JP7289202B2 - carbonated water dispenser - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a carbonated water dispenser, and more particularly, to a hygienically favorable carbonated water dispenser capable of timely producing and discharging carbonated water.

The drinking water dispenser (or drinking water server) is equipped with a large-capacity bottle (approximately 7 to 12 L) filled with drinking water such as mineral water, and the necessary amount of water is timely collected into a cup or the like for drinking. It is a thing. In recent years, there has been an increase in the form of delivery and consumption of these bottles to homes, restaurants, hospitals, various offices, and the like.

Also, in recent years, a carbonated water dispenser capable of generating and providing carbonated water within the dispenser has been known. Carbonated water dispensers are classified into batch-type carbonated water dispensers and continuous carbonated water dispensers.

Batch-type dispensers include, for example, a portable water carbonation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 and a water server disclosed in Patent Document 2. The former produces carbonated water in the pressure vessel by supplying fresh water from a head tank to the pressure vessel and injecting carbon dioxide under pressure from an injection nozzle. In the latter, the drinking water cooled by the drinking water cooling unit is spouted from the drinking water spouting unit, and then carbon dioxide gas is spouted from the carbon dioxide spouting unit onto the spouted drinking water to generate carbonated water.

As a continuous carbonated water dispenser, for example, there is a drinking water server disclosed in Patent Document 3. In the drinking water server, when the drinking water passes through the inside of the predetermined case, the carbon dioxide gas in the separately installed cylinder is supplied to the case through the porous body, thereby dissolving the carbonated water in the water and producing the carbonated water. Generate and then supply to the outside.

However, since the conventional carbonated water dispenser does not use up the generated carbonated water each time, the carbonated water that has not been discharged is stored inside. As a result, bacteria and the like proliferate, making it difficult to supply clean carbonated water, which may pose a sanitation problem.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-43774 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-81601 JP 2014-144788 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a hygienically favorable carbonated water dispenser capable of timely producing and discharging an appropriate amount of carbonated water according to the user's request. to do.

The above conventional problems are solved by the inventions described below.
That is, in order to solve the above problems, the carbonated water dispenser according to the present invention is a carbonated water dispenser capable of timely generating and discharging carbonated water, wherein the carbonated water is generated under pressure. a production unit, a drinking water supply unit that supplies drinking water for producing the carbonated water to the production unit, and a carbon dioxide gas for producing the carbonated water to the production unit to which the drinking water is supplied a carbon dioxide gas supply unit for supplying; a water discharge unit for discharging carbonated water generated in the generation unit; and a control unit for controlling the drinking water supply unit, the carbon dioxide gas supply unit and the water discharge unit, The drink supplied from the drinking water supply unit to the carbon dioxide gas supply unit by controlling the water supply unit to supply the amount of drinking water according to the usage amount requested by the user to the generation unit. controlling the supply amount of water, the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide gas dissolved in the drinking water, and/or the amount of carbon dioxide gas to be supplied to the generation unit according to the pressure inside the generation unit; and controlling the unit so that the entire amount of carbonated water generated in the generating unit is discharged.

According to the above configuration, when the user requests carbonated water to flow, the control unit issues an operation command to the drinking water supply unit, and supplies the amount of drinking water according to the amount requested by the user to the generation unit. to control. Further, when drinking water is supplied to the generation unit, the control unit issues an operation command to the carbon dioxide gas supply unit, and determines the supply amount of drinking water, the amount of carbon dioxide dissolved in the drinking water, and/or the generation unit. It is controlled to supply the amount of carbon dioxide to the generator according to the internal pressure. As a result, the generation unit can generate the amount of carbonated water requested by the user. Alternatively, carbonated water in which the amount of carbon dioxide dissolved by the user is dissolved can be produced. Also, carbonated water can be produced while preventing the pressure inside the production unit from exceeding a certain set value. Then, the control unit issues an operation command to the water discharge unit so that the entire amount of the carbonated water generated by the generation unit is discharged.

That is, with the above configuration, the amount of carbonated water required by the user can be generated in a timely manner, and the entire amount can be discharged. No need to store. As a result, it is possible to prevent bacteria and the like from proliferating inside the carbonated water dispenser, thereby improving sanitation. In addition, compared with conventional carbonated water dispensers that generate carbonated water by manually injecting carbon dioxide gas, the amount of carbon dioxide gas required by the user can be stably dissolved. It is possible to prevent the amount from fluctuating. Furthermore, for example, it is possible to provide a carbonated water dispenser that can easily conform to the provisions of the High Pressure Gas Safety Law.

In the above configuration, the carbon dioxide supply unit includes a pressure reducing valve that is not controlled by the control unit, and the pressure reducing valve is closed when the pressure inside the generation unit reaches an arbitrary set value. However, when it is less than the set value, the cap may be opened to supply carbon dioxide gas to the generating section. As a result, when the pressure in the generator reaches an arbitrary set value, the pressure reducing valve is closed, which can prevent the pressure in the generator from becoming excessively large. Further, when the pressure in the generation unit is lower than the set value, the pressure reducing valve is opened to supply carbon dioxide, thereby dissolving a larger amount of carbon dioxide in the drinking water. This makes it possible to generate so-called strongly carbonated water in which a large amount of carbon dioxide gas is dissolved, as compared with a conventional carbonated water dispenser. In addition, compared to a conventional carbonated water dispenser that manually dissolves carbon dioxide gas in drinking water to generate carbonated water, the dissolved amount of carbon dioxide gas can be kept constant. As a result, it is possible to generate carbonated water in which a constant amount of carbon dioxide gas is always dissolved.

