JP7630290B2 - Dispenser - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a dispenser capable of dispensing ice, water, and other items.

As a dispenser that supplies ice, water, and other supplies, for example, a dispenser equipped with an ice maker and capable of supplying ice, ice and water, or a selected amount of water, is known, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. This dispenser has an ice or water discharge section that opens downwards at the front of the main body, and a receiving stand for placing a container such as a cup below the discharge section. The front panel is also provided with a selection button for selecting the supply item to be supplied, and a supply button for starting the supply of the supply item. Then, by placing a container on the receiving stand and selecting the supply item to be supplied, the ice or water discharged from the discharge section is supplied to the container by pressing the supply button.

JP 2005-195308 A

To keep the outer surface of the dispenser clean, cleaning work such as wiping off dirt adhering to the outer surface is performed. If the supply button on the front panel is pressed by mistake during this cleaning work, ice or water will be unintentionally released, resulting in a problem of wasting ice or water. In addition, because ice or water is released without a container being placed on the receiving platform, the ice or water will splash around, wetting and soiling the area around the dispenser.

The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the problems inherent in the above-mentioned conventional technology, and aims to provide a dispenser that can prevent the supply of the object due to erroneous operation of the operating unit during cleaning work, etc.

In order to overcome the above problems and achieve the intended purpose, the first means comprises:
A dispenser having a supply operation unit provided on the outside of a main body in which a supply mechanism for supplying a supply object is disposed, and capable of operating the supply operation unit to operate the supply mechanism to supply the supply object, comprising:
An operation means for selecting a type of the object to be supplied, the operation means being provided on the outside of the main body;
A control means capable of controlling the supply mechanism,
when it is determined that the operation unit is operated in a specific manner, the control unit switches from a normal mode in which the operation of the supply operation unit is enabled to an operation disabled mode in which the operation of the supply operation unit is disabled;
The control means is configured to control the supply mechanism so that the supply mechanism is not operated in the operation disabled mode even if the supply operation portion is operated.
In this configuration , the operation of the supply operation unit can be disabled by operating the operation means in a specific manner, so that the supply object will not be supplied even if the supply operation unit is mistakenly operated during cleaning work by simply operating the operation means before cleaning work. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the surroundings of the dispenser from getting wet or dirty due to the supply object being unintentionally supplied. It is also possible to prevent the supply object from being wasted.

In order to overcome the above problems and achieve the intended purpose, the second means is:
A dispenser having a supply operation unit provided on the outside of a main body in which a supply mechanism for supplying a supply object is disposed, and capable of operating the supply operation unit to operate the supply mechanism to supply the supply object, comprising:
The main body is provided with an ice-making unit which produces ice as a supply object, a water circuit which supplies ice-making water to the ice-making unit, and a stocker which stores the ice produced by the ice-making unit, and is configured to discharge the ice stored in the stocker by operating the supply mechanism;
An operating means provided on the outside of the main body;
A control means capable of controlling the supply mechanism,
when it is determined that the operation unit is operated in a specific manner, the control unit switches from a normal mode in which the operation of the supply operation unit is enabled to an operation disabled mode in which the operation of the supply operation unit is disabled;
the control means is configured to control the supply mechanism so as not to operate the supply mechanism in the operation invalid mode even if the supply operation unit is operated,
When the control means determines that the operation means has been operated in a manner different from the specific manner, the control means switches from the normal mode to a continuous emission mode,
The control means is configured to, in the continuous release mode, stop ice production in the ice making section and discharge the ice making water from the water circuit, and to control the operation of the supply mechanism so as to release all of the ice stored in the stocker by operating the supply operating section.
In this configuration , the operation of the supply operation unit can be disabled by operating the operation means in a specific manner, so that the supply object will not be supplied even if the supply operation unit is mistakenly operated during cleaning work by simply operating the operation means before cleaning work. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the surroundings of the dispenser from getting wet or dirty due to the supply object being unintentionally supplied. It is also possible to prevent the supply object from being wasted.
In addition, by simply operating the operating means in a manner different from the specific manner, the ice-making water in the water circuit can be discharged and the ice in the stocker can be released. In other words, when performing maintenance such as inspection or cleaning of the dispenser, the ice-making water and ice can be discharged and prepared for maintenance without performing multiple operations.

