JP7629169B2 - Carbonated water maker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a carbonated water production device that produces and pours carbonated water.

In recent years, the demand for sugar-free carbonated water (hereafter referred to as carbonated water) has increased due to its refreshing effects and health consciousness. Carbonated water is used in a wide range of fields, such as drinking, washing the face, and taking a bath. Accordingly, various types of carbonated water makers for general household use are being provided in addition to commercial carbonation makers.

A carbonated water production device dissolves carbon dioxide gas in cold water under pressure to produce carbonated water, and pours the produced carbonated water into a container. Such carbonated water production devices generally produce carbonated water by, for example, supplying cold water and carbon dioxide gas to a tank. The quality of the produced carbonated water varies depending on the temperature of the cold water supplied to the tank and the pressure in the tank when the carbon dioxide gas is supplied. In particular, when producing carbonated water by supplying cold water with the tank filled with carbon dioxide gas, the quality of the produced carbonated water varies due to the fluctuation in the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas filled in the tank when the cold water is supplied. Therefore, it has been proposed to suppress the pressure fluctuation of the carbon dioxide gas in the tank, for example, by detecting the level of the carbonated water produced in the tank and supplying cold water in accordance with the fluctuation in the level of the carbonated water by injecting the carbonated water (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-132496 A

The invention of Patent Document 1 maintains the quality (gas strength) of the carbonated water produced by suppressing fluctuations in the carbon dioxide gas pressure in the tank. However, while the invention of Patent Document 1 maintains the quality of the carbonated water produced, it does not disclose a configuration for preventing the carbon dioxide gas from escaping from the carbonated water during the process of pouring the carbonated water from the tank, resulting in a decrease in the gas strength of the carbonated water.

In addition, in the invention of Patent Document 1, the water supply unit, cold water generation unit (cold water tank), carbonation tank, and cooling mechanism unit are arranged in this order from the top of the device, and the liquid (water) in the cold water tank and carbonation tank is cooled by circulating the cooling water cooled in the cooling mechanism unit to evaporators installed in the cooling tank and carbonation tank. Since the above-mentioned evaporators generally use metal copper tubes, the cold water tank and carbonation tank are integrated with the cooling mechanism unit, making the arrangement of each part inside the device complicated. As a result, it becomes very difficult to remove and install each part during maintenance.

The present invention was made in consideration of such problems, and its purpose is to provide a carbonated water production device that suppresses the decrease in the gas strength of the produced carbonated water while at the same time making it easy to maintain the inside of the device.

To solve the above problems, the carbonated water production device of the present invention has a carbonated water production means for producing carbonated water, and a water injection means for injecting the carbonated water produced by the carbonated water production means into a container, and is characterized in that the water injection means is disposed near the lower side of the carbonated water production means.

The present invention has the effect of suppressing the decrease in gas strength of the produced carbonated water while at the same time making maintenance of the inside of the device easier.

1 is an oblique view showing one configuration of a carbonated water production device according to an embodiment with the front door closed. FIG. 2 is an oblique view showing the carbonated water production device with the front door open. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing one configuration of the water injection box. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one configuration of the water injection box as viewed from below. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing one configuration of the supply and exhaust paths and water paths of a carbonated water production device. FIG. 6(a) is a perspective view showing the layout configuration on the front side of the carbonated water production device, and FIG. 6(b) is a perspective view showing the layout configuration on the rear side of the carbonated water production device. Figure 7(a) is a diagram showing the layout configuration on the left side of the carbonated water production device, Figure 7(b) is a diagram showing the layout configuration on the front of the carbonated water production device, and Figure 7(c) is a diagram showing the layout configuration on the right side of the carbonated water production device. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the pressurized tank and the water injection box.

The carbonated water production device of this embodiment will be explained below with reference to the drawings.

The carbonated water production device 10 of this embodiment is connected to an RO water production device 200 (see FIG. 5) installed externally, produces carbonated water using RO water produced by the RO water production device 200, and pours the produced carbonated water into, for example, a pressure-resistant bottle 210 (see FIG. 3). The RO water production device 200 is a device that produces pure water (RO water) by filtering, for example, tap water or natural water through an RO (Reverse Osmosis) membrane. Note that the carbonated water production device 10 does not need to be connected to the RO water production device 200, and may be connected to, for example, a water supply tank filled with tap water, natural water, or the above-mentioned RO water, or a water faucet.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the carbonated water production device 10 has a rectangular storage body 11 with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction as an exterior body. The storage body 11 is composed of a front door 12 and an apparatus body 13. The front door 12 rotates around one end side in the width direction of the apparatus body 13 (the right side in Figure 1) between a closed position that shields the inside of the apparatus body 13 and an open position that exposes the inside of the apparatus body 13.

