JPH11313766A - Motor-driven liquid ejection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To lock and unlock liquid ejection without providing an independent switch and to prevent another switch of unintended function from being erroneously operated. SOLUTION: By the operation of a hot water ejection switch 42, a driving power source is supplied to a motor-driven pump 33 or interrupted. When the hot water ejection switch 42 is provided on a position for supplying the driving power source to the motor-driven pump 33, the energization of the driving power source to the motor-driven pump 33 is controlled by a pump driving means 64. Thus, by the single hot water ejection switch 42, the respective operations of hot water ejection locking, hot water ejection unlocking and hot water ejection are performed. Also, the operations are simplified, the switch of the other function is not erroneously operated and handleability is improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric liquid discharging apparatus such as an electric pot for discharging liquid by an electric pump.

[0002]

Conventionally, as an electric liquid discharging apparatus of this type, an electric pot for tapping water by an electric pump is operated by operating a tapping switch serving as a tapping control means so that a predetermined voltage is supplied from a pump power supply to the electric pump. Is supplied or cut off to perform the tapping operation. Also, in order to prevent hot water from being erroneously operated, the hot water is locked (prohibited) in which hot water is prohibited except when necessary.
The hot water lock state is released only when necessary, so that hot water can be discharged.

Conventionally, one of the following two methods has been employed to lock or release the tapping, that is, the state in which the liquid can be discharged. That is, in the first method, the operation of the tapping switch is mechanically restricted by using a slide lever or the like, and the tapping switch is mechanically put into a state where the tapping switch can be pushed or not pushed.
In the second method, a dedicated lock switch for setting the hot water lock state is provided separately from the hot water switch, or a dedicated lock release switch for releasing the hot water lock state is provided. The operation of the electric pump is controlled via a pump drive circuit. However, each of the above methods has the following problems.

There is a problem that a structure for mechanically locking or unlocking a tapping water has a complicated structure, and is restricted by a structure and a shape near a taphole. Also, those provided with a dedicated lock switch or lock release switch have the problem that the number of circuit components increases, the arrangement of each component is restricted, the circuit configuration becomes complicated, and the cost increases. . In addition, since the tap lock and the release of the tap lock are performed by a switch separate from the tap switch that is directly operated for tapping, the switch of another function that is not intended is operated by mistake or the operation position is moved. And the operation was complicated and troublesome.

[0005] Further, in the case of hot water discharge by an electric pump, since hot water is discharged vigorously at first, the hot water is scattered, hot water is easily applied, or
There was an inconvenient surface such as hot water splashing on the floor and the product and becoming dirty. In order to prevent this, there has been known a method in which, when a large amount of hot water is discharged, the driving of the electric pump is suppressed at the start of discharge to limit the discharge amount at the beginning of hot water discharge. However, these items are designed to take into account only the splashing at the beginning of tapping when a large amount of tapping water is used. When I wanted to do it, it was inconvenient because the hot water came out too much. It is also conceivable to separately provide means for tapping a large amount of tap water and for tapping a small amount of tap water. However, there are problems that the number of parts increases and the structure becomes complicated.

In view of the above problems, the present invention can lock and unlock liquid ejection without providing an independent switch, and does not operate a switch of another function that is not intended. A first object is to provide an electric liquid ejection device.

A second object of the present invention is to provide an electric liquid discharging apparatus which can discharge a desired amount without separately providing means for discharging a large amount and discharging a small amount.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric liquid discharging apparatus for discharging a liquid to the outside and driving the electric pump to achieve the first object. A pump power supply for supplying and shutting off the drive power from the pump power supply to the electric pump by an operation switch, and a liquid discharge control means for monitoring a position of the operation switch; and wherein the operation switch is provided from the pump power supply. Pump drive means for controlling the supply of drive power to the electric pump when the drive power is supplied to the electric pump, and a series circuit comprising the electric pump, the operation switch, and the pump drive means,
It is connected to the pump power supply.

According to the configuration of the first aspect, the operation switch not only supplies or shuts off the driving power to the electric pump, but also monitors the position of the switch, and is located at the position for supplying the driving power to the electric pump. Occasionally, the pump drive means controls the energization of the drive power supply to the electric pump. Therefore, by monitoring the position of the operation switch by the liquid discharge control means, it is possible to perform the liquid discharge lock, the release of the liquid discharge lock, and the liquid discharge operation with a single operation switch. Therefore, restrictions on the structure and shape around the operation unit are reduced, or the number of parts of the circuit is reduced, the circuit configuration is simplified, and cost reduction can be achieved.

