JP7488569B2 - Water server, method, system, program, and recording medium for managing water supply - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a water supply management technique for a water server that receives raw water from a water container and produces hot water and cold water.

A water server that produces hot and cold water from raw water in a water container, for example, has a cold water tank and a hot water tank within the server, and directs raw water to the cold water tank to produce cold water, and directs raw water to the hot water tank to produce hot water. In such a water server, the water container needs to be replaced at the appropriate time to ensure a stable supply of cold or hot water, and it is necessary to monitor the remaining water level in the water container.

Regarding such water servers, a water remaining amount management system is known that grasps the water usage status based on the weight of the remaining water amount and delivers water tanks (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2012-188141 A

In a water server that utilizes the pressure (head pressure) due to the water level in a cold water tank to supply cold water and hot water, this head pressure acts on the water supply ports of the cold water tank and the hot water tank.
When the water server is first used, the cold water tank and hot water tank are empty, and when a water container is placed on the server casing in this state, raw water from the water container is supplied to the cold water tank and hot water tank, filling them both up.

A cold water tank has a cold water supply pipe attached to its bottom, and head pressure from the cold water acts on this cold water supply pipe. In contrast, a hot water tank has a hot water supply pipe attached to its top. For this reason, even if the hot water tank is filled with hot water, it does not receive head pressure from the hot water. In other words, the hot water supply pipe is subject to head pressure due to the water level in the cold water tank, so when this water level drops and the head pressure becomes zero, the hot water supply is stopped.

Even if the hot water supply is stopped in this way, there is a period during which cold water can be supplied if there is cold water in the cold water tank. This state may cause users who are unfamiliar with water servers to mistakenly believe that there is a malfunction.
If the water container is replaced with a new one when the hot water supply is stopped, this situation can be resolved, but there is still some uncertainty about replacing the water container when cold water supply is possible. However, to avoid the hot water supply being stopped, care must be taken to replace the water container before the hot water supply is stopped. Furthermore, if the water container is replaced before the hot water limit is reached, the remaining water in the water container will be discarded and wasted.
The longer period for which cold water is supplied than hot water is not a big problem in the summer when demand for cold water is high, but in the winter when demand for hot water is high, the shorter period for which hot water is supplied than cold water is an issue that reduces the convenience of the water server.

Even if this difference in the supply period between hot and cold water is not a malfunction, it can confuse users as to when to replace the water container. With regard to this issue, the inventor has discovered that the convenience of water servers can be further improved if the amount of water supplied and the amount of remaining water are grasped from the supply time of cold and hot water and an alert is issued without using sensors such as water level sensors or weight sensors to measure the amount of remaining water and the amount of water supplied.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT Based on the above problems and findings, an object of the present invention is to facilitate water supply management by monitoring the water supply time or the remaining water supply time using the time required for water supply.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the water server of the present invention, there is provided a water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and generates cold water or hot water, the water server comprising: a cold water tank that receives raw water from the water container and cools the raw water to generate cold water; a hot water tank that receives raw water from the water container and heats the raw water to generate hot water; a water supply button; an on-off valve that opens in response to the operation of the water supply button when supplying the cold water or hot water; and a water supply device that acquires information on the upper limit water supply amount and information on the opening time of the on-off valve and controls the on-off valve to open. The system includes a water supply control unit that converts an upper limit water supply amount into an upper limit water supply time based on the flow rate passing through the valve, calculates a remaining water supply time by subtracting the water supply time calculated based on the open time of the on-off valve from the upper limit water supply time, generates first alert information indicating a hot water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a first remaining water supply time threshold, and generates second alert information indicating a cold water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a second remaining water supply time threshold after generating the first alert information, and an information presentation unit that presents the first alert information or the second alert information.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the water server of the present invention, a water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and generates cold water or hot water includes a cold water tank that receives raw water from the water container and cools the raw water to generate cold water, a hot water tank that receives raw water from the water container and heats the raw water to generate hot water, a water supply button, an on-off valve that opens in response to operation of the water supply button when supplying the cold water or hot water, a water supply control unit that acquires information on the opening time of the on-off valve, generates first alert information that indicates a hot water limit when the water supply time calculated based on the valve opening time reaches or exceeds a first water supply time threshold, and generates second alert information that indicates a cold water limit when the water supply time reaches or exceeds a second water supply time threshold, and an information presentation unit that presents the first alert information or the second alert information.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the water server of the present invention, there is provided a water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and generates cold water or hot water, the water server including a cold water tank that receives raw water from the water container and cools the raw water to generate cold water, a hot water tank that receives raw water from the water container and heats the raw water to generate hot water, a water supply button, an on-off valve that opens in response to operation of the water supply button when supplying the cold water or hot water, a water supply control unit that acquires information on the opening time of the on-off valve, calculates water supply time information from the valve opening time information, and generates replacement information indicating replacement of the water container when it acquires water supply time information of the hot water or water supply time information of the cold water equal to or greater than a predetermined value after a hot water limit that stops the supply of the hot water, and an information presentation unit that presents the replacement information.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the water supply management method for a water server of the present invention, a water supply management method for a water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and produces cold water or hot water includes a process in which a cold water tank receives raw water from the water container and cools the raw water to produce cold water, a process in which a hot water tank receives raw water from the water container and heats the raw water to produce hot water, and a process in which, when supplying the cold water or hot water, an opening/closing valve is opened in response to operation of a water supply button, and a water supply control unit acquires information on the upper limit water supply amount and information on the opening time of the opening/closing valve. The system includes a step of converting an upper limit water supply amount into an upper limit water supply time based on the flow rate passing through the on-off valve, calculating the remaining water supply time by subtracting the water supply time calculated based on the open time of the on-off valve from the upper limit water supply time, generating first alert information representing a hot water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a first remaining water supply time threshold, and generating second alert information representing a cold water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a second remaining water supply time threshold after generating the first alert information, and a step of an information presenting unit presenting the first alert information or the second alert information.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the water supply management method of the present invention, a water supply management method of a water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and generates cold water or hot water includes a step of a cold water tank receiving raw water from the water container and cooling the raw water to generate cold water, a step of a hot water tank receiving raw water from the water container and heating the raw water to generate hot water, a step of opening an opening/closing valve in response to an operation of a water supply button when supplying the cold water or hot water, a step of a water supply control unit acquiring information on the opening time of the opening/closing valve, generating first alert information representing a hot water limit when the water supply time calculated based on the opening time reaches or exceeds a first water supply time threshold, and generating second alert information representing a cold water limit when the water supply time reaches or exceeds a second water supply time threshold, and a step of an information presentation unit presenting the first alert information or the second alert information.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the water supply management method of the present invention, a water supply management method of a water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and generates cold water or hot water includes a step of a cold water tank receiving raw water from the water container and cooling the raw water to generate cold water, a step of a hot water tank receiving raw water from the water container and heating the raw water to generate hot water, a step of opening an opening/closing valve in response to an operation of a water supply button when supplying the cold water or hot water, a step of a water supply control unit acquiring information on the opening time of the opening/closing valve, calculating water supply time information from the opening time information, and generating replacement information indicating replacement of the water container when the hot water supply time information or the cold water supply time information equal to or greater than a predetermined value is acquired after a hot water limit that stops the supply of the hot water, and a step of an information presentation unit presenting the replacement information.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the water supply management system of the water server of the present invention, there is provided a water supply management system for a water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and produces cold water or hot water, the water supply management system including a cooling device that receives raw water from the water container in a cold water tank and cools the raw water to produce cold water, a heating device that receives raw water from the water container in a hot water tank and heats the raw water to produce hot water, a water supply button, a valve drive unit that opens an on-off valve to allow the cold water or hot water to pass in response to the operation of the water supply button, and a control unit that acquires upper limit water supply amount information and controls the opening and closing of the on-off valve. The device includes a water supply control unit that acquires valve time information, converts an upper limit water supply amount into an upper limit water supply time based on the flow rate passing through the on-off valve, calculates a remaining water supply time by subtracting the water supply time calculated based on the open time of the on-off valve from the upper limit water supply time, generates first alert information indicating a hot water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a first remaining water supply time threshold, and generates second alert information indicating a cold water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a second remaining water supply time threshold after generating the first alert information, and an information presentation unit that presents the first alert information or the second alert information.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the water supply management system of the water server of the present invention, the water supply management system of the water server receives raw water from a replaceable water container and generates cold water or hot water, and includes a cooling device that receives raw water from the water container in a cold water tank and cools the raw water to generate cold water, a heating device that receives raw water from the water container in a hot water tank and heats the raw water to generate hot water, a water supply button, a valve drive unit that opens an on-off valve that allows the cold water or the hot water to pass in response to the operation of the water supply button, a water supply control unit that acquires valve opening time information of the on-off valve, generates first alert information that indicates a hot water limit when the water supply time calculated based on the valve opening time reaches or exceeds a first water supply time threshold, and generates second alert information that indicates a cold water limit when the water supply time reaches or exceeds a second water supply time threshold, and an information presentation unit that presents the first alert information or the second alert information.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the water supply management system of the water server of the present invention, the water supply management system of the water server receives raw water from a replaceable water container and generates cold water or hot water, and includes a cooling device that receives raw water from the water container in a cold water tank and cools the raw water to generate cold water, a heating device that receives raw water from the water container in a hot water tank and heats the raw water to generate hot water, a water supply button, a valve drive unit that opens an on-off valve that allows the cold water or hot water to pass in response to the operation of the water supply button, a water supply control unit that acquires valve opening time information of the on-off valve, calculates water supply time information from the valve opening time information, and generates replacement information indicating replacement of the water container when the hot water supply time information or the cold water supply time information equal to or greater than a predetermined value is acquired after a hot water limit that stops the supply of the hot water, and an information presentation unit that presents the replacement information.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the program of the present invention, the program is executed by a computer used in a water server device, and causes the computer to execute a control function of opening an on-off valve that allows cold water or hot water to pass in response to the operation of a water supply button, a function of acquiring maximum water supply amount information and acquiring opening time information of the on-off valve, converting the maximum water supply amount to the maximum water supply time based on the flow rate passing through the on-off valve, and calculating the remaining water supply time by subtracting the water supply time calculated based on the opening time of the on-off valve from the maximum water supply time, a function of generating first alert information representing a hot water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a first remaining water supply time threshold, and generating second alert information representing a cold water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a second remaining water supply time threshold after generating the first alert information, and a function of causing an information presentation unit to present the first alert information or the second alert information.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the program of the present invention, the program is executed by a computer used in a water server device, and causes the computer to execute a control function of opening an on-off valve that allows cold water or hot water to pass in response to the operation of a water supply button, a function of acquiring information on the open time of the on-off valve and calculating the water supply time based on the open time, a function of generating first alert information indicating a hot water limit when the water supply time reaches or exceeds a first water supply time threshold, and a function of generating second alert information indicating a cold water limit when the water supply time reaches or exceeds a second water supply time threshold, and a function of causing an information presentation unit to present the first alert information or the second alert information.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to one aspect of the program of the present invention, the program is to be executed by a computer used in a water server device, and causes the computer to execute a control function of opening an on-off valve that allows cold water or hot water to pass in response to operation of a water supply button, a function of acquiring open time information of the on-off valve and calculating water supply time information from the open time information , a function of generating replacement information indicating the replacement of a water container when hot water supply time information or cold water supply time information equal to or greater than a predetermined value is acquired after a hot water limit that stops the supply of hot water, and a function of an information presentation unit presenting the replacement information.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of a recording medium of the present invention is a recording medium storing the above program .

