JP2011115303A - Water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water heater which reliably discharges hot water from the beginning of the operation thereof. <P>SOLUTION: The water heater discharges boiled water from a discharge pipe 5 using the water head difference to drive a driving device 7 to open an opening and closing valve 6 when a temperature detector 3 which detects that water 12 in a tank 2 is boiled and a switch 8 is turned on. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a hot water supply apparatus capable of supplying boiling water immediately after the start of hot water supply.

  Conventionally, various types of hot water supply apparatuses of this type are known. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a heat retaining tank 101 for storing boiling hot water, a discharge pipe (not shown) connected to the center of the bottom of the heat retaining tank 101, and an on-off valve (not shown) for opening and closing the discharge pipe And a lever 102 that opens the on-off valve when pressed by an operator to supply hot water and discharges hot water from the discharge pipe by a water head difference (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-109541

  However, in the structure of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, since the heat retaining tank is made of glass like a thermos bottle and an asymmetric shape cannot be made of glass, the discharge pipe can be connected only to the center of the bottom of the heat retaining tank. could not. For this reason, the discharge pipe is drawn from the bottom center of the heat retaining tank to be discharged, the length of the discharge pipe is increased, and since the discharge pipe is not kept warm, the hot water remaining in the discharge pipe is cooled. Therefore, the next time hot water is used, there is always a problem that cold hot water or water is discharged first.

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hot water supply apparatus that solves the above-described problems and that reliably discharges boiling water from the beginning.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a tank for storing water;
A temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the water in the tank;
A heating unit that heats the water when the temperature of the water in the tank detected by the temperature detector is lower than a set temperature;
An upper opening is connected to the opening on the bottom of the tank, and a discharge pipe capable of discharging the water in the tank heated and boiled vertically downward using a water head difference,
An on-off valve that opens and closes the opening in the upper part of the discharge pipe disposed in the vicinity of the bottom surface of the tank;
A driving device for driving the on-off valve;
A switch for driving the driving device,
When the temperature detector detects that the water in the tank has boiled, and when the switch is turned on, the driving device is driven to open the on-off valve to open the on-off valve. There is provided a hot water supply apparatus for discharging boiling hot water from the discharge pipe using a water head difference.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the valve body that opens and closes the opening of the upper portion of the discharge pipe of the on-off valve has an upper surface that receives the pressure of the water in the tank, and the discharge pipe It is configured to have a spherical lower portion that closes the opening of the discharge pipe in close contact with the spherical packing that forms the opening, and opens the opening of the discharge pipe away from the packing. The hot water supply apparatus according to the first aspect is provided, which is disposed closer to the discharge pipe than the bottom surface of the tank.

  According to the 3rd aspect of this invention, the hot-water supply apparatus as described in a 1st or 2nd aspect provided with the heat insulating heat insulating material arrange | positioned around the side part of the said tank is provided.

  According to the present invention, the upper opening of the discharge pipe connected to the bottom surface of the tank is disposed below the bottom surface of the tank so that the position of the hot water in the tank is higher than the hot water outlet of the discharge pipe. I have to. For this reason, when the on-off valve is opened using the water head difference, the boiling water in the tank passes through the discharge pipe and is discharged downward from the hot water outlet which is the lower end opening, and below the hot water outlet. Can be placed in a container such as a placed cup. At this time, there is no hot water or cold water left from the closed position of the on-off valve to the tap outlet which is the lower end opening of the discharge pipe, so when the switch is pressed, the boiling water in the tank is immediately Is discharged from the tap. Accordingly, only boiling hot water always comes out, and the hot water remaining at the time of the previous discharge and the cold water or the cold water does not come out. As a result, hot water boiled from the beginning can be reliably discharged.

In the hot water supply apparatus concerning one Embodiment of this invention, it is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the state which puts boiling hot water in a cup. FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the hot water supply device of FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the hot water supply unit of FIG. It is an enlarged front view of the operation part of the said hot-water supply apparatus of FIG. In the said hot water supply apparatus concerning the said embodiment, it is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the state which puts boiling hot water in a coffee pot. It is a perspective view of the conventional hot-water supply apparatus.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the hot water supply device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a tank 2, a temperature detector 3, a heating unit 4, and a housing 1 a of the hot water supply device 1. A discharge pipe 5, an on-off valve 6, a drive device 7, and a switch 8 are provided.

  An operation unit 1c is disposed on the front surface of the housing 1a, and a switch 8 and the like are disposed on the operation unit 1c.

