JP2019142592A - Drink server - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a user-friendly water server. [Solution] The water server includes a cold water tank 40 and a hot water tank 50 for storing beverages in replaceable bottles 60, a heating device for heating the beverage stored in the hot water tank 50, a first pipe 93 and a second pipe 94 for circulating water between the cold water tank and the hot water tank, and a pump 91 attached to the second pipe 94 for circulating water, and the pump 91 is driven intermittently to circulate water between the cold water tank 40 and the hot water tank 50. [Selected Figure] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a beverage server that supplies beverages contained in bottles.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, beverage servers that supply beverages such as water contained in bottles are known. Many beverage servers that have been used in the past are types of beverage servers in which bottles are set on top of a water server housing. In this beverage server, the beverage in the bottle is dropped into the tank of the water server using gravity.

  However, it is not easy for women and elderly people to set the bottle on the top of the housing, and the bottle replacement work is difficult. Patent Document 1 proposes a water server in which a bottle is set in a lower part of a casing in order to solve such problems.

  Patent Document 2 discloses drinking water that heats and sterilizes a storage tank or piping system without providing a heater in a piping system or cold water tank of a dispenser that always supplies drinking water in a bag-in-box type container in the state of hot water or cold water. Has proposed a dispenser.

JP 2014-172624 A JP 2006-076662 A

  The drink server is devised in various ways to improve the user-friendliness. The present invention provides a beverage server that is easier to use than conventional beverage servers.

  The beverage server of the present invention includes a first tank and a second tank for storing beverages in replaceable bottles, a heating device for heating beverages stored in the second tank, and the first tank A circulation line that circulates between the tank and the second tank; and a pump that is provided on the circulation line and circulates the beverage. The pump is intermittently driven, and the first tank A beverage is circulated between the second tank. In this way, the first tank can be sterilized by circulating the heated beverage in the second tank to the first tank. At this time, it is possible to extend the life of the pump by driving the pump intermittently.

  In the beverage server of the present invention, the circulation conduit includes a first conduit from which the beverage goes from the first tank to the second tank, and a beverage from the second tank to the first tank. A second pipe line, and an end of the second pipe line may be connected to a lower part of the first tank. With this configuration, the heated beverage that has entered the first tank convects above the first tank, but the lower portion of the first tank can be efficiently heated.

  The beverage server of the present invention may have a horizontal plate provided in the first tank, and an end of the first conduit may be connected to the plate. The upper and lower sides of the first tank are gently partitioned by the horizontal plate, but since the beverage on the horizontal plate is sent out toward the second tank, the temperature of the beverage in the first tank is efficiently warmed. be able to.

  The beverage server according to the present invention includes a support base for installing the bottle, a supply conduit for connecting the first tank and the bottle, and the supply below the first tank and the second tank. An open-type pump for pumping may be provided on the pipeline for pumping a beverage from the bottle to the first beverage server. By using an open-type pump for pumping, when the internal pressure of the first tank rises as the temperature of the first tank rises, the air in the first tank is returned to the bottle. The increase in internal pressure of the tank can be reduced.

  The beverage server of the present invention includes a support base for installing the bottle, a supply conduit for connecting the first tank and the bottle, and the circulation below the first tank and the second tank. A part of the pipeline and a part of the supply pipeline are shared pipelines, and a switching valve that switches whether the shared pipeline is used as the circulation pipeline or the supply pipeline. The pump is an open-type pump provided in the shared pipeline, and the switching valve connects the shared pipeline to the circulation pipeline when driving the pump, When the pump is stopped, the shared pipeline may be connected to the supply pipeline. Thus, when the open pump is stopped, the air in the first tank can be released to the bottle side through the supply line by connecting the common line to the supply line. Therefore, the increase in the internal pressure of the first tank accompanying the temperature increase of the first tank can be reduced.

  The beverage server of the present invention may include a flow meter provided at a location that is not the shared pipeline on the supply pipeline. Since the beverage heated in the second tank does not pass through the supply line, the flow meter can be protected from heat.

  In the beverage server of the present invention, the bottle may be a bottle that is deformed in accordance with the outflow of the beverage. With this configuration, when the air flows from the first tank into the bottle, there is room for the bottle to swell, so that an increase in the internal pressure of the first tank can be effectively reduced.

  The beverage server of the present invention includes a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the beverage in the first tank, and circulates the beverage between the first tank and the second tank through the circulation pipe. Thereafter, the takeout of the beverage from the first tank may be stopped until the temperature measured by the temperature sensor becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold. With this configuration, the heated beverage is not accidentally taken out from the first tank, and burns can be prevented in advance.