The front door 12 has a touch panel 21, a QR (Quick Response) code reader 22, an IC (Integrated Circuit) card reader 23, and a water injection box 24. The water injection box 24 is disposed in the center of the front door 12 in the vertical direction (the up-down direction shown in FIG. 1), and the touch panel 21, the QR code reader 22, and the IC card reader 23 are disposed above the water injection box 24. The touch panel 21, the QR code reader 22, and the IC card reader 23 are attached from the back side of the front door 12. When the touch panel 21, the QR code reader 22, and the IC card reader 23 are attached from the back side of the front door 12, they are covered by a cover 30.

For example, when the front door 12 is rotated to the open position, the cover 30 is exposed above the water injection box 24 and to the left of the pressurized tank 36. Therefore, after rotating the front door 12 to the open position, the cover 30 can be removed from the front door 12 to expose the touch panel 21, QR code reader 22, and IC card reader 23, making it possible to perform maintenance on these devices.

The touch panel 21 displays information based on the operating status of the carbonated water production device 10 and information read by the QR code reader 22 and the IC card reader 23. The touch panel 21 also displays selection buttons (not shown) for selecting the gas strength (GV) and amount of carbonated water available for purchase as necessary, and accepts input operations based on the display.

The QR code reader 22 reads QR codes (registered trademark) displayed on a portable terminal device owned by the purchaser, or QR codes printed on receipts, etc. The QR code indicates, for example, information about the carbonated water that the purchaser is purchasing (such as the amount of water and gas strength of the carbonated water).

The IC card reader 23 reads information stored in an IC chip embedded in an IC card. Note that instead of the IC card reader 23, a magnetic card reader that reads a magnetic card may be used.

In this embodiment, a carbonated water production device 10 having a QR code reader 22 and an IC card reader 23 is described as an example, but the carbonated water production device may have at least one of the QR code reader 22 or the IC card reader 23.

The water injection box 24 has a pressure-resistant bottle 210 installed inside for injecting carbonated water. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the water injection box 24 has a box body 25, a water injection door 26, and a drainage tray 27. The box body 25 is a hollow box-shaped member with an open front. The box body 25 has an internal space large enough to store a dedicated pressure-resistant bottle 210 that is compatible with the carbonated water production device 10.

The box body 25 has an opening 31 on the top surface 25a. A water filling pipe 112 (see FIG. 5) that is connected to the lower part of the pressurized tank 36 described later is inserted through the opening 31. Here, the opening 31 is provided at a position offset toward the hinge portion 32 that rotatably connects the water filling door 26 to the box body 25, that is, at a position offset toward the rotation center of the water filling door 26 (a position offset to the left in FIGS. 3 and 4).

The water filling door 26 is attached to the box body 25 by a hinge portion 32 provided at the left end in Figures 3 and 4. Therefore, the water filling door 26 rotates between a closed position and an open position around the left end in Figure 3. When the water filling door 26 is in the closed position, it shields the inside of the box body 25.

The water filling door 26 is normally held in the closed position by a locking mechanism (not shown), and when the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is installed on the water filling door 26 or when the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is removed from the water filling door 26, the locking mechanism is released, allowing the door to rotate to the open position.

When the water filling door 26 is in the open position, it exposes the inside of the box body 25 and the holding piece 33 and the support guide 34 arranged on the inner surface 26a of the water filling door 26. Here, the holding piece 33 and the support guide 34 function as a bottle holder that holds the pressure-resistant bottle 210.

The holding piece 33 holds the neck 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210. The holding piece 33 has a notch 33a. The neck 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is inserted into the notch 33a when the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is held on the water filling door 26. When the neck 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is inserted into the notch 33a, the flange 210c on the neck 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 abuts against the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the notch 33a. This prevents the neck 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 from falling off the holding piece 33.

The support guide 34 supports the lower side of the pressure-resistant bottle 210, whose neck 210b is inserted into the notch 33a of the holding piece 33. As an example, the support guide 34 is a metal bar, such as stainless steel, that is bent multiple times so that both ends extend in the same direction and in parallel.

When the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is held by the water filling door 26, the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is held by the above-mentioned holding piece 33 and support guide 34 in a tilted state so that the water filling port 210a provided at one end in the extension direction is located on the hinge part 32 side. Then, when the water filling door 26 is rotated to the closed position, the water filling port 210a of the pressure-resistant bottle held by the water filling door 26 by the holding piece 33 and support guide 34 is located below the water filling pipe 112 (see FIG. 8).

