JP4714048B2 - Cold water generator and cold / hot water server using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a chilled water generating device applied to, for example, an electronic chilled / hot water server for beverages, and more particularly to a chilled water generating device that can adjust water temperature efficiently and consumes less power, and a chilled / hot water server using the same. .

  Conventionally, a cold / hot water server has been installed in a company or office, and desired cold water or hot water (hot water) has been taken from the server for drinks. From this cold / hot water server, cold water of about 5 ° C. to 10 ° C. and hot water (hot water) of 85 ° C. or more can be taken. The cold / hot water server includes a type that generates cold water using a compressor and a type that generates cold water using a Peltier element. Both types use hot water as an electric heater. It is common to generate.

  The above compressor type requires a compressor, refrigerant, refrigerant piping and heat exchanger, etc., the equipment is large and heavy, assembly is complicated, noise is generated by the operation of the compressor, and power consumption is high It has drawbacks such as high running costs.

  On the other hand, the electronic hot / cold water server using Peltier elements does not require a compressor, refrigerant, refrigerant piping, heat exchanger, etc., and the equipment is compact and lightweight, easy to assemble, and reduces noise generation. It has features such as low power consumption and low running cost.

  FIG. 16 is a schematic configuration diagram of the conventional electronic cold / hot water server. As shown in the figure, a water bottle 3 storing drinking water 2 is replaceably mounted on the upper portion of the casing 1.

  A cold water tank 4 made of, for example, aluminum that generates cold water is installed above the casing 1 and a hot water tank 5 that generates hot water is installed below the casing 1, respectively. A water pipe 6 extends from 4 toward the hot water tank 5.

  An electronic cooling unit 10 including a Peltier element 7, a heat conductor 8, a heat radiation fin 9 and the like is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cold water tank 4, and a heat radiation fan 11 is installed to face the heat radiation fin 9. Yes. The outer periphery of the cold water tank 4, the Peltier element 7 and the heat conductor 8 is covered with a heat insulating material 12. The Peltier element 7 is connected to a power supply board 13 and is energized and controlled by a controller (not shown). A cold water intake pipe 14 is connected to the bottom of the cold water tank 4, and a tip portion thereof is connected to a cold water intake 15.

  An electric heater 16 wound in a coil shape is installed inside the hot water tank 5, and the outer periphery of the hot water tank 5 is covered with a heat insulating material 17. This figure shows a case where an electric heater 16 is installed inside the hot water tank 5, but a structure in which a band heater is wound around the outer periphery of the hot water tank or a sheet heater is attached to the bottom surface of the hot water tank. There is also a structure of attaching. A hot water intake pipe 18 is connected to the upper part of the hot water tank 5, and its tip is connected to a hot water intake 19.

  A dish-shaped separator 20 is attached to the upper end of the water pipe 6, and the separator 20 is disposed at a relatively upper position of the cold water tank 4 as shown in the figure, and an opening of the water bottle 3 set in the casing 1. Opposite.

  When the water bottle 3 is set on the upper part of the casing 1, the drinking water 2 (room temperature water) in the water bottle 3 falls on the separator 20, and the drinking water 2 overflowing from the separator 20 accumulates in the cold water tank 4. From the separator 20, the water is accumulated in the hot water tank 5 through the water supply pipe 6.

  Then, by energizing the Peltier element 7 while rotationally driving the heat radiating fan 9, the drinking water 2 is cooled via the cold water tank 4 having good thermal conductivity by its thermoelectric conversion function (Peltier effect). The cold water 21 having reached about 10 ° C. is taken out from the cold water intake 15 through the cold water intake pipe 14.

  On the other hand, when the electric heater 16 is energized, the drinking water 2 in the hot water tank 5 is heated, and the hot water rises to the upper part of the hot water tank 5 due to the density difference, for example, 85 ° C. or more. The hot water 22 is extracted from the hot water intake port 19 through the hot water intake pipe 18. Reference numeral 23 denotes a temperature sensor which is attached to the upper part of the outer peripheral surface of the hot water tank 5 or is installed at a position substantially the same as or lower than the electric heater 16 when installed in the tank.

  The water bottle 3 is set at a high position with respect to the water intakes 15 and 19 so that the water intake speed from the water intakes 15 and 19 can be secured at a predetermined level or more, and the water head pressure difference is used.

  The separator 20 is installed in order to prevent water whose temperature has dropped in the cold water tank 4 from being mixed into the hot water tank 5 through the water pipe 6, and at the same time, the hot water in the hot water tank 5 is cooled to the cold water tank. When it returns to 4, it is provided so that cold water may not be stirred.

  In addition, the following can be mentioned as a well-known technique of this kind of cold / hot water server, for example.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-053196 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-026454 JP-A-11-255294 JP 11-314699 A JP 2003-128194 A

  Here is a little explanation of the compressor type. In the case of a compressor type hot / cold water server, the compressor, which is a heating element, is arranged at the lowest position. Therefore, the environmental temperature of the chilled water tank installed above the compressor rises due to heat generated from the compressor, and the cooling efficiency of the chilled water tank decreases.

  In the case of a compressor-type cold water tank, a refrigerant with a cold heat of −23 ° C. is used. Therefore, if the heat insulation of the cold water tank is increased, the water in the cold water tank will freeze, resulting in poor water flow and water leakage. Cause. For this reason, heat insulation can be performed only to the extent that polystyrene foam is used, heat leakage is large, and since it is easily affected by an increase in the outside air temperature, efficient cooling cannot be performed.

  By the way, in the conventional cold / hot water server, when the drinking water 2 replenished from the water bottle 3 overflows from the separator 20, it falls directly into the cold water tank 4, and the dropped room temperature water 2 is mixed with the cold water that has been cooled. Fit. Since the density difference between the replenished room temperature water 2 and the cold water is small, the water is stirred easily, the temperature of the cold water rises, and the continuous intake of cold water below a predetermined temperature is reduced or the cooling efficiency is lowered. There are problems such as increased power consumption.

