JP2008180664A - Method and device for inspecting liquidtightness of dispenser for drink - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inexpensively perform inspection with easily-operable and simple facilities, and moreover surely detect the presence of a water leakage spot of a dispenser for drinks. <P>SOLUTION: The drink dispenser (1) is provided with a bottle loading section (3) at the top surface of the main body (2) of the dispenser, a drink storage section (6) inside the main body (2) is made to communicate with the loading section (3), and water faucets on the external surface of the main body (2) and the storage section (6) are connected to each other with pipes (7). With the water faucets closed, a sealing member (17) is fitted into a liquidtight state to a loading start position (S) of the loading section (3). Following this, press fit of the sealing member (17) to a measuring position (T) lower than the start position (S) of the sealing is performed while maintaining the liquidtight state. A pressure gauge (19) is connected to an air communication passage (18) formed in the sealing member (17) by penetration, and changes over time in the inside atmospheric pressure of the storage section (6) increased by the press fitting are measured. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for inspecting a beverage dispenser and a device for inspecting the same. More specifically, the beverage dispenser can be easily operated and can be implemented at a low cost with simple equipment, and the beverage dispenser can be reliably checked for leaks. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for inspecting a beverage dispenser.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a beverage dispenser for supplying cold or hot drinking water is provided with a bottle mounting portion (3) on the upper surface of an apparatus body (2) as shown in FIG. 4, for example. For example, there is a beverage bottle (4) such as a 3 gallon bottle or a 5 gallon bottle that is mounted with its top and bottom turned downward (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Two faucets (5, 5) are provided on the outer surface of the apparatus body (2), and by operating the faucet (5), cold or hot water drinks can be obtained from the beverage bottle (4). Water is taken out using the water pressure due to the water head difference from the beverage bottle (4).

  That is, the beverage dispenser (1) has, as shown in FIG. 5, for example, a beverage reservoir (6) having a cold water reservoir (6a) and a hot water reservoir (6b) in the apparatus body (2). Provided, and each communicates with the bottle mounting portion (3). The cold water reservoir (6a) and the hot water reservoir (6b) are connected to the water tap (5) via a pipe (7) provided in the apparatus body (2). A drain pipe (8) is connected to the lower surface of the hot water reservoir (6b) disposed below.

  A lid member (9) is detachably and tightly attached to the bottle attaching part (3). On the top surface of the lid member (9), a bottle support (10) is recessed so that the neck (4a) of the beverage bottle (4) with the top and bottom inverted can be attached and detached. A drinking water supply pipe (11) is erected on the bottom of the bottle support section (10). The drinking water supply pipe (11) has an inner end opened into the bottle mounting section (3). is there. The outer end of the drinking water supply pipe (11) is configured to be inserted into the neck (4a) of the beverage bottle (4).

  The lid member (9) is provided with a ventilation hole (12), and when the drinking water (13) is taken out from the beverage bottle (4), the air exchanged therewith becomes the ventilation hole (12). ) Into the beverage bottle (4). Further, the float (14) is supported on the lower surface of the lid member (9) so as to be able to swing up and down. When the drinking water (13) in the bottle mounting portion (3) rises above a predetermined water level, The vent hole (12) is sealed by the float (14).

JP-A-11-198956

  The beverage dispenser (1) has insufficient sealing performance such as the bottle mounting part (3), the beverage storage part (6), the water tap (5), or the connecting part between these and the pipe (7). Then, there is a risk that water leaks from the part, and drinking water not only flows wastefully, but also the surroundings of the installation place are soaked and soiled. Therefore, when this beverage dispenser is maintained, etc., it is transported to the installation location after being checked for tightness and confirmed that no water leaks.

