CN108324111B

CN108324111B - Drinking machine

Info

Publication number: CN108324111B
Application number: CN201711314578.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 柴田贤二
Original assignee: Cosmo Life KK
Current assignee: Cosmo Life KK
Priority date: 2017-01-18
Filing date: 2017-12-12
Publication date: 2021-05-28
Anticipated expiration: 2037-12-12
Also published as: JP2018115003A; KR102460202B1; CN108324111A; KR20180085348A; JP6814052B2

Abstract

The invention provides a water dispenser capable of finding out water leakage in early stage. The water dispenser is provided with: a cold water tank (2) disposed inside the housing (1); a raw water supply path (6) for introducing drinking water into the cold water tank (2); a cooling device (20) that cools the drinking water stored in the cold water tank (2); a cold water outlet passage (22) that outputs low-temperature drinking water in the cold water tank (2) to the outside of the housing (1); an air introduction path (30) which introduces air into the cold water tank (2) in accordance with a drop in the water level in the cold water tank (2); and a water leakage sensor (33) having an electrode (44), wherein the electrode (44) is disposed inside the air introduction path (30) so as to be in contact with the drinking water when the drinking water enters the air introduction path (30).

Description

Drinking machine

Technical Field

The invention relates to a water dispenser for supplying drinking water.

Background

Although water dispensers have been mainly used in offices, hospitals, and the like, in recent years, water dispensers have become popular in ordinary households with an increased level of attention to safety and health of water. Generally, a water dispenser has: a housing; a cold water tank disposed inside the housing; a raw water supply path for introducing drinking water into the cold water tank; a cooling device for cooling the drinking water stored in the cold water tank; a cold water outlet path for outputting the low-temperature drinking water in the cold water tank to the outside of the housing; and an air introduction path which introduces air into the cold water tank in accordance with a decrease in the water level in the cold water tank.

The drinking water machine outputs low-temperature drinking water in the cold water tank to a cup or the like from a cold water output path for use. Here, when the low-temperature drinking water in the cold water tank is discharged to the outside, air is introduced into the cold water tank from the air introduction path, and the inside of the cold water tank is prevented from becoming negative pressure. When the water level in the cold water tank drops, drinking water is introduced from the raw water supply path into the cold water tank in accordance with the drop in the water level (for example, patent document 1).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2014-58332

Disclosure of Invention

However, many water dispensers are installed on a floor surface such as a floor. In addition, if the floor surface is wetted by water in the event of water leakage from the water dispenser, the floor surface may be corroded or discolored. Particularly, if water leakage is detected late, the amount of water flowing out increases, and water leakage to the downstairs may occur.

Therefore, the present inventors have studied a method for automatically detecting water leakage in a water dispenser, and have considered that the following method is effective as such a method: an electrode for detecting water leakage is arranged at the bottom of the casing of the water dispenser, and when water leaked into the casing is accumulated at the bottom of the casing, the water is detected by the electrode, so that the water leakage condition is detected.

However, even if water leakage from the water dispenser can be detected by the electrode provided at the bottom of the casing, it is difficult to reliably prevent water leakage from the floor surface on which the water dispenser is provided, in consideration of the fact that a considerable amount of water has leaked into the inside of the casing at the stage when water is accumulated at the bottom of the casing.

The invention provides a water dispenser capable of detecting water leakage in an early stage.

The inventors of the present invention have the following points: when drinking water is excessively introduced from the raw water supply path to the cold water tank due to some trouble and overflows from the cold water tank, the drinking water first enters an air introduction path for introducing air into the cold water tank and flows out through the air introduction path. Then, the following concept was obtained: if an electrode is provided in the air introduction path and water leakage is detected by the electrode, water leakage can be detected at a very early stage.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a water dispenser having the following structure.

