JP2020186013A - Liquid dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a liquid dispenser that saves a user from having to crush a liquid container to dispose of the liquid container.SOLUTION: A liquid dispenser 1 has a liquid supply mechanism 50 that supplies liquid in a liquid container 2, 2' to the outside of the liquid dispenser, and a crushing mechanism for crushing an empty liquid container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid dispenser.

Conventionally, a liquid dispenser that supplies a liquid in a liquid container according to a user's operation is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a beverage server that supplies drinking water.

Japanese Patent No. 4464290

In such a liquid dispenser, when the liquid in the liquid container is exhausted, the user needs to remove the empty liquid container from the liquid dispenser and discard it. In order to efficiently collect the liquid container for recycling of the liquid container, it is necessary to reduce the volume of the liquid container to be discarded. Therefore, it is desired by the user to crush the liquid container in advance. However, removing the liquid container from the liquid dispenser and crushing it is troublesome for the user.

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid dispenser that can save the user the trouble of crushing the liquid container in order to dispose of the liquid container.

The gist of this disclosure is as follows.

(1) A liquid dispenser comprising a liquid supply mechanism for supplying the liquid in the liquid container to the outside of the liquid dispenser and a crushing mechanism for crushing an empty liquid container.

(2) The liquid dispenser according to (1) above, wherein the liquid container has an octagonal columnar body.

(3) The liquid dispenser according to (1) or (2) above, further comprising a connection mechanism for automatically connecting the liquid container to the liquid supply mechanism.

According to the present invention, there is provided a liquid dispenser that allows the user to save the trouble of crushing the liquid container in order to dispose of the liquid container.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the liquid dispenser according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the liquid dispenser along the line AA of FIG. FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of the liquid dispenser along the line BB of FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a crushing mechanism of the liquid dispenser according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing a crushing mechanism configured as an actuator. FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of a liquid container used in the liquid dispenser according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the rotation holding plate of the liquid dispenser according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing a state in which a liquid container held by a rotation holding plate is connected to a liquid supply mechanism.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, similar components are given the same reference numbers.

<First Embodiment>
First, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the liquid dispenser according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the liquid dispenser along the line AA of FIG. FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of the liquid dispenser along the line BB of FIG.

The liquid dispenser 1 holds at least one liquid container 2 and supplies the liquid in the liquid container 2 to the outside of the liquid dispenser 1 according to the operation of the user. In this embodiment, the liquid dispenser 1 holds 17 liquid containers 2.

The liquid container 2 is a plastic bottle made of a plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE). The liquid container 2 has a cylindrical body. The body of the liquid container 2 means a portion having the longest radial length (shortest length).

The liquid container 2 has a capacity of, for example, 700 mL to 1 L. The liquid container 2 is filled with a liquid. In the present embodiment, the liquid filled in the liquid container 2 is drinking water. That is, the liquid dispenser 1 is a so-called water server.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the liquid dispenser 1 includes a housing 3. The housing 3 has a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped shape. A container holder space 4, a liquid supply space 5, a container passage space 6, a container disposal space 7, and a container storage space 8 are formed in the housing 3. The container passage space 6 communicates with the container holder space 4 and the container disposal space 7.

Further, the liquid dispenser 1 includes a holding plate 41a for holding the liquid container 2. The holding plate 41a is provided in the container holder space 4, and one liquid container 2 is held in one holding plate 41a. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the holding plates 41a are arranged vertically separated in two rows. Four holding plates 41a are arranged in one row, and three holding plates 41a are arranged in the other row. Therefore, the liquid dispenser 1 includes seven holding plates 41a and holds the seven liquid containers 2 in the container holder space 4. In other words, the container holder space 4 accommodates seven liquid containers 2.

Further, each of the seven holding plates 41a extends obliquely with respect to the horizontal direction in the front-rear direction of the liquid dispenser 1. As a result, each of the seven liquid containers 2 extends diagonally with respect to the horizontal direction in the front-rear direction of the liquid dispenser 1.

The housing 3 includes an opening / closing door 31. The opening / closing door 31 is configured to cover the front surface of the container holder space 4 and opens / closes in a hinge manner. When the opening / closing door 31 is opened, the container holder space 4 is opened to the outside. Therefore, the user of the liquid dispenser 1 can install the liquid container 2 on the holding plate 41a of the container holder space 4 by opening the opening / closing door 31. Specifically, after opening the opening / closing door 31, the user inserts the liquid container 2 onto the holding plate 41a with the liquid discharge port side of the liquid container 2 facing forward.

