12 displays images for the user to operate and images of information related to beverage supply. The display unit 12 is a thin display such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence display.

As shown in FIG. 3, the stirring unit 2 is located on the front side (Y1 direction side) inside the main body 1. The stirring unit 2 is located on the upper side (Z1 direction side) inside the main body 1. The stirring unit 2 is configured to stir the beverage ingredients in the container 110. Specifically, the stirring unit 2 includes a rotating shaft 21 extending along the vertical direction (Z direction) and a blade portion 22 provided at the tip (end portion on the Z2 direction side) of the rotating shaft 21. The rotating shaft 21 of the stirring unit 2 is rotated around a rotation axis line extending along the vertical direction. The stirring unit 2 is rotated by a motor 23. The tip of the rotating shaft 21 is provided with a lid portion 24 (broken line portion) for covering the upper opening of the container 110 when stirring the beverage ingredients in the container 110. The lid portion 24 can suppress the scattering of the beverage ingredients from the container 110 during stirring. In the beverage production device 100, the stirring unit 2 stirs the beverage ingredients in the container 110 to cook the beverage ingredients and create a beverage. The stirring unit 2 is equipped with a stirring unit up/down drive unit 25 for moving in the vertical direction (Z direction). The stirring unit up/down drive unit 25 allows the stirring unit 2 to move in the vertical direction between a stirring position M (lowered position) where the blade unit 22 is lowered into the container 110, and a retracted position E (upper position) where the blade unit 22 is raised outside the container 110.

The cleaning unit 3 is disposed below the agitation unit 2 (on the Z2 direction side). The cleaning unit 3 is disposed on the Y2 side of the container holding unit 8 for holding the container 110. The cleaning unit 3 includes a cleaning container 31 capable of storing liquid. The cleaning container 31 has a drain hole 32 at the bottom for discharging waste liquid. The cleaning container 31 adjusts the amount of liquid supplied from the water supply unit 6, and generates centrifugal force by rotating the agitation unit 2, so that the supply amount is greater than the drainage amount per unit time, and thus the liquid can be stored. The cleaning container 31 is connected to the water supply unit 6 via a supply pipe 61a. The liquid is, for example, hot water or cold water.

The tray 4 has a cleaning container 31 and a container holding section 8 arranged thereon. The container holding section 8 holds a container 110. The tray 4 has a partition plate 41 that separates the cleaning container 31 from the container holding section 8. The tray 4 holds the container 110 and moves the container 110 to the working position W. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the beverage production device 100 has a moving mechanism 42 that moves the tray 4 in the front-rear direction (Y direction). The moving mechanism 42 is configured to be able to move the container holding section 8 between the working position W (rear position) and the removal position R (front position). The working position W is a position where the container holding section 8 is arranged directly below the blade section 22 of the stirring section 2. The removal position R is a position where the container holding section 8 can remove the container 110, and is a position where the cleaning section 3 is arranged directly below the stirring section 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the beverage production device 100 is equipped with a removal position detection sensor RS for detecting that the tray 4 is located at the removal position R, and a work position detection sensor WS for detecting that the tray 4 is located at the work position W. The removal position detection sensor RS and the work position detection sensor WS are, for example, microswitches. The tray 4 is moved forward (Y1 direction) by the movement mechanism 42 to a position (removal position R) detected by the removal position detection sensor RS. The tray 4 is also moved backward (Y2 direction) by the movement mechanism 42 to a position (work position W) detected by the work position detection sensor WS.

As shown in FIG. 3, the drain pan 5 is configured to receive waste liquid discharged from the discharge hole 32 of the cleaning container 31. The drain pan 5 includes a pan portion 51 that receives the waste liquid, and a discharge passage 52 for discharging the waste liquid received in the pan portion 51. A hose 53 that guides the waste liquid to the drain tank 20 is connected to the discharge passage 52. The waste liquid is temporarily stored in the drain tank 20 via the discharge passage 52 and the hose 53. The drain pan 5 also holds the tray 4 so that it can move in the front-to-rear direction (Y direction).