A water dispenser having:

a housing;

a cold water tank disposed inside the housing;

a raw water supply path for introducing drinking water into the cold water tank;

a cooling device for cooling the drinking water stored in the cold water tank;

a cold water outlet path for outputting the low-temperature drinking water in the cold water tank to the outside of the housing;

an air introduction path which introduces air into the cold water tank in accordance with a decrease in a water level in the cold water tank; and

and a water leakage sensor having an electrode disposed inside the air introduction path so as to be in contact with the drinking water when the drinking water enters the air introduction path.

In this way, when drinking water enters the air introduction passage from the cold water tank, the drinking water can be detected by the water leakage sensor. Therefore, when drinking water is excessively introduced from the raw water supply path to the cold water tank due to some trouble, water leakage can be detected at a very early stage before the drinking water entering the air introduction path from the cold water tank flows out through the air introduction path.

Preferably, the electrode is disposed in a non-condensation area in the air introduction path, where condensation does not occur due to a low temperature of the cold water tank.

In this way, even if dew condensation occurs in the air introduction passage due to the low temperature of the cold water tank, it is possible to prevent malfunction of the water leakage sensor due to the dew condensation, and to ensure reliability of water leakage detection.

An air filter for trapping foreign matters in the air may be provided in the middle of the air introduction path. In this case, as the non-condensation area where the electrode is disposed, a portion on the opposite side of the air filter from the cold water tank side in the entire path of the air introduction path may be used.

That is, the portion of the entire path of the air introduction path on the opposite side of the air filter from the cold water tank is separated from the cold water tank side with the air filter interposed therebetween, and therefore, the cold air of the cold water tank is less likely to flow into the cold water tank. Therefore, the inner surface of the air introduction path in the portion of the entire path of the air introduction path opposite to the cold water tank side with respect to the air filter is less likely to be cooled, and condensation does not occur. By disposing the electrode in the non-condensation area, malfunction of the water leakage sensor due to condensation can be effectively prevented, and reliability of water leakage detection can be ensured.

The air introduction path may be formed of resin or rubber on an inner surface thereof which comes into contact with air introduced into the cold water tank. In this case, as the non-condensation area where the electrode is disposed, a portion of the entire path of the air introduction path, which is 3cm or more away from the cold water tank, may be used.

That is, since the portion of the entire path of the air introduction path formed of resin or rubber, which is 3cm or more away from the cold water tank, is less likely to transmit the low temperature of the cold water tank, dew condensation does not occur on the inner surface. By disposing the electrode in the non-condensation area, malfunction of the water leakage sensor due to condensation can be effectively prevented, and reliability of water leakage detection can be ensured.

Preferably, the composition is: in the case of the water supply device having a water supply pump provided in the middle of the raw water supply path and a control unit for controlling the driving of the water supply pump, the control unit stops the operation of the water supply pump when the water leakage sensor detects that drinking water enters the air introduction path.

Thus, water leakage of the water dispenser can be effectively prevented.

When drinking water enters the air introduction path from the cold water tank, the drinking water dispenser of the present invention can detect the drinking water by using the water leakage sensor. Therefore, when drinking water is excessively introduced from the raw water supply path to the cold water tank due to some trouble, water leakage can be detected at a very early stage before the drinking water entering the air introduction path from the cold water tank flows out through the air introduction path.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a normal operation state of a water dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the vicinity of the water leakage sensor in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the water leakage sensor shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing a sterilization operation state of the water dispenser of fig. 1.

Description of the reference numerals

1 casing

2 cold water tank

6 raw water supply path

14 water supply pump

15 control part

20 Cooling device

22 cold water output circuit

30 air introduction path

33 Water leakage sensor

41 outlet side air filter

44 electrode

Detailed Description

A water dispenser of an embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig. 1. The water dispenser is provided with: a housing 1; a cold water tank 2 and a hot water tank 3 which are disposed inside the case 1; a container support 5 on which a replaceable raw water container 4 is placed; a raw water supply path 6 for introducing the drinking water in the raw water tank 4 into the cold water tank 2; and a tank connection path 7 that connects the cold water tank 2 and the hot water tank 3. The cold water tank 2 and the hot water tank 3 are arranged in an up-down arrangement such that the hot water tank 3 is located below the cold water tank 2. The raw water tank 4 and the tank holder 5 are disposed below the cold water tank 2 and the hot water tank 3.

