JP5599144B2 - Liquid outage sensor for commercial automatic dishwasher and liquid supply device for commercial automatic dishwasher using the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid sensor for a commercial automatic dishwasher , which is attached in the middle of a liquid supply path for intermittently supplying a liquid comprising a cleaning agent or a drying finish to a commercial automatic dishwasher , The present invention relates to a liquid feeder for a commercial automatic dishwasher used.

  When a chemical is applied to an object to be processed to perform any process on the object to be processed, a diluted liquid prepared in advance is not supplied to the processing apparatus and applied to the object to be processed. A method of supplying dilution liquid such as warm water and supplying a concentrated chemical solution gradually in the supply path to prepare a diluted chemical solution having a predetermined concentration and applying it to an object to be processed is widely used. In addition, there is also a method of supplying a dilution liquid and concentrated chemical liquid to the chemical solution storage tank in advance and adjusting it to a predetermined concentration, and then applying it to the object to be processed. In this case, if the liquid volume in the chemical liquid storage tank decreases, In addition, a dilution liquid and a concentrated chemical solution are supplied into the chemical solution storage tank. Furthermore, depending on the processing, only the chemical solution may be used up from the processing solution, and the chemical solution may be replenished sequentially. In these cases, apart from the processing apparatus, a chemical liquid supply apparatus for supplying the chemical liquid continuously or intermittently to a predetermined part of the processing apparatus is attached.

  Processing equipment with such a chemical supply device includes automatic dishwashers for washing dishes, commercial washing machines for washing clothes, blankets, etc. and dryers, textiles such as cloth. Treatment equipment for dyeing and washing, wastewater treatment equipment for industrial wastewater, etc., scale inhibitor supply equipment for cooling towers, fertilizer replenishing equipment for hydroponics, washing equipment for vehicles, aircraft, etc., for dairy farming Cleaning equipment for milking equipment, cleaning equipment for food and foodstuffs, various cleaning equipment in food processing factories, cleaning equipment for electronic parts, metal processing parts, cleaning equipment for machinery, bottle cleaning equipment for alcoholic beverages and beverages It is done.

  In the above various processing apparatuses, the supply of the chemical solution is normally performed by automatic control, and the supply source (such as a bottle) and the supply line are also integrated into the processing apparatus. It is not easy to check frequently, and the liquid runs out easily during the process. In such a case, if it is delayed to notice the occurrence of liquid shortage, the appropriate chemical concentration is not ensured, resulting in insufficient processing, waste of labor due to reprocessing, and energy such as water, gas, and electricity from hot water supply being wasted. It is not economical.

  Therefore, countermeasures such as providing a liquid shortage sensor in the middle of the chemical solution supply line and setting an alarm immediately when the supply of the chemical solution is interrupted are taken. Such a liquid shortage sensor is a pressure sensor that utilizes the fact that the pressure in the pipe is always negative and the negative pressure is released when the bottle as the supply source is empty, or the light is refracted depending on the presence or absence of liquid. Photosensors using the fact that the rates are different are used (for example, see Patent Document 1). Recently, there has also been proposed a liquid shortage sensor that reliably detects liquid shortage by projecting a pair of electrodes into the liquid flow path and directly measuring the liquid conductivity (for example, Patent Documents). 2).

  However, these sensors have many problems such as many malfunctions, sensitivity adjustment and maintenance are costly and costly, and need to be selected according to the tube diameter and the type of liquid. There has been a strong demand for the development of a versatile liquid breakage sensor.

Therefore, the present applicant has developed and already filed an excellent liquid shortage sensor that has high detection performance regardless of liquidity and does not require time and effort for sensitivity adjustment and maintenance (see Patent Document 3).
JP 2000-338115 A JP 2000-170663 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-248812

  The liquid shortage sensor of Patent Document 3 does not require time and effort for sensitivity adjustment and maintenance, and is free from restrictions on the tube diameter and the type of liquid. However, recently, as in an automatic dishwasher, a liquid supply path of a type that repeats the operation of temporarily stopping the supply of liquid and starting the supply again according to the progress of the cleaning process, the rinsing process, and the process. When this liquid breakage sensor is applied to the pipe in the liquid breakage sensor, a liquid pool is formed in the pipe where the sensor is embedded even though no liquid is supplied, and the liquid is read as “present”. It has been found that bubbles (air) stay in the tube where the sensor is embedded even though the liquid is supplied, causing malfunctions such as reading that there is no liquid, The solution is strongly desired.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and in a liquid supply path for intermittently supplying a liquid made of a cleaning agent or a drying finish to a commercial automatic dishwashing machine , detection of liquid shortage is performed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid breakage sensor for a commercial automatic dishwasher that can be accurately performed over a long period of time and a liquid supply device for a commercial automatic dishwasher using the same.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a liquid supply in the middle of a liquid supply path that is set to intermittently supply a liquid comprising a cleaning agent or a drying finish to a commercial automatic dishwashing machine. A liquid shortage sensor attached to constitute a part of the path, wherein one end opening is formed in a connection portion that can communicate with the upstream pipe of the liquid supply path, and the other end opening is downstream of the liquid supply path. A light-transmitting tubular body formed in a connecting portion capable of communicating with a side pipe, and having an inner hollow portion communicating with the both end connecting portions formed in a liquid passage, and at a predetermined interval along the axial direction of the tubular body 7. It consists of a plurality of attached photosensors, the diameter of the inner hollow part of the tube body is 1 to 4 mm, and the viscosity at 25 ° C. of the liquid to be detected (JIS Z 8803: 1991, liquid viscosity-measurement method, 8. "Single circular rotation Is 0.1 to 500 mPa · s), the flow rate of the liquid is 0.1 to 600 ml / min, and between the detection centers of the photosensors arranged in the axial direction of the tube Is set to 10 to 50 mm, and each of the photosensors is set to simultaneously detect the presence or absence of liquid passing through the hollow portion in the tube at a predetermined interval. By reading the combination and pattern of the detection signals of the sensors and the number of detection times, the output of the warning signal that informs the out of liquid and its stop are controlled at least as shown in the following (a) and (b). A liquid out-of-use sensor for a commercial automatic dishwasher is a first gist.
(A) When all photosensors detect “liquid”, some photosensors detect “no liquid” and other photosensors maintain “liquid” detection The above “no liquid” detection is determined to be due to bubbles, and no warning signal is output.
(B) When all the photosensors detect “no liquid”, output a warning signal when the detection is repeated a predetermined number of times, and then at least one sensor detects “liquid present” Unless the detection of “with liquid” is repeated continuously for a predetermined number of times or more, the warning signal output is maintained without determining that the liquid has run out, and the detection of “with liquid” continues for a predetermined number of times or more. When repeated, it is determined that the liquid has run out and the warning signal output is stopped.