The third means is
ice-making water supply means for supplying ice-making water to the water circuit;
a circulation pump that circulates ice-making water between the water circuit and the ice-making unit,
The control means is configured to discharge the ice-making water from the water circuit in the continuous release mode, and then supply new ice-making water to the water circuit using the ice-making water supply means, and to operate the circulation pump to circulate the new ice-making water between the water circuit and the ice making section.
In this configuration , by operating the operating means in a manner other than the specific manner to switch to the continuous release mode, the operation of cleaning the water circuit and ice-making section with ice-making water can be performed automatically, without any hassle.

The fourth means is
The supply mechanism is configured to be capable of selecting and supplying a plurality of types of objects to be supplied,
The operation means includes a plurality of selection buttons for selecting the type of the object to be supplied,
The control means is configured to switch to the operation disabled mode when it determines that the multiple selection buttons have been operated in the specific manner, and to switch to the continuous release mode when it determines that the multiple selection buttons have been operated in a manner other than the specific manner.
In this configuration , the selection button for selecting the type of object to be supplied is used as the operation means for switching between modes, so there is no need to provide a separate mode switching means, and the configuration can be simplified.

The dispenser according to the present invention can disable the operation of the supply operation unit by simply operating the operating means in a specific manner, so that even if the supply operation unit is erroneously operated during cleaning work, the material to be supplied will not be supplied, and it is possible to prevent the material to be supplied from scattering around and getting the surrounding area wet or dirty. It is also possible to prevent the material to be supplied from being wasted.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a dispenser according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a main part of the dispenser with a part cut away. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the dispenser. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a mode switching process.

Next, a preferred embodiment of the dispenser according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

1 and 2, the dispenser 10 of the embodiment has a front panel 12 that protrudes forward and opens downward, which is disposed on the upper front part of a box-shaped main body 11, and a receiving stand 13 on which a container such as a cup can be placed, which protrudes forward, is disposed on the lower front part of the main body 11. Inside the main body 11, an ice maker 14, a stocker 15 that stores ice (supplied item) produced by the ice maker 14, and a refrigeration device 16 that cools the ice maker 14 are disposed. In addition, on the front side of the stocker 15, an ice discharge section (discharge section) 17 that can discharge ice from the stocker 15 downward, and a water discharge section (discharge section) 18 that can discharge water (supplied item, drinking water) downward are located, and the front panel 12 is disposed so as to cover the ice discharge section 17 and the water discharge section 18 from the front side. The front panel 12 opens downward, and the outlets of the ice discharge section 17 and the water discharge section 18 face above the receiving stand 13, and the ice and water discharged from the ice discharge section 17 and the water discharge section 18 are supplied to a container placed on the receiving stand 13.

As shown in FIG. 2, the receiving stand 13 is composed of a drain pan 19 that protrudes forward from the main body 11 and has a recess that opens upward, and a grate 20 that is detachably arranged on the drain pan 19, and a container is placed on the upper surface of the grate 20. The grate 20 has multiple through holes 20a formed to guide water dripping from the discharge parts 17, 18, melted ice water, etc., to the drain pan 19.

1, the front panel 12, which is the outside of the main body 11, is provided with a control panel 21 having various buttons that can be operated by the user. The control panel 21 is provided with an ice selection button 22 for selecting the release of ice only, an ice/water selection button 23 for selecting the release of both ice and water, a water selection button 24 for selecting the release of water only, and a supply button 25 as a supply operation unit for releasing (supplying) the type of supply object selected by the selection buttons 22, 23, and 24. As shown in FIG. 3, the control panel 21 is electrically connected to a control means 26 for controlling the dispenser 10, and the control means 26 is configured to operate and control the supply mechanisms 34, 40 described later by operating the supply button 25 to release the supply object selected by the selection buttons 22, 23, and 24 from the release portions 17, 18. The control panel 21 is provided with switches corresponding to the selection buttons 22, 23, 24 and the supply button 25, respectively, and the operation of the buttons 22, 23, 24, 25 operated by the switches is detected. The control panel 21 is also provided with lamps 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a such as LEDs corresponding to the selection buttons 22, 23, 24 and the supply button 25, respectively, and is configured to notify the type of the selected supply object by lighting the selection lamps 22a, 23a, 24a corresponding to the selection buttons 22, 23, 24. The supply lamp 25a, which serves as a notification means corresponding to the supply button 25, is configured to notify the fact that the supply object is ready to be supplied by lighting it.