Further, since the lock release operation and the liquid discharge operation relating to the liquid discharge can be performed with a single operation switch, the operation is simple, and the switches of other functions are not erroneously operated, and the usability is improved. improves. Also, when the operation switch is located at the position where the electric power is supplied to the electric pump, the pump driving means enables the electric pump to operate, so that the electric pump can be operated only when necessary, and the user's intention due to malfunction may be caused. In contrast, the electric pump can be prevented from operating on its own.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, when the operation switch is operated once, the liquid ejection prohibition state is first released, and then the operation switch is operated. When is operated again, the electric pump is operated by the pump driving means to discharge the liquid.

According to the configuration of the second aspect, the locked state of the liquid discharge is not released unless the operation switch is operated at least once, so that even if the operation switch is operated unexpectedly, the electric pump is automatically operated. Operation can be reliably prevented.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first or second aspect, the electric liquid discharging apparatus further comprises a time-measuring means, and when the operation switch is operated once, the liquid discharging prohibited state is first released. At the same time, the timer of the timer is started, and after that, if the operation switch is operated again during a predetermined time period measured by the timer, the electric pump is operated by the pump driving unit to discharge the liquid. When the operation switch is not operated during a predetermined period of time measured by the timing unit while the liquid is discharged, the liquid discharge is prohibited.

According to the third aspect of the invention, even if the locked state of the liquid discharge is released, the locked state is automatically set unless the operation switch is operated for a predetermined time. Therefore, even if the locking operation of the liquid discharge is forgotten by mistake, the liquid dischargeable state is not continued, and the state shifts to the locked state. Also,
Once the liquid discharge lock state is established, the liquid is not discharged immediately even if the operation switch is operated by mistake, and the electric pump can be reliably prevented from operating on its own.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first, second, or third aspect, the pump driving means varies the amount of power supplied to the electric pump by a plurality of types. At the start of the operation of the electric pump, a high power amount capable of ensuring the initial operation of the electric pump is supplied to the electric pump. The power supply amount is changed and supplied.

According to the configuration of the fourth aspect, at the start of liquid discharge, a high power supply is supplied to the electric pump so as to ensure the initial operation of the electric pump, so that the electric pump can be operated reliably. In addition, clogging and cavitation due to scale can be prevented. After that, the amount of power supplied to the electric pump is reduced, so that the liquid can be prevented from scattering around.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric liquid discharging apparatus according to the fourth aspect, wherein the second object is also achieved.
In addition to the above configuration, the pump driving means is configured not to supply the maximum amount of power to the electric pump for a predetermined time after the operation of the electric pump is started.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the discharge amount of the liquid is small during the predetermined time, and thereafter, the discharge amount is large. Operation can be realized, the desired amount can be discharged, and the usability is improved.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the electric liquid ejection apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Note that the electric liquid ejection device in the present embodiment is an electric pot.

In FIG. 2 showing an overall sectional view, reference numeral 1 denotes a container body of an electric pot, and the container body 1 is provided with a leg 3 at the bottom of an outer case 2. A lower cover 4 corresponding to a frame portion is fixed to an upper portion of the outer case 2, and a beak-shaped protruding portion 5 is provided at a front portion of the lower cover 4.
A discharge port 6 for hot water is provided below the protrusion 5 so as to open downward. Reference numeral 7 denotes a bottomed cylindrical container provided in the outer case 2 and is formed of a metal such as stainless steel, for example, and stores the liquid W. The upper portion of the container 7 in which the liquid W is put and the water is boiled is held by the lower lid 4 located on the outer periphery of the container 7, and both the lower lid 4 and the container 7 are integrally provided with an opening. Have been.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a lid body which covers the lower lid 4 and the upper opening of the container 7 so as to be openable and closable. The container body 1 is hinged by the hinge part 9 which rotatably supports the lid body 8 on the lower lid 4. A lid 8 is pivotally supported at one end of the lower lid 4 to be configured. At the front of the lid 8 located on the opposite side of the hinge 9, a clamp lever 10 that is operated when the lid 8 is opened and closed is provided. By operating the clamp lever 10, the hinge 9 is rotated. The lid 8 can be opened and closed as a center.

The lid 8 is made of a resin material such as polypropylene, for example. The lid 11 forms the upper surface of the electric pot together with the protruding portion 5, and the lower part of the lid 11 is made of a resin material. The metal plug 13 is provided at a position directly facing the plate 12 and the liquid W in the container 7 and covers the lower surface of the lower plate 12.
It is composed of An annular packing 15 that abuts on the upper flange of the container 7 when the lid 8 is closed is clamped and fixed to the outer peripheral portions of the lower plate 12 and the inner plug 13. Meanwhile, container 7
A heater 16 as a heating means is attached and fixed to the lower part of the heater. The heater 16 is used for boiling water for heating the liquid W in the container 7 and for keeping the temperature of the hot water at a predetermined temperature. In addition, a thermistor 17 as temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature inside the container 7 is provided below the container 7. Then, based on the temperature information from the thermistor 17, a control circuit 18 provided in the lower part of the main body 1 is configured to cut off the electric power through the heater 16.