  In the water tightness test described above, it is conceivable to store water in the beverage storage part and confirm the presence or absence of water leakage from a connection part or the like. However, in this case, there are many connection points with piping or the like, and the confirmation work is complicated. In addition, if moisture remains after the inspection, there is a possibility that various germs and the like are propagated, and there is a possibility that the packaging material is soiled. For this reason, especially in the dispenser for drinks, it is necessary to dry the inside sufficiently after the inspection. Therefore, the inspection using water has a problem that the operation is complicated and the drying process cost is high and cannot be carried out inexpensively.

On the other hand, in order to inspect the above-mentioned tightness, a method of using a gas body such as nitrogen gas instead of a liquid such as water and applying a gas pressure into the beverage storage part to check outflow of gas can be considered.
However, in this case, there is a problem that a pressurized gas source such as a gas cylinder is required and a dedicated jig is required for connection between the beverage storage part and the gas source, so that it cannot be implemented at low cost. In addition, there is a problem in confirming the gas leak location that the confirmation operation becomes extremely complicated, for example, by applying a detection liquid to the connection portion and confirming the generation of bubbles. Furthermore, each component of the beverage dispenser is subjected to pressure due to the water head difference of the beverage bottle arranged at the top, but the beverage bottle is disposed at a height of about 1 m and the pressure applied to the inside is about 10 kPa. Not too much. For this reason, the connecting part of the pipe does not have a very high sealing performance, and if a high-pressure gas flows into the beverage storage part or the pipe, the sealing part may be damaged. There is. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the gas supplied from the above gas source to a low pressure, and there is a problem that the control of the pressure is not easy.

  The technical problem of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, can be easily operated without using water or a gas source for pressurization, can be carried out at a low cost with simple equipment, and there is no water leakage point in the beverage dispenser. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for inspecting a beverage dispenser and a device for inspecting the same used in the beverage dispenser.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is configured as follows, for example, based on FIGS. 1 and 2 showing an embodiment of the present invention.
That is, the present invention 1 relates to a method for checking the density of a beverage dispenser, comprising a bottle mounting portion (3) on the upper surface of the apparatus body (2), and the beverage storage section (6) provided in the apparatus body (2) as described above. A pipe (7) that communicates with the bottle mounting part (3) and that has a water tap (5) provided on the outer surface of the apparatus body (2) and the beverage storage part (6) in the apparatus body (2). A method for inspecting the integrity of beverage dispensers (1) connected to each other via a seal, wherein the water faucet (5) is closed and the bottle mounting part (3) is sealed with a sealing member (17) is mounted in a tightly-packed manner, and after increasing the air pressure in the beverage storage part (6), the time-dependent change in the atmospheric pressure in the beverage storage part (6) is measured. .

  The present invention 2 also relates to a beverage dispenser tightness inspection device, comprising a bottle mounting portion (3) on the upper surface of the device main body (2), wherein the beverage storage portion (6) provided in the device main body (2) is provided as described above. A pipe (7) that communicates with the bottle mounting part (3) and that has a water tap (5) provided on the outer surface of the apparatus body (2) and the beverage storage part (6) in the apparatus body (2). And a sealing member (17) to be tightly attached to the bottle attaching part (3), and a sealing member (17) to be attached to the bottle attaching part (3). An air communication passage (18) penetrating the sealing member (17) and opening an inner end in the bottle mounting portion (3); and a pressure gauge (19) connected to the outer end of the air communication passage (18); And maintain the sealed state from the mounting start position (S) where the sealing member (17) is mounted on the bottle mounting part (3) in a sealed manner to the measurement position (T) below the mounting start position (S). And wherein the press-fitted can configured with.

  When the sealing performance is insufficient at any part of the beverage dispenser and there is a risk of water leakage, air flows out from the insufficient sealing performance. The air pressure in the reservoir gradually decreases. For this reason, when this pressure | pressure pressure falls rapidly with time, it is judged that there exists a water leak location.