In addition, the present invention is, in particular, that each of the photosensors is a transmissive photosensor, and the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are embedded so as to sandwich the inner hollow portion of the tubular body. the sensor shall be the second aspect.

Furthermore, the present invention is attached to a lid of a liquid filling container prepared as a liquid supply source for intermittently supplying a liquid consisting of a cleaning agent or a drying finish to a commercial automatic dishwasher, A liquid shortage sensor constituting part of a liquid supply path extending from a liquid supply source, wherein one end opening engages with an opening formed in the lid of the liquid filling container and sucks up the liquid in the container The other end opening is formed in a connection portion that can communicate with the downstream piping of the liquid supply path, and the inner hollow portion that communicates with the both end connection portions is formed. It consists of a light-transmitting tube formed in the liquid passage and a plurality of photosensors attached at predetermined intervals along the axial direction of the tube, and the inner hollow portion of the tube has a diameter of 1 to 4 mm. Is the detection target The viscosity of the liquid at 25 ° C. (based on JIS Z 8803: 1991, liquid viscosity—measurement method, 8. “viscosity measurement method using a single circular rotational viscometer”) is 0.1 to 500 mPa · s, and the flow rate of the liquid Is 0.1 to 600 ml / min, the distance between the detection centers of the photosensors arranged in the axial direction of the tube is set to 10 to 50 mm, and each photosensor is hollow in the tube. A warning is set to detect the presence or absence of liquid passing through the unit at a predetermined interval and at the same timing, and informs the user that the liquid has run out by reading the combination pattern and number of detections of the detection signals of each photosensor. A third aspect is a liquid shortage sensor in which the signal output and its stop are controlled at least as shown in (a) and (b) above .

In the present invention, in particular, each of the photosensors is a transmissive photosensor, and the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are embedded so as to sandwich the inner hollow portion of the tubular body. the sensor shall be the fourth aspect.

Furthermore, the present invention is a liquid supply device for intermittently supplying a liquid made of a cleaning agent or a drying finish to a commercial automatic dishwasher, wherein the liquid is sucked from one end side and the other end side is sucked Liquid feeding means for discharging the liquid, a liquid suction pipe having one end connected to the liquid supply source and the other end connected to the suction side of the liquid feeding means, and one end connected to the discharge side of the liquid feeding means and the other end side A liquid discharge pipe connected to the predetermined portion, and the liquid is supplied from the liquid supply source to the suction side of the liquid supply means via the liquid suction pipe or from the discharge side of the liquid supply means In the middle of the liquid discharge flow path reaching a predetermined site via the discharge pipe, the liquid shortage sensor as the first or second aspect is attached, and according to the warning signal output from the liquid shortage sensor, The specified alarm is activated Liquid supply apparatus for an automatic dishwashing operations that are configured (hereinafter, simply referred to as "liquid supply system") and fifth aspect the.

And this invention is a liquid supply apparatus for supplying the liquid which consists of a cleaning agent or a dry finish agent intermittently with respect to a commercial automatic dishwashing machine, Comprising: Liquid feeding means for discharging the liquid, a liquid suction pipe having one end connected to a liquid filling container prepared as a liquid supply source and the other end connected to the suction side of the liquid feeding means, and one end side discharging the liquid feeding means A liquid discharge pipe connected to the side and connected to the predetermined part on the other end side, and a liquid shortage sensor according to the third or fourth aspect is attached to the lid of the liquid filling container, According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid supply apparatus in which a predetermined alarm means is activated in accordance with a warning signal output from the liquid shortage sensor.

  In other words, the liquid shortage sensor of the present invention can be used satisfactorily for a long period of time without the detection part being in direct contact with the liquid and without the detection part being corroded or worn. Further, since the detection accuracy does not depend on the type of liquid to be detected, it is not necessary to make fine adjustments or the like as compared with other conventional liquid shortage sensors and can be easily installed. Furthermore, at both ends of the liquid shortage sensor, connection parts for connecting to the pipes constituting the liquid supply path are formed, and the liquid supply path can be connected by simply connecting an appropriate connector or the like to the connection part. Regardless of the diameter of the pipe to be constructed, it can be immediately installed in the middle of the liquid supply path, and the practical effect is high.

In addition, the liquid shortage sensor of the present invention is a combination of a plurality of photosensors in particular, and each of the photosensors is set to simultaneously detect the presence or absence of liquid in the liquid supply path at a predetermined interval. By reading the combination pattern of detection signals output from each photo sensor and the number of detections, the output / stop of the warning signal is controlled in the above-mentioned special manner. Not only is it easy to mount and it has a compact shape, but there are almost no malfunctions, and highly accurate detection can be performed.

In the liquid breakage sensor of the present invention, in particular, the diameter of the inner hollow part of the tubular body is 1 to 4 mm, the viscosity of the liquid to be detected is 0.1 to 500 mPa · s at 25 ° C., and the flow rate of the liquid is Since the distance between the detection centers of the photosensors arranged in the axial direction of the tube body is set to 10 to 50 mm at a rate of 0.1 to 600 ml / min, in particular, malfunction due to liquid pools or bubbles Can be eliminated.

