Water outlet control device and water dispenser

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of water dispensers, in particular to a water outlet control device. Comprising a rack, a cup base and a water outlet hose, the cup base is fixedly arranged at the bottom of the rack, and the water outlet hose is installed at the position, corresponding to the cup base, of the top of the rack; the rack is further provided with a water pipe driving platform located above the cup base. The water pipe driving platform is provided with an inserting opening used for inserting a water outlet hose. The water pipe driving platform is further provided with a first driving module for driving the water outlet hose to move in the direction away from or close to the rack. The water pipe driving platform is further provided with a second driving module for driving the water outlet hose to move in the inserting opening. And a third driving module for driving the cup base to move up and down is further arranged at the bottom of the rack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of water dispensers, in particular to a water outlet control device. Background Art

[0002] A water dispenser is a device that provides convenient access to drinking water. It can be categorized into two types: filtered water dispensers and bottled water dispensers. Filtered water dispensers use a built-in filtration system to filter and purify tap water, removing impurities, organic matter, and microorganisms, ensuring cleaner, healthier water for users. Bottled water dispensers, on the other hand, use a built-in pump to deliver bottled water to the outlet. These dispensers are typically suitable for environments without filtration equipment or where high water quality requirements are required.

[0003] In the related art, all water dispensers have fixed outlets. When users need to collect water, they are required to place their cups directly below the outlet; otherwise, the drinking water flowing out of the outlet will not accurately enter the cup. Furthermore, due to varying cup sizes, the distance between the cup opening and the dispenser's outlet varies. If the cup opening is too far from the outlet, water can easily splash out of the cup. If it is too close, the nozzle may extend into the cup, and the water surface may submerge the outlet. Utility Model Content

[0004] In response to the above technical problems, the utility model proposes a water outlet control device, which aims to not fix the water outlet of the water outlet control device, so that the user can actively calibrate the water outlet when he needs to collect water. Instead, the water outlet control device controls the driving module to move the water outlet above the water cup to improve the user experience.

[0005] In a first aspect, the utility model provides a water outlet control device, comprising: a frame, a cup holder, and a water outlet hose, wherein the cup holder is fixed to the bottom of the frame, and the water outlet hose is installed at a position on the top of the frame corresponding to the cup holder;

[0006] The frame is further provided with a water pipe driving platform located above the cup holder, and the water pipe driving platform is provided with a socket for inserting the water outlet hose;

[0007] The water pipe driving platform is further provided with a first driving module for driving the water outlet hose to move away from or towards the rack;

[0008] The water pipe driving platform is further provided with a second driving module that drives the water outlet hose to move in the socket;

[0009] A third driving module is also provided at the bottom of the frame for driving the cup holder to move in the up and down directions.

[0010] As an optional solution for the water outlet control device provided by the present invention, a movable plate is installed on the water pipe drive platform, the socket is provided on the movable plate, and the first drive module is used to drive the movable plate to move away from or close to the frame, thereby driving the water outlet hose to move synchronously.

[0011] As an optional solution of the water outlet control device provided by the present invention, the third driving module includes a third motor, a gear, a lifting track and a supporting metal bar connected in sequence, and the supporting metal bar is connected to the cup holder;

[0012] The third motor is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the frame and is used to drive the gear to rotate and thereby drive the lifting rail and the supporting metal bar to move in the up and down directions.

[0013] As an optional solution of the water outlet control device provided by the present invention, the socket is an arc-shaped socket, and the water outlet hose moves in a curve in the arc-shaped socket under the drive of the second driving module.

[0014] As an optional solution of the water outlet control device provided by the present invention, the second driving module includes a second motor and a second driving telescopic rod, and the end of the second motor away from the arc-shaped socket is fixed to the movable plate by a fixing screw, and is connected to the water outlet hose through the second driving telescopic rod;

[0015] When the second motor drives the second driving telescopic rod to extend, the water outlet hose moves in a curve in the arc-shaped socket toward the end away from the fixed end of the second motor;

[0016] When the second motor drives the second driving telescopic rod to shorten, the water outlet hose moves in a curve in the arc-shaped socket toward the end close to the second motor.

[0017] As an optional solution of the water outlet control device provided by the present invention, a holding ring is provided between the water outlet hose and the socket, the second driving telescopic rod is connected to the water outlet hose through the holding ring, and a gap is provided between the holding ring and the water outlet hose.