  Here, if the air pressure in the beverage storage part is small, the outflow of air is small, and even if there is a water leak point, the change in pressure over time is small, so it is not easy to detect the presence or absence of water leak. On the other hand, if the air pressure in the beverage storage part is excessively high, the sealing member attached to the bottle attachment part tends to float and the performance of the seal part may be deteriorated, which may adversely affect the beverage dispenser. For this reason, it is preferable to raise the atmospheric | air pressure in said drink storage part in the range of 4-10kPa.

Moreover, as a method of raising the air pressure in the beverage storage part, for example, an air pump may be connected to the beverage storage part, or another container is connected to pressurize the air in the container. The air pressure in the beverage storage part may be increased.
However, the above-mentioned sealing member is tightly attached to the mounting start position of the bottle mounting portion, and then the sealing member is press-fitted to the measurement position below the mounting start position while maintaining the tightness state. In order to raise the air pressure in the beverage storage part, it is preferable to use only a sealing member for sealing the bottle mounting part, and no other air pressure raising means such as an air pump is required.

  The change in the air pressure in the beverage reservoir can be measured at any location. For example, an air communication passage is formed through the sealing member, and a pressure gauge is connected to the outer end of the air communication passage. When measuring the change over time of the air pressure in the beverage storage part through the air communication passage, the air pressure in the beverage storage part can be easily measured with the pressure gauge just by attaching a sealing member to the bottle attachment part. And preferred.

  The sealing member is not limited to a specific shape as long as the sealing member can be tightly attached to the bottle attachment part. However, a support hole is provided in the upper surface of the seal member, and a tube is provided at the bottom of the support hole. When the member is erected, the support member is attached to the support hole and the tube member is penetrated, and the air communication passage is formed in the tube member, the seal member is attached to the bottle attachment portion. The air communication passage is prevented from being deformed, and the beverage reservoir and the pressure gauge are reliably connected via the air communication passage.

The sealing member can be formed in the same shape as the lid member that is tightly attached to the bottle mounting portion of the beverage dispenser. Therefore, the sealing member is formed using the lid member. This is preferable because it can be implemented at low cost.
That is, in the beverage dispenser, a lid member is detachably and tightly attached to the bottle mounting portion, and a bottle support portion to which the beverage bottle can be attached and detached is recessed on the upper surface of the lid member. A drinking water supply pipe is erected at the bottom of the bottle support part, and the drinking water supply pipe is configured such that the inner end opens into the bottle mounting part and the outer end can be inserted into the beverage bottle. In this case, the sealing member can be constituted by the lid member, and at least a part of the air communication path can be formed in the drinking water supply pipe.

Since the present invention is configured and operates as described above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the present invention, after the pressure inside the beverage reservoir is increased, it is only necessary to measure the change over time of the pressure, and it is not necessary to use water. Can be implemented. In addition, since a gas source for pressurization is not used, it can be carried out at a low cost, and there is no risk of introducing an excessively high gas pressure into the beverage reservoir, and it is not necessary to control the pressure of the introduced gas, and it can be easily operated. If there is a water leaking part in the beverage dispenser, this can be reliably detected.

  (2) When the air pressure in the beverage reservoir is raised in the range of 4 to 10 kPa, it is possible to reliably detect the presence or absence of water leaks, and the above-mentioned bottle mounting without excessive gas pressure being applied to the sealing member It is easy to reliably attach the sealing member to the portion, and there is no possibility that the beverage dispenser is adversely affected by the pressurization.

  (3) The above-mentioned sealing member is tightly attached to the mounting start position of the above-described bottle mounting portion, and then this sealing member is press-fitted while maintaining the sealed state at a measurement position below the mounting start position. When increasing the air pressure in the beverage storage part, it is not necessary to use a separate means for increasing the air pressure in the beverage storage part, and the above air pressure can be increased only by press-fitting a sealing member. Pressure operation can be performed.

  (4) An air communication passage is formed through the sealing member, a pressure gauge is connected to the outer end of the air communication passage, and a change with time in the air pressure in the beverage reservoir is measured via the air communication passage. In this case, the inside of the beverage storage part can be communicated with the pressure gauge simply by attaching the sealing member to the bottle attachment part, and the change over time in the pressure inside the beverage storage part can be easily measured.

