JP7117830B2 - dispenser - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to dispensers.

2. Description of the Related Art For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a dispenser that discharges a liquid content such as liquid soap from a container. The dispenser described in Patent Literature 1 is configured such that a container (product) containing a content liquid such as soap is attached, and the content liquid is discharged from the container either hands-free or manually. Patent Literature 1 describes that in such a dispenser, the end user sets service intervals, and the service provider exchanges (services) products at the set service intervals. In the invention described in Patent Document 1, when the usage amount of the content liquid remaining in the container is less than the expected usage amount until the next service is performed, information is displayed on the display circuit to notify this effect. It is something to do. Patent Literature 1 describes that in the above control, the display circuit reads information such as a wireless IC tag attached to the replenishment cartridge and activates an activation counter (remaining dispensing amount).

JP 2010-246932 A

By the way, there are cases where the appropriate amount of content liquid such as soap is different depending on the type and purpose of the content liquid. In order to obtain the optimum discharge amount for any of these liquid contents, it is necessary to prepare a dedicated dispenser for each viscosity of the liquid contents and the amount used per time. However, this complicates the management of dispensers and the design of new dispensers, and also increases the cost associated with the use of the content liquid. In addition, the viscosity of the liquid content and the temperature dependence of the viscosity may differ depending on the components of the liquid content. Operation time etc. may differ.
TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a dispenser capable of always discharging an appropriate amount of content liquid regardless of the characteristics or type of the content liquid.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a container containing a content liquid can be attached, and a discharge mechanism that performs a discharge operation for discharging the content liquid contained in the container from a discharge port, and a control unit that controls the discharge mechanism. A dispenser that discharges a content liquid contained in the container from a discharge port, wherein the control unit acquires operation information related to a discharge operation of the discharge mechanism when the content liquid is discharged, and the operation information It relates to a dispenser that controls the dispensing operation of the dispensing mechanism based on.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the dispenser which can always discharge a suitable amount of content liquid regardless of the characteristic or kind of content liquid can be provided.

It is a figure for demonstrating the dispenser of 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a control unit of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1; FIG. It is a figure which shows the whole bottle part and base cap part which were shown in FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a base cap portion shown in FIG. 3; FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the control part of 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the control part of 3rd Embodiment of this invention. 7 is a diagram showing a table held by the motion information conversion unit shown in FIG. 6; FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the control part of 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the flowchart for demonstrating a series of operation|movement of the dispenser of 4th Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a subroutine in the flowchart shown in FIG. 9; FIG.

Hereinafter, as examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, a first embodiment, a second embodiment, a third embodiment, and a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in all the drawings, the same constituent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are appropriately omitted.

[First embodiment]
The dispenser of the first embodiment is a device that can be attached with a container containing a content liquid, and that discharges the content liquid contained in the container from a discharge port. The dispenser of this embodiment includes a discharge mechanism and a controller that controls the discharge mechanism. The ejection mechanism is a mechanism that performs an ejection operation for ejecting the content liquid contained in a container such as the bottle portion 10 from an ejection port. The control unit acquires operation information related to the ejection operation of the ejection mechanism when ejecting the content liquid, and controls the ejection operation of the ejection mechanism based on this operation information.
The ejection mechanism ejects the content liquid with a user's operation as a trigger, and stops the ejection operation before the next trigger occurs. Ejection performed by the ejection mechanism of the first embodiment is counted as one ejection operation performed in response to one trigger. In such an ejection mechanism, even if the content liquid is ejected by repeating a plurality of short-time ejections in response to one trigger, this is regarded as one ejection operation. The liquid content may be foamy or non-foamy, or may be a gel or an aerosol.
Further, the above-mentioned trigger can be a direct operation of the ejection mechanism, an operation signal is sent to the ejection mechanism by a button, a lever, a touch panel, or the like, and a sensor is used to automatically send the ejection timing of the content liquid to the ejection mechanism. It can be.

In the first embodiment, "operation information relating to the ejection operation of the ejection mechanism" means information for determining operating conditions when the ejection mechanism performs the ejection operation. Any information may be used as long as it relates to time, ejection speed or ejection amount of the content liquid, and the like. Such operation information includes the time for the ejection mechanism to eject the content liquid (ejection time), information indicating the ejection speed and ejection amount of the content liquid itself, and information for calculating the ejection time, ejection speed and ejection amount. Various information used may be used. Such various information includes information that associates the ejection time, ejection speed, or ejection amount of the content liquid with each content liquid. Examples of various types of information include the temperature or viscosity of the content liquid, the product name or code for specifying the content liquid, the viscosity of the content liquid, or parameters for specifying the operating conditions of the ejection mechanism.
In addition, when the ejection mechanism is an electric type and the ejection speed of the content liquid varies depending on the power supplied (supplied power), the operation information may be information indicating the power supplied or various information for calculating the power supplied. can be
Here, the "time for discharging the content liquid (discharge time)" refers to the time during which the content liquid is discharged in one discharge operation described above. In the case where one ejection operation is performed by repeating a plurality of short-time ejections in response to one trigger, it is the total time of the short-time ejections. For example, when the discharge mechanism is an electric pump-driven type, the time for discharging the content liquid can be set to the time during which the pump for discharging the content liquid is driven in response to one trigger.
The "discharge speed of the content liquid" refers to the amount of the content liquid discharged per unit time or various amounts corresponding to the amount of the content liquid. For example, in addition to the amount (ml) of the liquid content discharged per second, if the driving mechanism is an electric pump-driven type, the number of revolutions per unit time of the pump that discharges the liquid content can be used.
The "power supplied to the ejection mechanism" is, for example, the pulse width of the input signal that changes the duty cycle (the value obtained by dividing the pulse width by the pulse period) when PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) controls the pump of the ejection mechanism. , or a DC voltage level.

The above configuration will be specifically described below.
(dispenser)
First, the dispenser of 1st Embodiment is demonstrated using FIG. The vertical direction in the description of the configuration of the dispenser 100 indicates the direction when the dispenser 100 is installed. In addition, FIG. 1 shows a schematic side shape of the dispenser 100 of the first embodiment, and shows a schematic arrangement (arrangement in the housing 60) when the dispenser 100 of each configuration provided in the dispenser 100 is viewed from the side. ing.
As shown in FIG. 1 , a dispenser (hereinafter simply referred to as “dispenser”) 100 according to the first embodiment has a housing 60 . The housing 60 includes a main body 61 and a head portion 62 located above the main body in the drawing. The main body 61 may be fixed to a wall surface, for example, at its rear surface (right side surface in FIG. 1) or side surface (back side or front side surface in FIG. 1). may be placed on a table of

