JP7607459B2 - Beverage dispenser - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a beverage dispenser that has a drain pan provided below the discharge section that discharges beverages, ice, etc.

Beverage dispensers that provide beverages, ice, and other items to customers are used in restaurants such as family restaurants. One example of such beverage dispensers is an ice dispenser that has an ice-making mechanism and a storage unit built into the housing. The ice dispenser stores ice made by the ice-making mechanism in the storage unit, and provides the stored ice from a discharge unit provided on the front side of the storage unit to a cup (beverage container) located at a receiving position (below the discharge unit) on the front side of the housing in response to an operation by a customer, etc. The discharge unit that discharges the ice is composed of an ice guide path that communicates with the storage unit, a spout that forms the ice discharge port, a shutter mechanism that opens and closes the entrance to the ice guide path, and the like. When providing drinking water in addition to ice, the discharge unit is configured to include a water injection nozzle and an opening and closing valve that connect to an external water supply.

The front panel on the front side of the housing is provided with a cover section that covers the discharge section on the front side of the stocker from the front. The cover section is shaped so as not to impede the discharge of ice and drinking water from the discharge section, and space is provided below it for placing a beverage container at the receiving position. When an operating lever that is operated by pressing a beverage container (cup) against it is used as the operating section operated by the customer, this operating lever is located below the cover section. Then, by placing a beverage container at the receiving position and operating the operating lever so as to push it backwards, ice and drinking water are discharged from the discharge section towards the receiving position, so that the ice and drinking water can be received in the beverage container. Note that a button that is pressed by a finger or the like may also be used as the operating section.

Here, the schematic configuration of a typical conventional ice dispenser (a type that provides only ice) is shown in Figure 10. In Figure 10, reference numeral 11 denotes a housing, 15 denotes a front panel, 16 denotes a cover, 18 denotes an operating lever, 20 denotes a receiving position, 21 denotes an ice-making mechanism, 23 denotes a stocker, and 25 denotes a discharge section. In this ice dispenser, a drain pan DP is provided on the opposite side of the receiving position 20 from the discharge section 25 (below the receiving position 20). The drain pan DP is a vessel-shaped (box-shaped with an upward opening) member, and a mesh-plate-shaped grill G is placed over its upper opening like a lid, and a drain pipe P extends downward from the underside. The inlet side of the drain pipe P is connected to the internal space S of the drain pan DP, and a discharge hose H is connected to the outlet side. As a result, the ice received in the drain pan DP either melts on the grill G and turns into water, which passes through the grill G, or passes through the grill G in the form of small pieces of ice, flows out of the outlet 54a formed in the bottom wall of the drain pan DP into the drain pipe P, and is then discharged to the outside through the discharge hose H.

JP 2013-117352 A

Because the drain pan DP is integral with the front panel 15, it cannot be easily removed or reattached from the housing 11. Even if the drain pan DP were designed to be removable, the drain hose H must be connected and disconnected to the drain pipe P of the drain pan DP when attaching or detaching it. Therefore, for example, cleaning of the drain pan DP is performed at the location where the dispenser is installed in the store. In this case, it is difficult to rinse the drain pan DP with tap water, and the cleaning method is limited to wiping with a wet rag, so it is very time-consuming to remove dirt from even the smallest parts of the drain pan DP. In other words, conventional ice dispensers have the drawback that it is difficult to remove the drain pan DP from the housing 11 at the appropriate time and handle it independently, making it difficult to clean or maintain the drain pan DP.

In addition to the aforementioned ice dispenser that provides only ice, there are also beverage dispensers that provide only beverages such as drinking water or juice, or both ice and beverages, and these various beverage dispensers are also provided with the aforementioned discharge section and drain pan. The aforementioned various beverage dispensers have similar problems with cleaning and maintenance of the drain pan.

The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the above-mentioned problems inherent in conventional beverage dispensers, and aims to provide a beverage dispenser that allows convenient cleaning and maintenance of the drain pan.

In order to overcome the above problems and achieve the intended purpose, the first means comprises:
In a beverage dispenser, a housing is provided with a discharge part capable of discharging beverages, ice, etc. downward, and a drain pan is provided below and spaced from the discharge part,
The drain pan is configured so that it is attached to the housing by being held by a holding portion provided on the housing, and can be removed from the housing by releasing the holding portion.
According to this configuration , the drain pan can be attached to the housing by being held by the holding part, and the drain pan can be detached from the housing by releasing the holding part. In other words, since the drain pan can be easily attached and detached from the housing, cleaning and maintenance of the drain pan can be performed with the drain pan removed from the housing.

The second means is
The gist of the system is that a starting pipe forming a first path communicating with an outlet formed in a bottom wall of the drain pan is arranged to extend downward from the bottom wall of the drain pan, and an intermediate pipe component forming a second path communicating with the first path is provided on the underside of the housing, and a drain hose leading to an external discharge destination is connected to the intermediate pipe component.
According to this configuration , by connecting the drain hose from the outside to the relay pipe component on the underside of the housing (not connected to the drain pan side), it is not necessary to detach the drain hose when attaching or detaching the drain pan to or from the housing, which eliminates the hassle of removing the drain pan from the housing and handling it independently.

