JP2011037479A - Liquid storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To install an exhaust means which has fewer failures and requires less maintenance on a storage tank. <P>SOLUTION: In structuring a drinking water server, a container 1 is mounted detachable relative to an aqueduct 6 extending upward from a storage tank 5, drinking water w in the container 1 flows down to the tank 5 through the aqueduct 6, a discharge pipe 3 is pulled out of the tank 5 from the inside of the tank 5 and a freely openable/closable supply valve 7 is mounted on the pipe 3. A pocket 11 protruding upward is provided on the inside top of the tank 5. The pipe 3 is provided with a main pipe 12 with an opening 13 to the inside of the tank 5 and a guide pipe 14 diverted from the pipe 12 to enter the space in the pocket 11. The pipe 14 has the function to simultaneously suck the air (a) in the pocket 11 and exhaust it to the outside of the tank 5 in discharging the water w to the outside of the tank 5 by opening the valve 7. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid storage device used for storing and storing drinking water such as water or other various liquids under a certain temperature control.

  In order to store and store drinking water such as water or other various liquids under a certain temperature control, liquid storage devices including storage tanks are used in various devices and various facilities.

As such a liquid storage device, for example, after supplying water supplied from the outside such as a water supply into a storage tank and storing it with a certain temperature control, it can be supplied to the outside in a necessary amount when necessary. The thing which did it is mentioned.
In this type of liquid storage device, the discharge pipe is drawn out from the storage tank, and the supply valve is provided in the discharge pipe. Therefore, the supply amount to the outside can be appropriately adjusted by opening and closing the supply valve.

Further, as an example of the liquid storage device, there is a drinking water server that can supply drinking water from a detachable container to a storage tank.
In this drinking water server, a container containing drinking water such as mineral water is used, and the drinking water in the container is transferred and stored in a storage tank provided in the server body, and then the stored drinking water is stored at room temperature or The stored drinking water is heated at a cold temperature or can be appropriately supplied to a cup or a plastic bottle prepared outside.

For example, as shown in Patent Document 1, there is a server for drinking water having an airless tank structure in which the drinking water w and the air a are not easily touched in the storage tank T.
In this drinking water server, as shown in FIG. 6, when drinking water w is injected into the storage tank T from the container 1 through the water conduit 6, it is a flexible film that can be reduced and deformed as the drinking water w inside decreases. A configured container 1 is used.

  At this time, in order to suppress that the drinking water w in the storage tank T touches the air a, it can be set as the structure which discharges the drinking water w from the upper part of the storage tank T, for example.

  However, in particular, in a tank structure or the like that requires temperature management, such as a cold water tank, it may be necessary to have a structure that discharges the drinking water w from the lower part of the storage tank T.

  When the drinking water w is discharged from the lower part of the storage tank T, even when the airless tank structure is used, the container 1 containing the drinking water w is attached to the water conduit 6 at the time of initial use (the storage tank T is empty). When air a is mixed in the storage tank T during use, a layer of air a is formed on the upper part of the drinking water w, and the drinking water w and the air a are continuously in contact with each other. Become.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, it is effective to provide an exhaust valve 2 as an exhaust means on the upper part of the storage tank T.
Examples of the exhaust valve 2 include those shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b). When the air a is exhausted outside the storage tank T by manually operating the exhaust valve 2, the exhaust valve 2 is exhausted. The drinking water w flows down to the storage tank T through the water conduit 6 so as to fill the rear gap (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-35322 A

  According to the drinking water server 10, when the exhaust valve 2 provided as the exhaust means of the storage tank T stops functioning due to a failure or the like, it is assumed that the drinking water w continues to leak from the exhaust valve 2.

  Moreover, since the exhaust valve 2 has a movable part, there is also a problem that regular maintenance is necessary so that the movable part functions reliably.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to make the exhaust means provided in the storage tank of the liquid storage device have few failures and less maintenance.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention draws out a discharge pipe to the outside of the storage tank from the inside of the storage tank having a space capable of storing the liquid, and allows the liquid in the storage tank to pass through the discharge pipe. In the liquid storage apparatus capable of discharging to the outside of the storage tank, the discharge pipe includes a main pipe portion having an opening into the storage tank and a guide pipe portion branched from the main pipe portion and facing the upper portion in the storage tank. And when the liquid taken in from the opening of the main pipe part through the discharge pipe is discharged out of the storage tank, the gas intervening in the upper part of the storage tank is sucked through the guide pipe part and simultaneously stored in the storage tank. It has a function of discharging to the outside of the tank, and has a function of replenishing the storage tank with an amount of liquid corresponding to the discharged liquid and the space where the discharged gas was present. Employing the configuration of the liquid storage apparatus characterized.

According to these configurations, when gas is present in the upper part of the storage tank, if the internal liquid is discharged to the outside through the discharge pipe, the liquid moves in the main pipe portion of the discharge pipe, and the fluid in the main pipe portion The flow causes a phenomenon in which gas (air) interposed in the upper part of the storage tank is drawn to the main pipe part side through the guide pipe part. This action becomes more prominent as the fluid flow in the main pipe portion becomes faster, and a so-called capillary phenomenon (venturi effect) is expected.
By this action, the gas present in the upper part of the storage tank can be discharged out of the storage tank together with the liquid in the storage tank.

  In addition, when the liquid in the storage tank and the gas existing in the storage tank were drawn out by the flow of the liquid in the discharge pipe and discharged out of the storage tank, the discharged liquid and discharged As a function of replenishing the storage tank with an amount of liquid suitable for the space in which the gas was present, for example, a liquid supply pipe that can supply liquid to the storage tank by applying a predetermined hydraulic pressure from the upstream side ( For example, there is a technique in which a water pipe or the like is connected so that the liquid can be automatically refilled into the storage tank from the liquid supply pipe in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the discharge pipe. In addition, another liquid supply source that stores a predetermined amount of liquid (for example, a plastic container that contains liquid) is connected to the storage tank, so that the drop pressure and the liquid and gas in the storage tank are discharged. Depending on the pressure balance between the inside of the storage tank that becomes negative pressure and the inside of the liquid supply source, the liquid may be automatically replenished from the liquid supply source to the storage tank.