According to the present invention, any one of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The user can be notified that the remaining water supply time or the water supply time has reached the hot water limit by a first alert, and that the cold water limit has been reached by a second alert.
(2) The user only needs to replace the water container between the first and second alerts, and there is no need to pay attention to when to replace the water container, such as by visually checking the raw water level in the water container, thereby increasing the convenience of the water server.
(3) It is advantageous because the user can be made aware of the period from the first alert to the second alert and can use the cold water in the cold water tank.
(4) If the first alert is set as the time to replace the water container, the raw water from the water container will not cause fluctuations in the cold water temperature in the cold water tank, and the cold water temperature can be stabilized.
(5) Since the amount of hot or cold water supplied or the amount of remaining water in the water container can be calculated based on the amount of water passing through the existing solenoid valve and the opening time of the valve, there is no need to pay attention to the changes in the amount of remaining water, thereby increasing the convenience of the water server.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a water server according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware of a water server. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a water container, a cold water tank, a hot water tank, and reference information. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a water supply management database. 1 is a diagram showing a water supply management system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the cold water tank and the hot water tank in an empty state, FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the hot water limit state, and FIG. 1C is a diagram showing the cold water limit state. FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the cold water tank and hot water tank in a full water state from an empty state, FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the full water state from the hot water limit, and FIG. 1C is a diagram showing the full water state from the cold water limit. FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the supply of raw water from the water container to the cold water tank, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the supply of raw water from the water container to the hot water tank. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the transition of residual water content over time. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the transition of residual water content over time. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating the operation of determining the remaining water supply time and generating an alert when a water container is newly installed. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating the operation of determining the remaining water supply time and generating an alert when the water container is replaced and installed. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an initial setting screen and a screen presenting alert information. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for water supply management according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a water supply management system according to a second embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating the operation of determining the water supply time and generating an alert when a water container is newly installed. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating the operation of determining the water supply time and generating an alert when the water container is replaced and installed. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for water supply management according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for a water container replacement determination process. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a water supply management system according to a third embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for a water container replacement determination process.

First Embodiment
Fig. 1 shows the functional parts of a water server 2 according to a first embodiment. The configuration shown in Fig. 1 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
This water server 2 is equipped with a server housing 4, on which an exchangeable water container 6 is installed, raw water W is supplied from the water container 6 to generate cold water CW in a cold water tank 8, and hot water HW in a hot water tank 10.

The cold water tank 8 is installed in the middle of the server housing 4, the hot water tank 10 is installed below the cold water tank 8, and the cooling device 12 is installed below the hot water tank 10. The cooling device 12 cools the cold water tank 8 and causes the cold water tank 8 to generate cold water CW. The cold water tank 8 and the cooling device 12 constitute a cold water generating unit.
The water supply nozzle portion 14 of the water container 6 is disposed above the cold water tank 8 from the top opening 16 of the server housing 4 .
The cold water tank 8 is equipped with a valve mechanism 18 that regulates the supply of raw water W from the water container 6. This valve mechanism 18 is equipped with an on-off valve 20 that opens and closes the water supply nozzle portion 14, and this on-off valve 20 is attached to the middle of an on-off arm portion 22, and a float portion 24 that receives buoyancy from the cold water CW in the cold water tank 8 is attached to the tip of this on-off arm portion 22.

An evaporator 26 of the cooling device 12 is installed in the cold water tank 8. This evaporator 26 cools the raw water W by heat exchange between the refrigerant cooled and circulated by the cooling device 12 and the raw water W, generating cold water CW in the cold water tank 8. A temperature sensor 28-1 is installed in this cold water tank 8, and the detection output of the temperature sensor 28-1 is provided to the water supply control unit 30, which obtains temperature information indicating the cold water temperature. A computer with communication and control functions is installed in this water supply control unit 30.

The cold water tank 8 is provided with a separation plate 32 that separates the raw water W from the cold water CW. This separation plate 32 has a recess 33 that receives the raw water W, and also has a water supply pipe 34 that extends from the central opening of this recess 33 into the hot water tank 10. The raw water W is guided to the hot water tank 10 through the recess 33 of the separation plate 32 and the water supply pipe 34.

A heater 36 is installed in the hot water tank 10 as a heating device. This heater 36 generates heat under the control of the water supply control unit 30. The raw water W is heated by the heat generated by the heater 36, thereby generating hot water HW in the hot water tank 10. Therefore, the hot water tank 10 and the heater 36 constitute a hot water generating unit.
A temperature sensor 28-2 is installed in this hot water tank 10. The detection output of the temperature sensor 28-2 is provided to a water supply control unit 30, which obtains temperature information indicating the hot water temperature.
A bypass pipe 38 is connected between the top of the hot water tank 10 and the bottom of the cold water tank 8, and hot water HW in the cold water tank 8 and the hot water tank 10 can be circulated through this bypass pipe 38. A bypass valve 40 controlled by the water supply control unit 30 is installed in this bypass pipe 38.

A cold water supply pipe 42 is connected to the bottom of the cold water tank 8, and a hot water supply pipe 44 is connected to the top of the hot water tank 10. A cold water solenoid valve 46-1 is installed midway through the cold water supply pipe 42, and a hot water solenoid valve 46-2 is installed midway through the hot water supply pipe 44. The cold water solenoid valve 46-1 and the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 are examples of on-off valves or water supply solenoid valves that are opened when water is supplied.
The cold water solenoid valve 46-1 or the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 is controlled to an open state by the water supply control unit 30 in response to a water supply operation. The open state is maintained at a constant opening degree during water supply. When the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 is in an open state, cold water CW flows from the cold water tank 8 to the cold water supply pipe 42 and is supplied from the cold water supply port 48-1. When the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 is in an open state, hot water HW flows from the hot water tank 10 to the hot water supply pipe 44 and is supplied from the hot water supply port 48-2.
When the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 is open, cold water CW is supplied by the head pressure of the cold water CW in the cold water tank 8. When the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 is open, hot water HW is supplied by the head pressure of the cold water CW in the cold water tank 8.

The operation panel unit 50 is used for water supply operations, alert presentation, etc. This operation panel unit 50 is equipped with a cold water button 52-1, a hot water button 52-2, an information input/presentation unit 54, an alert presentation unit 56, and a sound emission unit 58. The cold water button 52-1 is an example of a water supply button operated when supplying cold water CW, and pressing the cold water button 52-1 continues the supply of cold water. The hot water button 52-2 is an example of a water supply button operated when supplying hot water HW, and pressing the hot water button 52-2 continues the supply of hot water.

The information input/presentation unit 54 is an example of an information input means and an information presentation means, and is used to input information such as selecting the capacity of the water container 6, and to present information using symbols or figures indicating remaining water alerts, replacement alerts, or hot water stoppages, etc.
The alert presentation unit 56 includes a first alert lamp 56-1, a second alert lamp 56-2, etc. The first alert lamp 56-1 presents a hot water limit under the control of the water supply control unit 30. The hot water limit indicates a stop in the supply of hot water HW. The second alert lamp 56-2 presents a cold water limit under the control of the water supply control unit 30. The cold water limit indicates a stop in the supply of cold water CW and hot water HW.
The sound emitting unit 58 is formed, for example, by a speaker 60. The sound emitting unit 58 presents the first alert and the second alert by emitting a pseudo voice or a signal sound.

<Water Server 2 Hardware>
FIG. 2 shows an example of hardware of the water server 2.
The water supply control unit 30 is configured, for example, by a computer equipped with a communication function. The water supply control unit 30 includes a processor 62, a storage unit 64, a timer 66, an input/output unit (Input/Output: I/O) 68, and the like.
The processor 62 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes an OS (Operating System) stored in the memory unit 64 and control programs related to water supply control, water supply management, residual water management, and the like.

The storage unit 64 is an example of a recording medium in which the program of the present disclosure is stored, and is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random-Access Memory), etc. In addition to the OS and the water supply management program, the storage unit 64 also stores a water supply management database (DB) 86 (FIG. 4). The storage unit 64 includes a program storage area, a data storage area for saving collected data, etc., and a calculation area as a work area used for calculations of the control program and the information processing program. RAM is used for the calculation area.
The timer 66 is an example of a timing means and is used to measure the open time of the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 and the hot water solenoid valve 46-2, the number of water supplies, the number of times the water container 6 is replaced, etc., and has a function of recording the acquired timing information.

The I/O 68 is an example of an interface that connects the water supply control unit 30 with the information input/presentation unit 54 and various functional units. The cooling device 12, a sensor circuit 70-1 that receives a detection signal from the temperature sensor 28-1, a sensor circuit 70-2 that receives a detection signal from the temperature sensor 28-2, a valve drive unit 72-1 for the cold water solenoid valve 46-1, a valve drive unit 72-2 for the hot water solenoid valve 46-2, and a valve drive unit 72-3 for the bypass valve 40 are connected to the I/O 68.
In addition, the I/O 68 is connected to a cold water switch 74-1 corresponding to the cold water button 52-1, a hot water switch 74-2 corresponding to the hot water button 52-2, a heater driving unit 76 that drives the heater 36, a touch panel 78 and an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display 80 of the information input/presentation unit 54, a lamp driving unit 82-1 corresponding to the first alert lamp 56-1, a lamp driving unit 82-2 corresponding to the second alert lamp 56-2, and a speaker driving unit 84 that drives the speaker 60.

Operation input information including information detected by the temperature sensors 28-1, 28-2, operation input information of the cold water button 52-1 or hot water button 52-2, and volume information of the water container 6 from the information input/presentation unit 54 is taken into the processor 62 through the I/O 68. The temperature information acquired from the temperature sensor 28-1 is used for cooling control of the cold water tank 8. The temperature information acquired from the temperature sensor 28-2 is used for heating control of the hot water tank 10.
Operation information for detecting temperature information and valve open time is input to the processor 62. Then, under the control of the processor 62, such as calculations, the water supply control unit 30 generates a cooling drive signal for the cooling device 12, a valve open drive signal for the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 and the hot water solenoid valve 46-2, a heater drive signal for the heater 36, an information presentation signal for the information input/presentation unit 54, an alert lighting signal for the first alert lamp 56-1 and the second alert lamp 56-2, and an alert presentation signal for outputting an alert by the speaker 60, and outputs these to predetermined functional units from the I/O 68.

The cooling device 12 receives the cooling drive signal and cools the cold water tank 8 to a constant cooling temperature.
The valve drive unit 72-1 or the valve drive unit 72-2 receives a valve opening control signal, and the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 opens for an opening time corresponding to the time the cold water button 52-1 is pressed, and similarly, the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 opens for an opening time corresponding to the time the hot water button 52-2 is pressed.
The heater driving unit 76 receives the heater control signal and causes the heater 36 to generate heat, thereby heating the hot water tank 10 to a constant temperature.