  Further, in the conventional cold / hot water server, the hot water tank 5 is arranged below the cold water tank 4 and both communicate with each other through the water pipe 6, so that the heat energy generated in the hot water tank 5 passes through the water pipe 6. Therefore, even if a predetermined power is supplied to the Peltier element 7, a sufficient cooling effect cannot be obtained.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a cold water generator that can efficiently adjust water temperature, improve water intake efficiency, and consume less power, and a cold / hot water server using the cold water generator.

The first means of the present invention includes a cold water tank that generates and stores cold water,
A cooling means for cooling the water in the cold water tank to cool the water,
An diffusion side wall having an inlet side wall and an outlet side wall facing the inlet side wall, forming an inlet at a lower end of the inlet side wall, and forming an outlet at an upper end of the outlet side wall;
By disposing the diffusion preventing wall member in the cold water tank, a water receiving area is formed between one side wall of the cold water tank and the inlet side wall of the diffusion preventing wall member, and the inlet side wall of the diffusion preventing wall member. A flow area is formed between the outlet side wall and a water intake area is formed between the outlet side wall of the diffusion preventing wall member and the other side wall of the cold water tank,
The water supplied to the water receiving area can be moved from the inlet to the water intake area through the distribution area and the outlet, and cold water generated by cooling with the cooling means is taken from the water intake area. Is.

  According to a second means of the present invention, in the first means, the flow cross-sectional area of the inlet of the diffusion preventing wall member is S1, the flow cross-sectional area of the flow area is S2, and the flow cross-sectional area of the outlet is S3. Each distribution cross-sectional area has the following relationship.

S1 <S2 <S3 or S1 = S2 <S3
According to a third means of the present invention, when the volume of the water receiving area is V1, the volume of the distribution area is V2, and the volume of the water intake area is V3 in the first or second means, each volume has the following relationship: It is characterized by that.

V1 <V2 <V3 or V1 = V2 <V3
According to a fourth means of the present invention, in the first means, the distance between the inlet side wall and the outlet side wall on the outlet side of the diffusion preventing wall member is larger than the distance between the inlet side wall and the outlet side wall on the inlet side. It is characterized by becoming.

  According to a fifth means of the present invention, in the first means, a cylindrical flow guide member whose bottom is closed and a discharge port is formed on a peripheral wall is disposed at an upper portion of the water receiving area, and the flow guide is provided. After the water supplied to the inside of the member collides with the bottom of the flow guide member, the flow is changed in a substantially horizontal direction and is discharged from the discharge port to prevent the diffusion of one side wall of the cold water tank or (and) the diffusion. It flows down along the inlet side wall of the wall member.

  According to a sixth means of the present invention, in the first or second means, a rectifying plate for cold water having a water passage portion is provided between one side wall of the cold water tank and an inlet side wall of the diffusion prevention wall member. It is characterized by being installed in the horizontal direction.

  According to a seventh means of the present invention, in the first means, the cooling means includes a Peltier element, and the temperature sensor for detecting the water temperature in the cold water tank is located far from the Peltier element mounting position of the cold water tank. It is characterized by being installed.

The eighth means of the present invention is a water receiving unit that can be installed in a replaceable manner in a water bottle that is installed in the upper part of the casing and contains drinking water;
In the cold / hot water server comprising a hot water tank unit for supplying hot water through the water receiving unit and generating hot water and a cold water tank unit for generating cold water,
The cold water tank unit is a cold water generator of any one of the first to seventh means.

The ninth means of the present invention is a water receiving unit that is installed on the upper part of the casing and can replaceably attach a water bottle containing drinking water;
In the cold / hot water server comprising a hot water tank unit for supplying hot water through the water receiving unit and generating hot water and a cold water tank unit for generating cold water,
The hot water tank unit is
A hot water tank for generating and storing hot water;
A water supply pipe for supplying water from substantially the center of the bottom of the hot water tank;
An electric heater for heating water supplied from the water supply pipe;
The water supply tank is disposed substantially parallel to the bottom with a gap in the vicinity of the bottom of the hot water tank, and a plurality of water passing portions are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction on the outer periphery. A hot water rectifier plate in which a water passage portion is not formed in the opposite central portion;
Between the bottom of the hot water tank and the rectifying plate for hot water, the water supplied from the water supply pipe collides with the central portion of the rectifying plate for hot water and is dispersed on the outer peripheral side of the rectifying plate for hot water. A distributed space is formed,
The cold water tank unit is
A cold water tank for generating and storing cold water;
A cooling means for cooling the water in the cold water tank to cool the water,
An diffusion side wall having an inlet side wall and an outlet side wall facing the inlet side wall, forming an inlet at a lower end of the inlet side wall, and forming an outlet at an upper end of the outlet side wall;
By disposing the diffusion preventing wall member in the cold water tank, a water receiving area is formed between one side wall of the cold water tank and the inlet side wall of the diffusion preventing wall member, and the inlet side wall of the diffusion preventing wall member. A flow area is formed between the outlet side wall and a water intake area is formed between the outlet side wall of the diffusion prevention wall member and the other side wall of the cold water tank,
The water supplied to the water receiving area can be moved from the inlet to the water intake area through the distribution area and the outlet, and cold water generated by cooling with the cooling means is taken from the water intake area. Is.

  According to the present invention, since the water receiving area and the water intake area can be reliably separated by the diffusion preventing wall member, the normal temperature water supplied into the cold water tank does not mix with the cold water, and therefore It is possible to provide a chilled water generating apparatus and a chilled / hot water server using the chilled water generating apparatus, which can increase the continuous water intake amount of chilled water more than the conventional one, adjust the water temperature efficiently, and consume less power.

 Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a cross section of a part of a hot water tank unit used in an electronic cold / hot water server according to the embodiment, FIG. 2 is a plan view of a hot water rectifying plate mounted on the hot water tank unit, and FIG. These are the schematic block diagrams of the electronic cold / hot water server which concerns on embodiment.

  First, a schematic configuration of the electronic cold / hot water server according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, a water receiving unit 24 is installed in the upper part of the casing 1, and a water bottle 3 storing drinking water 2 is attached to the water receiving unit 24 in a replaceable manner.

  There is a case where the bottle is placed and pumped up to be supplied. In this case, the structure in the tank described later is the same. In some cases, a plastic bag containing water called bag-in-box is stored in a paper box and the paper box is set. In this case as well, the structure in the tank described later is the same. It is also effective for systems using a compressor.

  In the inside of the casing 1, contrary to the conventional case, a cold water tank unit 25 is installed on the lower side of the casing 1, and a hot water tank unit 26 is installed on the upper side. Further, the cold water tank unit 25 and the hot water tank unit 26 may be installed in parallel positions. A cold water receiving pipe 27 and a hot water receiving pipe 28 are branched from the water receiving unit 24 and are connected to a cold water tank unit 25 and a hot water tank unit 26, respectively. A cold water intake pipe 14 and a hot water intake pipe 18 extend from the cold water tank unit 25 and the hot water tank unit 26, and are connected to the cold water intake 15 and the hot water intake 19, respectively.

  Next, the hot water tank unit 26 will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, the hot water tank 5 has a cylindrical shape, is a vertically separated type, and the joint is liquid-tightly sealed with an O-ring (not shown) interposed. As the material of the hot water tank 5, a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) food grade material is used. The tank shape may be a quadrangle close to a square, but it is necessary to consider the distribution of the water outlets so that water can flow evenly in the tank.

  A hot water receiving pipe 28 extending from the water receiving unit 24 is connected to the center of the bottom plate 5 a of the hot water tank 5. A hot water rectifying plate 29 is installed slightly above the bottom plate 5 a in parallel with the bottom plate 5 a, and the outer periphery of the hot water rectifying plate 29 is joined to the inner peripheral surface of the hot water tank 5. A thin dispersion space 30 is formed between the bottom plate 5a and the hot water rectifying plate 29.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the hot water rectifying plate 29 has a disk-like outer shape similar to the inner periphery of the hot water tank 5, and has the same diameter at regular intervals along the circumferential direction in the vicinity of the outer periphery. A plurality of water passage holes 31 are formed, and the water passage holes 31 are formed in the central portion of the hot water rectifying plate 29 facing the water supply port 32 (see FIG. 1) of the hot water receiving pipe 28. Not. The hot water rectifying plate 29 is also made of PPS food grade.

  An electric heater (seeded heater) 16 is provided inside the hot water tank 5 so as to pass through the bottom plate 5a and the central portion of the hot water rectifying plate 29, and above the electric heater 16. A detection end 34a of the temperature sensor 34 is disposed. The input end of the electric heater 16 and the output end of the temperature sensor 34 are connected to terminals of the control board 35, respectively.

  One end of the hot water intake pipe 18 is inserted from the upper center part of the hot water tank 5, and one end of the hot water side air vent pipe 37 faces the space 36 formed in the upper part of the hot water tank 5. The hot water side air vent pipe 37 is connected to the water receiving unit 24 by providing a hot water side air vent check valve 38 in the middle.

  The upper and lower portions of the hot water tank 5 are covered with a heat insulating material 39 such as foamed polyurethane resin, for example, and the periphery of the hot water tank 5 is covered with a vacuum heat insulating portion 40 made of a VIP-type vacuum heat insulating member.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the drinking water 2 replenished by the hot water receiving pipe 28 from the water bottle 3 through the water receiving unit 24 is formed at the center of the bottom of the hot water tank 5 as shown in FIG. 32. This water supply is made by the weight of the drinking water 2 from the water bottle 3. In the present embodiment, the water supply is performed by the weight of the drinking water 2, but the present invention can also be applied when water is supplied by a pump.

  The drinking water 2 coming out of the water supply port 32 collides with the center of the rectifying plate 29 for hot water, changes the direction of flow as indicated by the arrows, and spreads the dispersion space 30 from the inside to the outside in a substantially horizontal direction. After being dispersed, the water is evenly introduced into the hot water tank 5 from the water passage holes 31. In this way, the drinking water 2 supplied from the water supply port 32 has an abrupt momentum of water (diffusion energy) due to collision with the rectifying plate 29 for hot water, flow direction change, dispersion in the dispersion space 30, and the like. The hot water on the hot water rectifying plate 29 is attenuated and is uniformly introduced into the hot water tank 5 from the water passage holes 31 so as to push up the whole.

  Therefore, the phenomenon that low temperature water diffuses and mixes with the hot water in the hot water tank 5 as in the prior art is suppressed, and the drinking water 2 is replenished from the bottom of the hot water tank 5 in a layered manner. . Since it is replenished in such a state, the layer state of the upper hot water layer 41 formed on the upper part of the hot water tank 5 is not destroyed and maintained at a predetermined temperature (85 ° C. or higher in the present embodiment). The upper hot water layer 41 can be secured, so that the continuous intake of hot water is larger than that of the conventional one.