  As described above, in the storage tank, the chance of contact between the liquid and the gas can be reduced, and the exhaust means provided in the storage tank can be reduced in failure and require less maintenance.

  The function of the guide pipe part is as follows by appropriately setting the flow rate of the liquid in the discharge pipe, the length of the guide pipe part (the length from the branch with the main pipe part), the inner diameter of the guide pipe part, etc. In this case, the gas in the storage tank can be discharged out of the storage tank without leaving any gas. If all the gas in the storage tank can be discharged out of the storage tank, the inside of the storage tank is always kept in an airless state, and the most preferable state for maintaining quality can be obtained. In general, it is desirable that the inner diameter of the guide tube portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the main tube portion.

In these configurations, when the gas interposed in the upper part of the storage tank is drawn through the opening of the guide pipe part, a pocket part protruding upward is provided in the upper part of the storage tank, and the opening part of the guide pipe part is provided. , It can be configured to face the space in the pocket portion.
If there is a pocket portion, gas easily accumulates in the space, and suction of gas by the flow of liquid flowing in the discharge pipe is also effective.

Further, in the configuration including the guide pipe portion as described above, the opening portion of the main pipe portion faces a lower portion of the storage tank, and the main pipe portion extends upward from the opening portion and branches from the guide pipe portion. It is possible to adopt a configuration that leads to
If the opening of the main pipe part faces the lower part of the storage tank, the liquid in a relatively low temperature state is mainly discharged with respect to the temperature difference between the upper part and the lower part in the storage tank, and the guide pipe part is in the absence of gas. It is possible to reduce the temperature rise that can be caused by mixing with the liquid in the upper part of the tank in a relatively high temperature state.

  In addition, when a structure for sending liquid from the storage tank to a separate secondary tank or the like (for example, a tank having a heating function provided below the storage tank) is required, the liquid supply pipe is stored in the storage tank. The position to be pulled out from the tank is preferably higher than the position of the opening of the main pipe and lower than the opening of the guide pipe by a certain distance. If the opening of the main pipe is located in the lower part of the storage tank, it will be less susceptible to the influence of the secondary tank in terms of temperature control, and air will enter the secondary tank by making the opening of the induction pipe part the upper part. This is because it can be reduced.

  Furthermore, the main pipe part may be configured to extend downward from a branch with the guide pipe part and to be drawn out of the storage tank.

  The main pipe part of the discharge pipe once extends from the lower part of the storage tank to the upper part and returns to the lower part at the upper part of the storage tank, and the guide pipe part is provided at the uppermost part, thereby branching the main pipe part and the guide pipe part. Becomes easy to arrange in the middle of the length direction of the main pipe portion. As a result, when the fluid is discharged from the storage tank through the discharge pipe, the flow velocity of the liquid near the branch with the guide pipe section can be stabilized, and the drop pressure at the time of discharge can be increased by the structure drawn from the bottom of the tank. The suction phenomenon of the gas generated in the guide tube portion can be promoted.

  In addition, the structure in which the opening portion of the main pipe portion faces the lower part of the storage tank, the main pipe portion extends upward from the opening portion and branches to the guide pipe portion, and the main pipe portion extends downward from the branch from the guide pipe portion. The structure that is extended and drawn out of the storage tank is effective for promoting the gas suction phenomenon and stabilizing the supply temperature, but it is desirable that both be provided together.

  The liquid storage device composed of each of these components can be used as a drinking water server. The configuration is such that a container containing liquid is detachable from the water conduit extending upward from the storage tank, and the liquid in the container flows into the storage tank through the water conduit. It can be set as a structure.

In this drinking water server, as a container containing drinking water, for example, when the drinking water inside decreases, the container is not deformed, and it is assumed that a gas enters instead of the drinking water. When a container made of the above material is employed, a structure in which an intake device for a container (for example, a check valve or an intake port extending above the container) is attached between the storage tank and the container can be employed. This is a structure premised on quality improvement in the liquid storage device, and a separate sterilization mechanism for the intake device can be provided for the purpose of maintaining the quality of the container.
Further, the container is formed of a flexible material, and when the drinking water in the container flows down into the storage tank through the water conduit, the container shrinks and deforms and the inside of the container is reduced. A container in which gas does not enter from the water conduit side can also be adopted.
That is, when the liquid in the storage tank and the gas existing in the storage tank are drawn out of the storage tank by the flow of the liquid in the discharge pipe, the discharged liquid and the liquid are discharged. It is only necessary to have a function of replenishing the storage tank with an amount of liquid corresponding to the space in which the gas was present.

  Moreover, the liquid storage apparatus which consists of these each structure is applicable to the server for drinking water which consists of the following structures.

  That is, the configuration is such that the first tank capable of storing liquid is provided in the upper side and the second tank is provided in parallel in the lower side, and the first series pipe drawn from the first tank is connected to the storage tank. The liquid in the first tank is supplied to the storage tank, the second communication pipe drawn from the storage tank is connected to the second tank, and the liquid in the storage tank is The liquid discharged from the storage tank through the second communication pipe is supplied to the second tank, and the second communication pipe has an opening into the storage tank. A main pipe having a main pipe and a guide pipe branched from the main pipe and facing the upper portion of the storage tank, and the liquid taken in from the opening of the main pipe through the second communication pipe is discharged out of the storage tank. Pass through the guide tube. The gas in the upper part of the storage tank is simultaneously discharged to the outside of the storage tank, and an amount of liquid corresponding to the discharged liquid and the space in which the gas was present is stored from the first tank. A drinking water server having a function of replenishing a tank.

