JP2002186554A - Instantaneous hot-water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hot-water supply apparatus, in which water can be instantaneously turned to hot water just before a hot-water spout, thereby feeding hot water, so that hot water can be economically used and also can be easily used and safety can be improved, and particularly can be used as an instantaneous hot-water supply pot for lovers of coffee and unmarried persons, a small home, a home including children, and for use in a guest room of a hotel or suitable for a vending machine of tea or hot water. SOLUTION: In this hot-water supply apparatus, a feed part of drinking water and a small diameter water passage leading from the feed part to a hot-water spout are provided, and a heating passage is provided to set a precisely desired temperature in the whole or a part of the water passage.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an instant hot water supply apparatus capable of instantly heating supplied drinking water to a desired temperature in a small-diameter waterway to supply hot water.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It is desirable to be able to take out hot water instantly when making coffee or tea, or to make cup noodles, cup-filled miso soup, and cup-filled soups. (Electric automatic pot) and a jar pot (electric jar pot) having a water heating function and a heat retaining function are known, and the latter is particularly popular in most homes.

[0003] The former kettle pot is an electric appliance that heats water put in a water storage portion of a pot body with a flat heater provided in contact with a bottom surface of the water storage portion to make hot water.

[0004] A typical known example of the latter jar pot is a "jar pot" described in JP-A-7-213425. As a basic structure of the jar, the jar is provided with an inner container for water storage in a main body member, and the water stored in the inner container is heated and stored by a heating means, and the water is supplied from a hot water supply port as necessary. It is designed to supply hot water, and has a function of heating the heater and keeping the hot water at the original temperature when the temperature of the hot water in the container falls over time.

In addition, vending machines and automatic vending machines for supplying hot coffee, black tea, tea and soup in cups, and vending machines for supplying hot water to cup noodles,
A hot water supply device with a built-in heater is provided so that the water put in the water tank can be heated and stored in a hot water state.

[0006]

However, the above-described water heater, jar pot and water heater according to the prior art have the following inconveniences.

[0007] The above-mentioned kettle pot is generally suitable for boiling a large amount of hot water so as not to be used for empty heating.
Because it has an inappropriate shape for tapping hot water from the hot water outlet continuously, when drinking one or several cups of coffee or tea, or drinking one cup of tea in a teapot,
It was difficult to supply an appropriate amount of hot water when eating individual cup noodles. It is uneconomical to boil a small amount of hot water with a heater suitable for boiling a large amount of hot water.

In these pots, it is difficult to narrow the flow rate of hot water from a hot water supply port. Therefore, when one or several cups of coffee are extracted into a coffee cup by a paper drip method, the hot water is drip-ed. It was difficult to pour according to the speed of penetration.

On the other hand, in the jar pot according to the prior art, a large amount of hot water can be stored in advance, and water can be added to the hot water according to the amount of hot water used. However, most of the stored hot water has a high concentration of impurities, is oxidized and tastes bad, and is wasteful because it is discarded before going to bed to save unnecessary electricity bills. Met. Also, in the case of a jar pot, when water runs out, it takes time to newly boil water and turn it into hot water, and in many cases, coffee or the like that has been partially filled with water is wasted.

Also, if a large amount of hot water is stored in a jar pot, there is a risk of inadvertently knocking down the pot and causing burns. Especially in a home with small children, care must be taken in handling and storing it. .

[0011] In addition, a hot water supply device provided in a vending machine and a hot water supply device provided in a tea dispenser boil water in a tank by a heater charged in the tank and maintain the water at an appropriate temperature. The maintenance cost is high due to the structure of storing hot water, the proportion of impurities contained in the hot water increases if the water is boiled for a long time, and the taste of the hot water deteriorates due to the progress of oxidation. was there.

The inventor of the present invention has begun to develop a new water heater that solves these problems in view of the above-described problems in the vending machine that supplies the water heater, the jar pot, and the food and drink according to the prior art. did. As a result of intensive studies, the inventors have finally invented a novel instant hot water supply apparatus according to the present invention.