The housing 1 has: a bottom plate 8; a peripheral wall 9 rising from the periphery of the bottom plate 8; and a top plate 10 provided at an upper end of the peripheral wall 9. An opening 11 for taking out and putting in the raw water tank 4 and a front door 12 for opening and closing the opening 11 are provided at a lower portion of the front surface of the peripheral wall 9.

One end of the raw water supply path 6 is connected to a joint 13 that is attached to and detached from the water outlet of the raw water tank 4, and the other end of the raw water supply path 6 is connected to the cold water tank 2. A water supply pump 14 is provided in the raw water supply path 6. The driving of the water supply pump 14 is controlled by the control unit 15.

A first switching valve 16 is provided in a portion between the joint 13 and the water supply pump 14 of the raw water supply path 6. The downstream end of the hot water circulation path 17 is connected to the first switching valve 16. The hot water circulation path 17 is a path for circulating the high-temperature drinking water in the hot water tank 3 inside the water dispenser during a sterilization operation described later.

The first switching valve 16 is configured to: the flow path can be switched between a raw water supply position (see fig. 1) where the water supply pump 14 and the raw water tank 4 are connected and the water supply pump 14 and the hot water circulation path 17 are disconnected from each other and a hot water circulation position (see fig. 6) where the water supply pump 14 and the raw water tank 4 are disconnected and the water supply pump 14 and the hot water circulation path 17 are connected to each other.

A second switching valve 18 is provided in a portion of the raw water supply path 6 between the water supply pump 14 and the cold water tank 2. The upstream end of the hot water circulation path 17 is connected to the second switching valve 18. The second switching valve 18 is configured to: the flow path can be switched between a raw water supply position (see fig. 1) where the water supply pump 14 and the cold water tank 2 are connected and the water supply pump 14 and the hot water circulation path 17 are disconnected from each other and a hot water circulation position (see fig. 6) where the water supply pump 14 and the cold water tank 2 are disconnected and the water supply pump 14 and the hot water circulation path 17 are connected to each other.

The cold water tank 2 accommodates air and drinking water in upper and lower two levels. A cooling device 20 for cooling the drinking water stored in the cold water tank 2 is attached to the cold water tank 2. The cooling device 20 is disposed on the outer periphery of the cold water tank 2, and keeps the temperature of the drinking water in the cold water tank 2 low (about 5 ℃).

A water level sensor 21 is attached to the cold water tank 2, and the water level sensor 21 detects the water level of the drinking water stored in the cold water tank 2. When the water level detected by the water level sensor 21 drops, the water supply pump 14 operates in accordance with the drop in the water level, and the drinking water is supplied from the raw water tank 4 to the cold water tank 2 through the raw water supply passage 6.

The cold water outlet passage 22 is connected to the bottom surface of the cold water tank 2, and the cold water outlet passage 22 outputs low-temperature drinking water stored in the lower portion of the cold water tank 2 to the outside of the housing 1. A cold water tap 23 is provided in the cold water outlet passage 22, and the cold water tap 23 can be operated from the outside of the housing 1, and the cold water tap 23 is opened to allow low-temperature drinking water to be discharged from the cold water tank 2 into a cup or the like.

The hot water tank 3 is in a state of being filled with drinking water. A heating device 24 is attached to the hot water tank 3, and the heating device 24 heats the drinking water in the hot water tank 3 to keep the drinking water in the hot water tank 3 at a high temperature (about 90 ℃).