The touch panel 78 and the LCD display 80 are an example of the information input/presentation unit 54. The touch panel 78 is an example of an information input means, and is used to input information such as selecting the capacity of the water container 6. Instead of the touch panel 78, the cold water switch 74-1 and the hot water switch 74-2 may be configured as the information input means by allocating an information input function to turning on the cold water switch 74-1 and the hot water switch 74-2 simultaneously or to the number of times they are operated.
The LCD display 80 is an example of an information presenting means, and upon receiving an information presenting signal, presents the first alert, the second alert, and other status information and determination result information using its information presenting function.
The lamp driving units 82-1, 82-2 receive the alert display signal and turn on the first alert lamp 56-1 or the second alert lamp 56-2.
The speaker driver 84 receives the alert audio signal and causes the speaker 60 to output a pseudo voice or a signal sound representing the first alert or the second alert.

<Reference information set in the water server 2 and the water container 6>
FIG. 3 shows the reference information set in the water server 2 and the water container 6.
Qx: the amount of raw water loaded in the water container 6, and the amount of raw water received by the water server 2 from the water container 6.
Qcw: the volume of the cold water tank 8 that produces and stores the cold water CW, and represents the amount of cold water. This amount of cold water Qcw is, for example, 2 liters.
Qhw: The volume of the hot water tank 10 that generates and stores the hot water HW, and indicates the amount of hot water. The amount of hot water Qhw is, for example, 1.5 liters. This amount of hot water Qhw is generated in the hot water tank 10 when the water container 6 is newly installed, and is not supplied as the hot water HW.

Qb: A cold water amount indicating the hot water limit, and since this cold water amount Qb is the remaining water in the cold water tank 8, it is possible to supply cold water CW after the hot water limit is reached. This cold water amount Qb is, for example, 1.5 liters.
Qd: A cold water amount indicating a cold water limit, and this cold water amount Qd is the amount of cold water that can be supplied as cold water CW. This cold water amount Qd is, for example, 0.2 liters.
L0 represents the water level at which the head pressure on the hot water supply pipe 44 becomes zero.

The following information is used for this water supply management:
Qn: The upper limit water supply amount (or the upper limit water supply amount information) calculated when a new water container 6 (raw water W is unused and full) is installed in the water server 2 (new installation), and indicates the amount of water that can be supplied. Therefore, Qhw and Qd that do not contribute or are not allowed to contribute to the supply of cold water CW or hot water HW are excluded.
Qm: The upper limit water supply amount (or the upper limit water supply amount information) calculated when replacing a used water container 6 on the water server 2 with a new water container 6 (full of unused raw water W) (replacement installation), and indicates the amount of water that can be supplied. In this case, the amount (Qhw+Qd) filled in the new installation is not subtracted, so it is (Qhw+Qd) more than the upper limit water supply amount Qn.

Zn: The upper limit remaining water volume (or the upper limit remaining water volume information) calculated when a new water container 6 (raw water W is unused and full) is installed in the water server 2 (new installation), and represents the amount of water that can be supplied. In other words, Zn = Qn.
Zm: The upper limit remaining water volume (or the upper limit remaining water volume information) calculated when replacing a used water container 6 on the water server 2 with a new water container 6 (full of unused raw water W) (replacement installation), and represents the amount of water that can be supplied. In other words, Zm = Qm.

Q1(t), Q2(t), Q(t): Q1(t) is the water supply amount (or water supply amount information) in the case of the upper limit water supply amount Qn, and represents the amount of water supply supplied as cold water CW when the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 is opened, or as hot water HW when the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 is opened, and increases in proportion to the opening time ti.
Q2(t) is the water supply amount (or water supply amount information) in the case of the upper limit water supply amount Qm, and represents the amount of water supply supplied as cold water CW by opening the cold water solenoid valve 46-1, or as hot water HW by opening the hot water solenoid valve 46-2, and increases in proportion to the opening time ti.
Since head pressure is used for water supply, if Qm > Qn, then Q1(t) ≠ Q2(t), but Q1(t) ≒ Q2(t), and the water supply amount (or water supply amount information) is Q1(t) ≒ Q2(t) ≡ Q(t).

Z1(t), Z2(t), Z(t): Z1(t) is the remaining water volume (or remaining water volume information) when the upper limit water supply volume Qn (=Zn) is reached, and is the volume of water minus the water supply volume Q(t) supplied as cold water CW when the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 is opened, or as hot water HW when the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 is opened, and decreases in proportion to the opening time ti.
Z2(t) is the remaining water volume (or remaining water volume information) in the case of the upper limit water supply volume Qm, and represents the volume of water minus the water supply volume Q(t) supplied as cold water CW when the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 is opened, or as hot water HW when the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 is opened, and decreases in proportion to the opening time ti.
Because head pressure is used for water supply, when Qm > Qn, Z1(t) ≠ Z2(t), but Z1(t) ≒ Z2(t), and the remaining water volume (or remaining water volume information) is Z1(t) ≠ Z2(t) ≡ Zt.

qn, qm, q: qn is the passing flow rate (or passing flow rate information) of cold water CW flowing through the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 when the valve is opened at the upper limit water supply rate Qn, or the passing flow rate (or passing flow rate information) of hot water HW flowing through the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 when the valve is opened.
qm is the passing flow rate (or passing flow rate information) of cold water CW flowing through the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 when the valve is opened, or the passing flow rate (or passing flow rate information) of hot water HW flowing through the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 when the valve is opened when the upper limit water supply rate Qm is reached.
Since head pressure is used for water supply, when Qm>Qn, qn≠qm, but Q1(t)≒Q2(t), and the passing flow rate (or passing flow rate information) is qn≒qm≡q.

ti: The time required for water supply, for example, to supply water by opening the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 or the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 for one water supply.
tq: Water supply time (or water supply time information), expressed as the accumulated time ti of each open valve of the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 or the hot water solenoid valve 46-2. If there are N water supplies in the water supply unit time ti (i=1 to N), then tq=t1+t2+...+tN.

tn: the upper limit water supply time calculated when a new water container 6 (full with unused raw water W) is installed in the water server 2 (new installation), and represents the available water supply time.
tm: The maximum water supply time calculated when replacing a used water container 6 on the water server 2 with a new water container 6 (full of unused raw water W) (replacement installation), and represents the time during which water can be supplied.

tq1, tq2: tq1 is the water supply time in the case of the upper limit water supply amount Qn, and is the water supply time obtained by converting the water supply amount Q1(t) into time using the passing flow rate q. It represents the water supply time during which cold water CW is supplied by opening the cold water solenoid valve 46-1, or hot water HW is supplied by opening the hot water solenoid valve 46-2, and increases in proportion to the integrated value of the opening time ti.
tq2 is the water supply time in the case of the upper limit water supply rate Qm, and is the water supply time obtained by converting the water supply rate Q2(t) into time using the passing flow rate q. It represents the water supply time for which cold water CW is supplied by opening the cold water solenoid valve 46-1, or hot water HW is supplied by opening the hot water solenoid valve 46-2, and increases in proportion to the integrated value of the opening time ti.

tz1, tz2: tz1 is the remaining water supply time when the upper limit residual water volume Zn is reached, and is the remaining water supply time obtained by converting the remaining water volume Z1(t) into time using the passing flow rate q. It represents the remaining water supply time during which cold water CW can be supplied by opening the cold water solenoid valve 46-1, or hot water HW can be supplied by opening the hot water solenoid valve 46-2, and decreases in proportion to the increase in the integrated value of the opening time ti.
tz2 is the remaining water supply time when the upper limit residual water volume Zm is reached, and is the remaining water supply time obtained by converting the remaining water volume Z2(t) into time using the passing flow rate q. It represents the remaining water supply time during which cold water CW can be supplied by opening the cold water solenoid valve 46-1, or hot water HW can be supplied by opening the hot water solenoid valve 46-2, and decreases in proportion to the accumulated value of the opening time ti.

tzth1: tzth1 is a first alert threshold that represents a first remaining water supply time threshold that indicates a hot water limit.
tzth2: tzth2 is a second alert threshold that represents a second remaining water supply time threshold that represents a cold water limit.

tqth1: tqth1 is a first alert threshold that represents a first water supply time threshold that indicates a hot water limit.
tqth2: tqth2 is a second alert threshold representing a second water supply time threshold representing a cold water limit.

<Calculation of passing flow rate q>
The flow rate q of the open cold water solenoid valve 46-1 or hot water solenoid valve 46-2 is proportional to the raw water amount Qx or the upper limit water supply amount Qn, Qm, and depends on the head pressure which is proportional to the height of the water column. Even if the opening degree of the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 or hot water solenoid valve 46-2 is the same, the flow rates qn, qm decrease when the head pressure decreases.
In the case of the upper limit water supply rate Qn, the passing flow rate qn can be calculated from the formula (1) using the upper limit water supply rate Qn and the valve opening time to.
qn=Qn/t0 (1)
In the case of the upper limit water supply rate Qm, the passing flow rate qm can be calculated from the formula (2) using the upper limit water supply rate Qm and the valve opening time to.
qm=Qm/t0 (2)
The upper limit water supply rates Qn and Qm can be regarded as Qn≒Qm, so qn≒qm≡q.

<Calculation of water supply amount Q(t) and remaining water amount Z(t)>
The amount of water supply Q(t) can be calculated from the passing flow rate q and the opening time ti of the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 or the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 using equation (3).
Q(t)=q×ti (3)
When the water container 6 is newly installed, the residual water amount Z1(t) can be calculated from the upper limit water supply amount Qn and the water supply amount Q(t) using equation (4).
Z1(t)=Qn−Q(t) (4)
In addition, when the water container 6 is replaced, the remaining water amount Z2(t) can be calculated from the upper limit water supply amount Qm and the water supply amount Q(t) using equation (5).
Z2(t)=Qm-Q(t) (5)

<Time conversion of water supply amount Q(t) and remaining water amount Z(t)>
The water supply time tq can be calculated from the water supply amount Q(t) in equation (3) using equation (6).
tq = Q(t) ÷ q ... (6)
When the water container 6 is newly installed, the remaining water supply time tz1 can be calculated by dividing the remaining water volume Zt1 in equation (4) by the passing flow rate q.
t z1 = Z 1 (t) / q = (Q n - Q (t)) / q ... (7)
In addition, when the water container 6 is replaced, the remaining water supply time tz2 can be calculated by dividing the remaining water volume Z2(t) in equation (5) by the passing flow rate q.
t z2 = Z 2 (t) / q = (Q m - Q (t)) / q ... (8)

<Water Supply Management DB86>
4 shows an example of a water supply management DB 86 used for water supply management. This water supply management DB 86 has a water supply management file 88. This water supply management file 88 has a water container capacity information section 90, an installation/replacement information section 92, an upper limit water supply amount information section 94, an upper limit water supply time information section 96, a cold water tank capacity information section 98, a hot water tank capacity information section 100, a cold water tank residual amount setting information section 102, a solenoid valve passing flow rate information section 104, a valve opening time information section 106, a water supply amount information section 108, a remaining water amount information section 110, a water supply time information section 112, a remaining water supply time information section 114, a first alert threshold information section 116, a second alert threshold information section 117, a water container replacement information section 118, and a history information section 119 set therein.