Among the liquid breakage sensors , in particular, each of the photosensors is a transmissive photosensor, and the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are embedded so as to sandwich the inner hollow portion of the tubular body. , the detection operation that have a advantage that is stable, also be influenced by the type of the liquid to be detected small.

  Moreover, since the liquid supply apparatus incorporating the liquid shortage sensor of the present invention can detect liquid shortage with high accuracy without malfunctioning over a long period of time, liquid supply can be performed more reliably. In addition, the liquid outage sensor can be connected to other liquid supply devices that have the same basic configuration as the above device and have a small pipe diameter to supply a small amount of liquid, simply by changing the connector used for the connecting portion. Since it can be used as it is, it is economical.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

  First, the best mode of the liquid shortage sensor of the present invention is shown in FIG. This liquid breakage sensor 1 includes a tube 2 made of colorless and transparent polypropylene, and a base plate 7 on which the photosensors 3 and 4 and the LEDs 5 and 6 are mounted is attached on the upper surface thereof as will be described later. ing. Reference numeral 8 denotes a cover that covers the mounting surface of the base plate 7 and the front and rear surfaces of the tubular body 2. 2 is a top view of the tubular body 2, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA ', FIG. 4A is a sectional view taken along the line BB', and FIG. 4B is a sectional view taken along the line CC '. FIG. 4C is a sectional view taken along the line DD ′.

  In more detail with reference to these drawings, the tube body 2 has an elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape, and PT1 / 8 inches for connection to the liquid supply pipes at both end faces 2a and 2b, respectively. Connection portions 9 and 10 made of a female screw (1 inch = 25.4 mm) are formed. The connecting portions 9 and 10 are communicated with a hollow portion 11 having a small diameter extending in the longitudinal direction in the center of the tube body 2.

  The upper surface of the tubular body 2 is provided with a relatively shallow concave portion 12 for attaching the base plate 7 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and sandwiching the hollow portion 11 extending downward from the bottom surface to the center. Two pairs of recesses 13 and 14 for inserting the photosensors 3 and 4 are provided side by side in the longitudinal direction.

  Further, holes 15 and 16 for fitting the LEDs 5 and 6 are provided downward from the center of the concave portion 12 so as to sandwich the hollow portion 11 that also extends in the center. Note that the lightening portion 17 is provided to reduce the weight and facilitate the molding.

  Further, both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the tube body 2 are hollowed out in a cylindrical shape, and the liquid breakage sensor 1 can be fixed to an appropriate portion by using the hollowed portions 18 and 19. (See FIG. 6B).

  In addition, on the front and rear surfaces of the tubular body 2, a protrusion 21 for retaining is provided that engages with a recess 20 provided inside the cover 8.

  On the other hand, the base plate 7 attached to the upper surface of the tubular body 2 has two photosensors 3 and 4 as shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. Two LEDs 5 and 6 are mounted. In addition to the electrical wiring (not shown) connected to the liquid supply apparatus main body, a microcomputer chip 22 for operation control and a volume 23 for adjusting detection accuracy of the photosensors 3 and 4 are mounted.

  Each of the photosensors 3 and 4 has a configuration in which the light emitting portions 3a and 4a and the light receiving portions 3b and 4b are respectively provided, and the photosensors 3 and 4 are fitted in the concave portions 13 and 14 of the tube body 2. Thus, the optical path is arranged to penetrate the hollow portion 11 of the tube body 2. And light is projected from the said light emission parts 3a and 4a, the quantity of the light which passed through the inside of the hollow part 11 inside the light-transmissive tube 2, and was incident on the light-receiving part 3b and 4b side is read periodically. Therefore, it is detected whether there is liquid in the hollow portion 11 (pulse method).

  In addition, one of the LEDs 5 and 6 is turned on when the power is turned on and glows blue, and the other is when the combination pattern of the detection signals of the photosensors 3 and 4 indicates that the liquid has run out. It is lit in response to a warning signal emitted from the, and glows red. These lights are visually recognized from the lower surface of the tube body 2 through the bottom surfaces of the holes 15 and 16 (see FIG. 4B). When one of the LEDs 5 and 6 is lit red indicating that the liquid has run out, an audio alarm (not shown) provided in the liquid supply apparatus main body issues a warning at the same time.

  The operation of the photosensors 3 and 4 will be described in more detail. The photosensors 3 and 4 are set to repeat detection at a predetermined interval (for example, every 0.7 seconds) at the same time when the power is turned on. Has been. Then, when the state in which both of the photosensors 3 and 4 detect “no liquid” at the same time continues for a predetermined time (for example, about 1 second), a warning signal “running out of liquid” is output, and the LED 5 (or 6) is lit red, and an alarm is provided by an audio alarm provided in the liquid supply apparatus main body. In addition, even if one of the photosensors 3 (or 4) detects “Liquid” from the “no liquid” state, it does not immediately release the red light and alarm, but detects that “Liquid”. When it is confirmed that the state to be continued for a predetermined time (for example, about 4 seconds), it is determined that “the liquid has been replenished and the liquid has been removed”, and the LED 5 (or 6) is lit in red. The warning by voice alarm is released.

  With the above setting, one of the photosensors 3 (or 4) happens to detect bubbles in the liquid in the inner hollow portion 11 of the tube body 2 as “no liquid” even though the liquid supply is maintained. In this case, it is possible to eliminate a malfunction when the liquid reservoir that happens to be generated in the inner hollow portion 11 is detected as “with liquid” in spite of being out of liquid.

  The base plate 7 thus configured is attached to the tube body 2 as follows. That is, first, as shown in FIG. 1, the base plate 7 on which the photosensors 3 and 4 and the LEDs 5 and 6 are mounted is fitted into the concave portion 12 on the upper surface of the tube body 2, and the photosensors 3 and 4 are fitted. Is inserted into the recesses 13 and 14, and the LEDs 5 and 6 are inserted into the holes 15 and 16 (see FIG. 2). And by sealing the upper surface of the said base board 7 with resin, both can be attached integrally.