The water supply unit 6 includes a storage unit 60, a first flow path 61, and a second flow path 62. The water supply unit 6 supplies liquid to the cleaning unit 3 via the first flow path 61 during cleaning, and supplies liquid to the container 110 via the second flow path 62 during beverage production.

The reservoir 60 stores liquid supplied from a water source. The reservoir 60 is located at the rear inside the main body 1, and is located behind the agitator 2 and cleaner 3.

The first flow path 61 is a flow path for supplying liquid from the storage section 60 to the cleaning section 3. The first flow path 61 includes a supply pipe 61a, a discharge section 61b, and an electromagnetic valve 61c. The first flow path 61 discharges the liquid in the storage section 60, which is pumped by the pump 67, from the discharge section 61b via the electromagnetic valve 61c and the supply pipe 61a, and cleans the agitation section 2 with the discharged liquid. The liquid (waste liquid) that has cleaned the agitation section 2 is discharged into the drain pan 5.

The second flow path 62 is configured to supply the liquid in the storage section 60 into the container 110 containing the beverage ingredients when the stirring section 2 stirs the beverage ingredients in the container 110. The second flow path 62 also includes a supply pipe 62a, a discharge section 62b, and an electromagnetic valve 62c. The second flow path 62 discharges the liquid in the storage section 60, which is sent by the pump 67, from the discharge section 62b via the electromagnetic valve 62c and the supply pipe 62a, and supplies the discharged liquid into the container 110 containing the beverage ingredients. In other words, the supply pipe 62a is configured to guide the water in the storage section 60 into the container 110. The discharge section 62b is arranged so as to be located diagonally above the container 110 at the stirring position. The second flow path 62 is also configured to supply the liquid near the center of the container 110 in a plan view.

The pump 67 is configured to pump the liquid in the storage section 60. The pump 67 is configured to pump an amount of liquid that is proportional to the operating time. In other words, the amount of liquid pumped by the pump 67 is controlled by controlling the operating time.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 7 includes a CPU 71 (Central Processing Unit) and a memory 72. The memory 72 stores the processing times of the first, second, and third processes during washing, the amount of water supplied from the water supply unit 6, and the rotation speed of the agitation unit 2. The processing times of the first, second, and third processes during washing, the amount of water supplied from the water supply unit 6, and the rotation speed of the agitation unit 2 are set arbitrarily by the user. The control unit 7 controls the agitation unit 2 and the water supply unit 6. Specifically, the control unit 7 controls the motor 23 of the agitation unit 2 and the agitation unit up/down drive unit 25. The control unit 7 also controls the solenoid valve 61c, the solenoid valve 62c, and the pump 67. The control unit 7 also controls the movement mechanism 42 to move the tray 4 to the removal position R and the work position W.

(Production of beverages)
The production of beverages will be described with reference to FIG. 5. Note that FIG. 5 shows a simplified configuration of the apparatus. In the beverage production apparatus 100 before cooking shown in FIG. 5(A), the stirring unit 2 is located above the cleaning unit 3, and the door unit 11 is in a closed state. Here, in the beverage production apparatus 100, beverage production is started by a user's operation. A container 110 containing beverage ingredients in advance is placed in the container holding unit 8 by the user. When an operation to start beverage production is performed, as shown in FIG. 5(B), the tray 4 is moved backward by the moving mechanism 42 (see FIG. 3) to the working position W where the container holding unit 8 is located under the stirring unit 2. Next, as shown in FIG. 5(C), the hot water in the storage unit 60 is supplied into the container 110 containing the beverage ingredients.

As shown in FIG. 5 (D), the stirring unit 2 is moved downward by the stirring unit up/down drive unit 25 (see FIG. 3) to a stirring position where the stirring unit 2 can cook (stir) and crush the beverage ingredients in the container 110. Next, the rotating shaft 21 and blade unit 22 of the stirring unit 2 are rotated by the motor 23 (see FIG. 3) and raised and lowered by the stirring unit up/down drive unit 25. This causes the beverage ingredients in the container 110 to be stirred and crushed.