Further, the liquid dispenser 1 includes a liquid supply mechanism 50 that supplies the liquid in the liquid container 2 to the outside of the liquid dispenser 1. The liquid supply mechanism 50 includes a connector 51, a cooling tank 52, a cooling device 53, a heating tank 54, a heating device 55, a first pipe 56, a second pipe 57, a third pipe 58, a fourth pipe 59, and a discharge pipe 60. Includes outlet 61. The liquid supply mechanism 50 is provided in the housing 3.

In this embodiment, the liquid container 2 has a cap 21 with a valve. The cap 21 is attached to the liquid container 2 so as to cover the liquid discharge port of the liquid container 2. The cap 21 has a known configuration as described in, for example, Patent Document 1, enables the inflow of liquid from the liquid container 2 to the liquid supply mechanism 50, and allows the liquid to flow from the liquid supply mechanism 50 to the liquid container 2. It is configured to prevent inflow.

Further, the liquid dispenser 1 includes a connection mechanism for automatically connecting the liquid container 2 to the liquid supply mechanism 50. When the liquid container 2 is installed on the lowermost holding plate 41a, the liquid container 2 is connected to the liquid supply mechanism 50 by gravity. Specifically, the connector 51 of the liquid supply mechanism 50 penetrates the cap 21 of the liquid container 2 and is inserted into the liquid container 2. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the holding plate 41a functions as a connecting mechanism.

When the liquid container 2 is connected to the liquid supply mechanism 50, the liquid in the liquid container 2 flows out. As a result, the liquid in the liquid container 2 is supplied from the liquid container 2 to the cooling tank 52 via the first pipe 56, and is supplied from the liquid container 2 to the heating tank 54 via the second pipe 57.

The liquid supplied to the cooling tank 52 is cooled to an appropriate temperature (for example, 10 ° C. or lower) by the cooling device 53 provided in the cooling tank 52. On the other hand, the liquid supplied to the heating tank 54 is heated to an appropriate temperature (for example, 80 ° C. or higher) by the heating device 55 provided in the heating tank 54.

The cooling tank 52 is connected to the third pipe 58, and the third pipe 58 is provided with a first on-off valve (not shown). The first on-off valve is, for example, a solenoid valve that opens and closes the flow path in the third pipe 58. For example, the user installs a container for receiving the liquid on the bottom surface of the liquid supply space 5, and instructs the supply of the cooling liquid via an operation button (not shown) provided on the front surface of the housing 3. As a result, the first on-off valve is opened, and the cooling liquid is discharged from the discharge port 61 toward the container via the third pipe 58 and the discharge pipe 60.

The heating tank 54 is connected to the fourth pipe 59, and the fourth pipe 59 is provided with a second on-off valve (not shown). The second on-off valve is, for example, a solenoid valve that opens and closes the flow path in the fourth pipe 59. For example, the user installs a container for receiving the liquid on the bottom surface of the liquid supply space 5, and instructs the supply of the heated liquid via an operation button (not shown) provided on the front surface of the housing 3. As a result, the second on-off valve is opened, and the heated liquid is discharged from the discharge port 61 toward the container via the fourth pipe 59 and the discharge pipe 60.

The third pipe 58 may be connected to the first discharge port, and the fourth pipe 59 may be connected to the second discharge port. That is, the cooling liquid and the heating liquid may be discharged from separate outlets. Further, the cooling liquid and the heating liquid may be discharged by the operation of the lever by the user. Further, the positions of the cooling tank 52 and the heating tank 54 may be reversed. Further, the cooling tank 52 or the heating tank 54 may be omitted.

Further, the liquid dispenser 1 includes a crushing mechanism for crushing an empty liquid container 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a crushing mechanism of the liquid dispenser according to the first embodiment of the present invention. For example, the liquid dispenser 1 includes a vacuum generator 40 as a crushing mechanism. The vacuum generator 40 is connected to the liquid container 2 via the connector 51 of the liquid supply mechanism 50, and is provided inside the housing 3 or outside the housing 3. The vacuum generator 40 may be directly connected to the liquid container 2.

When the liquid container 2 is emptied, the vacuum generator 40 creates a vacuum to create a negative pressure inside the liquid container 2. As a result, the liquid container 2 is crushed by the atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the vacuum generator 40 can crush the empty liquid container 2. Therefore, in the liquid dispenser 1, the user can save the trouble of crushing the liquid container 2 in order to dispose of the liquid container 2.