In the above configuration, the control unit instructs the carbon dioxide supply unit to stop supplying carbon dioxide to the generation unit when the pressure inside the generation unit reaches an arbitrary set value. and the carbon dioxide supply unit may be instructed to supply the carbon dioxide gas to the generation unit when it is below the set value. As a result, when the pressure in the generation unit reaches an arbitrary set value, the control unit instructs the carbon dioxide gas supply unit to stop the supply of carbon dioxide gas, thereby preventing the pressure in the generation unit from becoming excessively large. can be suppressed. Further, when the pressure in the generation unit is lower than the set value, the control unit instructs the carbon dioxide supply unit to supply carbon dioxide gas, so that more carbon dioxide gas can be dissolved in the drinking water. . This makes it possible to generate so-called strongly carbonated water in which a large amount of carbon dioxide gas is dissolved, as compared with a conventional carbonated water dispenser. In addition, compared to a conventional carbonated water dispenser that manually dissolves carbon dioxide gas in drinking water to generate carbonated water, the dissolved amount of carbon dioxide gas can be kept constant. As a result, it is possible to generate carbonated water in which a constant amount of carbon dioxide gas is always dissolved.

Further, in the above configuration, the generation unit stirs the drinking water supplied from the drinking water supply unit when the carbon dioxide gas supplied from the carbon dioxide gas supply unit is dissolved in the drinking water. It is preferable that a stirring section is provided. By providing an agitating part and agitating the drinking water in the agitating part when the carbon dioxide gas is dissolved in the drinking water, the concentration of the carbon dioxide gas dissolved in the drinking water can be made uniform and the occurrence of a concentration gradient can be suppressed. can. As a result, it is possible to produce so-called strongly carbonated water in which a larger amount of carbon dioxide gas is dissolved than in the past.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION This invention has an effect as described below by the means demonstrated above.
In the carbonated water dispenser of the present invention, the amount of drinking water corresponding to the amount requested by the user is supplied to the generating unit, and the amount of carbon dioxide corresponding to the amount of supplied drinking water is supplied to the generating unit to produce carbonated water. It should be generated in a timely manner. Further, the generated carbonated water is all discharged from the water outlet to meet the user's demand. That is, since carbonated water is not generated and stored in advance, it is possible to suppress or prevent the growth of bacteria and the like, and it is possible to always supply clean carbonated water. As a result, it is possible to provide a carbonated water dispenser excellent in hygiene.

In the carbonated water dispenser of the present invention, carbonated water is timely generated by supplying carbon dioxide gas in an amount corresponding to the dissolved amount of carbon dioxide gas dissolved in drinking water to the generating unit. Therefore, compared to conventional carbonated water dispensers that generate carbonated water by manually injecting carbon dioxide gas, the carbonated water dispenser can generate carbonated water while suppressing variations in the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide gas. can provide

Furthermore, since the carbonated water dispenser of the present invention can supply carbon dioxide gas according to the pressure inside the generating unit to generate carbonated water, it can be easily adapted to the provisions of the High Pressure Gas Safety Law, for example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the whole structure of the carbonated water dispenser which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front view showing the whole structure of the said carbonated water dispenser. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the principal part of the said carbonated water dispenser. It is an explanatory view showing a schematic structure of a control unit in the carbonated water dispenser. It is a schematic diagram showing the modification of the carbonated water production|generation tank in the said carbonated water dispenser.

(Embodiment 1)
First, the configuration of the carbonated water dispenser according to this embodiment will be described below.
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a carbonated water dispenser according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the overall configuration of the carbonated water dispenser. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a main part of the carbonated water dispenser. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control unit in the carbonated water dispenser. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the generator in the carbonated water dispenser.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the carbonated water dispenser 10 of the present embodiment includes a supply portion 11 for supplying drinking water 15 and a main body portion on which the supply portion 11 can be detachably installed. 12 at least.

The supply unit 11 includes a bottle 11a that stores drinking water 15 and a bottle cover 11b that can be detachably attached to the main unit 12. As shown in FIG.

The bottle 11a is attached to the water inlet receiver 19 in the upper portion of the main body 12 with the water inlet 22 facing downward. At the center of the water inlet receiver 19, a water intake pipe 20 for inserting the water inlet 22 of the bottle 11a and taking in the drinking water 15 is erected. Drinking water 15 taken in through water intake pipe 20 is stored in storage tank 14 . The material for the bottle 11a is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include PET (polyethylene terephthalate).

The bottle cover 11b is detachably mounted on the upper portion of the housing 18 of the main body 12. As shown in FIG. Further, the bottle cover 11b protects the bottle 11a by covering the bottle 11a. Furthermore, the shape and size of the bottle cover 11b are not particularly limited as long as they can cover at least the bottle 11a. In this embodiment, the overall shape of the bottle cover 11b is substantially cubic, and the size is set so that the outer surface thereof is flush with the outer surface of the housing 18, which will be described later.

A constituent material of the bottle cover 11b is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polycarbonate. The thickness of the bottle cover 11b is also not particularly limited, but is usually in the range of 1 mm to 5 mm, preferably in the range of 2 mm to 3 mm.

