JP7497847B2 - Water server for use during power outages - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a power outage-proof water server that can ensure drinking water and power for mobile information devices both during normal times and during power outages caused by natural disasters.

Traditionally, water servers have been used mainly in offices and hospitals, but in recent years, with growing interest in water safety and health, water servers are becoming more common in ordinary homes as well. A water server generally has a replaceable raw water bottle, a cold water tank that receives and stores water from the raw water bottle, a cooling device that cools the water in the cold water tank, and a cold water tap for pouring the cold water in the cold water tank. By opening the cold water tap, delicious cold water can be enjoyed at any time, making it extremely convenient.

Water servers are broadly divided into gravity-feed types, in which water falls from a raw water bottle into a cold water tank using the water's own weight (e.g., Patent Document 1), and pump-up types, in which water is pumped up from a raw water bottle using an electric pump (e.g., Patent Document 2).

Gravity-feed water servers always have the raw water bottle positioned higher than the cold water tank, so when replacing the raw water bottle, the full raw water bottle (approximately 7-15 kg) must be lifted up to a high position on the housing, which places a heavy burden on users (especially women and the elderly) to replace the raw water bottle. In contrast, pump-up water servers use an electric pump to pump water from the raw water bottle, so the raw water bottle can be positioned lower than the cold water tank and there is no need to set the raw water bottle in a high position on the housing. Therefore, pump-up water servers have the advantage that the workload of replacing the raw water bottle is small.

JP 2010-228807 A JP 2014-169120 A

In recent years, there has been an increasing need to prepare for disasters, such as by stocking up on emergency food, drinking water, and batteries, so that one can respond when disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons occur. However, because typical water servers run on electricity from household outlets, they cannot be operated in the event of a power outage caused by a disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon.

The inventors of this application have investigated whether it is possible to operate a home water server using dry cell batteries stored for emergency use, so that water can be used as a lifeline even in the event of a power outage caused by a disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon.

However, it is difficult to operate a water server using dry cell batteries because the cooling device in the cold water tank consumes a relatively large amount of electricity.

The inventors realized that the power consumption of the electric pump that draws water from the raw water bottle is usually a few watts or less, and that the power consumption of this electric pump is extremely small, about a few tenths of the power consumption of the cooling device of the cold water tank. Therefore, if the electric pump that draws water from the raw water bottle is driven by power from dry batteries without supplying power to the cooling device of the cold water tank, it will be possible to use water as a lifeline in the event of a power outage caused by a disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon, although it will not be possible to cool the water.

On the other hand, when a power outage occurs due to a disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon, if mobile information devices such as smartphones and tablets run out of charge, it can become difficult to contact family members or obtain information about locations where relief supplies are available or evacuation shelters.

To address this issue, for example, a battery-operated charger could be prepared during normal times, and when a power outage occurs due to a disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon, the charger and batteries could be used to charge mobile information devices such as smartphones and tablets.

However, as mentioned above, if it is assumed that the electric pump of the water server is operated using dry batteries, storing separate dry batteries for the water server and for charging mobile information terminals such as smartphones and tablets would require a large number of dry batteries to be stored, which is inefficient.

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a water server that can be used during power outages caused by disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons, and that can also charge mobile information terminals.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a water server for use in the event of a disaster or power outage, having the following configuration.
With replaceable raw water bottle,
an electric pump for pumping water from the raw water bottle;
a cold water tank for introducing and storing the water pumped up by the electric pump;
A cooling device for cooling the water in the cold water tank;
a power supply circuit that supplies power to the electric pump and the cooling device;
A USB power port for connecting and charging a portable information device;
having
the power supply circuit has an outlet power input line connected to a household outlet to receive a voltage from the household outlet, and a battery power input line connected to a plurality of dry batteries to receive a voltage from the dry batteries;
When a voltage is input to the outlet power input line, the electric pump and the cooling device are driven by power obtained from the household outlet, and the AC voltage of the household outlet is converted into a DC voltage and supplied to the USB power port, while when no voltage is input to the outlet power input line, the electric pump is driven by power obtained from the dry battery, the operation of the cooling device is stopped, and the DC voltage of the dry battery is supplied to the USB power port.
A water server that can be used in the event of a power outage or disaster.