When stirring by the stirring unit 2 is completed, the stirring unit 2 is moved upward by the stirring unit up/down drive unit 25, as shown in FIG. 5(E). As shown in FIG. 5(F), the tray 4 is moved forward by the movement mechanism 42 (see FIG. 3) to the removal position R from which the container 110 can be removed. When the stirring unit 2 has moved to a position from which the container 110 can be removed, it is located above the cleaning unit 3. This allows the user to remove the container 110 containing the produced beverage from the container holding unit 8 arranged on the tray 4 by opening the door unit 11, as shown in FIG. 5(G). Cleaning of the stirring unit 2 then begins.

(Cleaning of the stirring part)
The cleaning of the stirring unit 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. First, the control unit 7 drives the stirring unit vertical drive unit 25 to lower the stirring unit 2 to the inside of the cleaning container 31 during the period from time t0 after the beverage is produced to time t1 when the first process starts. During the period from time t1 to time t2 after the stirring unit 2 has moved to the inside of the cleaning container 31, the control unit 7 controls the pump 67 to supply liquid to the cleaning unit 3 and controls the motor 23 to rotate the stirring unit 2 in the cleaning unit 3 to perform a process of cleaning the stirring unit 2 (first process). During the period from time t2 to time t3 after the process of cleaning the stirring unit 2, the control unit 7 controls the pump 67 to stop the supply of liquid and performs a process of draining the liquid from the cleaning unit 3 (second process). Then, during the period from time t3 to time t4 after the process of draining the liquid from the cleaning unit 3, the control unit 7 controls the pump 67 to supply liquid to the cleaning unit 3 and performs a process of removing the residue of the beverage ingredients attached to the stirring unit 2 (third process). The first process, the second process, and the third process are performed in this order. In Fig. 6, when the device is driven, it is referred to as ON, and when the device is stopped, it is referred to as OFF.

In the first process, the control unit 7 controls the motor 23 and the pump 67 to operate from time t1 to time t2. This allows liquid to be supplied to the inside of the cleaning container 31, and the rotating shaft 21 and the blade section 22 to rotate due to the driving of the motor 23, so that the rotating shaft 21 and the blade section 22 can be washed while liquid is stored in the cleaning container 31. At this time, since the amount of liquid supplied from the pump 67 is greater than the amount of liquid discharged from the cleaning container 31, the amount of liquid stored in the cleaning container 31 increases between time t1 and time t2. Water is stored in the cleaning container 31 up to near the top. Residual beverage ingredients (such as vegetable and fruit skins, seeds, and fibers) attached to the rotating shaft 21 and the blade section 22 by the first process float in the liquid.

In the second process, the control unit 7 controls the motor 23 and the pump 67 to stop them between time t2 and time t3. This stops the supply of liquid to the cleaning container 31, and the wastewater flows through the drain hole 32 provided in the cleaning container 31 and the drain pan 5 into the drainage tank 20. The second process has the same processing time as the first process. In the second process, the amount of liquid supplied from the pump 67 becomes smaller than the amount of liquid discharged from the cleaning container 31, so that the liquid is completely discharged from the cleaning container 31.

In the third process, the control unit 7 controls the motor 23 and the pump 67 to operate from time t2 to time t3. As a result, liquid is supplied to the inside of the cleaning container 31, and the rotating shaft 21 and the blade portion 22 rotate due to the driving of the motor 23, so that the liquid is stored in the cleaning container 31 and the rotating shaft 21 and the blade portion 22 can be rinsed by pouring the liquid over them. At this time, since the amount of liquid supplied from the pump 67 is greater than the amount of liquid discharged from the cleaning container 31, the amount of liquid stored in the cleaning container 31 increases between time t3 and time t4. The third process is set to a shorter processing time than the first and second processes. In addition, in the third process, the water level of the stored liquid is above the blade portion 22, and the liquid is stored so that the blade portion 22 is immersed in the liquid. Then, the motor 23 and the pump 67 are stopped, and the liquid is drained through the drain hole 32 provided in the cleaning container 31 and the drain pan 5 into the drain tank 20, completing the cleaning.