The body portion 12 includes a water outlet (outlet portion) 13 for discharging drinking water 15, a storage tank 14 for storing the drinking water supplied from the bottle 11a, a hot water tank 16 provided below the storage tank 14, and an outlet. At least a cooling water supply pipe 17 connecting the water port 13 and the reservoir 14 and a housing 18 are provided. The main unit 12 also includes a carbonated water production tank (generation unit) 31 that produces carbonated water 38 , a drinking water supply unit 32 that supplies cooling water 15 b to the carbonated water production tank 31 , and a carbon dioxide gas to the carbonated water production tank 31 . At least a control unit (controller) 43 for controlling each part of the carbonated water dispenser 10 is provided.

The storage tank 14 divides and stores the drinking water 15 supplied from the bottle 11a into normal temperature water 15a maintained at normal temperature and cooling water 15b cooled to a constant temperature. More specifically, a plate-shaped separator 21 is provided inside the storage tank 14. Above the separator 21, a room-temperature water layer 14a for storing room-temperature water 15a is provided. A cooling water layer 14b that stores water 15b is provided. A cooling unit 25 is provided on the outer periphery of the storage tank 14 at a portion corresponding to the lower side of the separator 21 . The liquid temperature of the cooling water layer 14b of the cooling water 15b is preferably in the range of 0°C to 15°C, more preferably in the range of 5°C to 10°C. By setting the liquid temperature of the cooling water 15b to 0° C. or higher, it is possible to prevent water from solidifying. On the other hand, by setting the liquid temperature of the cooling water 15b to 15° C. or less, it is possible to prevent insufficient dissolution of carbon dioxide gas in the cooling water 15b in the carbonated water production tank 31, which will be described later _. The cooling unit 25 is not particularly limited, and for example, a known temperature control mechanism such as a chiller, a pipe through which temperature-controlled water is passed, or the like can be used.

A cooling water supply pipe 17 communicating with the water outlet 13 is connected to the storage tank 14 . Since the cooling water supply pipe 17 is connected to the bottom of the storage tank 14 , only the cooling water 15 b of the cooling water layer 14 b in the storage tank 14 flows through the cooling water supply pipe 17 . Also, the cooling water supply pipe 17 is connected to a cold water outlet 13a, which is one of the water outlets 13, so that the cooling water 15b can be discharged (see FIG. 2).

An external communication part 46 with a built-in filter is provided on the ceiling of the storage tank 14 . When the normal temperature drinking water 15a or the cooling water 15b is taken out from the storage tank 14, or the hot water 16a is taken out from the hot water tank 16 (details will be described later), outside air is taken in from the external communication part 46, and the water is stored. It is possible to prevent the pressure in the tank 14 from decreasing. As a result, the water level of the drinking water stored in the room-temperature water layer 14a can be lowered without difficulty. Further, when the drinking water 15 is supplied from the bottle 11a to the storage tank 14, the air inside the storage tank 14 is discharged through the external communication part 46, thereby increasing the pressure in the storage tank 14. can be suppressed. Thereby, drinking water can be stored in the storage tank 14 reasonably. Incidentally, since the external communication portion 46 is provided with the filter, it is possible to prevent germs and the like from entering the inside of the storage tank 14 .

A hot water tank 16 is positioned below the storage tank 14 . The hot water tank 16 is provided with a heater (not shown) for heating the stored hot water 16a, thereby storing the hot water. Also, the hot water tank 16 is provided with a supply pipe 29 for enabling the normal temperature water 15a to be supplied from the normal temperature water layer 14a in the storage tank 14 . An inlet opening 29 a of the supply pipe 29 is open to the normal temperature water layer 14 a of the storage tank 14 . In addition, the outlet opening 29b opens to the bottom side of the hot water tank 16. As shown in FIG. Furthermore, the hot water tank 16 is connected to a hot water outlet 13b, which is one of the water outlets 13, via a hot water supply pipe 28, so that hot water 16a can be discharged from the hot water outlet 13b. (See Figure 2).

As shown in FIG. 3, the drinking water supply unit 32 supplies the carbonated water production tank 31 with cooling water 15b as drinking water, which is a raw material for carbonated water. The drinking water supply unit 32 is composed of a drinking water supply pipe 32a and an on-off valve 32b inserted in the path of the drinking water supply 32a.

One end of the drinking water supply pipe 32 a is connected to the bottom of the storage tank 14 . As a result, only the cooling water 15b of the cooling water layer 14b in the storage tank 14 is supplied to the carbonated water production tank 31 through the drinking water supply pipe 32a. The other end of the drinking water supply pipe 32 a is connected to the carbonated water production tank 31 .

The on-off valve 32 b is electrically connected to the control unit 43 . The opening and closing of the on-off valve 32b is controlled by the control unit 43 issuing an operation command based on the usage amount requested by the user. When the control unit 43 issues an opening command to the on-off valve 32b, the amount of cooling water 15b corresponding to the usage amount requested by the user is supplied from the storage tank 14 to the carbonated water generating tank 31. FIG. The opening and closing of the on-off valve 32b may be controlled by the control unit 43 issuing an operation command based on the value detected by the water level sensor 42 provided in the carbonated water production tank 31.

