JP2007185251A - Sink stand - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sink stand capable of selectively supplying a liquid agent and easily replenishing the liquid agent as well. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of liquid agent storage tanks 32 are mounted inside the storage space 12 of the sink stand 10 and liquid agent supply pipes 36 are disposed for the respective tanks 32. Also, the respective liquid agent storage tanks 32 are selectively communicated and connected through a switching valve 38 to a pump 40. Further, a liquid agent replenishing pipe 46 and a second normally closed valve 50 are disposed to each liquid agent storage tank 32. When supplying the liquid agent, a control means 34 operates the switching valve 38 and makes an optional liquid agent storage tank 32 communicate with the pump 40, and thus the liquid agent is supplied through the liquid agent supply pipe 36 to the sink 16 of the sink stand 10. Also, when replenishing the liquid agent, by turning on a release switch 26, the control means 34 opens the second normally closed valve 50 and a first normally closed valve 48 and cancels sealability inside the liquid agent storage tank 32, and a state capable of replenishing the liquid agent is attained. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sink, and more particularly, to a sink that is provided in a kitchen, a washroom, or the like so that a desired liquid agent can be supplied to a sink.

  A faucet for supplying hot water to a sink is disposed on a sink set in a home kitchen or a washroom, etc., and is used for washing dishes and dishes. In addition, various bottles filled with detergent for washing dishes, soap for washing hands, liquid cleanser for washing sinks, etc. are arranged around the sink, and these bottles are arranged when washing dishes or washing hands. Used from the place.

  Thus, when washing dishes or washing hands, it is necessary to take out the bottle every time it is used, which is a little troublesome for the user. In addition, when taking out the bottle, there is a problem that hand dirt, bubbles, etc. adhere to the periphery of the bottle or the sink, resulting in a sanitary problem.

Therefore, as a solution to the above-mentioned problem, Patent Document 1 discloses a detergent stored in a container provided inside a sink by providing a detergent passage in the body of a tap water nozzle disposed in the sink. A liquid supply device is disclosed in which the detergent can be poured out from the opening of the nozzle by pumping the pump with a switch operation. According to this liquid supply device, since the detergent can be poured out by operating the switch, the trouble of taking out the bottle every use can be saved, and the bottle can be prevented from becoming dirty.
JP-A-5-192265

  However, since the liquid supply device described in Patent Document 1 can supply only one type of liquid, for example, assuming that a dishwashing detergent is stored in the container, a cleanser is used to wash the sink. If necessary, the cleanser bottle must eventually be removed and the above problem cannot be completely solved.

  In addition, Patent Document 1 does not mention the case where the container is replenished with a liquid agent. However, the user probably faces the inside of the sink and injects the liquid agent directly into the container. However, in this case, the replenishment work becomes very complicated, and it is pointed out that the liquid agent may spill during replenishment.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been proposed to solve these problems in view of the above-described problems inherent in the sink according to the prior art, and can selectively supply a plurality of types of liquid agents, and can be replenished with liquid agents. An object of the present invention is to provide a sink that can be easily operated.