Based on FIG. 7, the control of the control unit 7 when cleaning the stirring unit 2 will be described. In step S51, the control unit 7 controls the pump 67 to drive and supply liquid to the cleaning container 31. When supplying liquid to the cleaning container 31, the control unit 7 controls the solenoid valve 61c to be in an open state in advance and the solenoid valve 62c to be in a closed state. In step S52, the motor 23 is driven to rotate the stirring unit 2. Steps S51 and S52 are the first process. In the flowchart, the control to drive the pump 67 is described first for convenience, but they may be performed simultaneously as shown in FIG. 6, or the order may be reversed. Then, in step S53, the next step changes depending on whether a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined time is the processing time of the first process stored in the memory 72. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the control unit 7 continues the first process, and if the predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 7 proceeds to step S54 and starts the second process.

In step S54, the control unit 7 stops the pump 67 and stops the supply of liquid to the cleaning container 31. Then, in step S55, the control unit 7 stops the motor 23. Steps S54 and S55 constitute the second process. For convenience, the flow chart describes the control to stop the pump 67 first, but as shown in FIG. 6, steps S54 and S55 may be performed simultaneously or in the opposite order. Then, in step S56, the next step changes depending on whether a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined time is the processing time of the second process stored in the memory 72. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the control unit 7 continues the second process, and if the predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 7 proceeds to step S57 and the third process is started.

In step S57, the control unit 7 controls the pump 67 to drive and supply liquid to the cleaning container 31. In step S58, the motor 23 is driven to rotate the agitation unit 2. Steps S57 and S58 constitute the third process. For convenience, the flow chart describes the control for driving the pump 67 first, but as shown in FIG. 6, steps S57 and S58 may be performed simultaneously or in reverse order. Then, in step S59, the next step changes depending on whether a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined time is the processing time of the third process stored in the memory 72. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the control unit 7 continues the third process, and if the predetermined time has elapsed, ends the cleaning of the agitation unit 2.

(Effects of the First Embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

In the first embodiment, as described above, the control unit 7 is configured to sequentially perform a first process of supplying liquid from the water supply unit 6 to the cleaning unit 3 and cleaning the stirring unit 2 in the cleaning unit 3, a second process of stopping the water supply unit 6 and draining the liquid in the cleaning container 31, and a third process of supplying liquid from the water supply unit 6 to the cleaning unit 3 and removing the residual beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit 2. As a result, by performing the third process of removing the residual beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit 2 in addition to the first process of cleaning the stirring unit 2 and the second process of stopping the water supply unit 6 and draining the liquid in the cleaning container 31, even if some of the residual beverage ingredients adhere to the stirring unit 2 when the stirring unit 2 is cleaned and then drained, the residual beverage ingredients can be removed from the stirring unit 2 by the third process. As a result, it is possible to suppress some of the residual beverage ingredients from remaining in the stirring unit 2.

In the first embodiment, as described above, the water supply unit 6 includes a pump 67 that supplies liquid, the stirring unit 2 includes a motor 23 that rotates the stirring unit 2, and the control unit 7 is configured to control the pump 67 to supply liquid to the cleaning unit 3 in the first process, control the motor 23 to rotate the stirring unit 2 within the cleaning unit 3, control the pump 67 to stop the supply of water to the cleaning container 31 in the second process, and control the pump 67 to supply liquid to the cleaning unit 3 in the third process. As a result, the control unit 7 controls the pump 67 and the motor 23 to perform the first to third processes, so that it is possible to prevent beverage ingredient residues from remaining in the stirring unit 2 without performing complex control.

In addition, in the first embodiment, as described above, the processing time of the third process is configured to be shorter than the processing time of the first process. As a result, the third process is performed in a shorter time than the first process, which makes it possible to prevent the time required to clean the stirring unit 2 from becoming longer, and also makes it possible to use less liquid when performing the third process than in the first process.

