Washer
The washing machine addresses inefficiencies in container cleaning by incorporating separate body and lid cleaning sections with slits and a drainage system, improving usability and hygiene through efficient water use and drainage.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023095355
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-09
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-19
AI Technical Summary
Existing washing machines for containers lack effective mechanisms to improve hygiene and usability, particularly in cleaning both the container body and lid, with inefficiencies in water usage and drainage leading to unsanitary conditions.
A washing machine design that includes separate sections for cleaning the container body and lid, featuring a main body washing section and lid washing section housed in a washing chamber with internal plates having slits, a ventilation system, and a drainage system that collects and recycles water, reducing water consumption and preventing unsanitary conditions.
Enhances the convenience and hygiene of the washing process by efficiently cleaning both the container body and lid, minimizing water usage, and ensuring effective drainage to maintain a clean environment.
Smart Images

Figure 2024176638000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cleaning machine for cleaning container lids and the like. [Background technology]
[0002] As a technique for cleaning small items such as beverage bottles, Patent Document 1 discloses a cleaning machine that includes a main body, a nozzle for spraying cleaning liquid for cleaning the container, a sealing part for sealing between the container and the main body so that the cleaning liquid sprayed inside the container does not leak, and a holding part for holding the container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-126260 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] The inventors carried out development aimed at further improving the sanitation of the interior of a washer for washing containers, and arrived at the washer of the present disclosure.
[0005] The present disclosure provides techniques for improving the convenience of cleaning machines. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] The cleaning machine of the present disclosure comprises a body cleaning section for cleaning the body of the container and a lid cleaning section for cleaning the lid of the container, the body cleaning section and the lid cleaning section being housed within a cleaning chamber, and the interior plate that forms the bottom surface of the cleaning chamber has a plurality of slits. Effect of the Invention
[0007] According to the present disclosure, the convenience of a cleaning machine can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a bottle to be washed by a washing machine according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] Diagram of screw-on lid [Diagram 3] One-touch lid configuration diagram [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a cleaning machine according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 5] 1 is a front view of a cleaning machine according to a first embodiment; [Figure 6] Diagonal bottom view of the top of the cleaning chamber [Figure 7] Right side view of the washer with both side panels removed [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the internal configuration of a cleaning machine; [Figure 9] A side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the drainage tank and its surroundings. [Figure 10] Left side view of the washer with both side panels removed [Figure 11] Cross-sectional view of the bottle body cleaning section when the bottle body is not held [Figure 12] Top view of bottle body cleaning section [Figure 13] Cross-sectional view of the bottle body cleaning section when the bottle body is held [Figure 14] A diagram showing the flow of cleaning water in the cleaning process [Figure 15] Perspective view of the lid cleaning section from the right side [Figure 16] A perspective view of the lid cleaning section from the left side [Figure 17] A perspective view of the inside of the lid cleaning section [Figure 18] A cross-sectional view showing a configuration related to drainage in a cleaning machine. [Figure 19] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration related to drying in the cleaning machine; [Figure 20] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration related to drying in the cleaning machine; [Figure 21] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration related to drying in the cleaning machine; [Figure 22] Diagram showing the flow of water during the cleaning process [Figure 23] Diagram showing the flow of water during the rinsing process [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is a view of the cleaner from the left rear with the left and right side panels of the main body removed according to the second embodiment. [Diagram 25] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the flow of water in a cleaning process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the flow of water in a rinsing step according to the second embodiment. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the flow of water in a cleaning process according to the second embodiment using a three-way valve. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the flow of water in a rinsing step according to the second embodiment using a three-way valve. [Figure 29] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the bottle body washing section when the bottle body is not held according to the third embodiment; [Diagram 30] 13 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the vicinity of a drain hole according to the third embodiment; [Diagram 31] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the flow of cleaning water in a cleaning process according to the third embodiment. [Diagram 32] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the inside of a cleaning chamber according to the fourth embodiment; [Diagram 33] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the fourth embodiment with the drainage plate removed; [Diagram 34] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a part of the interior plate of the fourth embodiment. [Diagram 35] A simplified cross-sectional side view of the fourth embodiment. [Diagram 36] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing an application example of the fourth embodiment, in which a part of the interior plate is cut away. [Figure 37] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the inside of a cleaning chamber showing an application example of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 38] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the inside of a cleaning chamber according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 39] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the fifth embodiment with the drainage plate removed; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed description of already well-known matters or duplicate description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted.
[0010] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.
[0011] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 23. The washer according to the first embodiment is intended to mainly wash the bodies and caps of beverage bottles.
[0012] [1-1. Configuration] [1-1-1. Bottle] 1 shows the configuration of a bottle to be washed by the washing machine according to embodiment 1. Bottle 50 comprises a bottle body 51 and a lid 52.
