JPH0477227B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for controlling the operation of a water cooler.

[Conventional technology]

As is well known, in a water cooler, water to be poured is stored in a water storage tank equipped with a cooler in advance to cool it, and low-temperature drinking water is obtained from the tank.

There are various types of water coolers, but the direct connection type (pressure type) has a closed water storage tank and is directly connected to a water faucet, using water pressure from the tap to inject water without the use of a pump or the like.
The water tank is always full and automatically refilled as it is used.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, with such a water cooler that is connected directly to the water tap, all water replenishment is done automatically without human intervention, and the water storage tank is sealed and cannot be touched from the outside, so it cannot be left in the cooler for a long time. If it is not used, the same water will remain in the same state in the tank, reducing the chlorine concentration in the water for disinfection.

In particular, when the tank is left unattended for a long time with the power turned off, there is no cooling effect, so there is a risk of bacteria breeding inside the tank.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of the conventional example,
To provide an operation control method for a water cooler that can automatically clean a tank at a predetermined time and keep the inside of the tank clean at all times.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the tip of the water supply pipe connected to the water main valve opened at the upper part of the sealed water storage tank, and the tip of the water injection pipe whose lower end is opened near the inner bottom of the water storage tank outside the water storage tank. In a water cooler that protrudes from the water tank, a drain valve is installed on the drain pipe of the water storage tank, and a predetermined amount is drained after a predetermined time has elapsed from when the power is turned on or a predetermined switch is set. The gist of this system is to automatically open the drain valve for a certain period of time and drain all the water in the water storage tank when the water is not injected from the water storage tank to the outside of the water storage tank via the water injection pipe.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, the power is turned off on holidays and other occasions;
Even if the same water remains in the tank without cooling for a long time, when the power is turned on for the first time, all the water in the tank will be drained and cleaned. Furthermore, even when the tank is in use, if a predetermined switch is set, all the water in the tank will be drained automatically after a predetermined period of time such as one day has elapsed, and automatic cleaning will be performed.

Furthermore, even if the water in the tank is used up and not replaced with new water within a certain period of time, such as 12 hours, all the water in the tank may be used up at once. drained, 12
The same water will not remain in the tank for more than an hour.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

First, the general structure of a water cooler will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a water supply pipe 2 is connected to a water main tap 1, and the tip of the water supply pipe 2 is opened at the upper part of a sealed water storage tank 3.

On the other hand, a water injection pipe 4 is raised from near the bottom of the tank 3, protrudes above the tank 3, is branched at a T-joint 5, and a fountain nozzle 6 is connected to the tip of the branch pipe 4a.
The other branch pipe 4b is provided with a manual faucet 8 in the middle thereof, and the rising end thereof is bent into an inverted U shape, and the leading end is connected to the water inlet 7.
Formed as.

In the middle of the branch pipe 4a, there is provided a water injection valve 9 as a flow rate control valve that has a built-in actuator mechanism and acts to flow a constant pressure water flow, and its operating lever 9a is operated via shafts 10 and 11. It is connected to a push button 12 and a pedal 13 for use.
Further, a drain pipe 14 was attached to the bottom of the tank 3, and a drain valve 15 was provided in the middle of the drain pipe 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, a cooler 16 formed by winding refrigerant pipes is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the tank 3, and the cooler 16 includes a compressor 17, a condenser 18,
The dryer 19, the capillary tube 20, and the refrigerant pipe are successively connected to form a refrigeration cycle. In the figure, 21 indicates a condenser blower.

In the figure, 22 is a control device using an IC circuit or the like and also has a timer function, and 23 is a water injection detection sensor for water injection time. For example, the water injection detection sensor 23 may include a solenoid switch that detects the operation of the operating lever 9a and measures the energization time, or a sensor that measures the energization time of the operating lever 9a, or a sensor that uses a light source and a light sensor to
This is something that detects the movement of a.

In addition, in the middle of the branch pipes 4a and 4b of the water injection pipe 4,
A device that detects the presence or absence of water flow based on changes in electric current, changes in light intensity, etc. may be attached, and this may be used as the water injection detection sensor 23.

The output of this water injection detection sensor 23 and a predetermined set switch 24 installed in a location that cannot be easily tampered with, such as inside the outer case of the water cooler.
and the output obtained when the power was turned on were introduced into a control device 22, and the output from the control device 22 was introduced into a drain valve 15 provided in the drain pipe 14.

Next, the operation and usage will be explained.

First, to explain the normal operation, the main water tap 1 is opened, and the tank 3 is filled with water due to the water pressure and is cooled by the cooler 16.

In this state, if the user presses the push button 12 with his hand or depresses the pedal 13 with his foot, the water injection valve 9 is opened via the lever 9a, and drinking water is discharged from the fountain nozzle 6.