  The beverage server of the present invention includes a first tank and a second tank for storing beverages in replaceable bottles, a heating device for heating beverages stored in the second tank, and the first tank A first valve disposed on a water discharge line connected to the tank; a second valve disposed on a water discharge line connected to the second tank; and a dispensing button for instructing a beverage to be dispensed Switching between a first mode in which the first valve is opened when the dispensing button is pressed and a second mode in which the second valve is opened when the dispensing button is pressed And a button. With this configuration, it is possible to pour both unheated beverages and heated beverages from one spout.

  The beverage server according to the present invention switches from the first mode to the second mode when the switching button is operated in the first mode, and the dispensing button is not pressed in the second mode. When the state that is not performed continues for a predetermined time, the second mode may be switched to the first mode. Thus, by returning to the first mode when the state in which the dispensing button is not pressed continues for a predetermined time, it is possible to prevent the heated beverage from being inadvertently dispensed.

  The beverage server of the present invention includes a notification sound output unit that emits a notification sound at the time of switching from the first mode to the second mode or at the time of switching from the second mode to the first mode. You may prepare. Moreover, you may provide the indicator lamp which shows that it is the said 2nd mode. Thereby, it is possible to alert the user whether or not the heated beverage is in a mode of being dispensed, and to reduce the risk of burns.

  The beverage server of the present invention includes a tank for storing beverages in replaceable bottles, a support base for installing the bottles below the tanks, a supply line for connecting the tanks and the bottles, A pump for pumping beverage from the bottle into the tank; a flow meter provided on the supply pipeline; and a flow rate measured by the flow meter, through the supply pipeline. A measurement unit that measures the amount of the beverage that has been pumped, and a display unit that displays information related to the remaining amount in the bottle based on the measurement result. With this configuration, even when the bottle is not visible, the user can grasp the remaining amount of beverage in the bottle.

  In the beverage server of the present invention, the measurement unit may reset the pumping amount when the flow rate measured by the flowmeter is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold over a predetermined time. Thereby, when a bottle is newly set, the remaining amount of the bottle can be calculated appropriately.

  The beverage server of the present invention includes a tank for storing beverages contained in replaceable bottles, a heating device for heating beverages stored in the tanks, and a reheating button for instructing reheating of beverages in the tanks. Is provided. With this configuration, heating may be performed particularly when a high-temperature beverage (for example, 90 ° C.) is required. Usually, the temperature can be set to a slightly lower temperature (for example, 80 to 85 ° C.). Can save energy for holding.

  The beverage server of the present invention may include an indicator lamp that displays that the beverage stored in the tank is being reheated. In addition, a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the beverage in the tank is provided, and the indicator lamp may be lit or blinked when the temperature of the beverage in the tank is within a predetermined temperature range higher than a normal holding temperature. Good. Thereby, it is possible to grasp whether or not the beverage in the tank is being reheated. The “normal holding temperature” means a holding temperature range of the tank when reheating is not performed.

  The beverage server according to the present invention includes a beverage tank that stores a beverage in a replaceable bottle, a support base that installs the bottle below the beverage tank, and the inverted stand that is erected on the support base. A water receiving rod that pierces the cap of the bottle; and a bottom surface on which the support base is slidably mounted, and an engaging portion that engages in a state in which the support base is pulled out of the housing. Each of the pedestals is provided. The engaging portion may limit movement of the support base in a direction perpendicular to the pedestal. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the support base from being lifted when the bottle is pulled out from the water receiving rod.

  The beverage server of the present invention includes a beverage tank that stores beverages in replaceable bottles, a dispensing button that instructs dispensing of the beverage, and a button that invalidates the operation by the dispensing button. Thereby, mischief by infants etc. can be prevented.

  The beverage server of the present invention is more convenient than conventional beverage servers.

It is a perspective view of the water server of an embodiment. It is a figure which shows an operation panel. It is the perspective view which looked at the water server of embodiment from the back diagonally. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of a water server. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of a water server. (A) It is a figure which shows the structure which accommodates a bottle. (B) It is a figure which shows a mode that the bottle and its support stand were pulled out. (A) It is a figure which shows the structure of a support stand. (B) It is a figure which shows a mode that the support stand was slid. (C) It is a figure which shows the engaging part of a support stand and a bottom face. It is a figure which shows the structure of a control part. It is a figure which shows the example of the bottle installed in a water server. (A) And (b) is a figure which shows a mode that a bottle is crushed when water is taken out from a bottle.

  Hereinafter, a beverage server according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, a water server that supplies water in a bottle will be described as an example, but the beverage server of the present invention can be applied to supply not only water but also various beverages.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a water server 1 according to an embodiment. The water server 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 10 having a width of about 30 cm, a depth of about 38.6 cm, and a height of about 115 cm.