In this way, under normal circumstances, the electric pump and cooling device can be driven with power obtained from a household outlet to introduce water from the raw water bottle into the cold water tank, where it can be cooled and used. It is also possible to supply power from the household outlet to a USB power port, and connect a mobile information terminal to the USB power port to charge it.

On the other hand, when a power outage occurs due to a disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon, water can be drawn from the raw water bottle to the cold water tank by driving an electric pump with power obtained from dry batteries, and the water can be used. Here, when the electric pump is driven with power obtained from dry batteries, the operation of the cooling device is stopped, so it is possible to reliably drive the electric pump even with dry batteries. In addition, by supplying power from the dry batteries to a USB power port and connecting a mobile information terminal to the USB power port for charging, it is possible to contact family members and obtain information on locations where relief supplies are available and evacuation centers. In addition, because the same dry batteries are used to drive the electric pump that draws water from the raw water bottle and to charge the mobile information terminal, the number of dry batteries stored can be reduced, which is efficient.

The power supply circuit includes:
a power combining circuit for combining the mains power input line and the battery power input line;
a backflow prevention diode provided on the power outlet input line to prevent a backflow from the power coupling circuit to the power outlet input line;
and a cooling device power line that takes the voltage of the household outlet from a position upstream of the backflow prevention diode of the outlet power input line and applies the voltage to the cooling device.

In this way, when no voltage is being input to the power outlet input line, the backflow prevention diode prevents the voltage on the battery power input line from being applied to the cooling device, ensuring that unnecessary power is not consumed by the cooling device.

a power outlet detection circuit for detecting whether or not the voltage of the household power outlet is input to the power outlet input line;
a water level sensor for detecting a water level in the cold water tank;
a cold water temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the cold water tank;
a control unit that controls the operation of the cooling device and the electric pump,
The control unit is
an electric pump drive control that drives the electric pump when the water level detected by the water level sensor becomes lower than a preset lower limit water level;
a cold water tank temperature control that drives the cooling device when a temperature detected by the cold water temperature sensor becomes higher than a preset upper limit value of the cold water temperature;
It is preferable to configure the system so that, when the voltage of the household outlet is not detected by the outlet power detection circuit, a power outage cooling stop control is performed in which the electric pump drive control is executed while the cold water tank temperature control is stopped.

In this way, when the voltage of the household outlet is input to the outlet power input line, the cooling device operates according to the temperature detected by the cold water temperature sensor, so that the water pumped by the electric pump can be cooled by the cooling device and used. On the other hand, when the voltage of the household outlet is not input to the outlet power input line, the cold water tank temperature control stops, so it is possible to reliably prevent unnecessary power consumption by the cooling device.

In the water server for disasters and power outages of the present invention, during normal times, the electric pump and the cooling device are driven by power obtained from a household outlet, and water is introduced from the raw water bottle into the cold water tank, and the water is cooled and used. In addition, the power from the household outlet can be supplied to a USB power port, and a mobile information terminal can be connected to the USB power port for charging. On the other hand, when a power outage occurs due to a disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon, the electric pump is driven by power obtained from a dry cell, and water is introduced from the raw water bottle into the cold water tank, and the water can be used. Here, when the electric pump is driven by power obtained from a dry cell, the operation of the cooling device is stopped, so that the electric pump can be reliably driven even with a dry cell. In addition, by supplying power from a dry cell to a USB power port and connecting a mobile information terminal to the USB power port for charging, it is possible to contact family members and obtain information on locations where relief supplies are provided, evacuation centers, etc. In addition, the same dry cell battery is used to drive the electric pump that draws water from the raw water bottle and to charge the mobile information terminal, so it is efficient in that it is possible to reduce the number of dry cells needed in the event of a power outage caused by a disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a water server for use in the event of a power outage according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Block diagram showing the power supply circuit (outlet power mode) of the water server shown in Figure 1 A block diagram showing the input and output of the control unit of the water server shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows the state in which the power supply circuit of FIG. 2 has switched from the outlet power supply mode to the battery power supply mode. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a water server for use in the event of a power outage according to a second embodiment of the present invention. A block diagram showing the power supply circuit (battery power supply mode) of the water server shown in FIG.