[0013] 2 shows the configuration of the screw-type lid 52. The screw-type lid 52 is attached to and detached from the bottle body 51 by rotating it.
[0014] 3 shows the structure of the one-touch lid 52. The one-touch lid 52 comprises an upper lid part 53 and a lower lid part 54. The lower lid part 54 is attached to and detached from the bottle body 51 by rotating it. One end of the upper lid part 53 is pivotally supported on the lower lid part 54 by a shaft 55, and the other end is engaged with the lower lid part 54 by an engaging part 56. By pressing a button 57 provided on the lower lid part 54, the engagement between the upper lid part 53 and the lower lid part 54 at the engaging part 56 is released, and the upper lid part 53 is retracted from the shaft 55. It is opened by rotating upward around the central axis.
[0015] The cleaning machine according to the first embodiment is configured to be capable of cleaning both the screw-type lid 52 and the one-touch type lid 52. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the screw-type lid 52 and the one-touch type lid 52, they will be collectively referred to as "lid 52". The lid 52 may be a lid having a shape other than that described above. The lid 52 may be attached to the bottle body 51 by being pushed into the opening of the bottle body 51. [1-1-2. Cleaning machine] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the cleaner 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 5 is a front view of the cleaner 1 according to embodiment 1. The cleaner 1 includes a cleaner body 2, an operation panel 3, a cleaning chamber 4, and a large door 7.
[0016] The cleaning chamber 4 is provided inside the cleaning machine body 2.
[0017] The washing chamber 4 is provided with a bottle body washing section 5 for washing the bottle body 51 and a lid washing section 6 for washing the lid 52.
[0018] At the opening on the front side of the cleaning chamber 4, a large door 7 for opening and closing the opening and a large door opening / closing switch 8 for detecting whether the large door 7 is open or closed are provided.
[0019] An operation panel 3 for operating the cleaner 1 is provided on the upper part of the side face on the front side of the cleaner main body 2. The operation panel 3 transmits instructions input by a user to a control device (not shown) that controls the cleaner 1. The operation panel 3 displays images, characters, etc. generated by the control device.
[0020] 6 is a view of the upper part of the washing chamber 4 seen obliquely from below. A washing chamber ventilation port 9, a bottle body sensor 10, and an interior light 11 are provided on the upper surface of the washing chamber 4.
[0021] The cleaning chamber ventilation opening 9 is provided to ventilate the air inside the cleaning chamber 4 with the outside air.
[0022] The bottle body sensor 10 detects that the bottle body 51 has been set in the bottle body washing section 5. The bottle body sensor 10 may be provided directly above or directly below the bottle body washing section 5, or may be provided adjacent to the bottle body washing section 5. What is important is that it is possible to detect the bottle body 51 placed on the bottle body washing section 5.
[0023] The cleaning chamber ventilation opening 9 is disposed in the vicinity of the bottle body sensor 10 so as to be adjacent to the bottle body sensor 10. This makes it possible to prevent the bottle body sensor 10 from fogging up due to water vapor, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the bottle body sensor 10.
[0024] The interior light 11 illuminates the inside of the washing chamber 4. The interior light 11 may be turned on when the large door 7 is open, when the washing operation is started in the washer 1, during a cleaning process described below, etc. The interior light 11 may be turned off when the large door 7 is closed, when the washer 1 is on standby, etc.
[0025] 7 is a right-side view of the washer 1 with the left and right side panels removed from the washer main body 2. The washer 1 includes an interior ventilation fan 12, an automatic detergent dispenser 13, a pump 14 for the automatic detergent dispenser, a rinsing heater 15, a washing heater 16, a drain hose 17, a drain pump 18, a drain tank 19, a drying vibrator 20, a washing storage tank 21, a leftovers dispenser port 22, a ventilation duct 23, a rinsing storage tank 24, and a path 49.
