JPH0830856A - Drainage discharging device for vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the heat insulation property in a storage box by intercepting the outside air from the connection passage which connects the storage box and a drainage evaporation device in the vending machine for keeping commodities cold or warm. CONSTITUTION:This vending machine is provided with a main body cabinet 1 in which a storage box 2 is provided, a cooler/heater 8 set in the storage box 2, and a drainage evaporation device 4 which disposes of drainage in the storage box 2, and drainage is discharged to the drainage evaporation device 4 from an exhaust port provided in the lower part of the storage box 2 through a hose. In the vending machine, a valve device which opens/closes the entrance of the exhaust port 3 is provided to constitute a drainage discharge device. The entrance part or the exhaust port 3 is formed into a tapered valve seat, and the valve body consists of a ball 6 floating on water.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic vending machine provided with a cooling device or a cooling / heating device in a storage for goods,
The present invention relates to a drain water drainage device that processes drain water generated in a storage cabinet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional automatic vending machine, a main body cabinet having a storage inside, a cooling device or a cooling / heating device mounted in the storage, and a condensation phenomenon in the storage The drain water evaporation device for treating the drained water is provided, and a drain port is provided at the bottom of the storage, and a drain hose that is inserted into this drain port serves as a drain passage and is directed toward the drain water evaporation device below. A drain water drainage device for draining water is provided, and a so-called U-trap is provided in the middle of the drainage channel in this drainage channel, so that a certain amount of water is secured in the drainage channel so that outside air flows into the storage through the drainage channel. It is designed to block you from doing it.

[0003]

By the way, the storage of the vending machine is of a refrigerating or freezing type in which only a cooling device is provided, and a so-called hot and cold type in which a heating device is installed to switch to hot storage. However, in any case, the conventional vending machine has a problem that the shut-off function of the U trap of the drainage device does not work. That is, in the case of the former only for freezing or refrigerating, when installing the vending machine or draining the water from the U trap due to hygiene, drain water collects in the U trap for a while after operation start or restart. The state of not being continued continues. In the latter case, when the heating operation is performed, water does not collect in the U trap because there is no generation of drain water due to condensation. In this case, the storage and the outside air communicate with each other through the drainage channel, and the cold / heat retaining performance inside the storage is lowered due to the air exchange with the outside air.

If a plurality of storages are provided,
As a result, the invasion of outside air increases and the operating rate of the cooling or heating device increases, so that the unnecessary power consumption cannot be ignored.
Therefore, in order to reduce wasteful power consumption and improve cold / heat retention performance in the storage, the present invention is a drain water that can shut off the air exchange between the storage and the outside air by the drain water drainage channel even when there is no drain water. The purpose is to obtain a drainage device.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a main body cabinet having a storage inside, a cooling device or a cooling / heating device mounted in the storage, and the storage. An automatic drain water evaporation device for treating drain water generated in the storage, the drain water being drained to the drain water evaporation device through a hose from a drain port provided at the bottom of the storage. The vending machine is provided with a valve device for opening and closing the inlet of the drainage port.

The valve device comprises a tapered valve seat formed at the inlet of the drainage port and a ball-shaped valve body mounted on the valve seat. Further, the ball-shaped valve body is floated on water.

[0007]

[Function] By forming a drain water drainage channel by providing a valve device for opening and closing the inlet of the drainage port, a portion of the drainage water drainage channel communicating with the storage air is closed, and the inside of the storage volume and the outside air are connected. Eliminate air exchange. Further, the valve device is composed of a tapered valve seat formed at the inlet of the drainage port and a ball-shaped valve body mounted on the valve seat, so that the valve body naturally becomes the most gravitational force. Positionally stable at the bottom of the low taper inlet, closing the inlet in an airtight manner at least in line contact with the inlet of the drain.

Further, by allowing the ball-shaped valve body to float on the water, when drain water is stored at the inlet of the drainage port, the ball-shaped valve body floats and the contact portion with the inlet becomes The drain water will be drained automatically to the drain water drainage channel in an incomplete state. In this way, when there is no drain water, the airtight effect is achieved, and when there is drain water, the drainage effect is achieved, resulting in a very effective valve action.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example of a hot and cold type vending machine provided with three storages with a front section thereof. In FIG. 1, a main body cabinet 1 is a box-shaped heat-insulating housing with an open front surface, and has a storage case 2, a heating portion including a heater, and an evaporator that is a refrigerant evaporation portion including pipes and fins. And a cooling / heating device 8 having a portion, and the front wall is covered with a door having a heat insulating property (not shown). The storage 2 is equipped with a product storage shelf (not shown), and a drain port 3 for draining drain water generated in the cooling state of the cooling / heating device 8 is provided in the lower part.