In this embodiment, the support guide 34 supports the lower side of the pressure-resistant bottle 210, but if the pressure-resistant bottle 210 can be held by the holding piece 33 alone, the configuration of the support guide 34 can be omitted. Also, the support guide 34 supports the lower side of the pressure-resistant bottle 210, but the position where the support guide 34 supports the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is not limited to this. Note that the configuration of the holding piece 33 and the support guide 34 is shown as an example, and any structure that can hold the pressure-resistant bottle 210 will do. Therefore, the holding piece 33 and the support guide 34 may be integrated.

The drain tray 27 collects the carbonated water or RO water that is drained into the water filling box 24 and drains it to the outside. The drain tray 27 also collects the carbonated water that leaks from the water filling port 210a of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 when a cap (not shown) is attached to the water filling port 210a of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 and drains it to the outside.

Returning to FIG. 2, when the front door 12 is rotated from the closed position to the open position, the front door 12 exposes the pressurized tank 36, sterilizing filter 37, etc. on the rear side. At the same time, the device main body 13 exposes the water tank 38, cooler (chiller) 39, intake duct 40, etc.

The pressurized tank 36 is supplied with RO water and carbon dioxide gas, and produces carbonated water inside the tank. Therefore, the pressurized tank 36 can store the supplied RO water and the carbonated water produced inside the tank. The sterilizing filter 37 filters the RO water cooled by the cooler 39 to sterilize the RO water and remove impurities.

The water storage tank 38 stores RO water sent from the RO water generating device 200 connected to the carbonated water production device 10, for example, and sends the stored RO water toward the pressurized tank 36. The cooler 39 exchanges heat with the RO water sent from the water storage tank 38, and cools the RO water flowing toward the pressurized tank 36.

Here, the pressurized tank 36 is located behind the front door 12 and near the top of the water injection box 24. In addition, a sterilizing filter 37 is located to the right of the water injection box 24.

The water tank 38 is disposed in the vertical center of the device body 13. Here, the water tank 38 is disposed so as to be located lower than the pressurized tank 36 when the front door 12 is held in the closed position. Note that the water tank 38 only needs to be located lower than the pressurized tank 36 when the front door 12 is held in the closed position, and is preferably located so as to be detachable (removable and installable) from the opening (front side) of the device body 13 when the front door 12 is rotated to the open position.

The cooler 39 is disposed at the lower end of the device body 13 of the carbonated water production device 10. Although the cooler 39 is described as being disposed at the lower end of the device body 13, it is preferable that the cooler 39 be disposed in a position that allows it to be detached (removed and installed) from the opening (front side) of the device body 13 when the front door 12 is rotated to the open position.

Although not shown in the figure, an intake fan is provided on the front side of the cooler 39, and an exhaust fan is provided on the back side of the cooler 39. The intake fan takes in air from the front side of the carbonated water production device 10 and sends it to the cooler 39. The exhaust fan sends the air sent toward the cooler 39 out from the back side of the carbonated water production device 10 to the outside. By arranging the intake fan and the exhaust fan in front of and behind the cooler 39, more air is taken in from outside the carbonated water production device 10, improving the cooling efficiency of the RO water in the cooler 39.

The intake duct 40 is provided in front of the intake fan. An air filter (not shown) is installed in the intake duct 40. The air filter removes dust contained in the air taken into the inside of the carbonated water production device 10 from the intake duct 40 when the intake fan is driven. As described above, the air filter is exposed from the device body 13 when the front door 12 is rotated to the open position. In other words, the air filter is located in a position where it can be easily replaced.

Next, the configuration of the carbonated water production device 10 described above will be explained using FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, the signal flow is indicated by dotted lines.

The carbonated water production device 10 has a cylinder unit 41, an air supply/exhaust unit 42, a water supply unit 43, a cooling unit 44, a sterilizing filter 37, a pressurized tank unit 45, a control unit 46, etc.

The cylinder unit 41 vaporizes the liquefied carbon dioxide gas stored in the gas cylinder 51 and supplies it to the supply and exhaust unit 42. The cylinder unit 41 has a gas cylinder 51 and a pressure reducing valve unit 52. The gas cylinder 51 stores the liquefied carbon dioxide gas inside. The gas cylinder 51 has a container valve 53 and is connected to the pressure reducing valve unit 52 via the container valve 53.