  Further, as in the present embodiment, the position of the detection end 34a of the temperature sensor 34 is set above the electric heater 16, so that the temperature sensor 34 detects cold water and energizes the electric heater 16 to reheat the water. At the beginning, the cold water has reached the upper part of the electric heater 16, and even if reheating is started, diffusion hardly occurs due to the difference in density between the upper hot water layer and the cold water layer, and the cold water layer becomes hot water of about 65 ° C. It has been found through various experiments that the stirring phenomenon in the upper hot water layer 41 hardly occurs. Conversely, when reheating is started with the electric heater 16 applied to the hot water layer, it has been found that convection of cold water to the hot water layer occurs due to heating convection on the upper surface of the heater. For this reason, the continuous water intake amount of hot water can be increased by installing the sensor position above the electric heater 16.

  For example, the amount of hot water at 85 ° C. that can be continuously taken out is about 55% to 65% of the hot water tank capacity in the case of a conventional standard server, but the same hot water tank capacity in this embodiment. About 85% to 90% of water can be taken, the continuous water intake increases, and a large amount of hot water can be taken out from the server without waiting. Further, when the same amount of hot water is taken out, the power consumption can be reduced by about 30% compared to the conventional one.

  Further, in the hot water tank unit 26 of the present embodiment, there is provided a heat retention mode for keeping the hot water in the hot water tank 5 at least 60 ° C. or higher in order to maintain a sanitary environment. In order to effectively prevent heat leakage, the upper and lower portions of the hot water tank 5 are covered with a heat insulating material 39, and the periphery of the hot water tank 5 is covered with a vacuum heat insulating portion 40 having a thickness of 10 mm. Thereby, 60 degreeC heat insulation is possible without energization for about 6 hours at night. As a result, 25% of the standby power can be reduced by a sanitary discharge.

  4 is a cross-sectional view of the cold water tank unit 25, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a diffusion prevention wall member used in the cold water tank unit.

  The chilled water tank unit 25 includes a chilled water tank 4, and the chilled water tank 4 includes a rectangular tank body 4a and a lid 4b that closes an upper opening of the tank body 4a, and these have high thermal conductivity such as aluminum. It is made of metal. An antibacterial coating is applied to the inner surface of the cold water tank 4.

  One end of the cold water receiving pipe 27 is fixed near one end of the lid 4b, and a flow guide member 42 is attached to the tip thereof. The flow guide member 42 has a cylindrical shape as a whole, the bottom 43 is closed, and a plurality of long hole-like discharge ports 44 are formed in the peripheral wall.

  A diffusion prevention wall member 45 is installed in the vicinity of the flow guide member 42 inside the cold water tank 4. As shown in FIG. 5, the diffusion prevention wall member 45 includes an inlet side wall 46, an outlet side wall 47 facing the inlet side wall 46, and end walls 48, 48 connecting the inlet side walls 46 and the end edges of the outlet side wall 47. And the whole has a quadrangular cylindrical shape. An inlet 49 is provided at the lower end of the inlet side wall 46, and an outlet 50 is provided at the upper end of the outlet side wall 47. The inlet 49 and the outlet 50 are located in the inner space 51 of the diffusion prevention wall member 45. (See FIG. 4). In this embodiment, the diffusion preventing wall member 45 is formed of antibacterial polypropylene.

  By installing this diffusion prevention wall member 45 inside the cold water tank 4, the lower end opening of the diffusion prevention wall member 45 is closed by the bottom 4c of the tank body 4a, and the upper end opening of the diffusion prevention wall member 45 is covered with a lid. Blocked with 4b.

  The tip of the cold water intake pipe 14 extends to the vicinity of the bottom 4c of the tank body 4a, and an opening 52 that is cut obliquely is formed at the tip, and the opening 52 faces the diffusion preventing wall member 45 side.

  When the chilled water tank 4 is filled with a predetermined amount of water, a space 53 is formed in the upper part of the chilled water tank 4, but an air vent 54 is formed at a position corresponding to the space 53 of the chilled water intake pipe 14. Yes. One end of a cold water side air vent pipe 55 faces the space 53, and the cold water side air vent pipe 55 is connected to the water receiving unit 24 by providing a hot water side air vent check valve 56 in the middle.

  An electronic cooling unit 10 that generates cold water includes a Peltier element 7, a heat conductor 8, a heat radiating fin 9, and the like, and a heat radiating fan 11 is installed to face the heat radiating fin 9. In the case of this embodiment, the electronic cooling unit 10 is attached to the bottom 4c of the tank body 4a and the side wall 4e or the side wall 4e and the bottom surface 4c facing the flow guide member 42 of the tank body 4a.

  Thus, in this embodiment, since the electronic cooling unit 10 is attached to the bottom 4c and the side wall 4e of the tank body 4a, the temperature sensor 57 for detecting the water temperature in the cold water tank 4 is located far from the electronic cooling unit 10. That is, it is installed in the vicinity of the upper end of the side wall 4d of the tank body 4a on the substantially opposite side to the electronic cooling unit 10.

  As shown in FIG. 4, by installing a diffusion prevention wall member 45 in the cold water tank 4, a water receiving area (volume V1) is provided between the side wall 4d of the tank body 4a and the inlet side wall 46 of the diffusion prevention wall member 45. A flow area (volume V2) is formed between the inlet side wall 46 and the outlet side wall 47 of the diffusion prevention wall member 45, and between the outlet side wall 47 of the diffusion prevention wall member 45 and the side wall 4e of the tank body 4a. A water intake area (volume V3) is formed. In this way, the diffusion prevention wall member 45 intervenes to reliably isolate (separate) the water receiving area for replenishing the drinking water 2 and the water intake area for generating cold water to form the lower cold water layer 58 and taking the cold water. can do.

  By separating (separating) the water receiving area and the water intake area, the influence of the water flow in the water receiving area on the lower cold water layer 58 formed in the water intake area is substantially suppressed, and water is taken from the water receiving area. The movement of heat to the area is also suppressed, and the cooling efficiency in the water intake area can be increased.