In the embodiment, an auger type ice maker 14 is used as the ice maker 14 disposed inside the main body 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the auger type ice maker 14 includes an ice making section 29 having a freezing casing 28 with a cooler 27 wound around its outer circumference, and the freezing device 16 to which a condenser, a compressor, an expansion valve (none of which are shown) and the like that constitute a freezing cycle together with the cooler 27 of the ice making section 29 are connected in sequence by refrigerant piping. An ice making water tank 30 is connected to the freezing casing 28 via a supply pipe, and ice making water is supplied to the freezing casing 28 from the ice making water tank 30 at a predetermined level. The freezing casing 28 is forcibly cooled by the freezing device 16, so that the ice making water gradually begins to freeze from the inner wall surface of the casing, forming thin ice layers. Additionally, an auger 31 is rotatably supported inside the freezer casing 28, and is configured to rotate and drive the auger 31 by an auger motor (not shown), so that the thin ice that has formed on the inner wall surface of the casing is scraped off by the auger 31 and transported upward.

The flake ice scraped off by the auger 31 and transported upward is compressed as it passes through the pressing head 32, and moisture is removed to produce compressed ice, which is then released and stored in the stocker 15 disposed at the top of the freezer casing 28. An agitator 33 is rotatably disposed within the stocker 15 as a stirring means connected to the auger 31, and the agitator 33 rotates together with the auger 31 to stir the ice stored in the stocker 15. A shutter device 34 is disposed as an ice supply mechanism (supply mechanism) on the ice guide path between the stocker 15 and the ice discharge section 17. When either the ice selection button 22 or the ice/water selection button 23 is selected, the shutter device 34 operates to open the ice guide path by operating the supply button 25, and the ice stored in the stocker 15 is guided to the ice discharge section 17 through the ice guide path and discharged from the ice discharge section 17 to the outside. When the supply button 25 is operated to discharge ice, the auger 31 and the agitator 33 are configured to rotate. The stocker 15 is provided with an ice storage switch 35 (see FIG. 3) capable of detecting a full state in which a predetermined amount of ice is stored and an empty state in which no ice is stored, and the ice storage switch 35 is electrically connected to the control means 26. The control means 26 is configured to recognize the full and empty states based on a signal from the ice storage switch 35, and when the ice storage switch 35 no longer detects the full state, operate the ice maker 14 to release and store ice in the stocker 15, and when the ice storage switch 35 detects the full state, stop the ice maker 14.

Here, a float switch 36 (see FIG. 3) is disposed inside the ice-making water tank 30, and an ice-making water supply valve (ice-making water supply means) 37 is inserted in a water supply pipe connected to an external water source that supplies water (ice-making water) to the ice-making water tank 30, and the float switch 36 and the ice-making water supply valve 37 are electrically connected to the control means 26. The control means 26 is configured to open the ice-making water supply valve 37 to supply water to the ice-making water tank 30 when the float switch 36 detects the lower limit water level, and close the ice-making water supply valve 37 to stop supplying water to the ice-making water tank 30 when the float switch 36 detects the upper limit water level, thereby controlling the amount of water in the ice-making water tank 30. A return pipe (not shown) that communicates and connects the casing 28 and the ice-making water tank 30 is connected to the freezing casing 28, and a drain pipe (not shown) is connected to the return pipe. A drain valve 38 (see FIG. 3) that is controlled by the control means 26 is inserted in the drain pipe, and the ice-making water stored in the water circuit consisting of the ice-making water tank 30, supply pipe, return pipe, etc., and the freezer casing 28 can be discharged outside the machine by opening the drain valve 38.