As described above, the first embodiment includes a process of supplying liquid to the cleaning unit 3 and removing residual beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit 2 after the process of draining the liquid from the cleaning unit 3. This not only includes a process of supplying liquid to the cleaning unit 3 and rotating the stirring unit 2 in the cleaning unit 3 to wash the stirring unit 2, but also includes a process of supplying liquid to the cleaning unit 3 and removing residual beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit 2 after the process of draining the liquid from the cleaning unit 3, making it possible to remove residual beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit 2 after the cleaning process. As a result, it is possible to prevent residual beverage ingredients from remaining on the stirring unit 2.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a beverage production apparatus 200 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10. In the beverage production apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment, the cleaning unit 3 includes a nozzle unit 35. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described.

As shown in FIG. 8, one nozzle unit 35 is provided on the upper side of the inner circumferential surface 31a of the cleaning container 31. The nozzle unit 35 sprays the liquid supplied from the water supply unit 6 into the cleaning container 31.

9, the nozzle portion 35 is configured to spray liquid upward toward the underside of the lid portion 24, as shown by the arrow. The nozzle portion 35 is configured to spray liquid toward the underside of the lid portion 24 closer to the nozzle portion 35. The underside of the lid portion 24 closer to the nozzle portion 35 means the underside of the lid portion 24 located closer to the inner circumferential surface of the cleaning container 31 on which the nozzle portion 35 is provided than the center of the lid portion 24 in the X direction in a cross-sectional view. The spray angle θ of the nozzle portion 35 is an inclination angle with respect to the vertical direction. The nozzle portion 35 sprays toward a point SP between the center of the lid portion 24 in the X direction and the corner C on the Y1 side where the nozzle portion 35 is located in a cross-sectional view, rather than straight up. The point SP may be provided in the center between the center of the lid portion 24 in the X direction and the corner C on the Y1 side, or may be located closer to the corner C on the Y1 side than the center between the center of the lid portion 24 in the X direction and the corner C on the Y1 side. Additionally, the hole diameter d1 of the nozzle portion 35 is set to, for example, 2.0 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less.

As shown in FIG. 10, the lid portion 24 is annular and has a through hole 24a through which the agitator 2 passes. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper corner C of the lid portion 24 is rounded and curved downward (toward the Z2 side) in a vertical cross section. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the nozzle portion 35 sprays liquid at an angle in the Y direction rather than straight up, so that the liquid sprayed from the nozzle portion 35 spreads in the Y direction along the curved shape of the underside of the lid portion 24. Also, the liquid sprayed onto the lid portion 24 spreads in the X direction along the curved shape of the underside of the lid portion 24 due to the force of the spray, and is distributed throughout the entire annular lid portion 24.

The other configurations of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Effects of the Second Embodiment)
In the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

In the second embodiment, as described above, the control unit 7 is configured to sequentially perform a first process of supplying liquid from the water supply unit 6 to the cleaning unit 3 and cleaning the stirring unit 2 in the cleaning unit 3, a second process of stopping the water supply unit 6 and draining the liquid in the cleaning container 31, and a third process of supplying liquid from the water supply unit 6 to the cleaning unit 3 and removing the residual beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit 2. As a result, by performing the third process of removing the residual beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit 2 in addition to the first process of cleaning the stirring unit 2 and the second process of stopping the water supply unit 6 and draining the liquid in the cleaning container 31, even if some of the residual beverage ingredients adhere to the stirring unit 2 when the stirring unit 2 is cleaned and then drained, the residual beverage ingredients can be removed from the stirring unit 2 by the third process. As a result, it is possible to suppress some of the residual beverage ingredients from remaining on the stirring unit 2.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the washing unit 3 further includes a lid portion 24 that covers the opening of the washing container 31, and the washing unit 3 further includes a nozzle portion 35 that is provided on the inner surface of the washing container 31 and sprays liquid supplied from the water supply unit 6, and the nozzle portion 35 is configured to spray liquid toward the underside of the lid portion 24. This makes it possible to wash the lid portion 24 by spraying liquid toward it, thereby washing away any residual beverage ingredients adhering to the lid portion 24.