The inner stopper 13 is provided with a downwardly protruding backflow prevention case 22 for holding a stainless steel valve 21. At the outer periphery of the backflow prevention case 22, a backflow prevention case steam outlet 23 is provided, and facing the upper surface of the backflow prevention case 22, the inner plug steam discharger slightly smaller in diameter than the backflow prevention case 22 is provided. An outlet 24 is formed in the lower portion of the lower plate 12. Each of the backflow case vapor discharge port 23 and the inner plug vapor discharge port 24 is for discharging vapor generated from the liquid W in the container 7 to the outside. Lower plate 12
Is formed with a steam passage 25 communicating with the inner plug steam discharge port 24, and an elastic valve packing 26 is provided in the middle of the steam passage 25 so as to be openable and closable. This valve packing 26 is used for steam passage when water is not being heated.
25 is closed, but only when the internal pressure is applied due to the generation of vapor as shown by the arrow from the liquid W in the container 7, the vapor passage 25 is opened by elastic deformation. The upper end of the steam passage 25 is connected to a cylindrical rib 27 protruding downward from the lid 11, and the lid 11
A lid steam outlet 28 for discharging steam from the steam passage 25 to the outside is provided on the upper surface of the cover.

Between the outlet 31 provided at the bottom of the container 7 and the discharge port 6, there is provided a water conduit 32 for allowing the liquid W to flow out of the container 7 to the outside. Specifically, the water conduit 32 connects an electric pump 33 provided below the container 7 to the outflow portion 31 and connects a joint 34 to an outlet of the electric pump 33 to form a transparent pipe corresponding to a water level pipe. Glass pipe 35
And a horizontal backflow stop case 36 connected to the upper part of the glass pipe 35, and a tapping pipe 37 provided with a discharge port 6 at an end thereof is connected to the backflow stop case 36. In the backflow prevention case 36, an outflow prevention valve 38 that closes the water conduit 32 when the container body 1 falls down or the like is provided to be vertically movable.

A display operation section 41 as an operation panel provided with various operation means and display means such as LEDs is provided above the protrusion 5 constituting the lower cover 4. This display operation unit
As shown in FIG. 3, there is a tapping switch 42, which is an operation switch for pushing when hot water is discharged from the discharge port 6, as shown in FIG. A descaling switch 43 and a heat retention selection switch 44 that is pressed to switch the heat retention temperature stepwise are provided. Among these, the tap switch 42 also functions as a tap lock release switch for releasing a tap lock state (a state in which tapping cannot be performed from the discharge port 6 even when the tap switch 42 is pressed) corresponding to the liquid ejection prohibition state. I have. A tap lock release lamp 45, which is lit when tapping is possible, is provided near the tap switch 42. Further, a descaling lamp 47 which is turned off when the control of the steam generation amount is about half and is turned on when performing the re-boiling and descaling operation is provided above the reboiling descaling switch 43 in the upper portion thereof. Each is provided. Further, at the upper portion near the heat retention selection switch 44, heat retention temperature display lamps 48, 49, and 50 for displaying the heat retention temperature set by operating the heat retention selection switch 44 are arranged in parallel.

Next, the electrical configuration will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 61 denotes a control means composed of, for example, a microcomputer or the like, and this control means 61 performs various controls relating to the electric pot in accordance with a control sequence of a program held by the control means. 62 is an electric pump 33
Is a pump power supply that outputs a voltage or a current necessary for driving the. A hot water switch 42 comprising a microswitch having a movable contact 42a forming hot water control means 63, a pnp transistor 65 forming pump driving means 64, and an electric pump 33 are provided between both ends of the pump power supply 62. A series circuit is connected.

Hot water control means corresponding to liquid discharge control means
63 has a function of supplying or shutting off the driving power from the pump power supply 62 to the electric pump 33 by the hot water switch 42, monitoring the state (switch position) of the hot water switch 42, and outputting the same to the control means 61. ing. Specifically, hot water switch 42 is a changeover switch, and movable contact 42a of hot water switch 42 that is always connected to one end of pump power supply 62 has
Input port I1 of control means 61 or pump driving means 64
Is connected to one of the emitters of the transistor 65. When the tapping switch 42 is pushed, the movable contact 42a is connected to the emitter side of the transistor 65, and the driving power from the pump power supply 62 is supplied to the electric pump 33. At the same time, when the voltage level of the input port I1 becomes L (low) level, the position of the tapping switch 42 at this time is transmitted from the tapping control means 63 to the control means 61. Conversely, when no tap switch 42 is operated, the movable contact 42a is connected to the input port I1, and the voltage level of the input port I1 becomes H (high) level. In addition, the tapping control means 63 includes a resistor 66 connected between the input port I1 and the ground line, and a resistor 67 connected between one end of the pump power supply 62 and the emitter of the transistor 65.