  Then, the cover 8 is put on the surface, and the “power supply” which is an explanation of the display lamps of the LEDs 5 and 6 as shown in FIG. By sticking the sticker 24 on which the characters “no liquid” are printed, the liquid shortage sensor 1 of the present invention can be obtained. Reference numeral 29 denotes a power cord.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the connection parts 9 and 10 of the tubular body 2, the upstream piping 25 and the downstream piping 26 of the liquid supply path of the obtained liquid shortage sensor 1 are connected to connectors 27 and 28, respectively. By connecting via a, it can be arranged as a part of the liquid supply path.

  As shown in FIG. 6 (b), the liquid breakage sensor 1 uses the cut-out portions 18 and 19 provided at both ends thereof, and inserts a resin band 30 or the like into this portion, thereby This can be fixed to a leg or a frame of the apparatus in the vicinity of the liquid supply path.

  The operation will be described in detail, taking as an example the case where the liquid shortage sensor 1 is applied to a cleaning liquid supply device 38 for a commercial automatic dishwasher as shown in FIG.

  The cleaning liquid supply device 38 includes a main body portion 40 and a pump portion 41, and engages a slit 42 provided on the back surface of the main body portion 40 with a hook metal fitting 43 fixed at a predetermined position. It is designed to be detachably attached in the vicinity of an automatic dishwasher (not shown).

  The pump portion 41 of the cleaning liquid supply device 38 incorporates a pump tube held in a U-shape and a rotating arm that rotates while pressing the arc portion of the pump tube. When the rotary arm is rotated by the above, the concentrated cleaning agent is sucked into the pump unit 41 from the concentrated cleaning agent tank 50 provided below via the concentrated cleaning agent suction pipe 44. Then, the sucked-up concentrated cleaning agent is sent out to the opposite side of the concentrated cleaning agent supply pipe 45 side, and is introduced into a cleaning tank which is a concentrated cleaning agent supply unit of a commercial automatic dishwashing machine. Yes.

  Therefore, according to this cleaning liquid supply device 38, if a constant operation control is given to the motor in the main body 40 in advance, the cleaning process and the rinsing process of the commercial automatic dishwasher proceed. , The concentrated cleaning agent can be supplied into the concentrated cleaning agent supply pipe 45 little by little intermittently at a predetermined timing.

  The liquid shortage sensor 1 is connected in the middle of the concentrated cleaning agent suction pipe 44 of the cleaning liquid supply device 38, and its power on / off is interlocked with that of the power supply of the cleaning liquid supply device 38. Yes. Then, while the cleaning liquid supply device 38 is operating, it is detected whether or not the supply of the concentrated cleaning agent from the concentrated cleaning agent tank 50 will run out of liquid. The concentrated cleaning agent tank 50 can be immediately replaced by announcing a red lamp display (hereinafter simply referred to as “LED”) by lighting the LED 5 (or 6).

  Hereinafter, the operation of the liquid shortage sensor 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In these figures, the units of the numbers shown on the horizontal axis of the charts are all “seconds”, which means the time (seconds) in the rinsing process of the business automatic dishwasher. In addition, “LED” on the chart indicates only a red LED.

  First, when the power is turned on, both the photosensors 3 and 4 are set to be in a state indicating “liquid”, and both the alarm and the LED are turned off.

  Then, as shown in the upper chart of FIG. 8, the photosensors 3 and 4 detect the tube 2 every 0.7 seconds when both detect “there is liquid” at the time of the first detection. While the inner hollow portion 11 of the sensor detects whether there is “liquid” or “no liquid” and both continue to detect “liquid”, the alarm and the warning signal for turning on the LED are not issued.

  If one photosensor (4 in this example) detects “no liquid” but the other is “liquid present”, the detection of “no liquid” is detected in the liquid (concentrated cleaning agent). It has been ignored as a bubble. On the other hand, as shown in the lower chart of FIG. 8, the conventional liquid shortage sensor (the liquid shortage sensor of the above-mentioned Patent Document 3 is the same hereinafter) detects “no liquid” by bubbles in the liquid, Immediately the alarm and LED will turn on and give an incorrect instruction.

  Next, as shown in the upper chart of FIG. 9, when the photosensors 3 and 4 both detect “no liquid” from the “liquid present” state, as indicated by an arrow P, the detection is performed from that point. When the interval is shortened to 0.25 seconds and “no liquid” is detected four times in succession, that is, when the “no liquid” state continues for 1 second, a warning signal is output, the alarm and LED are turned on, and the liquid runs out. Will be announced. From this state, even if one of the photosensors (4 in this example) detects “with liquid”, if the other is “without liquid”, the above “with liquid” does not last for more than 4 seconds. The detection interval extends to 0.7 seconds from the time when one of the photosensors detects “liquid”, and the detection continues for 6 times (0.7 seconds × 6 = 4.2 seconds). Otherwise, the detection of “with liquid” is disregarded as a liquid reservoir that is hollow. This is because it has been empirically known that most of the liquid pool moves downward through the liquid flow path until reaching 4 seconds. On the other hand, as shown in the lower chart of FIG. 9, the conventional liquid shortage sensor immediately turns off the alarm and LED when it detects “Liquid” due to the liquid pool, and gives an incorrect instruction. become.

  Also, as shown in the upper chart of FIG. 10, when both detect “no liquid” at the time of the first detection, the detection is performed every 0.25 seconds, and this “no liquid” state If one of the photosensors (3 in this example) detects “liquid”, the detection interval extends to 0.7 seconds, and the other detects “no liquid”, If “with liquid” does not last for more than 4 seconds, the detection of “with liquid” will be ignored as a liquid pool is formed despite being hollow, and the alarm and LED will be turned off by mistake. Never become.