Furthermore, if the faucet 8 is opened manually without operating the push button 12 or pedal 13, the water in the tank 3 flows from the water inlet 7 and is received by the container.

Then, from the fountain nozzle 6 and water inlet 7 to the tank 3.
When the water in the tank 3 is used, the amount of water used is immediately replenished from the water supply tap 1 via the water supply pipe 2, and the tank 3 is always kept full.

Next, an operation for preventing water from remaining in the tank 3 will be described.

When the power switch or power outlet is connected to the commercial system (FIG. 3, START), the timer of the control device 22 is activated, and the output from the control device 22 opens the drain valve 15 for a certain period of time (20 seconds).
All water in tank 3 is discarded (step,
i~d).

Next, the opened drain valve 15 is closed and water is replenished into the tank 3 in preparation for normal water injection.

On the other hand, if you want to drain all the water in tank 3 at once at an artificially determined time, press set switch 2.
Press 4 (to step). As a result, the control device 2
The timer 2 begins to operate and counts up every 12 hours.

Separately, when the cooler is used and the water injection valve 9 is opened under the condition that the set switch 24 is turned on, the water injection detection sensor 23 measures and integrates the time period during which the water injection valve 9 is opened.

If 12 hours have passed since the set switch 24 was pressed or after the drain valve 15 was opened and water was discarded by turning on the power, etc., the control device 2
Step 2 further determines whether the cumulative time measured by the sensor 23 is 4 minutes or more (step O). This number of 4 minutes is the time that can fill up the empty tank 3 if the drain valve 9 is kept open for that corresponding period of time. This means that there is a remaining amount from 12 hours ago. Therefore, in that case, move to step-puy, open the drain valve 15, and drain all the water in the tank 3 and replace it.

On the other hand, if the water injection valve 9 is opened for more than 4 minutes in total at the step
Determine whether 12 hours or 24 hours have passed since you pressed 4 (step 4, in this case, first
After 12 hours have passed, the flag is set to 1 in the stepper, so it is determined whether the flag number is 0 or 1).
When 24 hours have elapsed, regardless of the cumulative time of the water injection valve 9, even if it is 4 minutes or more, the system shifts to step-pui and forcibly opens the drain valve 15 to drain the water in the tank 3.

In this way, if the power is turned off on holidays or other reasons and the same water stays in the tank without cooling for a long time, then when you turn on the power for the first time to use the cooler, all the water in the tank will be completely drained. Furthermore, even if the power is turned on and the water is in use, all the water in the tank will be drained after 24 hours, and even within 24 hours, for example.
In 12-hour increments, if there is any remaining water in the tank from 12 hours ago, in this case too, some of the water in the tank is drained to prevent the same water from remaining in the tank for a long time.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, in the water cooler operation control method of the present invention, a drain valve is provided in the drain pipe of the water storage tank, and the drain valve is installed at the drain pipe of the water storage tank, and when the power is turned on or after a predetermined switch is set, after a predetermined time has elapsed, or even within a predetermined time. If a predetermined amount of water is not injected from the water storage tank to the outside of the water storage tank via the water injection pipe within a certain period of time, the drain valve is automatically opened for a certain period of time and all of the water in the water storage tank is discharged. This prevents the same water from remaining in the same state for a long time in the tank and from breeding germs therein.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the water cooler operation control method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the cooling system of the water cooler, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the method of the present invention. 1... Water main valve, 2... Water supply pipe, 3... Water storage tank, 4... Water injection pipe, 4a, 4b... Branch pipe, 5
... T-joint, 6 ... Fountain nozzle, 7 ... Water inlet,
8... Faucet, 9... Water injection valve, 9a... Operating lever, 10, 11... Shaft, 12... Push button, 13... Pedal, 14... Drain pipe, 15...
Drain valve, 16... Cooler, 17... Compressor,
18... Condenser, 19... Dryer, 20... Capillary tube, 21... Condenser blower, 22... Control device, 23... Water injection detection sensor, 24... Set switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a water cooler, the tip of the water supply pipe connected to the water main tap opens at the top of a sealed water storage tank, and the tip of the water injection pipe, which opens at the bottom near the bottom of the water storage tank, protrudes outside the water storage tank. A drain valve is installed in the drain pipe of the water storage tank, and a predetermined amount of water is discharged from the water tank after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the power is turned on or a predetermined switch is set, and even within a predetermined period of time, a predetermined amount of water is discharged from the water supply pipe from the water storage tank. A method for controlling the operation of a water cooler, characterized in that when water is not injected to the outside of the water storage tank through the water cooler, the drain valve is automatically opened for a certain period of time to drain all the water in the water storage tank.