  The housing 10 has an operation panel 11 at an upper position on the front surface that is easy to operate. The operation panel 11 is directed obliquely upward so that a user standing in front of the water server 1 can easily see. Below the operation panel 11, there is a tray 12 for placing a cup or the like into which water poured out from the water server 1 is placed. By pushing a pour button 33 (see FIG. 2) provided at the bottom of the operation panel 11, the water server 1 discharges water from the pour port 13 while the pour button 33 is being pushed.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the operation panel 11. The operation panel 11 is provided with various indicator lights and buttons in addition to the above-described dispensing button 33. Specifically, a water supply indicator lamp 21, a hot water indicator lamp 22, a cold water indicator lamp 23, and an eco mode indicator lamp 24 are provided as indicator lamps indicating the state of the water server 1. In addition, as operation buttons, a clean system button 26, a weak water mode button 28, a reheating button 30, and a HOT button 32 are provided, and the function of each button is provided at the same place as these buttons. It has indicator lamps 25, 27, 29, and 31 indicating the operation state. In addition, the operation panel 11 is provided with a light sensor 20 that detects ambient brightness on the water supply indicator lamp 21. Detailed functions of the buttons and indicator lamps provided on the operation panel 11 will be described later. As shown in FIG. 1, the water server 1 has a door 14 that opens when the bottle 60 is set in the housing 10 below the front tray 12.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the water server 1 as viewed obliquely from behind. A child lock switch 15 is provided above the back of the water server 1. The child lock switch 15 is a switch for invalidating the operation by the operation panel 11. The operation panel 11 makes it possible to recognize from the display state that the child lock 15 has been disabled by being operated. In the present embodiment, only the water supply indicator lamp 21 is turned on and the other indicator lamps are turned off. In addition, since it is only necessary to know that the state of the operation panel is invalid, the display method is not limited to the method of the present embodiment, and for example, an indicator lamp dedicated to child lock may be provided. The place where the child lock switch 15 is located is about 1 m from the lower surface of the housing 10 and is a place where the hand of an infant cannot reach. In addition, a power switch 16 of the water server 1 is provided on the opposite side of the child switch 15 above the back of the water server 1. A seal may be attached on the power switch 16 at the time of product shipment. Thereby, inconveniences such as accidentally emptying the hot water tank 50 can be prevented. The shape of the child lock 15 on the back surface of the housing 10 is devised so that it can be operated by groping without visually observing it. Specifically, the shape of the child lock 15 is made small and thin so that it can be easily distinguished from the power switch 16.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration showing piping, valves, and the like of the water server 1 according to the embodiment. Inside the housing 10 of the water server 1, a cold water tank 40 and a hot water tank 50 that store water pumped up from the bottle 60 from above are provided. In the housing 10, the cold water tank 40 and the hot water tank 50 are disposed at a position higher than the spout 13.

  The cold water tank 40 is provided with a temperature sensor 41 and a cooling device (not shown), and the water temperature in the cold water tank 40 is maintained at 5 to 10 ° C. The hot water tank 50 is provided with a temperature sensor 51 and a heating device (not shown), and the water temperature in the hot water tank 50 is maintained at 80 to 85 ° C.

  The bottle 60 is set on a support base 80 (see FIG. 6) under the hot water tank 50. In the water server 1 according to the present embodiment, the position where the bottle 60 is set is the lower part of the housing 10, and it is not necessary to lift the bottle 60 high, so even a woman or an elderly person can easily set the bottle 60. be able to. In FIG. 4, the bottle 60 is drawn with substantially the same size as the cold water tank 40 and the hot water tank 50, but the bottle 60 is actually larger.

  The bottle 60 and the cold water tank 40 are connected by a supply pipe 90. It is installed with the water intake of the bottle 60 facing down. The water in the bottle 60 flows into the supply pipe 90 through the water receiving rod 81 pierced by the cap of the bottle 60. Since the cold water tank 40 is located higher than the bottle 60, the supply pipe 90 is provided with a pump 91 for pumping the water in the bottle 60 into the cold water tank 40. In FIG. 4, the arrows indicate the flow of water during normal operation.

  The bottle 60 and the hot water tank 50 are not directly connected, and water is supplied to the hot water tank 50 through the cold water tank 40. That is, the cold water tank 40 and the hot water tank 50 are connected by the first pipe 93. The inlet of the first pipe 93 on the cold water tank 40 side is provided not at the bottom of the cold water tank 40 but at the center of the disk 46 arranged at a predetermined height. Thus, the water is supplied to the hot water tank 50 for the first time when the water is filled up to the height of the disk 46 in the cold water tank 40. Further, as will be described later, the disk 46 has a role of gently partitioning water stored in the cold water tank 40 above and below the disk 46. In the present embodiment, since the cold water tank 40 has a cylindrical shape, the circular disk 46 is used as a plate for gently partitioning the upper and lower sides of the cold water tank 40, but the shape is not necessarily circular. Good.