  Furthermore, as shown in the upper chart of FIG. 11, when at least one (only the photo sensor 4 in this example) detects “with liquid” for 4 seconds or more from the “no liquid” state, as indicated by an arrow Q. At that time, it is determined that the liquid has run out, and the alarm and the LED are immediately turned off. As shown in FIG. 11, the fact that one of the photosensors 3 remains “no liquid” is ignored as detecting a bubble in the liquid. This is because even if the liquid flows, the bubbles are likely to stay in that position. On the other hand, as shown in the lower chart of FIG. 11, the conventional liquid shortage sensor provides an alarm if it continues to detect “no liquid” due to bubbles in the liquid, even though the liquid shortage has actually been eliminated. The LED will not turn off and will continue to give incorrect instructions.

  Thus, in the cleaning liquid supply device 38, if the concentrated cleaning agent tank 50 that is a supply source of the concentrated cleaning agent is emptied and the concentrated cleaning agent is not introduced into the liquid shorting sensor 1, the liquid shorting sensor 1 When the liquid is out, a voice alarm is given and the LED 5 (or 6) is lit red. Therefore, the operator stops the apparatus, replenishes the cleaning agent immediately, and then operates the apparatus again. In this way, the cleaning agent can be reliably supplied. Further, when there is a margin in timing, the concentrated cleaning agent tank 50 can be replaced with a new one or the tank 50 can be replenished without stopping the apparatus.

  In the dry finishing agent supply apparatus having the same basic configuration as that of the above apparatus and having a small pipe diameter for supplying a small amount of the drying finish agent, the female threads of the connection portions 9 and 10 of the liquid shortage sensor 1 are used. As long as the mating connector is used, it is not necessary to prepare liquid breakage sensors with different dimensions, and the liquid breakage sensor 1 can be used as it is, which is economical.

  As described above, according to the liquid shortage sensor 1, the light emitting units 3a and 4a and the light receiving units 3b and 4b of the photosensors 3 and 4 do not directly contact the liquid. Compared with conventional products, the detection part does not corrode or wear, and can be used well over a long period of time. Further, since the detection accuracy does not depend on the type of liquid to be detected, it is not necessary to make fine adjustments or the like as compared with other conventional liquid shortage sensors and can be easily installed.

  Moreover, since the connection parts 9 and 10 for connecting with the piping which comprises a liquid supply path are each formed in the both ends of the said liquid shortage sensor 1, an appropriate connector etc. are connected to this connection parts 9 and 10 Can be easily connected regardless of the diameter of the piping tube constituting the liquid supply path, and the practical effect is high.

  Moreover, the liquid shortage sensor has a configuration in which a plurality of photosensors 3 and 4 are combined, and the output / stop of the warning signal is controlled by the combination pattern of the detection signals output from the photosensors 3 and 4. Therefore, not only the whole is easy to mount and has a compact shape, but there is almost no malfunction, and detection with very high accuracy can be performed.

Therefore, the liquid shortage sensor 1 detects the liquid shortage in the liquid supply path in which bubbles are accumulated in the middle of the liquid supply path or the liquid is easily supplied despite the liquid shortage. It is suitable to use for. A liquid supply apparatus having such a liquid supply path includes a liquid feeding means for sucking liquid from one end side and discharging it to the other end side, and one end side connected to a liquid supply source and the other end side of the liquid feeding means. A liquid supply apparatus comprising a liquid suction pipe connected to the suction side and a liquid discharge pipe having one end connected to the discharge side of the liquid feeding means and the other end connected to the predetermined part, for example, various cleaning methods Various liquid supply devices used in the law are mentioned, and it is particularly preferable to apply to a cleaning liquid supply device attached to a commercial automatic dishwasher. Then, continuously instead of automatic dishwashing machine conveyor type of business that cleaning liquid is supplied, intermittently door type and food type supply of the cleaning liquid is carried out, the best in the business for automatic dishwashing machine such as under counter type Used for.

  In the liquid breakage sensor 1, the material of the tube 2 is translucent to transparent so that the light projected from the light projecting parts 3a and 4a of the photosensors 3 and 4 sufficiently reaches the light receiving parts 3b and 4b. It is preferable that the haze value (%) determined by JIS K 7136: 2000 “How to determine haze value of plastic transparent material” (ISO14782: 1999) is 40 or less. And it is high strength and excellent in chemical resistance, and it is preferable that it is easy to shape | mold from a manufacturing standpoint, and it is preferable that a dimensional accuracy is high. Therefore, as the material of the tubular body 2, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, polyamide resin, polyacetal resin, polycarbonate resin, polyphenylene ether resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene resin, polysulfone resin, polyethersulfone resin, Examples thereof include polyphenylene sulfide resin, polyarate resin, polyamideimide resin, polyetherimide resin, polyetheretherketone resin, polyimide resin, polytetrafluoroethylene resin, and copolyester resin. Among these, those satisfying the above conditions are appropriately selected. Among them, it is preferable to use polypropylene resin from the viewpoint of strength, chemical resistance, light transmittance, moldability, and durability. At this time, the haze value (%) of the polypropylene resin is preferably set to 10 to 40, and particularly preferably set to around 28%.

  Moreover, in the said tubular body 2, the shape of the connection parts 9 and 10 is not restricted to said example, If it is a structure which is easy to connect with liquid supply piping, it may be what kind of shape. For example, if a connector in which a female screw is formed is used, the connecting portions 9 and 10 may have a shape protruding from both end faces of the tube body 2 as a male screw.

  And the whole shape of the said tubular body 2 does not need to be a rectangular parallelepiped shape like said example, For example, you may make it an external appearance become a column shape or a hexagonal column shape. Further, only the both end connecting portions may be formed in a columnar shape, and the central portion may be formed in a prismatic shape.

Further, in the tube 2, pipe diameter inner diameter of the inner hollow portion 11, the flow rate and kind of liquid when the liquid is supplied, depending on the viscosity and the like, for connecting to the inner diameter and the pipe body 2 of the tubular body 2 It is preferable to reduce the difference. In particular, when supplying chemical liquids for automatic dishwashers (tablet cleaners, dishwasher drying finishes), it is necessary to set the inner hollow portion 11 to an inner diameter of 1 to 4 mm. In particular, it is preferable to set to 2 to 3 mm. That is, if the inner diameter is smaller than 1 mm, the liquid for an automatic dishwasher having a high specific gravity can cause a liquid pool even when the liquid runs out, and it is difficult to distinguish the clear liquid running. On the other hand, if the inner diameter is larger than 4 mm, the detection accuracy of the liquid breakage may be reduced with respect to a chemical solution that requires a small amount of supply such as a dry finish for an automatic dishwasher.