In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems and achieve the intended purpose, a sink according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises:
In a sink with a sink at the top and a storage space defined inside,
A plurality of liquid agent storage tanks arranged in the storage space and storing a desired liquid agent in a sealed state; and
A liquid agent supply pipe for supplying a liquid agent from the nozzle, one end of which communicates with each liquid agent storage tank and the other end communicates with a nozzle facing above the sink;
A pneumatic feed pump for pressurizing any one of the liquid storage tanks connected to one of the switching valves via a pneumatic pipe and selectively communicated via a branch pipe connected to the other of the switching valves;
A liquid agent replenishment pipe having one end correspondingly connected to each liquid agent storage tank and the other open end facing the upper surface of the sink,
A first normally closed valve that is provided in a normally closed state in each of the liquid agent replenishment pipes, and is opened when the liquid agent is replenished to communicate with the liquid agent replenishment pipe;
A second normally closed valve that is provided in each liquid storage tank in a normally closed state and opens in conjunction with the first normally closed valve when replenishing the liquid, and releases the sealed state of the liquid storage tank;
In the selective supply of the liquid agent, the switching valve is switched to connect the branch pipe and the pneumatic pipe of the selected liquid agent storage tank, and the pneumatic feed pump is operated to supply the liquid agent in the liquid agent storage tank to the liquid agent supply pipe. And a control means for allowing the liquid agent to be replenished to the liquid agent storage tank by opening the first normally closed valve and the second normally closed valve when replenishing the liquid agent. Features.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since a plurality of types of liquid agents can be selectively supplied to the sink, various types of liquid agents can be supplied in accordance with the application. In addition, since it is not necessary to place a bottle for the liquid agent around the sink, the sink is refreshed and does not become unsanitary. Furthermore, when the liquid agent is replenished to the liquid agent storage tank, it can be replenished from the open end of the liquid agent replenishment pipe facing the upper surface or the upper side of the sink, so that it can be easily and surely replenished. In addition, since the second normally closed valve releases the air in the liquid agent storage tank when the liquid agent is replenished, the liquid agent can be prevented from jumping out of the liquid agent replenishment pipe, and the liquid agent can be reliably replenished.

  The sink according to claim 2 is provided with a selection button on the upper surface for selecting and supplying the liquid agent corresponding to each of the liquid agent storage tanks.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the liquid agent can be easily selected and supplied simply by pressing the selection button.

  In the sink according to a third aspect, a release switch for replenishing the liquid agent is disposed on the upper surface.

  According to the invention of claim 3, by operating the release switch, it becomes possible to easily replenish the liquid agent.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the second normally closed valve is provided in a release pipe that communicates with each liquid agent storage tank.

  According to the invention of claim 4, the air in the liquid agent storage tank is smoothly discharged to the outside through the release pipe during the liquid agent replenishment operation.

  According to the sink according to the present invention, a plurality of types of liquid agents can be selectively supplied, and the liquid agent can be replenished easily and reliably.

  Next, a preferred embodiment of the sink according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, although an Example illustrates the type of sink installed in a kitchen of a general household, the sink according to the present invention is installed in a kitchen of a coffee shop or a restaurant, for example, or a washroom or a dressing room It is also possible to install them.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory sectional view schematically showing a sink 10 according to the embodiment. The sink 10 has an external appearance composed of a base 14 in which a storage space 12 is defined, a sink 16 disposed on the base 14, and a faucet 18 that supplies hot water to the sink 16. . The faucet 18 communicates with a hot water supply pipe 20 connected to a water system (not shown) outside the sink 10 and a boiler, so that tap water and hot water can be selectively supplied from the faucet 18. Inside the faucet 18, nozzles 62, 62, 62 communicating with a liquid supply pipe 36, which will be described later, are disposed, and the open end of the faucet 18 faces the sink 16 from the opening 18a. . An opening 22 is opened on the front side of the base 14 (left side in FIG. 1), and the opening 22 is closed by a door 60 so as to be freely opened and closed. As shown in FIG. 2, a release switch 26 and a liquid agent replenishing unit 28 which will be described later are provided on the upper surface 24 of the base unit 14, and selection buttons 30, 30, 30 for selecting and supplying the liquid agent are disposed. .

  Inside the storage space 12, a liquid agent selection / supply mechanism for supplying the selected liquid agent to the sink 16 and a sealed state in the liquid agent storage tanks 32, 32, 32 described later when the liquid agent is replenished can be replenished. A liquid agent replenishing mechanism for providing a state is provided, and both mechanisms are controlled by the control means 34. The liquid agent selection and supply mechanism includes a plurality (three in the first embodiment) of liquid agent storage tanks 32, 32, 32, a pump (pneumatic feed pump) 40 that pressurizes the liquid agent storage tanks 32, 32, 32, and the pump 40 And a switching valve 38 for switching the communication of the liquid agent storage tank 32. When the user presses the selection buttons 30, 30, 30 (solution selection and supply operation), the control means 34 controls the operation of these devices.