The main body 61 is provided with a bottle accommodating portion 11 that accommodates the bottle portion 10 that stores the content liquid 70 . The bottle portion 10 is connected to the main body 61 by a coupling portion 43 composed of a housing-side coupling portion 43a and a bottle-side coupling portion 43b. The bottle portion 10 includes a dip tube 31 inside the container body 14 through which the rising content liquid 70 passes, a foamer 35 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) for foaming the content liquid 70 from the dip tube 31, and a discharging portion 20 for discharging the content liquid 70 that has been transformed. The bottle portion 10 , the container body 14 , the foamer 35 and the discharge portion 20 are connected by the base cap portion 30 .
In the first embodiment, when the bottle portion 10 is set in the bottle housing portion 11 of the housing 60, the side of the dispenser 100 to which the tip of the discharge portion 20 faces is the front side of the dispenser 100 or the front side. Further, the main body 61 is provided with an air pump 40 as a discharge mechanism for discharging the content liquid 70 . The air pump 40 is a pump that sucks air and feeds it into an air passage that communicates with the base cap portion 30 . The supplied air is mixed with the content liquid 70 in the foamer 35 to form bubbles, which are then discharged from the discharge section 20 . The air pump 40 is a pump that sucks air around the air pump 40 and sends it toward the base cap portion 30 . As such an air pump 40, for example, a diaphragm pump, a screw pump, a gear pump, or the like can be used.

A representative example of the content liquid 70 is hand soap, but is not limited to this, and may include face wash, cleansing agent, dishwashing detergent, hair dressing, body soap, shaving cream, foundation, beauty essence, and the like. Examples include skin cosmetics, hair dyes, disinfectants, and creams to be applied to bread. Such content liquid 70 may be foamed, or may be discharged in the form of liquid or gel other than foam.
The content liquid 70 preferably has a viscosity of 1 mPa·s or more, preferably 100 mPa·s or less, and more preferably 15 mPa·s or less. The viscosity of the content liquid is preferably within this range in a temperature environment of 5°C or higher and 40°C or lower. Viscosity is measured with a Brookfield viscometer. The viscometer selects a rotor suitable for the viscosity, rotates at a rotation speed of 60 rpm, and measures the viscosity 60 seconds after the start of rotation.

When the content liquid 70 is foamed, the main body 61 of the housing 60 accommodates a gas supply actuator (the air pump 40 in the first embodiment) that supplies gas to the discharge section 20 . The gas supply actuator of the first embodiment is not limited to the one using the air pump 40, and may be, for example, an electromagnetic on-off valve that opens and closes between the supply source of the compressed gas and the discharge section 20. may In addition, in the case of a form in which the foamer 35 is provided separately from the container main body, the content liquid 70 is sent to the foamer 35 using the liquid pump, and the gas is sent to the foamer 35 by the air pump, and the foaming is performed by the foamer 35. may
A head portion 62 of the housing 60 accommodates a detection portion 51 and a control portion 50 . The control unit 50 controls the start of operation using the detection signal of the detection unit 51 as a trigger for ejection, and also controls the entire operation of the dispenser 100 .
The detection unit 51 is a sensor that detects an ejection target to which foam is to be ejected. Various detection methods can be used as the detection unit 51. For example, a transmission type sensor such as a photoelectric sensor, a reflection type sensor, a capacitance sensor, a contact sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like can be used. .
Examples of the object to be discharged include a user's hand, various tools such as sponges and brushes, tableware, food, and beverages poured into tableware. In the following description, it is assumed that the object to be discharged is a hand.
In the case of the first embodiment, the discharge trigger that triggers the discharge of the foamed content liquid is generated when the detection unit 51 detects the discharge target (such as a hand).

A recording portion 57 for recording operation information of the content liquid 70 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the bottle portion 10 . Note that in the first embodiment, a configuration in which predetermined information is stored and the stored information can be read is referred to as an information “recording unit”, and the recording unit 57 includes an IC tag, a bar, and the like. A printed code or the like can be used. In the first embodiment, at least part of the motion information is recorded in the recording section 57 .
On the other hand, the main body 61 is provided with a reading section 55 for reading the record of the recording section 57 , and the reading section 55 acquires operation information from the recording section 57 provided in the bottle section 10 . The recording unit 57 and the reading unit 55 are arranged at positions facing each other when the bottle unit 10 is set in the housing 60 . Information read by the reading unit 55 is sent to the control unit 50 .
A tag reader, bar code scanner, or the like can be used as the reading unit 55 . However, the recording unit 57 and the reading unit 55 of the first embodiment are not limited to such a configuration, and any configuration can be used as long as the operation information can be notified to the control unit 50 from the bottle unit 10 side. It may be a configuration.

Furthermore, the dispenser 100 of the first embodiment focuses on the fact that the viscosity of the content liquid 70 changes depending on the temperature of the content liquid 70 . Since the flow state of the content liquid 70 changes when the viscosity changes, the ejection amount of the content liquid 70 differs even if the ejection mechanism is operated under the same operating conditions.
A factor (viscosity factor) that changes the viscosity of the content liquid 70 is temperature. According to the study of the present inventors, even if the product contains the same liquid content in an environment of 10° C. or less and an environment of 40° C., when the ejection mechanism is operated under the same operating conditions, the liquid content is reduced. It was found that the discharge amount of the ink may change up to nearly nine times. In view of this point, the first embodiment provides a dispenser 100 that always discharges an appropriate amount of content liquid 70 regardless of changes in temperature. For this purpose, dispenser 100 further comprises a temperature sensor 53 . The temperature sensor 53 measures the temperature that can be regarded as the temperature of the content liquid. The discharge amount control unit 503 uses the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 53 as operation information, and controls the discharge amount according to the temperature.
The "temperature that can be regarded as the temperature of the content liquid" may be the measured value of the temperature of the content liquid, or the ambient temperature of the content liquid, which may be used for the control of the present invention as the temperature of the content liquid. temperature. Examples of acceptable temperatures include the temperature of the outer surface or inside of the container (bottle portion) containing the content liquid, the temperature of the outer surface or inside of the dispenser, and the temperature of the atmosphere in which the dispenser is installed. can be done. That is, the temperature sensor 53 may measure the temperature obtained without directly measuring the content liquid 70 . In the first embodiment, the temperature sensor 53 measures the temperature inside the main body 61, and the measured temperature is treated as it is. In the first embodiment, since the main body 61 and the bottle portion 10 are not configured to particularly suppress temperature changes, the temperature of the content liquid 70 inside the bottle portion 10 and the temperature inside the main body 61 are close to each other. Become. Therefore, the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 53 arranged inside the main body 61 is a temperature that can be regarded as the temperature of the content liquid 70 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , the dispenser 100 has a temperature sensor 53 , and the temperature sensor 53 is configured to output the measured temperature to the controller 50 . The temperature sensor 53 is not particularly limited, and may be a metal resistance thermometer, a thermocouple, a radiation thermometer, a bimetal thermometer, a thermistor thermometer, or the like.