[0026] The interior ventilation fan 12 is operated by the control device to ventilate the inside air of the washer body 2 with the outside air through the ventilation duct 23. The control device operates the interior ventilation fan 12 at all times in the washing process, rinsing process, and drying process to ventilate the inside air containing water vapor with the outside air. The control device may operate the interior ventilation fan 12 for a predetermined time even after the operation of the washer 1 is finished to ventilate the inside air with the outside air. The control device may start the operation of the interior ventilation fan 12 when the operation of the washer 1 is started. The control device may start the operation of the interior ventilation fan 12 at the opening time (e.g., 7:00) of the facility in which the washer 1 is installed. The control device may stop the interior ventilation fan 12 after a time (e.g., 30 minutes) has elapsed since the operation of the washer 1 was finished, during which ventilation inside the washer body 2 is completed and the fog on the large door 7 is cleared. The control device may stop the interior ventilation fan 12 after the closing time (e.g., 10 p.m.) of the facility in which the washer 1 is installed. When the washer 1 has a function of generating ions having effects such as sterilization and deodorization, the control device may stop the interior ventilation fan 12 while the ions are being generated or until a predetermined sterilization time (e.g., 30 minutes) has elapsed since the ions were generated. For example, when sterilizing the inside of the washer main body 2, the control device may stop the interior ventilation fan 12 from the start of ion generation to the end of ion generation, or may stop the interior ventilation fan 12 from the start of ion generation to the end of ion generation until a predetermined sterilization time has elapsed after the end of ion generation. In addition, when sterilizing the bottle 50 during washing of the bottle 50, the control device may generate ions and stop the interior ventilation fan 12 at the start of washing the bottle, and may stop the generation of ions and start the operation of the interior ventilation fan 12 at the end of washing the bottle. In addition, when sterilizing bottle 50 after washing the bottle 50, the control device may generate ions and stop interior ventilation fan 12 after the bottle is washed, and after a predetermined sterilization time has elapsed, stop the generation of ions and start operation of interior ventilation fan 12.
[0027] The automatic detergent dispenser 13 stores detergent and dispenses it into cleaning water for cleaning the bottle body cleaning unit 5 and the lid cleaning unit 6. The automatic detergent dispenser pump 14 is operated by the control device to dispense the detergent stored in the automatic detergent dispenser 13 into the cleaning water.
[0028] The washing storage tank 21 stores washing water for washing the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 in the washing step. The washing heater 16 is operated by the control device to heat the washing water stored in the washing storage tank 21. The control device controls the washing heater 16 so that the temperature of the washing water detected by a washing temperature sensor (not shown) is maintained at a predetermined temperature. As will be described later, the washing water used in the washing step and the rinsing water used in the rinsing step are collected in the washing storage tank 21 and reused as washing water.
[0029] The rinsing storage tank 24 is provided above the cleaning storage tank 21 and stores rinsing water for rinsing the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 in the rinsing process. When the level of the rinsing water detected by a rinsing storage tank water level sensor (not shown) falls below a predetermined lower limit, the control device opens a water supply solenoid valve (not shown) to supply clean water from a water supply or the like to the rinsing storage tank 24. When the level of the rinsing water detected by the rinsing storage tank water level sensor (not shown) reaches a predetermined upper limit, the control device closes the water supply solenoid valve (not shown) to stop the supply of clean water. The rinsing heater 15 is operated by the control device to heat the rinsing water stored in the rinsing storage tank 24. The control device controls the rinsing heater 15 so that the temperature of the rinsing water detected by a rinsing temperature sensor (not shown) is maintained at a predetermined temperature.
[0030] The path 49 connects the rinsing storage tank 24 and the cleaning storage tank 21. When the pressure in the rinsing storage tank 24 increases due to an increase in the temperature of the rinsing water stored in the rinsing storage tank 24, the air in the rinsing storage tank 24 flows through the path 49 into the cleaning storage tank 21. The rinse water flows into the rinse storage tank 21. As described later, since the washing storage tank 21 is connected to the washing chamber 4, the gas that flows into the washing storage tank 21 is discharged to the outside from the washing chamber ventilation port 9 through the ventilation duct 23. This makes it possible to suppress an increase in the internal pressure of the rinsing storage tank 24. In addition, since the washing storage tank 21 is provided below the rinsing storage tank 24, when the level of the rinsing water stored in the rinsing storage tank 24 rises due to a failure of the rinsing storage tank water level sensor or the like, the rinsing water that overflows from the rinsing storage tank 24 flows into the washing storage tank 21 through the path 49. This makes it possible to prevent water leakage from unexpected places. In this way, the safety of the washer 1 can be improved by providing the path 49.
[0031] The drain tank 19 stores drainage water. The drainage water includes leftover beverages input from the leftover beverage input port 22, cleaning water used in the cleaning process, and rinsing water used in the rinsing process. The drain pump 18 is operated by the control device to discharge the drainage water stored in the drain tank 19 to the outside via the drain hose 17. When the water level of the drainage water detected by the drain tank water level sensor (not shown) exceeds a predetermined value, the control device operates the drain pump 18 to discharge the drainage water stored in the drain tank 19 to the outside via the drain hose 17. This allows the drainage water to be quickly discharged, so that the volume of the drain tank 19 can be kept to a minimum, and thus the overall size of the washer 1 can be reduced. In addition, the drain hose 17 can be extended to install the washer 1 at any location, so that the freedom of installation location can be improved. In addition, there is no need to provide a drain hole at the installation location of the washer 1, so that the effort and cost of construction can be reduced. In addition, the drainage water can be discharged regardless of the installation mode of the drain hose 17. The drain hose 17 may be connected to the drain tank 19 from the side, front, or back of the cleaning machine body 2. It is also possible to connect the drain hose 17 to the bottom of the drain tank 19 and discharge the wastewater to the outside without providing the drain pump 18.