Here, the dispenser 10 of the embodiment is configured to perform a cleaning operation in which the circulation pump 39 (see FIG. 3) provided in the water circuit is operated for a predetermined time when the control means 26 determines that a predetermined condition is met, in order to maintain the quality of the ice-making water and prevent impurities such as scale from adhering to the water circuit and the freezer casing 28 due to the concentration of the ice-making water. In the embodiment, the control means 26 is configured to perform a cleaning operation when either of the conditions that the ice storage switch 35 detects a full state and the ice making switch 41 described later is switched to the ice making OFF state is met. In the cleaning operation, the control means 26 controls the operation of the drain valve 38, the circulation pump 39, and the ice-making water supply valve 37 at a predetermined flow. Specifically, when the control means 26 determines that the above conditions are met, the control means 26 opens the drain valve 38 and discharges the ice-making water from the water circuit and the freezer casing 28. When a drainage time has elapsed during which the ice-making water in the water circuit and the freezer casing 28 can be completely drained, the control means 26 closes the drainage valve 38 and opens the ice-making water supply valve 37 to supply new ice-making water to the water circuit and the freezer casing 28. After a predetermined water supply time has elapsed, the control means 26 closes the ice-making water supply valve 37 and starts the operation of the circulation pump 39 to circulate new ice-making water between the water circuit and the freezer casing (ice making section) 28. When a preset cleaning time (e.g., one minute) has elapsed, the control means 26 stops the circulation pump 39 and opens the drainage valve 38 to drain the ice-making water (cleaning water) that was used to clean the water circuit and the freezer casing 28, and after the drainage time has elapsed, closes the drainage valve 38 and opens the ice-making water supply valve 37. When the float switch 36 detects the upper water level due to the supply of ice-making water after cleaning, the control means 26 closes the ice-making water supply valve 37 to return to a normal ice-making operation possible state. In this embodiment, the control means 26 determines that the cleaning operation is complete by closing the drain valve 38 after the drain time has elapsed.

A drinking pipe (not shown) connected to a water tank or an external water source is disposed inside the main body 11, and the water discharge unit 18 is connected downstream of the water supply valve 40 disposed on the drinking pipe. When either the ice water selection button 23 or the water selection button 24 is selected, the water supply valve 40 is opened by operating the supply button 25, and water from the water tank or the external water source is discharged from the water discharge unit 18 to the outside. In the embodiment, the water supply valve 40 constitutes a water supply mechanism (supply mechanism). The water supply valve 40 of the water supply mechanism and the shutter device 34 as the ice supply mechanism are electrically connected to the control means 26. The control means 26 is configured to discharge only ice, ice and water, or only water by controlling the operation of the shutter device 34 and the water supply valve 40 according to the selection state of the selection buttons 22, 23, and 24. That is, the dispenser 10 of the embodiment is configured to be able to selectively supply multiple types of supplies (ice only, ice and water, water only) using the supply mechanism of the shutter device 34 and water supply valve 40.

1, an ice-making switch 41 is provided on the side of the main body 11 for switching the ice-making machine 14 between an ON state and an OFF state, and the ice-making switch 41 is electrically connected to the control means 26. For example, a seesaw switch is used as the ice-making switch 41, and the control means 26 switches the ice-making machine 14 to an ON state when the operation part of the ice-making switch 41 is tilted to one side, and switches the ice-making machine 14 to an OFF state when the operation part is tilted to the other side. The ON state is a state in which the ice-making machine 14 is capable of ice-making operation according to the detection state of the ice storage switch 35, and ice and water can be discharged based on the operation of the supply button 25, and the OFF state is a state in which the ice-making machine 14 is disabled to make ice regardless of the detection state of the ice storage switch 35, and ice and water are not discharged based on the operation of the supply button 25.