1 and 2 show a water server for use in disasters and power outages according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This water server has a vertically elongated housing 1, a bottle holder 2 provided at the bottom of the housing 1, a joint section 5 detachably connected to a water outlet 4 of an exchangeable raw water bottle 3 placed on the bottle holder 2, an electric pump 6 that draws up water from the raw water bottle 3 through the joint section 5, a cold water tank 7 that introduces and stores the water drawn up by the electric pump 6, a cooling device 8 that cools the water in the cold water tank 7, a cold water outlet pipe 9 that pours low-temperature water in the cold water tank 7 to the outside of the housing 1, a hot water tank 10 that introduces and stores the water drawn up by the electric pump 6, a heating device 11 that heats the water in the hot water tank 10, and a hot water outlet pipe 12 that pours high-temperature water in the hot water tank 10 to the outside of the housing 1.

The housing 1 has a cylindrical wall 13 extending in the vertical direction, a top plate 14 provided at the upper end of the cylindrical wall 13, and a bottom plate 15 provided at the lower end of the cylindrical wall 13. An opening 16 for inserting and removing the raw water bottle 3 and a front door 17 for opening and closing the opening 16 are provided at the lower front part of the cylindrical wall 13.

The cold water tank 7 is fitted with a cooling device 8 for cooling the water in the cold water tank 7. The cooling device 8 has a cooling pipe 8a wound in a spiral shape around the outer periphery of the cold water tank 7, and a cooling compressor 8b for compressing the refrigerant flowing through the cooling pipe 8a. The cooling compressor 8b is an AC compressor driven by the AC voltage (e.g., AC 100 to 125 V) of a household outlet 18. The cooling pipe 8a may be provided penetrating the wall of the cold water tank 7 so as to pass through the inside of the cold water tank 7. In addition, a cold water temperature sensor 19 (see FIG. 3) for detecting the temperature of the cold water tank 7 is fitted to the cold water tank 7.

The cooling compressor 8b operates when the temperature detected by the cold water temperature sensor 19 becomes higher than the preset upper limit of the cold water temperature, at which point the cooling pipe 8a becomes a low temperature of about -15°C to -30°C, cooling the water in the cold water tank 7. This keeps the water in the cold water tank 7 at a predetermined low temperature (for example, below 10°C).

A cold water outlet pipe 9 is connected to the bottom of the cold water tank 7. A cold water cock 20 that can be operated from outside the housing 1 is provided on the cold water outlet pipe 9, and low-temperature drinking water can be poured from the cold water tank 7 into a cup or the like by opening the cold water cock 20. Here, the water outlet of the cold water outlet pipe 9 is positioned lower than the bottom of the cold water tank 7 so that when the cold water cock 20 is opened, the water in the cold water tank 7 is poured out of the housing 1 through the cold water outlet pipe 9 under its own weight. The water capacity of the cold water tank 7 is smaller than the capacity of the raw water bottle 3, and is approximately 2 to 4 liters.

The hot water tank 10 is fitted with a heating device 11 that heats the water in the hot water tank 10. The figure shows an example in which a sheath heater is used for the heating device 11, but a band heater can also be used. A sheath heater is a metal pipe that houses a heating wire that generates heat when electricity is passed through it, and is attached so that it penetrates the wall of the hot water tank 10 and extends inside the hot water tank 10. A band heater is a cylindrical heating element in which a heating wire that generates heat when electricity is passed through is embedded, and is attached in close contact with the outer periphery of the hot water tank 10. The figure shows an example in which a sheath heater is used. In addition, a hot water temperature sensor 21 (see FIG. 3) that detects the temperature of the hot water tank 10 is attached to the hot water tank 10.

The heating device 11 is energized when the temperature detected by the hot water temperature sensor 21 falls below a preset lower limit of the hot water temperature, and heats the water in the hot water tank 10. This keeps the water in the hot water tank 10 at a predetermined high temperature (e.g., 80°C or lower).

A hot water outlet pipe 12 is connected to the top surface of the hot water tank 10. A hot water cock 22 that can be operated from outside the housing 1 is provided on the hot water outlet pipe 12, and by opening the hot water cock 22, high-temperature drinking water can be poured from the hot water tank 10 into a cup or the like.