  The relationship of the volume V of each area is V1 <V2 <V3 or V1 = V2 <V3, and the volume V3 of the water intake area is maximized. By doing so, the flow of water in the water intake area becomes the slowest and a large amount of cold water can be reserved.

  The drinking water 2 replenished by the cold water receiving pipe 27 from the water bottle 3 through the water receiving unit 24 collides with the bottom 43 of the flow guide member 42 which is a diffusion plate in the orthogonal direction, and flows horizontally in the discharge port 44. Get out of. As shown in FIG. 4, the side wall 4d of the tank body 4a and the inlet side wall 46 of the diffusion prevention wall member 45 are located near both sides of the flow guide member 42. It gently flows down along the plane of the side wall 46. Thus, the structure in which the drinking water 2 flows down along the planes of the side wall 4d and the inlet side wall 46 suppresses the disturbance of the water flow and helps prevent the diffusion of the lower cold water layer 58 described later.

  The flow of water in the cold water tank 4 due to intake water and supplemental water flows down along the side wall 4d and the inlet side wall 4 as indicated by arrows, enters from the inlet 49 below the diffusion prevention wall member 45, and enters the diffusion prevention wall member. The inside space 51 of 45 is gradually raised and exits from the outlet 50. The water discharged to the intake area having the largest volume V3 is sufficiently cooled by the electronic cooling unit 10, and the chilled water of 5 ° C. or less accumulated in the lower portion of the chilled water tank 4 passes through the chilled water intake pipe 14 from the opening 52 and is cooled. It reaches the water intake 15 (see FIG. 3).

  As described above, the opening 52 formed at the tip of the cold water intake pipe 14 faces the diffusion preventing wall member 45 side. Since the cold water cooled to a predetermined temperature or lower (5 ° C. or lower in the present embodiment) finally accumulates near the diffusion prevention wall member 45 in the bottom portion 4c of the cold water tank 4 in the intake area, the position of the opening 52 is described above. By doing so, it is possible to reliably take out cold water cooled to a predetermined temperature or lower. This water supply is also due to the weight of the drinking water 2 in the water bottle 3. The effect that the cold water cooled to the predetermined temperature or less can be reliably taken out can be obtained in the same manner even in a configuration in which water is supplied by a pump.

  As described above, the supplementary water is put into the supplementary water path in the cold water tank 4 from the lower inflow port 49, and the inside space 51 is gradually raised so as to exit from the outflow port 50 of the upper material 45. If the diffusion preventing wall member 45 is arranged, the diffusion of the lower cold water layer 58 due to the injection of makeup water can be prevented, and the continuous intake amount of cold water becomes larger than that of the conventional one.

  The flow cross-sectional area of the inlet 49 in the diffusion preventing wall member 45 (equal to the opening area of the inlet 49) is S1, the flow cross-sectional area of the inner space 51 (equal to the opening area of the inner space 51) is S2, and the outlet 50 When the flow cross-sectional area (which is narrower than the opening area of the outlet 50 because the water surface is lowered) is S3, S1 <S2 <S3 or S1 = S2 <S3. By doing so, the momentum of the water flow at the outlet 5 of the diffusion preventing wall member 45 is moderated.

  In the case of a conventional standard server, the amount of continuous intake of cold water of 5 ° C. or lower was about 30% to 40% of the capacity of the cold water tank. In this embodiment, the same capacity of the cold water tank is used. The amount of continuous water intake increases, and a lot of cold water can be taken out from the server without waiting. Moreover, when taking out the same amount of cold water, the power consumption can be greatly reduced as compared with the conventional one.

  An efficient cooling method for electronic cooling using a Peltier device is not on / off control, but linear control that adjusts the output to the Peltier device in accordance with the control temperature. However, at the stage of generating cold water, it is necessary to increase the cooling rate as much as possible. To that end, even if the temperature is close to the control temperature, the output to the Peltier element is operated at 100%, and control is performed after the set temperature is reached. There is a way to enter. However, since this method is influenced by the outside air temperature and the water temperature, it is difficult to predict the cooling time in advance.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the temperature sensor 57 is provided at a position of the cold water tank 4 as far as possible from the electronic cooling unit 10, that is, near the water supply port, which is slower than the vicinity of the electronic cooling unit 10 where the electronic cooling unit 10 is installed. The electronic cooling unit 10 is energized by measuring the water temperature in the vicinity of the electronic cooling unit 10 installed. By doing so, cooling can be performed at 100% output until the water intake temperature approaches the set temperature, and the cooling can be speeded up. At the same time, recooling after taking in cold water can be started immediately.

  In addition, the water temperature rises the fastest at the time of water intake and subsequent water replenishment, but if the temperature sensor 57 is installed as described above, the cooling operation can be started quickly.

  In the present embodiment, since the electronic cooling unit 10 is installed on both the bottom 4c and the side wall 4e of the cold water tank 4, the temperature sensor 57 is installed near the upper end of the opposite side wall 4d in order to separate from the electronic cooling unit 10. When the unit 10 is installed only at the bottom 4 c of the cold water tank 4, the temperature sensor 57 may be installed at a position near the supplementary water supply port at the upper end opening of the cold water tank 4. When the electronic cooling unit 10 is installed only on the side wall 4e of the cold water tank 4, the temperature sensor 57 may be installed on one of the side walls 4d on the opposite side.

