JP2003210323A - Hot-water heater pot - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hot-water heater pot in which hot water can be poured at a prescribed speed even at a low water level. <P>SOLUTION: The hot-water heater pot is provided with a discharge pipe 4 for guiding water (hot water) in a tank 2 to a lower spout 5, a valve 17 for opening/closing the discharge pipe 4 and an air pump 18 for supplying air into the tank 2. The valve 17 and the air pump 18 are operated by a first operating part 16. By opening the valve 17, the pot is functioned as a natural falling type utilizing the gravity of water. By operating the air pump 18, the pot is functioned as an air pump type for forcibly feeding out water in the tank 2. By using both the natural falling type and the air pump type, the hot water can be poured at the prescribed speed even at the low water level. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a kettle pot for heating water contained in a tank to boil the water and to pour the hot water out of a spout.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a kettle pot is designed to heat water contained in a tank to boil the water and to pour the hot water out of a spout. As the method of pouring out the water (hot water) in the tank to the outside, there is a free fall method that uses the gravity of water, or by supplying air into the tank and forcing the water in the tank to the outside by the air pressure. An air pump type or the like is used. FIG. 7 shows an example (longitudinal sectional view) of a free-fall type kettle.

This free-fall type kettle has a structure in which a tank 102 for accommodating water is arranged on an upper portion of a pot body 101, and a tank 1 is provided on a bottom portion of the tank 102.
Heater 103 for heating water in 02 to boil hot water
(Heating means) is arranged. At the bottom of the tank 102, a spout pipe 1 for guiding the water in the tank 102 downward.
One end of 04 is connected. In the spout pipe 104,
A valve 105 for opening and closing a water passage is provided, and by opening the valve 105, the water in the tank 102 is poured out of the pot body 101 by utilizing its gravity.

At the top of the pot body 101, there is provided a lid body 106 that covers the opening of the pot body 101 in an openable and closable manner. Lid 1
An inner lid 107 made of a stainless steel plate is provided on the lower surface side of 06.
When the lid 106 is closed, the rubber packing on the peripheral edge of the inner lid 107 seals the peripheral edge of the opening of the tank 102. A vapor passage 108 is provided in the lid 106,
The inside of the tank 102 is communicated with the outside, and steam generated by heating water in the tank 102 is discharged to the outside.

On the upper surface side of the lid body 106, an operating portion 10 for opening the valve 105 and pouring water in the tank 102.
9 is projected. The operation unit 109 includes a vertically movable spout button 109a and a spring 109b that biases the spout button 109a upward.
Of the valve 105 to the valve opening / closing means 110,
It is designed to open and close.

The valve opening / closing means 110 includes a vertically movable connecting rod 111 and a spring 11 for urging the connecting rod 111 upward.
2 and a valve lever 113 that opens and closes the valve 105 in conjunction with the movement of the connecting rod 111. Connecting rod 11
A part of the lower end side of the spout button 109a is in contact with the upper end of the spout 1. When the spout button 109a is pushed down by a finger to move downward, the connecting rod 111 and the valve lever 113 are moved downward. Move to open valve 105, tank 1
Pour out the water in 02. Further, when the finger is released from the pouring button 109a, the operating portion 109 and the valve opening / closing means 110 are returned to the original state by the urging force of the springs 109b and 112, and the pouring is stopped.

As a technique equipped with an air pump type pouring system, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-104313 discloses an electric water heater equipped with an electric air pump. The pouring method of this electric water heater is to seal the tank and blow air into the tank by pouring operation.The air is expanded in the tank, and the air pressure in the tank causes the water in the tank to spout. It is designed to be pushed out from. The above-mentioned publication and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-332508 disclose an electric motor-pump type electric water heater capable of adjusting the amount of pouring according to the pouring operation.

[0008]

However, in the free-falling type kettle, the pouring amount (pouring speed) changes according to the water level in the tank, and the pouring amount decreases when the water level is low. On the other hand, the electric water heaters of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2-104313 and 4-332508 can adjust the amount of pouring according to the pouring operation, but in the case of a power failure or a place without a power outlet, the tank The water inside cannot be poured out. On the other hand, if you use a battery as the power source,
The circuit configuration and the structure such as waterproofing are complicated.