The present invention, which has been completed through such a process, instantly converts the supplied water into hot water just before the hot water supply port so that the hot water can be supplied at a small flow rate. It is economical because it is not wasted, it is easy to handle, it is safe, especially for coffee lovers and singles, small families, families with small children, hotel rooms, etc. It is an object of the present invention to provide an instant hot water supply device which is suitable for a hot water supply machine and a vending machine for food and drink which require hot water.

[0014]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An instant hot water supply pot according to the present invention proposed to achieve the above object has an inlet for drinking water and a small-diameter water passage from the inlet to the hot water supply port. The entirety or a part of the water channel is constituted by a heating channel that can be set to a desired and accurate temperature.

The most characteristic feature of the instant hot water supply pot according to the present invention is that the water stored in the pot is instantaneously heated in the hot water supply port so that hot water can be supplied.

The charging unit includes a container for storing drinking water, a funnel-shaped supply unit, a supply unit for turning a plastic bottle upside down and receiving water therein, and the like. The hot water supply port is a hot water discharge port, and the hot water supply section refers to a case portion from the charging section to the hot water supply port, and a water channel through which water or hot water flows is formed in the hot water supply section.

The whole or a part of the water channel is constituted by a heating channel, and the heating channel can increase the temperature instantaneously and can set the heating temperature to a desired temperature. For example, there is a ceramic heater in which a thin water channel is formed in a ceramic block, a heater main body for heating water flowing in the water channel to a desired temperature is embedded, and pipes are connected to both ends of the water channel.
Note that another type of known heater having a heating effect equal to or higher than that of the ceramic heater may be used.

The heating path is formed with a small diameter in order to enhance the heating effect and to reduce the flow rate. The small diameter here may be not only a circular section but also a square section. Absent. In addition to the meandering channel, a heating channel having a straight, curved, or spiral shape is used. This heating path may be formed into a ceramic block as described above, or may be a pipe in which a pipe is embedded in a ceramic block.

When a part of the water channel is constituted by a heating channel,
Both ends of the heating path are communicated with the remaining water paths, and the leading end of the water path serves as a hot water supply port. When the entire water channel is constituted by a heating channel, a tip of the heating channel or a pipe extending to a tip of the heating channel serves as a hot water supply port.

With this configuration, the water flowing into the heating path is instantaneously heated in the heating path to become hot water and supplied from the hot water supply port.

In the heating path, the temperature of the heater can be freely adjusted so that water can be set to a desired and accurate temperature. This temperature adjustment is performed by a user operating a temperature setting button with a fingertip. Is performed by changing the heating temperature of the heater through a control circuit.

By the way, if the heating path is located lower than the water surface position of the water storage container, water will be stored over the heating path when water is poured into the container. In such a case, when the hot water supply is started, the water stored in this portion flows out, which causes a decrease in the temperature of the supplied hot water.

For this reason, in the present invention, a valve is provided in the water channel before this heating channel or in the vicinity of the inlet of this water channel,
At times other than hot water supply, the water channel leading to the heater was shut off.

This valve is provided in a water channel from the water storage section to the heating channel or at a location near the entrance of the water channel, and is opened and closed by a switch operation, a switch operation, or a change in inclination.
The heater that heats the heating path also turns on in synchronization with this opening and closing
/ OFF.

It is desirable to provide a temperature control component such as a temperature sensor, a temperature switch, or a timer switch near the heater so as to prevent the heater from being idle.

By the way, there is a case where water is not supplied into the water channel unless water is forcibly supplied into the water channel including a case where the water channel including the heating channel is located higher than the water surface of the container for storing water. .

According to the present invention, as a structure for coping with such a case, a pump is provided at an appropriate position in a channel portion from a charging portion for drinking water to a heating channel, for supplying water in the charging portion to the channel, The configuration is also such that the driving / stopping of the pump and the heating / heating stop of the heating path are performed in synchronization.

The instant hot water supply apparatus according to the present invention having the above-described structure is, for example, an instant hot water supply pot that replaces a conventional hot water supply pot, a vending machine for food and drink that requires hot water supply, and a variety of hot water supplies such as a tea machine. As well as the apparatus.