[0032] The drying vibrator 20 is operated by a control device in order to vibrate the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 in the drying process to shake off water droplets adhering to the bottle body 51 and the lid 52.
[0033] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the internal configuration of the cleaning machine 1. Fig. 9 is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration around the drainage tank 19.
[0034] The washer 1 includes a condensed water recovery hose 63. The ventilation duct 23 has a U-shape with the center lower than the ends, and is configured so that the water condensed inside the ventilation duct 23 accumulates in the center. The condensed water recovery hose 63 guides the condensed water accumulated in the center of the ventilation duct 23 to the drain tank 19. As a result, the water condensed inside the ventilation duct 23 can be collected in the drain tank 19 and discharged to the outside by the drain pump 18, thereby preventing malfunctions inside the washer main body 2.
[0035] 10 is a left-side view of the washer 1 with the left and right side panels removed from the washer body 2. The washer 1 is equipped with a rinsing pump 25, a rinsing path solenoid valve 26, a washing pump 27, a washing path solenoid valve 28, and a water draining solenoid valve 29.
[0036] The washing pump 27 is operated by the control device to supply the washing water stored in the washing storage tank 21 to the bottle body washing section 5 and the lid washing section 6 to wash the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. In the washing process, the control device opens the washing path solenoid valve 28 and closes the rinsing path solenoid valve 26. The control device operates the washing pump 27 to supply the washing water stored in the washing storage tank 21 to the bottle body washing section 5 and the lid washing section 6 to wash the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. The washing water stored in the washing storage tank 21 is heated to about 60°C by the washing heater 16. This causes the proteins contained in milk, etc. to be thermally transformed. This improves cleaning efficiency while preventing adhesion due to adhesion caused by the nature of the cleaning agent. The cleaning water supplied to the bottle body cleaning unit 5 and the lid cleaning unit 6 is collected in the cleaning storage tank 21 and circulated. When the cleaning machine 1 is moved or maintenance is performed, the control device opens the water draining solenoid valve 29 to drain the cleaning water stored in the cleaning storage tank 21 into the drainage tank 19.
[0037] The rinsing pump 25 is operated by the control device to supply the rinsing water stored in the rinsing storage tank 24 to the bottle body washing section 5 and the lid washing section 6 to rinse the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. In the rinsing process, the control device opens the rinsing path solenoid valve 26 and closes the washing path solenoid valve 28. The control device operates the rinsing pump 25 to supply the rinsing water stored in the rinsing storage tank 24 to the bottle body washing section 5 and the lid washing section 6 to rinse the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. The rinsing water stored in the rinsing storage tank 24 is heated to about 80°C by the rinsing heater 15. This can improve the rinsing efficiency and the drying efficiency. In addition, the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 can be sterilized. The rinsing water supplied to the bottle body washing section 5 and the lid washing section 6 is collected in the washing storage tank 21.
[0038] [1-1-3. Bottle body cleaning section] Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the bottle body cleaning unit 5 when the bottle body 51 is not held. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the bottle body cleaning unit 5 when the bottle body 51 is held. Fig. 13 is a top view of the bottle body cleaning unit 5. The bottle body cleaning unit 5 comprises a bottle body holding unit 30, a chrysanthemum-breaking rubber 31, a bottle body insertion port 32, an opening / closing unit 33, a drainage hole 34, a rotating shaft 35, an urging unit 36, a support unit 37, a cleaning path 38, and a bottle body cleaning injection unit 39.
[0039] The bottle body holding part 30 is formed cylindrically around the bottle body insertion opening 32 for inserting the bottle body 51, and surrounds and holds the outer side of the bottle body 51 when the bottle body 51 is inserted into the bottle body insertion opening 32 with the opening facing down. The upper surface of the bottle body holding part 30 may be inclined downward toward the inner diameter side so that water droplets adhering thereto automatically fall into the central drainage hole 34. The support parts 37 are two metal rods extending horizontally, and support the opening of the bottle body 51 from below. The bottle body 51 inserted into the bottle body insertion opening 32 is positioned by the support parts 37.
[0040] The bottle body 51 is configured so that the user feels a clicking sensation when the bottle body 51 is inserted into the bottle body insertion port 32 and held in the correct position by the bottle body holding part 30. The bottle body 51 may be configured so that a sound or a tactile response is generated when the bottle body 51 comes into contact with the surrounding configurations such as the support part 37 or the bottle body holding part 30, or the opening / closing part 33 may be configured so that a sound or a tactile response is generated when the opening / closing part 33 comes into contact with the surrounding configuration. This allows the bottle body 51 to be set in the correct position.