  The cold water tank 40 and the hot water tank 50 are connected by a second pipe 94 that returns water from the hot water tank 50 to the cold water tank 40. The first pipe 93 and the second pipe 94 constitute a circulation pipe that circulates water through the pipes of the cold water tank 40 and the hot water tank 50. The first pipe 93 has a role of supplying water from the cold water tank 40 to the hot water tank 50, and also has a role as a circulation pipe for circulating water through the pipes of the cold water tank 40 and the hot water tank 50. . The second pipe 94 is used when the hot water in the hot water tank 50 is supplied to the cold water tank 40 to sterilize the cold water tank 40.

  A part of the second pipe 94 is shared with a part of the supply pipe 90 that pumps water from the bottle 60 to the cold water tank 40. For convenience of explanation, the shared portion 95 of the tube is referred to as a “shared tube”. The shared pipe 95 can be used as either (A) a path for flowing water pumped from the bottle 60 to the cold water tank 40 or (B) a path for flowing water from the hot water tank 50 to the cold water tank 40. The switching solenoid valves 96 and 97 provided at both ends of the switch switch between which path (A) and (B) the shared pipe 95 is used. FIG. 5 shows the flow of water when switching to the path (B) by the switching solenoid valves 96 and 97 and circulating water between the cold water tank 40 and the hot water tank 50.

  A pump 91 for pumping water from the bottle 60 to the cold water tank 40 is provided in the shared pipe 95. By arranging the pump 91 in the shared pipe 95 in this way, the pump 91 for pumping water from the bottle 60 to the cold water tank 40 can also be used for water circulation between the cold water tank 40 and the hot water tank 50. it can. The pump 91 used in the present embodiment is an open-type pump 91 that does not have a surrounding plate called a side plate on the impeller.

  The supply pipe 90 is provided with a flow meter 92 that measures the flow rate of water pumped from the bottle 60 to the cold water tank 40. Based on the flow rate measured by the flow meter 92, the amount of beverage pumped up through the supply pipe 90 can be calculated to determine the amount of water remaining in the bottle 60. Conventionally, since the bottle 60 was placed on the water server, the amount of water remaining in the bottle 60 could be visually observed. In the present embodiment, the bottle 60 is accommodated in the housing 10. It cannot be visually observed. Therefore, the amount of water remaining in the bottle 60 is calculated based on the flow rate obtained by the flow meter 92, and the remaining amount is displayed on the water supply indicator lamp 21 to notify the user of the remaining amount.

  The cold water tank 40 and the hot water tank 50 have outlet pipes 42 and 52, respectively. These two outlet pipes 42 and 52 are connected to the spout 13 on the front surface of the housing 10. The water discharge pipes 42 and 52 are provided with water discharge electromagnetic valves 43 and 53, respectively, and water is discharged from the spout 13 by opening the water discharge electromagnetic valves 43 and 53, but when the discharge button 33 is pressed, Which of the water discharge solenoid valves 43 and 53 of the tank 40 and the hot water tank 50 is opened is switched by the HOT button 32. The reason why the water is discharged from the spout 13 when the water discharge electromagnetic valves 43 and 53 are opened is that the water in the bottle 60 is pumped into the cold water tank 40 by the pump 91 at the same time as the water discharge electromagnetic valves 43 and 53 are opened. . That is, the water server 1 opens one of the water discharge solenoid valves 43 and 53 and drives the pump 91 to pump water while the pouring button 33 is pressed.

  An air opening that is opened and closed by a float valve 44 is formed in the upper part of the cold water tank 40. Thereby, at the time of the initial water entry which puts water in the cold water tank 40, the air in the cold water tank 40 can be made to escape outside and can enter. The upper part of the hot water tank 50 and the upper part of the cold water tank 40 are connected by an exhaust pipe 98. As a result, the air in the hot water tank 50 exits from the air port of the cold water tank 40 through the exhaust pipe 98 and the cold water tank 40, so that water can be introduced into the hot water tank 50 at the time of initial water entry. In the example of FIG. 4, the exhaust pipe 98 is branched from the second pipe 94, but is not necessarily branched from the second pipe 94, and may be directly connected to the upper part of the hot water tank 50.

  A float valve 44 is attached to the air port. When the water level in the cold water tank 40 reaches a predetermined water level, the air port is closed. With this configuration, the cold water tank 40 is in a sealed state when the water pumped from the bottle 60 reaches a predetermined water level. Further, a check valve 45 is provided at the air port to prevent inflow of air from the outside. Thereby, for example, when there is a change in the water surface (such as undulations), air inflow into the cold water tank 40 can be prevented.