Further, in the air pump type kettle,
It takes time for the air pump to generate air and send it to the tank, where it expands in the tank. Therefore, there is a possibility that a time lag occurs after the pouring operation and before the pouring is actually performed, and the impression is that the reaction is slow and the usability is poor.

According to the present invention, even if the water level in the tank is low, the pouring can be performed at a predetermined pouring speed, and the pouring can be performed even when the power source cannot be used at the time of power failure. It is an object of the present invention to provide a kettle pot that can shorten the time from the operation to the start of pouring.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a tank for containing water, a heating means for heating the water in the tank, and the water in the tank being guided downward from the lower part of the tank. A pouring passage and a pouring means for pouring the water in the tank to the outside are provided, and the pouring means is a valve that opens and closes the pouring passage, and supplies air to the inside of the tank to supply air to the inside of the tank. An air pump for forcibly sending water to the pouring passage is provided, and a gravity drop type for sending the water in the tank to the pouring passage by using the gravity of the water and a tank for taking the pressure of the air from the air pump are used. The present invention provides a kettle pot characterized in that it is used together with an air pump type for sending water to the pouring passage.

According to this structure, as the pouring means for pouring out the water (hot water) heated in the tank, the gravity drop of the water in the tank is used, and the air pressure of the air supplied to the tank is used. Since the air pump type used is also used, the pouring speed can be increased even when the water level in the tank is low.

In addition, since the water is mainly poured out by gravity at the initial stage of pouring, a large amount of water is not suddenly poured out immediately after the pouring operation is performed by the first operating portion, so that it is safe and secure. is there. That is, it takes some time for the air to be generated by the air pump and sent into the tank, and for the air to expand due to the heat in the tank. Therefore, in the initial stage of pouring, the pouring means can mainly function as a free fall type, and thereafter, the pouring means can also function as an air pump type, and the pouring speed can be gradually increased. .

In order to fully exhibit the function of the air pump, it is desirable to seal the inside of the tank and quickly increase the pressure inside the tank. Therefore, in the present invention, in addition to the above-mentioned configuration, a sealing means for sealing the inside of the tank is provided, and the sealing means is a boiling water pot that is a seal valve provided in a communication passage that communicates the tank with the outside. Can also be provided.

According to this structure, if the seal valve is closed to seal the inside of the tank when the air pump is in operation, the pressure inside the tank is quickly increased and the pouring speed can be increased. It is preferable to use a steam passage for letting out the heating steam in the tank as the communication passage because the structure can be simplified.

Further, in the boiling water pot using both the air pump type and the free fall type as described above, both functions of the pouring means (the air pump starting function and the valve opening / closing function) can be exhibited by a single operation in the operating portion. Is desirable.
In this case, the air pump and the valve opening / closing means may be either manual or electric. When the valve opening / closing means is a manual type and the air pump is an electric type, when the valve opening / closing means is manually operated, the sealing means (sealing valve) closes the communication passage and operates the air pump start switch in conjunction with this. A configuration in which it is turned on can be exemplified.

That is, in the present invention, the air pump is electrically operated, and a switch for activating the electrically operated air pump, an opening / closing means for opening / closing the valve, and a first operating portion for operating the sealing means at a time are provided. An electric kettle provided can also be provided.

Further, in the boiling water pot using both the air pump type and the free fall type as described above, it is desired that the free fall type can be used alone. That is, in the present invention, it is possible to employ a configuration in which a second operation unit for manually opening and closing the opening / closing unit of the valve is provided in addition to the operation unit while the sealing unit is open.

According to this structure, even when the electric air pump cannot be used in a place where there is no outlet or when there is a power outage, the valve is opened manually and the water in the tank is removed by gravity falling by gravity. Can be dispensed.
At this time, since the valve can be opened without sealing the tank, water in the tank can be smoothly poured out.

In the case of adopting the structure having the second operation portion as described above, if a switch (for example, a child lock) for disabling the operation of the first operation portion is provided, the second operation portion is allowed to fall naturally. Since only the formula pouring method can be used,
The pouring speed becomes slower, which is suitable for use in households with infants.

Further, in the above-described boiling water pot using both the air pump type and the free fall type, if the opening degree (opening area) of the valve can be adjusted, the amount of hot water discharged can be adjusted. Further, if the output of the air pump can be adjusted, the pressure in the tank becomes variable, and the pouring speed can be adjusted.