A hot water outlet passage 25 is connected to an upper surface of the hot water tank 3, and the hot water outlet passage 25 outputs high-temperature drinking water stored in an upper portion of the hot water tank 3 to the outside of the case 1. A hot water tap 26 is provided in the hot water output passage 25, and the hot water tap 26 can be operated from the outside of the housing 1, and the hot water tap 26 is opened to enable high-temperature drinking water to be output from the hot water tank 3 to a cup or the like. When drinking water is output from the hot water tank 3, the same amount of drinking water as the drinking water flows from the cold water tank 2 to the hot water tank 3 through the tank connection passage 7, and therefore the hot water tank 3 is always kept in a full water state.

An air introduction passage 30 is connected to an upper surface of the cold water tank 2, and the air introduction passage 30 introduces air into the cold water tank 2 in accordance with a decrease in the water level in the cold water tank 2. The air introduction path 30 includes: an air sterilizing chamber 31; a pipe 32 communicating between the cold water tank 2 and the air sterilizing chamber 31; and a water leakage sensor 33 installed at the air sterilizing chamber 31. The tube 32 is formed of resin or rubber.

As shown in fig. 2, the air sterilizing chamber 31 includes: a housing 36 having an air inlet 34 and an air outlet 35; an ozone generating chamber 37 formed in the housing 36; an air inflow passage 38 that communicates between the air inlet 34 and the ozone generation chamber 37; an air outflow path 39 that communicates between the air outlet 35 and the ozone generation chamber 37; an inlet-side air filter 40 provided in the middle of the air inflow path 38; and an outlet-side air filter 41 provided in the middle of the air outflow path 39. The housing 36 is formed of resin.

An ozone generator 42 that changes oxygen in the ozone generating chamber 37 into ozone is provided in the ozone generating chamber 37. As the ozone generator 42, for example, a low-pressure mercury lamp that irradiates oxygen in the air with ultraviolet light to convert the oxygen into ozone can be used.

The inlet-side air filter 40 and the outlet-side air filter 41 are mesh-like air filters that capture foreign matter in air when the air is introduced from the atmosphere into the air layer in the cold water tank 2. In order to prevent ozone in the ozone generation chamber 37 from flowing out through the air inlet 34, the inlet-side air filter 40 is an activated carbon filter containing activated carbon. Similarly, in order to prevent ozone in the ozone generation chamber 37 from flowing out from the air outlet 35, the outlet-side air filter 41 is also an activated carbon filter containing activated carbon.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the water leakage sensor 33 is installed at a portion of the air inlet 34 of the casing 36 of the air sterilizing chamber 31. The water leakage sensor 33 includes: a sensor cartridge 43; and 2 electrodes 44 mounted to the sensor cartridge 43. The water leakage sensor 33 can be attached to and detached from the housing 36 by means of the claws 45 provided at the upper and lower 2 positions of the housing 36, and only the water leakage sensor 33 can be independently attached and detached when the water dispenser is maintained. The 2 electrodes 44 are horizontally disposed in the sensor case 43 at intervals (see fig. 5). The cut-and-raised pieces 46 formed on the electrodes 44 engage with the concave portions 47 formed on the inner surface of the sensor case 43, whereby the electrodes 44 are fixed to the sensor case 43.

Here, the 2 electrodes 44 are disposed in the entire path of the air introduction path 30 (here, the tube 32, the air inflow path 38 inside the housing 36, the ozone generation chamber 37, the air outflow path 39, and the internal space of the sensor case 43), at a portion on the opposite side of the outlet-side air filter 41 from the cold water tank 2 side. The air inlet passage 30 is disposed in a portion of the entire path thereof that is spaced from the cold water tank 2 by a distance of 3cm or more (preferably 5cm or more, and more preferably 10cm or more).

The raw water tank 4 is formed to have flexibility so as to contract with a decrease in the amount of remaining water. Such a raw water tank 4 can be formed by blow molding of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin or Polyethylene (PE) resin, for example.