[0041] The bottle body cleaning injection part 39 injects cleaning water at least into the inside of the bottle body 51 to clean the inside of the bottle body 51. The bottle body cleaning injection part 39 also injects cleaning water onto the outside of the opening of the bottle body 51 to clean the drinking spout of the bottle body 51. The bottle body cleaning injection part 39 also injects rinsing water. The bottle body cleaning injection part 39 is provided below the chrysanthemum-breaking rubber 31 and the opening / closing part 33.
[0042] The rubber 31 is provided in an annular shape on the upper inside of the bottle body holding part 30 so as to follow the inner diameter of the bottle body holding part 30, and extends further in the inner diameter direction than the bottle body holding part 30. The rubber 31 functions as a seal part for preventing the cleaning water and rinsing water injected from the bottle body washing injection part 39 from leaking to the outside. This makes it possible to prevent the cleaning water and rinsing water from leaking to the outside regardless of the outer diameter of the bottle body 51. This can suppress humidity in the cleaning chamber 4. Furthermore, by providing the rubber 31, the bottle body 51 can be securely held in the center of the bottle body holding part 30. This prevents the bottle body 51 from tilting, improving the cleaning efficiency of the bottle body 51 and improving the detection accuracy of the bottle body sensor 10.
[0043] The bottle body 51 is held above the surface of the cleaning water stored in the cleaning storage tank 21. Since there is no separation between the surface of the cleaning water and the bottle body 51, the cleaning water and rinsing water ejected from the bottle body cleaning ejection part 39 drop and are collected in the cleaning storage tank 21. In this way, the cleaning water and rinsing water are reused to wash the bottle body 51, so that the consumption of water and detergent can be reduced.
[0044] The opening / closing part 33 is provided on the inside lower part of the bottle body holding part 30, and opens the bottle body insertion opening 32 when the bottle body 51 is held by the bottle body holding part 30, and closes the bottle body insertion opening 32 when the bottle body 51 is not held by the bottle body holding part 30. Since the cleaning water stored in the cleaning storage tank 21 is heated to about 60°C, when the bottle body insertion opening 32 is open, water vapor diffuses into the cleaning chamber 4, but when the bottle body 51 is not held, the opening / closing part 33 closes the bottle body insertion opening 32, thereby suppressing humidity in the cleaning chamber 4. In addition, the cleaning water stored in the cleaning storage tank 21 can be kept warm.
[0045] The opening / closing part 33 includes two members each having a semicircular arc when viewed from the front. Each member is supported by a rotating shaft 35 so that the arc side faces upward, and is opened by rotating downward about the rotating shaft 35. This allows the opening / closing part 33 to be easily opened by the weight of the bottle body 51 when the bottle body 51 is inserted into the bottle body insertion port 32.
[0046] The biasing portion 36 biases the opening / closing portion 33 in a direction in which the opening / closing portion 33 closes. The biasing portion 36 has a biasing force such that the opening / closing portion 33 easily opens due to the weight of the bottle body 51 when the bottle body 51 is inserted into the bottle body insertion opening 32, and the opening / closing portion 33 reliably closes when the bottle body 51 is removed from the bottle body insertion opening 32. This allows the opening / closing portion 33 to be automatically closed when the bottle body 51 is not held by the bottle body holding portion 30. The biasing portion 36 may be composed of rubber formed in an S-shape, a coil spring, or the like.
[0047] The cleaning path 38 and the slit 58 are provided to guide the rinsing water injected from the bottle body cleaning injection part 39 to the upper surface of the chrysanthemum-broken rubber 31 and the opening and closing part 33 to clean the upper surface of the chrysanthemum-broken rubber 31 and the opening and closing part 33. When the bottle body 51 is inserted from the bottle body insertion port 32, the contents of the bottle body 51 may adhere to the upper surface of the chrysanthemum-broken rubber 31 and the opening and closing part 33. In addition, since the drinking spout of the bottle body 51 directly contacts the upper surface of the chrysanthemum-broken rubber 31 and the opening and closing part 33, the user may feel that it is unsanitary. When or after washing the bottle body 51, rinsing water is injected through the cleaning path 38 and the slit 58 to the upper surface of the chrysanthemum-broken rubber 31 and the opening and closing part 33, and the upper surface of the chrysanthemum-broken rubber 31 and the opening and closing part 33 is cleaned, thereby improving hygiene. In addition, the user's sense of anxiety and discomfort can be reduced. The cleaning path 38 is provided on the inner diameter of the bottle body holding part 30 and the outer diameter of the bottle body insertion port. The cleaning path 38 may be configured by a groove provided in the bottle body holding portion 30. The slit 58 is provided between the inside of the top surface of the bottle body insertion opening and the chrysanthemum-shaped rubber 31. One slit 58 is provided for each piece of the chrysanthemum-shaped rubber 31. The shape, size, number, installation position, etc. of the slit 58 may be changed as appropriate.