  (5) A support hole is recessed in the upper surface of the sealing member, a pipe member is erected at the bottom of the support hole, and the support member is attached to the support hole so that the pipe member passes therethrough. When the air communication passage is formed in the pipe member, the air communication passage can be prevented from being deformed when the sealing member is attached to the bottle attachment portion, and the beverage storage portion and the A pressure gauge can be securely connected.

  (6) The above-mentioned sealing member is constituted by a lid member that is tightly attached to the bottle attachment portion of the beverage dispenser, and the drinking water is erected on the bottle support portion formed on the upper surface of the lid member When at least a part of the air communication path is formed in the supply pipe, it is preferable because the sealing member can be easily formed and can be implemented at low cost.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a tightness inspection apparatus in a state where it is mounted at a mounting start position of a beverage dispenser, and FIG. It is sectional drawing of a tightness inspection apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 1, this tightness inspection device (15) is used for inspecting the tightness of the beverage dispenser (1) shown in FIG. 5, and a seal member (16) is provided on the peripheral surface. A sealing member (17), an air communication passage (18) penetrating the sealing member (17) and having a lower end opened, and a pressure gauge (19) connected to an outer end of the air communication passage (18) Prepare. The pressure gauge (19) only needs to be able to measure changes in the pressure in the beverage dispenser (1) via the air communication path (18). For example, a general-purpose pressure gauge or a differential pressure gauge is used. It is not limited to a specific shape or structure.

  The sealing member (17) is tightly attached to the bottle mounting portion (3) of the beverage dispenser (1) by the sealing member (16), and as shown in FIG. 1, the bottle mounting portion (3) From the mounting start position (S) formed on the upper side of the upper part, it can be press-fitted while maintaining a tightly sealed state from the measurement position (T) shown in FIG. 2 below.

  In the sealing member (17), a support hole (20) is recessed on the upper surface, and a pipe member (21) is erected on the bottom of the support hole (20). The air communication passage (18) is formed so as to pass through the inside of the pipe member (21). Further, a rubber plug-like support member (22) is mounted in the support hole (20) as necessary, and the tube member (21) is passed through the support member (22). . In addition, when this pipe member (21) is formed short to eliminate the possibility of contact with other objects or deformation, the support member (22) may be omitted.

  The sealing member (17) that is tightly attached to the bottle attaching portion (3) can adopt the same shape as the lid member (9) of the beverage dispenser (1) shown in FIG. Specifically, the lid member (9) constitutes the sealing member (17), and the bottle support portion (10) recessed in the lid member (9) constitutes the support hole (20). The drinking water supply pipe (11) standing on the bottom surface of the bottle support (10) is used for the lower part of the air communication path (18). However, the vent hole (12) formed in the lid member (9) is sealed or omitted.

Next, a method for inspecting the tightness of the beverage dispenser using the tightness inspection apparatus (15) will be described.
First, the water tap (5) is closed in a state where water in the beverage dispenser (1) such as water in the beverage reservoir (6) is removed. Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the sealing member (17) is attached in a close-packed manner to the attachment start position (S). At this time, the pressure gauge (19) indicates atmospheric pressure. Next, the sealing member (17) is press-fitted from the mounting start position (S) to the measurement position (T) shown in FIG. 2 while maintaining the sealed state. The measurement position (T) is an appropriate mounting position of the lid member (9) in the beverage dispenser (1) shown in FIG. 5, and the sealing member (17) is the measurement position (T). So that it does not move from the device body (2) of the beverage dispenser (1).
By the above press-fitting operation, the air pressure in the beverage reservoir (6) rises, for example, by about 5 kPa, and is measured by the pressure gauge (19). This pressure rise varies depending on the capacity of the bottle mounting part (3) and the beverage storage part (6), the thickness and length of the pipe (7), etc. It is set within the range of 10 kPa.

