JP5625017B2 - Water server - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a water server configured to supply drinking water from a water bag.

  In recent years, water servers that are installed in offices, homes, and the like that supply drinking water have become widespread using water bags made of resin film. In the case of using conventional bottles containing drinking water, space and cost are required to store and collect used bottles, but those using water bags do not need them. Is advantageous.

  In a water server using a water bag, generally, a needle tube having a sharp tip is inserted into the water bag and the drinking water in the water bag is taken out through the needle tube. The needle pipe is a water pipe having a hole in the side surface or the like, and its tip is directed to a water bag installation location in the water server. By piercing this into the resin film of the installed water bag, the drinking water in the water bag is passed through the needle tube and sent to the cooling tank or heating tank in the server, and further out from each tank through the water supply cock. That is why.

  A water server using a water bag made of a resin film is described in, for example, Patent Document 1 below.

JP 2011-44646 A

  In the above-described water server using a water bag, it is important to smoothly insert a needle tube into a resin film water bag. For that purpose, it is indispensable that the tip of the needle tube is sharp. However, since it is necessary to prevent tearing during transportation and the like, the resin film is provided with a considerable thickness and strength. Therefore, it is often impossible to insert the needle tube sufficiently smoothly only with a sharp tip.

  For example, when the resin film of the water bag is likely to be displaced so as to escape from the needle tube in the vicinity where the tip of the needle tube contacts, the needle tube is less likely to pierce the water bag. For example, when tension is not maintained on the resin film in the vicinity, the needle tube is not easily stuck because the resin film easily escapes. Even when a large frictional force is generated between the side surface of the needle tube and the resin film, it is difficult to insert the needle tube to a predetermined position (depth) based on the resistance based on the friction. By devising the composition etc., it is possible to give the resin film a characteristic that is easy to slip with respect to the needle tube, but in that case, the resin film tends to have a peculiar odor, and the odor may be transferred to drinking water. There are so many that it is not an appropriate solution.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a water server using a water bag made of a resin film, in which a needle tube can be smoothly inserted into the water bag.

The water server of the present invention is
-A water pipe made of resin film (bag filled with drinking water) has a recess, and a needle tube with a sharp tip is protruded from the wall surface (circumferential wall surface or bottom surface) that forms the recess. By piercing the bag, the drinking water in the water bag is taken out through the needle tube,
-The wall surface which forms the said recessed part is a curved surface convex toward the inner side of a recessed part in the part which the said needle tube protrudes.
The water server of the present invention has a configuration as shown in FIG. 1, for example, and has a recess 10 for attaching a water bag X inside a removable upper cover 3, and part of a wall surface forming the recess 10. The needle tube (reference numeral 20 in FIG. 2) protrudes from. In the portion where the needle tube 20 protrudes, the wall surface in the vicinity (that is, the periphery of the portion where the needle tube 20 protrudes) is a curved surface 11f that protrudes inward of the recess 10.
According to the test by the inventors, if the wall surface of the recess is flat in the portion where the needle tube protrudes, the needle tube is not always easily stuck into the resin film. When the water bag is installed in the recess, if the resin film is flat along the wall surface, the resin film is displaced while being recessed toward the inside of the water bag even if the needle tube is brought into contact with the portion. This is because that portion of the resin film escapes from the needle tube. Even if the wall surface of the recess is convex outward (toward the outer side of the water bag) in the portion where the needle tube protrudes, the resin film is displaced inward in the same way when the needle tube is brought into contact with that portion. In order to escape from the needle tube, the needle tube is also difficult to pierce.
According to the present invention, when the wall surface of the recess is a curved surface that protrudes inward in the portion where the needle tube protrudes, the resin film along that portion is more inward when the needle tube contacts the outside. Therefore, it is considered that the needle tube hardly escapes from the needle tube, and therefore the needle tube is easily pierced.

