JPH0596275A - Drain device of water tank - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automatically drain the water in a water tank and to prevent a user from drinking decomposed water by mistake. CONSTITUTION:A drain valve 35 draining the water in a water tank 4 is provided and opened when it is detected that the water in the water tank is in a continuous stagnant state for a predetermined time by a flowing water detection part 22 to automatically drain the water in the water tank 4 to prevent the drinking of decomposed water.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water tank drainage device for temporarily storing water such as purified water.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A tank for storing cold water cooled by a cooler, hot water heated by a heating source such as a heater, purified water purified by a water purifier, or tap water for general waterworks has an amount of water according to its use. It is designed to take out only the necessary amount when needed.

If cold water or tap water is stored in a tank for a long period of time and left to stand, the effect of chlorine mixed in tap water is reduced, and there is a risk of spoilage and diarrhea when drinking. In particular, purified water has a longer decay time than raw water because chlorine for disinfection mixed with tap water is removed by the filter. There is no problem if the hot water is constantly maintained at about 85 ° C or higher, but if the power outage is long or if the power is forgotten to be turned on, the hot water will rot in a short time like the above-mentioned purified water.

[0004] Further, in the pipe, if the staying state continues for a long time, the water will rot, and therefore, JP-A-1-31
In the cold / hot water generating system disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 0787, a branch pipe is provided in the pipe on the discharge side, and a valve provided in this pipe path is appropriately opened so that the inside of each pipe, such as a water purifier, a cooler or a heater. The accumulated water that has accumulated in the room is discharged.

[0005]

However, since the above-mentioned valve is operated by the user for a certain period of time at an appropriate time, if the drainage operation is neglected, the accumulated water will remain in a short time as described above. It became corrupt.

According to the present invention, the water retained in the water storage tank is automatically drained after a lapse of a predetermined time to prevent the water from spoiling.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A water tank for temporarily storing water, a drain pipe communicating with the inside of the water tank and provided below the water tank, and a part or a part of the drain pipe. A drainage valve and a flowing water detection unit provided at a connecting portion between the water storage tank and the drainage pipe are provided, and the drainage valve is kept in a stopped state for a predetermined time or more by the flowing water detection unit. When this is detected, it is opened and the water in the water storage tank is drained through the drainage pipe.

Further, the state of water staying in the water storage tank is detected by a part of a water supply pipe or a discharge pipe connected to the water storage tank or a running water detection unit provided at an appropriate position in the water storage tank.
The predetermined time during which the water in the water storage tank is retained by the flowing water detector is changed according to an external factor.

[0009]

When the water flow detection unit detects that the water in the water storage tank is in a stopped state for a predetermined time or longer, a drain valve provided in a part of the water discharge pipe of the water storage tank or a connection portion between the water storage tank and the water discharge pipe. To prevent water from spoiling by automatically discharging the water in the water tank.

Further, the predetermined time of staying time of water is changed according to an external factor to make effective use of water.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(1) is a water purifier containing a filtration member (not shown) such as a hollow fiber membrane or activated carbon, in which raw water is introduced through an inlet (2) and purified water is discharged through an outlet (3). (4) is a water storage tank for temporarily storing the purified water flowing out from the water purifier (1), and in this embodiment, a cooling machine for cooling the purified water is used as an implementation example. This cooler includes a cooling part (5) formed by spirally forming a pipe, a cylindrical heat absorbing plate (6) covering the periphery of the cooling part, an evaporator (7) wound around the heat absorbing plate, and these. It is composed of a heat insulating material (8) surrounding each member.

(9) is a compressor for supplying a compressed refrigerant into the evaporator (7), (10) is a condenser for forcibly radiating the heat absorbed by the evaporator (7) by a fan (11), (12) ) Is a receiver that temporarily stores the refrigerant.

[0013] (13) is a water stopper of a fixed type which selects either normal temperature water of purified water or cold water of purified water (cold purified water) and takes it out from the faucet (14), and (15) is the water tank (4) It is a water receiving container that receives the purified water drained from inside.