A second water leakage sensor 48 is provided on the bottom plate 8 of the housing 1. The bottom plate 8 is provided with an inclined surface 49 that guides water leaking into the casing 1 to the bottom plate 8 when the water accumulates in the bottom of the casing 1. The second water leakage sensor 48 is a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of water using an electrode, as in the water leakage sensor 33.

The control unit 15 is configured to: the water leakage sensor 33 and the second water leakage sensor 48 are electrically connected, and when drinking water is detected by the water leakage sensor 33 or the second water leakage sensor 48, the operation of the water supply pump 14 is stopped. The control unit 15 is also electrically connected to the cooling device 20 and the heating device 24, and stops the energization of the cooling device 20 and the heating device 24 when drinking water is detected by the water leakage sensor 33 or the second water leakage sensor 48. The water dispenser is provided with an alarm device (e.g., a warning buzzer or a warning lamp), not shown, which notifies a user of an abnormality when drinking water is detected by the water leakage sensor 33 or the second water leakage sensor 48.

The use example of the above-described water dispenser will be explained.

In the normal operation state shown in fig. 1, when a user of the water dispenser operates the cold water faucet 23 to output low-temperature drinking water in the cold water tank 2 to a cup or the like, the water level in the cold water tank 2 decreases. Even if the hot water tap 26 is operated to discharge high-temperature drinking water in the hot water tank 3 to a cup or the like, the same amount of drinking water as the hot water is introduced from the cold water tank 2 to the hot water tank 3 through the tank connection passage 7, and therefore the water level in the cold water tank 2 is lowered. When the water level sensor 21 detects that the water level in the cold water tank 2 is lower than a preset lower limit water level, the water supply pump 14 operates to supply the drinking water from the raw water tank 4 to the cold water tank 2. When the water level sensor 21 detects that the water level in the cold water tank 2 is equal to or higher than the preset upper limit water level, the water supply pump 14 is stopped. In this way, the water supply pump 14 is operated in accordance with the water level detected by the water level sensor 21, and the water level in the cold water tank 2 is maintained within a constant range.

In addition, the water dispenser described above can sterilize the interior of the raw water supply path 6 by performing a sterilization operation periodically, and can ensure hygiene for a long period of time. The sterilization operation will be described.

First, as shown in fig. 6, the first switching valve 16 and the second switching valve 18 are switched from the raw water supply position to the hot water circulation position. Then, water supply pump 14 is operated. Thereby, the high-temperature drinking water in the hot water tank 3 circulates through the hot water circulation path 17, the first switching valve 16, the raw water supply path 6, and the second switching valve 18 in this order. At this time, the heating device 24 of the hot water tank 3 is energized to maintain the temperature of the circulating drinking water at a high temperature suitable for sterilization.

After the sterilization operation is completed, the water supply pump 14 is stopped, and as shown in fig. 1, the first switching valve 16 and the second switching valve 18 are switched from the hot water circulation position to the raw water supply position, and the normal operation state is resumed.

However, when the above-described water dispenser is used, there is a possibility that drinking water is excessively introduced from the raw water supply path 6 to the cold water tank 2 due to some trouble and the drinking water overflows from the cold water tank 2. For example, the following can be conceived: in the normal operation state, when the water level in the cold water tank 2 is lower than the lower limit water level, the water supply pump 14 starts to operate, and then, although the water level in the cold water tank 2 reaches the upper limit water level, it is not detected by the water level sensor 21 that the water level in the cold water tank 2 has reached the upper limit water level for some reason, and as a result, the water supply pump 14 continues to operate without stopping, and drinking water is excessively introduced from the raw water supply path 6 to the cold water tank 2. In addition, for example, the following can be conceived: when the normal operation state is switched to the sterilization operation state, only the first switching valve 16 is not switched from the raw water supply position to the hot water circulation position for some reason, and the water supply pump 14 is operated in this state, so that drinking water is excessively introduced from the raw water supply path 6 to the cold water tank 2. In this way, when drinking water is excessively introduced from the raw water supply passage 6 to the cold water tank 2 due to some trouble, there is a possibility that the drinking water overflows from the cold water tank 2. At this time, although water leakage can be detected by the second water leakage sensor 48 provided on the bottom plate 8 of the housing 1, it is difficult to reliably prevent water leakage to the floor surface F on which the water fountain is provided, considering that a considerable amount of water has leaked into the interior of the housing 1 at the stage when water is accumulated on the bottom plate 8.