  The photosensors 3 and 4 attached to the tube body 2 are not limited to the above example, and any configuration is possible as long as the presence or absence of liquid passing through the inner hollow portion 11 can be detected. There is no problem. For example, in the above example, a transmissive type is used, but a reflective type may be used. And according to the shape of a photosensor, the attachment structure to the pipe body 2 side can be designed suitably. In the above example, the recesses 13 and 14 are formed and the photosensors 3 and 4 are inserted therein and sealed with resin. However, the shape of the recess is not particularly limited. If the light transmittance of the tube body 2 is high and the detection performance is ensured, the photosensors 3 and 4 may be attached to the surface of the tube body 2 as they are.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the mounting intervals of the photosensors 3 and 4 be kept constant so that liquid pools and air bubbles are not formed across both detection portions. The distance between the detection centers (the distance from the detection center of the photosensor 3 aligned in the axial direction of the tube 2 to the detection center of the photosensor 4) is the diameter of the inner hollow portion 11 in the tube 2 and the detection target. the viscosity of the liquid, depending on the flow rate of the liquid, caliber. 1 to 4 mm above Symbol inner hollow portion 11, a viscosity at 25 ° C. liquid 0.1~500mPa · s, the liquid flow rate 0.1 When 600 ml / min, it is necessary to set to 10-50 mm. If it is closer than 10 mm, there is a possibility that malfunctions cannot be effectively eliminated. On the other hand, if the distance is more than 50 mm, the overall shape is not compact, which is not preferable.

  The number of photosensors 3 and 4 is two in the above example, but may be three or more. The larger the number, the higher the detection accuracy, but the inferior compactness and ease of handling. Therefore, considering the balance, it is preferable to use two or three.

  In the above example, the signal blinking LEDs 5, 6, etc. are directly attached to the tube body 2 via the base plate 7, but these are not the tube body 2 but the liquid supply device main body or the liquid supply device. You may make it attach to the place which is easy to catch an alarm visually or auditorily, such as a previous device main part (for example, a dishwasher main part). Conversely, in the above example, a sound alarm provided in the liquid supply device main body may be attached to the base plate 7 so that the liquid shortage sensor 1 itself has an alarm function.

In addition, as a warning means, you may use what said things, such as the said sound alarm, LED5, 6 outside, a buzzer, a patrol light (trademark) , an electric light indicator.

In addition, in the liquid shortage sensor 1, the detection timings of the photosensors 3 and 4 must be at a predetermined interval and at the same time. However, the interval of the detection cycle, the alarm and the on / off control timing for the LED are not limited to the above example, the physical properties and flow rate of the detection target (intermittently supplied liquid), the operation cycle of the liquid supply device, It can be set appropriately according to the time (seconds) of the rinsing process of the commercial automatic dishwasher.

  Further, when the liquid shortage sensor 1 is attached to the cleaning liquid supply device 38 (see FIG. 7), the attachment position may be a further downstream side even if it is attached to the liquid supply source of the liquid supply path, that is, the concentrated cleaning agent tank 50 side. Although it may be attached in the vicinity of the cleaning liquid supply device 38, the closer to the liquid supply source, the higher the accuracy of detecting the remaining amount of liquid. Further, by attaching the liquid shortage sensor 1 in the middle of the concentrated cleaning agent supply pipe 45, it is possible to accurately detect whether or not the concentrated cleaning agent is supplied to a dishwasher (not shown). Can do.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12, the liquid shortage sensor of the present invention may be directly attached to a lid 51 that is attached to the mouth of a liquid container 50 ′ that is a liquid supply source. In this case, it is preferable to wear a normal lid when transporting and storing the liquid container 50 ′ and to replace it with a special lid 51 to which the liquid shortage sensor 1 ′ is attached at the time of use. is there.

  In the example shown in FIG. 12, the liquid shortage sensor 1 ′ is shown in FIGS. 13A to 13C and FIGS. 14A and 13C as viewed in the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 14 (b) which is an AA ′ sectional view, FIG. 14 (c) which is a BB ′ sectional view of FIG. 13 (c), and a CC ′ sectional view of FIG. 13 (c). (D) It is preferable to use the thing of the shape as shown in FIG.14 (e) which is DD 'sectional drawing of FIG.13 (c).

  That is, the basic configuration of the liquid shortage sensor 1 ′ is the same as that of the liquid shortage sensor 1 shown in FIG. 1, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted. ), A flange portion 52 and a projecting cylinder portion 53 for engaging with the lid body 51 are extended on one end side of the tube body 2 to which the photosensors 3 and 4 are attached. The cut-out portions 18 and 19 as in the liquid breakage sensor 1 are not formed. A threaded portion 54 is formed at the tip of the projecting cylindrical portion 53, and a liquid sucking pipe 70 and a pipe body provided in the liquid container 50 'are disposed inside the threaded portion 54 as shown in FIG. 13 (b). A communication portion 55 for communicating with the two inner hollow portions 11 is formed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13B, a connecting portion 9 formed of a PT1 / 8 inch female screw for connecting to the liquid supply path is formed on the other end surface of the tube body 2 as shown in FIG. 13B. However, as shown in FIG. 14 (d), the periphery 9a is formed in a hexagonal column shape in consideration of easy connection with the pipe joint. Reference numeral 60 denotes a guide for pulling upward the power cord 29 extending from the base plate 7 (see FIGS. 1 and 8) attached in the recess 12.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 13 (c) and 14 (b), (c), the tubular body 2 is shaped for each part so as to be as thin as possible within a range that does not hinder the mounting of the photosensors 3 and 4. Notches 61 and 62 having different sizes are formed. Further, as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14E, the base portion of the flange portion 52 is also provided with a cross-shaped rib 63 to achieve thinning. These devices take into consideration the ease of forming the tubular body 2, ensuring the strength, reducing the weight, assembling workability, and the like.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15 (b), the lid 51 to which the liquid shortage sensor 1 'is attached has an opening 65 having a size through which the protruding cylindrical portion 53 of the liquid shortage sensor 1' can be inserted. Is formed. FIG. 15A is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 15C is a bottom view thereof. Reference numeral 66 denotes a female screw provided for mating with a male screw part provided at the mouth of the liquid container 50 ′, and reference numeral 67 denotes a rib provided inside the lid 51.