Inside the housing 1, a buffer tank 23 is provided so as to be aligned horizontally with the cold water tank 7. The buffer tank 23 and the cold water tank 7 are in communication with each other via a cold water tank water supply pipe 24. The cold water tank 7 is also provided with a water level sensor 25 that detects the water level in the cold water tank 7. When the water level sensor 25 detects that the water level in the cold water tank 7 has dropped to a preset lower limit water level, the electric pump 6 is operated, and the water pumped up by the electric pump 6 is introduced into the cold water tank 7 through the buffer tank 23 and the cold water tank water supply pipe 24 in that order.

The hot water tank 10 is located below the buffer tank 23. The buffer tank 23 and the hot water tank 10 are connected via the hot water tank water supply pipe 26. When water is poured out of the hot water tank 10, the same amount of water flows from the buffer tank 23 through the hot water tank water supply pipe 26 into the hot water tank 10, so that the hot water tank 10 is always kept full.

The electric pump 6 is provided midway along the raw water pumping pipe 27 extending from the joint 5. One end of the raw water pumping pipe 27 is connected to the joint 5, and the other end of the raw water pumping pipe 27 is connected to the buffer tank 23. The raw water pumping pipe 27 is provided so that it extends downward from the joint 5 and passes through a position lower than the joint 5, and then turns upward. The electric pump 6 is provided at the lowest position of the raw water pumping pipe 27.

The electric pump 6 is composed of an electric motor 28 and a pump portion 29 driven by the electric motor 28. The electric motor 28 is a DC motor driven by a DC voltage (e.g., DC 12 V). The pump portion 29 may be, for example, a gear pump or a diaphragm pump. The electric pump 6 draws in water from the raw water bottle 3 side and discharges the water to the buffer tank 23 and the cold water tank 7 side, thereby transferring the water in the raw water pumping pipe 27 from the raw water bottle 3 side to the cold water tank 7 side.

The raw water bottle 3 has a cylindrical body 30, a bottom 31 at one end of the body 30, a neck 33 at the other end of the body 30 via a shoulder 32, and a cap 34 attached to the tip of the neck 33. The raw water bottle 3 is filled with drinking water (e.g., natural water or RO water). The water outlet 4 of the raw water bottle 3 is provided in the center of the cap 34. The body 30 of the raw water bottle 3 is formed to be flexible so that it shrinks as the amount of remaining water decreases. The raw water bottle 3 can be formed, for example, by blow molding polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin or polyethylene (PE) resin. The capacity of the raw water bottle 3 is about 7 to 15 liters when full.

As shown in FIG. 2, this water server has a power supply circuit 36 that supplies power to the electric pump 6, the cooling device 8, the heating device 11, and a control unit 35 that controls the operation of these devices. The power supply circuit 36 is also provided with a USB power port 37 that connects to a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet and supplies a DC voltage for charging. The USB power port 37 is provided in a dry battery case 38.

The power supply circuit 36 includes a power outlet input line 39 that is connected to the household outlet 18 and receives the voltage of the household outlet 18, a battery power input line 41 that is connected to a plurality of dry batteries 40 and receives the voltage of the dry batteries 40, a power supply coupling circuit 42 that joins the power outlet input line 39 and the battery power input line 41, a backflow prevention diode 43 that is provided on the power outlet input line 39 to prevent backflow from the power supply coupling circuit 42 to the power outlet input line 39, a cooling device power supply line 44 that extracts the voltage of the household outlet 18 from a position upstream of the backflow prevention diode 43 and applies it to the cooling device 8, a heating device power supply line 45 that extracts the voltage of the household outlet 18 from a position upstream of the backflow prevention diode 43 and applies it to the heating device 11, a power outlet detection circuit 46 that detects whether the voltage of the household outlet 18 is being input to the power outlet input line 39, and a USB power supply line 47 that branches off from the middle of the battery power input line 41 and reaches the USB power port 37.