  In the case of the cold / hot water server according to the present embodiment, the total power consumption is reduced by 40% or more due to the synergistic effect due to the power reduction by increasing the hot water intake efficiency, the cold water intake efficiency, the tank heat insulation effect, and the introduction of the heat retention mode can do.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a modification of the hot water rectifying plate 29. In this example, a plurality of water passage slits 59 having the same slit area are formed at equal intervals along the outer peripheral portion of the hot water rectifying plate 29.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a further modification of the hot water rectifying plate 29, and FIG. 8 is a front view of a part of the hot water rectifying plate 29. An outer peripheral wall 63 having a predetermined height is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the flow straightening plate 29 for hot water, and the water flow having the same slit area at equal intervals along the circumferential direction is radially inward of the outer peripheral wall 63. A plurality of slits 59 are formed. By installing this hot water rectifying plate 29 on the bottom plate 5a (see FIG. 1) of the hot water tank 5, the dispersion space 30 (see FIG. 1) is secured by the outer peripheral wall 63 of the hot water rectifying plate 29. Is done.

  64 in the figure is a fitting hole for fitting a flange portion (not shown) used for fixing the electric heater 16, and 65 is an insertion hole for inserting both ends of the electric heater 16. The fitting hole 64 and the insertion hole 65 are closed by installing the electric heater 16.

  FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modified example of the diffusion preventing wall member 45. In this example, the distance between the inlet side wall 46 and the outlet side wall 47 of the diffusion preventing wall member 45 gradually increases from the lower part to the upper part. In this modification, both the inlet side wall 46 and the outlet side wall 47 are provided with an inclination of the angle θ, but either the inlet side wall 46 or the outlet side wall 47 may be provided with an inclination. When these inclinations are provided, the flow sectional area S <b> 2 of the internal space 51 is the opening area at the lower end of the diffusion prevention wall member 45.

  FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a modification of the cold water tank unit 25, and FIG. 11 is a plan view of a rectifying plate for cold water used in the cold water tank unit.

  In this modification, below the flow guide member 42, a cold water rectifying plate 60 is installed in a substantially horizontal direction between the side wall 4 d of the cold water tank 4 and the inlet side wall 46 of the diffusion prevention wall member 45. The lateral width W of the cold water rectifying plate 60 shown in FIG. 11 is substantially equal to the distance between the side wall 4 d and the inlet side wall 46, and the depth L of the cold water rectifying plate 60 is substantially equal to the depth of the cold water tank 4.

  In the vicinity of both side ends of the cold water rectifying plate 60, a plurality of hole-shaped or slit-shaped water passing portions 61 are formed at equal intervals along the depth direction of the cold water rectifying plate 60.

  The drinking water 2 exiting from the discharge port 44 of the flow guide member 42 flows down along the plane of the side wall 4d and the inlet side wall 46, thereby eliminating the flow disturbance. Further, it collides with the cold water rectifying plate 60 and is diffused in the horizontal direction along the plane of the cold water rectifying plate 60, so that the momentum of the water flow is greatly attenuated, Further, it gently flows down along the plane of the side wall 4d and the inlet side wall 46. As a result, diffusion of the lower cold water layer 58 can be prevented more reliably.

  In this modification, the flow guide member 42 and the cold water rectifying plate 60 are used together, but the flow guide member 42 may be omitted and only the cold water rectifying plate 60 may be installed.

  FIG. 12 is a sectional view for explaining a water receiving unit 24 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a sectional view for explaining a conventional water receiving unit. The water receiving unit has a function of setting the water supply port of the water bottle 3 and simultaneously introducing water into the server body and introducing external air into the water bottle 3.

    First, a conventional water receiving unit will be described with reference to FIG. The tip of the water bottle 3 is inserted and set upside down into an upper bottle fixing part called a water guard 70. As a result, the tip of the water bottle 3 is inserted into the bottle plug 71 fixed in the water guard 70.

  When the drinking water 2 is not contained in the cold water tank 4, the drinking water 2 in the water bottle 3 falls into the cold water tank 4 by its own weight, and the external air 72 is replaced with an air check valve 73 and a bottle plug instead. Enter the water bottle 3 through 71. Reference numeral 74 in the figure denotes bubbles in the water that are generated when the air 72 is introduced.

  As shown in the figure, when the water surface 75 in the cold water tank 4 reaches the lower end opening of the bottle plug 71, the inside of the cold water tank 4 becomes positive pressure and the air check valve 73 works to be sealed. When water is taken in from a cold water intake (not shown), the water surface 75 in the cold water tank 4 is lowered from the lower end opening of the bottle plug 71, whereby the air 72 enters the water bottle 3 again through the air check valve 73 and the bottle plug 71. Accordingly, the drinking water in the water bottle 3 is supplied to the cold water tank 4 through the bottle plug 71 instead.

  In the conventional water receiving unit, the inside of the bottle plug 71 is a single pipe, and a partition plate 76 is provided inside the bottle plug 71, but it extends only halfway. The air 72 (bubbles 74) and the water 2 are not separated.

  For this reason, the bubbles 74 stay in the bottle plug 71 and hinder the water flow, the water flow is not performed smoothly or the water flow to the cold water tank 4 may be stopped in some cases. In addition, the water flow to the cold water tank 4 may pulsate greatly, and due to the influence of the water supply accompanying this large flow rate fluctuation, the cold water and hot water are stirred in the tank, resulting in an increase in the intake temperature or the intake amount. There are fewer problems.

  In this embodiment, such a problem is solved, and will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, an air supply dedicated pipe 77 is provided in the bottle plug 71 from the air check valve 73 of the air supply system, whereby the inside of the bottle plug 71 is completely separated into an air flow path and a water flow path. As a result, the above-mentioned problems are solved, both the introduction of air into the water bottle 3 and the water flow from the water bottle 3 are smooth, and the pulsating flow is reduced in the water supply to the cold water tank and the hot water tank. Troubles due to poor water flow are eliminated, stirring in the tank can be further suppressed, and water intake efficiency can be further increased.

  An in-plug check valve 78 for preventing water 2 from entering the supply air piping 77 from the bottle plug 71 side is provided on the upper side of the supply air piping 77 in the bottle plug 71.