(control part)
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram for explaining the controller 50 shown in FIG.
The control unit 50 includes an operation information acquisition unit 501 , an operation information conversion unit 502 and an ejection amount control unit 503 . The motion information acquisition unit 501 functions as an input interface for inputting motion information. In the first embodiment, the operation information acquisition unit 501 sends information read by the reading unit 55 from the recording unit 57 of the bottle unit 10 and temperature information indicating the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 53 to the control unit 50 as operation information. input. Hereinafter, the temperature information may be abbreviated as "temperature". A discharge amount control unit 503 controls the air pump 40 so as to obtain a discharge amount corresponding to the operation information. The air pump 40 is driven by an electric motor (not shown), and the electric motor is electrically connected to the discharge amount control section 503 .

As described above, the control unit 50 of the first embodiment acquires the record attached to the bottle unit 10 read by the reading unit 55 as operation information related to the ejection operation of the air pump 40, and based on this operation information, to set the operating conditions of the air pump 40 . A recording unit 57 is attached to the bottle unit 10 , and the control unit 50 includes an operation information conversion unit 502 that converts operation information read by the reading unit 55 into operation conditions of the air pump 40 . The controller 50 is configured to control the operation of discharging the content liquid 70 by changing the time (discharge time) or speed (discharge speed) at which the dispenser 100 discharges the content liquid 70 . In the first embodiment, the product name and product code of the content liquid 70 contained in the bottle unit 10 are recorded in the recording unit 57 as operation information. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as operation information, the discharge amount and various parameters for calculating the operating conditions of the air pump 40 according to the content liquid 70 using a conversion formula are recorded in the recording unit 57. .
The operation information read from the recording unit 57 by the reading unit 55 may be used for setting the operating conditions of the air pump 40 without being converted by the control unit 50 . In this case, the control unit 50 may not have the operation information conversion unit 502 , and the operation information acquired by the operation information acquisition unit 501 may be directly input to the ejection amount control unit 503 .

In the first embodiment, the reading unit 55 reads the product name, product code, discharge amount, and parameters of the content liquid 70, and the product name, product code, discharge amount, and parameters read by the reading unit 55 are sent to the operation information acquisition unit 501. is entered. The operation information acquisition unit 501 inputs the input product name, product code, discharge amount, and parameter to the operation information conversion unit 502 together with the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 53 . The product name, product code, ejection amount, and parameters recorded in the recording unit 57 of the first embodiment can be, for example, those shown in Table 1 below. In Table 1, the text characters "A-hand soap" are shown as the product name for the sake of convenience, but information corresponding to the product name is recorded in a readable format by means of an IC tag, bar code, or the like in the recording unit 57. there is The same applies to other operational information. The product code is, for example, a code indicating an intended user or usage environment of A-hand soap. The ejection amount (α) is the target amount of the content liquid 70 to be ejected in one ejection operation, and when the content liquid 70 is a non-bubble liquid, it can be the volume or mass of the liquid. Further, when the content liquid 70 is foamed and ejected, the ejection amount (α) can be the volume or mass of the content liquid 70 in the liquid state before foaming, but is not limited to this. , for example, the bulk volume immediately after ejection of the foamed content liquid 70 may be used.

Here, the target users or usage environment indicated by the product code will be described. In the first embodiment, the discharge amount of the content liquid 70 is determined by the product name of the content liquid 70 and the intended user. However, even if the amount of discharge is determined by the intended user, the dispenser 100 does not exclude use by persons other than the intended user. In the first embodiment, the environment (usage environment) such as facilities and places frequently used by the intended users is specified, and the contents to be recorded in the recording unit 57 are set according to the usage environment.
The intended users of the content liquid 70 may be, for example, adults, children, medical personnel, general users, and the like. When adults are the intended users, the usage environment of the dispenser 100 is, for example, a facility of a company, a nursing home, or the like. In addition, when children are the intended users, the usage environment is a kindergarten, an elementary school, or the like. When medical personnel are the intended users, the usage environment is a hospital, public health center, or the like.

When the administrator who installs the dispenser 100 purchases the bottle part 10 used in the dispenser 100, he/she purchases the bottle part 10 whose usage environment indicated by the product code recorded in the recording part 57 is suitable for the installation location. Therefore, the product code recorded in the recording unit 57 is configured so that the manager can recognize it. As a method for the manager to recognize the product code, for example, information such as "for hospital use", "for general use", "for kindergarten children", etc. is written on the bottle part 10 or a sticker attached to the bottle part 10. It may be something to keep.
As described above, in the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the discharge amount of the dispenser 100, which is placed in a use environment where children mainly use, such as kindergartens. Moreover, it is possible to set the discharge amount of the dispenser 100, which is placed in a usage environment such as a hospital where medical personnel mainly use, to increase.

In the control unit 50 of the first embodiment, the operation information conversion unit 502 records operating conditions of the ejection mechanism or conversion formulas for conversion into operating conditions corresponding to the recording of the recording unit 57 . As the operation information conversion unit 502, a program for calculating by substituting parameters and temperature into the above conversion formula, or a memory storing the program can be exemplified. Also, the conversion formula can be, for example, a quadratic function shown in the following formula (1). In the following formula (1), T is the discharge time of the air pump 40, α is the discharge amount, x is the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 53, and A, B and C are the parameters A, B and C in Table 1 above. be. Note that in the first embodiment, the discharge time (T) is the operating condition of the air pump 40 .
T=α/(Ax ² +Bx+C) Equation (1)
In addition, in the content liquid 70 whose viscosity decreases as the temperature rises, the higher the temperature, the shorter the driving time of the air pump 40 . Therefore, in the conversion formula (1) described above, the parameters A, B, and C can take either positive or negative values. Note that the conversion formula relating to the operating conditions of the ejection mechanism is not limited to the quadratic function, and can take various functional formulas or table formats.

The operation information conversion section 502 outputs the discharge time of the air pump 40 calculated using the conversion formula to the discharge amount control section 503 . The discharge amount control unit 503 outputs a control signal to a driver (not shown) of the air pump 40 to drive the air pump 40 for the calculated discharge amount time. Such a discharge amount control unit 503 is hardware and software that cooperate to comprehensively control the control unit 50 .

Further, in the first embodiment, even if the operation information conversion unit 502 uses the input product name and product code to determine whether the parameter and the conversion formula used to calculate the ejection time match or disagree. good. In this case, for example, the conversion formula is recorded in the action information conversion unit 502 in association with the product name, product code, and the like. The motion information conversion unit 502 determines whether the input product name and product code match or disagree with the product name and product code associated with the conversion formula. Then, when it is determined that the two do not match, information indicating that they do not match may be output to the ejection amount control unit 503 . In this way, when the bottle portion 10 of a product that does not correspond to the housing 60 is set, in the first embodiment, the control portion 50 prohibits the bottle portion 10 from discharging the content liquid 70. Alternatively, information indicating the mismatch can be displayed or notified to the outside via a separately provided lamp, buzzer, or the like.
Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the motion information conversion unit 502 may have a plurality of conversion formulas corresponding to product names or product codes. In such a case, the action information conversion unit 502 can select a corresponding conversion formula using the input product name and product code.