According to these configurations, when gas is present in the upper part of the storage tank, if the internal liquid is discharged to the outside (to the second tank side) through the second communication pipe, the main pipe of the second communication pipe A phenomenon occurs in which the liquid moves in the section, and the gas (air) interposed in the upper part of the storage tank is drawn through the guide pipe section due to the pressure balance of the liquid. As a result of this action, the gas intervening in the upper portion of the storage tank can be discharged out of the storage tank together with the liquid in the storage tank, as in the above-described configurations.
In addition, when the liquid in the storage tank and the gas existing in the storage tank were drawn out by the flow of the liquid in the discharge pipe and discharged out of the storage tank, the discharged liquid and discharged An amount of liquid commensurate with the space in which the gas was present is replenished from the first tank into the storage tank.

Of the first tank and the second tank, the first tank located above is used for supplying cold water or room temperature water, and the second tank located below is used for supplying hot water. Conventionally common. When the first tank located above is for supplying cold water, the first tank is provided with a cooling device, and when the second tank located below is for supplying hot water, the first tank A heating device is provided in the second tank.
By interposing such a storage tank between the first tank and the second tank, the liquid warmed by the heating device (drinking water) is supplied to the tank for supplying cold water or room temperature water, It is possible to suppress the calorific loss (fuel loss) and the quality maintenance performance obstacle that the liquid cooled by the cooling device mutually affects the hot water supply tank.

  It functions in this way, compared with the case where the first tank and the second tank are connected by a straight pipe in the vertical direction, the pipe is made into an S shape, that is, the pipe once lowered is raised again. The reason is that by creating a lowered state, it becomes a shape that inhibits the fusion of rising hot water and falling cold water. At this time, there is a risk that gas will be mixed into the piping, but by adopting the configuration of the storage tank, the mixed gas can be discharged together with the liquid to the second tank side, and further in terms of space reduction It becomes the structure which can suppress inhibition on both temperature.

  Since the above configuration is adopted, the exhaust means provided in the storage tank can be reduced in the number of failures and less required for maintenance while reducing the chance of contact between the liquid and the gas in the storage tank. .

  The function of the guide pipe part is the same as the above-described configuration, such as the flow rate of the liquid in the discharge pipe, the length of the guide pipe part (the length from the branch with the main pipe part), the inner diameter of the guide pipe part, etc. By setting as appropriate, it is possible to have a function of discharging the gas in the storage tank to the outside without leaving any gas in the storage tank. If all the gas in the storage tank can be discharged out of the storage tank, the inside of the storage tank is always kept in an airless state, and the most preferable state for maintaining quality can be obtained. In general, it is desirable that the inner diameter of the guide tube portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the main tube portion.

In these configurations, when the gas interposed in the upper part of the storage tank is drawn through the opening of the guide pipe part, a pocket part protruding upward is provided in the upper part of the storage tank, and the opening part of the guide pipe part is provided. , It can be configured to face the space in the pocket portion.
If there is a pocket portion, gas easily accumulates in the space, and suction of gas by the flow of liquid flowing in the discharge pipe is also effective.

Further, in the configuration including the guide pipe portion as described above, the opening portion of the main pipe portion faces a lower portion of the storage tank, and the main pipe portion extends upward from the opening portion and branches from the guide pipe portion. It is possible to adopt a configuration that leads to
Furthermore, the main pipe part may be configured to extend downward from a branch with the guide pipe part and to be drawn out of the storage tank.

  The main pipe part of the second communication pipe extends from the lower part of the storage tank to the upper part once and is arranged so as to return to the lower part at the upper part of the storage tank, and the guide pipe part is provided at the uppermost part thereof. This branch is easily arranged in the middle in the length direction of the main pipe portion. As a result, when the fluid is discharged from the second communication pipe to the outside of the storage tank, the flow velocity of the liquid near the branch with the guide pipe section is stabilized, and the drop pressure at the time of discharge is increased by the structure drawn from the bottom of the tank And the suction phenomenon of the gas generated in the guide tube portion can be promoted.

  In addition, the structure in which the opening portion of the main pipe portion faces the lower part of the storage tank, the main pipe portion extends upward from the opening portion and branches to the guide pipe portion, and the main pipe portion extends downward from the branch from the guide pipe portion. The structure that is extended and drawn out of the storage tank is effective for promoting the gas suction phenomenon and stabilizing the supply temperature, but it is desirable that both be provided together.

  In this way, in the configuration of the drinking water server in which the storage tank is interposed between the first tank and the second tank, each of the first tank and the second tank, or either one of them. May be a liquid storage device having a gas discharge function by a discharge pipe having the above-described configuration. That is, the first tank and the second tank may be configured as a storage tank of a liquid storage device having the above-described configuration having the gas discharge function.

  In addition, when these configurations are applied, conventional cold / hot water having a cold water tank (including a tank that stores at normal temperature) that stores liquid such as water in a cooled state, and a hot water tank that also stores in a warm state. In the server, the basic structure of the cold water tank in the upper part and the hot water tank in the lower part can be reversed up and down, and the hot water tank in the upper part and the cold water tank in the lower part can be arranged.

With regard to this point, a cold water tank is conventionally arranged at the upper part and a hot water tank is arranged at the lower part. In the hot water tank, the discharge port (the outlet of the discharge pipe) is provided at the upper part of the tank for gas management. Therefore, if the discharge port of the hot water tank is at the upper part of the tank, the hot water tank is inevitably disposed below. This is because the position of the discharge port must be high enough for a user standing on the floor to use it.
In addition, if a hot water tank is placed at the top of the cold water tank and a discharge port is provided only below the hot water tank, an air blow accident occurs when a large amount of gas is present in the upper part of the hot water tank. This is also a factor such as.

However, there is provided a liquid storage device having a structure in which a gas guide function is provided by the exhaust pipe having the above-described configurations, that is, a guide pipe section is provided in the main pipe section of the discharge pipe, and the guide pipe section faces the upper portion of the storage tank. If it is adopted in a hot water tank of a drinking water server, the necessity of providing a discharge port (extraction port of the discharge pipe) at the upper part of the tank can be eliminated.
That is, since the discharge pipe can be pulled out from the lower part of the hot water tank, there is no problem even if the hot water tank is provided above the cold water tank. As a result, the correct temperature balance, the high temperature tank can be arranged at the top and the low temperature tank can be arranged at the bottom, the device component application can be expanded, and compactness and high efficiency can be achieved.