The water container capacity information section 90 stores capacity information of the water container 6 used in the water server 2. Water containers 6 with a selectable capacity, such as 8 liters, 10 liters, 12 liters, etc., can be used, so the water container capacity information section 90 stores capacity information of the selectable or selected water container 6.
The installation/replacement information section 92 stores, for example, timing information indicating new installation or replacement installation of the water container 6 .

The upper limit water supply amount information section 94 stores upper limit water supply amount information that indicates the upper limit water supply amount by the water container 6 related to new installation or replacement installation. This upper limit water supply amount information section 94 has a new installation upper limit water supply amount information section 94-1 and a replacement installation upper limit water supply amount information section 94-2 set therein. The new installation upper limit water supply amount information section 94-1 stores water amount information that indicates the upper limit water supply amount Qn when the water container 6 is newly installed. The replacement installation upper limit water supply amount information section 94-2 stores water amount information that indicates the upper limit water supply amount Qm when the water container 6 is replaced.
The upper limit water supply time information section 96 stores upper limit water supply time information that represents a value obtained by converting the upper limit water supply rate information stored in the upper limit water supply rate information section 94 into water supply time using the passing flow rate information q. This upper limit water supply time information section 96 has a new installation upper limit water supply time information section 96-1 and a replacement installation upper limit water supply time information section 96-2 set therein. The new installation upper limit water supply time information section 96-1 stores time information obtained by converting the upper limit water supply rate Qn at the time of new installation of the water container 6 into the upper limit water supply time. The replacement installation upper limit water supply time information section 96-2 stores time information obtained by converting the upper limit water supply rate Qm at the time of replacement installation of the water container 6 into the upper limit water supply time.

The cold water tank capacity information section 98 stores capacity information that indicates the capacity of the cold water CW contained in the cold water tank 8 .
The hot water tank capacity information section 100 stores capacity information that indicates the capacity of the hot water HW contained in the hot water tank 10 .
The cold water tank residual amount setting information section 102 stores residual amount setting information that indicates the residual amount of cold water CW set in the cold water tank 8 .
The solenoid valve passing flow rate information section 104 stores information on the passing flow rate of the cold water CW or hot water HW passing through the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 or the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 when the valve is open.

The valve open time information section 106 stores valve open time information that indicates the open time of the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 or the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 corresponding to the press time of the cold water button 52-1 or the hot water button 52-2.
The water supply amount information section 108 stores water supply amount information indicating the amount of water supply resulting from the opening of the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 or the hot water solenoid valve 46-2. A cold water amount information section 108-1 and a hot water amount information section 108-2 are set in this water supply amount information section 108. The cold water amount information section 108-1 stores water supply amount information indicating the amount of cold water CW supplied resulting from the opening of the cold water solenoid valve 46-1. The hot water amount information section 108-2 stores water supply amount information indicating the amount of hot water HW supplied resulting from the opening of the hot water solenoid valve 46-2.

The remaining water amount information section 110 stores remaining water amount information that indicates the remaining water amount obtained by subtracting the water supply amount information from the upper limit water supply amount information.
The water supply time information section 112 stores water supply time information obtained by converting the amount of water supplied by opening the valve into the passing flow rate q. This water supply time information section 112 has a cold water time information section 112-1 and a hot water time information section 112-2. The cold water time information section 112-1 stores water supply time information for cold water CW. The hot water time information section 112-2 stores water supply time information for hot water HW.
The remaining water supply time information section 114 stores remaining water supply time information obtained by subtracting the water supply time of cold water CW and hot water HW from the upper limit water supply time, that is, remaining water supply time information obtained by converting the remaining water volume information stored in the remaining water volume information section 110 into the passing flow rate q.
The first alert threshold information section 116 stores threshold information indicating the first alert thresholds tzth1, tqth1 used to determine the hot water limit.
The second alert threshold information section 117 stores threshold information indicating the second alert thresholds tzth2, tqth2 used to determine the cold water limit.
The water container replacement information unit 118 stores information such as the determination information when a decision is made to replace the water container 6 after the first alert is generated based on the supply time of hot water HW or the supply time of cold water CW that is longer than a certain period of time.
The history information section 119 stores various types of history information, such as the installation history of new water containers 6 or their replacement, the calculation history of water supply and remaining water amounts, alert history, and alert cancellation history.

<Water Supply Management System 120>
5 shows an example of a water supply management system 120 mounted on the water supply control unit 30. This water supply management system 120 includes a cold/hot water control/water supply control unit 121, an upper limit water supply time calculation unit 122, a water supply time calculation unit 124, a remaining water supply time calculation unit 126, a remaining water supply time determination unit 128, an alert information generation unit 130, a water container replacement determination unit 132, an information presentation control unit 134, an information recording control unit 136, an upper limit water supply amount information switching unit 138, and the like.

The cold/hot water control/water supply control unit 121 performs cooling control, heating control, and cold water or hot water supply control. In cooling control, it receives temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 28-1, controls the cooling device 12, and controls the cooling of the cold water tank 8. In heating control, it receives temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 28-2, controls the heat generation temperature of the heater 36 through the heater drive unit 76, and controls the heating temperature of the hot water tank 10. In water supply control of cold water CW, it closes the cold water switch 74-1 according to the operation (e.g., pressing) time of the cold water button 52-1, and controls the opening time of the cold water solenoid valve 46-1. In addition, in water supply control of hot water HW, it closes the hot water switch 74-2 according to the operation (e.g., pressing) time of the hot water button 52-2, and controls the opening time of the hot water solenoid valve 46-2.

The upper limit water supply time calculation unit 122 includes an upper limit water supply amount information acquisition unit 140, a passing flow rate information acquisition unit 142, and an upper limit water supply time conversion unit 144. The upper limit water supply amount information acquisition unit 140 acquires upper limit water supply amount information representing an upper limit water supply amount Qn at the time of new installation and an upper limit water supply amount Qm at the time of replacement installation, using capacity information of the water container 6 input from the information input/presentation unit 54.
The passing flow rate information acquisition unit 142 acquires passing flow rate information indicating the passing flow rate q per unit time of the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 and the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 from the water supply management DB 86. The upper limit water supply time conversion unit 144 divides the upper limit water supply amount information by the passing flow rate q to convert the upper limit water supply amount information into upper limit water supply time information tn, tm.

The water supply time calculation unit 124 includes a valve open time information acquisition unit 146 and a water supply time conversion unit 148. The valve open time information acquisition unit 146 acquires and accumulates valve open time information indicating the open time of the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 or the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 from the water supply management DB 86. The water supply time conversion unit 148 converts the valve open time or the accumulated valve open time into a water supply time tq.
The remaining water supply time calculation unit 126 calculates the remaining water supply time tz by subtracting the water supply time tq from the upper limit water supply times tn and tm.
The remaining water supply time determination unit 128 obtains first alert threshold information and second alert threshold information from the water supply management DB 86, determines whether the remaining water supply time tz has reached the first alert threshold or the second alert threshold, and obtains information on the determination result.
The alert information generating unit 130 generates first alert information or second alert information based on the determination result of the remaining water supply time determining unit 128 .

The water container replacement determination unit 132 monitors the water supply time tq of hot water HW and the water supply time tq of cold water CW after the first alert information is generated and before the second alert information is generated, determines whether the water container 6 has been replaced, and outputs the determination information.
The information presentation control unit 134 obtains upper limit water supply time information from the upper limit water supply time calculation unit 122 and alert information representing the first alert or second alert created by the alert information generation unit 130, and provides these to the information input/presentation unit 54.
The information recording control unit 136 receives upper limit water supply time information, remaining water supply time information, alert information, and the like, and stores these in the water supply management DB 86 .
The upper limit water supply amount information switching unit 138 receives replacement determination information for the water container 6 from the water container replacement determination unit 132, and changes the upper limit water supply amount information Qn acquired by the upper limit water supply time calculation unit 122 to the upper limit water supply amount information Qm. If the upper limit water supply amount information Qm is released due to maintenance of the water server 2, for example, the upper limit water supply amount information Qn is set.

<Empty state of cold water tank 8 and hot water tank 10, hot water limit and cold water limit>
In FIG. 6, A indicates the cold water tank 8 and the hot water tank 10 in an empty state, B indicates the hot water limit state, and C indicates the cold water limit state.
Before the new water container 6 is installed, the cold water tank 8 and the hot water tank 10 are empty, as shown in FIG. 6A.
When the raw water W in the water container 6 runs out, the hot water limit state is reached as shown in Fig. 6B, and the supply of hot water HW is stopped. In other words, the water level of the cold water CW drops below the bottom surface of the separation plate 32. In this case, the supply of cold water CW is possible.
When the amount of chilled water falls to Qd (FIG. 3), the chilled water limit state is reached as shown in FIG. 6C, and the supply of chilled water CW is stopped.

<State of the water container 6 when it is newly installed or replaced>
FIG. 7A shows the transition of the cold water tank 8 and the hot water tank 10 from an empty state to a full state.
When the water container 6 is newly installed, the cold water tank 8 and the hot water tank 10 are empty, so that the cold water tank 8 and the hot water tank 10 are filled with water by the introduction of raw water W from the water container 6. At this time, the water level Lw of the raw water W in the water container 6 drops by the amount of the raw water W that has flowed into the cold water tank 8 and the hot water tank 10.
From the raw water volume Qx, the amount of hot water Qhw that fills the hot water tank 10 flows into the hot water tank 10, and the amount of cold water Qcw that fills the cold water tank 8 flows into the cold water tank 8, so the raw water level Lw shown by the dashed line in the water container 6 drops by (Qhw+Qcw). If the volume of the cold water tank 8 is 2 liters, the volume of the hot water tank 10 is 1.5 liters, and the amount of raw water in the water container 6 is 12 liters, the raw water level Lw drops by 3.5 liters.

FIG. 7B shows a full water state from the hot water limit.
When the water container 6 is replaced at the hot water limit, the hot water tank 10 has a hot water volume Qhw, and the cold water tank 8 has a cold water volume Qb. Since the cold water volume (Qcw-Qb) flows from the water container 6 to the cold water tank 8, the original water level Lw shown by the dashed line in the water container 6 drops by (Qcw-Qb).

C in Figure 7 shows the full water state from the cold water limit. When the water container 6 is replaced and installed at the cold water limit, the amount of hot water Qhw remains in the hot water tank 10, and the amount of cold water Qd remains in the cold water tank 8. As the amount of cold water (Qcw-Qd) flows from the water container 6 to the cold water tank 8, the original water level Lw shown by the dashed line in the water container 6 drops by (Qcw-Qd).

<Restrictions on raw water supply>
8A shows a supply state of raw water W. When the water container 6 is installed, the raw water W in the water container 6 flows into the cold water tank 8 under the force of gravity.
8A, the raw water W pushes down the on-off valve 20 of the valve mechanism 18. The raw water W that passes through the on-off valve 20 falls into the recessed portion 33 of the separation plate 32 and flows into the cold water tank 8 from a plurality of water passage holes 37 opened around the water supply hole 35 of the water supply pipe 34, and a part of the raw water W flows from the water supply hole 35 through the water supply pipe 34 into the hot water tank 10.