  If this check valve 78 is not provided, water 2 enters the dedicated air supply pipe 77, and at the next water flow, the air supply resistance is maintained until the water 2 in the pipe 77 is discharged. The amount of water decreases. For smooth air supply into the water bottle 3, the plug check valve 78 is necessary.

  Even when the check valve is provided in the intake filter unit installed outside, the above-described effects can be obtained independently of the intake pipe, but the check valve 78 is provided in the bottle plug 71 as described above. The installation structure is better.

  A filter 79 is provided on the side of the air supply port in contact with the outside air in order to prevent dust from entering the air supply dedicated pipe 77 accompanying the air supply. By using an antibacterial filter such as a catechin filter for the filter 79 or retaining a gas for sterilization, for example, a gas such as cluster ions, ozone, or the like, it is possible to prevent contamination of bacteria due to air flowing into the bottle.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 12, the plug check valve 78 is provided on the upper side of the dedicated air supply pipe 77, but the plug check valve 78 is not provided. Instead, a float type is provided below the filter 79 in FIG. 12. An inner check valve can also be provided.

  FIG. 12 shows an example in which the cold water tank 4 is arranged directly under the bottle plug 71. FIG. 14 shows the structure of a water receiving unit applicable to the embodiment shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, a cold water receiving pipe 27 and a hot water receiving pipe 28 are connected to the lower part of the water receiving unit, and the drinking water 2 from the water bottle 3 passes through the bottle plug 71 and the cold water receiving pipe 27. The hot water receiving pipe 28 is branched and supplied. In this embodiment as well, the functions of the dedicated air supply pipe 77 and the plug check valve 78 are the same as described above, and therefore, redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of water supply to the cold water tank 4. As shown in the figure, a separator 20 is installed below the bottle plug 71, and a water supply pipe 6 is connected to the lower center of the separator 20, and the water supply pipe 6 extends through the cold water tank 4 to the hot water tank 5 side. ing.

  A dish-shaped receiving member 66 having a larger receiving area is disposed below the separator 20. A sliding portion 67 through which the water pipe 6 passes is provided at the center of the receiving member 66, a relatively shallow peripheral wall 68 is provided at the outer peripheral portion, and a plurality of inlets 69 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction at the bottom portion. Is formed. The receiving member 66 is made of a material lighter than water, such as polypropylene, and floats on the water surface in the cold water tank 4.

  The drinking water 2 in the water bottle 3 passes through the bottle plug 71 described above, is dispersed in the horizontal direction by the separator 20, and the water 2 overflowing from the outer peripheral wall of the separator 20 is once received in the receiving member 66 and received. Dispersed from each inlet 69 provided in the member 66 and introduced into the cold water tank 4. The hot water tank 5 is supplied from the separator 20 through the water supply pipe 6.

  Without this receiving member 66, the water 2 overflowing from the separator 20 will fall directly into the cold water tank 4, and the normal temperature water replenished by the force at the time of dropping will be mixed with the cold water that has been cooled by the cold water. Intake may not be possible.

  On the other hand, by installing the receiving member 66, if a large water pressure is momentarily applied when the water 2 is replenished, the receiving member 66 itself sinks and the impact of the fall is absorbed. Therefore, the water 2 having a high flow velocity does not flow into the cold water tank 4 from each inflow port 69, the stirring of the room temperature water and the cold water is suppressed, and the cold water can be taken in even during replenishment. When the water 2 in the receiving member 66 moves into the cold water tank 4, the receiving member 66 returns to its original position by its buoyancy and can respond to the next replenishment.

  In the above embodiment, the case of an electronic cold / hot water server using a Peltier element has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to a compressor-type cold / hot water server. The present invention is also applicable to a server that takes only hot water or only cold water.

It is the schematic block diagram which made a part of hot water tank unit used for the electronic cold / hot water server which concerns on embodiment of this invention into the cross section. It is a top view of the rectifier plate for hot water with which the hot water tank unit is mounted. It is a schematic block diagram of the electronic cold / hot water server which concerns on embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the cold water tank unit used for the electronic cold / hot water server which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the diffusion prevention wall member used for the cold water tank unit. It is a top view which shows the modification of the baffle plate for hot water. It is a top view which shows the further modification of the baffle plate for hot water. It is the front view which sectioned a part of the rectifying plate for hot water. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the modification of a diffusion prevention wall member. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of a cold water tank unit. It is a top view of the baffle plate used for the cold water tank unit. It is sectional drawing of the water receiving unit which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the conventional water receiving unit. It is sectional drawing of the water receiving unit which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the other example of the water supply to the cold water tank in other embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the conventional electronic cold / hot water server.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Casing, 2 ... Drinking water, 3 ... Water bottle, 4 ... Cold water tank, 5 ... Hot water tank, 5a ... Bottom plate of a hot water tank, 6 ... Water pipe, 7 ... Peltier element, 8 ... Thermal conductor, 9 ... Radiation fins, 10 ... electronic cooling unit, 11 ... radiation fan, 12 ... heat insulating material, 13 ... power supply board, 14 ... cold water intake pipe, 15 ... cold water intake, 16 ... electric heater, 17 ... heat insulating material, 18 ... warm water intake Mouth, 19 ... Hot water intake pipe, 20 ... Separator, 21 ... Cold water, 22 ... Hot water, 23 ... Temperature sensor, 24 ... Water receiving unit, 25 ... Cold water tank unit, 26 ... Hot water tank unit, 27 ... Receiving for cold water Water pipe, 28 ... Hot water receiving pipe, 29 ... Hot water rectifying plate, 30 ... Dispersion space, 31 ... Water passage hole, 32 ... Water supply port, 33 ... Seed heater, 34 ... Temperature sensor, 34a ... Temperature sensor Detection end, 35 ... control base , 36 ... space part, 37 ... hot water side air vent pipe, 38 ... hot water side air vent check valve, 39 ... heat insulating material, 40 ... vacuum heat insulating part, 41 ... upper hot water layer, 42 ... flow guide member, 43 ... Bottom part 44 ... Discharge port 45 ... Diffusion prevention wall member 46 ... Inlet side wall 47 ... Exit side wall 48 ... End wall 49 ... Inlet port 50 ... Outlet port 51 ... Inside space 52 ... Opening 53 ... Space part, 54 ... Air vent, 55 ... Cold water side air vent pipe, 56 ... Cold water side air vent check pipe, 57 ... Temperature sensor, 58 ... Lower cold water layer, 59 ... Water flow slit, 60 ... Cold water rectifying plate, 61 ... Water passing portion, 63 ... outer peripheral wall, 64 ... fitting hole, 65 ... insertion hole, 66 ... receiving member, 67 ... sliding portion, 68 ... peripheral wall, 69 ... inflow port, 70 ... water guide, 71 ... bottle plug, 72 ... Air, 73 ... Air check valve, 74 ... Bubble, 75 ... Water surface, 76 The partition plate, 77 ... air dedicated pipe, 78 ... plug Uchigyakutomeben, 79 ... filter.