The outlet power input line 39 has a plug 48 that is inserted into the household outlet 18, and an AC/DC converter circuit 49 that converts the AC voltage (e.g., AC 100 to 125 V) input from the plug 48 to the outlet power input line 39 into a DC voltage (e.g., DC 12 V) and outputs it. The AC/DC converter circuit 49 can be, for example, a rectifier/smoothing circuit that converts the AC voltage of the household outlet 18 into a DC voltage, a switching element that converts the DC voltage obtained by the rectifier/smoothing circuit into a high-frequency square AC voltage, and a rectifier/smoothing circuit that converts the high-frequency square AC voltage obtained by the switching element into a DC voltage (switching type). The AC/DC converter circuit 49 may also be a transformer that steps down the AC voltage of the household outlet 18, and a rectifier/smoothing circuit that converts the AC voltage stepped down by the transformer into a DC voltage (transformer type).

The backflow prevention diode 43 is provided between the AC/DC converter circuit 49 and the power supply coupling circuit 42. The cooling device power supply line 44 branches off between the plug 48 and the AC/DC converter circuit 49. The heating device power supply line 45 runs along a common line with the cooling device power supply line 44 and branches off midway.

The battery power input line 41 has a dry battery case 38 that replaceably houses multiple dry batteries 40, and a contact switch 50 that mechanically opens and closes the path between the dry batteries 40 and the power coupling circuit 42. The contact switch 50 is a manual switch that is opened and closed by manual operation by the user.

The battery case 38 is configured to accommodate eight 1.5V batteries 40 electrically connected in series and output a direct current voltage of 12V DC. The contact switch 50 is built into the battery case 38. The battery case 38 is detachably attached to the housing 1 via a USB connector 51. The battery case 38 may be directly fixed to the housing 1 of the water server.

The USB power supply line 47 has a DC/DC converter circuit 52 that converts the DC voltage (here, DC 12 V) obtained from the dry cell 40 or the AC/DC converter circuit 49 into a DC voltage (e.g., DC 5 V) for charging a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet.

The power supply coupling circuit 42 is an electric circuit configured such that, when voltage is supplied from both the outlet power input line 39 and the battery power input line 41, the supply voltage from the outlet power input line 39 is given priority and is supplied as the driving power for each electric component such as the control unit 35 and the electric pump 6, and when voltage is supplied from only one of the outlet power input line 39 and the battery power input line 41, the supply voltage from that power input line is supplied as the driving power for each electric component such as the control unit 35 and the electric pump 6. The power supply coupling circuit 42 has a built-in battery side diode (not shown) that prevents backflow from the power supply coupling circuit 42 to the battery power input line 41, and a configuration in which the outlet power input line 39 and the battery power input line 41 cross each other downstream of the battery side diode and downstream of the backflow prevention diode 43 can be adopted.

The power supply coupling circuit 42 is connected to apply a DC voltage to the electric pump 6, and a switch 53 is provided in the middle of the circuit. The switch 53 is a non-contact switch (bipolar transistor) in this example, but in the figure, the symbol for a contact switch is used instead for ease of understanding.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 35 controls the operation of the electric pump 6, the cooling device 8, and the heating device 11 based on signals input from the water level sensor 25, the cold water temperature sensor 19, the hot water temperature sensor 21, and the outlet power detection circuit 46.

Here, a signal indicating the water level in the cold water tank 7 is input from the water level sensor 25 to the control unit 35, a signal indicating the temperature of the water in the cold water tank 7 is input from the cold water temperature sensor 19 to the control unit 35, a signal indicating the temperature of the water in the hot water tank 10 is input from the hot water temperature sensor 21 to the control unit 35, and a signal indicating whether the voltage of the household outlet 18 is being input to the outlet power input line 39 is input from the outlet power detection circuit 46 to the control unit 35.

An example of control by the control unit 35 is described below.

The control unit 35 switches the operation mode of the water server between the outlet power mode and the battery power mode based on an input signal from the outlet power detection circuit 46 shown in Figure 2. Specifically, when it is determined based on the input signal from the outlet power detection circuit 46 that the voltage of the household outlet 18 is input to the outlet power detection circuit 46, the operation mode of the water server is set to the outlet power mode, whereas when it is determined that the voltage of the household outlet 18 is not input to the outlet power detection circuit 46, the operation mode of the water server is set to the battery power mode.