The third means is
The relay pipe component is configured to be capable of accepting the start pipe into the second path from an inlet opening upward, and to allow movement of the start pipe within the second path associated with attachment and detachment of the drain pan to the housing.
According to this configuration , the start pipe of the drain pan is received in the second pathway formed by the relay pipe component, and the start pipe is allowed to move in the second pathway as the drain pan is attached to or detached from the housing, so that wastewater (drinks or ice) flowing out from the start pipe of the attached or detached drain pan can be reliably received by the relay pipe component (second pathway) and guided to the discharge hose side.

In the fourth means ,
The gist of the present invention is that when the drain pan is attached to the housing, a seal is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the start pipe and the inner peripheral surface of the receiving pipe.
According to this configuration , by sealing the gap between the inner surface of the receiving pipe and the outer surface of the starting pipe, even if an increase in the amount of wastewater (beverages or ice) that cannot be discharged occurs, for example, due to a blockage in the discharge hose or relay pipe component, the increased amount of wastewater can be contained in the drain pan without overflowing from the inlet of the relay pipe component.

In the fifth means ,
the relay pipe component includes a receiving pipe forming an inlet side thereof and a drain hose connected to an outlet side end of the receiving pipe,
The gist of the invention is that when the drain pan is attached to the housing, the outlet end of the starting pipe protrudes downstream from the pipeline of the receiving pipe and comes into close contact with the entire inner surface of the drain hose, thereby sealing between the outer surface of the starting pipe and the inner surface of the drain hose.
According to this configuration , by fitting the drain pan to the housing and thereby allowing the starting pipe (first path) to come into close contact with the inner surface of the drain hose, it is possible to more reliably seal between the starting pipe and the relay pipe component (second path) than if a tight fit was to be made between the starting pipe and the receiving pipe, and it is possible to prevent wastewater (drinks or ice) flowing out from the starting pipe from leaking outside the relay pipe component.

The sixth means is
An ice-making mechanism is housed in a machine chamber defined inside the housing, and an internal drain pan is provided at the bottom of the machine chamber to drain condensation water generated by the ice-making mechanism and dripping from the machine chamber,
The relay pipe component is configured to include a terminal pipe that connects the drain hose and the discharge hose, and to merge drainage water from the internal drain pan into the pipeline of the terminal pipe.
With this configuration , the condensation water received in the internal drain pan can be discharged without passing through the drain pan on the front side of the housing, so that even when the drain pan is removed, the condensation water from the internal drain pan will not leak out to the front side of the housing.

The present invention allows convenient cleaning and maintenance of the drain pan installed in the beverage dispenser.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ice dispenser according to the embodiment, seen from the upper left front. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the internal structure of a housing of the ice dispenser. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ice dispenser as seen from the lower right front. 1A is a perspective view of the drain panel as viewed from the upper right front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the drain panel as viewed from the lower right rear. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a lower part of the housing in which the relay pipe component is provided. FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of the housing with the drain panel removed, viewed from the upper right front. FIG. 1A shows the drain panel positioned above the shelf portion, and FIG. 1B shows the drain panel placed on the shelf portion so as to be in a standby position for installation. The drain panel is placed on the shelf so that it is in the mounting position, and the starting pipe (first path) and the relay pipe component (second path) are connected. 13 shows a connection structure between a start pipe and a receiving pipe in another example. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional ice dispenser.

Next, a beverage dispenser according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, showing a preferred embodiment. In this embodiment, an ice dispenser (ice and beverage dispenser) that provides ice and beverages will be described, and the same components as those in the conventional ice dispenser described above (see FIG. 10) will be designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted. Note that the configuration of the present invention can also be applied to beverage dispensers that provide only ice or only beverages, in addition to ice dispensers. In the following description, the left-right, up-down, and front-rear (front and rear) directions will be defined based on the state of the ice dispenser as viewed from the front side (front side).

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the ice dispenser 10 of the embodiment contains an ice making mechanism 21 that makes ice (offered items) such as chipped ice, a stocker 23 that stores the made ice, and the like, inside (machine chamber 11a) of the vertically elongated rectangular housing 11 that forms the outer shell. The housing 11 is basically composed of a box-shaped housing base 13 that opens forward and a front panel 15 that is arranged to cover the front opening of the housing base 13, and is self-supporting by four legs 33 extending from a flat base plate 31 (see Figure 3) that forms the lower wall of the housing base 13 (the lower wall of the housing 11). In other words, when the ice dispenser 10 (housing 11) is installed on a flat surface, a gap of a vertical dimension equivalent to the length of the legs 33 is secured below the base plate 31, which is the lower wall. The air in that gap (outside air) is taken in through the lower vent (intake port) 133 formed in the base plate 31 and rises into the machine chamber 11a, and is then discharged above the housing 11 through the upper vent (exhaust port) 35a formed in the upper wall 35 of the housing base 13.