[0048] The cleaning water present on the upper surface of the opening / closing part 33 is guided to the bottom of the opening / closing part 33 near the center of the opening / closing part 33 when viewed from above. A drain hole 34 is provided to allow the water to fall toward the upper surface of the opening / closing part 33. The upper surface of the opening / closing part 33 is inclined so that the position where the drain hole 34 is provided is lower. This allows the rinse water used for cleaning the upper surface of the opening / closing part 33 to be collected in the cleaning storage tank 21 and the opening / closing part 33 to be dried, thereby further improving hygiene. The drain hole 34 may be configured as a notch provided near the center of the side where the two members constituting the opening / closing part 33 contact each other. This allows the manufacturing cost to be reduced. The drain hole 34 may be configured to be opened only while the upper surface of the opening / closing part 33 is being cleaned, and closed at other times. A drive unit for opening and closing the opening / closing part 33 may be provided, and the opening / closing part 33 may be opened after the cleaning of the upper surface of the opening / closing part 33 to allow the rinse water from the upper surface of the opening / closing part 33 to fall into the cleaning storage tank 21. In this case, the drain hole 34 may not be provided.
[0049] The interior light 11 functions as an illumination unit for illuminating the opening / closing unit 33 when the opening / closing unit 33 is being washed. The operation panel 3 functions as a notification unit for notifying that the opening / closing unit 33 is being washed. When washing the opening / closing unit 33, the control device turns on the interior light 11 and displays on the operation panel 3 that the opening / closing unit 33 is being washed. This allows the user to visually confirm that the rubber band 31 and the opening / closing unit 33 have been washed, thereby reducing the user's anxiety and discomfort even when the washer 1 is shared by multiple users.
[0050] FIG. 14 shows the flow of rinsing water in the cleaning process. The rinsing water injected upward from the bottle body washing injection part 39 reaches the top surface of the bottle body holding part 30 through the cleaning path 38 from the gap between the opening and closing part 33 and the bottle body holding part 30, and is guided to the multiple slits 58. The rinsing water that passes through the slits 58 flows onto the upper surface of the chrysanthemum-split rubber 31. The rinsing water that has collected at the central opening of the chrysanthemum-split rubber 31 flows down to the opening and closing part 33, falls from the drain hole 34, and is collected in the cleaning storage tank 21. As a result, the rinsing water injected upward from the bottle body washing injection part 39 provided below the chrysanthemum-split rubber 31 and the opening and closing part 33 can be spread throughout the chrysanthemum-split rubber 31 and the opening and closing part 33 for cleaning.
[0051] When the bottle body 51 is held in the bottle body holding portion 30, the rotated opening / closing portion 33 covers part of the cleaning path 38, preventing cleaning water and rinsing water from entering the cleaning path 38 in the part of the cleaning path 38 covered by the opening / closing portion 33. However, the cleaning water and rinsing water can pass through the part of the cleaning path 38 that is not covered by the opening / closing portion 33, so the chrysanthemum-shaped rubber 31 and the opening / closing portion 33 are also cleaned when the bottle body 51 is washed and rinsed.
[0052] When the bottle body 51 is held by the bottle body holding part 30, if the rotating opening / closing part 33 is configured to cover almost the entire cleaning path 38, or if cleaning water or rinsing water is injected from the bottle body cleaning injection part 39 with such a water volume and water pressure that the cleaning water or rinsing water does not reach the cleaning path 38 when cleaning and rinsing the bottle body 51, the chrysanthemum-split rubber 31 and the opening / closing part 33 are not cleaned when cleaning and rinsing the bottle body 51. In this case, the chrysanthemum-split rubber 31 and the opening / closing part 33 may be cleaned by performing a cleaning process when the bottle body 51 is not held by the bottle body holding part 30.
[0053] [1-1-4. Lid cleaning section] Figure 15 is a perspective view of the lid cleaning unit 6 as viewed from the right side. Figure 16 is a perspective view of the lid cleaning unit 6 as viewed from the left side. Figure 17 is a perspective view of the inside of the lid cleaning unit 6. The lid cleaning unit 6 comprises a lid storage unit 40, a lid placing unit 41, a lid cleaning injection unit 42, a lid door 43, a lid door rotating shaft 44, a lid door opening / closing switch 45, and a lid storage unit ventilation hole 46.