  The tank 2 is a container for storing water 12, and is disposed at the upper part of the housing 1a. A lid 2b is arranged on the upper surface of the container body 2a of the tank 2. When the lid 1b at the upper end of the housing 1a is opened, the lid 2b of the container body 2a is also opened integrally with the lid 1b. A steam opening 2c is formed at the rear end portion of the lid portion 2b, and is discharged from a steam discharge port 1e at the rear end portion of the lid 1b of the housing 1a via a steam passage 1d at the rear end portion of the upper portion of the housing 1a. To be. A steam sensor 1f is arranged in the steam passage 1d so as to detect the steam in the steam passage 1d.

  The temperature detector 3 is a device that detects the temperature of water in the tank 2, and includes a thermistor as an example. The thermistor 3 is disposed outside the tank 2 and at the center of the flat bottom surface 2 d of the tank 2.

  The heating unit 4 heats and boils the water 12 in the tank 2 and controls the temperature so that the temperature of the water 12 in the tank 2 detected by the thermistor 3 can be maintained in a boiling state. The heating unit 4 includes a heater as an example. The heater 4 is disposed around the thermistor 3 outside the tank 2 and on the bottom surface 2 d of the tank 2. In addition, 11 is a heat insulation for heat insulation, and is arrange | positioned around the side part of the tank 2, and can heat-warm the heated water in the tank 2, in other words, the boiling hot water 12. The opening 2e at the front end of the bottom surface 2d of the tank 2 has a connecting portion 2g protruding downward.

  The discharge pipe 5 is connected to the bottom surface 2d of the tank 2 and is capable of discharging the boiling water in the tank 2 downward in the vertical direction through the communication passage 5f in the discharge pipe 5. In this embodiment, the hot water discharge unit 5 is arranged as an example of the discharge pipe. The hot water unit 5 is configured to connect two generally L-shaped pipes in opposite directions, and the upper end opening 5a is connected to the connecting portion 2g of the opening 2e at the front end of the bottom surface 2d of the tank 2. At the same time, the lower end opening 5b is a hot water outlet. A bent communication path 5f is formed from the upper end opening 5a to the lower end opening 5b. Therefore, since the lower end opening 5b, which is the outlet of the hot water discharge unit 5, is located below the bottom 2d of the tank 2 in the vertical direction, the heated water in the tank 2, That is, the boiling water 12 can be discharged.

  An open / close valve 6 is disposed in the vicinity of the upper end opening 5a of the hot water unit 5 so that the upper end opening 5a of the hot water unit 5 connected to the front end of the bottom surface 2d of the tank 2 can be opened and closed. The on-off valve 6 is driven to open and close by an electric motor as an example of the driving device 7. The on-off valve 6 has an interlocking shaft 6 a, a container packing 6 b as a valve body fixed to the upper end of the interlocking shaft 6 a, one end fixed to the lower end of the interlocking shaft 6 a, and the other end to the drive shaft 7 a of the motor 7. The connecting shaft 6c is connected, and a spring 6d that biases the interlocking shaft 6a downward. The spring 6d is accommodated in a spring accommodating portion 5d of an intermediate bent portion of the hot water unit 5, and the interlocking shaft 6a passes through the spring accommodating portion 5d in the vertical direction so as to be movable.

  The in-container packing 6b has a flat surface capable of receiving the pressure of the water 12 in the tank 2 on the upper surface, a spherical lower portion, a planar shape that is circular, and a vertical cross-sectional shape that is semicircular. Yes. The spherical lower portion of the in-container packing 6b is in close contact with the spherical communication packing 5c forming the opening 5a of the discharge pipe 5 to close the opening 5a of the discharge pipe 5, while away from the communication packing 5c. 5 is configured so that the opening 5a can be opened. In addition, an O-ring 6e is disposed at the lower end of the spring storage portion 5d, and prevents vertical leakage of water from the spring storage portion 5d while allowing the vertical movement of the interlocking shaft 6a in the axial direction.

  The switch 8 of the operation unit 1 c drives the motor 7. That is, the motor 7 is driven only while the switch 8 is being pressed.

  Here, in the opening 2e at the front end of the bottom surface 2d of the tank 2, when it is intended to provide a hot water outlet directly below the connecting portion 2g protruding downward, most of the on-off valve 6 is provided with the opening 2e. The connecting shaft extending from the opening / closing valve 6 and the drive device 7 in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the opening / closing valve 6 is allowed to move in the vertical direction. However, it is difficult to seal for water leakage. In order to avoid this, in this embodiment, by forming a communication passage 5f that is bent from the upper end opening 5a of the hot water unit 5 to the lower end opening 5b, the connecting portion between the on-off valve 6 and the drive device 7 is connected to the hot water unit 5. Since it is only necessary to provide a seal for water leakage against the movement of the on-off valve 6 in the vertical direction, the above-described difficulty of sealing can be avoided.