In order to realize the above configuration, the control unit 50 includes a ROM (Read Only) for recording and holding programs functioning as the operation information acquisition unit 501, the operation information conversion unit 502, and the discharge amount control unit 503, and a control program for the air pump 40. Memory), a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes control operations according to such a program, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that functions as a work area for the CPU. That is, the control unit 50 functions as an operation information acquisition unit 501, an operation information conversion unit 502, a discharge amount control unit 503, etc. by operating in conjunction with application software running on the ROM, CPU, and OS. .
The power supply for the controller 50, the detector 51, and the air pump 40 of the dispenser 100 may be a commercial power supply or a battery.

In the first embodiment described above, since the discharge time is determined according to the product name and product code of the content liquid 70, it is possible to always obtain an appropriate discharge amount regardless of the type or characteristics of the content liquid 70. can be done. Moreover, the first embodiment can provide the dispenser 100 that always discharges a constant and appropriate discharge amount regardless of the temperature of the environment in which the content liquid 70 is placed. Furthermore, the dispenser 100 of the first embodiment has a temperature sensor 53 , and the controller 50 controls the air pump 40 based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 53 . For this reason, the dispenser 100 of the first embodiment can supply an appropriate amount of the content liquid 70 in accordance with the temperature change even when the environmental temperature changes due to reasons such as the dispenser 100 being installed outdoors. can be discharged.

Also, the first embodiment is not limited to such a configuration. For example, in the first embodiment, the operation information conversion unit 502 may convert the product name, product code and parameters into the discharge speed of the air pump 40 according to the temperature. In such a case, the operation information conversion unit 502 has, for example, a conversion formula for obtaining the operation speed of the air pump 40 with the temperature (x) as a variable. The recording unit 57 has parameters to be substituted into this conversion formula, and the reading unit 55 reads the parameters stored in the recording unit 57 and inputs them to the motion information acquisition unit 501 . The motion information acquisition unit 501 inputs the parameters together with the temperature to the motion information conversion unit 502 . The operation information conversion unit 502 inputs parameters and temperature into the conversion formula and calculates the operation speed of the air pump 40 . The motion information conversion unit 502 may record a plurality of types of function expressions such as a linear function, a quadratic function, a logarithmic function, an exponential function, or a function combining these functions. Then, based on the product code or other identifier (not shown) read from the recording unit 57, the operation information conversion unit 502 determines the type of conversion formula corresponding to the content liquid 70, and the function of the determined type A parameter acquired by the motion information acquisition unit 501 may be used as the coefficient of the expression. Since the function and coefficients of the conversion formula for determining the operating speed of the air pump 40 are thus determined, the operating speed of the air pump 40 is determined by substituting the temperature as a variable into the conversion formula.
Further, in the first embodiment, for example, the operation information conversion unit 502 has PWM control pulse width or DC voltage data corresponding to the operation speed, and the value of the DC voltage corresponding to the operation speed is used as the ejection amount. You may make it output to the control part 503. FIG. The discharge amount control unit 503 outputs the pulse width or DC voltage value output by the operation information conversion unit 502 to the driver (not shown) of the air pump 40 to operate the air pump 40 for a preset time. may Further, in the first embodiment, for example, the conversion formula may directly calculate the pulse width or the DC voltage value. The discharge speed, like the discharge time, is an operating condition of the air pump 40 .

As the discharge speed of the air pump 40 increases, the amount of air sent per unit time increases, and as a result, the discharge amount of the content liquid 70 increases. Conversely, when the discharge speed of the air pump 40 slows down, the amount of air fed per unit time decreases, and as a result, the discharge amount of the content liquid 70 decreases.
As described above, when controlling the discharge amount of the content liquid 70 by the discharge speed, the discharge speed is relatively high when the content liquid with relatively high viscosity is contained in the bottle portion 10, and the viscosity is relatively high. By setting the ejection speed to be relatively low when the bottle portion 10 contains a low content liquid, it is possible to suppress the change in the ejection amount due to the viscosity of the content liquid.

(Bottle part)
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bottle portion 10 of the first embodiment presses the liquid surface of the content liquid 70 by the air sent into the container body 14, and delivers the pressed content liquid 70 to the ejection portion 20. It is a container that discharges by pressing. The container body 14 has a double structure consisting of the outer container 12 and a cylindrical body 32 arranged inside the outer container 12 . The outer container 12 and the cylindrical body 32 communicate with each other through a flow port provided with an on-off valve 34 (a ball valve in the first embodiment). The air is sent into the cylindrical body 32 and presses the liquid surface of the content liquid 70 stored therein, thereby sending the content liquid 70 through the dip tube 31 to the former 35 and out of the discharge section 20 . It is designed to be discharged. Further, when the supply of the air into the cylinder 32 is stopped, the supply of the content liquid 70 to the discharge part 20 by the air is stopped. The on-off valve 34 blocks the flow of the content liquid 70 from the inside of the cylinder 32 to the outer container 12 side, or prevents the content liquid 70 from flowing out from the outer container 12 side to the inside of the cylinder 32 depending on the pressure state of the air inside the cylinder 32 . It functions as a check valve that allows the content liquid 70 to flow into. That is, for example, when the inside of the cylindrical body 32 is pressurized by the air sent thereinto, the on-off valve 34 blocks the content liquid 70 from flowing out from the inside to the outer container 12 side, and the inside of the cylindrical body 32 is When the air pressurization is released, it functions as a check valve that allows the content liquid 70 to flow into the interior from the outer container 12 side.

The bottle portion 10 of the present embodiment includes a base cap portion 30 that feeds the content liquid 70 to the ejection portion 20 for ejection. The base cap portion 30 serves as a foam ejection mechanism. That is, the base cap portion 30 includes a nozzle cap portion 132, a vertical flow path pipe portion 134, an extended nozzle pipe portion 173, a communication sleeve portion 171, a former joint 37, and a dip tube 31. It is

Further, in this embodiment, the bottle portion 10 is provided with a dip tube 31, and the dip tube 31 feeds the liquid pressed inside the cylinder 32 to the gas-liquid contact portion 75, and the inside of the cylinder 32 of air is sent to the gas-liquid contact portion 75 as air for mixing, the sent content liquid 70 and air are mixed in the gas-liquid contact portion 75, and the inlet mesh 33 provided downstream of the gas-liquid contact portion 75 , the content liquid 70 is foamed by passing through the outlet mesh 39 and is discharged from the discharge portion 20 as a foamy content liquid 70 .
As shown in FIG. 4 , the base cap portion 30 has an air passage 71 that feeds the supplied air into the container body 14 and a content liquid 70 that is pressed by the air pressure inside the container body 14 and delivers it to the discharge portion 20 . and liquid flow paths 72 and 73 are provided.