<In wall outlet power mode>
When the water level of the cold water tank 7 shown in Fig. 1 (the water level detected by the water level sensor 25 shown in Fig. 3) falls below a preset lower limit water level, the electric pump 6 is started to be driven, and when the water level of the cold water tank 7 thereafter rises above a preset upper limit water level, the electric pump drive control is performed to stop the drive of the electric pump 6. At this time, the electric pump 6 is driven by power obtained from the household outlet 18 via the outlet power input line 39 and the power supply coupling circuit 42 in this order, as shown in Fig. 2.

When the temperature of the cold water tank 7 shown in FIG. 1 (the temperature detected by the cold water temperature sensor 19 shown in FIG. 3) becomes higher than the preset upper limit of the cold water temperature, the operation of the cooling device 8 is started, and when the temperature of the cold water tank 7 thereafter becomes lower than the preset lower limit of the cold water temperature, the operation of the cooling device 8 is stopped, thereby performing cold water tank temperature control. At this time, the cooling device 8 is driven by power obtained from the household outlet 18 via the outlet power input line 39 and the cooling device power line 44 in that order, as shown in FIG. 2.

When the temperature of the hot water tank 10 shown in FIG. 1 (the temperature detected by the hot water temperature sensor 21 shown in FIG. 3) becomes lower than a preset lower limit of the hot water temperature, power supply to the heating device 11 is started, and when the temperature of the hot water tank 10 thereafter becomes higher than a preset upper limit of the hot water temperature, power supply to the heating device 11 is stopped, thereby performing hot water tank temperature control. At this time, the heating device 11 is driven by power obtained from the household outlet 18 via the outlet power input line 39 and the heating device power line 45 in that order, as shown in FIG. 2.

2, the power supply circuit 36 converts the AC voltage (e.g., AC 100V) of the household outlet 18 to a DC voltage (e.g., DC 12V) using the AC/DC converter circuit 49, and supplies the DC voltage to the USB power port 37 via the backflow prevention diode 43 and the USB power supply line 47. Here, the DC/DC converter circuit 52 of the USB power supply line 47 converts the DC voltage (e.g., DC 12V) obtained by the AC/DC converter circuit 49 into a DC voltage (e.g., DC 5V) for charging a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, and supplies it to the USB power port 37.

<When in battery power mode>
When the water level of the cold water tank 7 shown in Fig. 1 (the water level detected by the water level sensor 25 shown in Fig. 3) falls below a preset lower limit water level, the electric pump 6 is started to be driven, and when the water level of the cold water tank 7 thereafter rises above a preset upper limit water level, electric pump drive control is executed to stop the drive of the electric pump 6. At this time, the electric pump 6 is driven by power obtained from the dry battery 40 via the battery power input line 41 and the power supply coupling circuit 42 in this order. Power is also supplied to the water level sensor 25 from the dry battery 40 via the battery power input line 41 and the power supply coupling circuit 42 in this order.

At this time, the control unit 35 performs power failure cooling stop control, which stops the cold water tank temperature control, while executing the electric pump drive control described above. Specifically, the control unit 35 performs control to block the passage of electricity to the cooling device 8 so that the cooling device 8 does not operate, regardless of the temperature of the cold water tank 7 shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, even if the temperature of the cold water tank 7 becomes higher than the preset upper limit of the cold water temperature, the cooling device 8 does not operate.

The control unit 35 also performs power failure heating stop control, which stops hot water tank temperature control, while executing the electric pump drive control described above. Specifically, the control unit 35 performs control to block current flow to the heating device 11 so that the heating device 11 does not operate, regardless of the temperature of the hot water tank 10 shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, even if the temperature of the hot water tank 10 becomes lower than the preset lower limit of the hot water temperature, the heating device 11 does not operate.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the power supply circuit 36 supplies the DC voltage of the dry battery 40 to the USB power port 37 via the USB power supply line 47. Here, the DC/DC converter circuit 52 of the USB power supply line 47 converts the DC voltage (e.g., DC 12 V) obtained from the dry battery 40 into a DC voltage (e.g., DC 5 V) for charging a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, and supplies it to the USB power port 37. At this time, the contact switch 50 of the dry battery case 38 is closed.