  The cold water tank 40 has a drain 48 for draining water from the cold water tank 40 on the bottom surface. The drain 54 for draining water from the hot water tank 50 is provided at a position lower than the hot water tank 50 of the first pipe 93. Further, a drain 49 for supplying air into the cold water tank 40 when water is drained is provided on the upper surface of the cold water tank 40 so that water can be smoothly drained from the drains 48 and 54.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the bottle 60 set in the water server 1. The bottle 60 has a substantially square shape when viewed from above, and includes a bottom portion 61 positioned below, a body portion 62 that surrounds the side surface, a shoulder portion 64 that covers the upper surface, and a neck portion 63 that protrudes in a cylindrical shape from the center of the shoulder portion 64. A cap 69 for sealing is attached to the neck 63. Bottle 60 can contain 12 liters of water. The bottom portion 61 is literally the portion that becomes the bottom of the bottle 60, and is a simple plate shape. A wall-shaped body portion 62 projects upward from the outer edge thereof. The body portion 62 is composed of a skirt aperture portion 67 near the bottom portion 61 and a bellows portion 65 on the top portion, and the skirt aperture portion 67 is narrowed in cross section as it approaches the bottom portion 61. In addition, the bellows portion 65 has a structure in which a plurality of bellows 66 is stacked on top and bottom, and the height of the bellows portion 65 is reduced when each bellows 66 is crushed.

  FIG. 10A is a diagram showing the bottle 60 at a stage where about half of the water W has been consumed, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing the bottle 60 at a stage where almost the entire amount of water W has been consumed. In FIG. 10A, the liquid level reaches almost the center of the bellows portion 65, the bellows 66 located above the liquid level is crushed by the atmospheric pressure, and the bottom 61 is also inside the bellows portion 65. Has been drawn into. Thereafter, as the liquid W is consumed, the bellows portion 66 is further crushed, finally the bellows portion 65 is completely crushed as shown in FIG. The part 67 is retracted, and the volume is greatly reduced. In FIG. 10A, reference numeral 73 denotes an inner plug fitted to close the communication hole 71.

  Returning to FIG. 9, the configuration of the bottle 60 will be described. A shoulder portion 64 that covers the bottle 60 is formed on the body portion 72. The shoulder portion 64 has a pyramid shape protruding toward the neck portion 63, and a plurality of ribs 68 are formed in order to improve the strength. The entire bottle 60 from the bottom 61 to the neck 63 is integrally manufactured using PET resin as a raw material. However, the cap 69 needs to ensure sealing performance, and other materials are used. A split groove 70 is formed on the side surface of the cap 69, and the cap 69 alone can be detached from the neck 63 by tearing the groove 70.

  FIG. 6A is a diagram showing a configuration in which the bottle 60 is set in the water server 1. The bottle 60 is set in an inverted state on the support base 80. FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating a state in which the support base 80 is pulled out of the housing 10. The support base 80 is configured to be slidable with respect to the bottom surface 17 of the housing 10. As a result, the bottle 60 can be set in a state in which the support base 80 is pulled out of the housing 10, so that the bottle 60 can be easily set on the support base 80.

  FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional perspective view of the support base 80 and the housing bottom surface 17. The support base 80 slides in one direction while being guided by a guide rail 18 provided on the bottom surface 17 of the housing. A claw portion 19 is provided on the bottom surface 17 of the housing, and a claw portion 82 that engages with the claw portion 19 is provided below the support base 80. As shown in FIG. 7B, when the support base 80 is slid to the outside of the housing 10, the claw portion 82 provided on the support base 80 is caught by the claw portion 19 on the bottom surface 17 of the housing 10, and the support base 80. Is stopped so that it no longer slides outward.

  FIG. 7C is an enlarged view showing the engagement state between the claw portion 19 and the claw portion 82. Since the nail | claw part 19 comes above the nail | claw part 82, it is prevented that the support stand 80 floats up by the claw part 19. FIG. Thereby, when the emptied bottle 60 is lifted from the support base 80, it is possible to prevent the support base 80 from being pulled upward due to the frictional force between the water receiving rod 81 and the bottle 60.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the control unit 100 of the water server 1. The water server 1 passes through a water level sensor 47 for detecting the water level in the cold water tank 40, a temperature sensor 41 for the cold water tank 40, a temperature sensor 51 for the hot water tank 50, and a supply pipe 90 as sensors for detecting various states. A flow meter 92 for measuring the amount of water is provided. In accordance with the state detected by these sensors and the operation state on the operation panel 11, the control unit 100 performs pump 91, water discharge electromagnetic valves 43 and 53, switching electromagnetic valves 96 and 97, cooling device 101, heating device 102, and alarm. 103 and the like are controlled. Hereinafter, various functions of the water server 1 will be described in detail.