The control means 26 is configured to perform a mode switching process to switch modes when it is determined that the selection buttons 22, 23, 24 have been operated (pressed) in a specific manner or in a manner different from the specific manner. In the embodiment, a normal mode, an operation disabled mode, and a continuous release mode are set as modes that can be controlled by the control means 26. The normal mode is a mode in which the operation (switch detection) of the supply button 25 is enabled, the operation disabled mode is a mode in which the operation (switch detection) of the supply button 25 is disabled, and the continuous release mode is a mode in which all ice stored in the stocker 15 is released and the cleaning operation is automatically performed by operating the supply button 25 once.

In the embodiment, when two of the three selection buttons 22, 23 (the ice selection button and the water selection button in the embodiment) among the three selection buttons 22, 23, 24 are operated in a first specific manner (specific manner) in which they are pressed and held simultaneously for a predetermined time (three seconds or more in the embodiment) in the normal mode, the control means 26 switches to the operation invalid mode. In the operation invalid mode, the control means 26 invalidates the operation of the supply button 25 even if the operation is ON by the ice making switch 41, and prohibits the discharge of the object to be supplied (ice or water). Specifically, even if the supply button 25 is pressed, the control means 26 does not operate the shutter device 34 and the water supply valve 40, and ice and water are not discharged. Note that when the ON signals from the two switches corresponding to the two selection buttons 22, 23 are continuously pressed for three seconds, the control means 26 determines that the operation has been performed in the first specific manner, and switches from the normal mode to the operation invalid mode. Furthermore, the control means 26 is configured to switch from the operation disabled mode to the normal mode when the selection buttons 22, 23 are operated in the first specific manner in the operation disabled mode (see FIG. 4).

The control means 26 is configured to light the supply lamp 25a corresponding to the supply button 25 during normal mode to indicate that the supply object can be discharged, and to switch the state to turn off the supply lamp 25a during operation disabled mode to indicate that the discharge of the supply object is prohibited. In the embodiment, the control panel 21 is provided with an ice making lamp 42 that lights up during normal mode in the operation ON state to indicate the operation ON state and normal mode (see FIG. 3), and the control means 26 is configured to notify the operation disabled mode by switching the state of the ice making lamp 42 to blink when switching to the operation disabled mode. Note that the state in which the supply lamp 25a indicates that the discharge of the supply object is prohibited is not limited to being turned off, but can also be a state in which the lamp blinks or the color of the lamp changes (for example, from green to red). In addition, when the selection buttons 22, 23 are operated in a first specific manner in the operation disabled mode to switch to normal mode, the supply lamp 25a and ice making lamp 42 also switch to a state indicating normal mode.

The control means 26 switches to the continuous release mode when all three selection buttons 22, 23, 24 are pressed and held simultaneously for a predetermined time (3 seconds or more in the embodiment) in the normal mode in a second specific manner (a manner different from the specific manner). When the ON signals from the three switches corresponding to the three selection buttons 22, 23, 24 are continuously pressed for 3 seconds, the control means 26 determines that the operation has been performed in the second specific manner and switches from the normal mode to the continuous release mode. When the control means 26 switches to the continuous release mode, it automatically switches the ice making switch 41 to the operation OFF state (stops ice production in the ice making unit 29) even if it is in the operation ON state, and controls the operation of the shutter device 34 so that ice continues to be released by a single operation of the supply button 25 until the ice storage switch 35 detects an empty state (until all ice in the stocker is released). In addition, when the control means 26 switches to the continuous release mode, it automatically starts the cleaning operation. In the continuous discharge mode, when the control means 26 determines that the selection buttons 22, 23, and 24 have been operated in the second specific manner after the float switch 36 detects the upper water level and completes the cleaning operation, the continuous discharge mode is switched to the normal mode. In the embodiment, the three selection buttons 22, 23, and 24 are configured as operation means for switching modes. In addition, both the first specific manner and the second specific manner are set to be different from the manner in which the selection buttons 22, 23, and 24 are pressed individually one by one simply to select the type of object to be supplied.

When the control means 26 switches from the normal mode to the continuous release mode, it controls each of the three selection lamps 22a, 23a, 24a and the supply lamp 25a to a blinking state, thereby notifying the continuous release mode. It is also configured to switch the state of the ice making lamp 42 to a blinking state, thereby notifying the fact that the normal mode is not in effect. When the control means 26 switches from the continuous release mode to the normal mode, it switches each of the lamps 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a to a state that indicates the normal mode.