[0018] As an optional solution of the water outlet control device provided by the present invention, the first driving module includes a first motor and a first driving telescopic rod, the first motor is fixedly mounted on the water pipe driving platform by fixing screws, and the first driving telescopic rod is connected to the movable plate;

[0019] When the first motor drives the first driving telescopic rod to extend, the movable plate moves in a direction away from the frame;

[0020] When the first motor drives the first driving telescopic rod to shorten, the movable plate moves toward the direction approaching the frame.

[0021] As an optional solution of the water outlet control device provided by the present invention, a water vapor separation device is also included. The water vapor separation device is connected to the top of the water outlet hose and is used to separate the steam generated by the water outlet control device.

[0022] As an optional solution of the water outlet control device provided by the utility model, it also includes a water cup positioning device for positioning the water cup placed on the cup holder. The water cup positioning device includes at least one of the following: an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, and a camera.

[0023] As an optional solution of the water outlet control device provided by the present invention, the water outlet control device also includes a display screen, which is installed on the surface of the water outlet control device and is used to display the relative relationship between the target position detected by the water cup positioning device and the water outlet position of the water outlet hose in the form of an image.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a water dispenser equipped with a water outlet control device as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0025] The beneficial technical effects of the present invention include at least the following: On the one hand, because the water outlet pipe of the water outlet control device is a hose, the water outlet of the water outlet control device is not fixed and can be moved by the drive module, so that the user does not need to actively adjust the water outlet when filling water. Instead, the water outlet control device controls the drive module to move the water outlet above the water cup, thereby improving the user experience. On the other hand, the water outlet control device includes a first drive module and a second drive module. The first drive module can drive the water outlet hose to move away from or toward the frame, and the second drive module can drive the water outlet hose to move within the socket, allowing the water outlet hose to move in multiple directions. This not only increases the flexibility of the water outlet control device in controlling the water outlet position of the water outlet hose, but also ensures that the water outlet hose can be accurately driven above the mouth of the water cup. In addition, the water outlet control device includes a third drive module that drives the cup holder to move in the up and down directions. The cup holder is driven to move according to the height of the cup mouth on the cup holder, thereby adjusting the distance between the cup mouth and the water outlet hose to prevent the distance between the two from being too large or too small.

[0026] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be disclosed in detail in the following specific embodiments and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0028] Figure 1This is a structural schematic diagram of a water outlet control device according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a water outlet control device from a top view according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an installation structure of a second driving module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an installation structure of a movable plate shown in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a water vapor separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an installation structure of a third driving module according to an embodiment of the present utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following is an explanation and description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention, but the following embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not exhaustive. Based on the embodiments in the embodiments, other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] In the following description, terms such as "inside", "outside", "up", "down", "left", "right", etc. that indicate directions or positional relationships are only used to facilitate the description of the embodiments and simplify the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operate in a specific direction. Therefore, they should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0036] The present invention provides a water outlet control device. Figure 1 The water outlet control device includes a frame 11, a cup holder 12, and a water outlet hose 13. The frame 11 is the supporting structure of the water outlet control device, the cup holder 12 is fixed to the bottom of the frame 11, and the water outlet hose 13 is installed at the top of the frame 11 at a position corresponding to the cup holder, that is, above the cup holder 12.

[0037] The frame 11 is further provided with a water pipe driving platform 14 located above the cup holder 12 . The water pipe driving platform 14 has a socket 16 for inserting the water outlet hose 13 . The water outlet of the water outlet hose 13 can move based on the deformation of the water outlet hose 13 .

[0038] The water pipe driving platform 14 is provided with a first driving module 17 for driving the water outlet hose 13 to move away from or towards the rack 11. Figure 2 As shown, the first driving module may include a first motor 171 and a first driving telescopic rod 172. The first motor 171 is fixedly mounted on the water pipe driving platform 14 by fixing screws, and the first driving telescopic rod 172 is connected to the movable plate 15. The first motor 171 can control the extension or contraction of the first driving telescopic rod 172. When the first driving telescopic rod 172 is extended, the movable plate 15 is pushed toward the direction away from the frame 11, and at the same time, the water outlet hose 13 inserted into the socket 16 on the movable plate 15 is synchronously moved toward the direction away from the frame 11; when the first driving telescopic rod 172 is shortened, the movable plate 15 is pushed toward the direction close to the frame 11, and at the same time, the water outlet hose 13 inserted into the socket 16 on the movable plate 15 is synchronously moved toward the direction close to the frame 11.