[Function of water server 1]
The water supply indicator lamp 21 has a function of detecting the remaining amount in the bottle 60 and displaying information on the remaining amount. As described above, the remaining water amount in the bottle 60 can be obtained by integrating the flow rate measured by the flow meter 92. The flow rate is integrated by the control unit 100. The water supply indicator 21 displays blue when the remaining amount of the bottle 60 is 4 liters or more, displays yellow when the remaining amount is 4 liters or less, and blinks red when it is empty. Here, the description is based on the remaining amount of the bottle 60, but in reality, since the bottle 60 initially contains 12 liters of water, when the accumulated amount of pumped water becomes 8 liters or more. The control unit 100 determines that the remaining amount of the bottle 60 has become 4 liters or less.

  Note that the fact that the bottle 60 has been emptied (that is, the amount of water remaining in the bottle 60 has become zero) is that the flow meter 92 senses the flow rate for 3 seconds or more even when the pump 91 pumps up. Detect if not. When it is detected that the bottle 60 is empty, the flow rate integration is reset. Here, an example of lighting / flashing of the water supply indicator lamp 21 is shown, but the display timing, display color, lighting or flashing mode of the water supply indicator lamp 21 is not limited to the example described here, and the capacity of the bottle 60, etc. It can be set appropriately depending on the situation.

  The hot water indicator lamp 22 is turned on when the heating device 102 is energized. The water temperature in the hot water tank 50 is maintained at 80 to 85 ° C., but when the water temperature has not reached 80 ° C., the hot water indicator lamp 22 is blinked to indicate that the water is being heated.

  The cold water indicator lamp 23 is turned on when the cooling device 101 is energized. The water temperature in the cold water tank 40 is maintained at 5 to 10 ° C., but when the water temperature is higher than 10 ° C., the cold water indicator lamp 23 is blinked to indicate that the water is being cooled.

  The eco mode indicator lamp 24 is lit when driving in the eco mode. The eco mode is a mode in which operation is performed with the energization to the heating device 102 turned off when the optical sensor 20 detects that the surroundings are darker than a predetermined threshold. In the eco mode, not only the energization to the heating device 102 but also the energization to the cooling device 101 may be turned off. It is also conceivable to set the set temperature in the hot water tank 50 lower rather than turning off the power supply to the heating device 102.

  The clean system button 26 is a button for executing a clean system for sterilizing the cold water tank 40 of the water server 1. The clean system is a function to sterilize and sterilize by circulating hot water in the hot water tank 50 to the cold water tank 40 and maintaining the water temperature in the cold water tank 40 at a high temperature (eg, about 70 ° C.) for a predetermined time (eg, about 2 hours). is there.

  During the clean system operation, by switching the two switching electromagnetic valves 96 and 97 at the end of the common pipe 95, the pipeline of the supply pipe 90 from the bottle 60 to the cold water tank 40 is closed, and the second pipe 94 is closed. open. Then, the pump 91 is driven to pump the water in the hot water tank 50 into the cold water tank 40. Thereby, the water in the cold water tank 40 flows into the hot water tank 50 through the first pipe 93, and the water circulates between the cold water tank 40 and the hot water tank 50.

  Since the second pipe 94 is connected to the bottom surface of the cold water tank 40, the hot water supplied to the cold water tank 40 is convected upward from the lower part of the cold water tank 40, and the lower water temperature in the cold water tank 40 is Can be increased efficiently. In addition, there is a disk 46 in the cold water tank 40, and convection in the upper and lower sides thereof is gently restricted, but the first pipe 93 is connected to the disk 46 part in the cold water tank 40. Low temperature water on the disk 46 can be circulated to the hot water tank 50.

  When the clean system is executed, the pump 91 is operated intermittently. Specifically, the pump 91 is driven for 3 minutes to circulate water between the cold water tank 40 and the hot water tank 50, and then the water circulation is stopped for 5 minutes. Note that the hot water tank 50 is always heated by the heating device 102. Thus, by operating the pump 91 intermittently, the life of the pump 91 can be kept long.

  When the driving of the pump 91 is stopped, that is, when the circulation of water is stopped, the switching electromagnetic valves 96 and 97 are switched to close the second pipe 94 and open the supply pipe 90. . Since the pump 91 is an open-type pump 91, the flow from the cold water tank 40 toward the bottle 60 is permitted when the driving of the pump 91 is stopped. Therefore, when the air in the cold water tank 40 expands as the temperature of the cold water tank 40 rises, the air in the cold water tank 40 escapes to the bottle 60. Thereby, the raise of the internal pressure in the cold water tank 40 can be reduced, and the cold water tank 40 can be protected.