The carbonated water production tank 31 produces carbonated water 38 by dissolving carbon dioxide in the cooling water 15b under pressure. The carbonated water production tank 31 has a substantially cylindrical overall shape. A drinking water supply pipe 32 a is connected to the ceiling of the carbonated water production tank 31 , and the carbonated water production tank 31 is positioned below the storage tank 14 . As a result, the cooling water 15b in the storage tank 14 can be supplied to the carbonated water production tank 31 by its own weight.

A production tank cooling part 31 a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the carbonated water production tank 31 . The production tank cooling part 31 a is electrically connected to the control unit 43 . A temperature sensor (not shown) is also provided in the carbonated water production tank 31, and the control unit 43 is also electrically connected to this temperature sensor. Then, the control unit 43 cools the carbonated water production tank 31 by controlling the operation of the production tank cooling part 31a based on the value detected by the temperature sensor. As a result, the cooling water 15b stored in the carbonated water production tank 31 can be cooled, and the dissolution of carbon dioxide in the cooling water 15b can be promoted. The liquid temperature of the cooling water 15b is preferably in the range of 0°C to 15°C, more preferably in the range of 5°C to 10°C. By setting the liquid temperature of the cooling water 15b to 5° C. or higher, it is possible to prevent water from solidifying. On the other hand, by setting the liquid temperature of the cooling water 15b to 15° C. or less, it is possible to suppress insufficient dissolution of the carbon dioxide gas into the cooling water 15b _. The production tank cooling unit 31a is not particularly limited, and for example, a known temperature control mechanism such as a chiller, a pipe through which temperature-controlled water is passed, or the like can be used.

Also, the carbonated water production tank 31 is connected to a water outlet for discharging carbonated water 38 . The water outlet includes a carbonated water outlet 13c, which is one of the water outlets 13, a carbonated water supply pipe 39, an on-off valve 41, and a filter 44 (see FIG. 2). The carbonated water supply pipe 39 is connected to the bottom of the carbonated water production tank 31, and has a structure in which the carbonated water 38 flows through the carbonated water supply pipe 39 by its own weight. The on-off valve 41 is inserted in the path of the carbonated water supply pipe 39 and electrically connected to the control unit 43 . Opening and closing of the on-off valve 41 is controlled by an operation command from the control unit 43 . When the control unit 43 issues an opening operation command to the on-off valve 41, the entire amount of carbonated water produced in the carbonated water production tank 31 is discharged from the carbonated water outlet 13c. The filter 44 is provided on the upstream side of the on-off valve 41 in the path of the carbonated water supply pipe 39 . By providing the filter 44, the carbonated water 38 can be discharged by removing bacteria and the like.

The carbonated water production tank 31 is provided with a safety mechanism for keeping the pressure inside the carbonated water production tank 31 below a certain set value. Specifically, a discharge pipe 45 is connected to the ceiling of the carbonated water production tank 31 for exhausting the gas inside the carbonated water production tank 31 . A safety valve 35 is interposed in the path of the discharge pipe 45 . The safety valve 35 is opened when the pressure in the carbonated water production tank 31 exceeds a certain set value, thereby adjusting the pressure in the carbonated water production tank 31 .

In order to maintain the pressure inside the carbonated water production tank 31 at a pressure suitable for the outflow of the produced carbonated water 38 into the carbonated water production tank 31 through the carbonated water supply pipe 39. Other mechanisms are also provided. Specifically, a first branch pipe 45a is provided which branches from the discharge pipe 45 and has an on-off valve 36a and a back pressure valve 36b interposed in its path. The on-off valve 36 a is electrically connected to the control unit 43 . The opening and closing of the on-off valve 36a is controlled by the control unit 43 issuing an operation command. When water flows, the control unit 43 opens the on-off valve 36a. Furthermore, the pressure inside the carbonated water production tank 31 can be kept at a constant value by the back pressure valve 36b. The pressure set value of the back pressure valve 36b is a pressure equal to or lower than the set value of the safety valve 35. As shown in FIG. When opening the on-off valve 36a, an on-off valve 37, which will be described later, is closed.

Further, the carbonated water producing tank 31 is provided with another mechanism for making the pressure inside the carbonated water producing tank 31 equal to, for example, the atmospheric pressure when drinking water is supplied into the carbonated water producing tank 31. is also provided. Specifically, a second branch pipe 45b is provided which branches from the discharge pipe 45 and has an on-off valve 37 inserted in its path. The on-off valve 37 is electrically connected to the control unit 43 . The opening and closing of the on-off valve 37 is controlled by the control unit 43 issuing an operation command. When supplying drinking water to the carbonated water production tank 31 , the control unit 43 opens the on-off valve 37 . As a result, part of the gas inside the carbonated water production tank 31 can be exhausted from the discharge pipe 45 and the second branch pipe 45b, and the pressure inside the carbonated water production tank 31 can be made equal to the atmospheric pressure. When the supply of drinking water ends, the control unit 43 closes the on-off valve 37 . When opening the on-off valve 37, the on-off valve 36a and the back pressure valve 36b are both closed.

The carbon dioxide supply unit 33 supplies carbon dioxide to the carbonated water production tank 31 . The carbon dioxide gas supply unit 33 includes a carbon dioxide gas supply pipe 33a, a bubble supply port 33b for supplying fine bubbles of carbon dioxide gas, a carbon dioxide cylinder 33c for storing carbon dioxide gas, a pressure reducing valve 33d, and an on-off valve 33e. Configured.