Next, the piping structure will be described together with the piping parts. (16) is a water stopcock for shutting off the supply of raw water, (17) is a check valve provided in a raw water pipe (18) between the water stopcock (16) and the water tap (13), (19) Is the faucet (1
3) A water supply pipe that connects the water purifier (1) with the inlet (2), and (20) water that connects the outlet (3) of the water purifier (1) and the lower part of the cooling unit (5). A pipe, (21) is a first electromagnetic valve provided at an appropriate position of the water purification pipe, (22)
Is a running water detection unit (hereinafter referred to as a running water switch), which is also provided in an appropriate place of the clean water pipe (20), and operates by detecting that purified water flows through the inside of the clean water pipe (20). When it is not operating, it is detected that the water in the water tank (4) is in a stopped state. (23) is the upper part of the cooling part (5) and the faucet (1
4) a discharge pipe for connection with the discharge pipe, (24) a second electromagnetic valve provided at a proper position of the discharge pipe, (25) a space between the cooling section (5) and the second electromagnetic valve (24). An air valve provided in the discharge pipe (23), which is normally the discharge pipe (2
3) Water pressure in the ball raises the ball (26) to block the communication hole (27) to block the outside air and the flow in the discharge pipe (23). When the water pressure in the discharge pipe (23) decreases, the ball (26) ) Is dropped by its own weight and placed on the support plate (28), and the inside of the discharge pipe (23) and the outside air are supported by the support plate (28).
The slits (not shown) provided in the above are communicated with each other through the communication hole (27). The communication hole (27) is provided in the upper part of the cylindrical body (29) made of a transparent material.
Reference numerals (30) and (31) denote a light emitting device and a light receiving device which are provided to face each other with the tubular body (29) interposed therebetween, and detect the position of the ball (26).

Reference numeral (32) is a bypass pipe for guiding purified water directly to the faucet (24) side without passing through the cooling section (5), and (33)
Is a third electromagnetic valve provided at a proper position of the bypass pipe (32) up to the connection between the faucet (14) and the second electromagnetic valve (24), and (34) is the first electromagnetic valve (21) and the cooling unit ( 5) is a drainage pipe connected to the bottom of the drainage pipe (15). (35) is an electromagnetic drain valve provided in the drain pipe (34).

When the room temperature water is taken out from the faucet (14), the stop cock (16) is opened and the faucet (13) is "normal temperature water".
Position, the lever opens the faucet and the switch (not shown) in the faucet causes the first and second faucets to open.
The electromagnetic valves (21) and (24) are closed, the third electromagnetic valve (33) is opened, and the tap water (raw water) flowing in from the water stopcock (16) is a raw water pipe (18) and a check valve (1).
7), the faucet (13) and the water supply pipe (19) to flow into the water purifier (1). Here, the raw water becomes purified water by removing the scaly etc. by the filtering member, and the bypass pipe (3
2) through the third solenoid valve (33) and then through the faucet (1
It flows out from 4).

At this time, as described above, since the first and second electromagnetic valves (21) and (24) are closed, there is no flow of purified water in the purified water pipe (20). ) Does not operate, the drain valve (35) is open, and the compressor (9) and the fan (11) are also stopped.

When the cold purified water is taken out in the summer, etc., the faucet (16) is opened and the faucet (16) is "cold purified water".
When adjusted to the position, the third electromagnetic valve (33) and the drain valve (35) are closed, and the first and second electromagnetic valves (21), (2
4) is opened and the raw water flowing from the water stopcock (16) becomes purified water by the water purifier (1) and flows into the cooling unit (5) through the water purification pipe (20) and the first electromagnetic valve (21). To do. The flowing water switch (22) is turned on by the circulation of the purified water in the water purification pipe (20), and the counter (36) is reset by this ON signal to detect that the water is in the circulation state and the counter (36) is the flowing water switch. Counting is started from the time when (22) changes from ON to OFF, that is, the time when the flow of purified water is stopped, and the time during which the purified water of the purified water pipe (20) (water storage section) is kept stopped is counted.