Further, if the output of the air pump and the opening degree of the valve can be adjusted in association with each other, when the output of the air pump is increased and the pouring speed is increased (when the hot water discharge amount is increased), In conjunction with this, the valve opening can be increased. At this time, since the valve opening of the pouring passage is large, the momentum (flow velocity) of the water is small, and it is possible to prevent the water from bouncing back when pouring hot water into a container such as a drinking cup.

The variable output of the air pump and the adjustment of the valve opening may be set, for example, so as to be variable in accordance with the change in the pushing amount of the operating portion.

A configuration in which the output of the air pump can be varied by another means is also conceivable. For example, it is possible to provide a water boiling pot in which a water level detecting means for detecting the water level in the tank is provided and the output of the air pump is adjusted according to the detected water level detected by the water level detecting means.

According to the above construction, when the amount of water in the tank is reduced, the water level in the tank is lowered and the pouring function due to gravity of water (by natural fall) is lowered, and the pouring speed is reduced. At this time, if the output of the air pump is increased according to the decrease in the water level, it is possible to compensate for the decrease in the injection speed due to the decrease in the water level, and it is possible to equalize the injection speed.

[0026]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of a kettle according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. [First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a first embodiment of a water heating pot of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the vicinity of a first operating portion. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the valve,
(A) shows the valve closed state, and (b) shows the valve open state.

The kettle pot according to the first embodiment comprises a pot body 1, a tank 2 arranged above the pot body 1 to store water, and a bottom portion of the tank 2 arranged to store water in the tank 2. A heater 3 (heating means) for heating and a spout pipe 4 for guiding water (hot water) in the tank 2 downward from the bottom of the tank 2.
(Pouring passage) and a pouring means for pouring the water in the tank 2 to the outside. The water in the tank 2 is heated to boil the hot water, and the hot water is poured out from the pouring outlet 5. It has become.

The pot body 1 has a substantially box-like shape with an open upper surface, and a pouring portion 6 for arranging a container into which hot water is poured is recessed on the lower front surface side. The tank 2 is arranged in a space above 6. Tank 2
Has a substantially box-like shape with an open upper surface, and a spout pipe 4 connected to the bottom of the spout penetrates the ceiling plate of the spout part 6 and projects into the spout part 6. It is called exit 5. The spout pipe 4 is laterally drawn from the bottom of the tank 2 to the front side so as to open and close a valve 17 described below from above, and further extends vertically downward.

On the upper surface side of the pot body 1, there is provided a lid body 7 which covers the opening of the pot body 1 so as to be openable and closable, and the lid body 7 is opened to supply water into the tank 2. The lid 7 is
It has a hollow shape, and a steam passage 10 that connects the steam hole 8 on the upper surface side and the ventilation hole 9 on the lower surface side is provided inside thereof, and the steam generated when the water in the tank 2 is heated is discharged to the outside. It is supposed to do.

An inner lid 11 made of, for example, a stainless steel plate is arranged on the lower surface side of the lid 7, and the peripheral edge of the inner lid 11 seals the peripheral edge of the opening of the tank 2 with the lid 7 closed. The rubber packing 12 is attached. Inner lid 1
A concave portion 13 is provided downward in a portion of the lid 7 facing the vent hole 9 of the lid 7, and steam is supplied from the inside of the tank 2 to the vent hole 9 through a small hole (not shown) formed in the concave portion 13. It is pouring in.

Inside the concave portion 13, a cylindrical body 14 is provided which projects downward from the lower plate of the lid body 7 and surrounds the vent hole 9, and a ball valve 15 is arranged inside thereof. When the pot body 1 is in a predetermined posture and the lid body 7 is in a state where the opening of the pot body 1 is closed, the ball valve 15 is held on the upper surface side of the recessed portion 13 and the steam causes a gap between the cylindrical body 14 and the ball valve 15. It is designed to flow into the ventilation hole 9 through the through hole. On the other hand, for example, when the pot body 1 falls, the ball valve 15 closes the vent hole 9 to prevent the water in the tank 2 from flowing out through the steam passage 10.