  The clean system indicator lamp 25 is an indicator lamp that indicates that the clean system is operating. During the operation of the clean system, the clean system indicator lamp 25 is turned on. After completion of the clean system, the water in the cold water tank 40 is cooled, and the water temperature in the cold water tank 40 is returned to 5 to 10 ° C.

  Immediately after the clean system is operated, if hot water is accidentally discharged, there is a risk of burns, so the water server 1 takes water from the cold water tank 40 until the water temperature in the cold water tank 40 is 20 ° C. or lower. Restrict so that it cannot. That is, even if the user presses the dispensing button 33, the electromagnetic valve 43 of the cold water tank 40 is not opened. During cooling after the end of the clean system, the clean system indicator lamp 25 blinks to inform the user that cold water cannot be taken. This water intake restriction is limited after the end of the clean system, and it is not necessary to perform water intake restriction even when the temperature of the water pumped from the bottle 60 is higher than 20 ° C. during normal operation. Even immediately after the end of the clean system, hot water may be taken.

  The weak cold water mode button 28 is a button for executing a mode in which the water temperature of the cold water tank 40 is kept slightly higher (10 to 20 ° C.) than normal (5 to 10 ° C.). The weak chilled water mode indicator lamp 27 is an indicator lamp that indicates that the vehicle is operating in the weak chilled water mode, and lights up during the operation in the weak chilled water mode.

  The reheat button 30 is a button for heating the water in the hot water tank 50 maintained at 80 to 85 ° C. to increase the water temperature in the hot water tank 50 (for example, 90 ° C.). When reheating is completed and the water temperature in the hot water tank 50 reaches 90 ° C., an alarm 103 outputs a sound to notify the user. As a result, hot water can be provided to the user, and the temperature is usually kept at a slightly lower temperature, so that energy for maintaining the temperature can be saved. The reheating indicator lamp 29 is turned on when the water temperature in the hot water tank 50 is 85 to 90 ° C.

  In the conventional water server 1, for example, although it can be understood that the temperature management range is 80 to 90 ° C., the temperature cannot be known in more detail. In the configuration of the present embodiment, the reheating indicator lamp 29 is not turned on when the hot water tank 50 is held at 80 to 85 ° C., and is reheated when the hot water tank 50 is held at 85 to 90 ° C. Since the indicator lamp 29 is lit, the user can recognize the temperature.

  The HOT button 32 is a switching button for pouring hot water. Normally, when the pouring button 33 is pressed, the electromagnetic valve of the water discharge pipe 42 of the cold water tank 40 is opened, and cold water flows out from the cold water tank 40. That is, when the pouring button 33 is pressed, a signal for opening the valve is transmitted to the water solenoid valve 43 of the cold water tank 40. The operation state in which cold water is discharged corresponds to the “first mode” in the claims. When the HOT button 32 is pressed for 3 seconds, the electromagnetic valve that opens when the discharge button 33 is pressed switches from the water discharge electromagnetic valve 43 of the cold water tank 40 to the water discharge electromagnetic valve 53 of the hot water tank 50. Specifically, when the pouring button 33 is pressed, a signal for opening the valve is transmitted to the water discharge electromagnetic valve 53 of the hot water tank 50. Accordingly, when the pouring button 33 is pushed after the HOT button 32 is pushed for 3 seconds, the hot water is drained from the hot water tank 50 while the pouring button 33 is being pushed. The operation state in which warm water is discharged corresponds to the “second mode” in the claims.

  When the HOT button 32 is pressed for 3 seconds, the water server 1 outputs a sound by the alarm 103 and the HOT indicator lamp 31 is lit. Thereby, the user knows that the HOT button 32 is functioning. When the HOT button 32 is pressed for 3 seconds in the second mode, or when it is detected that there is no water discharge operation for a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) in the second mode, the water server 1 operates in the second mode. To switch to the first mode. Even at the time of switching from the second mode to the first mode, the water server 1 outputs the alarm 103 sound. In the present embodiment, when the HOT button 32 is continuously pressed for 3 seconds, the mode is switched to the second mode. However, when the HOT button 32 is inadvertently pressed, the mode is not switched to the second mode. In addition, it is designed to be pressed for a long time. However, the long pressing time is not limited to 3 seconds, and may be 1.5 seconds, 2 seconds, 3.5 seconds, or the like.