Then, the time-dependent change of the atmospheric | air pressure in this drink storage part (6) is measured with said pressure gauge (19) over several minutes-a dozen minutes, for example.
If there is a poorly sealed part that causes water leakage in the beverage dispenser (1), air is leaked from the part by the pressurization. Therefore, if the pressure measured by the pressure gauge (19) rapidly drops, for example, about 1 kPa or more and the pressure drop rate is several tens of% or more, it is sealed in one of the beverage dispensers (1). There is a defective part, and it is determined that water leakage occurs, and the part attachment part and the like are checked.
On the other hand, when the measured pressure hardly changes with time, or when the pressure drop rate is about a few percent or less, for example, about 0.1 to 0.2 kPa, this beverage dispenser ( In 1), it is determined that there is no seal defective portion that causes water leakage.

  In addition, in this embodiment, since it inspected in the state which removed the water | moisture content in the dispenser for drinks, since drying after an inspection is unnecessary, since air leaks more rapidly than water leaks from a seal defective part, water is discharged. The presence or absence of water leakage can be detected more quickly and reliably than in the case of using and inspecting. However, in the present invention, it is only necessary to measure the change over time of the air pressure after increasing the air pressure in the beverage reservoir, and some water may remain in the beverage reservoir or the like.

  Next, using the above-described tightness testing apparatus, the tightness performance of the beverage dispenser was specifically tested. The subject of this inspection is a beverage dispenser that does not leak water (Test Examples 1 and 2) and a beverage dispenser that causes water leak (Test Examples 3 and 4). A manometer with water in a U-tube was used.

The procedure of the above-mentioned tightness inspection is as follows.
First, in Test Example 1, the beverage reservoir (6) of the beverage dispenser (1) is emptied, and in Test Examples 2 to 4, 2 L of water is placed in the beverage reservoir (6) of the beverage dispenser (1). Then, the sealing member (17) was tightly attached to the attachment start position (S) of the bottle attachment part (3), and then the sealing member (17) was press-fitted to the measurement position (T). In addition, the above water is put in such a way that leakage from the water leakage point can be easily confirmed, and is not necessary for a normal tightness inspection.
Next, the water pressure difference generated in the manometer as the pressure in the beverage reservoir (6) increased due to the press-fitting was measured, and the subsequent change with time was visually observed. The measurement results are shown in Table 1 and FIG.

  As is apparent from the above measurement results, even in the case of the beverage dispenser that does not cause water leakage in Test Examples 1 and 2, a pressure drop with time occurred, but the reduced pressure and pressure drop rate were slight. there were. On the other hand, in the beverage dispenser that causes water leakage in the inspection examples 3 and 4, the pressure drop over time clearly occurs. By this tightness inspection device and the tightness inspection method using the same, the beverage dispenser It became clear that water leakage could be confirmed reliably.

  The beverage dispenser tightness inspection method and the tightness check device described in the above embodiment are examples for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the internal structure, shape, capacity, and sealing member of the beverage dispenser. The shape and structure of the air, the formation position of the air communication passage, the type of pressure gauge, the pressurizing method in the beverage reservoir, etc. are not limited to those of the above-described embodiment, but various within the scope of the claims of the present invention. Can be changed. Needless to say, the beverage used in the dispenser is not limited to a specific type or temperature.

  The method and apparatus for inspecting a beverage dispenser according to the present invention are easy to operate and can be implemented inexpensively with simple equipment, and can reliably detect the presence or absence of a water leak point in a beverage dispenser. In addition to being suitably used for inspection, it is also suitable for any occasion such as product inspection.