The water server of the invention
-The peripheral wall surface that forms the recess is shorter than the rear side on the front side and the left and right sides of the server body,
-A holder for holding a part of the water bag higher than the other part is provided on the upper part of the peripheral wall on the rear side,
-It is particularly preferable if the needle tube is provided so as to protrude from the front peripheral wall surface (toward the concave portion). The water server shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is an example of such a configuration, and the rear peripheral wall surface 11a is formed to be higher than the other side, and a part of the water bag X is raised above the upper part. A holding tool 13 for holding is provided.
The water server having the above-described features has the following advantages.
-On the front side and the left and right sides of the server body, the peripheral wall surface of the recess is lower than the rear side, so it is easy to replace the water bag. For the same reason, it is easy to check the remaining amount of drinking water by looking at the water bag.
・ There is the above-mentioned retainer above the raised rear peripheral wall surface, so that a part of the water bag is held at a higher position, and the needle tube protrudes from the lower front peripheral wall surface. Therefore, it is advantageous in taking out the drinking water in the water bag to a state where the remaining amount is small. The effect is based on the feature that a water bag is attached so that a height difference can be made, and a needle tube is inserted into a lowered part of the water bag to take out drinking water.

An auxiliary plate (a plate for preventing the water bag from overhanging and getting on the upper end portion) having a surface following the front peripheral wall surface may be attached to the upper end portion of the front peripheral wall surface. The auxiliary plate 14 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is an example of the auxiliary plate referred to here.
In order to facilitate the replacement work of the water bag, it is advantageous that the peripheral walls on the front side and the left and right sides are low. However, when the front peripheral wall is low, when there is a lot of drinking water in the water bag, a part of the water bag may get on the upper end of the front peripheral wall surface. In such a case, since the resin film cannot be sufficiently stretched in the vicinity of the front peripheral wall surface, the needle tube is often unable to smoothly pierce the resin film.
In that respect, when the auxiliary plate is provided as described above, a part of the water bag is prevented from riding on the front peripheral wall surface, and the needle tube is always inserted smoothly. In addition, since the entire front peripheral wall is not raised, there is no problem in the water bag replacement operation.

As for the needle tube, it is more preferable that the surface near the tip is rougher than the surface of the base (that is, the portion close to the side supported by the server body). Here, “the surface is roughened” includes a case where regular irregularities (for example, streaky irregularities extending along the length of the needle tube) are formed on the surface. FIG. 3 shows a needle tube 20 as an example in which the surface near the tip is roughened.
Regarding the needle tube that pierces the resin film of the water bag, in addition to having a sharp point at the tip, it is likely that the surface near the tip is smooth (no irregularities) is likely to pierce the resin film. However, according to the inventor's test, when it is too smooth, the resistance when piercing is rather large. On the contrary, as described above, when the surface in the vicinity of the tip is roughened, the contact area with the resin film becomes small, so that the film can be smoothly pierced.
In order to roughen the surface, the surface may be rubbed with sandpaper (having a count # 200 to # 1000) or the surface may be sandblasted. However, it is not preferable that the water in the water bag is noticeably leaked while the surface of the needle tube is too rough and pierces the resin film (for example, in the state shown in FIG. 3B).

The needle tube has an outer diameter that gradually increases from the tip and has a constant outer diameter near the base. The roughened surface is near the tip and gradually increases in outer diameter. It is particularly preferable if the surface of the portion having a constant outer diameter is smoother than the vicinity of the tip (the unevenness is fine). The needle tube 20 illustrated in FIG. 3 is also configured as such.
When inserting the needle tube into the water bag, make a hole in the resin film with a pointed tip, widen the hole at the part where the outer diameter gradually increases, and then apply it to the part with a constant outer diameter near the base. It is desirable to insert the needle tube until the resin film is in contact with the resin film and to keep it there. In a state where the resin film is in contact with a portion having a constant outer diameter, the resin film around the hole is in close contact with the needle tube, and water leakage is effectively prevented.
While inserting the needle tube into the water bag, it is desirable that the resistance (frictional force) is small. However, when the insertion is finished, the contact area between the needle tube and the resin film is large and water leakage is unlikely to occur. is important. If the surface is roughened near the tip as described above and the surface is smoother at a constant outer diameter, such a requirement is satisfied, the needle tube can be inserted smoothly, and water leakage after insertion is ensured. Will be prevented.