Furthermore, the following methods can be employed as a method for exhausting the gas mixed in the storage tank using the liquid storage device configured as described above, and a draining method at the end of use of the storage tank or during maintenance.
That is, the second communication pipe includes a main pipe portion having an opening into the storage tank and a guide pipe portion branched from the main pipe portion and facing the upper portion in the storage tank, and the opening of the main pipe portion When the liquid taken in from the storage tank is discharged out of the storage tank, the gas intervening in the upper part of the storage tank is sucked and discharged out of the storage tank at the same time. In addition, in order to discharge the entire amount of liquid in the storage tank at the end of use and maintenance, a drainage port is provided at the lowermost part of the tank in the main pipe. is there.

  Since the present invention enables the gas accumulated in the upper part of the storage tank and the gas in the communication pipe of the tank pipe to be discharged using the flow of the liquid in each water pipe, the liquid and the gas are in contact with each other in the storage tank. The opportunity to do this can be reduced, and a favorable state can be obtained for quality maintenance. In addition, when the gas is discharged, the moving part can be eliminated because the flow of the liquid in the discharge pipe is used, and it is possible to provide an evacuation means with less failure and less maintenance. It is a configuration that can also improve fuel efficiency.

Overall view of one embodiment Enlarged view of the main part of FIG. (A)-(d) is explanatory drawing which shows the effect | action of the same embodiment Overall view of drinking water server The principal part enlarged view of other embodiment Overall view of yet another embodiment Fig. 5a is a main part enlarged view of a modified example of the embodiment of Fig. 5a. Overall view of the conventional example (A) (b) is the principal part enlarged view of the exhaust valve of a prior art example

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1a, the drinking water server 20 provided with the liquid storage device of this embodiment has a water guide pipe 6 extending upward from a storage tank T having a space capable of storing drinking water (liquid) w therein. The resin container 1 is detachable. By attaching the container 1 to the water conduit 6, the drinking water w in the container 1 flows into the storage tank T through the water conduit 6 due to its own weight. The storage tank T includes a cooling device (not shown). Hereinafter, this storage tank T is referred to as “cold water tank 5”.

  In this embodiment, the container 1 is formed of a flexible material, and the drinking water w in the container 1 flows down into the cold water tank 5 through the water conduit 6 so that the drinking water w in the container 1 is When decreasing, the container 1 shrinks and deforms so that the internal volume decreases, and air (gas) a does not enter the inside from the water conduit 6 side.

  The container 1 and the cold water tank 5 are housed in the container housing portion 21 and the main body 22 of the drinking water server 20 shown in FIG.

The configuration of the liquid storage device will be described. As shown in FIG. 1a, the discharge pipe 3 is drawn out from the cold water tank 5 as the storage tank T and extends out of the main body 22, and the supply / removable supply to the discharge pipe 3 can be freely opened and closed. A valve 7 is provided.
If the supply valve 7 is opened, the drinking water w in the cold water tank 5 can be appropriately supplied to an external container such as a cup or a plastic bottle, and if the supply valve 7 is closed, the supply stops. Yes. The supply valve 7 can be opened and closed by operating a lever as shown in FIG. 3, for example.

In this embodiment, another tank 5 ′ (hereinafter referred to as “hot water tank 5 ′” and distinguished from the upper cold water tank 5) is provided below the cold water tank 5.
The warm water tank 5 ′ includes a space in which the drinking water w can be accommodated, and includes a heating device (not shown) so that the drinking water w inside is warmed and stored.

This hot water tank 5 ′ is also accommodated inside the main body 22 of the drinking water server 20. A discharge pipe 3 ′ is drawn out from the hot water tank 5 ′ and extends out of the main body 22, and a supply valve 7 ′ that can be opened and closed is provided in the discharge pipe 3 ′.
If the supply valve 7 'is opened, the warmed drinking water w in the hot water tank 5' can be supplied to an external container such as a cup or a plastic bottle as appropriate, and if the supply valve 7 'is closed, the supply is Is the same as in the case of the cold water tank 5.

The cold water tank 5 and the hot water tank 5 ′ are connected by a communication pipe 8. The communication pipe 8 is connected to the upper part of the cold water tank 5 and the lower part of the hot water tank 5 ′, and is provided with an opening / closing valve 8a in the middle thereof.
Through this communication pipe 8, the drinking water w in the cold water tank 5 flows down into the hot water tank 5 'by its own weight.
In this embodiment, in order to minimize the thermal influence from the hot water tank 5 ′ on the drinking water w in the cold water tank 5, the communication pipe 8 is pulled out from the upper part of the cold water tank 5 and the lower part of the hot water tank 5 ′. To ensure that the length is long enough. Further, in the cold water tank 5, a partition plate 5 b is disposed near the opening of the communication pipe 8, and if the drinking water w flows backward from the hot water tank 5 ′, the drinking water w becomes the entire cold water tank 5. I try not to go around. Further, the open / close valve 8 a is provided near the upper end of the communication pipe 8 in order to prevent generation of accumulated water in the communication pipe 8.

Moreover, the cold water tank 5 is provided with the pocket part 11 which protrudes upwards in the upper end. Due to the pocket portion 11, the space in the cold water tank 5 is provided with a space that protrudes further upward than the upper surface of the cold water tank 5 at the top. That is, the space in the pocket portion 11 is located at the uppermost position in the cold water tank 5. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1a, the upper surface of the cold water tank 5 is closed by a lid 5a having a flat lower surface, and the inner surface of the pocket portion 11 protrudes upward from the flat lower surface. is there. Further, the flat lower surface is an inclined surface that gradually rises as it approaches the pocket portion 11, and has a function of guiding air a to the pocket portion 11.
In this embodiment, the pocket portion 11 is provided integrally with an openable / closable lid 5a that closes the upper surface of the cold water tank 5, but the pocket portion 11 may be provided on the lid 5a as described above. When there is no lid 5a, it may be provided integrally with the upper surface of the tank. Hereinafter, in the storage tank T of each embodiment, it is the same.