[0054] The lid storage section 40 stores the lids 52. The lid storage section 40 has a volume and shape that allows it to store various types of lids 52 to be cleaned. The lid storage section 40 is provided in one corner of the back wall when viewed from the front, and is configured in an arc-shaped dome shape. The top surface of the lid storage section 40 has a horizontal, flat surface.
[0055] The lid door 43 opens and closes an opening for inserting and removing the lid 52 from the lid storage section 40. The lid door 43 is provided along the side of the dome shape, and is opened and closed around the lid door rotation shaft 44 by sliding a handle (knob) protruding outward in the horizontal direction. When the lid door 43 is closed, the lid door 43 seals so that cleaning water for cleaning the lid 52 does not leak out of the lid storage section 40. At least one of the lid storage section 40 and the lid door 43 may be made of a transparent or semi-transparent material. This allows the user to visually check the lid 52 being cleaned, thereby ensuring reliability.
[0056] The lid door opening / closing switch 45 detects the opening / closing of the lid door 43. When the lid door opening / closing switch 45 detects that the lid door 43 is open, the control device does not spray cleaning water into the inside of the lid storage section 40. This makes it possible to prevent cleaning water from leaking outside the lid storage section 40.
[0057] The lid placement part 41 is provided for placing the lid 52. The lid placement part 41 has a curved shape along the side of a cylinder in order to place the cylindrical lid 52. The lid placement part 41 has a two-stage structure of an upper stage and a lower stage with a curved shape, the upper stage is curved downward convexly so as to be hollowed out once, and between the upper stage and the lower stage, the lower stage is also curved downward convexly so as to be hollowed out. In this way, by providing a slide-shaped placement base as the lid placement part 41, it is configured to stably support both a cylindrical screw-type lid 52 and a one-touch type lid 52 that is in an 8-shape when opened. The lid placement part 41 is configured so that the lid 52 is placed at a position where the cleaning water injected from the left lid cleaning injection port 42a or the right lid cleaning injection port 42b is sprayed. The lid storage section 40 may have a structure that prevents the lid 52 from being placed in a position where it is not exposed to the cleaning water injected from the left lid washing outlet 42a or the right lid washing outlet 42b.
[0058] The lid washing injection section 42 includes a left lid washing injection port 42a and a right lid washing injection port 42b. The left lid washing injection port 42a is provided on the left side surface of the lid storage section 40, and injects the washing water supplied by the washing pump 27 and the rinsing water supplied by the rinsing pump 25 toward the lid 52. The right lid washing injection port 42b is provided on the right side surface of the lid storage section 40, and injects the washing water supplied by the washing pump 27 and the rinsing water supplied by the rinsing pump 25 toward the lid 52. The left lid washing injection port 42a and the right lid washing injection port 42b are provided at positions facing each other across the lid 52, and inject the washing water and the rinsing water from the left and right sides of the lid 52 in a substantially horizontal direction. Since the washing water is injected from both sides of the lid storage section 40, the lid 52 can be properly washed regardless of the shape of the lid 52. In addition, the lid 52 can be properly washed regardless of the orientation in which the lid 52 is placed.
[0059] The water pressure, amount of the cleaning water and rinsing water, and the positions, number, diameter, and injection direction of the left lid-washing injection port 42a and the right lid-washing injection port 42b are adjusted so that the force exerted on the lid 52 by the cleaning water and rinsing water injected from the left lid-washing injection port 42a and the force exerted on the lid 52 by the cleaning water and rinsing water injected from the right lid-washing injection port 42b are roughly balanced. This allows the lid 52 to be held stably while it is being washed and rinsed, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the lid 52.
[0060] The left lid cleaning nozzle 42a and the right lid cleaning nozzle 42b are disposed on the lid placement portion 41. The lid mounting unit 41 includes one upper stage injection port provided near the upper stage of the mounting table of the lid mounting unit 41, and five lower stage injection ports provided near the lower stage of the mounting table of the lid mounting unit 41. The amount of cleaning water or rinsing water injected from the lower stage injection port is greater than the amount of cleaning water or rinsing water injected from the upper stage injection port. The pressure of the cleaning water or rinsing water injected from the lower stage injection port may be greater than the pressure of the cleaning water or rinsing water injected from the upper stage injection port. Since the mounting table of the lid mounting unit 41 has a slide shape, when washing a screw-type lid 52, a user usually places the lid 52 on the lower stage of the mounting table. Even if a user places the lid 52 on the upper stage of the mounting table, the lid 52 rolls down the slide shape and is placed on the lower stage. This allows the lid 52 to be placed on the lower stage which has more injection ports, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the lid 52. When cleaning the one-touch lid 52, if the lighter lid upper part 53 is placed on the lower level of the stand and the heavier lid lower part 54 is placed on the upper level of the stand, the lid 52 will easily slip off the stand, but if the lower part 54 is placed on the lower level of the stand and the upper part 53 is placed on the upper level of the stand, the lid 52 can be placed stably. This allows the lower part 54, which has a drinking spout and therefore requires particular cleaning, to be placed on the lower level which has more ejection ports, improving the efficiency of cleaning the lid 52.