Although the tap switch 42 of this embodiment is a microswitch having a single switchable movable contact 42a, it may be a switch having a pair of interlocking open / close contacts, for example. There may be. In short, an operation switch that can simultaneously open and close the power supply line of the electric pump 33 and switch a switch monitoring signal to the input port I1 of the control means 61 manually may be used. Also,
Two or more sets of tap switches 42 may be provided instead of one set. For example, a hot water supply switch may be configured with two sets, one for a large amount of hot water and the other for a small amount of hot water, and the electric pump 33 may be operated with different drive amounts to selectively control the amount of hot water.

When the tap switch 42 is at a position where the driving power from the pump power supply 62 is supplied to the electric pump 33, the pump driving means 64 controls the supply of the driving power to the electric pump 33 to the transistor 65 as a control element. It has the function of controlling by Note that, instead of the transistor 65, various semiconductor elements such as a thyristor and a triac, and a relay may be used. The collector of the transistor 65 is connected to one end of the electric pump 33, and the base of the transistor 65 is connected to the output port O1 of the control means 61 via the resistor 68. When the output port O1 is at the H level, for example, an operating voltage of DC 5 V is applied to the base of the transistor 65 through the resistor 69,
When the output port O1 is at the L level while the transistor 65 is in the OFF state, the base voltage of the transistor 65 is also at the L level, and the transistor 65 is turned on.

When the control means 61 reads that the tap switch 42 has been operated once by monitoring the tap control means 63,
First, the tapping lock state in which the transistor 65 of the pump driving means 64 is always turned off is released. At the same time, the timing means 71 provided in the control means 61 starts timing. Thereafter, during a predetermined time period measured by the time counting means 71, the tapping switch 42
Is read again, the control means 61 supplies a pulse drive current to the pump drive means 64 at a predetermined timing. Conversely, if the tapping switch 42 is not operated during the predetermined time period counted by the timer 71, the pulse driving current is not supplied to the pump driving means 64 and the state shifts to the tapping lock state. I have.

The control means 61 is connected to a tapping lock release lamp 45 constituting the display operation section 41 and the like. The tap lock release lamp 45 is lit when tapping is possible after the tap switch 42 is operated once. In this embodiment, the hot water release lock release lamp 45 is provided by an LED.
However, other display means may be used. For example, a hot water lock state or a hot water lock release state may be displayed on an LCD or the like. In addition, other notification means other than the display may be used. Reference numeral 72 denotes a buzzer serving as a sounding means, which issues a notification when the tapping lock is released and when tapping is started.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4 and the timing charts of FIGS. 5 and 6. In addition, in FIG. 5, each timing chart of an upper stage shows the tap switch at the time of tapping.
The state of 42, the output signal to the tapping lock release lamp 45, and the operation state of the electric pump 33 are shown. The time chart at the bottom of FIG. 5 particularly shows the state of the tap switch 42, the output signal to the tap lock release lamp 45, and the operating state of the electric pump 33 when the tap switch 42 is operated during tapping. Further, a timing chart of FIG. 6 as another modification example shows a state of the tapping switch 42 at the time of tapping.
Output signal to hot water unlocking lamp 45 and electric pump
33 shows the operating state of the device.

Before operating the tap switch 42, the tap switch 42 is at a position (off) where the drive current to the electric pump 33 is cut off, and the voltage of the input port I1 of the control means 61 is at the H level. In response to this, the control means 61
As shown in FIG. 4, the voltage of the output port O1 is set to the H level to turn off the transistor 65 of the pump driving means 64 (Step S1), and in Step S2, the hot water lock release lamp 45 is turned off, that is, turned off. Execute the hot water lock state. This hot water lock state continues until hot water switch 42 is operated.

When the tap switch 42 is turned on by operating the tap switch 42 once in the tap lock state (step S3), the control means 61 is activated.
Changes from the H level to the L level. In response to the switching of the signal, the control means 61 releases the hot water lock state. Specifically, in step S4, the hot water lock release lamp 45 is turned on, that is, turned on, and in step S5, the buzzer 72 is sounded for a predetermined time, for example, 0.5 seconds to notify the release of the hot water lock state.

The control means 61 clears the timer of the built-in clocking means 71 at the same time as the release of the hot water lock state (step S6), and in step S7, starts counting of the timer, that is, time counting. This timing is, for example, a predetermined time
This is performed for 10 seconds (step S8). Then, in the next step S9, if 10 seconds have elapsed without turning off the tapping switch 42 without turning it off, the procedure returns from step S8 to the procedure of the first step S1, and the control means 61 executes the above tapping lock state again. Further, once the tap switch 42 is turned off in step S9 and no tap switch 42 is operated, in step S8, the timer 71
At the point in time when time measurement for seconds has been performed, the procedure returns to the procedure of the first step S1, and the tapping lock state is executed.