[0029]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The objects and constitutions of the present invention are as described above. Next, the instant hot water supply apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an instant hot water supply pot which is one embodiment of the instant hot water supply apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view, FIG. 3 is a front view, FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a ceramic heater partially cut away. According to each of these drawings, the instant hot water supply pot A according to the present embodiment includes a hot water supply unit 2 that forms a front end of the pot body 1 and includes a heating path 4.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, this pot body 1 has a metal water storage container 6 fitted in a substantially cylindrical resin case portion 5 having a concave portion 5a formed on the front surface. The resin case 5 has a handle 7 at a rear portion thereof, a lid 8 is provided above the container 6, and the hot water supply unit 2 is provided obliquely upward and forward from within the recess 5a. And the lower opening of the resin case 5 is closed by a bottom plate 9.

The hot water supply section 2 is a section through which hot water is circulated and discharged, and a hot water supply case 3 forming the outer shape of the hot water supply section 2 has a hot water supply port 3 formed of a small-diameter cylindrical portion.
a base 3b extending upward and downward from the rear end to the rear downward and opening the rear end is formed.
b are formed with circular steps 3c, 3c on the left and right surfaces near the rear end.

The hot water supply section 3 has a substantially C-shaped step section 5 formed on the left and right walls of the recess 5a on the front surface of the resin case section 5.
The step portions 3c, 3c are fitted into b, 5b, and are supported by the front portion of the resin case portion 5 so as to be vertically rotatable around the left and right step portions 3c, 3c. A limit switch S for detecting the rotation of the hot water supply unit 3 is provided so that the operation unit protrudes rearward from the inside of the base 3b of the hot water supply unit 3. It is sent to the control circuit of the controller 30 provided in the lower space inside.

A metal pipe 11 having a thickness of about the diameter of a straw or about twice the diameter of a straw is inserted into the hot water supply unit 3.
A discharge port 6 a formed at the lower end of the container 6 is connected to both ends of a heat pipe 13 projecting from the ceramic heater 12. Note that one end of the heat pipe 13 and the outlet 6a are connected by a tube 16 having high flexibility.

In this way, a water passage 17 connecting the tube 16, the ceramic heater 12, and the pipe 11 is formed at a position from the container 6 to the tip in the hot water supply unit 2. The portion of the water passage 17 corresponding to the passage in the ceramic heater 12 is the heating passage 4.

At the inlet of the drain port 6a of the container 6, a valve 18 for opening and closing the drain port 6a is provided. The valve 18 receives an electric signal sent from a control circuit of the controller 30. Open and close.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the heater used in the present embodiment uses the Joule heat and the main part of the small-diameter meandering pipe 13 formed by folding back a plurality of places in the ceramic block 14 in parallel. A sheet-shaped heater body 15 to be heated is cast, and both end portions 13 of the heat pipe 13 are cut from the end face of the ceramic block 14.
The ceramic heater 12 having the protrusions a and 13b is used. The terminals 15a and 14b of the heater body 15 protrude from the end surface of the ceramic block 14, and these terminals 15a and 15b are connected to the controller 30 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an operation panel 31 is provided at a lower portion of the side surface of the pot body 1.
, A power button switch 32 for turning ON / OFF, a display lamp 33 for lighting and displaying the ON / OFF state, and temperature specifying button switches 35, 36, 37 for specifying voltage control of a current flowing through the heater body 15 in a plurality of stages. Are provided. Each of these temperature designation button switches 35,
Numerals 36 and 37 are connected to a variable thermostat (not shown). The variable thermostat, the power button switch 32 and the display lamp 33 are connected to a control circuit of the controller 30 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a base end of an electric wire L connected to a distal end of a plug 40 for receiving household power from the lower part of the side surface of the resin case part 5 is connected to the controller 30. Connected.

Next, the operation panel 31 shown in FIGS.
The operation of each switch will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. When the power button switch 32 is turned on by a pressing operation with a fingertip, the display lamp 33 is turned on. In this state, when the hot water supply unit 2 is turned downward by hand, the detection signal by the operation of the microswitch S is received, the valve 18 is opened, and a current flows through the heater main body 15 (the ceramic heater 12). The heater body 15 (ceramic heater 12) is heated to a predetermined temperature.

In the above-described state, when the hot water supply unit 2 is again rotated to the original upper position, the micro switch S is turned off, and the heating of the heater body 15 (the ceramic heater 12) is stopped.