The pressure reducing valve unit 52 sends the carbon dioxide gas sent from the gas cylinder 51 to the supply and exhaust unit 42. The pressure reducing valve unit 52 has pressure gauges 55 and 56, a pressure reducing valve 57, and a manual valve 58 on the gas path 54. When the gas cylinder 51 side of the pressure reducing valve unit 52 is considered to be the upstream side, the pressure gauge 55, pressure reducing valve 57, pressure gauge 56, and manual valve 58 are arranged in this order from the upstream side. The pressure gauge 55 measures the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas sent to the pressure reducing valve 57. The pressure gauge 56 measures the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas sent from the pressure reducing valve 57.

The pressure reducing valve 57 adjusts the pressure reduction of the carbon dioxide gas supplied to the supply and exhaust unit 42 so that the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas is, for example, 1 MPa. The pressure reduction adjustment of the carbon dioxide gas is performed, for example, while an operator visually checks the measurement value of the pressure gauge 56. The manual valve 58 is connected to a gas path 60 that is arranged between the cylinder unit 41 and the supply and exhaust unit 42. The manual valve 58 is normally kept in an open state.

The supply and exhaust unit 42 supplies carbon dioxide gas supplied from the pressure reducing valve unit 52 to the pressurized tank unit 45 when producing or pouring carbonated water. The supply and exhaust unit 42 also supplies carbon dioxide gas discharged from the pressurized tank unit 45 to the cooling unit 44 when producing carbonated water. The supply and exhaust unit 42 also discharges carbon dioxide gas discharged from the pressurized tank unit 45 when the pressure in the pressurized tank unit 45 is reduced or when the pressurized tank unit 45 is fully discharged. Furthermore, full discharge refers to discharging all of the RO water stored in the water storage tank 38 described below.

The supply and exhaust unit 42 is disposed between the cylinder unit 41 and the pressurized tank unit 45. The supply and exhaust unit 42 has gas paths 61, 62, and 63, and exhaust paths 64 and 65.

When the cylinder unit 41 side is considered to be the upstream side, the gas path 61 is connected at its upstream end to the gas path 60, and at its downstream end to the one-way valve 103 of the pressurized tank unit 45. The gas path 61 is arranged in the following order from the upstream side: manual valve 67, gas filter 68, pressure switch (PS) 69, and control valve 70.

The manual valve 67 is disposed at the upstream end of the gas passage 61. The manual valve 67 is connected to the pressure reducing valve unit 52 via the gas passage 60. The manual valve 67 is normally held in an open state. The gas filter 68 removes impurities contained in the carbon dioxide gas flowing through the gas passage 61. The pressure switch 69 turns on when the pressure in the gas passage 61 reaches or exceeds a certain pressure (e.g., 0.8 MPa), and outputs an on signal to the control unit 46. The control valve 70 is open, for example, when producing carbonated water.

The gas line 62 connects its upstream end to the gas line 61 and its downstream end to the one-way valve 105 of the pressurized tank unit 45. The gas line 62 connects to the gas line 61, for example, between the pressure switch 69 and the control valve 70.

The gas passage 62 is arranged with a control valve 71 and a pressure reducing valve 72 from the upstream side. The control valve 71 is open when, for example, carbonated water is poured. The pressure reducing valve 72 reduces the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas supplied to the pressurized tank unit 45.

The upstream end of the gas line 63 is connected to the gas line 61. The downstream end of the gas line 63 is inserted into the water tank of the cooler of the cooling unit 44. The gas line 63 is connected to the gas line 61, for example, between the pressure switch 69 and the control valve 70, in the same manner as the gas line 62.

In the gas passage 63, a control valve 73 and an orifice valve 74 are arranged from the upstream side. The control valve 73 opens, for example, when the cooling water stored in the cooling tank of the cooler 39 becomes supercooled. The orifice valve 74 adjusts the flow rate of carbon dioxide gas supplied to the cooler 39.

When the pressurized tank unit side is considered to be the upstream side, the exhaust path 64 is arranged in the following order from the upstream side: water separator 75, control valve 76, and silencer 77.

The water separator 75 separates the liquid contained in the carbon dioxide gas discharged from the pressurized tank 36. The separated liquid is drained through a drainage channel 78 connected to the water separator 75. The drainage channel 78 is connected on the downstream side to an overflow drainage channel 94 connected to the cooler 39. Therefore, the liquid drained from the water separator 75 flows into the overflow drainage channel 94 and then is drained to the outside.

The control valve 76 opens, for example, when the pressure in the pressurized tank 36 is reduced or when the tank is completely drained. The silencer 77 silences noise that occurs when carbon dioxide gas is discharged from the pressurized tank 36.