  As shown in FIG. 1a, the discharge pipe 3 for supplying the drinking water w to the outside includes the main pipe part 12 having an opening 13 into the cold water tank 5, and the pocket branched from the main pipe part 12 upward. And a guide pipe section 14 facing the space in the section 11.

  The guide pipe part 14 is a pipe having an inner diameter smaller than that of the main pipe part 12, and the supply valve 7 is opened to discharge the drinking water w taken from the opening part 13 of the main pipe part 12 to the outside of the cold water tank 5. At the same time, the flow of the drinking water w in the main pipe portion 12 has a function of sucking the air a in the pocket portion 11 by the so-called venturi effect and simultaneously discharging it out of the cold water tank 5. That is, as shown by an arrow v1 in FIG. 1b, when a flow of drinking water w in the main pipe portion 12 occurs, a suction force in the direction of the arrow y acts on the guide pipe portion 14 due to the flow, and as a result, the guide pipe Air a is drawn from the opening 14 a of the portion 14.

  In this embodiment, the opening 13 of the main pipe portion 12 faces the lower part of the cold water tank 5, and the main pipe portion 12 extends straight upward from the opening 13 as a rising portion 12a by a distance h3. Then, it bends at the edge of the upper surface of the cold water tank 5 (corresponding to the lower surface of the lid 5a), and then becomes a horizontal portion 12b and extends in the lateral direction by a distance h2. A branch r with the guide tube portion 14 is provided in the middle of the horizontal portion 12b.

  Further, the main pipe portion 12 extends straight downward from the horizontal portion 12b having a branch r with the guide pipe portion 14 by a distance h1 as a descending portion 12c, and then is drawn out of the cold water tank 5. The rising height h0 of the guide pipe portion 14 from the branch r to the upper end opening 14a is set sufficiently small with respect to the distances h1 and h3.

  The operation of the drinking water server 20, that is, a method for exhausting air a mixed in the cold water tank 5 using the drinking water server 20 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2A, in a state where there is no drinking water w in the cold water tank 5, the container 1 is inserted into the water conduit 6 and the container 1 is fixed. In FIG. 2, the lower hot water tank 5 ′ is not shown.
The drinking water w in the container 1 gradually flows down into the cold water tank 5 due to its own weight, and the container 1 is contracted and deformed so that the volume of the internal space is reduced (FIG. 2B). )reference).

  At this time, when the atmospheric pressure in the cold water tank 5 increases, the flow of the drinking water w from the container 1 to the cold water tank 5 stops at a certain point, but the air in the cold water tank 5 is opened by appropriately opening the supply valve 7. It is possible to discharge a to the outside and control the increase in the atmospheric pressure in the cold water tank 5. At this time, since the position of the horizontal portion 12b in the cold water tank 5 is high (distance h3 from the bottom of the cold water tank 5), it is possible to prevent a large amount of drinking water w from being discharged.

  The drinking water w in the cold water tank 5 gradually rises due to the flow of the drinking water w, and finally the water level reaches near the upper surface of the cold water tank 5 as shown in FIG.

  At this time, air a remains in the space in the pocket portion 11. This is because the space in the pocket portion 11 is located at the uppermost position in the cold water tank 5.

  Here, the supply valve 7 is opened, and the drinking water w taken from the opening 13 of the main pipe portion 12 is discharged out of the cold water tank 5. Due to the discharge of the drinking water w, the drinking water w moves in the discharge pipe 3, that is, the main pipe portion 12, is drawn by the flow, and the phenomenon that the air a in the pocket portion 11 is drawn through the guide pipe portion 14 (FIG. As a result, the air a in the cold water tank 5 can be discharged out of the cold water tank 5 without remaining.

  As a result, the air a remaining in the cold water tank 5 is eliminated, and as a result, the opportunity for the drinking water w and the air a to come into contact with each other can be reduced, and a hygienic favorable state can be achieved. In addition, since the guide pipe portion 14 as an exhaust means does not include a movable part like a conventional exhaust valve, it can be an exhaust means with few failures and less maintenance.

  In this embodiment, the main pipe portion 12 of the discharge pipe 3 has an opening 13 into the cold water tank 5 facing downward in the lower portion of the cold water tank 5, and the main pipe portion 12 is located above the opening 13. (Rising part 12a) to branch r with the guide pipe part 14 (horizontal part 12b), and then the main pipe part 12 extends downward (downward part 12c) and is drawn out of the cold water tank 5. did.

  However, the configuration of the main pipe portion 12 of the discharge pipe 3 is not limited to this embodiment, and the guide pipe portion 14 branched from the main pipe portion 12 exhibits the above-described suction effect so that the gas a in the pocket portion 11 If it has the function which can discharge | emit, it can arrange | position in a free form.

For this reason, for example, the opening 13 is not provided near the bottom of the cold water tank 5, but the rising portion 12a is omitted or shortened (the distance h3 is shortened), so that the opening 13 becomes the cold water tank 5. In the middle of the inner height direction or at a relatively upper part, or the descending part 12c is omitted or the length is shortened (the distance h1 is shortened), and the discharge pipe 3 is relatively upper part of the cold water tank 5. It is also possible to consider a form that is drawn to outside.
However, if the branch r between the main pipe part 12 and the guide pipe part 14 is too close to the opening part 13, the flow rate of the drinking water w in the vicinity of the branch r may not be stable, and the air suction force may be weakened. Therefore, it is desirable that the branch r between the main pipe portion 12 and the guide pipe portion 14 is not too close to the opening portion 13. Conversely, if the branch r between the main pipe part 12 and the guide pipe part 14 is too close to the supply valve 7, the flow rate of the drinking water w in the vicinity of the branch r is not stable, and similarly, the air suction force is weakened. Therefore, it is desirable that the branch between the main pipe portion 12 and the guide pipe portion 14 is not too close to the supply valve 7.