As shown in FIG. 3, a portion of the front end of the base plate 31 extends forward from the housing base 13. If the portion of the base plate 31 that covers the machine room 11a from below is the base main body 31B, and the portion that extends forward is the base extension 31A, the lower air vent 133 described above is formed in the base main body 31B. In contrast, the upper surface of the base extension 31A is covered by a flat shelf 19 that extends forward from the lower edge of the front panel 15, and a drain panel 50 (described later) is disposed above that.

(Regarding the emission section 25)
As shown in Fig. 2, a discharge section 25 is provided on the front side of the stocker 23, which discharges ice and drinking water from a discharge port 26 downward (to a position 20 where ice is received by a drinking container such as a cup). The discharge section 25 in this embodiment is composed of a mechanism for discharging ice from the stocker 23 (ice guide passage 25a, spout 25b, and shutter mechanism 25c) and a mechanism for discharging drinking water from an external water supply (water injection nozzle 25d and an opening/closing valve, not shown). Alternatively, the discharge section 25 may be composed of only a mechanism for discharging either ice or drinking water. Note that a detailed description of this discharge section 25 will be omitted, since it has a conventionally known structure.

(About the cover part 16 and the concave part 17)
As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, a cover section 16 is provided on the upper part of the front panel 15 to cover the discharge section 25 from the front side. As shown in Fig. 2, the cover section 16 is concave with an opening side facing rearward, and the discharge section 25 is housed in this concave portion. A part of the cover section 16 is disposed detachably as a separate member 16x with respect to the front panel 15, so that the discharge section 25 is exposed by removing the separate member 16x, and cleaning, maintenance, etc. can be performed. Also, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the lower part of the front panel 15 (below the mounting position of the cover section 16) is formed so that the front surface is concave backward (hereinafter referred to as "concave section 17"). The concave section 17 ensures a space below the cover section 16, making it easy (possible) to place a beverage container in the lower area (receiving position 20) of the cover section 16 (discharge section 25). As shown in FIG. 3, a lower wall 16a of the cover portion 16 is formed with an exposure opening 16b for exposing the discharge port 26 at the lower end of the discharge portion 25.

(Regarding the operating lever 18)
1 to 3, an operating lever 18 that is operated when releasing ice from the release portion 25 is provided so as to extend downward from between the lower wall 16a of the cover portion 16 and the upper edge of the concave portion 17. This operating lever 18 can swing back and forth with its upper end as a fulcrum, is biased forward by a biasing means (not shown), and is always located at the front end of its swing range. Therefore, by pressing a beverage container against the front surface of the operating lever 18 and swinging the operating lever 18 backward, ice is released from the release portion 25 toward the beverage container below (at the receiving position 20), and the ice can be received in the beverage container.

(About the drain panel 50)
As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a drain panel (drain pan) 50 for drainage treatment is provided in front of the concave surface 17 of the front panel 15 and below the discharge section 25. This drain panel 50 receives ice and drinking water discharged from the discharge section 25 in an internal space S when no beverage container is prepared at the receiving position 20, and discharges them from an outlet 54a on the bottom surface to a discharge route R (see Figure 8). The drain panel 50 is a container-shaped (box-shaped) synthetic resin member, and a grill (not shown) having a plurality of mesh-like openings is placed over the upper opening like a lid. Note that Figure 1 shows the drain panel 50 with the grill removed as viewed from diagonally above.

As shown in FIG. 4, the drain panel 50 is provided with a dish forming section 52 that forms an internal space S, and a cover plate 53 that covers the front and left and right side surfaces of the dish forming section 52. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the dish forming section 52 has a central portion in the left and right direction of the rear wall portion 55 that protrudes rearward in accordance with the shape of the concave portion 17 (see FIG. 3) of the front panel 15. Also, as shown in FIG. 4(b), three ribs 56, 57 extending in the front and rear direction are formed on the lower surface of the bottom wall 54 of the dish forming section 52 (the long ribs on the left and right are called "first ribs 56" and the short rib in the center is called "second rib 57"). The first rib 56 and the second rib 57 are formed so that the height positions of the respective lower end surfaces are aligned with each other. The cover plate 53 extends downward from the upper edge of the dish forming section 52 to a position slightly lower than the lower end surfaces of the ribs 56, 57. As a result, the drain panel 50 of this embodiment (drain panel 50) is placed on the shelf portion 19 of the front panel 15 with the lower end surfaces of the ribs 56, 57 supported on the upper surface of the shelf portion 19, and the lower end of the cover plate 53 is configured to cover the front end surface of the shelf portion 19 from the front side.

An outlet 54a is formed at a position (left end) biased toward the side end of the bottom wall 54 of the dish forming portion 52, through which the wastewater received in the internal space S flows out (see FIG. 7). In addition, a start pipe 60 (see FIG. 4(b) and FIG. 7) is provided extending downward from the position of the outlet 54a on the bottom wall 54 of the dish forming portion 52, through which the wastewater flowing out from the outlet 54a flows down. The start pipe 60 is formed in an L-shape by a hanging portion 61 that hangs down from the position of the outlet 54a and a bent portion 63 that bends from the lower end of the hanging portion 61 so as to be inclined downward to the rear. The start pipe 60 is a rigid (non-flexible) synthetic resin pipe, and forms the upstream side (hereinafter referred to as the "first path 60a") of the discharge path R that connects the internal space S of the drain panel 50 to the discharge hose H from the outside.