Here, when the drinking water overflows from the cold water tank 2, the drinking water first enters the air introduction passage 30 for introducing air into the cold water tank 2, and flows out through the air introduction passage 30. In view of this point, in the water dispenser of the present embodiment, the electrode 44 is provided in the air introduction path 30, and water leakage can be detected at a very early stage by the electrode 44.

That is, since the drinking water dispenser includes the water leakage sensor 33 and the water leakage sensor 33 includes the electrode 44 disposed inside the air introduction path 30 so as to be in contact with the drinking water when the drinking water enters the air introduction path 30, the drinking water can be detected by the water leakage sensor 33 when the drinking water enters the air introduction path 30 from the cold water tank 2. Therefore, when drinking water is excessively introduced from the raw water supply passage 6 into the cold water tank 2 due to some trouble, water leakage can be detected at a very early stage before the drinking water introduced from the cold water tank 2 into the air introduction passage 30 flows out through the air introduction passage 30.

In this water dispenser, a float valve (for example, a float valve shown in japanese patent application laid-open No. 2016-199300) for preventing the inflow of the drinking water from the cold water tank 2 to the air introduction passage 30 is not provided at the end of the air introduction passage 30 on the cold water tank 2 side, and the drinking water is allowed to flow from the cold water tank 2 to the air introduction passage 30. If a float valve that prevents the inflow of drinking water from the cold water tank 2 to the air introduction passage 30 is present at the end of the air introduction passage 30 on the cold water tank 2 side, when excessive drinking water is introduced from the raw water supply passage 6 to the cold water tank 2 due to some trouble, there is no place to store drinking water inside the cold water tank 2, and therefore, there is a possibility that water leakage occurs in the pipe portion between the water supply pump 14 and the cold water tank 2 in the raw water supply passage 6.

In contrast, in the above-described water dispenser, since the inflow of the drinking water from the cold water tank 2 to the air introduction passage 30 is allowed, when excessive drinking water is introduced from the raw water supply passage 6 to the cold water tank 2 due to some trouble, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of water leakage in the pipe portion between the feed pump 14 of the raw water supply passage 6 and the cold water tank 2, and it is possible to detect the drinking water overflowing from the cold water tank 2 at an extremely early time by the water leakage sensor 33 of the air introduction passage 30.

The electrode 44 of the water leakage sensor 33 of the water dispenser is disposed in a non-condensation area in the air introduction path 30 where condensation does not occur due to the low temperature of the cold water tank 2. That is, the portion of the entire path of the air introduction passage 30 on the opposite side of the outlet-side air filter 41 from the cold water tank 2 is separated from the cold water tank 2 side with the outlet-side air filter 41 interposed therebetween, and therefore, the cold air of the cold water tank 2 is less likely to flow in. Therefore, the inner surface of the air introduction passage 30 in the portion of the entire passage of the air introduction passage 30 opposite to the cold water tank 2 side with respect to the outlet-side air filter 41 is less likely to be at a low temperature, and condensation does not occur. Since the electrode 44 of the water leakage sensor 33 is disposed in the non-condensation area, even if condensation occurs in the air introduction path 30 due to the low temperature of the cold water tank 2, malfunction of the water leakage sensor 33 due to the condensation can be prevented, and reliability of water leakage detection can be ensured. Further, the portion of the entire path of the air introduction path 30 made of resin or rubber, which is 3cm or more away from the cold water tank 2, is less likely to transmit the low temperature of the cold water tank 2, and therefore, dew condensation does not occur on the inner surface. Since the electrode 44 of the water leakage sensor 33 is disposed in the non-condensation area, malfunction of the water leakage sensor 33 due to condensation can be prevented, and reliability of water leakage detection can be ensured.