8B, when the water level in the cold water tank 8 reaches the separation plate 32, the water passage hole 37 is blocked by the raw water W. As a result, the raw water W is led to the hot water tank 10 through the water supply pipe 34 of the separation plate 32 at once.
When the hot water tank 10 is full, the water supply from the cold water tank 8 becomes predominant, and the water level in the cold water tank 8 rises.
This rise in the water level causes the float portion 24 to receive buoyancy, causing the on-off valve 20 of the valve mechanism 18 to rise, and the on-off valve 20 closes the water supply nozzle portion 14, stopping the supply of raw water W.
The water level in the cold water tank 8 is maintained at this upper limit water level as long as raw water W is supplied from the water container 6.

<New installation and replacement of water container 6 and changes in water supply amount Qt>
9 and 10, the horizontal axis represents time t and the vertical axis represents the residual water amount Z, and show the reduction in the residual water amounts Z1(t) and Z2(t) due to the supply of cold water CW or hot water HW.

<Replacement installation pattern 1 of water container 6 (when water container 6 is replaced and installed at time t2)>
In FIG. 9, a period T1 from time t0 to time t2 shows the transition of the residual water amount Z1(t) when the water container 6 is newly installed.
Time t0 is the time point when water is supplied from the full water state shown in A of Fig. 7. If the upper limit water supply amount is Qn, the upper limit water supply amount Qn can be expressed by equation (9).
Qn=Qx-(Qhw+Qd) (9)
The upper limit water supply amount Qn includes the water supply amount (Qb-Qd) from time t1 representing the hot water limit to time t2 representing the cold water limit. Therefore, if the water container 6 is not replaced during the period from time t1 of the hot water limit to time t2 of the cold water limit, cold water CW can be supplied from the amount of cold water (Qb-Qd) remaining in the cold water tank 8.
The upper limit water supply rate Qn can be converted into the upper limit water supply time tn by using equation (9) and the passing flow rate q according to equation (10).
tn = {Qx - (Qhw + Qd)} ÷ q ... (10)

If the water container 6 is replaced at time t2, the remaining water amount Z2(t) after the replacement of the water container 6 during the period T2 from time t2 to time t4 will change as follows.
Time t2 is the time when water is supplied from the full water state shown in B of Fig. 7. At this time, the upper limit water supply amount Qm can be expressed by equation (11).
Qm=Qn+(Qhw+Qd)=Qx (11)
In other words, at the time t2 when the water container 6 is replaced, the hot water tank 10 is already maintained in a full state with hot water HW, and the cold water tank 8 is maintained at a cold water amount Qd. As a result, the upper limit water supply amount Qm is the upper limit water supply amount Qn plus the hot water amount Qhw and the cold water amount Qd. Therefore, the upper limit water supply amount Qm is equal to the raw water amount Qx.
The upper limit water supply rate Qm can be converted into the upper limit water supply time tm by equation (12) using equation (11) and the passing flow rate q.
tm = Qx ÷ q ... (12)

<Water Container 6 Replacement Installation Pattern 2 (When the Water Container 6 is Replaced at Time t1)>
As shown in FIG. 10, when the water container 6 is replaced at time t1, the period T1 is shortened by the time from time t1 to time t2, and the period T2 is extended by that amount.
At this time, the upper limit water supply amount Qm will increase by the amount of cold water (Qb-Qb) compared to when the water container 6 was replaced at time t2, and the upper limit water supply amount Qm in this case can be expressed by equation (13).
Qm=Qn+(Qhw+Qd)+(Qb-Qd)
= Qx + (Qb - Qd) ... (13)
In other words, the residual water volume Z2(t) is greater than when the water container 6 is replaced at time t1.
Then, this upper limit water supply rate Qm can be converted into an upper limit water supply time tm by equation (14) using equation (13) and the passing flow rate q.
tm = {Qx + (Qb - Qd)} ÷ q ... (14)

<Water Container 6 Replacement Installation Pattern 3 (When the Water Container 6 is Replaced After Time t1 and Before Time t2)>
The upper limit water supply amount Qm is the sum of the remaining water amount according to the time between time t1 and time t2. In addition, since more cold water CW remains in the cold water tank 8 than the cold water amount Qd, the time required to recover to the cold water amount Qb at which the hot water limit started is shorter than when the water container 6 is replaced at time t2, and the supply of hot water HW is started more quickly.

<Transition of remaining water supply time tz1, judgment, and generation of alert information>
FIG. 11 shows the transition of the water supply time tq1 and the remaining water supply time tz1, the judgment, and the generation of alert information.
The remaining water supply time tz1 decreases as the water supply time tq1 increases, as shown in A of Fig. 11. t1 represents the time point when the first alert information Ar1x is generated, and t2 represents the time point when the second alert information Ar2x is generated.
A first alert threshold tzth1 is set as a first remaining water supply time threshold or remaining water supply time threshold information, and a second alert threshold tzth2 is set as a second remaining water supply time threshold or remaining water supply time threshold information for this remaining water supply time tz1. The first alert threshold tzth1 corresponds to the remaining water supply time when the amount of remaining water in the cold water tank 8 becomes the cold water amount Qb, and the second alert threshold tzth2 corresponds to the remaining water supply time when the amount of remaining water in the cold water tank 8 becomes the cold water amount Qd.

When the remaining water supply time tz1 falls below the first alert threshold tzth1, first alert information Ar1x is generated as shown in B of Fig. 11. This first alert information Ar1x causes first alert information Ar1y to be output, which includes the lighting of the first alert lamp 56-1, a pseudo sound, an alert display, and the like, as shown in C of Fig. 11.
When the remaining water supply time tz1 falls below the second alert threshold tzth2, second alert information Ar2x is generated as shown in D of Fig. 11. This second alert information Ar2x causes second alert information Ar2y to be output, including the lighting of the second alert lamp 56-2, a pseudo sound, an alert display, and the like, as shown in E of Fig. 11.
Then, if the water container 6 is replaced after the first alert information Ar1x is generated and before the second alert information Ar2x is generated, a display is output indicating that the second alert information Ar2x has been generated and the presentation of the second alert information Ar2y has been canceled.

<Transition of remaining water supply time tz2, judgment, and generation of alert information>
FIG. 12 shows the transition of the water supply time tq2 and the remaining water supply time tz2, the judgment, and the generation of alert information.
The remaining water supply time tz2 decreases as the water supply time tq2 increases, as shown in A of Fig. 12. t3 represents the time point when the first alert information Ar1x is generated, and t4 represents the time point when the second alert information Ar2x is generated.
A first alert threshold tzth1 is set as the first remaining water supply time threshold or remaining water supply time threshold information, and a second alert threshold tzth2 is set as the second remaining water supply time threshold or remaining water supply time threshold information for this remaining water supply time tz2. The first alert threshold tzth1 corresponds to the remaining water supply time when the remaining water amount in the cold water tank 8 becomes the cold water amount Qb, and the second alert threshold tzth2 corresponds to the remaining water supply time when the remaining water amount in the cold water tank 8 becomes the cold water amount Qd.

When the remaining water supply time tz2 falls below the first alert threshold tzth1, first alert information Ar1x is generated as shown in B of Fig. 12. This first alert information Ar1x causes first alert information Ar1y to be output, which includes the lighting of the first alert lamp 56-1, a pseudo sound, an alert display, and the like, as shown in C of Fig. 12.
When the remaining water supply time tz2 falls below the second alert threshold tzth2, second alert information Ar2x is generated as shown in D of Fig. 12. This second alert information Ar2x causes second alert information Ar2y, which includes the lighting of the second alert lamp 56-2, a pseudo sound, an alert display, and the like, to be output as shown in E of Fig. 12.
Then, if the water container 6 is replaced after the generation of the first alert information Ar1x and before the generation of the second alert information Ar2x, a display is similarly output indicating that the second alert information Ar2x has been generated and the presentation of the second alert information Ar2y has been canceled.

<Presenting alert information, etc.>
FIG. 13 shows an initial setting screen and a screen presenting alert information.
When installing a new water container 6 or replacing it, an initial setting screen 150 is presented on the information input/presentation unit 54, as shown in A of Fig. 13. This initial setting screen 150 displays a capacity selection section 152 indicating the capacity of the water container, a decision button section 154, and a cancel button section 156. The user selects the appropriate water container capacity and touches the decision button section 154. If there is an input error or the setting needs to be reset, the user can touch the cancel button section 156.

When the first alert information Ar1x is generated, the first alert lamp 56-1 of the information input/presentation unit 54 is turned on as shown in B of Fig. 13. This lighting state may be continuous lighting, intermittent lighting, or colored lighting, or may be a combination of two or more of these.
When the second alert information Ar2x is generated, the second alert lamp 56-2 is turned on as shown in C of Fig. 13. This lighting state may be continuous lighting, intermittent lighting, or colored lighting, or may be a combination of two or more of these.

When the first alert information Ar1x is generated, a first alert presentation screen 158 is presented on the information input/presentation unit 54, as shown in D of Fig. 13. This first alert presentation screen 158 may present, for example, a message indicating the hot water limit, such as "Hot water cannot be used, but cold water can be used. Hot water can be used if the water container is replaced with a new one."
When the second alert information Ar2x is generated, a second alert display screen 160 is displayed on the information input/display unit 54, as shown in Fig. 13E. On this second alert display screen 160, for example, "Cold water and hot water cannot be used. Please replace the water container with a new one" or the like may be displayed, which indicates the cold water limit.

After the water container 6 is replaced, as shown in FIG. 13F, the replacement information presentation screen 162 is presented on the information input/presentation unit 54. Since it is not necessary to generate the second alert information Ar2x after the water container 6 is replaced, a message such as "The water container has been replaced with a new one. It is operating normally" may be presented to indicate that the generation of the second alert information Ar2x has been cancelled.

<Water supply management treatment process>
14 shows the process steps of water supply management according to the first embodiment. The process steps show the water supply management method of the present disclosure, the initial setting of the program, and the presentation of alert information.
This process includes determining whether the water container 6 is newly installed or replaced (S101), obtaining upper limit water supply amount information Qn, Qm (S102), obtaining threshold information (first alert threshold tzth1, second alert threshold tzth2) (S103), obtaining passing flow rate information q (S104), converting it to upper limit water supply time information tn, tm (S105), obtaining valve open time information (S106), converting it to water supply time information tq1, tq2 (S107), and obtaining remaining water supply time information tz1. , tz2 (S108), determination of remaining water supply time information tz1, tz2 (S109), comparison of remaining water supply time information tz1 or tz2 with a first alert threshold tzth1 (S110), generation of first alert information Ar1x (S111), comparison of remaining water supply time information tz1 or tz2 with a second alert threshold tzth2 (S112), generation of second alert information Ar2x (S113), presentation of information (S114), and recording of information (S115).

Determining whether the water container 6 is to be newly installed or replaced (S101): The water supply control unit 30 receives a request for new installation or replacement of the water container 6 through a user operation and determines whether the water container 6 is to be newly installed or replaced.
Obtaining upper limit water supply amount information Qn, Qm (S102): The upper limit water supply amount information acquisition unit 140 acquires the upper limit water supply amount information Qn, Qm by information input from the information input/presentation unit 54 or the water supply management DB 86.