  The dispensing button 33 has a function of discharging water from the cold water tank 40 or the hot water tank 50. In the present embodiment, since the bottle 60 is at the lower part of the housing 10, water is pumped from the bottle 60 to the cold water tank 40 simultaneously with the water discharge. That is, while the pouring button 33 is being pressed, the water discharge electromagnetic valve 43 or the water discharge electromagnetic valve 53 is opened, and the pump 91 is driven to pump up water from the bottle 60. In addition, after detecting that the bottle 60 has become empty, the operation of the pump 91 is stopped, and the pumping operation by the pump 91 is not performed even when the dispensing button 33 is pressed. Since the cold water tank 40 and the hot water tank 50 are in a hermetically sealed state, even if the pumping operation is not performed by the pump 91, no water is discharged even if the dispensing button 33 is pressed. When the door sensor 104 detects that the door 14 is closed, the operation of the pump 91 is resumed. This is because there is a possibility that a new bottle 60 has been set when the door 14 is closed.

  As mentioned above, although the water server of embodiment of this invention was demonstrated in detail, this invention is not limited to above-described embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, the water server having buttons and indicator lights for executing various functions on the operation panel 11 has been described. However, the beverage server of the present invention may not have all the functions described above. Well, any combination of the various functions described above is possible.

  Moreover, in the water server of the said embodiment, the example which shares a part of 2nd pipe | tube 94 which comprises the supply pipe | tube 90 from a bottle to a cold water tank, and the circulation pipe line between a cold water tank and a hot water tank is shared. Although mentioned, it is not always necessary to have the shared pipe 95. However, when the common pipe 95 is not provided, a pump is necessary for each of the circulation pipe and the supply pipe 90.

  Moreover, in the water server of the said embodiment, although the example which has two tanks, a cold water tank and a warm water tank, was demonstrated, this invention may be a drink server which has only a cold water tank or only a warm water tank. .

  The beverage server of the present invention is useful as a beverage server or the like that temporarily stores and supplies a beverage replenished from a bottle.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Water server 10 Case 11 Operation panel 12 Tray 13 Water inlet 14 Door 15 Child lock switch 16 Power switch 17 Case bottom 18 Guide rail 19 Claw part 20 Optical sensor 21 Water supply indicator 22 Hot water indicator 23 Cold water indicator 24 Eco Mode indicator lamp 25 Clean system indicator lamp 26 Clean system button 27 Weak chilled water mode indicator lamp 28 Weak chilled water mode button 29 Reheating indicator lamp 30 Reheating button 31 HOT indicator lamp 32 HOT button 33 Dispensing button 40 Cold water tank 41 Temperature sensor 42 Drain pipe 43 Drain electromagnetic valve 44 Float valve 45 Check valve 46 Disc 47 Water level sensor 48 Drain 49 Drain 50 Hot water tank 51 Temperature sensor 52 Drain pipe 53 Drain electromagnetic valve 54 Drain 60 Bottle 61 Bottom 61 Body 63 Neck 64 shoulder portion 65 bellows portion 66 bellows portion 67 hem throttling portion 68 rib 69 cap 70 split groove 71 communication hole 72 support base 73 inner plug 80 support base 81 water receiving rod 90 supply pipe 91 pump 92 flow meter 93 first pipe 94 first Two pipes 95 Shared pipe 96, 97 Switching solenoid valve 98 Exhaust pipe 100 Control unit 101 Cooling device 102 Heating device 103 Alarm 104 Door sensor

Claims (7)

A first tank and a second tank for storing drinks in replaceable bottles;
A heating device for heating the beverage stored in the second tank;
A first valve disposed on a water discharge line connected to the first tank;
A second valve disposed on a water discharge line connected to the second tank;
A water outlet from which water flows out by opening the first valve or the second valve;
A dispensing button that directs the dispensing of the beverage;
One switching for switching between a first mode in which the first valve is opened when the dispensing button is pressed and a second mode in which the second valve is opened when the dispensing button is pressed Button and
A beverage server comprising:   When the switch button is operated in the first mode, the mode is switched from the first mode to the second mode, and the state in which the push-out button is not pressed continues in the second mode for a predetermined time. The beverage server according to claim 1, wherein the second mode is sometimes switched from the second mode to the first mode.   3. A notification sound output unit that emits a notification sound at the time of switching from the first mode to the second mode or at the time of switching from the second mode to the first mode. The beverage server described.   The drink server in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 3 provided with the indicator lamp which shows that it is the said 2nd mode. A beverage tank for storing beverages in replaceable bottles;
A dispensing button that directs the dispensing of the beverage;
A button for invalidating the operation by the dispensing button;
A beverage server according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   The beverage server according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the switching button is continuously pressed for a predetermined time, the mode is switched to the second mode. A support base for installing the bottle below the first tank and the second tank;
With
The beverage server according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein water is pumped from the bottle into the first tank and the second tank while the dispensing button is pressed.

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