However, the bottle portion 10 of the first embodiment may discharge the content liquid 70 as it is without foaming. In this case, the former 35, the inlet mesh 33, the outlet mesh 39 and the gas-liquid contact portion 75 are not required in the bottle portion 10. The liquid surface of the content liquid 70 inside the cylindrical body 32 is pressurized by the air supplied through the air passage 71, and the content liquid 70 is pushed up from the lower end of the dip tube 31 to form the vertical flow pipe portion 134 and the liquid flow passage. The liquid is discharged from the discharge section 20 through 72 and 73 .
Moreover, although the dip tube 31 was illustrated in 1st Embodiment as the aspect accommodated in the cylinder 32, it is not restricted to this. The dip tube 31 may be directly immersed in the content liquid 70 without providing the cylinder 32 . Also in this configuration, the air supplied through the air passage 71 pressurizes the liquid surface of the content liquid 70 , so that the content liquid 70 is sucked up from the lower end of the dip tube 31 and discharged from the discharge section 20 .
Although the first embodiment exemplified a mode using an air pump as the discharge mechanism, the present invention is not limited to this. A liquid pump may be used in combination with an air pump as a discharge mechanism. In this case, the liquid pump is used to suck up the content liquid 70 from the bottle portion 10 to the gas-liquid contact portion 75, and in parallel with this, air is supplied to the gas-liquid contact portion 75 by the air pump to mix the content liquid 70 and the air. They may be brought into contact with each other to form a foam. Further, in a mode in which the content liquid 70 is discharged as it is without foaming, only a liquid pump may be used as the discharge mechanism. In this case, the content liquid 70 may be sucked up from the bottle portion 10 by a liquid pump and discharged from the discharge portion 20 as it is.

(motion)
Next, a series of operations of the dispenser 100 of the first embodiment described above will be described. When the bottle portion 10 (container) is set in the dispenser 100, a signal is generated indicating that the housing-side coupling portion 43a and the bottle-side coupling portion 43b are coupled. The signal is input to the control unit 50 and notifies the control unit 50 of the setting of the bottle container. At this time, the product name, product code, and parameters A, B, and C recorded in the recording portion 57 attached to the outer surface of the bottle portion 10 are read by the reading portion 55 as operation information. The read product name and the like are output to the operation information acquisition section 501 of the control section 50 . Further, the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 53 is input to the operation information acquisition unit 501 as other operation information. The operation information acquisition unit 501 outputs the product code, product name, temperature, discharge amount, and parameters A, B, and C to the operation information conversion unit 502 . The operation information conversion unit 502 substitutes the temperature (x), the discharge amount (α), and the parameters A, B, and C into the conversion formula shown in the above formula (1), for example, and converts the temperature (x), the discharge amount (α ) and the parameters A, B, and C are converted into the ejection time (T) of the content liquid 70 .

The detection unit 51 outputs a detection signal to the control unit 50 when detecting an ejection target such as a user's hand. When the detection signal is input, the controller 50 detects the start of dispensing of the content liquid 70 and starts the operation of the air pump 40 . At this time, the control unit 50 of the first embodiment outputs a control signal to the driver (not shown) of the air pump 40, and the air pump is operated for the discharge time determined based on the temperature and the parameters A, B, and C as described above. 40 is driven.
In the above operation, if the discharge time of the air pump 40 becomes longer, the time for which the air is supplied becomes longer, and the discharge time of the content liquid 70 becomes longer, resulting in an increase in the discharge amount of the content liquid 70 . Conversely, when the discharge time of the air pump 40 is shortened, the time during which the air is supplied is shortened, and the discharge time of the content liquid 70 is shortened.
As described above, when the ejection amount of the content liquid 70 is controlled by the ejection time, the ejection time of the content liquid with relatively high viscosity is relatively long, and the ejection time of the content liquid with relatively low viscosity is relatively long. , the discharge amount of the content liquid 70 can be made constant regardless of the viscosity of the content liquid 70 .
When the air pump 40 is, for example, a diaphragm pump, the discharge time refers to, for example, the length of time during which the diaphragm operates once in one discharge operation, or the total length of time during which the diaphragm operates multiple times. When the air pump 40 is a screw pump, the discharge time refers to, for example, the total length of time that the screw continues to rotate for one discharge. If the air pump 40 is a gear pump, the discharge time refers to, for example, the total length of time that the gears continue to rotate in one discharge.

In this way, the time for the air D to enter the air passage 71 and the bottle portion 10 is set according to the appropriate discharge amount of the content liquid 70, and the air D is kept in the gas-liquid contact portion 75 only while the air pump 40 is operating. sent to. In addition, the content liquid 70 is also discharged to the gas-liquid contact portion 75 for this time. Both are mixed in the gas-liquid contact portion 75 and discharged from the discharge portion 20 in the F direction.

The first embodiment described above can provide the dispenser 100 that always ejects an appropriate amount of liquid regardless of the temperature and the difference in the amount of liquid that is set for each content liquid 70 . Further, the dispenser 100 of the first embodiment is provided with a recording unit 57 in which the product name, product code, and parameters A, B, and C are recorded on the bottle unit 10 side, and read by the reading unit 55 on the main body 61 side. ing. Therefore, in the dispenser 100 of the first embodiment, the controller 50 automatically obtains the product name, product code, and parameters simply by setting the bottle portion 10 on the main body 61, and controls the discharge amount of the dispenser 100. can be done.
In addition, in the first embodiment, since the discharge amount of the content liquid 70 can be controlled by the operating conditions of the air pump 40, there is no need to add a mechanical configuration, and the apparatus does not become large or complicated. can be avoided.
Therefore, the dispenser 100 of the first embodiment is compatible with a plurality of content liquids 70, and even if the content liquid 70 is replaced with a content liquid having a different composition, the type of content liquid and the temperature of the content liquid (installation of the dispenser 100) An appropriate amount of content liquid can always be discharged regardless of the temperature of the environment.

Also, the first embodiment is not limited to the configuration described above. For example, the air pump 40 is not limited to the configuration in which the discharge amount is controlled by the discharge time, and may be controlled by the discharge speed. When controlling the discharge amount of the content liquid 70 of the air pump 40 by the discharge speed, the discharge amount control unit 503 controls the discharge speed of the air pump 40 . The discharge speed can be controlled, for example, by controlling a PWM-controlled DC voltage supplied to the air pump 40 via a driver (not shown). That is, when a relatively large value of DC voltage is supplied to the air pump 40, the discharge speed of the air pump 40 increases, and when a relatively small value of DC voltage is supplied to the air pump 40, the discharge speed of the air pump 40 decreases. In this way, the speed at which the air D enters the air passage 71 and the bottle portion 10 at a predetermined time is set according to the appropriate discharge amount of the content liquid 70, and the air D is injected while the air pump 40 is operating. It is sent to the gas-liquid contact portion 75 at a desired speed. Further, the content liquid 70 is also discharged to the gas-liquid contact portion 75 at this speed. Both are mixed in the gas-liquid contact portion 75 and discharged from the discharge portion 20 .