(Regarding relay pipe component 37)
Next, referring to Fig. 5, the relay pipe component 37 forming the downstream side (second path 37a) of the discharge path R will be described. The relay pipe component 37 is provided on the lower surface side of the housing 11 (base plate 31) and is configured to relay between a start pipe 60 provided on the drain panel 50 and a discharge hose H connected to an external discharge destination. The second path 37a formed by this relay pipe component 37 is a pipe line that slopes downward toward the rear on the lower surface side of the housing 11, and causes the wastewater flowing in from the drain panel 50 (via the first path 60a) to flow down toward the discharge hose H.

Here, the relay pipe component 37 of this embodiment is configured to merge the drainage water (condensation water generated by the ice-making mechanism 21) from the internal drain pan 27 (see FIG. 5) provided at the bottom of the machine room 11a with a middle point of the second path 37a. The relay pipe component 37 can be configured with a single member (pipe), but in this embodiment, the pipe forming portion (receiving pipe 71) that receives the inflow of the drainage water from the drain panel 50 and the pipe forming portion (terminating pipe 75) that receives the inflow of the drainage water from the internal drain pan 27 are separate members, making it easier to install (form) the relay pipe component 37. Specifically, the receiving pipe 71 is formed integrally with the shelf portion 19 of the front panel 15 described above, and is arranged on the underside of the housing 11 by being inserted from above into the front insertion port 131 formed in the base extension portion 31A of the base plate 31. In addition, the terminal pipe 75 is formed integrally with the internal drain pan 27 and is positioned on the underside of the housing 11 by being inserted from above into the rear insertion port 132 formed in the base body portion 31B of the base plate 31.

In addition, the relay pipe component 37 of this embodiment is configured to connect the rigid (non-flexible) receiving pipe 71 and the terminal pipe 75 with a flexible drain hose 73. Specifically, the receiving pipe 71 has a first protruding pipe portion 71a that extends rearward and whose extended end is the outlet end, and the terminal pipe 75 has a second protruding pipe portion 75a that extends forward and whose extended end is the outlet end, and the first protruding pipe portion 71a of the receiving pipe 71 is inserted into the inlet end of the drain hose 73, and the second protruding pipe portion 75a of the terminal pipe 75 is inserted into the outlet end of the drain hose 73, thereby connecting the receiving pipe 71 and the terminal pipe 75 with the drain hose 73. That is, in the relay pipe configuration 37, the pipe corresponding to the upstream portion of the second path 37a is formed by the receiving pipe 71, the pipe corresponding to the midstream portion of the second path 37a is formed by the drain hose 73, and the pipe corresponding to the downstream portion of the second path 37a is formed by the terminal pipe 75. With this configuration, cleaning work, etc., can be easily performed inside the second path 37a by removing the drain hose 73.

The terminal pipe 75 constituting the relay pipe component 37 also forms a vertical pipe from the internal drain pan 27 in addition to the front-to-rear pipe as the downstream portion of the second path 37a, and is configured to merge the drainage water from the internal drain pan 27 with the downstream portion of the second path 37a.

(Configuration for attaching and detaching the drain panel 50)
In the ice dispenser 10 of this embodiment, the drain panel 50 is configured to be detachable from the housing 11. The first path 60a formed by the start pipe 60 and the second path 37a formed by the relay pipe component 37 (the receiving pipe 71, the drain hose 73, and the end pipe 75) are connected and separated by attaching and detaching the drain panel 50 to and from the housing 11. Hereinafter, the attachment and detachment of the drain panel 50 will be described with reference to Figs. 6, 7(a), 7(b), and 8.

As described above, the front panel 15 is provided with a flat shelf portion 19 (see FIG. 6) that extends forward from its lower edge and covers the base extension portion 31A from above. The holding portions 17a, 19b, and 19d that detachably hold the drain panel 50 are provided on the shelf portion 19 that faces the underside of the drain panel 50 and on the concave portion 17 that faces the rear side of the drain panel 50. In this embodiment, the holding portions 17a, 19b, and 19d are composed of a locking piece 19b that locks the locked portion 53a provided on the drain panel 50, a first rib 56 and a hook 58 that clamp the clamped portion 19d provided on the drain panel 50, and a fitting groove portion 17a into which the fitting portion 59 provided on the drain panel 50 fits.