[Function of the embodiment]
Next, the mode switching process executed by the control means 26 of the dispenser 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
In step S10, the control means 26 judges whether the operation is ON or not, and if the judgment result of step S10 is negative (i.e., the operation is OFF by the ice making switch 41), the control means 26 repeats the mode switching process. If the judgment result of step S10 is positive, the control means 26 judges whether the selection buttons 22, 23, 24 are operated in a first specific manner (step S11). If the judgment result of step S11 is positive, the control means 26 switches from the normal mode to the operation invalid mode (step S12). That is, the operation of the supply button 25 is invalidated, and even if the supply button 25 is pressed by mistake during cleaning or the like, ice or water is not discharged from the discharge parts 17, 18, and it is possible to prevent the ice or water from scattering around and getting the surroundings wet or dirty.

The control means 26 judges whether or not the selection buttons 22, 23, 24 have been operated in a first specific manner in the operation disabled mode (step S13). If the judgment result of step S13 is negative, the control means 26 repeats step S13. If the judgment result of step S13 is positive, the control means 26 switches from the operation disabled mode to the normal mode (step S14).

If step S11 is negative, the control means 26 proceeds to step S15 and determines whether the selection buttons 22, 23, 24 are operated in a second specific manner. If the determination result of step S15 is negative, the control means 26 repeats the mode switching process. Also, if the determination result of step S15 is positive, the control means 26 switches from the normal mode to the continuous release mode (step S16). In this continuous release mode, the control means 26 switches to the operation OFF state (step S17) and automatically starts the cleaning operation (step S18). That is, the control means 26 opens the drain valve 38 for the drain time and drains all the ice-making water in the water circuit and the freezer casing 28. When the drain time has elapsed, the control means 26 closes the drain valve 38 and opens the ice-making water supply valve 37 to supply new ice-making water to the water circuit and the freezer casing 28. After the water supply time has elapsed, the control means 26 closes the ice-making water supply valve 37 and operates the circulation pump 39 for the cleaning time to circulate new ice-making water in the water circuit and the freezer casing 28. After the cleaning time has elapsed, the control means 26 stops the circulation pump 39 and opens the drain valve 38 to drain the ice-making water used to clean the water circuit and the freezer casing 28. This cleans the water circuit and the freezer casing 28 with new ice-making water, preventing the ice-making water from concentrating and preventing impurities such as scale from adhering. When the float switch 36 detects the upper water level due to the supply of ice-making water after cleaning, the control means 26 closes the ice-making water supply valve 37 to return to a normal ice-making operation state.

In addition, in the continuous release mode, when the supply button 25 is pressed, the control means 26 operates the shutter device 34 until the stocker 15 is empty. In other words, with a bucket capable of receiving ice released from the ice release section 17 placed below the ice release section 17, all ice stored in the stocker 15 can be collected by simply pressing (operating) the supply button 25 once.

The control means 26 determines whether the cleaning operation has been completed in step S19, and if the determination result of step S19 is positive, determines whether the selection buttons 22, 23, 24 have been operated in a second specific manner (step S20). If the determination result of step S20 is negative, the control means 26 repeats step S20. If the determination result of step S20 is positive, the control means 26 switches from the continuous release mode to the normal mode (step S14).

The dispenser 10 of the embodiment is configured to disable the operation of the supply button 25 by operating the selection buttons 22, 23 in a first specific manner to switch to the operation disabled mode, so that the simple operation of operating the selection buttons 22, 23 in the first specific manner before cleaning can prevent ice or water from being discharged even if the supply button 25 is mistakenly operated during cleaning. This prevents the area around the dispenser 10 from getting wet or dirty due to the unintentional release of ice or water. It also prevents the ice that has been produced from going to waste.