It is sectional drawing of the tightness inspection apparatus of the state which showed embodiment of this invention and was mounted | worn with the mounting | wearing start position of the dispenser for drinks. It is sectional drawing of the tightness inspection apparatus of the state with which it mounted | wore with the measurement position of the dispenser for drinks of embodiment of this invention. It is a graph which shows the measurement result of the density | concentration performance test | inspection of the dispenser for drinks. It is a front view which shows the dispenser for drinks. It is sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the dispenser for drinks.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Beverage dispenser 2 ... Apparatus main body 3 ... Bottle mounting part 4 ... Beverage bottle 5 ... Water tap 6 ... Beverage storage part 7 ... Piping 9 ... Lid member
10 ... Bottle support
11… Drinking water supply pipe
15 ... Containment inspection equipment
17… Sealing member
18 ... Air communication passage
19 ... Pressure gauge
20 ... Support hole
21 ... Tube member
22 ... Support member S ... Installation start position T ... Measurement position

Claims (7)

A bottle mounting portion (3) is provided on the upper surface of the device main body (2), and a beverage storage portion (6) provided in the device main body (2) is communicated with the bottle mounting portion (3). 2) A dispenser for beverage (1) in which the water tap (5) provided on the outer surface of 2) and the beverage reservoir (6) are connected to each other via a pipe (7) provided in the device body (2). A method for inspecting the integrity of
Close the water faucet (5) and attach the sealing member (17) to the bottle mounting part (3) in a tight manner,
A method for checking the concentration of a beverage dispenser, comprising: measuring the time-dependent change in the pressure inside the beverage reservoir (6) after increasing the pressure in the beverage reservoir (6).   The method for inspecting the tightness of a beverage dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the air pressure in the beverage reservoir (6) is increased in the range of 4 to 10 kPa.   The sealing member (17) is tightly attached to the mounting start position (S) of the bottle mounting portion (3), and then the sealing member (17) is measured below the mounting start position (S). 3. The method for checking the tightness of a beverage dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pressure in the beverage reservoir (6) is increased by press-fitting into (T) while maintaining the tightness state.   An air communication passage (18) is formed through the sealing member (17), and a pressure gauge (19) is connected to the outer end of the air communication passage (18), through the air communication passage (18). 4. The method for checking the tightness of a beverage dispenser according to claim 1, wherein a change with time in the atmospheric pressure in the beverage reservoir is measured. 5. A bottle mounting portion (3) is provided on the upper surface of the device main body (2), and a beverage storage portion (6) provided in the device main body (2) is communicated with the bottle mounting portion (3). 2) A dispenser for beverage (1) in which the water tap (5) provided on the outer surface of 2) and the beverage reservoir (6) are connected to each other via a pipe (7) provided in the device body (2). A tightness inspection device used for the tightness inspection of
A sealing member (17) that is tightly attached to the bottle attaching portion (3), and an air communication path (18) that passes through the sealing member (17) and has an inner end opened in the bottle attaching portion (3). ) And a pressure gauge (19) connected to the outer end of the air communication passage (18),
The sealing member (17) can be press-fitted from the mounting start position (S) where the bottle mounting part (3) is tightly mounted to the measurement position (T) below it while maintaining the sealed state. A beverage dispenser tightness inspection apparatus characterized by comprising:   A support hole (20) is recessed on the upper surface of the sealing member (17), and a pipe member (21) is erected on the bottom of the support hole (20), and a support member ( The beverage dispenser tightness inspection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pipe member (21) is inserted through the pipe member (21) and the air communication passage (18) is formed in the pipe member (21). . In the beverage dispenser (1), a lid member (9) is detachably and tightly attached to the bottle mounting part (3), and a beverage bottle (4) is detachably attached to the upper surface of the lid member (9). The bottle support (10) is recessed, and a drinking water supply pipe (11) is erected on the bottom of the bottle support (10). Is opened in the bottle mounting part (3) and the outer end is configured to be inserted into the beverage bottle (4).
The said sealing member (17) is comprised by said cover member (9), At least one part of said air communicating path (18) was formed in said drinking water supply pipe (11), or The apparatus for checking the tightness of a beverage dispenser according to claim 6.

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