The exhaust passage 65 has an upstream end connected to the exhaust passage 64 between the water separator 75 and the control valve 76. The exhaust passage 65 has a downstream end connected to the gas passage 63 downstream of the orifice valve 74.

A relief valve 79 is disposed in the exhaust passage 65. The relief valve 79 opens when the pressure in the exhaust passage 65 reaches, for example, 0.5 MPa during production of carbonated water. When the relief valve 79 opens, the internal pressure of the pressurized tank 36 is maintained at a constant pressure.

The water supply unit 43 is a unit that receives the RO water to be supplied to the carbonated water production device 10 and supplies the received water to the pressurized tank unit 45 as necessary. The received RO water is supplied downstream, for example, when producing carbonated water, when rinsing, when draining, etc. Rinsing refers to washing the inside of the pressurized tank 36 with RO water stored in a water storage tank, for example.

The water supply unit 43 has a water passage 80 connected to the RO water generating device 200. When the RO water generating device 200 side is considered to be the upstream side, the water passage 80 is arranged in the following order from the upstream side: a control valve 81, a one-way valve 82, a flow meter 83, a pressure switch (PS) 84, and a control valve 85.

The control valve 81 is open when RO water is supplied from the RO water generating device 200. The one-way valve 82 prevents the RO water from flowing back into the RO water generating device 200. The flow meter 83 measures the flow rate of the RO water flowing through the water passage 80 and outputs a measurement signal to the control unit 46. The pressure switch 84 is turned on when the pressure value of the RO water flowing through the water passage 80 is equal to or higher than a preset pressure value (e.g., 0.2 MPa), and outputs an ON signal to the control unit 46. The preset pressure value is the pressure value of the RO water when the speed of the RO water is sufficient to be supplied toward the pressurized tank 36. The control valve 85 is open, for example, when generating carbonated water, rinsing, and completely draining.

Water passage 80 connects water passages 86 and 87 between one-way valve 82 and flow meter 83. Water passage 86 is connected to water storage tank 38. Water passage 86 has a manual valve 88. Manual valve 88 is normally open and is closed when water storage tank 38 is replaced, etc.

Although not shown, the water storage tank 38 has a balloon inside that functions as a diaphragm. The water storage tank 38 functions as the carbonated water generating means described in the claims. The water storage tank 38 stores RO water by contracting the balloon under the pressure of the water sent to the water storage tank 38. The water storage tank 38 also discharges the stored RO water at a predetermined timing by expanding the deflated balloon. The predetermined timing is, for example, when carbonated water is generated, when rinsing, and when the water is completely drained. The flow rate of the RO water when it is discharged from the water storage tank 38 is, for example, 1 to 2 L/min.

The water passage 87 is a drainage passage for draining, for example, the RO water in the water passage 80 or the RO water stored in the water storage tank 38. The water passage 87 has a manual valve 89. The manual valve 89 is normally kept in a closed state.

The cooling unit 44 is disposed between the water supply unit 43 and the pressurized tank unit 45. The cooling unit 44 has a cooler 39. The cooler 39 cools the cooling water stored in the water tank using a compressor (not shown) and exchanges heat with the RO water flowing inside a water passage 91 inserted inside the cooler 39 to cool the RO water. The RO water is cooled, for example, from 25°C to 4°C by the cooler 39. The cooler 39 has a water thermometer 39a. The water thermometer 39a outputs a temperature signal indicating the temperature of the stored cooling water to the control unit 46. The water passage 91 is connected to the control valve 85 of the water supply unit 43 on the upstream side and to the sterilization filter 37 on the downstream side.

The cooler 39 is connected to a drainage channel 92. The drainage channel 92 has a manual valve 93. The manual valve 93 is normally kept closed and is switched to an open state, for example, when discharging the cooling water stored in the water tank of the cooler 39.

The cooler 39 is connected to an overflow drainage channel 94. The overflow drainage channel 94 drains the cooling water stored in the water tank of the cooler 39 when the amount of cooling water stored in the water tank of the cooler 39 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. The overflow drainage channel 94 has a drain trap 95. The drain trap 95 blocks odors from the downstream side of the drainage path. The drain trap 95 may also be configured to prevent gas from leaking out of the drainage channel 94. The drainage channel 94 connects an air duct 96 upstream of the drain trap 95. The air duct 96 smooths the flow of wastewater in the drainage channel 94 and protects the water seal in the drain trap 95. The air duct 96 may be provided to allow fresh air to flow through the drainage channel 94 and ventilate the drainage channel 94. In addition, the overflow drainage channel 94 connects to the drainage channel 78, which is connected to the water separator 75, upstream of the position where the air passage 96 is connected.