According to the present invention, in a water server that uses a water bag made of a resin film, the needle tube can be inserted into the water bag very smoothly.
It is possible to facilitate replacement of the water bag, and to reduce the remaining amount of drinking water in the water bag at the time of replacement.

It is drawing regarding an example of the water server by invention. 1A is a perspective view showing the entire water server 1, FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing an upper portion of the water server 1 with the cover 3 removed, and FIG. 1C is an external view of the water bag X to be used. FIG. It is a top view which shows the recessed part 10 of the state which removed the cover among the water servers of FIG. FIG. 3A is a plan view showing the needle tube 20 in the water server of FIGS. 1 and 2, and FIG. 3B is a plan view showing a use state of the needle tube 20.

An example relating to the implementation of the invention is shown in FIGS.
The water server 1 in FIG. 1 is a device having a box-shaped outer shape as shown in FIG. A water bag X made of a resin film shown in FIG. 1 (c) is attached to the upper part, and the drinking water in the water bag X is held in an internal container and heated and cooled so that the user can arbitrarily take it out at any time. It is a thing. When the drinking water in the water bag X runs out, a new water bag X is replaced and used.
Inside the casing 2 made of plastic, metal plate or the like, there are a pipe (not shown) for passing drinking water in the water bag X, a heating tank (same), and a cooling tank (same), A hot water cock 4A and a cold water cock 4B are connected. In addition, the code | symbol 3 in a figure is a detachable upper cover.

The water bag X is made of a resin film such as polyethylene and is made into a bag shape by heat-sealing its upper and lower edges and side portions and filled with drinking water. The filling amount per bag is about several liters to 10 liters. Two holes Xa for attachment are formed in one edge portion heat-sealed.
As the resin film, the film odor is prevented from being transferred to the drinking water inside, the bag has sufficient mechanical strength, and the needle tube is not torn when piercing a needle tube 20 (see FIG. 2) described later. Since it is necessary to have a ductility that clings to the surface of 20, it is often a laminate of a plurality of films. For example, there is a film in which a film such as nylon or polyester is laminated together with the polyethylene.

  In the water server 1, the water bag X as described above is attached to the upper concave portion 10 shown in FIG. The recess is formed by the peripheral wall surfaces 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d and the bottom surface 12 on the rear side, the left and right sides, and the front side. Among the above-mentioned peripheral wall surfaces, the rear peripheral wall surface 11a extends from the bottom surface 12 to a high position (around 20 cm), while the front peripheral wall surface 11d is short (about 10 cm or less from the bottom surface). The peripheral wall surfaces 11b and 11c on the left and right sides are shaped so that they are short at the front and tall at the rear, and connect the peripheral wall surfaces 11a and 11d on the rear side and the front side.

  And two protrusions 13 are provided on the upper part of the rear peripheral wall surface 11a as a holder for hanging the water bag X. The interval between the two protrusions 13 is matched with the interval between the holes Xa of the water bag X. When the water bag X is set in the recess 10, the holes Xa are fitted into the two protrusions 13 on the upper part of the peripheral wall 11 a on the rear side, and are held in a state of being hooked on the protrusions 13. The water bag X when attached in such a manner has a state in which the rear portion is high and the front portion is low, and the resin film is pressed against the peripheral wall surfaces 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d and the bottom surface 12 of the recess 10 and Become.

  A needle tube 20 shown in FIG. 2 is inserted into the water bag X set in the recess 10 as described above. The needle tube 20 is a water flow tube made of hard plastic or metal, and has a water flow hole 20d in the side as shown in FIG. 3, and a water flow path is formed in the inside (hollow portion). . The internal flow path leads to the heating tank and the cooling tank described above. The needle tube 20 has a pointed tip 20a, the base side is supported by a support (not shown), and protrudes substantially horizontally from a hole 11e provided in the peripheral wall surface 11d of the recess 10. When the user presses the operation tool 21 shown in FIG. 2 from the front, the needle tube 20 protrudes into the recess 10 and is inserted into the water bag X, and when the stopper button 22 is pressed, the needle tube 20 is locked at that position.