The empty liquid container means a liquid container in which 90% or more of the liquid filled in the liquid container is discharged. Further, it is detected by, for example, various sensors that the liquid container 2 connected to the liquid supply mechanism 50 is empty. For example, the sensor is a liquid level sensor that detects the liquid level of the liquid in the cooling tank 52, a liquid level sensor that detects the liquid level of the liquid in the heating tank 54, and the weight of the liquid container 2 connected to the liquid supply mechanism 50. It is a weight sensor or the like that detects.

Further, the liquid dispenser 1 includes a disposal mechanism for moving the empty liquid container 2 to the container disposal space 7. In the present embodiment, the holding plate 41a configured to drop the liquid container 2 crushed by the crushing mechanism into the container disposal space 7 corresponds to the disposal mechanism.

When the liquid container 2 is crushed by the crushing mechanism, the length of the liquid container 2 in the radial direction (short direction) becomes short. As a result, the empty liquid container 2 falls by gravity from the gap beside the holding plate 41a, passes through the container passage space 6, and is accommodated in the container disposal space 7. Therefore, in the liquid dispenser 1, the empty liquid container 2 is automatically accommodated in the container disposal space 7, so that the user needs to take out the liquid container 2 from the liquid dispenser 1 and dispose of it every time the liquid container 2 is used. There is no. Therefore, in the liquid dispenser 1, the burden on the user regarding the disposal of the liquid container 2 can be reduced.

Further, the liquid container 2 is housed in the container disposal space 7 in a crushed state. Therefore, a large number of liquid containers 2 can be accommodated in the container disposal space 7. However, there is a limit to the volume of the container disposal space 7. Therefore, when the container disposal space 7 is filled with the liquid container 2, it is necessary to take out the liquid container 2 from the container disposal space 7.

In the present embodiment, the housing 3 includes a movable first drawer 32, and the liquid container 2 is taken out from the container disposal space 7 via the first drawer 32. The first drawer 32 has an open top and defines a container disposal space 7. A first handle 33 is attached to the front surface of the first drawer 32. The user can take out the first drawer 32 from the liquid dispenser 1 by pulling the first handle 33. As a result, the user can easily dispose of the liquid container 2 housed in the container disposal space 7. For example, the user can easily dispose of the plurality of liquid containers 2 without soiling the user's hands by installing a trash bag in the first drawer 32 and discarding the trash bag containing the plurality of liquid containers 2. Can be done.

Further, in the present embodiment, the lowermost liquid container 2, that is, the liquid container 2 connected to the liquid supply mechanism 50 is supported by the holding plate 41a and the connector 51. Further, the other liquid container 2 is supported by the holding plate 41a and the liquid container 2 on the diagonally lower side. For example, the liquid container 2 second from the bottom (bottom of the right column in FIG. 3) is supported by the liquid container 2 at the bottom (bottom of the left column of FIG. 3).

Therefore, when the lowermost liquid container 2 falls from the holding plate 41a, the second liquid container 2 from the bottom moves to the lowermost holding plate 41a. As a result, the third to seventh liquid containers 2 from the bottom are sequentially moved to the holding plate 41a on the diagonally lower side. Further, as described above, when the liquid container 2 is installed on the lowermost holding plate 41a, the liquid container 2 is connected to the liquid supply mechanism 50 by gravity. Therefore, the connection mechanism configured as the holding plate 41a automatically connects the new liquid container 2 in the container holder space 4 to the liquid supply mechanism 50 after the empty liquid container 2 moves to the container disposal space 7. be able to. Therefore, in the liquid dispenser 1, the user can continuously use the liquid dispenser 1 until the liquid container 2 in the container holder space 4 is exhausted.

However, when the liquid container 2 in the container holder space 4 disappears and the liquid in the liquid supply mechanism 50 becomes empty, the liquid dispenser 1 cannot be used. Therefore, the user needs to refill the container holder space 4 with the liquid container 2 in order to continuously use the liquid dispenser 1.

On the other hand, in the liquid dispenser 1, the liquid container 2 is housed in the container storage space 8 formed under the container disposal space 7, and the liquid container 2 in the container storage space 8 is replenished in the container holder space 4. To. The liquid container 2 is arranged horizontally in two rows in a vertical posture in the container storage space 8. Five liquid containers 2 are arranged in each of the two rows. Therefore, the liquid dispenser 1 holds 10 liquid containers 2 in the container storage space 8. In other words, the container storage space 8 accommodates 10 liquid containers 2. Therefore, the liquid dispenser 1 holds a total of 17 liquid containers 2 in the container holder space 4 and the container storage space 8.