The sterilization filter 37 has an upstream end connected to the water channel 91 and a downstream end connected to the water channel 97. The sterilization filter 37 filters the RO water cooled by the cooler 39 to remove bacteria and the like contained in the RO water. The sterilization filter 37 is a filter having a hollow fiber membrane bundle in which hollow fiber membranes having multiple openings with a diameter of, for example, 0.2 μm are bundled into a cylindrical shape. The size of the openings provided in the hollow fiber membrane does not need to be limited to 0.2 μm, and may be, for example, 0.45 μm or less, which is generally considered to have a sterilization effect.

The pressurized tank unit 45 produces carbonated water from the RO water and carbon dioxide gas supplied to the pressurized tank 36. The pressurized tank unit 45 has air supply paths 99 and 100, a water supply path 101, and an exhaust path 102.

The air supply passage 99 is connected to a one-way valve 103 on the upstream side and to an ejection nozzle 104 installed inside the pressurized tank 36 on the downstream side. The one-way valve 103 is connected to the gas passage 61 of the air supply/exhaust unit 42, and prevents the backflow of carbon dioxide gas flowing through the air supply passage 99.

The air supply passage 100 is connected to a one-way valve 105 on the upstream side and to a pressurized tank 36 on the downstream side. The one-way valve 105 is connected to the gas passage 62 of the air supply/exhaust unit 42, and prevents backflow of carbon dioxide gas flowing through the air supply passage 100. The air supply passage 100 is provided with an orifice valve 106. The orifice valve 106 adjusts the flow rate of carbon dioxide gas flowing through the air supply passage 100.

The water supply line 101 connects a one-way valve 107 on the upstream side and a jet nozzle 108 installed at the bottom of the pressurized tank 36 on the downstream side. The one-way valve 107 is connected to the water line 97.

When the pressurized tank 36 side is considered to be the upstream side, the exhaust path 102 is connected on the upstream side to the top of the pressurized tank 36 and on the downstream side to a one-way valve 109. The one-way valve 109 prevents backflow of carbon dioxide gas toward the supply and exhaust unit 42. The one-way valve 109 is connected to the water separator 75 of the supply and exhaust unit 42 via an exhaust path 110.

The pressurized tank 36 has ejection nozzles 104, 108 therein. The ejection nozzle 104 is disposed at the top of the pressurized tank 36. The ejection nozzle 104 may be disposed at any position where the ejection outlet of the ejection nozzle 104 is submerged in the RO water stored inside the pressurized tank 36. The ejection nozzle 104 ejects carbon dioxide gas supplied from the cylinder unit 41 into the RO water stored inside the pressurized tank 36. Here, the ejection nozzle 104 functions as a carbonated water generating means and a nozzle as described in the claims.

The ejection nozzle 108 is disposed at the bottom of the pressurized tank 36. The ejection nozzle 108 ejects the RO water supplied from the water supply unit 43 from inside the pressurized tank 36, toward the top of the pressurized tank 36. Here, the flow rate of the RO water pumped into the pressurized tank 36 is, for example, 1 to 2 L/min.

In addition to the ejection nozzle 104 and the ejection nozzle 108, the pressurized tank 36 has a pressure switch (PS) 111. The pressure switch 111 turns on when the pressure in the pressurized tank 36 reaches or exceeds a certain value, and outputs an on signal to the control unit 46.

A water injection pipe 112 is connected to the bottom of the pressurized tank 36. The water injection pipe 112 discharges the RO water or carbonated water stored in the pressurized tank 36. The water injection pipe 112 has a control valve 113. The control valve 113 is open, for example, during rinsing, when draining, when pouring carbonated water, etc. When the control valve 113 is open, the RO water or carbonated water stored in the pressurized tank 36 flows out from the water injection pipe 112. Here, when a pressure-resistant bottle 210 is set on the water injection door 26 of the water injection box 24 when pouring carbonated water, the carbonated water is poured into the pressure-resistant bottle 210 through the water injection pipe 112. When the control valve 113 is open during rinsing or draining, the RO water flowing out from the water injection pipe 112 is received by the drainage tray 27 arranged at the bottom of the water injection box 24 and is drained to the outside.

Finally, the structure of the carbonated water production device 10 will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. When manufacturing the carbonated water production device 10, the water injection box 24 is positioned approximately in the center of the front door 12 in the vertical direction of the carbonated water production device 10. In other words, by positioning the water injection box 24 approximately in the center of the front door 12 in the vertical direction, it becomes easier for the purchaser to open and close the water injection door 26 and to install the pressure-resistant bottle 210 on the water injection door 26.