Further, in the first embodiment, the motion information acquisition unit 501 is not limited to an interface that receives records read from the recording unit 57 by the reading unit 55 . The motion information acquisition unit 501 may be of any type as long as it acquires records from the recording unit 57 . For example, the recording unit 57 records the information in Table 1 as text data, and the administrator or the like refers to the text data and inputs the information indicated by the text data to the control unit 50 from the keyboard, operation buttons, or the like. may be configured. In this case, the motion information acquisition unit 501 can be a user interface that receives input of information from a keyboard, operation buttons, or the like.
Further, in the first embodiment, the reading unit 55 is not limited to reading all motion information recorded in the recording unit 57 and inputting it to the motion information acquisition unit 501 . For example, if the product code includes not only the usage environment of the content liquid 70 but also information specifying the content liquid 70, the reading unit 55 reads the product code and parameters A, B, and C to obtain operation information. 501 may be input.
Furthermore, the first embodiment is not limited to recording product names and product codes in the recording unit 57 . For example, the first embodiment can also be applied to the case where the recording unit 57 records information specifying the content liquid in the stage of experimentation or trial use, instead of the distributed "product", and experiments and investigations are performed on the dispenser. can be done.

[Second embodiment]
Next, the dispenser of 2nd Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. The dispenser of the second embodiment is different from the dispenser of the first embodiment in the contents of recording of the recording section and the control section. For this reason, in the second embodiment, only the contents recorded by the recording unit and the control unit are omitted from the illustration, and descriptions overlapping those of the first embodiment are omitted as appropriate. For convenience, the recording section of the second embodiment is referred to as the recording section 57 as in the first embodiment, and the control section is referred to as the control section 50 in the same manner.
In the second embodiment, the product name, product code, discharge amount, and discharge time for each temperature of the air pump 40 are recorded in the recording unit 57 as operation information. The reading unit 55 reads the product name, product code, and discharge time for each temperature of the air pump 40 from the recording unit 57 . The recording unit 57 of the second embodiment may record the motion information in the form of a table, for example.
Table 2 is a table showing a specific example of a table of discharge times of the air pump 40 for each product name, product code, and temperature recorded in the recording unit 57 of the second embodiment. In Table 2, the product code is 0001, the product name is A-hand soap, and the discharge amount (α) is 1.0 ml. In addition, the discharge time of the air pump 40 for obtaining an appropriate discharge amount is 1.234 seconds when the temperature is 5°C, 1.220 seconds when the temperature is 6°C, and 1.220 seconds when the temperature is 7°C. 1.200 seconds at 14°C, 1.13 seconds at a temperature of 15°C and 1.12 seconds at a temperature of 15°C.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the controller 50 of the dispenser of the second embodiment. The reading unit 55 reads the product name, product code, and ejection time from the recording unit 57 in which the table shown in Table 2 is recorded, and outputs the read product name, product code, and ejection time to the operation information acquisition unit 501 . The operation information acquisition unit 501 is an input unit that receives input of operation information, and outputs the product name, product code, and ejection time to the operation information conversion unit 802 .
The operation information conversion unit 802 of the second embodiment includes data indicated by the table shown in Table 2, a memory for recording this data, and a program for reading the ejection time corresponding to the temperature from the memory. Consists of

At this time, also in the second embodiment, the motion information acquisition unit 501 inputs the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 53 and outputs it to the motion information conversion unit 802 . The operation information conversion unit 802 selects the ejection time corresponding to the temperature that matches the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 53 . Specifically, for example, when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 53 is 7° C., the operation information conversion unit 802 selects the ejection time of 1.200 seconds corresponding to 7° C. and outputs it to the ejection amount control unit 503 . do. When the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 53 includes information below the decimal point, the operation information conversion unit 802 rounds off the information below the decimal point to make the temperature an integer value, compares it with the table of Table 2, and reads the ejection time. Good. The discharge amount control unit 503 controls the driver (not shown) of the air pump 40 to drive the air pump 40 for the discharge time (1.200 seconds).

In the above-described second embodiment, the operation information conversion unit 802 selects the ejection time shown in Table 2, so that arithmetic processing is not performed unlike the first embodiment. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the control unit 50 with an arithmetic function. Therefore, in the second embodiment, it is optional for the recording unit 57 to record the product code, product name, and discharge amount (α). Further, in the second embodiment, if the operation information conversion unit 802 selects and reads the ejection time corresponding to the input temperature, the memory for reading the ejection time can be made smaller. Although the upper limit of the temperature recorded in the table is 15° C. in Table 2, the temperature is not limited to this. The temperatures recorded in the table can be temperatures above ambient temperature (20°C), such as 35°C or 40°C. Also, in Table 2, the temperature is recorded every 1° C., but the temperature is not limited to this. The interval between recorded temperatures may be less than 1°C or greater than 1°C. In such a case, the operation information conversion unit 802 may calculate the ejection time corresponding to the temperature information measured by the temperature sensor 53 by interpolation of the temperatures recorded in the table.

In addition to the above configuration, the operation information conversion unit 802 uses a specific operation condition of the air pump 40 as a reference, and the difference amount to be changed from the reference operation condition (e.g., discharge time and discharge speed) Data associated with each code and temperature may be used. Specifically, the operation information conversion unit 802 is configured such that the amount of increase/decrease in time with respect to a reference ejection time and the amount of increase/decrease in speed with respect to a reference ejection speed are data associated with the ejection amount for each temperature. can be done. It should be noted that, in such a configuration, as a matter of course, the reference discharge time and discharge speed of the air pump 40 are recorded in advance in the operation information conversion unit 802 .
In the second embodiment, the motion information conversion unit 502 is not limited to having only the table shown in Table 1, and may have a plurality of tables corresponding to product names or product codes. By doing so, the motion information conversion unit 802 selects one of the plurality of tables according to the product name and product code input from the motion information acquisition unit 501 .

[Third embodiment]
Next, the dispenser of 3rd Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. The dispenser of the third embodiment differs from the dispenser 100 of the first embodiment in the content of recording in the recording section and the control section. For this reason, in the third embodiment, only the content recorded by the recording unit and the control unit are omitted from the illustration, and descriptions overlapping those of the first embodiment are omitted as appropriate. For the sake of convenience, the recording section of the third embodiment will be referred to as the recording section 57 as in the first embodiment, and the control section will be referred to as the control section 50 in the same manner.
The dispenser of the third embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in that only the product code and product name are recorded on the recording unit 57 side. Table 3 is a table showing specific examples of product names and product codes recorded in the recording unit 57 of the third embodiment. In Table 3, the product code is 0001, the product name is A-hand soap, and the discharge amount (α) is 1.0 ml.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the controller 50 of the dispenser of the third embodiment. The reading unit 55 reads the product name and product code from the recording unit 57 in which the product name and product code shown in Table 3 are recorded, and outputs the read product name and product code to the operation information acquisition unit 501 . The motion information acquisition unit 501 outputs the product name and product code to the motion information conversion unit 902 . At this time, also in the third embodiment, the motion information acquisition unit 501 inputs the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 53 and outputs it to the motion information conversion unit 902 .