The pouring means for pouring out the water in the tank 2 from the pouring outlet 5 includes a first operating portion 16, a valve 17 for opening and closing the pouring pipe 4, and an air supply to the tank 2. An electric air pump 18 forcibly sending the water in the tank 2 to the pouring pipe 4 is provided, and the valve 17 is provided in the first operating portion 16.
Also, the air pump 18 is operated, and both the free fall type and the air pump type pouring methods are used in combination.

The first operating portion 16 is provided with a pouring button 19 which is vertically movable so as to fit into an opening formed near the front surface of the upper side plate of the lid 7, and the pouring button 19 is directed upward. The first spring 20 biases the Pouring button 19
Has a substantially inverted cup shape, and a guide cylinder 21 formed on the lower surface side thereof is externally fitted to a guide 22 projecting upward on the lower plate of the lid body 7 to regulate the inclination of the pouring button 19. It

The first spring 20 is arranged so as to surround the guide cylinder 21 and the guide 22.
0 urges dispense button 19 upwards. An engaging piece 19a is formed on the front side of the peripheral wall of the pouring button 19, and the engaging piece 19a engages with the peripheral edge of the opening of the upper plate of the lid body 7 from below, so that To move to.

The lid 7 is provided near the lower end of the peripheral wall of the pouring button 19.
The portion of the steam passage 10 facing the ventilation hole 9 penetrates the upper wall of the steam passage 10, and a seal valve 23 as a sealing means for opening and closing the steam passage 10 is provided at the lower end portion thereof. The seal valve 23 has a substantially bump shape, and a seal material 24 such as a rubber packing is attached around the seal valve 23.
By pushing downward, the vent hole 9 is closed and the tank 2 is sealed.

The movement of the pouring button 19 is transmitted to the valve 17 via the valve opening / closing means, and the valve 17 is opened / closed by operating the first operating portion 16. The valve opening / closing means is vertically movable, and the first operation unit 1
Connecting rod 25 for connecting 6 and valve 17, and connecting rod 25
And a second spring 26 for urging the blade upward.

The connecting rod 25 is connected to the tank 2 in the pot body 1.
It is arranged on the front side with its axial direction facing upward and downward, and is urged upward by the second spring 26, and moves upward when the first operating portion 16 or the second operating portion 39 described later is not operated. It is kept in the state.

The lower end side of the connecting rod 25 passes through a through hole formed on the upper surface side of the corner portion between the laterally drawn portion and the vertical portion of the spout pipe 4 to form a valve 17 for opening and closing the spout pipe 4. It is connected. An O-ring 27 is arranged on the inner peripheral edge of the through hole so as to seal the gap between the inner peripheral edge of the through hole and the connecting rod 25 without hindering the vertical movement of the connecting rod 25.

The valve 17 comprises a valve opening 29 formed in a partition wall 28 that closes the vertical portion of the pouring pipe 4, and a substantially conical valve body 30 that closes the valve opening 29 from below. A valve body 30 is formed at the lower end of 25. A seal member 31 such as a rubber packing is attached to the valve body 30 so that the peripheral edge portion is wound from the lower surface side thereof.
As shown in FIG. 3A, the sealing material 31 seals the peripheral edge of the valve opening 29 when the connecting rod 25 is moved upward.

The upper end of the connecting rod 25 is brought into contact with a part of the lower end of the peripheral wall of the spout button 19, and by pushing the spout button 19 downward, as shown in FIG.
Is moved downward to open the valve 17.

A protrusion 32 projecting to the back side is formed near the upper end of the connecting rod 25, and the step surface on the upper end side engages with a part of the lid holding portion 33 of the pot body 1 from below. The upward movement of the connecting rod 25 is restricted. The lower end side surface of the protrusion 32 is an inclined surface, and when the connecting rod 25 moves downward, the switch portion of the pump start switch 34 for starting the air pump 18 is pushed to the rear side and turned on. There is.

The air pump 18 is arranged in the space on the rear side of the pouring portion 6, and the tank 2 is provided via the air pipe 35.
Is connected to the upper portion of the side surface of the tank 2 and sends air to a position higher than the water level in the tank 2. The air pump 18 is controlled by the control device 36 mounted on the upper surface of the ceiling plate of the spout portion 6. The control device 36 is connected to the pump start switch 34 by a wiring circuit 37, and based on the signal input thereof, the air pump 1 via the wiring circuit 38.
8 is controlled to supply air into the tank 2.