In normal operation, this water server for use in the event of a power outage, as shown in FIG. 2, operates an electric pump 6 and a cooling device 8 using electricity obtained from a household outlet 18 to introduce water from a raw water bottle 3 into a cold water tank 7, and the water is then cooled by the cooling device 8 for use.

In addition, during normal operation, power from the household outlet 18 can be supplied to the USB power port 37, and a mobile information terminal can be connected to the USB power port 37 for charging. This prevents the dry batteries 40 housed in the dry battery case 38 from being wasted unnecessarily during normal operation.

On the other hand, when a power outage occurs due to a disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon, this water server for use in disasters can use the water by driving the electric pump 6 with power obtained from the dry cell 40, as shown in FIG. 4, to introduce water from the raw water bottle 3 into the cold water tank 7 and make use of that water. Here, when the electric pump 6 is driven with power obtained from the dry cell 40, the operation of the cooling device 8 is stopped, so that the electric pump 6 can be reliably driven even with the dry cell 40.

In addition, when a power outage occurs due to a disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon, the power from the dry cell 40 can be used to power the USB power port 37. By connecting a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet to the USB power port 37 and charging it, it is possible to contact family members and obtain information about locations where relief supplies are available, evacuation centers, etc.

Here, the dry cell 40 for driving the electric pump 6 that draws water from the raw water bottle 3 and the dry cell 40 for charging the mobile information terminal are the same dry cell 40, so the number of dry cells 40 stored can be reduced, which is efficient.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, when no voltage is being input to the outlet power input line 39, this water server for use in the event of a disaster or power outage has a backflow prevention diode 43 that prevents the voltage of the battery power input line 41 from being applied to the cooling device 8, thereby reliably preventing unnecessary power consumption by the cooling device 8.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, when the voltage from the household outlet 18 is input to the outlet power input line 39, this water server for use in times of disasters and power outages operates the cooling device 8 in response to the temperature detected by the cold water temperature sensor 19, so that water pumped up by the electric pump 6 can be cooled by the cooling device 8 and used. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, when no voltage is input to the outlet power input line 39, the cold water tank temperature control stops, so it is possible to reliably prevent unnecessary power consumption by the cooling device 8.

This water server for use in times of disasters and power outages also has a contact switch 50 that allows the user to manually open and close the path between the dry cell 40 and the power supply coupling circuit 42. Therefore, under normal circumstances, the contact switch 50 can be left open, and when a power outage occurs due to a disaster or the like, the user can manually close the contact switch 50, which makes it possible to prevent the dry cell 40 from being wasted unnecessarily when a short-term power outage occurs during normal times.

This water server for use in the event of a power outage can also be configured to charge a rechargeable battery by setting a rechargeable battery of the same shape as the dry cell 40 in the dry cell case 38.

In the above embodiment, a water server having both a cold water tank 7 and a hot water tank 10 has been described as an example, but this invention can also be applied to a water server having only the cold water tank 7, out of the cold water tank 7 and the hot water tank 10.

In the above embodiment, a water server that uses a cooling compressor 8b as the cooling device 8 is described as an example, but this invention can also be applied to water servers that use a Peltier element as the cooling device 8.

Figures 5 and 6 show a water server for use in the event of a power outage, according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the following, parts corresponding to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and their explanation will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the USB power port 37 is provided on the housing 1.

As shown in FIG. 6, the power supply circuit 36 has a USB power supply line 47 that runs from the power coupling circuit 42 to the USB power port 37. The USB power supply line 47 has a DC/DC converter circuit 52 that converts a DC voltage (e.g., DC 12 V) obtained from the dry cell 40 or the AC/DC converter circuit 49 into a DC voltage (e.g., DC 5 V) for charging a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet.

In the outlet power mode, the power supply circuit 36 converts the AC voltage (e.g., AC 100V) of the household outlet 18 to a DC voltage (e.g., DC 12V) using the AC/DC converter circuit 49, and supplies the DC voltage to the USB power port 37 via the backflow prevention diode 43 and the USB power supply line 47. Here, the DC/DC converter circuit 52 of the USB power supply line 47 converts the DC voltage (e.g., DC 12V) obtained by the AC/DC converter circuit 49 into a DC voltage (e.g., DC 5V) for charging a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, and supplies it to the USB power port 37.