In the third embodiment, the operation information conversion unit 902 of the control unit 50 has a table as operation information of the ejection mechanism. FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C are diagrams for explaining tables held by the motion information conversion unit 902. FIG. The motion information conversion unit 902 has, for example, three tables shown in FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c). The tables shown in FIGS. 7(a), (b), and (c) are all about A-hand soap, and have different product codes. In the third embodiment as well, the product code represents the intended user or the usage environment, and the content liquid 70 having the same product name but different product codes has different appropriate discharge amounts depending on the usage environment. It is something to do. For example, the proper discharge amount (α) of A-hand soap with product code 0001 shown in FIG. 7(a) is 1.0 ml. Also, for example, the proper discharge amount (α) of A-hand soap with product code 0002 shown in FIG. 7B is 0.7 ml. Furthermore, the proper discharge amount (α) of A-hand soap with product code 0003 shown in FIG. 7(c) is 1.5 ml.
The operation information conversion unit 902 of the third embodiment includes a plurality of data indicated by the table shown in FIG. program and.
The operation information conversion unit 902 to which the product name, product code and temperature are input selects a table corresponding to the product name and product code from a plurality of tables. Then, the ejection time corresponding to the input temperature is selected from the selected table, and the selected ejection time is output to the ejection amount control unit 503 as an operating condition. The discharge amount control unit 503 controls the driver (not shown) of the air pump 40 to drive the air pump 40 for the discharge time.
In the third embodiment described above, since the tables shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C are recorded on the control unit 50 side, the recording unit 57 can be downsized and simplified. Advantages over embodiments.
In the above description, an example is given in which the information indicating the ejection amount (α) is redundantly recorded in the recording unit 57 and the operation information conversion unit 902, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is optional to record information indicating the ejection amount (α) in the recording unit 57 or the operation information conversion unit 902 . However, as in the third embodiment, since the information indicating the ejection amount (α) is recorded in both the recording unit 57 and the operation information conversion unit 902, the operation information conversion unit 902 can be operated from the recording unit 57. The value of the ejection amount (α) read by the information acquisition unit 501 is used as the ejection amount (α) value recorded in the table of FIGS. 7A to 7C selected based on the product code and product name. Can be matched against values. The operation information conversion unit 902 may output the ejection time (operating condition) to the ejection amount control unit 503 after confirming that the values of the two ejection amounts (α) match each other. Then, when the values of the two ejection amounts (α) do not match, the control unit 50 prohibits the bottle unit 10 from ejecting the content liquid 70 as in the first embodiment, or the lamp or buzzer is activated. Information indicating the mismatch may be displayed or notified to the outside via, for example.

Of the first to third embodiments described above, in the second and third embodiments that use a table that associates ejection time and temperature, the temperature that matches the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 53 is It may not be on the table. In such a case, in the second and third embodiments, the discharge time corresponding to the temperature closest to the measured temperature among the temperatures in the table may be set as the driving time of the air pump 40 . Alternatively, the ejection time recorded in the table corresponding to a temperature higher than the measured temperature (high temperature) and the temperature recorded in the table corresponding to a temperature lower than the measured temperature (low temperature) The discharge time may be selected and the discharge time corresponding to the temperature may be obtained by a complementary process or the like using the two discharge times. As a specific method of interpolation, for example, linear interpolation or the like can be applied.

[Fourth Embodiment]
In the dispenser of the fourth embodiment, the controller autonomously determines which of the processes to be performed by the motion information conversion unit in the first to third embodiments described above and executes the process. It is different from the first embodiment to the third embodiment in that the For the sake of convenience, the recording section of the fourth embodiment will be referred to as the recording section 57 as in the first embodiment, and the control section will be referred to as the control section 50 in the same manner.
FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the controller 50 of the fourth embodiment. The control unit 50 of the fourth embodiment has an operation information acquisition unit 501 , an operation information conversion unit 505 and an ejection amount control unit 503 . The motion information conversion unit 505 has all the functions of the motion information conversion unit 502 described in the first embodiment, the motion information conversion unit 802 described in the second embodiment, and the motion information conversion unit 902 described in the third embodiment. have. Further, the recording unit 57 of the fourth embodiment stores any one of the information shown in Tables 1, 2 and 3. Note that FIG. 8 shows all of the product code, product name, parameters A, B, and C, ejection amount, and table that can be acquired by the operation information acquisition unit 501 .
The operation information acquisition unit 501 of the control unit 50 acquires the product code, product name, and ejection amount from the recording unit 57, and further acquires parameters A, B, and C or a table according to the contents recorded in the recording unit 57. The motion information conversion unit 505 has a function of analyzing the acquired information and determining which of the first, second, and third embodiments should be executed.

The above operation of the motion information conversion unit 505 will be described below.
9, 10(a) and 10(b) are flowcharts for explaining such operations. 9 shows a main routine, and FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b) show subroutines in the main routine shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the processing of the fourth embodiment is started by turning on the power supply (not shown) of the dispenser 100 . When the power is turned on (step S101: Y), the reading unit 55 reads operation information recorded in the recording unit 57 (step S102). While the power-on is not detected, the reading unit 55 waits until the power is turned on (step S101: N). may be controlled by an integrated control unit (not shown) that controls the

The motion information read by the reading unit 55 is output to the motion information acquisition unit 501 . The motion information acquisition unit 501 outputs motion information to the motion information conversion unit 505 . The operation information conversion unit 505 receives the operation information output from the operation information acquisition unit 501, and determines whether the operation information recorded in the recording unit 57 is a parameter for calculating the ejection time (first embodiment). , product name, product code and temperature (second embodiment), or product name and product code for selecting a table (third embodiment). morphology) is determined (step S103).
Specifically, the operation information conversion unit 505 determines the type of information following the product code, product name, and discharge amount shown in Tables 1, 2, and 3. FIG. If this information is a parameter, it is determined that the parameter to be substituted into the conversion formula is recorded in the recording unit 57 (step S103: A).
If the information following the product code, product name, and discharge quantity is table information that associates the temperature with the discharge time of the air pump 40, the discharge quantity control unit 503 records the table information in the recording unit 57. It is judged that there is (step S103: B). Furthermore, if information following the product code, product name, and ejection amount is not recorded in the ejection amount control unit 503, the product code, ejection amount, and product name for selecting a table are recorded in the recording unit 57. It is judged that there is (step S103: C).