  The attachment of the liquid shortage sensor 1 'to the lid 51 is performed as follows. That is, first, as shown in FIG. 16, the protruding cylinder portion 53 of the liquid shortage sensor 1 ′ is inserted into the opening 65 of the lid body 51, and the lower surface of the flange portion 52 is locked to the upper surface of the lid body 51. Then, a liquid suction hose 71 is inserted into the flanged nut 70, and the upper end of the hose 71 is fitted to the sleeve 72 to prevent it from coming off. Then, the flanged nut 70 is connected to the protruding cylinder of the liquid shortage sensor 1 '. The hose 71 is fastened and fixed by engaging with the screw portion 54 of the portion 53. At this time, the lid body 51 and the flange portion 52 are not completely fixed, and the lid body 51 rotates freely. Therefore, when the liquid is refilled, the lid body 51 is removed from the mouth of the liquid container 50 '. It can be easily removed and workability is good.

  Next, one screw part 73a of the connector 73 is joined and connected to the upper end connection part 9 of the liquid shortage sensor 1 '. Further, a tube 75 serving as a liquid supply pipe is inserted into the nut 74, and a lower end portion of the tube 75 is fitted with a sleeve 76 to prevent the tube 75 from coming off. Then, the nut 74 is fixed by being mated with the other screw portion 73b of the connector 73 connected to the liquid shortage sensor 1 '.

  In this way, as shown in FIG. 12, the liquid outage sensor 1 'can be directly attached to the lid 51 of the liquid container 50'. According to this aspect, the liquid band sensor 1 ′ does not hang as in the case where it is connected in the middle of the flexible tube 75 that is the liquid supply pipe, and the resin band as shown in FIG. Fixing with 30 etc. becomes unnecessary. And since it can arrange | position stably to the cover body 51, the malfunctioning by the bubble in a chemical | medical solution can be reduced, and it can be used favorably over a long period of time. Further, it has an advantage that it fits in a vacant space above the liquid container 50 'and does not disturb the work environment. Furthermore, the liquid shortage sensor 1 'does not fluctuate or come into contact with other things.

  As described above, when the liquid shortage sensor 1 ′ is attached to the liquid container 50 ′, the liquid shortage sensor 1 ′ is disposed at a relatively low position, and water or other liquid may be splashed. In order to protect the liquid shortage sensor 1 ′, it is preferable to prepare a cylindrical cover 77 as shown in FIG. 16 and connect it after covering the outer periphery of the liquid shortage sensor 1 ′. The cover 77 is preferably made of a flexible and stretchable material (for example, a rubber sheet, a urethane sheet, etc.) that is easy to follow along the outer periphery of the liquid running out sensor 1 'having unevenness. Further, it is particularly preferable to use a cover 77 colored black in order to block the influence of light from the outside as much as possible. And when providing the cover 77, it is desirable to attach an audio | voice alarm, LED, etc. in a site | part different from the pipe body 2. FIG.

  In the above example, in order to connect the connection portion 9 of the liquid shortage sensor 1 ′ and the tube 75 for the liquid supply piping extending upward, the first screw portion 73 a and the second screw portion 73 a in the 180 ° direction. Although the connector 73 having the threaded portion 73b is used, an elbow type connector in which the first threaded portion and the second threaded portion are formed in the 90 ° direction may be used depending on the arrangement of the liquid shortage sensor 1 ′. But it doesn't matter.

  Furthermore, in the above example, the lid 51 to which the liquid shortage sensor 1 'is attached is attached to the mouth portion of the liquid container 50' by screw connection, but what is the type of the lid 51? It can be anything. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, in the one-touch type lid 81 configured so that the annular rib 82 provided on the inner side of the lid 81 is fitted to the mouth of the liquid container 50 ′ and crowned. By simply forming the opening 65 'for attaching the liquid shortage sensor 1' at the center, the liquid shortage sensor 1 'can be easily attached in the same manner as in the above example.

In addition, the liquid supply apparatus to which the liquid shortage sensor 1, 1 ', etc. of the present invention is applied is not particularly limited as long as it is for a commercial automatic dishwasher. It is permissible even in any configuration is not the name.

It is explanatory drawing of one Example of this invention. It is a top view of the tubular body used for the said Example. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. 2. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. 2, FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC ′ of FIG. 2, and FIG. (A) is explanatory drawing of a structure of the base plate attached to the said tubular body, (b) is the figure which looked up at it from the bottom. (A) is a perspective view of one form of the said liquid shortage sensor, (b) is explanatory drawing of the attachment form of the said liquid shortage sensor. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which incorporated the said liquid shortage sensor in the washing | cleaning liquid supply apparatus. It is a chart explaining operation | movement of the liquid shortage sensor in the said Example compared with operation | movement of a conventional product. It is a chart explaining operation | movement of the liquid shortage sensor in the said Example compared with operation | movement of a conventional product. It is a chart explaining operation | movement of the liquid shortage sensor in the said Example compared with operation | movement of a conventional product. It is a chart explaining operation | movement of the liquid shortage sensor in the said Example compared with operation | movement of a conventional product. It is explanatory drawing of the other Example of this invention. (A), (b), (c) is explanatory drawing of the liquid shortage sensor used for said other Example. 13A is a cross-sectional view taken along an arrow X in FIG. 13A, FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA ′ in FIG. 13C, FIG. 13C is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB ′ in FIG. FIG. 13D is a sectional view taken along the line CC ′ of FIG. 13C, and FIG. 13E is a sectional view taken along the line DD ′ of FIG. (A) is a top view of the cover body used for the said other Example, (b) is the sectional drawing, (c) is the bottom view. It is explanatory drawing of the attachment method of a liquid shortage sensor and a cover body in the said other Example. It is explanatory drawing of the other cover body which can be used in the said other Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Liquid shortage sensor 2 Tubing body 3, 4 Photo sensor 9 Connection part 25 Upstream side piping 26 Downstream side piping