The control device 36 is a C such as an LSI (not shown).
Based on a signal input from a thermistor (not shown) which is composed of a PU, a relay, a resistor, a condenser, and the like, and is attached to the outer surface of the tank 2, the heater 3 is controlled to control the hot water heating and the hot water heating and warming. State L
ED is displayed.

A second operating portion 39 for opening and closing the valve 17 is provided near the center of the connecting rod 25.
The second operating portion 39 is integrally formed with the lever through hole 40 formed on the front side of the pot body 1 and the connecting rod 25 so as to penetrate the lever through hole 40 and project to the front side. It is composed of an output lever 41, and by pressing the pouring lever 41 downward, the connecting rod 25 is moved downward,
The valve 17 is designed to be opened.

Next, the operation of the kettle of the first embodiment will be described. First, the lid 7 is opened and water is added to the tank 2. At this time, the urging force of the second spring 26 causes the connecting rod 25 and the valve body 30 at the lower end thereof to be positioned above, and as shown in FIG. Is closed so that the water in the tank 2 does not flow out through the pouring pipe 4.

Next, the heater 3 is turned on by turning on the power source.
Is energized to boil the water in the tank 2. At this time,
The pouring button 19 is positioned above by the urging force of the first spring 20, the seal valve 23 formed at the lower end of the pouring button 19 opens the vent hole 9, and the steam generated in the tank 2 is vented to the vent hole. It flows into the steam passage 10 from 9 and is discharged to the outside from the steam hole 8.

The temperature of the water is detected by the thermistor on the surface of the tank 2. Based on the signal from the thermistor, the control device 36 calculates the amount of change in the water temperature per unit time by the CPU, and when it determines that the water in the tank 2 is boiling from the amount of change in the water temperature, the heating device Is stopped, and thereafter, the heater 3 is controlled so that the temperature is kept at about 95 ° C., for example.

As a first pouring method for pouring water (hot water) while keeping warm, the first operating portion 16 is used to combine gravity drop of water with forced pressure feeding by air pressure. Then, the water in the tank 2 is poured out. First, a container for pouring hot water is placed on the pouring portion 6, and the pouring button 19 is pushed down with a finger or the like. At this time, the seal valve 23 provided at the lower end of the pouring button 19 closes the vent hole 9 to close the steam passage 1
Shut off 0 and seal tank 2.

By pressing down the pouring button 19,
The connecting rod 25 moves downward in conjunction with the movement, and the valve element 30 at the lower end of the connecting rod 25 moves downward, as shown in FIG. By moving the substantially conical valve body 30 downward, the gap between the inner peripheral edge of the valve opening 29 and the outer peripheral surface of the valve body 30 increases, and the valve 17 is opened. The inside of 2 and the outlet 5 located in the outlet 6 are communicated. At this time, due to the gravity of the water, the water in the tank 2 is poured out of the pouring port 5 into the container through the pouring pipe 4.

Further, when the connecting rod 25 moves downward,
The lower end side surface of the protrusion 32 formed on the connecting rod 25 turns on the pump start switch 34, and the air pump 18 operates. The air generated by the air pump 18 is sent into the tank 2 through the air pipe 35 and expands in the heat retaining atmosphere in the tank 2. Since the tank 2 is sealed by the seal valve 23, the pressure in the tank 2 becomes high,
The water in the tank 2 is forcibly sent to the pouring pipe 4 and poured into the container through the spout 5.

When a finger or the like is released from the pouring button 19, the pouring button 19 is moved upward by the urging force of the first spring 20, the seal valve 23 opens the steam passage 10, and the tank 2
The internal pressure is reduced to atmospheric pressure. The connecting rod 25 moves upward by the urging force of the second spring 26, closes the valve 17, turns off the pump start switch 34 to stop the air pump 18, and stops the pouring of water in the tank 2.

As a second pouring method for pouring water (hot water) while keeping warm, the water in the tank 2 can be removed by operating the second operation section 39 to take advantage of the gravity of water to naturally drop. To dispense. First, place a container for pouring hot water on the pouring part 6,
When the dispensing lever 41 is pushed down with a finger or the like, the connecting rod 25 and the valve body 30 at the lower end thereof are moved downward, and the valve 17 is opened.