Obtaining threshold information (first alert threshold tzth1, second alert threshold tzth2) (S103): The remaining water supply time determination unit 128 obtains the first alert threshold tzth1 and the second alert threshold tzth2 as threshold information from the water supply management DB 86.
Acquisition of passing flow rate information q (S104): The passing flow rate information acquisition unit 142 acquires the passing flow rate information q of the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 or the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 from the water supply management DB 86.
Conversion to upper limit water supply time information tn, tm (S105): The upper limit water supply time conversion unit 144 converts the upper limit water supply amount information Qn, Qm into upper limit water supply time information tn, tm using the upper limit water supply amount information Qn, Qm and the passing flow rate information q.

Acquiring valve opening time information (S106): The valve opening time information acquisition unit 146 of the water supply time calculation unit 124 acquires valve opening time information of the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 or the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 from the cold/hot water control/water supply control unit 121.
Conversion to water supply time information tq1, tq2 (S107): The water supply time conversion unit 148 integrates the valve open time information and converts it into water supply time information tq1, tq2.
Calculation of remaining water supply time information tz1, tz2 (S108): The remaining water supply time calculation unit 126 calculates the remaining water supply time information tz1, tz2 by subtracting the water supply time information tq1, tq2 from the upper limit water supply time information tn, tm.

Determination of remaining water supply time information tz1, tz2 (S109): The remaining water supply time determination unit 128 compares the remaining water supply time information tz1, tz2 with the first alert threshold tzth1 and the second alert threshold tzth2 to determine the remaining water supply time information tz1, tz2.
Comparison of remaining water supply time information tz1 or tz2 with first alert threshold value tzth1 (S110): This comparison determines whether tz1≦tzth1 or tz2≦tzth1.

Generation of first alert information Ar1x (S111): If tz1≦tzth1 or tz2≦tzth1 (YES in S110), the alert information generator 130 generates first alert information Ar1x.
Comparing remaining water supply time information tz1 or tz2 with second alert threshold tzth2 (S112): After generating the first alert information Ar1x, the remaining water supply time determination unit 128 determines whether tz1≦tzth2 or tz2≦tzth2.
Generation of second alert information Ar2x (S113): If tz1≦tzth2 or tz2≦tzth2 (YES in S112), the alert information generator 130 generates second alert information Ar2x.

Presentation of Information (S114): The information presentation control unit 134 acquires the first alert information Ar1x or the second alert information Ar2x, and presents the first alert information Ar1y or the second alert information Ar2x on the information input/presentation unit 54.
Recording information (S115): The information recording control unit 136 receives acquired information and calculated information from the upper limit water supply time calculation unit 122, the water supply time calculation unit 124, the remaining water supply time calculation unit 126, the remaining water supply time determination unit 128, the alert information generation unit 130, and the information presentation control unit 134, and stores and records the information in the water supply management DB 86.

<Advantages of the First Embodiment>
According to the first embodiment, any one of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The first alert information can be used to notify the user that the remaining water supply time tz1 or tz2 has reached the hot water limit, and the second alert information can be used to notify the user that the cold water limit has been reached, allowing the user to easily know the operating status of the water server 2 and reducing the burden of replacing and managing the water container 6.
(2) The user only needs to replace the water container 6 between the time when the first alert information is received and the time when the second alert information is received, and there is no need to pay attention to the timing of replacing the water container 6, such as by visually checking the raw water level in the water container 6, thereby increasing the convenience of the water server 2.
(3) It is beneficial because the user is made aware that supply of cold water CW is possible during the period between the first alert and the second alert, allowing the user to use the cold water CW.
(4) The first alert can prompt the user to replace the water container 6. If the user replaces the water container 6 at that point, the cold water temperature in the cold water tank 8 can be stabilized without fluctuating.
(5) The remaining water supply times tz1, tz2 for cold water CW or hot water HW can be automatically calculated, so the user does not have to pay attention to the changes in the remaining water amount, thereby improving the convenience of the water server.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment, the remaining water supply times tz1 and tz2 are calculated using the upper limit water supply times tn and tm and the water supply time tq, and water supply management is performed using these remaining water supply times tz1 and tz2, but in the second embodiment, water supply management is performed using the water supply times tq1 and tq2.
FIG. 15 shows an example of a water supply management system 120 according to the second embodiment.
Similar to the first embodiment, the water supply management system 120 of this second embodiment includes a cold/hot water control/water supply control unit 121, an upper limit water supply time calculation unit 122, a water supply time calculation unit 124, an alert information generation unit 130, a water container replacement determination unit 132, an information presentation control unit 134, an information recording control unit 136, an upper limit water supply amount information switching unit 138, etc., and also includes a water supply time determination unit 164 instead of the remaining water supply time calculation unit 126 and the remaining water supply time determination unit 128.
The water-supply time determination unit 164 acquires water-supply time information from the water-supply time calculation unit 124 and determines the water-supply time by comparing it with threshold information. The other functional units are similar to those in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

<Transition of water supply time tq1, judgment, and generation of alert information>
FIG. 16 shows the transition of the water supply time tq1, the judgment, and the generation of alert information.
The water supply time tq1 increases in accordance with the water supply operation as shown in A of Fig. 16. t1 represents the time point when the first alert information Ar1x is generated, and t2 represents the time point when the second alert information Ar2x is generated.
For this water supply time tq1, a first alert threshold tqth1 is set as a first water supply time threshold or water supply time threshold information, and a second alert threshold tqth2 is set as a second water supply time threshold or water supply time threshold information. The first alert threshold tqth1 (hot water limit) corresponds to the water supply time until the amount of remaining water in the cold water tank 8 becomes the cold water amount Qb, and the second alert threshold tqth2 (cold water limit) corresponds to the water supply time until the amount of remaining water in the cold water tank 8 becomes the cold water amount Qd (i.e., the upper limit water supply time tn).

When the water supply time tq1 reaches or exceeds the first alert threshold tqth1, first alert information Ar1x is generated as shown in Fig. 16B. This first alert information Ar1x causes first alert information Ar1y, which includes the lighting of the first alert lamp 56-1, a pseudo sound, an alert display, and the like, to be output as shown in Fig. 16C.
When the water supply time tq1 reaches or exceeds the second alert threshold value tqth2, second alert information Ar2x is generated as shown in D of Fig. 16. This second alert information Ar2x causes second alert information Ar2y, which includes the lighting of the second alert lamp 56-2, a pseudo sound, an alert display, and the like, to be output as shown in E of Fig. 16.
Then, if the water container 6 is replaced after the generation of the first alert information Ar1x and before the generation of the second alert information Ar2x, a display may be output indicating that the second alert information Ar2x has been generated and the presentation of the second alert information Ar2y has been canceled.

<Transition of water supply time tq2, judgment, and generation of alert information>
FIG. 17 shows the transition of the water supply time tq2, the judgment, and the generation of alert information.
The water supply time tq2 increases as water is supplied, as shown in A of Fig. 17. t3 represents the time point when the first alert information Ar1x is generated, and t4 represents the time point when the second alert information Ar2x is generated.
For this water supply time tq2, a first alert threshold tqth1 is set as a first water supply time threshold or water supply time threshold information, and a second alert threshold tqth2 is set as a second water supply time threshold or water supply time threshold information. The first alert threshold tqth1 (hot water limit) corresponds to the water supply time until the amount of remaining water in the cold water tank 8 becomes the cold water amount Qb, and the second alert threshold tqth2 (cold water limit) corresponds to the water supply time until the amount of remaining water in the cold water tank 8 becomes the cold water amount Qd (i.e., the upper limit water supply time tm).

When the water supply time tq2 increases to or exceeds the first alert threshold tqth1, first alert information Ar1x is generated as shown in Fig. 17B. This first alert information Ar1x causes first alert information Ar1y to be output, including the lighting of the first alert lamp 56-1, a pseudo sound, an alert display, and the like, as shown in Fig. 17C.
When the water supply time tq2 reaches or exceeds the second alert threshold value tqth2, second alert information Ar2x is generated as shown in D of Fig. 17. This second alert information Ar2x causes second alert information Ar2y, which includes the lighting of the second alert lamp 56-2, a pseudo sound, an alert display, and the like, to be output as shown in E of Fig. 17.
Then, if the water container 6 is replaced after the first alert information Ar1x is generated but before the second alert information Ar2x is generated, a display may be displayed indicating that the second alert information Ar2x has been generated and the presentation of the second alert information Ar2y has been canceled.

<Water supply management treatment process>
18 shows the process steps of water supply management according to the second embodiment. The process steps show the water supply management method of the present disclosure, the initial setting of the program, and the presentation of alert information.
This process includes determining whether the water container 6 is newly installed or replaced (S201), obtaining upper limit water supply amount information Qn, Qm (S202), obtaining threshold information (first alert threshold tqth1, second alert threshold tqth2) (S203), obtaining passing flow rate information q (S204), converting to upper limit water supply time information tn, tm (S205), obtaining valve open time information (S206), and converting to water supply time information tq1, tq2 (S207). 07), determination of water supply time information tq1, tq2 (S208), comparison of water supply time information tq1 or tq2 with a first alert threshold tqth1 (S209), generation of first alert information Ar1x (S210), comparison of water supply time information tq1 or tq2 with a second alert threshold tqth2 (S211), generation of second alert information Ar2x (S212), presentation of information (S213), and recording of information (S214).

Determining whether the water container 6 is newly installed or replaced (S201): The water supply control unit 30 receives a new installation or replacement installation of the water container 6 through a user operation and determines whether the water container 6 is newly installed or replaced.
Obtaining upper limit water supply amount information Qn, Qm (S202): The upper limit water supply amount information acquisition unit 140 acquires the upper limit water supply amount information Qn, Qm by information input from the information input/presentation unit 54 or the water supply management DB 86.

Obtaining threshold information (first alert threshold tqth1, second alert threshold tqth2) (S203): The water supply time determination unit 164 obtains the first alert threshold tqth1 and the second alert threshold tqth2 from the water supply management DB 86.
Acquisition of passing flow rate information q (S204): The passing flow rate information acquisition unit 142 acquires the passing flow rate information q of the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 or the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 from the water supply management DB 86.
Conversion to upper limit water supply time information tn, tm (S205): The upper limit water supply time conversion unit 144 converts the upper limit water supply amount information Qn, Qm into upper limit water supply time information tn, tm using the upper limit water supply amount information Qn, Qm and the passing flow rate information q.

Acquiring valve opening time information (S206): The valve opening time information acquisition unit 146 of the water supply time calculation unit 124 acquires valve opening time information of the cold water solenoid valve 46-1 or the hot water solenoid valve 46-2 from the cold/hot water control/water supply control unit 121.
Conversion to water supply time information tq1, tq2 (S207): The water supply time conversion unit 148 integrates the valve open time information and converts it into water supply time information tq1, tq2.

Determination of water supply time information tq1, tq2 (S208): The water supply time determination unit 164 compares the water supply time information tq1, tq2 with the first alert threshold tqth1 and the second alert threshold tqth2 to determine the water supply time information tq1, tq2.
Comparison of water supply time information tq1 or tq2 with first alert threshold value tqth1 (S209): This comparison determines whether tq1≧tqth1 or tq2≧tqth1.