The carbon dioxide supply pipe 33a is inserted through the inside of the carbonated water production tank 31 so that the bubble supply port 33b is immersed in the cooling water 15b stored in the carbonated water production tank 31 . By immersing the bubble supply port 33b in the cooling water 15b, fine bubbles of carbon dioxide gas can be supplied to the cooling water 15b.

The pressure reducing valve 33d is interposed in the path of the carbon dioxide gas supply pipe 33a and arranged upstream of the on-off valve 33e (that is, on the installation side of the carbon dioxide cylinder 33c). The pressure reducing valve 33 d is not electrically connected to the control unit 43 .

The on-off valve 33 e is electrically connected to the control unit 43 . The opening and closing of the on-off valve 33e is controlled by the control unit 43 issuing an operation command. For example, when the carbonated water 38 is generated in response to a request for the carbonated water 38 to flow out, when the control unit 43 issues an opening operation command to the on-off valve 33e, the cooling water 15b supplied from the drinking water supply unit 32 , the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide to be dissolved in the cooling water 15b, and/or the amount of carbon dioxide corresponding to the pressure inside the carbonated water generating tank 31 is supplied to the carbonated water generating tank 31 through the carbon dioxide gas supply pipe 33a. supplied to

Incidentally, the supply of carbon dioxide gas is not limited to the case of producing the carbonated water 38 . For example, when the generated carbonated water 38 is discharged from the carbonated water outlet 13c through the carbonated water supply pipe 39, the pressure inside the carbonated water generation tank 31 is insufficient, and it is difficult to send the liquid. good.

The stirring unit 34 stirs the drinking water in the carbonated water production tank 31 . The stirring section 34 is composed of a rotor 34a, a magnet 34b, and a motor 34c that rotates the magnet 34b. The rotor 34 a is provided inside the carbonated water production tank 31 . Motor 34 c is electrically connected to control unit 43 . The driving of the motor 34c is controlled by the control unit 43 issuing an operation command.

In this embodiment, the case where the rotor 34a is used as the stirring unit 34 will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this aspect. For example, a stirring device equipped with stirring blades or mechanical stirring rods may be used.

The control unit 43 is electrically connected to each part of the carbonated water dispenser 10 (see FIG. 3) and controls the operation of each part. As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 43 is composed of a computer having at least an arithmetic processing section 43a, a memory section 43b, and an input/output section 43c. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of the control unit 43 in the carbonated water dispenser 10. As shown in FIG.

A CPU that performs various types of arithmetic processing can be used as the arithmetic processing unit 43a. The memory unit 43b includes ROM (Read-Only Memory) which is a read-only memory for storing programs, RAM (Random-Access Memory) which is a readable and writable memory for storing various information, control software, data, etc. A magnetic disk or the like for storing is provided. Programs such as carbonated water generation are pre-stored in the magnetic disk. The CPU reads the program into the RAM, and the CPU controls each part of the carbonated water dispenser 10 according to the content of the program. The input/output unit 43c includes a water level sensor 42 for measuring the water level in the carbonated water production tank 31, a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure in the carbonated water production tank 31, a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature in the carbonated water production tank 31, and the like. Detected inputs from various sensors are applied. In addition, an operation input is also provided by a cold water switch requesting the cooling water 15b, a carbonated water switch requesting the carbonated water 38, and a hot water switch requesting the hot water 16a (none of them are shown).

Next, using the carbonated water dispenser 10 of the present embodiment, the operation of the carbonated water dispenser 10 when generating and discharging carbonated water will be described below.

First, when the user operates the carbonated water switch to request the carbonated water 38 to flow out, the control unit 43 issues an operation command to open the on-off valve 32b of the drinking water supply unit 32 . As a result, the cooling water 15b in the cooling water layer 14b of the storage tank 14 is supplied to the carbonated water production tank 31 through the drinking water supply pipe 32a. The supply amount of the cooling water 15b is determined based on the usage amount requested by the user, and can be controlled by the control unit 43 by adjusting the opening time of the on-off valve 32b. The on-off valve 33 e , the on-off valve 36 a and the on-off valve 41 are all closed by an operation command from the control unit 43 .

The control unit 43 also issues an operation command to open the on-off valve 37 . As a result, part of the gas inside the carbonated water production tank 31 is exhausted from the discharge pipe 45 and the second branch pipe 45b, and the pressure inside the carbonated water production tank 31 is adjusted to the atmospheric pressure.

When the amount of cooling water 15b corresponding to the amount used is supplied into the carbonated water production tank 31, the control unit 43 issues an operation command to close the on-off valve 32b. Also, an operation command is issued to the on-off valve 37 so as to close it. An operation command is issued to the on-off valve 33e, the on-off valve 36a, and the on-off valve 41 so as to maintain the closed state.

When the pressure sensor detects that the pressure inside the carbonated water generating tank 31 exceeds a certain set value during the supply of the cooling water 15b, the control unit 43 controls to open the on-off valve 37. You may let As a result, part of the gas inside the carbonated water production tank 31 can be exhausted from the discharge pipe 45 and the second branch pipe 45b, and the pressure inside the carbonated water production tank 31 can be kept below a certain value.