On the other hand, in step S9, once the tap switch 42
Is turned off, and then the tap switch 42 is turned on again (step S10), the buzzer 71 is sounded for a predetermined time, for example, 0.1 second, to notify the start of tapping (step S11). At the same time, the control means 61 sets the voltage of the output port O1 to L level and turns on the transistor 65 of the pump driving means 64 (step S12). At this time, the pump power supply 62 → the movable contact 42a of the tapping switch 42 → the transistor 65 → the electric pump 33
→ A drive current flows through the path of the pump power supply 62, and a tapping operation for discharging the liquid W in the container 7 from the discharge port 6 to the outside starts. During tapping, the clocking by the clocking means 71 is continued (step S13).

As long as the tap switch 42 is kept pressed,
The tapping operation by driving the electric pump 33 is continued, but when the tapping switch 42 is turned off in step S14, the process proceeds to step S15, where the control means 61 sets the voltage of the output port O1 to the H level to drive the pump. The transistor 65 of the means 64 is turned off. As a result, the tapping from the discharge port 6 is stopped, and the tapping lock release lamp 45 is turned off, that is, turned off. At this time, if 10 seconds have elapsed since the hot water lock state was released (step S16), the control unit 61 returns to the procedure of step S1 and executes the hot water lock state. The operation timing of each unit in this case is as shown in the upper part of FIG. In step S16, if the timer measured by the time counting means 71 has not elapsed 10 seconds from the release of the hot water lock state, the procedure returns to step S7, and the timer continues counting. At this time, the release of the hot water supply locked state is continued until the time measured by the time counting means 71 reaches 10 seconds.
During the release of the hot water lock state, the transistor 65 of the pump driving means 64 is operated in accordance with the operation of the hot water switch 42, and the hot water can be repeatedly discharged or stopped. The operation timing of each unit in this case is as shown in the lower part of FIG.

The timing chart shown in FIG. 5 shows the operation of simply turning on / off the electric pump 33. After the start of tapping, the tapping amount from the discharge port 6 is variably controlled according to the following procedure. May be performed. A specific example is shown in the timing chart of FIG. here,
At the time of tapping operation, the control means 61 sends the pump driving means 64
The pulse signal is supplied to the transistor 65 of the electric pump.
The drive current to 33 is configured to be supplied in pulses, and by varying the on / off time of the pulse signal to the transistor 65, the amount of power supplied to the electric pump 33 can be varied and controlled. I am trying to do it. In addition, in the electric pump 33 timing chart shown in FIG.
The reason is that the ON signal is continuously supplied to the transistor 65 and the driving current from the pump power supply 62 is continuously supplied to the electric pump.
This is the amount of hot water when supplied to 33 (100% duty ratio). Also, when the tapping amount is 66%, the transistor 65 is turned on for 4 msec / 2.
This is the amount of hot water when the control is performed with msec off (conduction rate 66%).
Hot water supply amount when controlled at 2 msec off (conductivity 75
%), And the tapping amount 83% is the tapping amount (the duty ratio 83) when the transistor 65 is controlled at 10 msec on / 2 msec off.
%).

In step S10, the hot water switch
When 42 is turned on, first, at the start of operation of the electric pump 33, the electric pump 33 is operated at the maximum power supply amount of 100% hot water supply amount in order to secure the initial operation of the electric pump 33. This operation at the start of hot water supply is performed for 0.5 seconds. This makes it possible to reliably operate the electric pump 33 and prevent clogging due to water scale in the water conduit 32 and cavitation (water bubble state). After the operation of the electric pump 33 is started, the hot water supply amount is 66% for 3 seconds, and the 75% water supply amount is 1 second for 83 seconds.
The tapping operation is performed for one second at the tapping amount of%, and thereafter, the tapping operation is continued at the maximum tapping amount of 100% until the tapping switch 42 is turned off. That is, the amount of power to be supplied to the electric pump 33 is increased from the amount of power that is lower than when the operation of the electric pump 33 is started, and the tapping operation after the operation of the electric pump 33 is performed. Here, five seconds from when the hot water is discharged at the hot water supply amount of 66% to when the hot water is discharged at the hot water supply amount of 83% are equivalent to the hot water discharge amount of about 60 to 80 CC for one cup of coffee cup. During the predetermined time, the maximum amount of power is not supplied to the electric pump 33, and the maximum amount of tap water and a small amount of tap water can be realized by operating the tap switch 42 only once.