In the water server 1 shown in the figure, the following a) to c) are added for the purpose of smoothly inserting the needle tube 20 into the resin film of the water bag X. That is,
a) The curved surface 11f shown in FIG. 2 was given to a part of the front peripheral wall surface 11d in the recess 10 in FIG. The curved surface 11f is a smooth continuous surface that protrudes inward of the recess 10 around the hole 11e from which the needle tube 20 protrudes.
When such a curved surface 11f is formed, the resin film of the water bag X attached to the concave portion 10 becomes inwardly convex along the surface, and is hardly displaced when the needle tube 20 contacts from the outside. Therefore, the needle tube 20 is easily pierced.

b) The surface near the tip 20a of the needle tube 20 was intentionally roughened as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3 (a), the needle tube 20 has a portion 20b whose outer diameter gradually increases from the tip 20a, and further has a portion 20c having a constant outer diameter near the base portion. The surface of the portion 20b that becomes thicker was roughened by sandblasting. The roughness is preferably in a state where there are irregularities with a depth of about 10 to 100 μm, for example.
If the surface near the tip 20a is rough in this way, the needle tube 20 has a resistance (frictional force) when inserted into the water bag X as shown in FIG. 3B because the substantial contact area with the resin film is small. ) Is small, so that the film can be smoothly pierced. Since the surface of the portion 20c having a constant outer diameter is smooth (for example, the depth of the unevenness is 5 μm or less), the resin film of the water bag X is in close contact with the surface of the needle tube 20 after insertion and water leakage occurs. Is effectively prevented.

c) As shown in FIGS. 1B and 2, an auxiliary plate 14 having a surface following the peripheral wall surface 11d was fixed to the upper end of the front peripheral wall surface 11d (the curved surface 11f). The auxiliary plate 14 is formed of a transparent plastic plate, and the upper edge portion is attached so as to protrude 5-10 cm in height from the upper end of the peripheral wall surface 11d in a range of length (width) of 10-20 cm.
When the auxiliary plate 14 is attached in this way, even when a new water bag X filled with drinking water is set, a part of the water bag X is prevented from getting on the front peripheral wall surface 11d. . If part of the water bag X gets on the peripheral wall surface 11d, the resin film does not sufficiently adhere to the curved surface 11f of the peripheral wall surface 11d and loses its tension. There is a risk that the resin film cannot be smoothly pierced. When the auxiliary plate 14 is provided as described above, such inconvenience is avoided and the needle tube 20 is always inserted smoothly.

1 Water server 1
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Recessed part 11a * 11b * 11c * 11d Perimeter wall surface 11f Curved surface 13 Protrusion (holding tool)
14 Auxiliary plate 20 Needle tube 20a Tip X Water bag

Claims (4)

A water bottle made of a resin film is provided with a recess, and a needle tube with a sharp tip is protruded from the wall surface forming the recess and pierced into the water bag so that the drinking water in the water bag is passed through the needle tube. A water server to take out
The wall surface forming the recess is a curved surface convex toward the inside of the recess in the portion from which the needle tube protrudes;
And the peripheral wall surface which forms the said recessed part becomes a thing shorter than a rear side in the front side of a server main body, and each right and left side, and hold | maintains one part of a water bag higher than another part A water server, wherein a holder is provided on an upper portion of a rear peripheral wall surface, and the needle tube is provided so as to protrude from a front peripheral wall surface . The water server according to claim 1 , wherein an auxiliary plate having a surface following the front peripheral wall surface is attached to an upper end portion of the front peripheral wall surface. 3. The water server according to claim 1 , wherein a surface of the needle tube is rougher in the vicinity of the tip than in the vicinity of the base portion. 4. The needle tube has an outer diameter that gradually increases from the tip and has a constant outer diameter portion near the base,
The portion of the needle tube whose surface is roughened as described above is limited to the range where the outer diameter is gradually increased near the tip, and the portion where the outer diameter is constant is larger than that near the tip. The water server according to claim 3 , wherein is smooth.

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