In the second embodiment, as described above, the lid portion 24 is annular, and the nozzle portion 35 is configured to spray liquid toward the underside of the inner circumferential side of the lid portion 24 close to the nozzle portion 35. As a result, since the lid portion 24 is annular, the liquid sprayed toward the lid portion 24 can be circulated throughout the lid portion 24 by the force of the spray. In addition, since the nozzle portion 35 is configured to spray liquid toward the underside of the lid portion 24 close to the nozzle portion 35, the liquid can be circulated toward a position away from the position close to the nozzle portion 35 on the underside of the lid portion 24, so that the entire lid portion 24 can be cleaned.

The other effects of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a beverage production apparatus 300 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 11, 12, and 13. In the beverage production apparatus 300 according to the third embodiment, an inner peripheral surface 31a of the cleaning container 31 is provided with a rib portion 34 extending upward. Note that in the third embodiment, the same components as those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described.

As shown in FIG. 11, the rib portion 34 is provided on the inner peripheral surface 31a of the cleaning container 31. As shown in FIG. 12, the rib portion 34 is configured so that the thickness d2 decreases as it extends upward. Specifically, the rib portion 34 is formed so that the thickness d2 is uniform up to a certain point and decreases as it moves upward from the center in the vertical direction. Therefore, the thickness d3 of the upper part of the rib portion 34 is smaller than the thickness d2 of the lower part of the rib portion 34. As a result, the rib portion 34 is inclined inward as it extends upward, so that the vortex formed in the cleaning container 31 by the rotation of the stirring portion 2 flows upward along the inclined surface of the rib portion 34 as shown by the arrow FP. As shown in FIG. 13, a plurality of ribs 34 are provided in the cleaning container 31.

The other configurations of the third embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Effects of the Third Embodiment)
In the third embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

In the third embodiment, as described above, the control unit 7 is configured to sequentially perform a first process of supplying liquid from the water supply unit 6 to the cleaning unit 3 and cleaning the stirring unit 2 in the cleaning unit 3, a second process of stopping the water supply unit 6 and draining the liquid in the cleaning container 31, and a third process of supplying liquid from the water supply unit 6 to the cleaning unit 3 and removing the residual beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit 2. As a result, by performing the third process of removing the residual beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit 2 in addition to the first process of cleaning the stirring unit 2 and the second process of stopping the water supply unit 6 and draining the liquid in the cleaning container 31, even if some of the residual beverage ingredients adhere to the stirring unit 2 when the stirring unit 2 is cleaned and then drained, the residual beverage ingredients can be removed from the stirring unit 2 by the third process. As a result, it is possible to suppress some of the residual beverage ingredients from remaining on the stirring unit 2.

In the third embodiment, as described above, the inner surface 31a of the cleaning container 31 is provided with a rib portion 34 extending upward. With this, the rib portion 34 extending upward causes the vortex formed by the rotation of the stirring portion 2 to flow upward along the inclined surface of the rib portion 34, so that the liquid can be applied to the lid portion 24. As a result, it is possible to further prevent beverage ingredient residue from remaining on the lid portion 24.

The other effects of the third embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[Modification]
It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

For example, in the first to third embodiments, an example was shown in which the control unit controls the pump and the motor to stop simultaneously in the first process, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 14, the control unit may control the pump to stop before the motor, and the first process and the second process may overlap.

In the above first to third embodiments, an example was shown in which the control unit controls the motor to stop in the second process, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 15, the control unit does not need to control the motor to stop in the second process.

In addition, in the above first to third embodiments, an example was shown in which the processing time of the first process was the same as the processing time of the second process, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the processing time of the first process may be different from the processing time of the second process, and for example, in the case of residue of a highly viscous beverage ingredient, the processing time of the first process may be longer than the processing time of the second process.

In the above first to third embodiments, an example was shown in which the processing time of the third process was shorter than the processing time of the first process and the second process, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the processing time of the third process may be the same as the processing time of the first process and the processing time of the second process, or the processing time of the third process may be longer than the processing time of the first process and the processing time of the second process.