[0039] The water pipe driving platform 14 is further provided with a second driving module 18 for driving the water outlet hose 13 to move in the socket 16 .

[0040] A third driving module 21 is further provided at the bottom of the frame 11 for driving the cup holder 12 to move up and down.

[0041] In this embodiment, since the water outlet control device's outlet pipe is a flexible hose, the outlet of the water outlet control device is not fixed and can be moved by a drive module, allowing the user to actively adjust the outlet when receiving water. Instead, the water outlet control device controls the drive module to move the outlet above the cup, improving the user experience. Furthermore, the water outlet control device includes a first drive module and a second drive module. The first drive module can drive the outlet hose to move away from or toward the frame, while the second drive module can drive the outlet hose within the socket, allowing the outlet hose to move in multiple directions. This not only increases the flexibility of the water outlet control device in controlling the outlet hose's water outlet position, but also ensures that the outlet hose is accurately driven above the mouth of the cup. Furthermore, the water outlet control device includes a third drive module that drives the cup holder to move up and down. The cup holder is driven to move according to the height of the cup mouth on the cup holder, thereby adjusting the distance between the cup mouth and the water outlet hose to prevent the distance between the two from being too large or too small.

[0042] In one embodiment, a movable plate 15 is installed on the water pipe driving platform 14, and the socket 16 is provided on the movable plate 15. The first driving module 17 is used to drive the movable plate 15 to move away from or close to the frame 11, thereby driving the water outlet hose 13 to move synchronously.

[0043] The water pipe drive platform 14 is mounted with a movable plate 15, which is provided with a socket 16 for inserting the water outlet hose 13. A guide rail may be installed between the movable plate and the water pipe drive platform 14, allowing the movable plate 15 to slide under the drive module. Of course, the movement of the movable plate 15 is not limited to this. For example, the movable plate 15 may also be mounted with pulleys on which the movable plate 15 slides, or the surfaces of the water pipe drive platform 14 and the movable plate 15 are both smooth, etc. This specification does not limit this.

[0044] The second drive module 18 can drive the water outlet hose 13 in a similar manner to the first drive module 17. For example, the socket 16 can be a long, linear socket perpendicular to the direction of movement of the movable plate 15. The second drive module 18 can also drive the telescopic rod to push the water outlet hose in a linear motion perpendicular to the direction of movement of the movable plate 15 within the socket 13. However, in this driving method, the second drive module 18 must be installed perpendicular to the first drive module 17, which takes up a lot of space and easily makes the water outlet control device look asymmetrical.

[0045] In one embodiment, the socket is an arc-shaped socket, and the water outlet hose moves in a curve in the long arc-shaped socket under the drive of the second driving module.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the socket 16 is an elongated curved socket. Driven by the second drive module 18, the outlet hose 13 performs an abutting curved motion within the elongated curved socket, i.e., moves in direction 2-1 or direction 2-2. Specifically, the socket 16 can be an elongated curved socket, and the motion of the outlet hose 13 within the socket can be an abutting curved motion.

[0047] Furthermore, the second driving module 18 includes a second motor 181 and a second driving telescopic rod 182. The end of the second motor 181 away from the long arc-shaped socket is fixed to the movable plate 15 by a fixing screw, and is connected to the water outlet hose 13 through the second driving telescopic rod 182; when the second motor 181 drives the second driving telescopic rod 182 to extend, the water outlet hose 13 makes a curved motion in the long arc-shaped socket toward the end away from the second motor 181 (i.e., moves in direction 2-1); when the second motor 181 drives the second driving telescopic rod 181 to shorten, the water outlet hose 13 makes a curved motion in the long arc-shaped socket toward the end close to the second motor 181 (i.e., moves in direction 2-2).

[0048] In this embodiment, since the socket is a long arc-shaped socket, the second drive module can drive the water outlet hose to move in a curve in the socket, so that the installation of the second drive module does not need to be perpendicular to the first drive module, thereby reducing the installation space of the drive module in the water outlet control device, optimizing the structure of the water outlet control device, and beautifying the appearance of the water outlet control device.

[0049] The specific installation method of the second driving module 18 is as follows Figure 3 As shown, the end of the second motor 181 away from the long arc-shaped socket is fixed to the movable plate 15 via a fixing screw 31 and a washer 32. The fixing screw 31 is wrapped around a rotating shaft 33. Since there is only one screw, the second drive module 18 can also rotate around the rotating shaft 33 by a certain angle under the action of the socket 16.