The drain panel 50 is placed on the shelf 19 from the upper position shown in Fig. 7(a) on the shelf 19 as shown in Fig. 7(b), and then slid rearward on the shelf 19 to the position shown in Fig. 8, whereby the holding portions 17a, 19b, and 19d hold (fix) the drain panel 50 in the position shown in Fig. 8, and the drain panel 50 is attached to the housing 11. The drain panel 50 is released from the hold (lock) by a predetermined holding portion (locking piece 19b) in the position shown in Fig. 8 and slid to the position shown in Fig. 7(b), whereby the hold by the other holding portions (fitting groove portion 17a, clamped portion 19d) is released, and the drain panel 50 can be removed from the housing 11 (released from the attached state) by moving it to the upper position (the position in Fig. 7(a)). The drain panel 50 is placed on the shelf 19 with the lower end surface of the first rib 56 and the lower end surface of the second rib 57 in contact with the upper surface of the shelf 19, and in this placed state, it can slide back and forth between the positions shown in Fig. 7(b) and Fig. 8. In other words, the drain panel 50 can be easily attached and detached according to the holding and release by the holding parts 17a, 19b, and 19d, so that the drain panel 50 can be removed from the housing 11 at any time and cleaned or maintained independently. Hereinafter, the position of the drain panel 50 shown in Fig. 7(b) is referred to as the "attachment standby position" and the position of the drain panel 50 shown in Fig. 8 is referred to as the "attachment position", and the holding of the drain panel 50 by the holding parts 17a, 19b, and 19d will be described.

As shown in Figure 6, two elongated cutouts 19a are formed rearward from the front end surface of the shelf portion 19, and a locking piece 19b is formed to extend forward between the two cutouts 19a. This locking piece 19b is provided in approximately the center in the left-right direction of the front end of the shelf portion 19, and a locking claw 19c is formed to protrude upward from the extended end of the locking piece 19b. In contrast, the drain panel 50 is formed with a locked portion 53a that extends slightly downward from the lower end surface of the cover plate 53, as shown in Figures 4(b), 7 and 8. When the drain panel 50 is in the waiting position for installation (see Figure 7(b)), the interlocking portion 53a is located slightly forward of the locking claw 19c, and when the drain panel 50 is moved rearward along the upper surface of the shelf portion 19, the interlocking portion 53a comes into contact with the locking claw 19c and the locking piece 19b temporarily bends downward, and by the time the drain panel 50 reaches the installation position (see Figure 8), the interlocking portion 53a passes the position of the locking claw 19c and the locking piece 19b returns to its original position, so that at the installation position, the interlocking portion 53a is locked by the locking claw 19c of the locking piece 19b. In addition, when the drain panel 50 is in the mounting position, the operator can push down the locking piece 19b with his or her fingers to release the locked state of the locked portion 53a, while sliding the drain panel 50 to the mounting standby position in front of the mounting position, thereby enabling the drain panel 50 to be removed upward from the shelf portion 19 of the housing 11.

6, the shelf 19 has rectangular notches on both sides of the locking piece 19b at its front edge, and the rear edge of the notch forms the clamped portion 19d extending in the left-right direction. On the other hand, the drain panel 50 has a hook 58 extending downward from the bottom wall 54 of the dish forming portion 52 along the front end faces of the left and right first ribs 56 and protruding rearward from the extended end, as shown in Figs. 4(b), 7, and 8. The rearward protruding portion of the hook 58 is slightly spaced downward from the lower surface of the first rib 56 (spaced by the plate thickness of the shelf 19). The configuration in which the longitudinal position is changed to the position of the clamped portion 19d in the range of the box a1 shown in Fig. 7(b) is shown in box a2, and the configuration in which the longitudinal position is changed to the position of the clamped portion 19d in the range of the box a3 shown in Fig. 8 is shown in box a4. In the mounting standby position of the drain panel 50 (FIG. 7(b)), the clamped portion 19d is located along the lower surface of the first rib 56 as shown in box a2, but is spaced forward from the hook 58. Then, by sliding the drain panel 50 from the mounting standby position (see FIG. 7(b)) to the mounting position (see FIG. 8) on the shelf portion 19, the clamped portion 19d of the shelf portion 19 is clamped between the first rib 56 and the hook 58 of the drain panel 50 (covering plate 53) as shown in box a4, and wobbling of the front portion of the drain panel 50 (clamped portion 19d) is restricted, thereby preventing a problem such as the locked state of the locked portion 53a by the locking piece 19b being unintentionally released. By releasing the locking piece 19b and sliding the drain panel 50 from the mounting position to the mounting standby position, the clamped portion 19d can be pulled forward from between the first rib 56 and the hook 58.