Claims (9)

A cold water tank for generating and storing cold water;
A cooling means for cooling the water in the cold water tank to cool the water,
An diffusion side wall having an inlet side wall and an outlet side wall facing the inlet side wall, forming an inlet at a lower end of the inlet side wall, and forming an outlet at an upper end of the outlet side wall;
By disposing the diffusion preventing wall member in the cold water tank, a water receiving area is formed between one side wall of the cold water tank and the inlet side wall of the diffusion preventing wall member, and the inlet side wall of the diffusion preventing wall member. A flow area is formed between the outlet side wall and a water intake area is formed between the outlet side wall of the diffusion preventing wall member and the other side wall of the cold water tank,
The water supplied to the water receiving area can be moved from the inlet to the water intake area through the distribution area and the outlet, and cold water generated by cooling with the cooling means is taken from the water intake area. Cold water generator. The cold water generating device according to claim 1, wherein the flow cross-sectional area of the inlet of the diffusion preventing wall member is S1, the flow cross-sectional area of the flow area is S2, and the flow cross-sectional area of the outlet is S3. Is a cold water generator characterized by the following relationship.
S1 <S2 <S3 or S1 = S2 <S3 3. The cold water generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the volume of the water receiving area is V1, the volume of the distribution area is V2, and the volume of the water intake area is V3, the volumes have the following relationship. Cold water generator.
V1 <V2 <V3 or V1 = V2 <V3   The cold water generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the inlet side wall and the outlet side wall on the outlet side of the diffusion prevention wall member is larger than a distance between the inlet side wall and the outlet side wall on the inlet side. A featured cold water generator.   The cold water generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a cylindrical flow guide member having a closed bottom and a discharge port formed in a peripheral wall is disposed at an upper portion of the water receiving area and supplied to the inside of the flow guide member. After the collided water collides with the bottom of the flow guide member, the flow is changed in a substantially horizontal direction and is discharged from the discharge port to be discharged from the discharge port, and / or the inlet side wall of the diffusion prevention wall member. A cold water generator that flows down along the line.   The cold water generator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a rectifying plate for cold water having a water passage portion is installed in a substantially horizontal direction between one side wall of the cold water tank and an inlet side wall of the diffusion prevention wall member. A cold water generator characterized by comprising:   2. The cold water generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling means includes a Peltier element, and a temperature sensor that detects a water temperature in the cold water tank is installed at a position far from a Peltier element mounting position of the cold water tank. A cold water generator characterized by the above. A water receiving unit installed at the upper part of the casing and capable of replacing a water bottle containing drinking water;
In the cold / hot water server comprising a hot water tank unit for supplying hot water through the water receiving unit and generating hot water and a cold water tank unit for generating cold water,
The cold / hot water server, wherein the cold water tank unit is the cold water generation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A water receiving unit installed at the upper part of the casing and capable of replacing a water bottle containing drinking water;
In the cold / hot water server comprising a hot water tank unit for supplying hot water through the water receiving unit and generating hot water and a cold water tank unit for generating cold water,
The hot water tank unit is
A hot water tank for generating and storing hot water;
A water supply pipe for supplying water from substantially the center of the bottom of the hot water tank;
An electric heater for heating water supplied from the water supply pipe;
The water supply tank is disposed substantially parallel to the bottom with a gap in the vicinity of the bottom of the hot water tank, and a plurality of water passing portions are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction on the outer periphery. A hot water rectifier plate in which a water passage portion is not formed in the opposite central portion;
Between the bottom of the hot water tank and the rectifying plate for hot water, the water supplied from the water supply pipe collides with the central portion of the rectifying plate for hot water and is dispersed on the outer peripheral side of the rectifying plate for hot water. A distributed space is formed,
The cold water tank unit is
A cold water tank for generating and storing cold water;
A cooling means for cooling the water in the cold water tank to cool the water,
An diffusion side wall having an inlet side wall and an outlet side wall facing the inlet side wall, forming an inlet at a lower end of the inlet side wall, and forming an outlet at an upper end of the outlet side wall;
By disposing the diffusion preventing wall member in the cold water tank, a water receiving area is formed between one side wall of the cold water tank and the inlet side wall of the diffusion preventing wall member, and the inlet side wall of the diffusion preventing wall member. A flow area is formed between the outlet side wall and a water intake area is formed between the outlet side wall of the diffusion preventing wall member and the other side wall of the cold water tank,
The water supplied to the water receiving area can be moved from the inlet to the water intake area through the distribution area and the outlet, and cold water generated by cooling with the cooling means is taken from the water intake area. Cold and hot water server.

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