Accordingly, the pressurized tank 36 is disposed on the rear side of the front door 12, near the top of the water injection box 24. The pressurized tank 36 is disposed from the rotation center side of the front door 12 to the free end side, that is, at a position shifted to the left from the center in the width direction of the front door 12. By displacing the pressurized tank 36 from the center in the width direction of the front door 12 to the free end side, it becomes possible to arrange other components (in this embodiment, the touch panel 21, the QR code reader 22, and the IC card reader 23) on the rear side of the front door 12. In addition, the width of the water injection box 24 in the short direction is set to be narrower than the width of the front door 12. Therefore, it becomes possible to arrange the sterilization filter 37 on the right side of the water injection box 24, that is, on the end on the rotation center side of the front door 12, on the rear side of the front door 12.

As described above, the pressurized tank 36 is disposed near the upper portion of the water injection box 24. This is to prevent the carbon dioxide gas from escaping from the carbonated water when the carbon dioxide gas generated in the pressurized tank 36 is injected into the pressure-resistant bottle 210. For example, the carbonated water generated in the pressurized tank 36 is pressed by the carbon dioxide gas supplied to the pressurized tank 36 and injected into the pressure-resistant bottle 210 through the water injection tube 112. As shown in FIG. 8, it is desirable to make the length L1 of the water injection tube 112 as short as possible so that the gas strength of the carbonated water does not decrease during the process of injecting the carbonated water into the pressure-resistant bottle 210, that is, so that the carbon dioxide gas does not escape from the carbonated water. In addition, the inner diameter D1 of the water injection tube 112 is set to be, for example, 10 mm or more, smaller than the inner diameter of the water injection port 210a of the pressure-resistant bottle 210.

The cooler 39 is also placed at the bottom end of the device body 13. The cooler 39 cools the cooling water stored in the water tank by the compressor, so the cooler 39 is heavy and there is a risk of cooling water leakage. Therefore, by placing the cooler 39 at the bottom end of the device body 13, the center of gravity of the carbonated water production device 10 is lowered, and the carbonated water production device 10 can be prevented from falling over. Even if the cooler 39 is damaged and cooling water leaks, other units will not be flooded with the cooling water. Furthermore, the cooler 39 has the advantage that it can be removed from the opening of the device body 13 while the front door 12 is held in the open position, making maintenance easier.

The water tank 38 is located above the cooler 39 and below the pressurized tank 36 located on the front door 12 when the front door 12 is held in the closed position. This has the advantage that the pressurized tank 36 and the pressurized tank 36 are exposed when the front door 12 is rotated to the open position, making maintenance easier.

In addition, in the device main body 13, an electrical box 115 in which the control unit 46 is stored and a valve holder 116 that holds various valves provided in the carbon dioxide gas supply and exhaust paths are arranged above the water tank 38. By arranging the electrical box 115 and the valve holder 116 above the cooler 39 and the water tank 38, it is possible to prevent the leaked cooling water or RO water from getting on the electrical box 115 or the valve holder 116 in the event of a leak caused by damage to the cooler 39 or the water tank 38. In addition, since the electrical box 115 and the valve holder 116 are arranged in the upper space of the device main body 13, they are exposed when the front door 12 is rotated to the open position. In other words, it is easy to perform maintenance on the various valves held in the electrical box 115 and the valve holder 116.

In this way, in the carbonated water production device 10, the pressurized tank 36, the water storage tank 38, the sterilizing filter 37, and the cooler 39 are arranged in this order from the top in the vertical direction of the carbonated water production device 10. At this time, the pressurized tank 36, the water injection box 24, and the sterilizing filter 37 are arranged on the front door 12, and the water storage tank 38 and the cooler 39 are arranged on the device main body 13. Therefore, the piping constituting the water passage 97 between the cooler 39 and the sterilizing filter 37, the piping constituting the gas passages 61 and 62 provided in the supply and exhaust unit 42, and the piping constituting the exhaust passage 110 are arranged across the front door 12 and the device main body 13. According to this, when the front door 12 is opened, each of the above-mentioned units is exposed. At this time, the number of pipings arranged across the front door 12 and the device main body 13 is minimized. As a result, when the front door 12 is opened to perform maintenance on the units of the carbonated water production device 10, the target unit can be accessed without removing other units, making maintenance work easier.

<Overview of the embodiment>
The present invention relates to a carbonated water producing device that produces and pours carbonated water.