  In addition, 10 is a control part arrange | positioned in the lower part 1h of the housing | casing 1a. The controller 10 controls the operation of the heater 4 based on the temperature detected by the thermistor 3 and the detection of steam by the steam sensor 1f, and controls the operation of the motor 7 by turning on the switch 8. . For example, when the temperature of the water 12 detected by the thermistor 3 is lower than the set temperature, the water 12 is heated by the heater 4, and when the temperature of the water 12 detected by the thermistor 3 becomes higher than the set temperature, The heating of the water 12 by the heater 4 is stopped. Instead, when the steam is detected by the steam sensor 1f, the heating of the water 12 by the heater 4 can be stopped.

  In addition, the control unit 10 controls the motor 7 so that the hot water can be discharged only when the water 12 in the tank 2 is boiling and the switch 8 is turned on. Therefore, when the water 12 in the tank 2 is not boiling, the control unit 10 controls the motor 7 so that the motor 7 is not driven even when the switch 8 is turned on.

  Reference numeral 16 denotes a lock release switch of the operation unit 1c, and the motor 7 can be driven by pressing the switch 8 after the lock release switch 16 releases the lock. If the lock release switch 16 is not unlocked, the motor 7 cannot be driven even if the switch 8 is pressed. Reference numeral 17 denotes a selection switch for selecting a set temperature for boiling the water 12 in the tank 2 between 95 ° C. and 85 ° C.

  According to the above configuration, when the motor 7 is not driven, the state shown in FIG. 2A, that is, the drive shaft 7a of the motor 7, the connecting shaft 6c, the interlocking shaft 6a, and the in-container packing 6b are positioned at the lower end position. Thus, the in-container packing 6b and the communication packing 5c are in close contact with each other. In this closed state, the packing 6b in the container and the communication packing 5c are in close contact with each other by the urging force of the spring 6d, and there is no gap between the packing 6b in the container and the communication packing 5c. The hot water 12 does not enter the communication path 5f of the hot water unit 5. In this closed state, no water or hot water remains in the communication path 5f from the position where the in-container packing 6b and the communication packing 5c are in close contact to the hot water outlet.

  On the other hand, when the switch 8 is pressed while the water 12 in the tank 2 is boiling, the motor 7 is driven. Then, the drive shaft 7a of the motor 7 rises, and the interlocking shaft 6a rises against the urging force of the spring 6d via the connecting shaft 6c fixed to the drive shaft 7a, and communicates with the in-container packing 6b. From the closed state in which the packing 5c is in close contact, the in-container packing 6b is in the open state in FIG. 2B away from the communication packing 5c. As a result, since the position of the hot water 12 in the tank 2 is higher than the outlet, the boiling water 12 in the tank 2 is discharged from the gap between the in-container packing 6b and the communication packing 5c using the water head difference. It passes through the communication passage 5f of the unit 5 and is discharged downward from the hot water outlet which is the lower end opening 5b, and enters the cup 15 placed on the cradle 1g of the housing 1a. At this time, when the switch 8 is pressed because no hot water or cold water remains from the sealing position between the in-container packing 6b and the communication packing 5c to the hot water outlet which is the lower end opening 5b of the hot water unit 5 The boiling water 12 in the tank 2 is immediately discharged from the tap. Therefore, only the boiling water 12 is always discharged, and the cold water remaining at the previous discharge or the water further cooled by the hot water does not come out. As a result, the boiling water 12 from the beginning is reliably discharged, and as long as the boiling water 12 exists in the tank 2, the boiling water 12 can be stably discharged from the outlet.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state where a coffee container 18 is placed on the cradle 1g of the housing 1a instead of the cup 15. In FIG. 4, 19 is a coffee basket and 19 a is a hot water storage part of the coffee basket 19. Also in this example, as in the case of the cup 15, only the boiling hot water 12 in the tank 2 passes through the communication passage 5f of the hot water discharge unit 5 from the gap between the packing 6b in the container and the communication packing 5c, and enters the lower end opening 5b. It is discharged downward from a hot water outlet and enters the hot water storage part 19a of the coffee basket 19 of the coffee container 18 placed on the cradle 1g of the housing 1a.