After the supply of the cooling water 15b is completed, the control unit 43 issues an operation command to open the on-off valve 33e of the carbon dioxide supply unit 33. FIG. As a result, the carbon dioxide stored in the carbon dioxide cylinder 33c is supplied to the carbonated water production tank 31 through the carbon dioxide supply pipe 33a. The supply amount of carbon dioxide gas is determined according to the supply amount of drinking water supplied from the drinking water supply unit 32 and stored in the carbonated water production tank 31 . Alternatively, it may be determined based on the degree of dissolution of carbonated water requested by the user (that is, weakly carbonated water, strongly carbonated water, etc.) and the value of the pressure inside the carbonated water generation tank 31 detected by the pressure sensor. good. The amount of carbon dioxide supplied is determined based on at least one of these conditions. In this embodiment, the pressure reducing valve 33d is operated by the control unit 43 when the pressure in the carbonated water generating tank 31 reaches an arbitrary set value while the on-off valve 33e is open. It closes automatically without receiving a command. Further, when the pressure falls below the set value, the pressure reducing valve 33d is automatically opened without receiving an operation command from the control unit 43, and the carbon dioxide in the carbon dioxide cylinder 33c is supplied to the carbonated water production tank 31. do.

Here, the supply of carbon dioxide gas to the carbonated water generating tank 31 means that the on-off valve 33e is opened. Therefore, it does not include the case where the on-off valve 33e is closed, but the inside of the carbonated water generating tank 31 is filled with carbon dioxide gas, so that carbon dioxide gas can be supplied to the cooling water 15b. The supply of carbon dioxide gas, that is, the opening of the on-off valve 33e is performed at least until the pressure in the carbonated water production tank 31 reaches a constant set value.

Although the set value of the pressure in the carbonated water production tank 31 is not particularly limited, the upper limit is preferably less than 1.0 MPaG considering the provisions of the High Pressure Gas Safety Law. On the other hand, the lower limit is preferably 0.8 MPaG or more, more preferably 0.9 MPaG or more, from the viewpoint of sufficiently dissolving the carbon dioxide gas in the cooling water 15b. The on-off valve 32b, the on-off valve 36a, the on-off valve 37, and the on-off valve 41 are all closed by an operation command from the control unit 43 during the supply of carbon dioxide gas.

The supply of carbon dioxide gas may be performed by continuously opening the on-off valve 33e during a certain set period, or may be performed by intermittently repeating opening and closing a plurality of times. When the on-off valve 33e is intermittently opened to supply carbon dioxide gas a plurality of times, the time from the first opening to the next opening is not particularly limited and can be set arbitrarily. .

When the pressure in the carbonated water production tank 31 exceeds the set value during the supply of carbon dioxide gas, the safety valve 35 is automatically opened and the carbon dioxide gas is discharged from the discharge pipe 45 . After the pressure in the carbonated water production tank 31 drops below the set value, the safety valve 35 is closed.

Simultaneously with the start of the supply of carbon dioxide gas, the control unit 43 issues an operation command to the stirring unit 34 to stir the cooling water 15b in the carbonated water production tank 31 . More specifically, the control unit 43 issues an operation command to the motor 34c of the stirring section 34 to drive it. As a result, the motor 34c is driven to rotate the magnet 34b, thereby rotating the rotor 34a placed in the carbonated water production tank 31. As shown in FIG. By stirring the cooling water 15b, the concentration of the carbon dioxide dissolved in the cooling water 15b can be made uniform, and the concentration gradient can be suppressed. This makes it possible to generate carbonated water 38 in which a larger amount of carbon dioxide gas is dissolved than in a conventional carbonated water dispenser.

The stirring speed and stirring time can be appropriately set as required. The stirring speed can be adjusted by controlling the rotation speed of the rotor 34a according to the operation command of the control unit 43. Also, the stirring time can be adjusted by controlling the drive time of the motor 34c according to the operation command from the control unit 43. FIG. By adjusting the stirring speed and/or stirring time, it is possible to control the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide gas in the carbonated water 38 that is produced. For example, by increasing the stirring speed and lengthening the stirring time, more carbon dioxide gas can be dissolved in the cooling water 15b. As a result, it is possible to produce so-called strongly carbonated water.

Here, the term "stirring speed" as used herein means the rotational speed (rpm) of the rotor 34a. However, for example, when a stirring device equipped with a stirring blade is used as the stirring unit 34, the stirring speed may mean the speed of the tip of the stirring blade. )×(radius of stirring blade)×(rotation speed per unit time)). Further, when a stirring device equipped with a mechanical stirring rod is used as the stirring section, the stirring speed can be represented by the rotational speed (rpm) of the mechanical stirring rod.

The stirring by the stirring unit 34 ends at the same time as the supply of carbon dioxide gas ends. More specifically, the control unit 43 issues an operation command to the motor 34c of the stirring section 34 to stop driving, thereby ending the stirring.

The driving of the stirring unit 34 may be started after the supply of the cooling water 15b is finished and before the supply of the carbon dioxide gas is started. Alternatively, it may be after the start of supply of carbon dioxide and before the end of supply of carbon dioxide. Further, the driving of the stirring unit 34 may be finished after the supply of carbon dioxide gas is started or before the supply of carbon dioxide gas is finished. Alternatively, it may be after the supply of carbon dioxide is finished.

After the carbonated water 38 is produced, the control unit 43 issues an operation command to open the on-off valve 41 of the carbonated water supply pipe 39 so that the carbonated water 38 is discharged from the carbonated water outlet 13c. Further, the control unit 43 issues an operation command to the on-off valve 33e of the carbon dioxide gas supply unit 33 so as to close it. The on-off valve 32b and the on-off valve 37 are kept closed.