In general, it is desirable that the position of the supply valve 7 provided in the discharge pipe 3 is a height that is easy for a person handling it to operate. Further, a space for placing a cup or plastic bottle under the supply valve 7 is required. Moreover, it is necessary to load the container 1 which is the supply source of the drinking water w on the upper part of the cold water tank 5.
In this regard, in particular, assuming that the server for drinking water is placed on a table such as a desk or table, the position of the supply valve 7 is preferably a height that is easy for a person standing on the floor to operate, In addition, a space for placing a cup, a plastic bottle or the like under the supply valve 7 is required on the table. For this reason, in the case of a tabletop drinking water server, the position of the supply valve 7 is generally inevitably higher than the mounting surface on the desk or table by a certain distance or more.

  However, in the conventional drinking water server 10, the discharge pipe 3 for supplying the drinking water w to the outside is configured to be drawn from the bottom of the cold water tank 5 (see, for example, FIG. 6 showing the conventional example). The cold water tank 5 must be disposed above the supply valve 7 provided in the discharge pipe 3. For this reason, there existed a problem that the server 10 for drinking water enlarged (the height of an apparatus became high). Since the height of the supply valve 7 is limited to a height that is easy to operate and a height corresponding to a cup, a plastic bottle, or the like, the position of the cold water tank 5 is also increased. Further, if the position of the cold water tank 5 is increased, the loading position of the container 1 is also increased, so that it is assumed that the container 1 cannot be easily attached and detached.

  In that respect, according to the configuration of the present invention, the discharge pipe 3 can be freely drawn out of the cold water tank 5 after the main pipe portion 12 has passed through the branch r. For this reason, as mentioned above, it is possible to draw out the discharge pipe 3 to the outside in the upper part of the cold water tank 5 by omitting the descending part 12c or shortening the length (shortening the distance h1). For this reason, compared with the case of the conventional server 10 for drinking water, the position of the supply valve 7 with respect to the cold water tank 5 can be made high. That is, this makes it possible to downsize the drinking water server 20. By downsizing the apparatus, the loading position of the container 1 can be set low, and as a result, the container 1 can be easily attached and detached.

  In addition to this embodiment, this effect is also effective in other embodiments described below, and particularly in the desktop drinking water server 20 used by being placed on a desk such as a desk or table. It is valid.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 4, in the vicinity of the branch r between the main pipe portion 12 and the guide pipe portion 14, the inner diameter of the main pipe portion 12 is made narrower than before and after, thereby drinking water w near the branch r. Can be increased (flow rate in the direction of arrow v1 in the figure). If this flow velocity increases, the suction force of air a acting through the guide tube portion 14 (suction force in the direction of arrow y in the figure) also increases.

  Further, in this embodiment, in order to make the inner diameter of the main pipe portion 12 thinner than the front and rear in the vicinity of the branch r between the main pipe portion 12 and the guide pipe portion 14, as shown in FIG. Of these, the bulging portion 12d is provided on the surface where the guide tube portion 14 branches. The bulging portion 12d is provided on both the upstream side and the downstream side with the guide tube portion 14 interposed therebetween. According to this configuration, it is effective in increasing the flow velocity near the branch r.

  It is possible to implement a configuration in which the installation of the hot water tank 5 ′ is omitted and the drinking water w is supplied only by the cold water tank 5. At this time, the point that the cold water tank 5 functions as the storage tank T of the liquid storage device is the same.

  Another embodiment is shown in FIG. Since the main configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the above-described embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted, and the following description will be made focusing on differences from the above-described embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 5a, the drinking water server 20 is different from the above-described embodiment in that an intermediate tank 15 is provided in the middle of the communication pipe 8 connecting the cold water tank 5 and the hot water tank 5 ′. ing.

  The discharge function of the gas a in the cold water tank 5 is the same as that of the above-described embodiment. By discharging the drinking water w out of the cold water tank 5 through the discharge pipe 3 drawn from the cold water tank 5, the discharge pipe 3 The air a mixed in the cold water tank 5 is sucked by the flow of the drinking water w inside, and the air a is discharged to the outside.

In this embodiment, the intermediate tank 15 provided in the middle of the communication pipe 8 is also provided with an air a discharging function.
That is, the cold water tank 5 is made to function as a storage tank T of a liquid storage device having a function of discharging gas a, and the intermediate tank 15 is also made to function as a storage tank T of a liquid storage device having a function of discharging gas a. ing.

  Hereinafter, the cold water tank 5 is referred to as a first tank 5, and the hot water tank 5 ′ is referred to as a second tank 5 ′. The first tank 5 and the second tank 5 'are provided in parallel in the vertical direction.

The first continuous pipe 8b drawn out from the first tank 5 extends downward and is connected so as to pass through the lid 15a of the intermediate tank 15 and communicate with its internal space. The lower end of the first series pipe 8b opens downward in a relatively lower part of the intermediate tank 15. Drinking water w in the first tank 5 is supplied to the intermediate tank 15 through the first series pipe 8b.
In this embodiment, in order to minimize the heat effect from the second tank 5 ′, the communication pipe 8 is pulled out from the upper part of the first tank 5 in the same manner as the above-described embodiment.

A second communication pipe 8c is drawn out from the intermediate tank 15, and the second communication pipe 8c is connected so as to communicate with the space in the second tank 5 ′.
That is, as shown in FIG. 5 a, the second communication pipe 8 c includes a main pipe part 17 having an opening 18 into the intermediate tank 15, and an upper part in the intermediate tank 15 branched from the main pipe part 17 upward. And a guide pipe portion 14 facing the space.