Claims (6)

Liquid runout that is installed to form part of the liquid supply path in the middle of the liquid supply path that is set to intermittently supply the liquid consisting of cleaning agent or dry finish to the automatic dishwasher for business use A sensor, wherein one end opening is formed in a connection portion capable of communicating with the upstream side piping of the liquid supply path, and the other end opening portion is formed in a connection portion capable of communicating with the downstream side piping of the liquid supply path; consists inner hollow portion communicating the both end connecting portions and light transmitting tube body made formed in the liquid passage, the plurality of photosensors mounted at predetermined intervals along the axial direction of the tube, the tube Viscosity at 25 ° C. of liquid to be detected (JIS Z 8803: 1991, viscosity of liquid—measurement method, 8. “viscosity measurement method with a single circular rotational viscometer”) based on) 0.1 to 500 mPa · s, the flow rate of the liquid is 0.1 to 600 ml / min, and the distance between the detection centers of the photosensors arranged in the axial direction of the tube is set to 10 to 50 mm. The photosensors are set so as to simultaneously detect the presence / absence of liquid passing through the hollow portion in the tubular body at a predetermined interval, and combinations of detection signals of the photosensors, patterns, and detection times Automatic dishwashing for business use characterized in that the output and stop of the warning signal notifying that the liquid has run out is controlled at least as shown in the following (a) and (b) Liquid running out sensor for machine.
(A) When all photosensors detect “liquid”, some photosensors detect “no liquid” and other photosensors maintain “liquid” detection The above “no liquid” detection is determined to be due to bubbles, and no warning signal is output.
(B) When all the photosensors detect “no liquid”, output a warning signal when the detection is repeated a predetermined number of times, and then at least one sensor detects “liquid present” Unless the detection of “with liquid” is repeated continuously for a predetermined number of times or more, the warning signal output is maintained without determining that the liquid has run out, and the detection of “with liquid” continues for a predetermined number of times or more. When repeated, it is determined that the liquid has run out and the warning signal output is stopped.   2. The automatic dishwasher for a commercial automatic dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein each of the photosensors is a transmissive photosensor, and the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are embedded so as to sandwich an inner hollow portion of the tubular body. Sensor. Liquid attached to a lid of a liquid filling container prepared as a liquid supply source for intermittently supplying a liquid made of a cleaning agent or a dry finish to a commercial automatic dishwasher, and extending from the liquid supply source A liquid shortage sensor constituting a part of the supply path, wherein one end opening engages with an opening formed in the lid of the liquid-filled container and a liquid suction pipe for sucking up the liquid in the container The other end opening is formed in a connection portion that can communicate with the downstream pipe of the liquid supply path, and the inner hollow portion that communicates the both end connection portions is formed in the liquid passage. A light-transmitting tubular body and a plurality of photosensors attached at predetermined intervals along the axial direction of the tubular body, the diameter of the inner hollow portion of the tubular body being 1 to 4 mm, and a liquid to be detected At 25 ° C Viscosity (based on JIS Z 8803: 1991, liquid viscosity-measurement method, 8. “viscosity measurement method using a single circular rotational viscometer”) is 0.1 to 500 mPa · s, and the flow rate of the liquid is 0.1 The distance between the detection centers of the photosensors arranged in the axial direction of the tubular body is set to 10 to 50 mm, and the photosensors pass through the hollow portion in the tubular body. It is set to detect the presence / absence of liquid at a predetermined interval and at the same timing, and by outputting a combination pattern of detection signals of each photo sensor and the number of detection times, an output of a warning signal notifying that liquid has run out The suspension is controlled at least as shown in (a) and (b) of claim 1, and is a liquid for a commercial automatic dishwasher Cutting sensor. 4. The commercial automatic dishwasher drain according to claim 3 , wherein each of the photosensors is a transmissive photosensor, and the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are embedded so as to sandwich the inner hollow portion of the tubular body. Sensor. A liquid supply device for intermittently supplying a liquid made of a cleaning agent or a drying finish to a commercial automatic dishwashing machine, and sucking liquid from one end side and discharging it to the other end side And a liquid suction pipe having one end connected to the liquid supply source and the other end connected to the suction side of the liquid delivery means, and one end connected to the discharge side of the liquid delivery means and the other end connected to the predetermined part. A liquid discharge pipe that is arranged in the middle of the liquid suction passage from the liquid supply source to the suction side of the liquid feed means via the liquid suction pipe or from the discharge side of the liquid feed means via the liquid discharge pipe. The liquid shortage sensor according to claim 1 or 2 is attached in the middle of the liquid discharge flow path leading to the part, and a predetermined alarm means is operated in accordance with a warning signal output from the liquid shortage sensor. Is set to Preparative liquid supply device for an automatic dishwashing operations, characterized in. A liquid supply device for intermittently supplying a liquid made of a cleaning agent or a drying finish to a commercial automatic dishwashing machine, and sucking liquid from one end side and discharging it to the other end side A liquid suction pipe having one end connected to a liquid filling container prepared as a liquid supply source and the other end connected to the suction side of the liquid feeding means, and one end connected to the discharge side of the liquid feeding means A liquid discharge pipe connected to the predetermined part on the side, and the liquid shortage sensor according to claim 3 or 4 is attached to the lid of the liquid filling container, and is output from the liquid shortage sensor. A liquid supply device for a commercial automatic dishwasher, wherein predetermined alarm means is set to operate according to a warning signal.

Images