The drainage port 3 has an inlet side formed by tapering a part of the lower surface of the storage case 2, and the tip end of the taper is protruded slightly downward in a hollow cylindrical shape so that the insertion portion 3a of the rubber hose 5 is inserted. It is composed. The rubber hose 5 has an insertion portion 3a.
It is firmly fixed together with an adhesive, and once extends downward, forms a U-shaped portion 5a and extends upward again, and further folds back and extends downward to form a so-called U trap, the tip of which is drain water. It is arranged in the evaporator 4. The rubber hose 5 may be a vinyl or metal hose.

In the drain water drainage device constructed as described above, the drain water flows out of the drain port 3 of the storage 2 and reaches the U-shaped portion 5a, and a certain amount is secured in this portion, and the amount further increases. And the drain water evaporator 4. Here, when drain water is stored in the U-shaped portion 5a and the tip of the rubber hose 5 is below the water surface of the drain water evaporator 4, the drain water drain passage communicating with the storage case 2 and the outside air by the rubber hose 5 is closed.

However, in the above case, there may be a case where the blocking function is not fulfilled. Therefore, a blocking section is further provided, which will be described below with reference to FIG. 2 showing an enlarged view thereof. Figure 2
Shows a cross section up to the middle of the drainage port 3 and the rubber hose 5 connecting the drainage port 3, and the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In FIG. 2, the tapered inlet portion of the drainage port 3 is used as a valve seat, and a ball 6 that can float on water is placed as a valve body that is placed on the valve seat to open and close the inlet.
The ball 6 has a hollow inside or is made of a processed resin having a specific gravity of 1.0 or less and has a diameter larger than at least the hollow diameter of the insertion portion 3a. In this way, in the absence of drain water, the ball 6 always moves downward due to gravity by being guided by the tapered portion, and always makes line contact with the inlet of the drainage port 3 at least in a circular shape to maintain airtightness. The air exchange between the storage 2 and the outside air is cut off.

Further, the drain water 7 has a tapered drain port 3
When the water is stored in the inlet part of the, the ball 6 is lifted by its buoyancy, the airtightness is released, and the drain water 7 is transferred and stored in the U-shaped part. That is, the ball 6 maintains airtightness as required, and automatically opens and closes the inlet of the drain port so as to drain the drain water. As described above, the air exchange between the storage 2 and the outside air is blocked by the ball 6 when there is no drain water, and when there is drain water,
Furthermore, since it is performed in the U-shaped portion 5a, it is always perfect.
Therefore, the cold insulation / heat insulation performance of the storage 2 can be improved.

Although the above description is for the basic structure, it is preferable to temporarily hold the ball 6 with an adhesive tape in order to prevent the ball 6 from being lost during transportation of the vending machine. Further, the rubber hose 5 may be supported at its intermediate portion by the main body wall below the storage case 2.

[0015]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. By constructing a drain water drainage channel by providing a valve device that opens and closes the inlet of the drainage port, the storage channel via the hose and the drainage channel communicating with the outside air are always closed, so keeping the storage box cool
The heat retention performance can be efficiently maintained.

Further, in relation to the above, the operating frequency of the cooling or heating device is reduced, and the power consumption is reduced.
Furthermore, by constructing the valve body of the valve device with balls that float on the water, the airtightness is maintained and the drain water is drained automatically as necessary, so that the air exchange between the storage and the outside air There is no need to keep the storage cool and warm.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a vending machine showing an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of the drainage port of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Main Cabinet 2 Storage Cabinet 3 Drain Port 4 Drain Water Evaporator 5 Rubber Hose 6 Ball 7 Drain Water 8 Cooling / Heating Device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A main body cabinet having a storage therein, a cooling device or a cooling / heating device mounted in the storage, and a drain water evaporator for treating drain water generated in the storage. In the vending machine having a configuration in which the drain water is drained to the drain water evaporation device through a hose from a drain port provided in the lower portion of the storage, a valve device for opening and closing the inlet of the drain port is provided. The drain water drainage device of the vending machine, which is characterized by being provided. 2. The drain water drainage device according to claim 1, wherein the valve device comprises a tapered valve seat formed at the inlet of the drainage port, and a ball-shaped valve body mounted on the valve seat. Drain water drainage device for vending machines characterized by the above. 3. The drain water drainage device according to claim 2, wherein the ball-shaped valve element is configured to be able to float on water.