  The guide pipe part 14 is a pipe having an inner diameter smaller than that of the main pipe part 17. When the drinking water w taken from the opening 18 of the main pipe part 17 is discharged toward the second tank 5 ′, the main pipe is provided. The air a in the intermediate tank 15 is sucked and discharged out of the intermediate tank 15 at the same time by the flow of the drinking water w in the section 17. That is, when a flow of drinking water w in the main pipe portion 17 is generated, a downward suction force acts on the guide pipe portion 14 due to the flow, and as a result, air a is drawn from the opening 14a of the guide pipe portion 14. is there.

  Thereby, the drinking water w in the intermediate tank 15 is discharged out of the intermediate tank 15 through the second communication pipe 8c, and the discharged drinking water w is supplied to the second tank 5 ′. It has become.

  For example, when the second tank 5 'is full, the supply valve 7' of the discharge pipe 3 'drawn from the second tank 5' is opened to supply the drinking water w to the outside. Then, the level of the drinking water w in the second tank 5 'is lowered. However, in response to the drop in the water level, the drinking water w taken from the opening 18 of the main pipe portion 17 through the second communication pipe 8c from the intermediate tank 15 flows into the second tank 5 ', and the second tank 5' The drinking water w in the tank 5 ′ is replenished to a full water state.

Now, it is assumed that air a remains in the upper part of the intermediate tank 15. It is conceivable that the air a can be generated by, for example, heating the drinking water w in the second tank 5 ′.
When the air a is interposed in the intermediate tank 15 as described above, when the drinking water w in the intermediate tank 15 is discharged out of the intermediate tank 15 toward the second tank 5 ′, the intermediate tank 15 Air a intervening in the upper part of the tank 15 is sucked and simultaneously discharged out of the intermediate tank 15. That is, when the drinking water w is sucked into the main pipe portion 17 from the opening 18, the air a is sucked together with the drinking water w.

  Further, as the drinking water w in the intermediate tank 15 decreases and the gas a accompanying the discharge decreases, an amount of drinking water w corresponding to the reduced drinking water w and the space in which the gas a was present passes through the first series. The drinking water w is replenished so as to flow down from the first tank 5 through the pipe 8b and to fill the intermediate tank 15 with water.

  For this reason, the air a which remains in the intermediate tank 15 is lost, and as a result, the opportunity for the drinking water w and the air a to come into contact with each other can be reduced, and a hygienic preferable state can be obtained.

  In addition, as a structure of the main pipe part 17 of the 2nd communicating pipe 8c and the intermediate tank 15, the structure shown in FIG. 5b is also employable.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 5b, the intermediate tank 15 is provided with a pocket portion 11 protruding upward at its upper end. Due to the pocket portion 11, the space in the intermediate tank 15 is provided with a space that protrudes further upward than the upper surface of the intermediate tank 15 at the top. That is, the space in the pocket portion 11 is located at the uppermost position in the intermediate tank 15. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5b, the upper surface of the intermediate tank 15 is closed by a lid 15a having a flat lower surface, and the inner surface of the pocket portion 11 protrudes upward from the flat lower surface. is there. Further, the flat lower surface is an inclined surface that gradually rises as it approaches the pocket portion 11, and has a function of guiding air a to the pocket portion 11.
In this embodiment, the pocket portion 11 is provided integrally with an openable / closable lid 15a that closes the upper surface of the intermediate tank 15. However, the pocket portion 11 may be provided on the lid 15a as described above. When there is no lid 15a, it may be provided integrally with the upper surface of the tank.

  In this configuration, the second communication pipe 8c for supplying the drinking water w to the outside includes a main pipe part 17 having an opening 18 into the intermediate tank 15 and an upper part from the main pipe part 17 as shown in FIG. And a guide tube portion 14 that branches to the space in the pocket portion 11. This point is the same as the configuration shown in FIG.

  The guide pipe part 14 is a pipe having an inner diameter smaller than that of the main pipe part 17. When the drinking water w taken from the opening 18 of the main pipe part 17 is discharged toward the second tank 5 ′, the main pipe is provided. Due to the flow of the drinking water w in the portion 17, the air a in the pocket portion 11 is sucked by a so-called venturi effect and simultaneously discharged out of the intermediate tank 15. That is, as shown by the arrow v1 in FIG. 5b, when the flow of the drinking water w in the main pipe portion 17 is generated, a suction force in the direction of the arrow y acts on the guide pipe portion 14 due to the flow. Air a is drawn from the opening 14 a of the portion 14.

  In these embodiments shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the main pipe portion 17 in the intermediate tank 15 (storage tank T) is the same as the cold water tank 5 (storage tank T) in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A. The opening 18 of the intermediate tank 15 opens downward in the intermediate tank 15, and the main pipe portion 17 extends straight upward as a rising portion 17a from the opening 18 and bends in the lateral direction, and then the horizontal portion 17b. And extends in the horizontal direction. Further, a branch r with the guide pipe portion 14 is provided in the middle of the horizontal portion 17b.

  Further, the main pipe portion 17 extends straight downward as a descending portion 17 c from a horizontal portion 17 b having a branch r with the guide pipe portion 14, and is then drawn out of the intermediate tank 15.

  The operation of the liquid storage device having this configuration, that is, a method for exhausting air a mixed in the intermediate tank 15 as the storage tank T will be described.

  Now, it is assumed that air a remains in the space in the pocket portion 11 of the intermediate tank 15. When air a is interposed in this way, by opening the supply valve 7 ′ of the second tank 5 ′ (see FIG. 5a), when the drinking water w in the second tank 5 ′ decreases, The drinking water w in the intermediate tank 15 is supplied toward the second tank 5 ′ through the second communication pipe 8c.

  Due to the discharge of the drinking water w, the drinking water w moves in the second communication pipe 8 c, that is, the main pipe portion 17, and is drawn by the flow, so that the air a in the pocket portion 11 is drawn through the guide pipe portion 14. As a result, the air a in the intermediate tank 15 can be discharged out of the intermediate tank 15 without remaining.