When the valve 17 is opened, the tank 2 and the pouring outlet 5 located in the pouring portion 6 are communicated with each other through the pouring pipe 4, and the water in the tank 2 is poured by the gravity of the water. It is poured into the container through the outlet pipe 4 and the outlet 5.
At this time, the steam passage 10 remains open, and air having the same volume as the water poured out from the tank 2 is supplied from the steam passage 10.

According to the above construction, by operating the first operating portion 16, both the natural dropping type and the air pump type pouring methods can be used in combination. Of these, the free fall method alone reduces the amount of water to be poured out per unit time when the water level in the tank 2 becomes low. Can be dispensed at speed.

On the other hand, in the case of the air pump type alone, it takes time (there is a time lag) until the air generated by the pouring operation is sent into the tank 2 and the air is expanded in a heat retaining atmosphere to start the pouring. By using the free-fall method together, pouring can be started immediately after the pouring operation. Also, due to this time lag, it functions as a free-falling type immediately after the start of pouring and gradually functions as an air pump type, so it pours quietly immediately after the pouring operation, and a large amount of water is not suddenly poured out. You can

The first operating portion 16 is a seal valve 2 that opens and closes the steam passage 10 by pushing down the pouring button 19 or the like.
3, the valve 17 for opening and closing the pouring pipe 4, and the pump starting switch 34 for stopping the operation of the air pump 18 can be operated at the same time. Of these, the seal valve 23
Is directly interlocked with the pouring button 19 provided on the lid body 7, and the valve 17 and the pump start switch 34 are interlocked with the pouring button 19 via the connecting rod 25. The connecting rod 25 contacts the pouring button 19 and transmits the operation thereof to the valve 17 and the pump start switch 34 in a state where the lid body 7 is attached to the pot body 1, so that the pot body 1 and the lid body 7 are connected.
There is no need for wiring for operation between and.

Further, by operating the second operation section 39, the water in the tank 2 can be poured out only by the natural drop type pouring method as the pouring method. Therefore, the water in the tank 2 can be poured out even when the air pump 18 cannot be operated as in the case of a power failure or when the main body is moved to a place without a power outlet and used. .

When performing the pouring operation by the second operating portion 39, the seal valve 23 does not move and the steam passage 10 is left open, and the tank is as if the pouring operation by the first operating portion 16 is performed. Since 2 is not sealed, a volume of air equal to the amount of water that has been poured out is supplied from the steam passage 10. Therefore, the atmospheric pressure in the tank 2 does not decrease with the pouring of water, and it is possible to prevent the decrease in the atmospheric pressure in the tank 2 from interfering with the pouring by the natural drop method.

The means for pouring the water in the tank 2 only by the natural-fall type pouring method is not limited to this embodiment, and means for opening the valve 17 without sealing the tank 2 is provided. Anything is acceptable. For example, an opening different from the steam passage 10 may be provided in the tank 2, and an opening valve that opens and closes the opening by an external operation may be provided. This open valve is normally closed so that when the air pump 18 cannot be operated, the valve 17 is opened by the first operating portion 16 and the open valve is opened by an external operation so that the tank 2 is not sealed. Thereby, the water in the tank 2 can be poured out as a natural drop method.

A switch (child lock) for keeping the air pump in a stopped state may be provided. In this case, the water (hot water) in the tank 2 is poured out only by the gentle drop by the natural drop method. It is possible to improve the safety when used by an infant or the like.

[Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the kettle according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing a second embodiment of the water heating pot of the present invention. This kettle pot has almost the same configuration as the kettle pot of the first embodiment, but the output of the air pump 18 can be varied.

That is, the variable resistor 42 is provided in the middle of the wiring circuit 37 for sending the signal from the pump start switch 34 to the control device 36, and when the start switch 34 is turned on to form a closed circuit, the control device 36 is changed. A voltage signal corresponding to the resistor 42 is input. The variable resistor 42 includes a fixed terminal electrically contacting one end of the rotary shaft and an electric resistor body connected to the rotary shaft and electrically contacting the fixed terminal. This is a rotary variable resistor having a known structure in which the electric resistance value changes depending on the distance to the position.