In the present embodiment, the housing 3 includes a movable second drawer 34, and the liquid container 2 is stored in and taken out from the container storage space 8 via the second drawer 34. The second drawer 34 has an open top and defines a container storage space 8. A second handle 35 is attached to the front surface of the second drawer 34. The user can take out the second drawer 34 from the liquid dispenser 1 by pulling the second handle 35. As a result, the user can easily store the spare liquid container 2 in the container storage space 8 and easily take out the liquid container 2 from the container storage space 8.

As described above, in the liquid dispenser 1, a large number (seven in the present embodiment) of the liquid containers 2 are held in the container holder space 4, and the liquid containers 2 are automatically connected to the liquid supply mechanism 50. As a result, the capacity of each liquid container 2 can be reduced without increasing the frequency of replacement of the liquid container 2. As a result, the liquid container 2 becomes lightweight, and by extension, the liquid container 2 becomes easy to handle. For example, even a weak woman or an elderly person can easily install the liquid container 2 in the container holder space 4.

The configuration of the liquid dispenser 1 is not limited to the configuration described above. For example, the liquid dispenser 1 may include actuators such as rollers, air cylinders, and electric cylinders as a crushing mechanism. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing a crushing mechanism configured as an actuator. In this example, the actuator 10 is a rodless cylinder (rodless air cylinder or rodless electric cylinder).

The actuator 10 includes a slider 11, a cylinder tube 12, a head cover 13, a support portion 14, and a compression portion 15. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 5, the slider 11 reciprocates between the head covers 13 on the cylinder tube 12. The support portion 14 and the compression portion 15 are attached to the slider 11 and move integrally with the slider 11. A slit (not shown) is formed in the holding plate 41b, and the support portion 14 moves in the slit.

The compression portion 15 is connected to the support portion 14 and is attached to the slider 11 via the support portion 14. The compression unit 15 extends along the liquid container 2 on the holding plate 41b and has substantially the same length in the longitudinal direction as the liquid container 2. The compression unit 15 is made of, for example, metal (steel or the like) and compresses the liquid container 2 in the radial direction.

When the liquid container 2 is empty, the drive device (not shown) of the actuator 10 moves the slider 11 to the left so that the compression unit 15 compresses the liquid container 2. As a result, the liquid container 2 comes into contact with the housing 3, and then the liquid container 2 is compressed in the radial direction between the compression unit 15 and the housing 3. Therefore, the actuator 10 can crush the liquid container 2.

Further, the holding plate 41b has a passage hole 411 through which the crushed liquid container 2 passes. In FIG. 5, the passage hole 411 is shown by a broken line. The length of the passage hole 411 in the longitudinal direction is longer than the length of the liquid container 2 in the axial direction (longitudinal direction), and the length of the passage hole 411 in the lateral direction is the radial length of the liquid container 2 before crushing (short). Longer than the length in the direction) and shorter than the radial length of the liquid container 2 after crushing. Therefore, the liquid container 2 crushed by the actuator 10 falls from the passing hole 411 of the holding plate 41b by gravity, passes through the container passing space 6, and is accommodated in the container disposal space 7. Therefore, in this case, the actuator 10 and the holding plate 41b function as a disposal mechanism.

Further, the compression unit that compresses the empty liquid container 2 may be operated by a user operating a lever or the like. That is, the crushing mechanism may be manually operated by the user. Further, the crushing mechanism configured as an actuator may be crushed so as to squeeze the empty liquid container 2.

Further, the crushing mechanism may be provided in the container passage space 6. For example, the liquid dispenser 1 may include two rollers provided in the container passage space 6 as a crushing mechanism. In this case, the two rollers crush the empty liquid container 2 in the container passage space 6 when the empty liquid container 2 falls toward the container disposal space 7.

<Second embodiment>
The configuration and control of the liquid dispenser according to the second embodiment are basically the same as those of the liquid dispenser according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described below focusing on parts different from the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, the liquid container has a shape that facilitates radial compression of the liquid container. FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of a liquid container used in the liquid dispenser according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the liquid container 2'has an octagonal columnar body. The body of the liquid container 2'has a regular octagonal radial (minor) cross section. This shape of the body of the liquid container 2'facilitates radial compression of the liquid container 2'and facilitates crushing of the liquid container 2'by the crushing mechanism.