  The liquid agent storage tank 32 is formed in a bottle shape so that a required amount of liquid agent can be stored therein, and is placed on the inner bottom portion of the storage space 12. Each liquid agent storage tank 32 stores a different liquid agent and is always kept in a sealed state. In the embodiment, three types of liquid agents, that is, a dishwashing detergent, a hand washing detergent, and a sink washing cleanser, are stored in the liquid agent storage tank 32 disposed on the left, middle, and right sides of FIG. If necessary, the liquid storage tank A32 is designated with the symbols A to C and designated as necessary. In addition, members such as selection buttons 30, 30, 30 and liquid supply pipes 36, 36, 36 (described later) corresponding to the liquid storage tanks A to C are suffixed with symbols A to C, if necessary. Will be referred to.

  The liquid agent supply pipes 36, 36, 36 disposed in the respective liquid agent storage tanks 32 supply the liquid agent in each liquid agent storage tank 32 to the sink 16, and are formed of a material such as a vinyl tube, for example. ing. As shown in FIG. 3, each liquid agent supply pipe 36 has one end communicating with the lower portion of the corresponding liquid agent storage tank 32, and the other end inserted through the faucet 18 and connected with the corresponding nozzle 62. ing.

  The pump 40 is of a pneumatic type that sends air to the liquid storage tank 32 to pressurize the pump 40, and the operation of the pump 40 is controlled by the control means 34 based on a liquid agent selection and supply operation by a user. This pump 40 is connected in communication with a switching valve 38 via a pneumatic pipe 42. The switching valve 38 is configured to switch communication between the pump 40 (pneumatic pipe 42) and desired liquid agent storage tanks 32, 32, 32 based on the liquid agent selection and supply operation. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the switching valve 38 is connected to branch pipes 44 communicating with the respective liquid agent storage tanks 32, and any branch pipe 44 is connected based on the liquid agent selection and supply operation. While opening, the other branch pipes 44 and 44 are closed. Specifically, when a hand washing detergent is selected, the switching valve 38 opens the branch pipe B44 and closes the remaining branch pipe A44 and branch pipe B44, so that the pump 40 and the liquid agent storage tank B32 are closed. To communicate with each other. In addition, as shown in the timing chart of FIG. 4, the pump 40 is set to operate for a predetermined time by one liquid agent selection and supply operation. Accordingly, the amount of liquid supplied when the user presses the selection button 30 once is always constant.

  The liquid agent replenishment mechanism releases the hermetic seal inside the liquid agent storage tank 32 based on a liquid agent replenishment operation so that the liquid agent can be replenished. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when the release switch 26 disposed on the upper surface 24 of the base portion 14 is turned ON (liquid agent replenishment operation), the control means 34 operates the liquid agent replenishment mechanism to replenish the liquid agent. (That is, the liquid storage tank 32 is not sealed). The liquid agent replenishment mechanism includes a liquid agent replenishment pipe 46 that supplies the liquid agent to be replenished to the corresponding liquid agent storage tank 32, a first normally closed valve 48 that opens the liquid agent replenishment pipe 46 when the liquid agent is replenished, and the first normally closed valve. It is basically composed of a second normally closed valve 50 that operates in conjunction with 48 and opens the liquid storage tank 32.

  The liquid agent replenishment pipe 46 is provided for each liquid agent storage tank 32. As shown in FIG. 3, one end of the liquid agent replenishment pipe 46 faces the inside of the tank 32 and the other open end 52 is connected to the base portion 14. A replenishing port is formed facing the upper surface 24 of the head. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the liquid replenishment portion 28 that allows the user to inject the liquid agent is formed on the upper surface 24 of the base portion 14 in a state where three replenishment ports 52 of each liquid agent replenishment pipe 46 are arranged. Has been. Further, a first normally closed valve 48 is provided at a required portion of each liquid agent replenishment pipe 46. The first normally closed valve 48 is configured to always close the liquid agent replenishing pipe 46 and open when the liquid agent is replenished to allow replenishment of the liquid agent. Each replenishing port 52 is provided with a cap 54 to prevent foreign matter from entering through the replenishing port 52.