[0050] In one embodiment, a ring 34 is provided between the water outlet hose 13 and the socket 16 , and the second driving telescopic rod 182 is connected to the water outlet hose 13 through the ring 34 , and a gap is provided between the ring 34 and the water outlet hose 13 .

[0051] The movement of the water outlet hose 13 relies on the ring 34 connected to the second driving telescopic rod 182. The socket 16 is provided with a first limiting groove 161 and a second limiting groove 162. The ring 34 is stuck in the socket 16 based on these two limiting grooves. Since there is a gap between the ring 34 and the water outlet hose 13, the rotation of the second driving module 18 itself will not drive the water outlet hose 13 to rotate, but will only drive it to move in the horizontal direction.

[0052] In this embodiment, a ring with a gap between the water outlet hose and the socket is provided so that the rotation of the second drive module will not affect the water outlet hose, thereby avoiding the problem of water outlet hose rupture caused by rotation and twisting of the hose.

[0053] In one embodiment, if Figure 4 As shown, a slide groove 20 is provided on the movable plate 15 , and the movable plate 15 is mounted on the water pipe driving platform 14 through a pressing plate 19 and screws passing through the pressing plate 19 and the slide groove 20 .

[0054] The chute 20 ensures that the movable plate 15 can be driven by the first drive module. One end of the movable plate 15 is connected to the first drive module 17, and the other end is limited by the pressure plate 19 and the chute 20, which ensures that the movable plate 15 can reciprocate in the same plane without tilting.

[0055] In one embodiment, a water vapor separation device is further included, which is connected to the top of the water outlet hose and is used to separate the steam generated by the water outlet control device.

[0056] like Figure 5As shown, the water vapor separation device 51 is connected to the top of the water outlet hose 13 and is used to separate the steam generated by the water flowing out of the water outlet hose 13. The specific structure of the water vapor separation device 51 can include a cavity and a steam exhaust port. After the water supply control device supplies water into the cavity, the steam will automatically separate from the water. The steam rises and is discharged from the steam exhaust port, while the water flows out of the water outlet hose 13 into the water cup.

[0057] In this embodiment, a water vapor separation device 51 is installed in the water outlet control device, so that the steam generated by the water outlet control device is separated, thereby preventing the steam from damaging the internal structure of the water outlet control device.

[0058] In one embodiment, it further comprises a cup positioning device, which is used to position the cup placed on the cup holder. Figure 5 As shown, the water cup positioning device can be an optical sensor 52 installed on the water pipe driving platform 14 , and the optical sensor can be used to position the water cup placed on the cup holder 12 .

[0059] Of course, the water cup positioning device is not limited thereto, and may also include, for example, an infrared sensor or a camera, and this specification does not limit this.

[0060] In one embodiment, if Figure 6 As shown, the third driving module 21 includes a third motor 211, a gear 212, a lifting rail 213 and a supporting metal bar 214 connected in sequence, and the supporting metal bar 214 is connected to the cup holder 12; the third motor 11 is fixed to the bottom of the frame 12, and is used to drive the gear 212 to rotate and thereby drive the lifting rail 213 and the supporting metal bar 214 to move up and down.

[0061] The supporting metal strip 214 can be a metal strip that extends horizontally to the center of the cup holder. When the third motor 211 drives the gear 212 to rotate, the lifting track 213 and the supporting metal strip 214 are moved vertically in conjunction. The supporting metal strip 214 is fixedly connected to the cup holder 12, so the cup holder 12 is moved synchronously with the supporting metal strip 214.

[0062] In this embodiment, the water outlet control device includes a third driving module that drives the cup holder to move up and down, and drives the cup holder to move according to the height of the cup mouth of the cup on the cup holder, thereby adjusting the distance between the cup mouth and the water outlet hose to avoid the distance between the two being too large or too small.

[0063] In one embodiment, a cup positioning device is further included for positioning the cup placed on the cup holder, and the cup positioning device includes at least one of the following: an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, and a camera.

[0064] In one embodiment, the water outlet control device further includes a display screen, which is mounted on the surface of the water outlet control device and is used to display in an image the relative relationship between the target position detected by the water cup positioning device and the water outlet position of the water outlet hose.

[0065] The water outlet control device mentioned above can be applied to a water dispenser, the water outlet of which is not fixed and can be adjusted according to the position of the water cup.