<Third Embodiment>
The configuration and control of the liquid dispenser according to the third embodiment are basically the same as those of the liquid dispenser according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the third embodiment of the present invention will be described below focusing on the parts different from the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the rotation holding plate of the liquid dispenser according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, the liquid dispenser 1 includes a rotary holding plate 41c instead of the plurality of holding plates 41. The rotation holding plate 41c is provided in the container holder space 4 and holds a plurality of liquid containers 2. In the example of FIG. 7, the rotation holding plate 41c is formed with five holding holes 412, and the rotation holding plate 41c holds five liquid containers 2. Further, in FIG. 7, the position of the connector 51 of the liquid supply mechanism 50 is shown by a broken line.

A rotation shaft 413 is attached to the rotation holding plate 41c, and the rotation holding plate 41c is supported by the housing 3 via the rotation shaft 413. The rotation shaft 413 is rotatably supported by the housing 3 and rotates integrally with the rotation holding plate 41c. In the example of FIG. 7, the rotation holding plate 41c is rotated by 72 ° in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 7 due to the rotation of the rotation shaft 413.

FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing a state in which the liquid container 2 held by the rotation holding plate 41c is connected to the liquid supply mechanism 50. FIG. 8 shows only the vicinity of the holding hole 412 located directly above the connector 51 of the liquid supply mechanism 50.

When the liquid container 2 is installed in the container holder space 4, the user inserts the liquid container 2 into each holding hole 412. Under each holding hole 412 of the rotation holding plate 41c, a chuck 414 for fixing the liquid container 2 to the rotation holding plate 41c is provided. The chuck 414 is an opening / closing chuck such as a mechanical chuck or an air chuck, and has a pair of gripping portions 415 for gripping the liquid container 2. The pair of grips 415 are openable and closable, and grip the neck of the liquid container 2, for example, as shown in FIG. The neck of the liquid container 2 is adjacent to the cap 21 attached to the liquid container 2 and has the shortest radial length. The pair of gripping portions 415 may grip the cap 21 or the like.

When the liquid container 2 is inserted into the holding hole 412, the drive device (not shown) of the chuck 414 closes the pair of grips 415 of the chuck 414. As a result, the liquid container 2 is fixed to the rotation holding plate 41c.

Further, the rotation shaft 413 can move in the vertical direction (vertical direction) together with the rotation holding plate 41c. The rotation shaft 413 and the rotation holding plate 41c are located at an upper position during rotation. In the upper position, the liquid container 2 held by the rotation holding plate 41c is vertically separated from the connector 51. Therefore, the liquid container 2 does not come into contact with the connector 51 during rotation.

A drive device (not shown) of the rotary shaft 413 rotates the rotary shaft 413 and then moves the rotary shaft 413 to a lower position. Therefore, the rotation holding plate 41c moves to the lower position after rotation. At the lower position, as shown in FIG. 8, the liquid container 2 held in the holding hole 412 located directly above the connector 51 is connected to the connector 51. As a result, the liquid in the liquid container 2 is supplied to the liquid supply mechanism 50.

Also in the third embodiment, the liquid dispenser 1 includes a vacuum generator 40 as a crushing mechanism. The vacuum generator 40 is connected to the liquid container 2 via the connector 51 of the liquid supply mechanism 50, and is provided inside the housing 3 or outside the housing 3. The vacuum generator 40 may be directly connected to the liquid container 2.

When the liquid container 2 is emptied, the vacuum generator 40 creates a vacuum to create a negative pressure inside the liquid container 2. As a result, the liquid container 2 is crushed by the atmospheric pressure. As a result, the radial length (short direction) of the empty liquid container 2 becomes shorter than the minimum diameter of the holding hole 412. However, the liquid container 2 remains fixed to the rotation holding plate 41c by the chuck 414.

When the empty liquid container 2 is crushed, the driving device of the rotating shaft 413 moves the rotating shaft 413 to the upper position. At this time, the rotation holding plate 41c also moves to the upper position, and the connector 51 is removed from the liquid container 2. Therefore, the empty liquid container 2 can be moved in the rotation direction.

Next, the driving device of the rotating shaft 413 rotates the rotating shaft 413. As a result, the rotation holding plate 41c rotates, and the empty liquid container 2 is separated from the connector 51 in the circumferential direction of the rotation holding plate 41c and is located directly above the container passage space 6.