  The second normally closed valve 50 is opened by the control means 34 in conjunction with the first normally closed valve 48, and as shown in FIG. The tube 56 is disposed. One end of the release pipe 56 faces the position above the liquid agent storage tank 32 where it is not immersed in the liquid agent, and the other end extends to the outside of the tank 32. The release pipe 56 is always closed by the second normally closed valve 50 to keep the liquid agent storage tank 32 in a sealed state, and the second normally closed valve 50 is in the first normally closed state when the liquid agent is replenished. The tank is configured to be released together with the valve closing 48 to release the sealed state inside the tank 32. Note that the release switch 26 is turned ON only during replenishment, and is always in the OFF state. Further, all the first and second normally closed valves 48 and 50 are simultaneously opened when the release switch 26 is turned ON, and as shown in FIG. 4, while the release switch 26 is turned ON. , Maintained open.

(Operation of Example)
Next, the operation of the sink 10 according to the embodiment will be described. For example, when washing dishes, the selection button A30 corresponding to the dishwashing detergent is pressed. Based on this liquid agent selection and supply operation, the control means 34 first operates the switching valve 38. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the switching valve 38 is switched to open the branch pipe A44 connected to the liquid agent storage tank A32 in which the dishwashing detergent is stored so as to communicate with the pneumatic pipe 42. The branch pipe B44 and the branch pipe C44 are closed. When the operation of the switching valve 38 is completed, the control means 34 controls the operation of the pump 40 and supplies air to the liquid agent storage tank A32. That is, the air from the pump 40 is supplied into the liquid agent storage tank A32 through the pneumatic pipe 42 and the branch pipe A44. At this time, since the branch pipe B44 and the branch pipe C44 are closed by the switching valve 38, the air from the pump 40 is not supplied to the liquid agent storage tank B32 and the liquid agent storage tank C32.

  When air is supplied to the liquid agent storage tank A32, as shown in FIG. 3A, the internal liquid agent (dishwashing detergent) is pushed out by this pressure and is pumped through the liquid agent supply pipe A36. Then, the liquid agent passes through the faucet 18 and is poured out from the opening 18a of the faucet 18 through the nozzle 62A. As shown in FIG. 4, since the pump 40 is automatically stopped when it operates for a predetermined time, a certain amount of dishwashing detergent is poured out.

  As described above, the sink 10 according to the embodiment can select the liquid agent by simply pressing the selection button 30. The same procedure as described above is used when selecting and supplying other liquid agents (hand washing detergent, sink washing cleanser).

  Next, liquid replenishment will be described by taking as an example a case where a hand-washing detergent is replenished. First, the user inputs ON the release switch 26 disposed on the upper surface 24 of the base portion 14. Based on this liquid replenishment operation, the control means 34 simultaneously opens the first normally closed valve B48 and the second normally closed valve B50, as shown in FIG. As a result, the liquid agent replenishment pipe B46 is opened, and the release pipe B56 is opened, so that the sealed state in the liquid agent storage tank B32 is released and the liquid agent can be replenished. At this time, the other first normally closed valve A48, first normally closed valve C48, second normally closed valve A50, and second normally closed valve C50 are also open.

  Then, the cap B54 is removed, the replenishing port B52 is opened, and a hand washing detergent is injected from the replenishing port B52. As shown in FIG. 3B, the injected hand-washing detergent flows down in the liquid agent replenishment pipe B46 and is stored in the liquid agent storage tank B32. At this time, since the second normally closed valve B50 is open, the air in the liquid storage tank B32 is released through the release pipe B56 as the hand washing detergent is injected, and the hand washing detergent is replenished smoothly. be able to.

  When the replenishment of the hand washing detergent is completed, the release switch 26 is turned off. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the control means 34 closes the first normally closed valve B48 and the second normally closed valve B50, and the liquid agent storage tank B32 is again sealed. At the same time, the other first normally closed valve A48, first normally closed valve C48, second normally closed valve A50, and second normally closed valve C50 are also closed. In addition, even when replenishing liquids other than the detergent for hand-washing, the same procedure as described above is performed.