In these states, under temperature setting input unit 3
When any one of the temperature selection switches 35, 36, and 37 that constitutes 8 is pressed and selected with a fingertip, the variable thermostat is activated, and the heating temperature of the heater body 15 (the ceramic heater 12) is selected and input. Is set to

One of the selected and designated temperatures is 93 ° C. which is optimal for coffee extraction. Other temperatures are not necessarily limited, for example, 100
It is possible to set a temperature substantially close to ° C. and a relatively low temperature suitable for extracting tea such as gyokuro, for example, around 70 ° C. In particular, in this embodiment, the heating means is ± 0.5 ° C.
Ceramic heater 12 capable of setting the temperature within a range
By using, it is possible to realize fine temperature setting.

In the instant hot water supply pot 1 according to the present embodiment having such a configuration, water is poured into the water storage section 6 of the instant hot water supply pot 1, and it is confirmed that the power is ON. When the finger 2 is pushed down with a fingertip, the valve 18 is opened, and the water in the water reservoir 6 flows into the heat pipe 13 of the ceramic heater 12, and is instantaneously heated to a set temperature in the course of flowing through the heat pipe 13, It flows out from the tip through the front pipe 11. That is, hot water supply is performed continuously. To stop hot water supply, the hot water supply port 2 may be pushed up to its original position with a fingertip.

Note that, instead of the control by the microswitch S, an inclination sensor may be provided in the hot water supply unit 2 for control.

Although not shown, a hot water supply unit is formed integrally with the resin case, and an inclination sensor is provided in a space between the resin case and the water storage unit, based on a detection signal of the inclination sensor. The valve may be opened and the ceramic heater may be heated at the same time.

Next, a stationary hot water supply pot 40 comprising the instantaneous hot water supply apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, the hot water supply pot 40 according to the present embodiment includes a water storage container 44 in a case 41.
The bottom of the container 44 and a water inlet of a pump 46 below the container 44 are communicated by a small-diameter pipe 45.
A water channel formed by a pipe 47 is provided to a tip of a hot water supply unit 43 formed by projecting upward and forward from the case 41 from the drain port of the case 41, and the ceramic heater 12 is connected to a portion near the front end of the pipe 47. It is composed of

A lid 42 is provided on the upper part of the case 41 so as to be openable and closable, and a knob 48 for hot water supply is provided on the upper part of the hot water supply unit 43. When the knob 48 is operated, the pump 46 is driven and The ceramic heater 12 was heated. Reference numeral 49 denotes a controller. The knob 48, the pump 46, and the ceramic heater 12 are electrically connected to the controller 49, and the pump 46 and the ceramic heater 12 are turned on.
/ OFF is synchronized.

Therefore, when water is stored in the container 44, the power is turned on, and the knob 48 is turned on with a fingertip, the pump 46 is started, and at the same time, the ceramic heater 12 starts heating. When the pump 46 is started, the water W in the container 44 is sucked into the pump 46 through the pipe 46, flows into the ceramic heater 12 in front of the pipe 46 through the pipe 47, and has a desired shape in a heating circuit in the ceramic heater 12. The water is heated to a temperature and supplied through the pipe 13a.

Next, a description will be given of a tea dispenser 50 equipped with the hot water supply apparatus according to the present invention with reference to FIG.

The tea dispenser 50 shown in FIG. 7 includes a container 52 for storing water W in a box-shaped case 51 having an open front lower portion. A pipe 53 serving as a water channel for circulating water W in 52
A valve 54 that opens and closes a water channel and a ceramic heater 12 are connected to an intermediate portion of the pipe 53, and a delivery device 57a that puts a large amount of tea leaves 57 above the pipe 53 and feeds the tea leaves 57 into a front shooter 59 by a fixed amount. A canister 58 is provided at a lower portion, and the shooter 59 is provided.
Is provided with a tea strainer 60 whose base is supported by a tea leaf exchanging device 61 below.