The counting time (predetermined time) of the purified water by the counter (36) is about 12 to 18 hours in summer, depending on external factors such as season, purified water and tap water in consideration of the start of decay. Set to 18 in winter
Set to ~ 24 hours. Thus, the running water switch (22)
The compressor (9) is started by the ON signal of and the evaporator (7) cools the purified water in the cooling unit (5) to make it cold water, and the discharge pipe (23) and the second electromagnetic valve (2).
It flows out from the tap (14) via 4). At this time, the air valve (25) closes the communication hole (27) because the ball (26) is pushed up by the water pressure of the purified water flowing in the discharge pipe (14).

On the other hand, since the light path of the light emitter (30) and the light receiver (31) is blocked by the rise of the ball (26),
It detects that the purified water is flowing in the cooling unit (5) like the running water switch (22). This is a ball (26)
It is also used as a monitor because it can detect whether or not is operating correctly.

When the lever of the water faucet (13) is in the closed state and the purified water continuously stays in the cooling section (5) for a predetermined time after the last use of the cold water, the running water switch (22) is continuously operated. Then, the compressor (9) stops moving and the counter (3
The drain valve (35) is opened by the output of 6) to drain the purified water in the purified water pipe (20), the drainage pipe (34), the cooling unit (5) and the discharge pipe (23), and the water receiving container (15).
Store water in. In the drainage operation in this case, since the water pressure in the discharge pipe (23) decreases immediately after the drainage part (35) is opened, the balls (26) drop and are supported by the support plate (28), and the outside air communicates with the communication hole ( It enters into the cooling part (5) via 27) and the drainage operation becomes smooth.

Here, although not shown in detail, in the case where a power failure occurs while purified water is stored in the cooling section (5), the drain valve (35) is opened by the voltage detection circuit (not shown) and forced. The purified water in the cooling part (5) and each pipe is drained out.

In the present embodiment, the flow state of the purified water in the cooling unit is detected by the running water switch. However, without using the running water switch, the light path cutoff signal between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit provided near the air valve is used. Good.

Further, in this embodiment, a chiller for cooling the purified water is exemplified as the water storage tank for temporarily storing the purified water, but it may be a water heater for heating the purified water by a heater, or simply store tap water. It may be a water container.

[0026]

[Effects of the Invention] When the water in the water storage tank remains stopped for a predetermined time or longer, the drain valve is automatically opened to drain the water. Therefore, the user accidentally drinks the spoiled water. There is no danger of causing diarrhea. Further, since the inner wall of the water storage tank is kept clean, impurities do not adhere to the inner wall of the water storage tank.

Further, since the predetermined time for which the water is retained in the water storage tank is changed depending on external factors such as the season, it is possible to effectively utilize the water without draining uncorrupted water. ..

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a piping diagram of a water purification apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing details of the air valve of the same.

FIG. 3 also shows a flowchart.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Water Purifier 4 Water Tank 5 Cooling Section 13 Water Faucet 22 Flowing Water Detection Section 25 Air Valve 35 Drain Valve 36 Counter

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A water storage tank for temporarily storing water, a drainage pipe communicating with the inside of the water storage tank and provided below the water storage tank, and a part of the drainage pipe or the water storage tank. A drainage valve and a running water detection unit provided at a connection portion with the drainage pipe are provided, and the drainage valve detects that the water in the water storage tank has remained in a stopped state for a predetermined time or more by the running water detection unit. A drainage device for a water storage tank, which is opened to discharge the water in the water storage tank through a drainage pipe. 2. The water retention state in the water storage tank is detected by a part of a water supply pipe or a discharge pipe connected to the water storage tank or a running water detection part provided at an appropriate position in the water storage tank, and the running water detection part is detected. The drainage device for a water tank according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time during which the water in the water tank is stopped is changed according to an external factor.