  According to the above-described embodiment, the upper opening 5 a of the tap water unit 5 connected to the bottom surface 2 d of the tank 2 is disposed below the bottom surface 2 d of the tank 2, so that the tank 2 is higher than the tap port of the tap water unit 5. The position of the hot water 12 is made higher. For this reason, when the opening / closing valve 6 is opened using the water head difference, the boiling hot water 12 in the tank 2 passes through the communication passage 5f of the hot water supply unit 5 and lowers from the hot water outlet which is the lower end opening 5b. It can be discharged into the cup 15 placed below the hot water outlet. At this time, since no hot water or water cooled by the hot water remains from the closed position of the on-off valve 6 to the outlet of the lower end opening 5b of the hot water outlet unit 5, when the switch 8 is pressed, Boiling hot water 12 is immediately discharged from the tap. Therefore, only the boiling water 12 is always discharged, and the cold water remaining at the previous discharge or the water further cooled by the hot water does not come out. As a result, the hot water 12 boiling from the beginning can be reliably discharged.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, after the water 12 stored in the tank 2 is heated and boiled, the boiling water 12 is dropped naturally by opening the on-off valve 6 below the bottom surface 2d of the tank 2. I have to. For this reason, it is not necessary to use a pump in order to discharge boiling hot water, and the problems peculiar to the pump, such as being unable to discharge hot water stably by biting bubbles, can be reliably solved.

  In the embodiment, for example, if the capacity of the tank 2 is not large, but large enough to store a relatively small amount of water, the relatively small amount of water is immediately heated to boil. It is possible to provide a jar pot that can be used as hot water and that can reliably discharge hot water that has boiled from the beginning.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the opening part 2e of the front end of the bottom face 2d of the tank 2 has the connection part 2g which protruded below, and arrange | positions the connection part with the tapping unit 5 in a position lower than the bottom face 2d. It is possible to discharge all the hot water 12 in the tank 2 as much as possible.

  Moreover, according to the said embodiment, since the thermistor 3 is arrange | positioned in the center of the bottom face 2d of the tank 2, the temperature of the water or the hot water 12 of the tank 2 can be detected stably. That is, when the water 12 in the tank 2 is heated, convection is generated around the tank 2. If the thermistor 3 is arranged at the center of the bottom surface 2 d of the tank 2, the water or hot water 12 in the tank 2 is not affected by the convection. Can be detected stably. For this reason, the hot water unit 5 is disposed at a peripheral position other than the center of the bottom surface 2d of the tank 2, for example, at the front end position.

  It is to be noted that, by appropriately combining arbitrary embodiments of the various embodiments described above, the effects possessed by them can be produced.

  The hot water supply apparatus according to the present invention is capable of reliably discharging boiling water immediately after the start of hot water supply, boiling water by heating the water stored in the tank, and then opening the on-off valve below the tank. It is useful as a hot water supply device that allows natural hot water to fall.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hot-water supply apparatus 1a Case 1b Cover 1c Operation part 1d Steam passage 1e Steam discharge port 1f Steam sensor 1g Stand 1h Lower part 2 Tank 2a Container main body 2b Cover part 2c Steam opening 2d Bottom face 2e Opening part 2g Connection part 3 Thermistor (an example) As a temperature detector)
4 Heating part (heater as an example)
5 Discharge pipe (as an example, tapping unit)
5a upper end opening 5b lower end opening 5c communication packing 5d spring accommodating portion 5f communication path 6 on-off valve 6a interlocking shaft 6b packing inside container 6c connecting shaft 6d spring 6e O-ring 7 driving device 7a driving shaft 8 switch 11 heat insulating material 12 water 15 Cup 16 Lock release switch 17 Selection switch 18 Coffee container 19 Coffee basket 19a Hot water storage section

Claims (3)

A tank for storing water,
A temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the water in the tank;
A heating unit that heats the water when the temperature of the water in the tank detected by the temperature detector is lower than a set temperature;
An upper opening is connected to the opening on the bottom surface of the tank, and a discharge pipe capable of discharging the water in the tank heated and boiled vertically downward using a water head difference,
An on-off valve that opens and closes the opening of the upper portion of the discharge pipe disposed in the vicinity of the bottom surface of the tank;
A driving device for driving the on-off valve;
A switch for driving the driving device,
When the temperature detector detects that the water in the tank has boiled, and when the switch is turned on, the driving device is driven to open the on-off valve and the tank in the tank A hot water supply apparatus that discharges boiling hot water from the discharge pipe using a water head difference.   A valve body that opens and closes the opening of the upper part of the discharge pipe of the on-off valve has an upper surface that receives the pressure of the water in the tank, and is in close contact with the spherical packing that forms the opening of the discharge pipe The discharge pipe is configured to have a spherical lower portion that closes the opening of the discharge pipe and opens the opening of the discharge pipe away from the packing, and is more than the bottom surface of the tank. The hot-water supply apparatus of Claim 1 arrange | positioned at the side.   The hot-water supply apparatus of Claim 1 or 2 provided with the heat insulating heat insulating material arrange | positioned around the side part of the said tank.

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