Here, the dispenser 10 is provided with a full stop switch inside the main body 11 for completely stopping the operation of the dispenser 10, and is configured to be able to disable the operation of the supply button 25 by opening the front panel 12 and operating the exposed full stop switch. However, in order to operate the full stop switch, it is necessary to open the front panel 12, which is time-consuming. In contrast, the dispenser 10 of the embodiment can disable the operation of the supply button 25 simply by operating the selection buttons 22, 23 provided on the front panel 12 in a first specific manner without opening the front panel 12, which is time-saving. It is to be noted that the operation of the supply button 25 can be disabled without time-consuming not only during cleaning work but also when changing the position of the dispenser 10, thereby reducing the burden on the user.

The dispenser 10 of the embodiment can automatically discharge the ice-making water in the water circuit and the freezer casing 28 by operating the selection buttons 22, 23, and 24 in the second specific manner to switch to the continuous discharge mode. In addition, in the continuous discharge mode, all ice stored in the stocker 15 can be discharged by simply pressing the supply button 25 once. In other words, when performing maintenance such as inspection and cleaning of the dispenser 10, the ice-making water and ice can be discharged and prepared for maintenance without performing multiple operations. In addition, in the continuous discharge mode, the cleaning operation of the water circuit and the freezer casing 28 is automatically performed, so there is no need to start the cleaning operation in addition to the operation of switching to the continuous discharge mode, which reduces the effort.

Here, in the conventional dispenser, a drain switch for draining all the ice-making water in the water circuit and the freezer casing is provided inside the main body, and the ice-making water in the water circuit and the freezer casing can be drained by opening the front panel and operating the exposed drain switch. However, in order to operate the drain switch, it is necessary to open the front panel, which is time-consuming. In contrast, the dispenser 10 of the embodiment can drain all the ice-making water in the water circuit and the freezer casing 28 without opening the front panel 12, simply by operating the selection buttons 22, 23, and 24 provided on the front panel 12 in the second specific mode, which is time-saving. Moreover, since the water circuit and the freezer casing 28 are automatically cleaned following the complete drainage of the ice-making water, further time-saving can be achieved. In addition, in a configuration in which a drain switch is provided inside the main body, when discharging all the ice in the stocker, the supply button must be operated to discharge all the ice before operating the drain switch, or the front panel must be opened and the drain switch must be operated, and then the front panel must be closed and the supply button must be operated to discharge all the ice. This requires time and effort to discharge all the ice and ice-making water, but in the dispenser 10 of the embodiment, the ice and ice-making water can be discharged without any time and effort. In addition, in the dispenser 10 of the embodiment, the ice can be discharged by operating the supply button 25 while the ice-making water is being discharged, so the time required to discharge all the ice and ice-making water can be reduced. Furthermore, since there is no need to open and close the front panel, it is hygienic.

The dispenser 10 of the embodiment uses the selection buttons 22, 23, 24 for selecting the type of object to be dispensed (ice, ice + water, water) as the operating means for switching modes, so there is no need to provide a separate mode switching means, and the configuration can be simplified. In addition, since the selection buttons 22, 23, 24 must be operated in the first specific mode or the second specific mode to switch modes, it is possible to prevent general customers who are unaware of the specific mode from operating the selection buttons 22, 23, 24 and accidentally switching modes.

[Example of change]
The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the examples, and can be modified as follows, for example. Furthermore, the configurations described in the examples are not limited to the following modifications, and various embodiments can be adopted within the scope of the gist of the present invention.
(1) The first and second specific modes of operating the selection buttons to switch modes are not limited to the mode of pressing and holding multiple selection buttons as in the embodiment, but may be modes that are different from the mode of operating to simply select the type of supplied object, such as a mode of operating multiple selection buttons in a preset order.
(2) In the embodiment, the operation mode is switched to the normal mode by operating the selection button in a first specific manner in the operation disabled mode. However, a configuration can be adopted in which the mode is automatically switched to the normal mode when the control means determines that a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) has elapsed since switching to the operation disabled mode.
(3) In the embodiment, the mode is switched to normal mode by operating the selection button in the second specific manner in the continuous release mode, but a configuration can be adopted in which the mode is automatically switched to normal mode when the control means determines that a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) has elapsed since both the cleaning operation is completed and the ice storage switch detects an empty state are satisfied.