When the motion information acquisition unit 501 acquires the product code, the product name, the discharge amount, and the parameters A, B, and C, the motion information conversion unit 505 converts the parameters A, B, and C into the conversion formula shown in Equation (1), for example. is substituted (step S104). Also, when the operation information acquisition unit 501 acquires the product code, product name, discharge amount, and table information, the operation information conversion unit 505 records the input table information in its own memory (step S105). Further, when the motion information acquisition unit 501 acquires only the product code, product name, and ejection amount, the motion information conversion unit 505 converts the stored table corresponding to the product code, product name, and ejection amount. A table is selected (step S106).

Next, the control unit 50 determines whether or not a hand has been detected by the detection unit 51 (step S107). While the hand is not detected, the control unit 50 waits until the hand is detected (step S107: N), and when the hand is detected (step S107: Y), the temperature sensor 53 detects the temperature of the A temperature that can be considered is measured (step S108). The measured temperature is input to the motion information conversion unit 505 via the motion information acquisition unit 501 .
Next, the operation information conversion unit 505 determines the method for calculating the ejection time based on the determination made in step S103 (step S109). Then, if the calculation of the ejection time is a process performed using a conversion formula (step S109: conversion formula), the operation information conversion unit 505 executes conversion formula correspondence processing (step S110). Also, when the ejection time is calculated using a table (step S109: table), the motion information conversion unit 505 executes table correspondence processing to the motion information conversion unit (step S111).

When the ejection time is calculated by the conversion formula correspondence process or the table correspondence process, the operation information conversion unit 505 outputs the ejection time to the ejection amount control unit 503 . The discharge amount control unit 503 outputs a control signal to the driver (not shown) of the air pump 40 to drive the air pump 40 for the discharge time (step S112). After the air pump 40 is driven, the controller 50 waits until the detector 51 detects the hand again (step S113: N). If a hand is detected (step S113: Y), the controller 50 returns to step S107 and causes the temperature sensor 53 to measure the temperature. The above processing is repeated until the dispenser 100 is powered off.

FIG. 10(a) is a flow chart for explaining the conversion formula correspondence processing in step S110 shown in FIG. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 10(a), the operation information conversion unit 505 substitutes the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 53 into x in the conversion formula shown in formula (1) to obtain the discharge time T of the air pump 40 as Calculate (step S201).
FIG. 10(b) is a flowchart for explaining the table correspondence processing in step S111 shown in FIG. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 10B, the motion information conversion unit 505 compares the temperature x measured by the temperature sensor 53 with the temperature recorded in the table. Then, it is determined whether or not the measured temperature x is equal to or lower than the lowest temperature stored in the table (table lower limit value) (step S301). When the temperature x is equal to or lower than the table lower limit value (step S301: Y), the operation information conversion unit 505 sets the ejection time corresponding to the table lower limit value as the ejection time. After the above processing, the conversion formula correspondence processing returns to the main routine shown in FIG.

If the temperature x is higher than the table lower limit value (step S301: N), the operation information conversion unit 505 determines whether the temperature x is equal to or higher than the highest temperature (table upper limit value) stored in the table. (step S302). When the temperature x is equal to or higher than the table upper limit value (step S302: Y), the operation information conversion unit 505 sets the ejection time corresponding to the table upper limit value as the ejection time (step S305). Further, in step S302, the operation information conversion unit 505 selects the temperature x from the table when the temperature x is equal to or lower than the upper limit value of the table (step S302: N), or selects the temperature regarded as the temperature x, and the ejection corresponding to this temperature is selected. A discharge time is set (step S303). After the above processing, the table correspondence processing returns to the main routine shown in FIG.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the first to fourth embodiments described above. For example, in the first to fourth embodiments, the temperature is taken into consideration when determining the discharge time of the content liquid. However, in the present invention, the discharge time can be determined without considering the temperature. can. As such a form, for example, the conversion formula shown in formula (1) may not be a function of the temperature x, but may be a formula determined according to the product code or product name. Further, for example, it is conceivable that the ejection time table corresponding to the temperature in Table 2 and FIG. 7 is a table in which a constant ejection time is recorded for each product code and product name regardless of the temperature.
Further, as a form in which the temperature is not taken into account, for example, the recording unit 57 is caused to record the discharge amount (Y) of the content liquid 70 to be discharged as operation information, and the operation information conversion unit stores the amount of the dispenser per unit weight or unit volume. The driving time (unit driving time: t0) for ejecting the amount of the content liquid 70 may be recorded. By doing so, the reading unit 55 reads the required ejection amount (Y) from the recording unit 57 and inputs it to the operation information acquiring unit 501 . The motion information acquisition unit 501 outputs the required ejection amount (Y) to the motion information conversion unit. For example, the operation information conversion unit can obtain the discharge time T1 of the air pump 40 when obtaining the discharge amount Y by multiplying the discharge amount (Y) by the unit drive time t0, as in the following equation (2). can.
T1=Y·t0 Expression (2)

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Bottle part 11... Bottle accommodating part 12... Outer container 14... Container main body 20... Discharge part 30... Base cap part 31... Dip tube 32... Cylindrical body 33... Inlet mesh 34... On-off valve 35... Former 37... Former joint 39... Outlet mesh 40... Air pump 43... Coupling part 43a... Case side cup Ring portion 43b Bottle side coupling portion 50 Control portion 51 Detection portion 53 Temperature sensor 55 Reading portion 57 Recording portion 60 Housing 61 Main body 62 Head portion 70 Content liquid 71 Air passages 72, 73 Liquid flow passage 75 Gas-liquid contact portion 100 Dispenser 132 Nozzle cap portion 134... Vertical flow path pipe part 171... Communication sleeve part 173... Extension nozzle pipe part 200... Dispenser 501... Operation information acquisition part 502, 505, 802, 902... Operation information Conversion unit 503: discharge amount control unit

Claims (4)

a discharge mechanism capable of attaching a container containing a content liquid, performing a discharge operation for discharging the content liquid contained in the container from a discharge port; and a control section for controlling the discharge mechanism. A dispenser that discharges from a discharge port a content liquid whose viscosity changes depending on the temperature,
a temperature sensor ;
A reading unit that reads the record attached to the container ,
The record records operation information related to the ejection operation of the ejection mechanism when the content liquid is ejected,
The operation information includes information indicating the type of the content liquid and information determining the time or speed for discharging the content liquid determined based on the temperature,
The control unit acquires the temperature measured by the temperature sensor and the record read by the reading unit, and the time or speed at which the ejection mechanism ejects the content liquid based on the operation information. A dispenser characterized by controlling 2. The dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein said control unit holds information indicating an operation condition of said discharge mechanism or a conversion formula for converting into said operation condition, corresponding to the record given to said container. The dispenser according to claim 1 or 2 , further comprising an input section for receiving input of the operation information, wherein the control section acquires the operation information from the input section. A dispenser control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
a step of acquiring operation information related to the ejection operation of the ejection mechanism when ejecting the content liquid from at least one of a container containing the content liquid, an input unit for accepting input of operation information, and a temperature sensor;
and a step of controlling the ejection operation of the ejection mechanism based on the acquired operation information.

Images