In battery power mode, the power supply circuit 36 supplies the DC voltage of the dry cell 40 to the USB power port 37 via the USB power supply line 47. Here, the DC/DC converter circuit 52 of the USB power supply line 47 converts the DC voltage (e.g., DC 12 V) obtained from the dry cell 40 into a DC voltage (e.g., DC 5 V) for charging a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, and supplies it to the USB power port 37.

As with the first embodiment, this water server for use during disasters and power outages can supply power to the USB power port 37 with power from dry cell batteries 40 as shown in FIG. 6 when a power outage occurs due to a disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon. By connecting a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet to the USB power port 37 and charging it, it is possible to contact family members and obtain information on locations where relief supplies are provided, evacuation shelters, etc. Other effects are also the same as those of the first embodiment.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

3 Raw water bottle 6 Electric pump 7 Cold water tank 8 Cooling device 18 Household outlet 19 Cold water temperature sensor 25 Water level sensor 35 Control unit 36 Power supply circuit 37 USB power port 39 Outlet power input line 40 Dry cell 41 Battery power input line 42 Power supply coupling circuit 43 Backflow prevention diode 44 Cooling device power line 46 Outlet power detection circuit

Claims (2)

A replaceable raw water bottle (3) and
an electric pump (6) for pumping up water from the raw water bottle (3);
a cold water tank (7) for introducing and storing the water pumped up by the electric pump (6);
A cooling device (8) for cooling the water in the cold water tank (7);
A water level sensor (25) for detecting the water level in the cold water tank (7);
A cold water temperature sensor (19) for detecting the temperature of the cold water tank (7);
a power supply circuit (36) for supplying power to the electric pump (6) and the cooling device (8);
A USB power port (37) for connecting and charging a portable information terminal;
a control unit (35) for controlling the operation of the cooling device (8) and the electric pump (6);
having
The power supply circuit (36) comprises a power outlet power input line (39) connected to a household outlet (18) to receive the voltage of the household outlet (18), a battery power input line (41) connected to a plurality of dry batteries (40) to receive the voltage of the dry batteries (40), a power supply coupling circuit (42) that joins the power outlet power input line (39) and the battery power input line (41), a contact switch (50) that mechanically opens and closes a path between the dry batteries (40) and the power supply coupling circuit (42), and a power outlet power detection circuit (46) that detects whether the voltage of the household outlet (18) is being input to the power outlet power input line (39);
When a voltage is input to the outlet power input line (39), the electric pump (6) and the cooling device (8) are driven by power obtained from the household outlet (18), and the AC voltage of the household outlet (18) is converted to a DC voltage and supplied to the USB power port (37); on the other hand, when no voltage is input to the outlet power input line (39), the electric pump (6) is driven by power obtained from the dry battery (40), the operation of the cooling device (8) is stopped, and the DC voltage of the dry battery (40) is supplied to the USB power port (37) ;
The control unit (35)
When the voltage of the household outlet (18) is detected by the outlet power detection circuit (46), an electric pump drive control is performed to drive the electric pump (6) when the water level detected by the water level sensor (25) becomes lower than a preset lower limit water level, and a cold water tank temperature control is performed to drive the cooling device (8) when the temperature detected by the cold water temperature sensor (19) becomes higher than a preset upper limit value of the cold water temperature.
When the voltage of the household outlet (18) is not detected by the outlet power detection circuit (46), a power failure cooling stop control is performed in which the cold water tank temperature control is stopped while the electric pump drive control is being executed.
A water server that can be used in the event of a power outage or disaster. The power supply circuit (36)
a power supply combining circuit (42) for combining the mains power supply input line (39) and the battery power supply input line (41);
a backflow prevention diode (43) provided on the power outlet input line (39) to prevent a backflow from the power supply coupling circuit (42) to the power outlet input line (39);
a cooling device power supply line (44) that takes the voltage of the household outlet (18) from a position upstream of the backflow prevention diode (43) of the outlet power input line (39) and applies the voltage to the cooling device (8);
The disaster power outage response water server according to claim 1.

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