The tapping operation may be performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG. The corresponding time chart is shown in FIG. Here, when the operation switch 42 is operated and input in the hot water tap lock (prohibited) state of step S21 (step S22), the hot water tap lock state is released in the next step S23. Thereafter, in step S24, when the operation switch 42 is operated again within a predetermined time,
Move to the next step S25, where the electric pump is
For the initial operation of 33, a relatively high power supply is supplied to the electric pump 33 so that a hot water supply amount (flow rate) of 400 ml / 10 seconds is obtained. This is for applying an appropriate voltage to start the electric pump 33. Before the liquid W in the container 7 reaches the discharge port 6, the first variable point shown in FIG. , The amount of power supplied to the electric pump 33 is reduced to 250
Hot water is discharged from the discharge port 6 with a hot water amount of ml / 10 seconds.
Thereby, even if the container received at the discharge port 6 is small, the liquid W
Is prevented from splattering out of the container and the liquid W is not excessively discharged. In step S24, if there is no operation input of hot water switch 42 again within a certain period of time, the procedure returns to step S21 to return to control means 61.
Executes the hot water lock state.

When the liquid W is discharged to a small vessel, the operation input of the tap switch 42 is terminated here.
For example, when the liquid W is to be discharged into a container having a size such as a mug, the state in which the tap switch 42 is operated and input is continued at the time when 5 seconds have elapsed from the start of tapping in step S26. Then, the process proceeds to the next step S27, where the second variable point shown in FIG. 8 is reached, the amount of power supplied to the electric pump 33 is slightly increased, and the discharge port is discharged at 350 ml / 10 seconds. Hot water is supplied from 6. When three seconds have passed from the second variable point (step S28), the process proceeds to the next step S29, where the third variable point shown in FIG. 8 is reached, and the amount of power supplied to the electric pump 33 becomes the maximum. hand,
Hot water is discharged from the discharge port 6 at a hot water flow rate of 500 ml / 10 seconds. This tapping operation is continued until the input operation of tapping switch 42 ends (step S30).

On the other hand, at the time of boiling water, the liquid W in the container 7
More steam is generated. As shown by the arrow in FIG. 2, the steam passes from the backflow prevention case 22 to the inside steam outlet 24 and enters the steam passage 25. The valve packing 26 incorporated in the steam passage 25 is normally positioned so as to close the steam passage 25, but is elastically deformed by the steam pressure in the container 7 to open the steam passage 25. Therefore, the steam that has entered the steam passage 25 passes through the valve packing 26 and the lid steam outlet.
It reaches 28 and is discharged outside.

When the temperature is switched to the heat retention after the completion of the water heating, the power supply to the heater 16 is turned off and the vapor pressure in the container 7 gradually decreases. As a result, the valve packing 26 also returns to the original position and closes the steam passage 25, and the lid steam outlet 28
Prevent heat radiation from Therefore, when heating
Also, the conduction rate (power consumption) of 16 can be reduced by the amount by which heat radiation from the lid steam discharge port 28 is prevented.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the electric pump 33 for discharging the liquid W to the outside, the pump power supply 62 for driving the electric pump 33, and the pump power supply Drive power supply for electric pump
A tapping control means 63 serving as a liquid discharge control means for supplying or shutting off to the 33 and monitoring a state of the tapping switch 42;
When the hot water switch 42 is at a position where the drive power from the pump power supply 62 is supplied to the electric pump 33, a pump drive unit 64 that controls the energization of the drive power to the electric pump 33 is provided.
Electric pump 33, hot water switch 42 and pump driving means 64
Is connected to the pump power supply 62.

As a result, the tap switch 42 is electrically driven.
In addition to supplying or shutting off the driving power to the electric pump 33, the switch position is monitored and when the electric pump 33 is at a position where the driving power is supplied to the electric pump 33, the driving power to the electric pump 33 is supplied to the electric pump 33 by the pump driving means 64. The energization is controlled. Therefore, by controlling the position of the tap switch 42 by the tap control means 63, a single tap switch is provided.
With 42, it is possible to release the tap lock and the tap lock, and to perform each tapping operation. For this reason, there is no need to provide a mechanical hot water lock or hot water lock release switch unlike the related art, and the restrictions on the structure and shape around the operation unit are reduced. Also, there is no need to provide a dedicated lock switch or lock release switch, the number of circuit components is reduced, the circuit configuration is simplified, and cost reduction can be achieved.

Furthermore, since the tapping lock release operation and tapping operation relating to tapping can be performed with a single tapping switch 42, the operation is simple, the switches of other functions are not erroneously operated, and the usability is improved. improves. Further, when the hot water switch 42 is located at a position for supplying drive power to the electric pump 33, the pump driving means 64 enables the electric pump 33 to operate, so that the electric pump 33 can be operated only when necessary and malfunction. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the electric pump 33 from operating without permission against the user's intention.