The pinion 4 is attached to the rotary shaft of the variable resistor 42.
2a is fixed, and a rack 25a that meshes with the pinion is provided on the connecting rod 25 that moves up and down, and the rotational position of the pinion 42a according to the vertical position of the connecting rod 25, that is, the position of the rotary shaft for variable resistance that supports the pinion 42a. Is set.

Therefore, by operating the first operating portion 16 to move the connecting rod 25 up and down, the rotary variable resistor 42 rotates to change its resistance value, and according to the resistance value. The control device 36 controls the output of the air pump 18. For example, the output of the air pump 18 can be set to increase as the pouring button 19 is pushed deeper.

When the spout button 19 is pushed in to move the connecting rod 25 downward, the valve body 30 formed at the lower end of the connecting rod 25 moves downward, and the valve body 30 closes from below. The valve opening 29 is opened and the valve 17 is opened. The valve body 30 of the valve 17 has a substantially conical shape, and the deeper the spout button 19 is pushed, the larger the distance between the inner peripheral edge of the valve opening 29 and the outer peripheral surface of the valve body 30 becomes.
The opening degree of 7 is gradually increased.

As a result, the output of the air pump 18 and the opening degree of the valve 17 (flow passage cross-sectional area of the valve 17) can be interlocked, and the pouring button 19 is pushed deeply and the pouring speed (pouring per unit time). To increase the output),
Since the opening degree of the valve 17 is correspondingly increased, it is possible to prevent the flow rate of the poured water from becoming too fast and prevent the water (hot water) from splashing from the container.

[Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment of the kettle according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing a third embodiment of the water heating pot of the present invention. This kettle pot has almost the same structure as the kettle pot of the first embodiment, except that the tank 2 is provided at the bottom of the tank 2.
A water level detecting means for detecting the water level inside is provided, and the output of the air pump 18 is adjusted by the control device 36 according to the detected water level detected by the water level detecting means.

In this embodiment, as the water level detecting means, a detecting recess is provided at the bottom of the tank 2 so as to communicate with the inside of the tank, and the pressure sensor 43 is arranged at this detecting portion. The pressure sensor 43 is connected to the control device 36 via a wiring circuit 44, and the detected water level (pressure) is taken out as an electric signal and input to the control device 36.

The control device 36 calculates the water level in the tank 2 from the detected pressure based on the signal input from the pressure sensor 43, and increases the output of the air pump 18 according to the decrease in the water level. It should be noted that the output of the air pump 18 may be set by experimentally obtaining an appropriate size according to factors such as the diameter of the tank 2, the capacity of the tank 2, and the water (hot water) temperature.

According to this structure, even if the water level in the tank 2 drops, the amount of air supplied to the tank 2 by the air pump 18 increases in accordance with the drop in the water level. It is possible to prevent the start speed from decreasing.

That is, when the water level in the tank 2 is lowered, the water pressure at the bottom of the tank 2 is reduced, so that the pouring speed of gravity-driven water (natural drop type) is reduced. Further, since the space level in the tank 2 becomes large due to the decrease in the water level, the pressure increase in the tank 2 due to the supply of a certain amount of air becomes small, and the pouring speed of the pouring (air pump type) due to the supply and expansion of the air is reduced. Decrease.
On the other hand, by increasing the output of the air pump 18 and increasing the amount of air supplied into the tank 2 in accordance with the decrease in the water level, it is possible to prevent the pouring speed from decreasing.

Although the pressure sensor 43 is exemplified as the water level detecting means in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG.
A water meter 45 communicating with the tank 2 may be used.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the essential parts of a tank provided with a water meter. The water meter 45 has a straight tubular shape with its axial direction oriented in the vertical direction, and communicates with the vicinity of the upper side surface and the vicinity of the bottom portion of the tank 2 via horizontal pulling portions 46 provided at the upper and lower ends thereof. It is connected so that the water level is the same as in the tank 2.

The water meter 45 is equipped with a float 47 that moves up and down according to the water level in the straight pipe, and a photocoupler 48 that detects the position of the float 47. Based on the signal detected by the photocoupler 48, Controller 36 regulates the magnitude of the output of air pump 18.