As shown in Fig. 6, the front surface of the concave surface portion 17 of the front panel 15 is formed with a concave fitting groove portion 17a extending in the left-right direction. In contrast, as shown in Figs. 4(b), 7 and 8, the upper part of the rear wall portion 55 of the drain panel 50 (dish forming portion 52) is provided with a fitting portion 59 that is convex toward the rear. The fitting portion 59 is composed of a stepped step portion 59a whose rearward protruding dimension increases as it approaches the upper edge at the upper part of the rear wall portion 55, and a flange 59b that extends rearward from the upper edge of the step portion 59a. As shown in Figs. 7(b) and 8, the fitting groove portion 17a and the fitting portion 59 have roughly the same vertical dimensions and are located at the same height when the drain panel 50 is placed on the shelf portion 19. Therefore, by sliding the drain panel 50 from the mounting standby position (see FIG. 7(b)) to the mounting position (see FIG. 8) on the shelf portion 19, the fitting portion 59 fits into the fitting groove portion 17a from the front. In this sandwiched state, the upper surface of the flange 59b of the fitting portion 59 contacts the upper surface of the fitting groove portion 17a, and the lower surface of the step portion 59a contacts the lower surface of the fitting groove portion 17a. This restricts the wobbling of the rear portion of the drain panel 50, and prevents the locking state of the locked portion 53a by the locking piece 19b from being unintentionally released. In this locked state by the locking piece 19b (the state in which the drain panel 50 is mounted on the housing 11), as shown in FIG. 1, the front surface of the concave portion 17 of the front panel 15 and the inner rear surface of the dish forming portion 52 of the drain panel 50 are flush with each other, so that dirt and the like are less likely to accumulate and it is easy to wipe and clean. Then, by releasing the locking state by the locking piece 19b and sliding the drain panel 50 from the mounting position to the mounting standby position, the fitting portion 59 can be pulled forward out of the fitting groove portion 17a.

When the drain panel 50 is placed from the upper position (see FIG. 7(a)) of the shelf 19 to the installation standby position (see FIG. 7(b)), the start pipe 60 provided on the drain panel 50 is inserted from the inlet opening upward in the relay pipe component 37 (receiving pipe 71) into the upstream part of the first path 60a, and conversely, when the drain panel 50 is moved from the installation standby position to the upper position, it is pulled out upward from the upstream part of the first path 60a. That is, the front-to-rear dimension of the receiving pipe 71 from its inlet to its bottom surface is formed larger than the front-to-rear dimension of the bent part 63 in the start pipe 60. And, when the drain panel 50 is in the installation standby position, the hanging part 61 of the start pipe 60 is close to the inner front surface of the receiving pipe 71, and the bent part 63 of the start pipe 60 is close to the bottom surface of the receiving pipe 71.

The first protruding pipe portion 71a of the receiving pipe 71 that connects to the drain hose 73 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the bent portion 63 of the starting pipe 60, and a front-to-rear dimension smaller than the front-to-rear dimension of the bent portion 63 of the starting pipe 60. When the drain panel 50 is slid from the installation standby position to the installation position, the starting pipe 60 moves rearward inside the receiving pipe 71 (the upstream portion of the second path 37a), and the hanging portion 61 approaches the inner rear surface of the receiving pipe 71. In this case, the bent portion 63 of the starting pipe 60 moves along the inner bottom surface of the receiving pipe 71, and its tip side (outlet side end) protrudes downstream (rear) from the pipeline formed by the first protruding pipe portion 71a of the receiving pipe 71. Furthermore, when the drain panel 50 is slid between the installation standby position and the installation position, the sliding movement is not hindered by the presence of the start pipe 60 inside the receiving pipe 71 (the start pipe 60 is allowed to move).

When the drain panel 50 is in the installed position, the tip side (the outlet end of the starting pipe 60) of the bent portion 63 of the starting pipe 60 protruding from the outlet of the receiving pipe 71 is inserted inside the drain hose 73 connected to the receiving pipe 71. Here, the drain hose 73 is made of a flexible material, and its inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the bent portion 63 of the starting pipe 60. Therefore, the outlet end of the starting pipe 60 (bent portion 63) protruding rearward from the pipe of the receiving pipe 71 is in close contact with the entire inner circumferential surface at the inlet end of the drain hose 73, thereby sealing between the outer circumferential surface of the starting pipe 60 and the inner circumferential surface of the drain hose 73.

[Effects of the embodiment]
The effects of the ice dispenser 10 according to this embodiment are as follows.

The drain panel 50 is held by the holding parts 17a, 19b, and 19d provided on the housing 11, so that the drain panel 50 is attached to the housing 11, and the drain panel 50 can be removed from the housing 11 by releasing the holding by the holding parts 17a, 19b, and 19d. Because the drain panel 50 can be easily attached and detached to the housing 11, cleaning and maintenance of the drain panel 50 can be performed with the drain panel 50 removed from the housing 11.

The start pipe 60 extending downward from the bottom wall 54 of the drain panel 50 forms a first path 60a that communicates with the outlet 54a formed in the bottom wall 54, and the relay pipe component 37 provided on the underside of the housing 11 forms a second path 37a that communicates with the first path 60a, and the drain hose H that leads to an external discharge destination is connected to the relay pipe component 37 provided on the housing 11, rather than the start pipe 60 of the drain panel 50. This eliminates the need to attach and detach the drain hose H when attaching and detaching the drain panel 50. Therefore, when the drain panel 50 is removed from the housing 11 to be cleaned or maintained independently, no complicated work is required to attach and detach the drain panel 50, which saves the worker's time.