Generation of first alert information Ar1x (S210): If tq1≧tqth1 or tq2≧tqth1 (YES in S209), the alert information generator 130 generates first alert information Ar1x.
Comparison of water supply time information tq1 or tq2 with second alert threshold value tqth2 (S211):
After generating the first alert information Ar1x, the water supply time determination unit 164 determines whether tq1≧tqth2 or tq2≧tqth2.
Generation of second alert information Ar2x (S212): If tq1≧tqth2 or tq2≧tqth2 (YES in S211), the alert information generator 130 generates second alert information Ar2x.

Presentation of Information (S213): The information presentation control unit 134 acquires the first alert information Ar1x or the second alert information Ar2x, and presents the first alert information Ar1y or the second alert information Ar2y on the information input/presentation unit 54.
Recording information (S214): The information recording control unit 136 receives acquired information and calculated information from the upper limit water supply time calculation unit 122, the water supply time calculation unit 124, the water supply time determination unit 164, the alert information generation unit 130, and the information presentation control unit 134, and stores and records the information in the water supply management DB 86.

<Determination of Replacement of Water Container 6>
19 shows the process of determining whether to replace the water container according to the third embodiment. This process shows the water supply management method of the present disclosure, the initial setting of the program, and the presentation of alert information.
This processing step includes triggering the water container 6 replacement judgment mode (S301), water container 6 replacement judgment mode (S302), judgment of whether to continue the replacement of the water container 6 (S303), judgment of the hot water HW supply time tq1 (tq2) (S304), creation of judgment result information that the water container 6 has been replaced (S305), judgment of the cold water CW supply time tq1 (tq2) (S306), presentation of information (S307), and recording of information (S308).

Trigger of Determination Mode for Replacement of Water Container 6 (S301): The water container replacement determination unit 132 determines whether or not the first alert information Ar1x is generated as the trigger for the determination time point (S301).
Water Container 6 Replacement Determination Mode (S302): If first alert information Ar1x is generated (YES in S301), the process proceeds to a water container 6 replacement determination mode (S302).
Determination of continuation of replacement of water container 6 (S303): Determine whether second alert information Ar2x has not yet been generated (S303). If second alert information Ar2x has been generated, the replacement of the water container 6 is instructed by the alert, so this determination mode is released.

Determination of hot water HW supply time tq1 (tq2) (S304): After the first alert information Ar1x is generated but before the second alert information Ar2x is generated (YES in S303 ), the water container replacement determination unit 132 receives calculation output information from the water supply time calculation unit 124 and determines whether or not there is a hot water HW supply time tq1 or tq2. Note that, in determining whether or not there is a hot water HW supply time tq1 (tq2) , for example, even if the water supply time exceeds the upper limit water supply time tn or the upper limit water supply time tm, it may be determined that there is a hot water supply time tq1 (tq2) by detecting ON information of the hot water button 52-2 or open time information of the hot water solenoid valve 46-2.
Generating determination result information indicating that the water container 6 has been replaced (S305): If there is a supply of hot water HW, this water supply will occur for a hot water HW supply time tq1 or tq2 after the hot water limit (YES in S304) , so the water container replacement determination unit 132 determines that the water container 6 has been replaced and generates determination result information (S305).

Determination of cold water CW supply time tq1 (tq2) (S306): If there is no supply of hot water HW (NO in S304), the water container replacement determination unit 132 receives calculation output information from the water supply time calculation unit 124 and determines whether the cold water CW supply time tq1 or tq2 is longer than or equal to a specified water supply time.
This water supply time judgment allows the supply of cold water CW after the hot water limit, but if, for example, supply of cold water CW exceeding Qb-Qd is confirmed for a specified water supply time or longer (YES in S306), the water container replacement judgment unit 132 judges that the water container 6 has been replaced and generates judgment result information (S305).
Presentation of information (S307): The water container replacement determination unit 132 provides the determination result information that the water container 6 has been replaced to the information input/presentation unit 54, and presents, for example, the replacement information presentation screen 162 (F in Figure 13) as described above to this information input/presentation unit 54.
Recording of information (S308): The water container replacement determination unit 132 stores and records information such as the determination result information on whether the water container 6 has been replaced in the water supply management DB 86.

<Advantages of the Second Embodiment>
According to the second embodiment, any one of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The water server 2 can automatically determine when the water container 6 needs to be replaced, and can accurately calculate the water supply time and remaining water supply time.
(2) Without adding any switches or sensors, the replacement of the water container 6 can be determined by the supply of a certain amount of hot water HW or cold water CW using only the existing system, thereby reducing equipment costs.
(3) Since remaining water can be managed by managing the water supply times tq1 and tq2, the calculation of remaining water supply times tz1 and tz2 can be omitted.
(4) In addition, with regard to water supply management, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

Third embodiment
20 shows an example of a water container replacement determination unit 132 of a water supply management system 120 according to a third embodiment. In this third embodiment, the same parts as those in the first or second embodiment are given the same reference numerals.
The water container replacement determination unit 132 includes a water supply time information acquisition unit 166, a threshold information acquisition unit 168, a water supply time determination unit 170, a hot water time determination unit 172, a cold water time determination unit 174, a replacement information generation unit 176, and the like.
The water supply time information acquisition unit 166 acquires water supply time information from the water supply time conversion unit 148 (FIG. 5 or FIG. 15) of the water supply time calculation unit 124. The threshold information acquisition unit 168 acquires first and second water supply time threshold information from the water supply management DB 86. The water supply time determination unit 170 uses the water supply time information and the first and second water supply time threshold information to determine whether the water supply time is equal to or greater than the first water supply time threshold, and whether it is less than the second water supply time. The water supply time determination unit 170 may use the water supply time determination unit 164 described above.

The hot water time determination unit 172 receives the determination result of the water supply time determination unit 170, and determines whether the water container 6 needs to be replaced depending on whether hot water HW has been supplied after the water supply time has reached or exceeded the first water supply time threshold.
The cold water time determination unit 174 receives the determination result of the water supply time determination unit 170, and after the water supply time reaches or exceeds the first water supply time threshold, determines whether the water container 6 needs to be replaced depending on whether the water supply time of the cold water CW is equal to or longer than a predetermined time.
The replacement information generating unit 176 receives the determination result of the hot water time determining unit 172 or the cold water time determining unit 174, and when the water container 6 has been replaced, generates and outputs replacement information indicating that the water container 6 has been replaced.
Otherwise, the configuration of the water supply management system 120 is the same as or common to the first embodiment (FIG. 5) or the second embodiment (FIG. 15), so a description thereof will be omitted.

<Determination of Replacement of Water Container 6>
21 shows the process of determining whether to replace the water container 6 according to the third embodiment. This process shows the method of water supply management of the present disclosure, the initial program setting, and the presentation of alert information.
This processing step includes a water container replacement determination mode (S401), acquisition of water supply time information (S402), acquisition of threshold information (S403), determination of water supply time (S404, S405), determination of hot water HW supply time (S406), determination of cold water CW supply time (S407), determination of whether the water container 6 has been replaced (S408), and generation of replacement information (S409).

Water container replacement determination mode (S401): A water container replacement determination mode is set as one mode of water supply control in the water supply control unit 30. This determination mode is executed by the water container replacement determination unit 132.
Obtaining Water Supply Time Information (S402): When entering this water container replacement determination mode, the water supply time information acquisition unit 166 acquires water supply volume information from the water supply time conversion unit 148 (FIG. 5 or FIG. 15) of the water supply time calculation unit 124.
Obtaining Threshold Information (S403): The threshold information acquisition unit 168 acquires the first and second water supply time threshold information from the water supply management DB 86.

Determination of water supply time (S404, S405): The water supply time determination unit 170 determines the amount of water supply using the water supply time information and the first and second water supply time threshold information. The water supply time determination unit 170 determines whether the water supply time is equal to or greater than the first water supply time threshold (S404), and if the water supply time is equal to or greater than the first water supply time threshold (YES in S404), it confirms the water container 6 replacement determination mode and determines whether the water supply time is equal to or greater than the second water supply time threshold (S405). If the water supply time is less than the first water supply time threshold (NO in S404) or is equal to or greater than the second water supply time threshold (NO in S405), it cancels the water container 6 replacement determination mode.
Determination of Supply of Hot Water HW (S406): If the water supply time is equal to or greater than the first water supply time threshold (YES in S404) and the water supply time is smaller than the second water supply time threshold (YES in S405), the hot water time determination unit 172 determines whether to supply hot water HW.
Determining Supply Time of Cold Water CW (S407): If there is no supply of hot water HW (NO in S406), the cold water time determination unit 174 determines whether the supply time of the cold water CW is equal to or longer than a predetermined supply time.
Determining whether the water container 6 has been replaced (S408): If there is a supply of hot water HW (YES in S406), the hot water time determination unit 172 determines whether the water container 6 has been replaced (S408), and if the supply time of cold water CW is longer than or equal to a predetermined water supply time (YES in S407), the cold water time determination unit 174 determines whether the water container 6 has been replaced (S408).
Generation of replacement information (S409): The replacement information generation unit 176 receives determination information that the water container 6 has been replaced from the hot water time determination unit 172, or receives determination information that the water container 6 has been replaced from the cold water time determination unit 174, and generates replacement information indicating that the water container 6 has been replaced.
Other Processing: As described above, after the generation of the replacement information for the water container 6, processing such as presentation of the information (S307: FIG. 19) and recording of the information (S308: FIG. 19) is performed.

<Advantages of the Third Embodiment>
According to the third embodiment, any one of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The water server 2 can automatically determine when the water container 6 needs to be replaced.
(2) In addition, regarding water supply management, the same effects as those of the first or second embodiment can be obtained by utilizing existing facilities and without the need to install additional sensors.

Other Embodiments
Regarding the embodiment described above, the following features and modifications will be listed below.
(1) In the first embodiment, the water supply volume Q(t) and the remaining water volume Z(t) are expressed as functions of time, and linear approximations are used using Figures 9 to 12. However, this is described to facilitate the explanation of water supply management, and the present invention is not limited to such notations.
(2) The information input/presentation unit 54 may be provided with a reset button, and when a new water container 6 is installed or replaced, a process may be added to improve the accuracy of water supply management by pressing the reset button to reset past information such as existing upper limit water supply volume information and threshold values.
(3) After generating the first alert information, the remaining water volume Z(t) and the remaining water supply time tz1 (tz2) may be calculated using the cold water volume Qb in the cold water tank 8 and the passing flow rate q.
(4) In the above embodiment, a water server 2 that uses a replaceable water container 6 is described as an example, but the present invention may also be used for water supply management of a water server 2 that uses tap water and does not use a water container 6.

As described above, the most preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described. The present invention is not limited to the above description. Various modifications and changes are possible for those skilled in the art based on the gist of the invention described in the claims or disclosed in the description for carrying out the invention. It goes without saying that such modifications and changes are included in the scope of the present invention.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a highly convenient water server and its water supply management system that does not require attention to changes in the raw water level in the water container and simplifies water supply management based on water supply time and remaining water supply time.