In this embodiment, the tap switch 42 is set to 1
When the turning operation is performed, the liquid discharge inhibition state, that is, the hot water lock state is first released, and then, when the hot water switch 42 is operated again, the electric pump 33 is operated by the pump driving means 64 to discharge the liquid. . This allows
Unless the tapping switch 42 is operated at least once, the tapping lock state is not released, so that even if the tapping switch 42 is operated unexpectedly, the electric pump 33 can be reliably prevented from operating on its own.

In this embodiment, the tap switch 42 is set to 1
When the turning operation is performed, first, the liquid discharge prohibition state, that is, the hot water locked state is released, and the time counting of the time counting means 71 is started. , Pump driving means
The electric pump 33 is operated by 64 to discharge the liquid W, and when the tapping switch 42 is not operated during a predetermined time period measured by the timer 71, the tapping lock state is set.

Thus, even if the hot water lock state is released, if the hot water switch 42 is not operated during the predetermined time,
The hot spring is automatically locked. Therefore, even if the operation of the tap lock is forgotten by mistake, the tapping possible state is not continued, and the tapping lock state is entered. Further, once the hot water supply lock state is established, even if the hot water switch 42 is erroneously operated, the hot water is not immediately discharged and the electric pump 33 can be reliably prevented from operating without permission.

Further, in this embodiment, the pump driving means 64 can control the amount of power supplied to the electric pump 33 by changing a plurality of types, and at the start of the operation of the electric pump 33, it is possible to secure the initial operation of the electric pump 33. The power supply amount is supplied to the electric pump 33, and thereafter, from a lower power supply amount than when the operation of the electric pump 33 is started,
The power supply to the electric pump 33 is changed and supplied.

Thus, at the start of hot water supply, the electric pump
Since a high amount of power is supplied to the electric pump 33 so as to secure the initial movement of the electric pump 33, the electric pump 33 can be reliably operated, and clogging and cavitation due to water scale can be prevented. After that, since the amount of power supplied to the electric pump 33 decreases, the liquid W can be prevented from scattering around.

In this case, as in the present embodiment, the electric pump
After the operation of 33 starts, the pump driving means 64 is configured so as not to supply the maximum amount of power to the electric pump 33 for a predetermined time. In this way, the amount of hot water is small during the predetermined time, and thereafter the amount of hot water increases, and the operation of the small amount hot water and the large amount hot water can be realized by the single hot water switch 42, so that the desired amount can be discharged, Usability is improved. For example, when it is desired to tap only a cup of teacup or a cup of coffee, or to tap only a small amount of tap water, a predetermined time after the start of tapping may be used. The control of the amount of hot water in the predetermined time takes into account the time at the time of use. If a large amount of hot water is to be supplied, it is only necessary to keep operating the hot water switch 42.

In addition, the effects of the embodiment are listed as follows. Conventionally, when a tapping switch was pressed, a fixed amount of tapping water was performed regardless of a receiving vessel. The hot water scattered around and made the table dirty. In order to solve such a problem, a device for separately providing a small-volume hot water supply switch has been proposed. However, when the receiving device is large, when this switch is operated,
There was the inconvenience that it took time to obtain the required amount.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, particularly in FIGS. 7 and 8, the tapping amount is increased each time the set tapping time is reached in accordance with the time during which the tapping switch 42 is pushed. doing. Therefore, even if the receiving vessel is large, if the tap switch 42 is kept pressed, the amount of hot water increases, and the amount of hot water is adjusted to the vessel, so that the usability is good. Further, since the amount of hot water is small at the beginning when the hot water switch 42 is pushed, the liquid W does not scatter around even with a small vessel. Therefore, with one tap switch 42, tapping can be performed at an appropriate flow rate for all vessels.

On the other hand, the conventional electric pot has a structure in which steam of hot water heated in the container is discharged to the outside through a steam discharge port from a steam passage formed in the lid. . However, the steam outlet also serves as an outlet for releasing the heat in the container during heat retention, and the temperature of the hot water drops. Therefore, in order to maintain the hot water temperature at the time of keeping the temperature, there has been a problem that the heater energization rate (power consumption) must be increased.

Therefore, in this embodiment, an elastic valve packing 26 is provided in the middle of the steam passage 25 so as to be freely opened and closed. The valve packing 26 opens the steam passage 25 only when an internal pressure is generated in the container 7. At the time of boiling, the steam generated from the liquid W in the container 7 smoothly passes through the steam passage 25. During the warming period when the internal pressure is not so high in the container 7, the valve packing
26 is closed to prevent heat radiation from the steam passage 25 to the outside. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the duty ratio (the amount of power consumption) of the heater 16 during the heat retention.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, although an electric pot has been described in the embodiments, the present invention can be applied to any device that discharges any other liquid. Further, the power supply amount of the electric pump 33 may be controlled by changing the drive current or the applied voltage to the electric pump 33. Further, each time setting in the embodiment is merely an example, and may be changed as appropriate. For example,
The setting of 10 seconds for releasing the hot water lock state may be changed in consideration of the usability of the electric liquid device to be used. Further, the time for switching the amount of hot water and the setting of each amount of hot water may be changed according to the discharge capacity of the electric pump 33 and the required amount of hot water.