In addition, in the above first to third embodiments, an example was shown in which the liquid in the cleaning container is completely drained in the second process, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the liquid in the cleaning container does not have to be completely drained in the second process. In this case, it is preferable that the surface of the liquid remaining in the cleaning container is located below the blade portion.

In the above first to third embodiments, an example was shown in which the cleaning container has a drain hole, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the cleaning container does not have to have a drain hole. In this case, a valve may be provided in the drain passage connecting the cleaning container and the drain tank, and the control unit may adjust the valve to drain the wastewater from the cleaning container. In addition, the fourth process may include a drainage process in which the control unit controls the opening of the valve.

In addition, in the above first to third embodiments, an example was shown in which the stirring unit was rotated in the cleaning container to be cleaned, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the stirring unit may be cleaned without being rotated.

In the second embodiment, an example is shown in which one nozzle portion is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cleaning container, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, multiple nozzle portions may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cleaning container.

In the third embodiment, multiple rib portions are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cleaning container, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, only one rib portion may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cleaning container.

In the third embodiment, the thickness of the rib portion decreases as it extends upward, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the thickness of the rib portion may be uniform.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Main body 2 Stirring section 3 Cleaning section 6 Water supply section 7 Control section 23 Motor 24 Lid section 31 Cleaning container 31a Inner circumferential surface 34 Rib section 35 Nozzle section 67 Pump 100, 200, 300 Beverage production device 110 Container

Claims (6)

A main body portion,
a stirring unit provided in the main body for stirring the beverage ingredients in the container;
a cleaning unit provided in the main body, the cleaning unit including a cleaning container for cleaning the stirring unit, and configured to clean the stirring unit with a liquid;
a water supply unit for supplying the liquid to the cleaning unit;
A control unit that controls the stirring unit and the water supply unit;
a lid portion for covering an opening of the cleaning container of the cleaning unit ,
the control unit sequentially performs a first process of supplying the liquid from the water supply unit to the cleaning unit and cleaning the stirring unit in the cleaning unit, a second process of stopping the water supply unit and draining the liquid in the cleaning container, and a third process of supplying the liquid from the water supply unit to the cleaning unit and removing residues of the beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring unit, and is configured such that the processing time of the third process is shorter than the processing time of the first process and the processing time of the second process ;
The cleaning unit of the beverage production apparatus includes a discharge unit that supplies the liquid to the cleaning container to clean the stirring unit, and a nozzle unit that supplies the liquid to the lid unit to clean the lid unit . The water supply unit includes a pump that supplies the liquid,
The stirring unit includes a motor that rotates the stirring unit,
The beverage production apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the pump to supply the liquid to the cleaning section in the first process and to control the motor to rotate the stirring section within the cleaning section, to control the pump to stop the supply of water to the cleaning container in the second process, and to control the pump to supply the liquid to the cleaning section in the third process. The beverage production device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the nozzle portion is configured to eject the liquid toward a lower surface of the lid portion. The lid portion is annular,
The beverage production device according to claim 3 , wherein the nozzle portion is configured to eject the liquid towards a lower surface of the lid portion close to the nozzle portion. The beverage production device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the inner circumferential surface of the cleaning container is provided with a rib portion extending upward. A cleaning method for a beverage production device including a stirring unit that stirs beverage ingredients in a container and a cleaning unit that cleans the stirring unit with a liquid, comprising:
supplying the liquid to the cleaning section and rotating the agitation section within the cleaning section to clean the agitation section;
a step of stopping the supply of the liquid and draining the liquid from the cleaning unit after the step of cleaning the stirring unit;
a step of draining the liquid from the washing section, followed by a step of supplying the liquid to the washing section to remove residue of the beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring section;
and a step of cleaning the lid portion by supplying the liquid to the lid portion using a nozzle unit different from a discharge unit used in the step of cleaning the stirring unit and the step of removing residue attached to the stirring unit,
A method for cleaning a beverage production apparatus, wherein the step of removing residue of the beverage ingredients adhering to the stirring section takes a shorter processing time than the steps of cleaning the stirring section and draining the liquid from the cleaning section.

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