Although there are devices that change the quality (gas strength) of the carbonated water produced by suppressing fluctuations in the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas in the tank, there is no disclosure of a configuration for preventing the carbon dioxide gas from escaping from the carbonated water during the process of pouring the carbonated water from the tank, resulting in a decrease in the gas strength of the carbonated water.

In addition, if the water supply unit, cold water generating unit (cold water tank), carbonation tank, and cooling mechanism unit are arranged from the top of the device in this order, and the cooling water cooled in the cooling mechanism unit is circulated to evaporators installed in the cooling tank and carbonation tank to cool the liquid (water) in the cold water tank and carbonation tank, the following problems arise. For example, because evaporators generally use metal copper pipes, the cold water tank and carbonation tank are integrated with the cooling mechanism unit, making the arrangement of each part inside the device complex. As a result, it becomes very difficult to remove and install each part during maintenance.

The present invention was made in consideration of such problems, and aims to prevent the decrease in gas strength of the produced carbonated water while at the same time making it easier to maintain the inside of the device.

The carbonated water production device 10 described above has a pressurized tank 36 that produces carbonated water, and a water injection pipe 112 that injects the carbonated water produced in the pressurized tank 36 into a pressure-resistant bottle 210, and the water injection pipe 112 is disposed near the lower side of the pressurized tank 36.

This configuration makes it possible to shorten the path through which the carbonated water produced inside the pressurized tank 36 is injected, preventing the escape of carbon dioxide gas when the carbonated water is injected, and preventing a decrease in the gas strength of the carbonated water injected into the pressure-resistant bottle 210.

It also has a cooler 39 that cools the water, and a storage body 11 that stores at least the pressurized tank 36, the cooler 39, and the water injection pipe 112. The storage body 11 is arranged in the following order from the top of the storage body 11: the pressurized tank 36, the water injection pipe 112, and the cooler 39.

With this configuration, the cooler 39, which is heavy and unlikely to be replaced, is located at the bottom of the storage body 11, while the pressurized tank 36 and sterilization filter 37, which are frequently maintained and replaced, are located above it, making maintenance easier.

The storage body 11 also has a device body 13 with an open front, and a front door 12 that rotates between a closed position that shields the inside of the device body 13 and an open position that exposes the inside of the device body 13. The cooler 39 is disposed in the device body 13, and the pressurized tank 36 and water injection pipe 112 are disposed in the front door 12.

With this configuration, the relatively light pressurized tank 36 and sterilizing filter 37 are placed on the front door 12, and the heavy cooler 39 is placed on the device body 13, so that the front door 12 of the carbonated water production device 10 can be rotated stably between the open and closed positions.

In addition, by disposing the cooler 39 on the device body 13 and the pressurized tank 36 and water injection pipe 112 on the front door 12, the cooler 39, pressurized tank 36, and water injection pipe 112 are each exposed when the front door 12 is rotated to the open position. In this state, for example, it becomes easy to remove the cooler 39 from the device body 13 and install it on the device body 13. As a result, maintenance work on the cooler 39 becomes easier to perform. At the same time, since the pressurized tank 36 and water injection pipe 112 can be easily attached and detached from the back side of the front door 12, maintenance work on the pressurized tank 36 and water injection pipe 112 also becomes easier to perform.

Reference Signs List 10: Carbonated water production device 11: Storage body 12: Front door 13: Device body 24: Water filling box 25: Box body 26: Water filling door 36: Pressurized tank 37: Sterilizing filter 38: Water storage tank 39: Cooler 112: Water filling pipe 210: Pressure-resistant bottle

Claims (3)

A carbonated water generating means for generating carbonated water;
A water pouring means for pouring the carbonated water produced by the carbonated water producing means into a container;
A water storage means for storing the RO water sent from the RO water generating device;
A cooling means for cooling the RO water sent from the water storage means to the carbonated water generating means;
A housing for housing the carbonated water generating means, the water pouring means, the water storage means, and the cooling means;
having
The water injection means is disposed adjacent to and below the carbonated water production means ,
The carbonated water generating means, the water storage means, and the cooling means are arranged in this order from above the storage body.
A carbonated water production device characterized by the above. The carbonated water producing apparatus according to claim 1,
The water storage device further includes a storage unit for storing a control unit for controlling the water storage means .
The storage section is disposed above the water storage means.
A carbonated water production device characterized by the above. The carbonated water producing apparatus according to claim 2,
The container is
A main body having an opening at the front;
a front door that rotates between a closed position that shields the inside of the main body and an open position that exposes the inside of the main body ;
the storage section, the water storage means and the cooling means are disposed in the main body,
A carbonated water production device, characterized in that the carbonated water generating means and the water pouring means are arranged on the front door.

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