The relay pipe component 37 provided in the housing 11 can receive the start pipe 60 on the drain panel 50 side from an inlet that opens upward into the second path 37a, and allows the start pipe 60 to move within the second path 37a as the drain panel 50 is attached to or detached from the housing 11. Therefore, when removing the drain panel 50 from the housing 11, even if the drain panel 50 slides from the attached position to the standby position on the shelf portion 19, the start pipe 60 is not exposed to the outside of the receiving pipe 71. In other words, the wastewater flowing out from the start pipe 60 can be reliably received by the relay pipe component 37 (second path 37a) and guided from the relay pipe component 37 to the drain hose H side.

Here, because the starting pipe 60 on the drain panel 50 side and the relay pipe component 37 on the housing 11 side are configured to be connected and separated, if, for example, the downstream side of the relay pipe component 37 or inside the discharge hose H becomes clogged with debris and the wastewater cannot flow, the lost wastewater may overflow from the inlet of the receiving pipe 71. In contrast, in this embodiment, when the drain panel 50 is attached to the housing 11, the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the starting pipe 60 and the inner circumferential surface of the receiving pipe 71 is sealed. Therefore, even if, for example, the discharge hose H or the relay pipe component 37 becomes clogged and the wastewater in the discharge path R increases toward the upstream side, the increased wastewater can be contained on the drain panel 50 side without overflowing from the inlet of the relay pipe component 37.

Specifically, the relay pipe component 37 of this embodiment, which relays the drain panel 50 and the drain hose H, includes a receiving pipe 71 that forms the inlet side, and a drain hose 73 that is connected to the outlet end of the receiving pipe 71. When the drain panel 50 is attached to the housing 11, the outlet end of the starting pipe 60 protrudes downstream from the pipe of the receiving pipe 71 and is in close contact with the entire inner surface of the drain hose 73, thereby sealing between the outer surface of the starting pipe 60 and the inner surface of the drain hose 73. That is, when the receiving pipe 71 is molded, the inner surface of the first protruding pipe portion 71a has a reverse slope with respect to the insertion direction of the starting pipe 60, and the internal pipe becomes wider toward the downstream side, so that the gap on the outlet side between the receiving pipe 71 and the starting pipe 60 tends to become large. In contrast, by attaching the drain panel 50 to the housing 11, the start pipe 60 (first path 60a) is configured to be in close contact with the inner surface of the drain hose 73, so that the gap between the start pipe 60 (first path 60a) and the relay pipe component 37 (second path 37a) can be sealed more reliably than if the gap was made to be in close contact with the receiving pipe 71. This prevents the drainage water flowing out of the start pipe 60 from leaking outside the relay pipe component 37.

In a configuration in which condensation water that drips from the ice-making mechanism 21 in the machine room 11a (inside the housing 11) is received by an internal drain pan 27 provided at the bottom of the machine room 11a and then discharged from the machine room 11a, the drainage water from the internal drain pan 27 is merged into the pipeline of the terminal pipe 75 of the relay pipe component 37 that connects the drain hose 73 and the discharge hose H, so that the condensation water received in the internal drain pan 27 can be discharged without passing through the drain panel 50 on the front side of the housing 11. Therefore, even if the drain panel 50 is removed, the condensation water from the internal drain pan 27 does not leak out to the front side of the housing 11.

Another example

Below, another example of the configuration regarding the connection between the start pipe 60 and the relay pipe component 37 in the ice dispenser 10 according to the embodiment described above will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, when the drain panel 50 is attached to the housing 11, the outlet end of the start pipe 60 protrudes downstream from the pipe of the receiving pipe 71 and is in close contact with the entire inner surface of the drain hose 73, sealing the connection between the relay pipe component 37 and the start pipe 60. In contrast, in another example, as shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), an annular groove 63a is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the bent portion 63 in the start pipe 60, and an O-ring (annular sealing member) 63b is held in this annular groove 63a. In addition, FIG. 9(a) shows a seal structure with an annular groove 63a and an O-ring 63b instead of the seal structure in which the protruding portion 60b of the starting pipe 60 is in close contact with the inner surface of the drain hose 73, as used in the previous embodiment, and FIG. 9(b) shows a seal structure with an annular groove 63a and an O-ring 63b added to the seal structure of the previous embodiment in which the protruding portion 60b of the starting pipe 60 is in close contact with the inner surface of the drain hose 73. In each of the configurations shown in FIG. 9(a) and FIG. 9(b), a part of the outer periphery of the O-ring 63b protrudes from the annular groove 63a. The O-ring 63b seals between the annular groove 63a and the inner surface of the first protruding pipe portion 71a of the receiving pipe 71.

(Another Example of Action and Effect)
In other words, when the drain panel 50 is in the installed position (drain panel 50 installed relative to the housing 11), an O-ring (annular sealing member) 63b attached to the outer peripheral surface of the starting pipe 60 seals the space between the inner peripheral surface of the receiving pipe 71 and the outer peripheral surface of the starting pipe 60. Therefore, even if a blockage or the like occurs in the discharge hose H or the relay pipe component 37 and the wastewater in the discharge path R increases toward the upstream side, the increased wastewater is not allowed to overflow from the inlet of the relay pipe component 37 and can be contained on the drain panel 50 side.