When the on-off valve 41 of the carbonated water supply pipe 39 is opened, the carbonated water 38 in the carbonated water production tank 31 flows through the carbonated water supply pipe 39 by its own weight, and the entire amount of the carbonated water is discharged from the carbonated water outlet 13c in a timely manner. . As a result, it is possible to prevent the carbonated water 38 from remaining in the carbonated water production tank 31 and suppress or prevent the growth of bacteria and the like. As a result, clean carbonated water 38 can be supplied at all times, and hygiene can be improved. In the present embodiment, "timely" means that, for example, when the user operates the carbonated water switch to request the carbonated water to flow, a new It means that carbonated water is produced and provided to the user.

When the carbonated water 38 flows out, the control unit 43 issues an operation command to open the on-off valve 36a. Since the pressure setting value of the back pressure valve 36b is set to be equal to or lower than the pressure setting value of the safety valve 35, the pressure inside the carbonated water production tank 31 is maintained at a pressure suitable for the outflow of carbonated water. . As a result, stable outflow of the carbonated water 38 is enabled.

When it is difficult to pour out the carbonated water 38 by its own weight, the pressure in the carbonated water production tank 31 is increased by introducing the carbon dioxide stored in the carbon dioxide cylinder 33c into the carbonated water production tank 31. Carbonated water 38 may be pumped. In this case, the control unit 43 issues an operation command to open the on-off valve 33e. As a result, the entire amount of the carbonated water 38 can be reliably discharged.

Alternatively, a gas supply unit may be provided separately, and gas may be supplied from the gas supply unit into the carbonated water production tank 31 to increase the pressure in the carbonated water production tank 31 and pump the carbonated water 38 . In this case, the gas supply section has at least a gas supply pipe and an on-off valve. Moreover, as a gas supply source, a blower, a fan, or the like for blowing gas may be used in addition to a gas cylinder for storing gas.

The gas supply pipe is provided between the gas supply source and the carbonated water production tank 31 . The gas supply pipe is connected to the ceiling of the carbonated water production tank 31, and is configured so as not to cause bubbling to the carbonated water 38 stored when supplying to the carbonated water production tank 31. there is Also, the on-off valve is electrically connected to the control unit 43 . The opening and closing of the on-off valve is controlled by the control unit 43 issuing an operation command. Specifically, when the carbonated water 38 is generated in response to a request for the carbonated water 38 to flow out, the control unit 43 issues an opening operation command to the on-off valve. As a result, the gas can be supplied into the carbonated water production tank 31 through the gas supply pipe, and the pressure inside the carbonated water production tank 31 can be increased to pump out the carbonated water 38 .

The type of gas is not particularly limited as long as it is safe for the human body, and examples thereof include air and nitrogen gas.

As described above, the carbonated water dispenser 10 of the present embodiment timely generates the amount of carbonated water 38 requested by the user, and supplies the entire amount of the carbonated water to the user. There is no need to store 38 inside for a long period of time. Therefore, it is possible to suppress or prevent the growth of bacteria and the like inside the carbonated water dispenser 10, and it is possible to always supply clean carbonated water. In addition, compared to a conventional carbonated water dispenser that generates carbonated water by manually injecting carbon dioxide gas, the carbonated water 38 can be generated while suppressing variations in the dissolved amount of carbon dioxide gas. Furthermore, for example, it is possible to provide a carbonated water dispenser that easily conforms to the provisions of the High Pressure Gas Safety Law.

(Other Matters)
In the above description, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and can be embodied in various other forms.

For example, as the generating unit, instead of the cylindrical carbonated water generating tank 31 described above, carbonated water generating tanks 51 to 54 shown in FIGS. 5(a) to 5(d) can be used.

In each of the carbonated water production tanks 51 to 53 shown in FIGS. 5(a) to 5(c), both the carbon dioxide supply section and the drinking water supply section are arranged on the ceiling side of the carbonated water production tanks 51 to 53. be. Also, the carbonated water supply unit is arranged on the bottom side where the carbonated water gathers due to its own weight. At least the inner walls of the carbonated water production tanks 51 to 53 are shaped so that the carbonated water flows down by its own weight. This facilitates the supply of carbonated water from the carbonated water generating tanks 51-53. When a stirring unit is provided in the carbonated water production tanks 51 to 53, it is preferable to use a stirring device equipped with a stirring blade or a mechanical stirring rod.

In the carbonated water production tank 54 shown in FIG. 5(d), the carbon dioxide gas supply section and the drinking water supply section are arranged on the ceiling side of the carbonated water production tank 54, and the carbonated water supply section is also located on the ceiling side. placed in Therefore, in the carbonated water production tank 54, it is difficult to cause the carbonated water to flow down by its own weight. When supplying carbonated water, carbon dioxide is supplied from the carbon dioxide supply unit or gas is supplied from the gas supply unit into the carbonated water generation tank 54 to raise the pressure, and the carbonated water is pumped out. I do. When a stirring unit is provided in the carbonated water production tank 54, a stirrer using a rotor can be used in addition to a stirring device equipped with a stirring blade or a mechanical stirring rod.