[0066] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of this specification is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted via the computer-readable storage medium. The computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a digital versatile disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0067] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and an illustration of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of protection provided by the present invention is not limited to the technical solutions formed by a specific combination of the above-mentioned technical features, but also encompasses other technical solutions formed by any combination of the above-mentioned technical features or their equivalents without departing from the above-mentioned disclosed concepts. For example, a technical solution formed by replacing the above-mentioned features with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in the present invention.

[0068] In addition, although each operation is described in a specific order, this should not be understood as requiring these operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in a sequential order. Under certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although some specific implementation details have been included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Some features described in the context of a separate embodiment can also be implemented in a single embodiment in combination. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable sub-combination mode.

Claims

1. A water outlet control device, characterized in that: include: A frame (11), a cup holder (12), and a water outlet hose (13), wherein the cup holder (12) is fixed to the bottom of the frame (11), and the water outlet hose (13) is installed at a position on the top of the frame (11) corresponding to the cup holder (12); The frame (11) is further provided with a water pipe driving platform (14) located above the cup holder (12), and the water pipe driving platform (14) is provided with a socket (16) for inserting the water outlet hose (13); The water pipe driving platform (14) is further provided with a first driving module (17) for driving the water outlet hose (13) to move away from or toward the frame (11); The water pipe driving platform (14) is further provided with a second driving module (18) for driving the water outlet hose (13) to move in the socket (16); A third driving module (21) for driving the cup holder (12) to move in an up-down direction is also provided at the bottom of the frame (11).

2. The water outlet control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A movable plate (15) is installed on the water pipe driving platform (14), the socket (16) is provided on the movable plate (15), and the first driving module (17) is used to drive the movable plate (15) to move away from or towards the frame (11), thereby driving the water outlet hose (13) to move synchronously.

3. The water outlet control device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The third driving module (21) includes a third motor (211), a gear (212), a lifting track (213), and a supporting metal bar (214) connected in sequence, and the supporting metal bar (214) is connected to the cup holder (12); The third motor (211) is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the frame (11) and is used to drive the gear (212) to rotate and thereby drive the lifting rail (213) and the supporting metal bar (214) to move in the up and down directions.

4. The water outlet control device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The socket (16) is an arc-shaped socket, and the water outlet hose (13) moves in a curve in the arc-shaped socket under the drive of the second drive module (18).

5. The water outlet control device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second driving module (18) comprises a second motor (181) and a second driving telescopic rod (182); an end of the second motor (181) away from the arc-shaped socket is fixed to the movable plate (15) via a fixing screw, and is connected to the water outlet hose (13) via the second driving telescopic rod (182); When the second motor (181) drives the second driving telescopic rod (182) to extend, the water outlet hose (13) moves in a curve in the arc-shaped socket toward the end fixed away from the second motor (181); When the second motor (181) drives the second driving telescopic rod (182) to shorten, the water outlet hose (13) moves in a curve in the arc-shaped socket toward the end fixed close to the second motor (181).

6. The water outlet control device according to claim 5, characterized in that: A holding ring (34) is provided between the water outlet hose (13) and the socket (16); the second driving telescopic rod (182) is connected to the water outlet hose (13) via the holding ring (34); and a gap is provided between the holding ring (34) and the water outlet hose (13).

7. The water outlet control device according to claim 2, wherein: The first driving module (17) comprises a first motor (171) and a first driving telescopic rod (172), wherein the first motor (171) is fixedly mounted on the water pipe driving platform (14) via fixing screws, and the first driving telescopic rod (172) is connected to the movable plate (15); When the first motor (171) drives the first driving telescopic rod (172) to extend, the movable plate (15) moves in a direction away from the frame (11); When the first motor (171) drives the first driving telescopic rod (172) to shorten, the movable plate (15) moves in a direction close to the frame (11).

8. The water outlet control device according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes a water vapor separation device (51), which is connected to the top of the water outlet hose (13) and is used to separate the steam generated by the water outlet control device.

9. The water outlet control device according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes a cup positioning device for positioning the cup placed on the cup holder, and the cup positioning device includes at least one of the following: an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, and a camera.

10. The water outlet control device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The water outlet control device also includes a display screen, which is installed on the surface of the water outlet control device and is used to display the relative relationship between the target position detected by the water cup positioning device and the water outlet position of the water outlet hose in the form of an image.

11. A water dispenser, characterized in that: A water outlet control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is installed.

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