For this reason, a cup 64 is placed on a drain plate 63 provided in an opening at the lower front part of the tea machine 50,
When a push button switch (not shown) is pressed, the delivery device 57a below the canister 58 is driven, and the tea leaves 57 in the canister 58 are sent forward, so that the shooter 5
From 9, a fixed amount is put into a tea strainer 60 below the same. Following this series of movements, the valve 54 is opened, and at the same time, the heating of the ceramic heater 12 starts, whereby the water W in the container 52 flows into the ceramic heater 12 through the pipe 53 which is a water channel, and the ceramic heater 12 Inside, the water is instantaneously heated to a desired temperature and turned into hot water. Hot water is supplied from the front hot water supply port 54a into the lower tea strainer 60, and hot tea is supplied into the lower cup 64. When this series of operations is completed, the tea leaf exchanging device 61 is operated to invert the tea strainer 60 backward and discard the tea waste in the tea strainer 60 into the lower tea discharge tank 62 below. These series of operations are performed by the tea machine 5
The microcomputer is controlled by a controller 66 provided in the control unit 0.

[0054]

According to the instant hot water supply apparatus of the present invention described above, it is not necessary to store hot water in advance, and when hot water is required, hot water can be supplied very simply and instantly. It is now possible to do things. Moreover, by forming the heating path with a small diameter, a high heating effect can be obtained.

Further, since the entire passage including the heating passage is formed with a small diameter, the hot water flowing out of the hot water supply port can be made thin. It was possible to supply enough hot water so that it would not overflow from the paper drip.

As a heater constituting a heating path,
The use of a ceramic heater that allows a quick rise in temperature and allows for a high temperature setting makes it possible to supply hot water ranging from low temperatures to hot water close to hot water at the desired accurate temperature. is there.

In addition, by linking a valve for controlling the flow of water and heating to prevent water from flowing into the heating path during non-hot water supply, dangerous bumping can be prevented.
In addition, it is possible to eliminate the need to supply loose hot water at the start of hot water supply.

Further, since water can be forcibly sucked into the water channel by the pump and heated in the heating channel to supply hot water, etc., the water can be stably supplied regardless of the position and orientation of the hot water supply port. Hot water could be supplied.

The instant hot water supply apparatus according to the present invention having such a configuration can be applied to an instant hot water supply pot which can be used in place of, or complementary to, a water heater and a jar pot of a conventional structure because of its simple structure. It can also be applied to a simple hot water supply device that is used by hand when extracting it, and it is also possible to set a desired and accurate temperature and supply hot water. It was possible to improve these performances by mounting it on a machine.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an instant hot water supply pot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the same.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the same.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view in which a part of the ceramic heater is cut away.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing a stationary hot water supply pot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing an internal structure of a tea machine equipped with the instantaneous hot water supply device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A Instantaneous hot water supply pot L Electric wire 1 Pot body 2 Hot water supply section 3 Hot water supply case section 4 Heating path 5 Resin case section 6 Water storage section 11 Pipe 12 Ceramic heater 13 Pipe 17 Passage 18 Valve 38 Temperature setting input section

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Tohru Noda 2-8-8 Higashiobashi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka Co., Ltd. Inside Creative To Star Co., Ltd. 4B004 AA12 BA02 BA06 BA09 BA12 BA22 BA29 BA31 BA39 BA40 BA46 CA30 4B055 AA32 AA34 BA03 BA22 BA31 CA11 CC17 CC66 CD33 DA07 DB02 FA16 FB23 GA01 GB44 GC14

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A drinking water supply section and a small-diameter water path from the charging section to the hot water supply port, and the whole or a part of the water path is constituted by a heating path capable of setting a desired and accurate temperature. Instantaneous water heater characterized by being. 2. The instant hot water supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charging section is constituted by a container for storing drinking water. 3. The instant hot water supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating path includes a main portion excluding both ends of the small-diameter pipe and a ceramic heater in which an electric heater is sealed in a ceramic block. 4. A valve for opening and closing the water channel is provided at an appropriate position in a water channel portion from the charging section to the heating channel, and the opening / closing of the valve and the heating / heating stop of the heating channel are performed synchronously. The instant hot water supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the instant hot water supply apparatus is configured to be heated. 5. A pump for sending water in the charging section into the water channel at an appropriate position in a water channel portion from the charging section to the heating path, driving / stopping the pump and heating the heating path. The instant hot water supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the stop of the heating is performed in synchronization with the heating. 6. The instant hot water supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instant hot water supply apparatus is configured as a hot water supply pot provided with a gate in front of a container for storing drinking water.