[0058]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric liquid discharging apparatus for discharging a liquid to the outside, a pump power supply for driving the electric pump, and a drive from the pump power supply by an operation switch. Supplying or shutting off power to the electric pump, and a liquid discharge control means for monitoring the position of the operation switch, and when the operation switch is at a position for supplying drive power from the pump power supply to the electric pump, Pump drive means for controlling energization of a drive power supply to the electric pump,
A series circuit composed of an operation switch and a pump driving means is connected to the pump power supply, so that the liquid discharge can be locked or unlocked without providing an independent switch. Can be provided without operating the switch.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, when the operation switch is operated once, the liquid ejection inhibition state is first released, and then the operation switch is operated. Is operated again, the electric pump is operated by the pump driving means to discharge the liquid. In this case, even if the operation switch is operated unexpectedly, the electric pump can Operation can be reliably prevented.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first or second aspect, the electric liquid discharging apparatus further comprises a time measuring means, and when the operation switch is operated once, the liquid discharging prohibited state is first released. At the same time, the timer of the timer is started, and after that, if the operation switch is operated again during a predetermined time period measured by the timer, the electric pump is operated by the pump driving unit to discharge the liquid. On the other hand, when the operation switch is not operated during a predetermined time period measured by the timing unit while discharging, the liquid discharge is prohibited, and in this case, furthermore,
If the operation switch is not operated during the predetermined time, the lock is automatically set, and the electric pump can be reliably prevented from operating on its own.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first, second or third aspect, the pump driving means varies the amount of power supplied to the electric pump by a plurality of types. At the start of the operation of the electric pump, a high power amount capable of ensuring the initial operation of the electric pump is supplied to the electric pump. The power supply amount is changed and supplied. In this case, clogging due to water scale and cavitation can be prevented, and the liquid can be prevented from scattering around.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the fourth aspect, in addition to the configuration of the fourth aspect, a maximum amount of power is supplied to the electric pump for a predetermined time after the operation of the electric pump is started. The pump driving means is configured so as not to dispose, and a desired amount can be discharged without separately providing means for large discharge and small discharge.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing an electric configuration of an electric pot showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an overall sectional view of the electric pot.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the operation panel.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a series of operations when the hot water is supplied.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing an operation state at the time of tapping the hot water;

FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing an operation state at the time of tapping water according to another modification of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a series of operations when tapping water according to still another modification of the above.

FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing an operation state at the time of tapping corresponding to FIG. 7;

[Explanation of symbols]

 33 Electric pump 42 Hot water switch (operation switch) 62 Pump power supply 63 Hot water control means (liquid discharge control means) 64 Pump driving means 71 Clocking means W Liquid

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Satoru Kitazawa 2570-1, Gosuda, Kamo-shi, Niigata Toshiba Home Techno Co., Ltd.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An electric pump for discharging a liquid to the outside, a pump power supply for driving the electric pump, and a drive power supply from the pump power supply supplied to or cut off from the electric pump by an operation switch. A liquid discharge control means for monitoring a position of a switch, and a pump drive for controlling energization of the drive power to the electric pump when the operation switch is at a position for supplying drive power from the pump power to the electric pump. Means, and a series circuit including the electric pump, the operation switch, and the pump driving means is connected to the pump power supply. 2. When the operation switch is operated once, the liquid discharge prohibition state is first released, and then, when the operation switch is operated again, the electric pump is operated by the pump driving means to discharge the liquid. 2. The electric liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured as described above. 3. A time measuring means comprising:
When the operation is performed twice, the liquid discharge prohibition state is first released, and the timer of the timer is started. After that, when the operation switch is operated again during a predetermined time period measured by the timer, the pump driving unit is operated. By operating the electric pump to discharge liquid while the operation switch is not operated during a predetermined time period measured by the timing unit, the liquid discharge is prohibited. 3. The electric liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein 4. The pump driving means is capable of controlling a plurality of types of electric power supplied to the electric pump by varying the amount of electric power supplied to the electric pump. The power supply to the electric pump is performed by changing the amount of electric power supplied to the electric pump from a lower electric power than when the operation of the electric pump is started. The electric liquid ejection device according to claim 1. 5. The electric liquid according to claim 4, wherein the pump driving means is configured not to supply the maximum amount of power to the electric pump for a predetermined time after the operation of the electric pump is started. Discharge device.