In addition, the control unit 15 of the water dispenser is configured to: when the water leakage sensor 33 detects that the drinking water enters the air introduction passage 30, the operation of the water supply pump 14 is stopped, and therefore, water leakage of the water dispenser can be prevented extremely effectively.

In the above embodiment, the electrode 44 of the water leakage sensor 33 is attached to the air inlet 34 of the air sterilizing chamber 31, but the electrode 44 of the water leakage sensor 33 may be attached to the inside of the air sterilizing chamber 31 (for example, the lower portion of the ozone generating chamber 37 or the air inflow path 38), or the sensor case 43 may be interposed in the middle of the pipe 32 and the electrode 44 may be attached to the sensor case 43.

Alternatively, the air sterilizing chamber 31 may be omitted, the sensor case 43 may be connected to the pipe 32, and the electrode 44 of the water leakage sensor 33 may be attached to the sensor case 43. In this case, in order to avoid the effect of dew condensation due to the low temperature of the cold water tank 2, it is preferable to use a pipe 32 formed of resin or rubber, and to set the length of the pipe 32 to 3cm or more (preferably 5cm or more, more preferably 10cm or more). In addition, when the air filter for trapping foreign substances in the air is attached to the sensor case 43, the electrode 44 of the water leakage sensor 33 is preferably attached to a portion of the air filter on the side opposite to the cold water tank 2 side.

In the above embodiment, the description has been given taking the example of the water dispenser of the type in which the drinking water is introduced from the replaceable raw water tank 4 into the cold water tank 2, but the present invention can also be applied to a water dispenser of the type in which the drinking water is introduced from the water supply line into the cold water tank 2 through the water purification filter.

Claims

1. A water dispenser, wherein a water inlet pipe of a water dispenser,

the water dispenser is provided with:

a housing (1);

a cold water tank (2) disposed inside the housing (1);

a raw water supply path (6) for introducing drinking water into the cold water tank (2);

a cooling device (20) that cools the drinking water stored in the cold water tank (2);

a cold water outlet path (22) that outputs the low-temperature drinking water in the cold water tank (2) to the outside of the housing (1);

an air introduction path (30) that introduces air into the cold water tank (2) in response to a drop in the water level in the cold water tank (2); and

a water leakage sensor (33) having an electrode (44), the electrode (44) being disposed inside the air introduction path (30) so as to be in contact with drinking water when the drinking water enters the air introduction path (30),

the electrode (44) is disposed in a non-condensation area in the air introduction path (30) where condensation does not occur due to the low temperature of the cold water tank (2),

an air filter (41) for capturing foreign matters in the air is provided in the middle of the air introduction path (30),

the non-condensation area is a part on the opposite side of the air filter (41) to the cold water tank (2) in the whole path of the air introduction path (30).

2. A water dispenser, wherein a water inlet pipe of a water dispenser,

the water dispenser is provided with:

a housing (1);

a cold water tank (2) disposed inside the housing (1);

the inner surface of the air introduction path (30) that comes into contact with the air introduced into the cold water tank (2) is formed of resin or rubber,

the non-condensation area is a part of the whole path of the air introduction path (30) which is at a distance of more than 3cm from the cold water tank (2).

3. The water dispenser of claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the water dispenser also has:

a water supply pump (14) provided in the middle of the raw water supply path (6); and

a control unit (15) that controls the driving of the water supply pump (14),

when the water leakage sensor (33) detects that drinking water enters the air introduction path (30), the control unit (15) stops the operation of the water supply pump (14).