[Example of change]
The present application is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and for example, the following configurations can be appropriately adopted.
(1) In the embodiment, a locking piece is provided on the housing side (shelf portion) to lock the locked portion of the drain pan (drain panel), thereby attaching the drain pan to the housing side. However, a lock lever that can be displaced between a locked position and an unlocked position may be provided on the housing side, and the drain pan may be fixed by this lock lever, thereby attaching the drain pan to the housing side.
(2) In the embodiment, the condensation water generated in the ice-making mechanism housed in the machine room inside the housing is received in the internal drain pan, and the condensation water is made to flow into the pipeline formed by the rear end pipe of the relay pipe component formed on the underside of the housing. Alternatively, the condensation water received in the internal drain pan may be made to flow into the drain pan (drain panel) on the front side of the housing. In this case, however, an opening and closing member or the like is required to prevent the condensation water from flowing out to the front side of the housing when the drain pan is removed from the front side of the housing.
(3) In the embodiment, a start pipe is formed so as to extend downward from the bottom wall of the drain panel, and a first path is formed in the start pipe that communicates with the second path of the relay pipe component on the housing side, but a configuration may be adopted in which the start pipe is not provided and the wastewater flows directly from the outlet of the drain panel to the upstream part of the second path (inside the receiving pipe). In this case, only the outlet of the drain panel functions as the first path.
(4) In the embodiment, the relay pipe component on the housing side is composed of a receiving pipe, a drain hose, and a terminal pipe, but the receiving pipe and the terminal pipe may be directly connected without using a drain hose and sealed with an annular sealing member or the like, or the relay pipe component may be composed of only one pipe. Even in this way, the discharge hose can be connected to the outlet end of the relay pipe component on the housing side, making it possible to eliminate the need to attach and detach the discharge hose when attaching and detaching the drain pan (drain panel) to and from the housing.

11 housing, 11a machine chamber, 17a fitting groove portion (holding portion), 19b locking piece (holding portion),
19d clamped part (holding part), 21 ice making mechanism, 25 discharge part, 27 internal drain pan,
37 relay pipe component, 37a second path, 50 drain pan, 54 bottom wall,
54a outlet, 60 starting pipe, 60a first path,
63b O-ring (sealing member), 71 receiving pipe, 73 drain hose,
75 End pipe, H Discharge hose,

Claims (4)

A beverage dispenser having a housing (11) provided with a discharge section (25) capable of discharging beverages, ice, etc. downward, and a drain pan (50) provided below and spaced from the discharge section (25),
the drain pan (50) is configured to be attached to the housing (11) by being held by holding portions (17a, 19b, 19d) provided on the housing (11) and to be detachable from the housing (11) by releasing the holding of the drain pan by the holding portions (17a, 19b, 19d) ;
a start pipe (60) that is formed in an L-shape on a bottom wall (54) of the drain pan (50) and that includes a hanging portion (61) extending downward from the bottom wall (54) and a bent portion (63) bent rearward from the hanging portion (61), and that forms a first path (60a) that communicates with an outlet (54a) formed in the bottom wall (54) is provided;
a relay pipe component (37) that forms a second path (37a) is provided on the lower surface side of the housing (11),
the relay pipe component (37) has a receiving pipe (71) forming an inlet side, the receiving pipe (71) having an inlet that opens upward and is capable of receiving the start end pipe (60) in the second path (37a) and that allows the start end pipe (60) to move within the second path (37a) when the drain pan (50) is attached to or detached from the housing (11);
The drain pan (50) is configured to be in the attached state with respect to the housing (11) in a state where the first path (60a) of the start pipe (60) communicates with the second path (37a) of the relay pipe component (37) by inserting the start pipe (60) into the second path (37a) from the inlet of the receiving pipe (71) and moving it backward.
A beverage dispenser comprising: 2. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein when the drain pan (50) is attached to the housing (11), a seal is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the start pipe (60) and the inner peripheral surface of the receiving pipe (71). the relay pipe component (37) includes a drain hose (73 ) connected to an outlet end of the receiving pipe (71);
3. A beverage dispenser as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, when the drain pan (50) is attached to the housing (11), the outlet end of the start pipe (60) protrudes downstream from the pipeline of the receiving pipe ( 71 ) and comes into close contact with the entire inner surface of the drain hose (73), thereby sealing between the outer surface of the start pipe ( 60 ) and the inner surface of the drain hose (73). an ice-making mechanism (21) is housed in a machine chamber (11a) defined inside the housing (11), and an internal drain pan (27) is provided at the bottom of the machine chamber (11a) for draining condensation water generated by the ice-making mechanism (21) and dripping from the machine chamber (11a);
The beverage dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the relay pipe component (37) includes a terminal pipe (75) that connects a drain hose (73) connected to the outlet end of the receiving pipe (71) to a drain hose (H) leading to an external discharge destination , and is configured to merge drainage water from the internal drain pan ( 27 ) into the pipeline of the terminal pipe (75).

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