(4) In the embodiment, the number of selection buttons to be operated is different between the first specific mode and the second specific mode. However, the first specific mode and the second specific mode may have the same number of selection buttons but different types of buttons to be operated. For example, the first specific mode may be a mode in which the ice selection button and the ice and water selection button are pressed and held, and the second specific mode may be a mode in which the ice selection button and the water selection button are pressed and held.
(5) In the embodiment, the selection button for selecting the type of object to be supplied is used as the operating means for switching modes. However, a configuration may be adopted in which an operating means dedicated to switching modes is provided.
(6) In the embodiment, an auger type ice maker is used as the ice maker. However, various types of ice makers, such as a jet type or a flow type, can be used.
(7) In the embodiment, the dispenser is described as being capable of dispensing ice and water, but the dispenser may be capable of dispensing ice and beverages such as juice or cola. The dispenser may also be capable of dispensing only ice or only beverages. If the dispenser is capable of dispensing multiple types of beverages, the first specific mode and the second specific mode may be distinguished by changing the combination of multiple selection buttons to be operated.

11 Main body, 15 Stocker, 22 Ice selection button (operation means)
23 Ice water selection button (operation means), 24 Water selection button (operation means)
25 Supply button (supply operation unit), 26 Control means, 29 Ice making unit, 30 Ice making water tank (water circuit), 34 Shutter device (supply mechanism)
37 Ice making water supply valve (ice making water supply means), 39 Circulation pump 40 Water supply valve (supply mechanism)

Claims (3)

A dispenser in which a supply operation part (25) is provided on the outside of a main body (11) in which a supply mechanism (34, 40) for supplying a supply object is disposed, and the supply mechanism (34, 40) can be operated by operating the supply operation part (25) to supply the supply object,
the main body (11) is provided with an ice-making section (29) which produces ice as a supply object, a water circuit (30) which supplies ice-making water to the ice-making section (29), and a stocker (15) which stores the ice produced in the ice-making section (29), and the ice stored in the stocker (15) is discharged by operating the supply mechanism (34);
an operating means (22, 23, 24) provided on the outside of the main body (11);
a control means (26) capable of controlling the supply mechanism (34, 40);
when it is determined that the operation means (22, 23, 24) has been operated in a specific manner, the control means (26) switches from a normal mode in which the operation of the supply operation unit (25) is enabled to an operation disabled mode in which the operation of the supply operation unit (25) is disabled,
the control means (26) is configured to control the supply mechanism (34, 40) so as not to operate the supply mechanism (34, 40) in the operation disabled mode even if the supply operation unit (25) is operated,
when it is determined that the operating means (22, 23, 24) has been operated in a manner different from the specific manner, the control means (26) switches from the normal mode to a continuous discharge mode,
The dispenser is characterized in that, in the continuous release mode, the control means (26) is configured to stop ice production in the ice making section (29) and discharge the ice making water from the water circuit (30), and to control the operation of the supply mechanism (34) so as to release all of the ice stored in the stocker (15) by operating the supply operating section (25). ice-making water supply means (37) for supplying ice-making water to the water circuit (30);
a circulation pump (39) that circulates ice-making water between the water circuit (30) and the ice-making section (29),
2. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the control means (26) is configured to, after discharging the ice-making water from the water circuit (30) in the continuous release mode, supply new ice-making water to the water circuit ( 30 ) using the ice-making water supply means (37) and operate the circulation pump (39) to circulate the new ice-making water between the water circuit (30) and the ice making section (29). The supply mechanism (34, 40) is configured to be capable of selectively supplying a plurality of types of objects to be supplied,
The operation means (22, 23, 24) includes a plurality of selection buttons (22, 23, 24) for selecting the type of the object to be supplied,
The dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control means (26) is configured to switch to the operation disabled mode when it is determined that the multiple selection buttons (22, 23, 24) have been operated in the specific manner, and to switch to the continuous release mode when it is determined that the multiple selection buttons ( 22, 23, 24 ) have been operated in a manner other than the specific manner.

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