The drive device of the chuck 414 opens a pair of gripping portions 415 that grip the empty liquid container 2 after the rotation holding plate 41c has rotated. As a result, the empty liquid container 2 is released from the chuck 414, passes through the holding hole 412 and the container passage space 6 by gravity, and falls into the container disposal space 7. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the rotation holding plate 41c and the chuck 414 function as a disposal mechanism for moving the empty liquid container 2 to the container disposal space 7.

Further, the rotation of the rotation holding plate 41c causes the liquid container 2 before use to move directly above the connector 51 of the liquid supply mechanism 50. As described above, the rotation holding plate 41c moves to the lower position after rotation. As a result, the liquid container 2 before use is automatically connected to the liquid supply mechanism 50. Specifically, the connector 51 of the liquid supply mechanism 50 penetrates the cap 21 of the liquid container 2 and is inserted into the liquid container 2. Therefore, in the third embodiment, the rotation holding plate 41c functions as a connection mechanism for automatically connecting the liquid container 2 to the liquid supply mechanism 50.

Instead of the rotary shaft 413 and the rotary holding plate 41c moving in the vertical direction, the connector 51 of the liquid supply mechanism 50 may be movable in the vertical direction. Further, the liquid dispenser 1 may include an actuator such as a roller, an air cylinder, or an electric cylinder as a crushing mechanism.

Further, the liquid dispenser 1 may include two rotation holding plates separated in the vertical direction. In this case, one rotation holding plate is configured as the rotation holding plate 41c, and the other rotation holding plate is configured to support the body of the liquid container 2. The other rotation holding plate is formed with five support holes for supporting the body of the liquid container 2.

<Other Embodiments>
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

For example, the liquid container 2 may be a can, a paper pack, or the like. Further, the liquid filled in the liquid containers 2 and 2'may be a beverage other than water (for example, coffee, juice, tea, etc.), a chemical, or the like.

Further, the number of liquid containers 2 and 2'contained in the container holder space 4 may be other than 7 (for example, 1). Further, the arrangement of the liquid containers 2 and 2'in the container holder space 4 may be different from the arrangement shown in FIG. For example, the holding plates 41 may be arranged vertically separated over one row.

Further, the number of liquid containers 2 and 2'contained in the container storage space 8 may be other than 10 (for example, 1). Further, the arrangement of the liquid containers 2 and 2'in the container storage space 8 may be different from the arrangement shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. For example, the liquid containers 2 and 2'may be arranged horizontally in a row in a vertical posture in the container storage space 8.

Further, the first drawer 32 that defines the container disposal space 7 may be omitted from the liquid dispenser 1. That is, the crushed liquid containers 2 and 2'may be taken out from the liquid dispenser 1 by the user without moving to the container disposal space 7.

Further, the second drawer 34 that defines the container storage space 8 may be omitted from the liquid dispenser 1. That is, the liquid container 2 may be held only in the container holder space 4.

Further, the housing 3 is formed so that the container holder space 4 and the container disposal space 7 communicate with each other, and the disposal mechanism directly moves the empty liquid containers 2 and 2'from the container holder space 4 to the container disposal space 7. May be good. That is, the container passage space 6 may be omitted from the housing 3.

Further, the liquid containers 2 and 2'may include actuators such as an air cylinder and an electric cylinder as a connection mechanism for automatically connecting the liquid containers 2 and 2'to the liquid supply mechanism 50. In this case, for example, the actuator linearly moves the liquid containers 2 and 2'on the holding plate 41a toward the connector 51. Further, the liquid containers 2 and 2'may be connected to the liquid supply mechanism 50 by a user operating a lever or the like.

In addition, the above-described embodiments can be implemented in any combination. For example, in the third embodiment, a liquid container 2'with an octagonal columnar body may be used.

1 Liquid dispenser 2, 2'Liquid container 10 Actuator 11 Slider 12 Cylinder tube 13 Head cover 14 Support 15 Compression 40 Vacuum generator 50 Liquid supply mechanism

Claims (3)

It ’s a liquid dispenser,
A liquid supply mechanism that supplies the liquid in the liquid container to the outside of the liquid dispenser,
A liquid dispenser with a crushing mechanism that crushes an empty liquid container. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the liquid container has an octagonal columnar body. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a connection mechanism for automatically connecting the liquid container to the liquid supply mechanism.

Images