2 Water server 4 Server housing 6 Water container 8 Cold water tank 10 Hot water tank 12 Cooling device 14 Water supply nozzle section 16 Top opening 18 Valve mechanism 20 Opening/closing valve 22 Opening/closing arm section 24 Float section 26 Evaporator 28-1, 28-2 Temperature sensor 30 Water supply control section 32 Separation plate 33 Recessed section 34 Water supply pipe 35 Water supply hole 36 Heater 37 Water passage hole 38 Bypass pipe 40 Bypass valve 42 Cold water supply pipe 44 Hot water supply pipe 46-1 Cold water solenoid valve 46-2 Hot water solenoid valve 48-1 Cold water supply port 48-2 Hot water supply port 50 Operation panel section 52-1 Cold water button 52-2 Hot water button 54 Information input/presentation section 56 Alert presentation section 56-1 First alert lamp 56-2 Second alert lamp 58 Sound emission section 60 Speaker 62 Processor 64 Memory section 66 Timer 68 Input/output section 70-1, 70-2 Sensor circuit 72-1, 72-2, 72-3 Valve drive section 74-1 Cold water switch 74-2 Hot water switch 76 Heater drive section 78 Touch panel 80 LCD display 82-1, 82-2 Lamp drive section 84 Speaker drive section 86 Water supply management DB
88 Water supply management file 90 Water container capacity information section 92 Installation/replacement information section 94 Upper limit water supply amount information section 94-1 Upper limit water supply amount information section at new installation 94-2 Upper limit water supply amount information section at replacement installation 96 Upper limit water supply time information section 96-1 Upper limit water supply time information section at new installation 96-2 Upper limit water supply time information section at replacement installation 98 Cold water tank capacity information section 100 Hot water tank capacity information section 102 Cold water tank residual amount setting information section 104 Solenoid valve passing flow rate information section 106 Valve opening time information section 108 Water supply amount information section 108-1 Cold water amount information section 108-2 Hot water amount information section 110 Residual water amount information section 112 Water supply time information section 112-1 Cold water time information section 112-2 Hot water time information section 114 Remaining water supply time information section 116 First alert threshold information section 117 Second alert threshold information section 118 Water container replacement information section 119 History information section 120 Water supply management system 121 Hot/cold water control/water supply control function section 122 Upper limit water supply time calculation section 124 Water supply time calculation section 126 Remaining water supply time calculation section 128 Remaining water supply time determination section 130 Alert information generation section 132 Water container replacement determination section 134 Information presentation control section 136 Information recording control section 138 Upper limit water supply amount information switching section 140 Upper limit water supply amount information acquisition section 142 Passing flow rate information acquisition section 144 Upper limit water supply time conversion section 146 Open valve time information acquisition section 148 Water supply time conversion section 150 Initial setting screen 152 Capacity selection section 154 Confirmation button section 156 Cancel button section 158 First alert presentation screen 160 Second alert display screen 162 Replacement information display screen 164, 170 Water supply time determination unit 166 Water supply time information acquisition unit 168 Threshold information acquisition unit 172 Hot water time determination unit 174 Cold water time determination unit 176 Replacement information generation unit

Claims (13)

A water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and produces cold water or hot water,
a cold water tank for receiving raw water from the water container and cooling the raw water to generate cold water;
a hot water tank that receives raw water from the water container and heats the raw water to generate hot water;
Water supply button,
an opening/closing valve that opens in response to operation of the water supply button when supplying the cold water or the hot water;
a water supply control unit that acquires upper limit water supply amount information and also acquires opening time information of the on-off valve, converts the upper limit water supply amount into an upper limit water supply time based on the flow rate passing through the on-off valve, calculates a remaining water supply time by subtracting the water supply time calculated based on the opening time of the on-off valve from the upper limit water supply time, generates first alert information indicating a hot water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a first remaining water supply time threshold, and generates second alert information indicating a cold water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a second remaining water supply time threshold after the generation of this first alert information;
an information presenting unit that presents the first alert information or the second alert information;
Including water dispensers. A water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and produces cold water or hot water,
a cold water tank for receiving raw water from the water container and cooling the raw water to generate cold water;
a hot water tank that receives raw water from the water container and heats the raw water to generate hot water;
Water supply button,
an opening/closing valve that opens in response to operation of the water supply button when supplying the cold water or the hot water;
a water supply control unit that acquires valve open time information of the on-off valve, and generates first alert information indicating a hot water limit when the water supply time calculated based on the valve open time reaches or exceeds a first water supply time threshold, and generates second alert information indicating a cold water limit when the water supply time reaches or exceeds a second water supply time threshold;
an information presenting unit that presents the first alert information or the second alert information;
Including water dispensers. A water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and produces cold water or hot water,
a cold water tank for receiving raw water from the water container and cooling the raw water to generate cold water;
a hot water tank that receives raw water from the water container and heats the raw water to generate hot water;
Water supply button,
an opening/closing valve that opens in response to operation of the water supply button when supplying the cold water or the hot water;
a water supply control unit that acquires information on the open time of the on-off valve, calculates water supply time information based on the information on the open time, and generates replacement information indicating replacement of the water container when the hot water supply time information or the cold water supply time information equal to or greater than a predetermined value is acquired after a hot water limit that stops the supply of the hot water;
an information presenting unit that presents the exchange information;
Including water dispensers. A water supply management method for a water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and generates cold water or hot water, comprising:
a cold water tank receiving raw water from the water container and cooling the raw water to produce cold water;
a hot water tank receiving raw water from the water container and heating the raw water to generate hot water;
a step of opening an on-off valve in response to an operation of a water supply button when supplying the cold water or the hot water;
a water supply control unit acquiring upper limit water supply amount information and acquiring opening time information of the on-off valve, converting the upper limit water supply amount into an upper limit water supply time based on the flow rate passing through the on-off valve, calculating the remaining water supply time by subtracting the water supply time calculated based on the opening time of the on-off valve from the upper limit water supply time, generating first alert information indicating a hot water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a first remaining water supply time threshold, and generating second alert information indicating a cold water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a second remaining water supply time threshold after generating this first alert information;
An information presenting unit presents the first alert information or the second alert information;
A water supply management method for a water server, including: A water supply management method for a water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and generates cold water or hot water, comprising:
a cold water tank receiving raw water from the water container and cooling the raw water to produce cold water;
a hot water tank receiving raw water from the water container and heating the raw water to generate hot water;
a step of opening an on-off valve in response to an operation of a water supply button when supplying the cold water or the hot water;
a water supply control unit acquiring open time information of the on-off valve, generating first alert information representing a hot water limit when the water supply time calculated based on the open time reaches a first water supply time threshold or more, and generating second alert information representing a cold water limit when the water supply time reaches a second water supply time threshold or more;
an information presenting unit presenting the first alert information or the second alert information;
A water supply management method for a water server, including: A water supply management method for a water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and generates cold water or hot water, comprising:
a cold water tank receiving raw water from the water container and cooling the raw water to produce cold water;
a hot water tank receiving raw water from the water container and heating the raw water to generate hot water;
a step of opening an on-off valve in response to an operation of a water supply button when supplying the cold water or the hot water;
a water supply control unit acquiring open time information of the on-off valve, calculating water supply time information based on the open time information, and generating replacement information indicating replacement of the water container when acquiring the hot water supply time information or the cold water supply time information equal to or greater than a predetermined value after a hot water limit that stops the supply of the hot water is reached;
An information presenting unit presents the exchange information;
A water supply management method for a water server, including: A water supply management system for a water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and generates cold water or hot water,
a cooling device that receives raw water from the water container in a cold water tank and cools the raw water to produce cold water;
a heating device that receives raw water from the water container in a hot water tank and heats the raw water to generate hot water;
Water supply button,
a valve driving unit that opens an on-off valve through which the cold water or the hot water passes in response to an operation of the water supply button;
a water supply control unit that acquires upper limit water supply amount information and also acquires opening time information of the on-off valve, converts the upper limit water supply amount into an upper limit water supply time based on the flow rate passing through the on-off valve, calculates a remaining water supply time by subtracting the water supply time calculated based on the opening time of the on-off valve from the upper limit water supply time, generates first alert information indicating a hot water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a first remaining water supply time threshold, and generates second alert information indicating a cold water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a second remaining water supply time threshold after the generation of this first alert information;
an information presenting unit that presents the first alert information or the second alert information;
A water supply management system for a water server, including: A water supply management system for a water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and generates cold water or hot water,
a cooling device that receives raw water from the water container in a cold water tank and cools the raw water to generate cold water;
a heating device that receives raw water from the water container in a hot water tank and heats the raw water to generate hot water;
Water supply button,
a valve driving unit that opens an on-off valve through which the cold water or the hot water passes in response to an operation of the water supply button;
a water supply control unit that acquires valve open time information of the on-off valve, and generates first alert information indicating a hot water limit when the water supply time calculated based on the valve open time reaches or exceeds a first water supply time threshold, and generates second alert information indicating a cold water limit when the water supply time reaches or exceeds a second water supply time threshold;
an information presenting unit that presents the first alert information or the second alert information;
A water supply management system for a water server, including: A water supply management system for a water server that receives raw water from a replaceable water container and generates cold water or hot water,
a cooling device that receives raw water from the water container in a cold water tank and cools the raw water to produce cold water;
a heating device that receives raw water from the water container in a hot water tank and heats the raw water to generate hot water;
Water supply button,
a valve driving unit that opens an on-off valve through which the cold water or the hot water passes in response to an operation of the water supply button;
Acquire opening time information of the on-off valve, and calculate water supply time information based on the opening time information;
a water supply control unit that generates replacement information indicating replacement of the water container when the hot water supply time information or the cold water supply time information of a predetermined value or more is acquired after a hot water limit that stops the supply of the hot water;
an information presenting unit that presents the exchange information;
A water supply management system for a water server, including: A program for causing a computer used in a water server device to execute the program,
A control function for opening an on-off valve that allows cold water or hot water to pass in response to the operation of a water supply button;
a function of acquiring information on an upper limit water supply amount and information on the opening time of the on-off valve, converting the upper limit water supply amount into an upper limit water supply time based on the flow rate passing through the on-off valve, and calculating the remaining water supply time by subtracting the water supply time calculated based on the opening time of the on-off valve from the upper limit water supply time;
a function of generating first alert information indicating a hot water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a first remaining water supply time threshold, and generating second alert information indicating a cold water limit when the remaining water supply time falls below a second remaining water supply time threshold after generating the first alert information;
a function of causing an information presenting unit to present the first alert information or the second alert information;
A program for causing the computer to execute the above. A program for causing a computer used in a water server device to execute the program,
A control function for opening an on-off valve that allows cold water or hot water to pass in response to the operation of a water supply button;
A function of acquiring information on the opening time of the on-off valve and calculating the water supply time based on the opening time of the on-off valve;
a function of generating first alert information indicating a hot water limit when the water supply time reaches a first water supply time threshold or more, and generating second alert information indicating a cold water limit when the water supply time reaches a second water supply time threshold or more;
a function of causing an information presenting unit to present the first alert information or the second alert information;
A program for causing the computer to execute the above. A program for causing a computer used in a water server device to execute the program,
A control function for opening an on-off valve that allows cold water or hot water to pass in response to the operation of a water supply button;
A function of acquiring opening time information of the on-off valve and calculating water supply time information based on the opening time information;
a function of generating replacement information indicating replacement of the water container when the hot water supply time information or the cold water supply time information of a predetermined value or more is acquired after the hot water limit for stopping the supply of the hot water is set;
An information presentation unit has a function of presenting the exchange information;
A program for causing the computer to execute the above. A recording medium storing the program according to any one of claims 10 to 12.

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