  As described above, since the sink 10 according to the embodiment is configured to selectively supply a plurality of types of liquid agents to the sink 16, various types of liquid agents can be supplied according to applications. Further, since there is no need to place a liquid bottle or the like around the sink 16, the sink 10 is refreshed and does not become unsanitary. Further, when the liquid agent is replenished, the liquid agent can be replenished from the replenishment port 52 of the liquid agent replenishment pipe 46 facing the upper surface 24 of the base portion 14, so that it can be easily and surely replenished. In addition, since the second normally closed valve 50 releases the air in the liquid agent storage tank 32 when the liquid agent is replenished, the liquid agent can be prevented from jumping out from the liquid agent replenishment pipe 46, and the liquid agent can be reliably replenished.

(Example of change)
The second normally closed valve 50 shown in the embodiment is disposed in the release pipe 56. For example, the second normally closed valve 50 is directly provided in the liquid storage tank 32, and the release pipe 56 is omitted. It is also possible to do.

  In addition, the liquid agents (dishwashing detergent, hand washing detergent, sink washing cleanser) shown in the examples are not limited to these types, but may be changed to other types of liquid agents (for example, bleaching agents). May be. Further, the number of the liquid agent storage tanks 32 is not limited to three as in the embodiment, and the number may be increased or decreased. That is, what is necessary is just to change the arrangement | positioning number of the said liquid agent storage tank 32, and the kind of liquid agent according to the embodiment and objective of the sink 10. FIG.

It is explanatory sectional drawing which shows roughly the sink concerning an Example. It is a schematic plan view of the sink concerning an Example. It is an enlarged view which shows a liquid agent storage tank, Comprising: (a) shows the time of supply of a liquid agent, (b) has shown the time of replenishment of a liquid agent. It is a timing chart figure showing the operating state of each member.

Explanation of symbols

12 Storage space 24 Upper surface 26 Release switch 30 Selection button 32 Liquid agent storage tank 34 Control means 36 Liquid agent supply pipe 38 Switching valve 40 Pump (pneumatic feed pump)
42 Pneumatic pipe 44 Branch pipe 46 Liquid agent replenishment pipe 48 First normally closed valve 50 Second normally closed valve 52 Replenishment port (open end)
56 Release pipe 62 Nozzle

Claims (4)

In a sink with a sink (16) at the top and a storage space (12) defined inside,
A plurality of liquid agent storage tanks (32) disposed in the storage space (12) and storing a desired liquid agent in a sealed state;
One end of each liquid storage tank (32) is connected in communication and the other end is connected to a nozzle (62) facing above the sink (16), and a liquid supply pipe for supplying the liquid from the nozzle (62) ( 36) and
Any one of the liquid agent reservoirs connected to one of the switching valves (38) via the pneumatic pipe (42) and selectively communicated via the branch pipe (44) connected to the other of the switching valves (38). A pneumatic feed pump (40) for pressurizing the tank (32);
A liquid agent replenishment pipe (46) with one end correspondingly connected to each liquid agent storage tank (32) and the other open end (52) facing the upper surface (24) of the sink,
A first normally closed valve (48) that is provided in a normally closed state in each of the liquid agent replenishment pipes (46), and is opened when the liquid agent is replenished to communicate with the liquid agent replenishment pipe (46);
Each liquid agent storage tank (32) is provided in a normally closed state, and is opened in conjunction with the first normally closed valve (48) when the liquid agent is replenished to release the sealed state of the liquid agent storage tank (32). 2 normally closed valve (50),
In the selective supply of the liquid agent, the branch pipe (44) of the liquid agent storage tank (32) selected by switching the switching valve (38) and the pneumatic pipe (42) are communicated, and the pneumatic feed pump (40) is connected. The liquid agent stored in the liquid agent storage tank (32) is supplied from the nozzle (62) via the liquid agent supply pipe (36), and when the liquid agent is replenished, the first normally closed valve (48) and A sink comprising: a control means (34) that opens the second normally closed valve (50) and allows the liquid agent storage tank (32) to be replenished with the liquid agent.   The sink according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface (24) is provided with a selection button (30) for selecting and supplying a liquid corresponding to each liquid storage tank (32).   The sink according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a release switch (26) for replenishing the liquid agent is disposed on the upper surface (24). The sink according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second normally closed valve (50) is provided on a release pipe (56) connected to each liquid agent storage tank (32).

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