  In addition, the structure of the main pipe part 17 of the 2nd communicating pipe 8c provided in the intermediate tank 15 shown to FIG. 5a is the discharge pipe arrange | positioned at the cold water tank 5 in the server 20 for drinking water shown to FIG. It may replace with the structure of 3 main pipe parts 12, and may be employ | adopted.

  In these embodiments, the drinking water server 20 is described as an example of the liquid storage device. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and the configuration of the present invention includes, for example, a tank for transporting various liquids and storage. It can be employed as a liquid storage device including various storage tanks used for storing and storing various liquids such as a tank.

1 Container 2 Exhaust valve 3, 3 ', 9 Discharge pipe 4 Vent hole 5 Cold water tank (first tank)
5 'Hot water tank (second tank)
5a, 15a Lid 5b Partition plate 6 Water guide pipes 7, 7 'Supply valve 8 Communication pipes 8a, 9a Open / close valve 8b First series pipe 8c Second communication pipes 10, 20 Drinking water server 11 Pocket parts 12, 17 Main pipe part 12a, 17a Rising parts 12b, 17b Horizontal parts 12c, 17c Lowering parts 13, 18 Opening part 14 Guide pipe part 14a Opening 15 Intermediate tank 21 Container storage part 22 Main body a Gas (air)
w Drinking water T storage tank

Claims (9)

A discharge pipe (3, 8c) is drawn out of the storage tank (T; 5, 15) from the inside of the storage tank (T; 5, 15) having a space capable of storing the liquid (w) therein, and the discharge pipe In the liquid storage device capable of discharging the liquid (w) in the storage tank (T; 5, 15) to the outside of the storage tank (T; 5, 15) through (3, 8c),
The discharge pipe (3, 8c) branches from the main pipe part (12, 17) having an opening (13, 18) into the storage tank (T; 5, 15) and the main pipe part (12, 17). And a guide pipe portion (14) facing the upper portion in the storage tank (T; 5, 15), and through the discharge pipe (3, 8c), the opening (13, 17) of the main pipe portion (12, 17). 18) When the liquid (w) taken in from the storage tank (T; 5, 15) is discharged out of the storage tank (T; 5, 15), it is interposed in the upper part of the storage tank (T; 5, 15) through the guide pipe portion (14). The function of sucking the gas (a) to be discharged and simultaneously discharging it out of the storage tank (T; 5, 15) and the amount of liquid (w) corresponding to the space in which the discharged gas (a) was interposed A liquid storage device having a function of replenishing the storage tank (T; 5, 15) .   A pocket portion (11) projecting upward is provided at an upper portion in the storage tank (T; 5, 15), and an opening (14a) of the guide pipe portion (14) is formed in a space in the pocket portion (11). The liquid storage device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid storage device faces.   The opening (13, 18) faces the lower part of the storage tank (T; 5, 15), and the main pipe part (12) extends upward from the opening (13, 18), and the guide pipe part The liquid storage device according to claim 2, wherein the liquid storage device reaches a branch (r) with (14).   The main pipe portion (12, 17) extends downward from a branch (r) with the guide pipe portion (14) and is drawn out of the storage tank (T; 5, 15). The liquid storage apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 3.   A drinking water server comprising the liquid storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a liquid (inside the water conduit (6)) extending upward from the storage tank (T; 5) The container (1) containing w) is detachable, and the liquid (w) in the container (1) flows down into the storage tank (T; 5) through the water conduit (6). A server for drinking water. A drinking water server comprising the liquid storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a first tank (5) capable of storing a liquid (w) therein is moved upwardly to a second position. A tank (5 ′) is provided in parallel in the lower side, and a first communication pipe (8b) drawn from the first tank (5) is connected to a storage tank (T; 15) to connect the first tank (5; ) Is supplied to the storage tank (T; 15), and the second connecting pipe (8c) drawn from the storage tank (T; 15) is connected to the second tank (5 '). Then, the liquid in the storage tank (T; 15) is discharged out of the storage tank (T; 15) through the second communication pipe (8c), and the discharged liquid (w) is discharged into the second tank. It is designed to be supplied to the tank (5 ')
The second communication pipe (8c) branches from the main pipe part (17) having an opening (18) into the storage tank (T; 15) and the main pipe part (17), and the storage tank (T; 15) a guide pipe portion (14) facing the upper portion in the inside, and the liquid (w) taken from the opening (18) of the main pipe portion (17) through the second communication pipe (8c) is stored in the storage tank ( T; 15) When discharging outside, the gas (a) interposed in the upper part of the storage tank (T; 15) is simultaneously discharged outside the storage tank (T; 15) through the guide pipe portion (14). In the storage tank (T; 15), the amount of liquid (w) corresponding to the space where the discharged liquid (w) and the gas (a) were present is transferred from the first tank (5). A drinking water server having a liquid storage device characterized by having a function of replenishing .   The opening (18) faces the lower part of the storage tank (T; 15), and the main pipe part (17) extends upward from the opening (18) to branch from the guide pipe part (14). It reaches (r), The server for drinking water provided with the liquid storage device according to claim 6.   The main pipe part (17) extends downward from a branch (r) with the guide pipe part (14) and is drawn out of the storage tank (T; 15). A drinking water server comprising the liquid storage device according to claim 7. It is an exhaust method of the gas (a) mixed in the storage tank (T; 5,15) of the liquid storage apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 8, Comprising: The said exhaust pipe (3,8c) The main pipe part (12, 17) having an opening (13, 18) into the storage tank (T; 5, 15) and the main pipe part (12, 17) branch from the inside of the pocket part (11). A guide pipe section (14) facing the space of
When discharging the liquid (w) taken from the opening (13, 18) of the main pipe part (12, 17) out of the storage tank (T; 5, 15), through the guide pipe part (14), A storage tank of a liquid storage device characterized in that the gas (a) intervening in the upper part of the storage tank (T; 5, 15) is sucked and simultaneously discharged out of the storage tank (T; 5, 15). Exhaust method.