In the above-described embodiment, when the carbon dioxide gas is supplied to the carbonated water generating tank 31, the carbon dioxide gas supply unit 33 provided with the pressure reducing valve 33d and the on-off valve 33e is used to control the inside of the carbonated water generating tank 31. The case of adjusting the pressure of is explained as an example. However, the invention is not limited to this aspect. For example, instead of the pressure reducing valve 33d and the on-off valve 33e, a pressure control valve that can be controlled by the control unit 43 may be used. In this case, the opening and closing of the pressure control valve is controlled by issuing an operation command from the control unit 43 based on the detected value of the pressure sensor provided in the carbonated water production tank 31 . For example, when the pressure sensor detects that the pressure in the carbonated water production tank 31 has fallen below an arbitrary set value, the control unit 43 opens the pressure control valve until the set value is reached. and issue an operation command. As a result, carbon dioxide gas can be continuously supplied from the carbon dioxide cylinder 33c to the carbonated water production tank 31. Further, when the pressure sensor detects that the pressure in the carbonated water production tank 31 exceeds an arbitrary set value, the control unit 43 issues an operation command to the pressure control valve to close it. As a result, the supply of carbon dioxide gas to the carbonated water production tank 31 can be stopped. Further, the control unit 43 issues an operation command to open the safety valve 35 . Thereby, the pressure in the carbonated water production tank 31 can be adjusted so as not to exceed the set value.

10 carbonated water dispenser 11 supply part 11a bottle 11b bottle cover 12 body part 13 water outlet 13a cold water outlet 13b warm water outlet 13c carbonated water outlet 14 storage tank 14a normal temperature water layer 14b cooling water layer 15 drinking water 16 hot water tank 17 cooling Water supply pipe 18 Housing 19 Water inlet receiver 20 Water intake pipe 21 Separator 22 Water inlet 25 Cooling unit 28 Hot water supply pipe 29 Supply pipe 29a Inlet opening 29b Outlet opening 31, 51 to 54 Carbonated water production tank (production unit)
31a Production tank cooling unit 32 Drinking water supply unit 32a Drinking water supply pipe 32b On-off valve 33 Carbon dioxide supply unit 33a Carbon dioxide supply pipe 33b Bubble supply port 33c Carbon dioxide cylinder 33d Pressure reducing valve 33e On-off valve 34 Stirrer 34a Rotor 34b Magnet 34c Motor 35 Safety valve 36a On-off valve 36b Back pressure valve 37 On-off valve 38 Carbonated water 39 Carbonated water supply pipe 41 On-off valve 42 Water level sensor 43 Control unit (control section)
43a arithmetic processing unit 43b memory unit 43c input/output unit 44 filter 45 discharge pipe 45a first branch pipe 45b second branch pipe 46 external communication unit

Claims (4)

A carbonated water dispenser capable of timely generating and discharging carbonated water,
a generator that generates the carbonated water under pressure;
a drinking water supply unit that supplies drinking water for producing the carbonated water to the generation unit;
a carbon dioxide gas supply unit that supplies carbon dioxide gas for producing the carbonated water to a generation unit to which the drinking water is supplied;
a water output unit for outputting carbonated water generated by the generation unit;
A control unit that controls the drinking water supply unit, the carbon dioxide gas supply unit, and the water discharge unit,
The generation unit is provided with a discharge pipe for discharging the gas inside the generation unit, and a first branch pipe and a second branch pipe branching from the discharge pipe,
The discharge pipe is provided with a safety valve that adjusts the pressure inside the generating unit to an arbitrary set value or less,
The first branch pipe is branched upstream of the position where the safety valve is provided in the discharge pipe, and carbonated water generated in the generation unit is discharged from the water discharge unit in the middle of the route of the first branch pipe. A back pressure valve is provided for adjusting the pressure inside the generating unit to an arbitrary set value or less when the
The second branch pipe is branched upstream of a position where the safety valve is provided in the discharge pipe, and an on-off valve is provided in the middle of the path of the second branch pipe,
The control unit
controlling the drinking water supply unit to supply drinking water to the generation unit in an amount corresponding to the usage amount requested by the user;
The amount of drinking water supplied from the drinking water supply unit to the carbon dioxide supply unit, the amount of carbon dioxide dissolved in the drinking water, and/or the amount corresponding to the internal pressure of the generation unit controlling to supply carbon dioxide gas to the generating unit;
controlling the on-off valve so that the pressure inside the generating unit is equal to the atmospheric pressure when supplying drinking water to the generating unit;
Further, a carbonated water dispenser that controls the water outlet so that the entire amount of the carbonated water generated by the generator is discharged. The carbon dioxide gas supply unit includes a pressure reducing valve that is not controlled by the control unit,
2. The pressure reducing valve according to claim 1, wherein the pressure reducing valve is closed when the pressure inside the generator reaches an arbitrary set value, and is opened to supply carbon dioxide gas to the generator when the pressure falls below the set value. carbonated water dispenser. The control unit instructs the carbon dioxide supply unit to stop supplying carbon dioxide to the generation unit when the pressure inside the generation unit reaches an arbitrary set value,
2. The carbonated water dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the carbon dioxide supply unit is instructed to supply carbon dioxide to the generation unit when the carbon dioxide gas is below the set value. The generating unit is provided with a stirring unit for stirring the drinking water supplied from the drinking water supply unit when the carbon dioxide gas supplied from the carbon dioxide supply unit is dissolved in the drinking water. The carbonated water dispenser according to any one of items 1 to 3.

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