The photocoupler 48 includes a light emitting diode 49.
And a phototransistor 50 that receives the light of the light emitting diode 49 are arranged so as to sandwich the axial center of the water meter 45 in the horizontal direction, and a float 47 that moves up and down in accordance with the change of the water level emits light of the light emitting diode 49. The signal when the signal is blocked is taken out and input to the control device 36.

It should be noted that only one photo coupler 48 is provided, and it is determined whether the water level in the tank 2 is above or below the photo coupler 48, and the output of the air pump 18 is set to two types. The size of the air pump 18 may be selected from among the sizes, but a plurality of photocouplers 48 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction and the air pump 18 is based on the position signal from the photocoupler 48 blocked by the float 47.
You may make it control the magnitude | size of the output of stepwise.

The water meter 45 may be made visible from the outside of the pot body 1 to display the water quantity in the tank 2. Further, as a mode of visually recognizing the water quantity display from the outside, instead of looking at the water meter 45 itself,
The water level of the water meter may be detected by the photocoupler 48, and the water quantity may be displayed by the LED based on the signal.

[Other Embodiments] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate changes can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the air pump 18 is not limited to the electric type, and may be a manual type, and by pressing the pouring button 19,
The air may be sent directly into the tank 2. Further, the valve 17 may not only adjust the opening degree using the substantially conical valve body 30, but may select either the open state or the closed state.

[0079]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, both the free fall type and the air pump type pouring methods are used as the pouring means for pouring water in the tank. As a result, the amount of water in the tank becomes small, and even when the water level becomes low, the water in the tank can be poured out at a predetermined pouring speed. Moreover, since the time from the pouring operation to the start of the pouring can be shortened, the pouring can be started immediately after the pouring operation and the usability thereof can be improved.

Further, since the means for opening the valve without sealing the tank is provided, the water in the tank can be poured out as a pouring method using the free-falling type independently, and at the time of power failure or power outlet. The water in the tank can be poured even when it is used in a place where there is no water.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of a kettle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the first operation unit.

3A and 3B are enlarged cross-sectional views around the valve, in which FIG. 3A shows a closed state of the valve, and FIG. 3B shows an open state of the valve.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of the kettle of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing a third embodiment of a water heating pot of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a main part of a tank provided with a water meter.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a conventional free-fall type kettle.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 pot body 2 tanks 3 heater 4 pouring pipe 7 Lid 10 steam passage 16 First operation part 17 valves 18 Air pump 19 pouring button 20 first spring 23 Seal valve 25 connecting rod 26 Second spring 30 valve body 34 Pump start switch 36 Controller 39 Second operation part 41 Dispensing lever 42 rotary variable resistor 43 Pressure sensor 45 water meter 47 float 48 Photo coupler

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A tank for storing water, a heating means for heating the water in the tank, an outlet passage for guiding the water in the tank downward from the lower portion of the tank, and an outlet for the water in the tank. A pouring means, the pouring means is provided with a valve for opening and closing the pouring passage, and an air pump for supplying air into the tank to forcibly send water in the tank to the pouring passage. , The free fall type that uses the gravity of water to send the water in the tank to the pouring passage and the air pump type that uses the pressure of air from the air pump to send the water in the tank to the pouring passage were used. A kettle that is characterized by that. 2. The sealing means for sealing the inside of the tank is provided, and the sealing means is a seal valve provided in a communication passage that communicates the tank with the outside. A kettle pot. 3. The kettle according to claim 2, wherein the communication passage is a steam passage for releasing the heating steam in the tank. 4. The air pump is electrically operated, and a switch for activating the electrically operated air pump, an opening / closing means for opening / closing the valve, and a first operating section for operating the sealing means at one time are provided. The kettle pot according to claim 1, 2, or 3. 5. A second operation unit is provided separately from the first operation unit, for manually opening and closing the opening and closing unit of the valve while keeping the sealing unit open.
The kettle described. 6. The kettle pot according to claim 1, wherein the opening of the valve is adjustable. 7. The kettle pot according to claim 1, wherein the output of the air pump is adjustable. 8. The kettle according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the output of the air pump and the opening of the valve can be adjusted in association with each other. 9. The water level detecting means for detecting the water level in the tank is provided, and the output of the air pump is adjusted according to the detected water level detected by the water level detecting means. The kettle pot described in 8.