[0061] A through hole is provided in the bottom surface of the lid storage section 40. The cleaning water and the rinsing water ejected from the left lid cleaning outlet 42a and the right lid cleaning outlet 42b pass through the through hole and are collected in the cleaning storage tank 21 provided below the lid storage section 40.
[0062] The lid storage ventilation opening 46 is provided to ventilate the air inside the lid storage section 40 with the outside air. The lid storage ventilation opening 46 is provided on the upper part of the lid storage section 40 or the lid door 43. This allows efficient ventilation of warm water vapor inside the lid storage section 40. Since cleaning water is ejected from the left lid cleaning outlet 42a and the right lid cleaning outlet 42b in a substantially horizontal direction, it is possible to prevent the cleaning water from leaking from the lid storage ventilation opening 46 provided on the upper part of the lid storage section 40 or the lid door 43. The lid storage ventilation opening 46 may be provided in any position where it is not splashed with cleaning water ejected from the left lid cleaning outlet 42a and the right lid cleaning outlet 42b.
[0063] The washer 1 of this embodiment stores and washes the lids 52 in the lid storage section 40, so it can wash various types of lids 52 regardless of the shape of the lids. In addition, it is possible to prevent the part of the lid 52 that contacts the mouth of the bottle body 51 from contacting the washer 1, thereby improving hygiene.
[0064] [1-1-5. Drainage tank] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration related to drainage in the washer 1. As shown in FIG.
[0065] The cleaning storage tank 21 is provided below the bottle body cleaning section 5 and the lid cleaning section 6, and collects and stores the cleaning water and rinsing water used in the bottle body cleaning section 5 and the cleaning water and rinsing water used in the lid cleaning section 6. The liquid stored in the cleaning storage tank 21 is used as cleaning water.
[0066] An overflow drain outlet 48 is provided near the upper end of the cleaning storage tank 21. Since the drain tank 19 is provided below the cleaning storage tank 21, when the water level of the cleaning storage tank 21 reaches the position of the overflow drain outlet 48, the overflowed cleaning water is discharged to the drain tank 19 through the overflow drain outlet 48. The cleaning water supplied to the bottle body cleaning section 5 and the lid cleaning section 6 in the cleaning process is collected in the cleaning storage tank 21 and reused, but the less contaminated rinsing water supplied to the bottle body cleaning section 5 and the lid cleaning section 6 in the rinsing process is added to the cleaning storage tank 21, and the overflowed amount is discharged to the drain tank 19, so that the accumulation of contamination in the cleaning water is suppressed. This improves the cleaning efficiency.
[0067] The leftover beverage put in through the leftover beverage inlet 22 flows into a drain sink 68 provided so as to extend below the leftover beverage inlet 22. The leftover beverage is then discharged into the drain tank 19 through a leftover beverage drain outlet 47 provided on the bottom surface of the drain sink 68. The leftover beverage inlet 22 and the drain sink 68 are located in front of the washing chamber 4.
[0068] In addition, the drain sink 68 has a space large enough to accommodate more than the amount of the contents of the bottle 50 drained at one time, so that even if a certain amount of leftover drinks is discarded, it will not overflow from the leftover drinks inlet 22.
[0069] The drain tank 19 is located below the drain sink 68, and therefore stores not only the condensed water collected by the condensed water collection hose 63 described above, but also the leftover beverage that has been input from the leftover beverage input port 22 and passed through the drain sink 68, and the cleaning water used by the bottle body cleaning unit 5 and the lid cleaning unit 6. The bottom of the drain sink 68 is also sloped so that it becomes lower as it approaches the leftover beverage drain port 47. This makes it difficult for the inputted wastewater to remain in the drain sink 68, making it hygienic.
[0070] The leftover beverage inlet 22 may be covered with a drain plate 67 so as to cover the upper surface of the drain sink 68. The drain plate 67 is formed of a plate including many holes so that leftover beverages can be discarded. The drain plate 67 is provided detachably, so that the user can easily clean the drain plate 67 and the inside of the drain sink 68.
[0071] Water condensed inside the ventilation duct 23 for ventilating the inside air of the washer body 2 with the outside air is discharged into the drain tank 19 via the condensed water recovery hose 63.
[0072] When the drainage water level detected by the drainage tank water level sensor (not shown) exceeds a predetermined value, the control device operates the drainage pump 18 to discharge the drainage water stored in the drainage tank 19 to the outside through the drainage hose 17.
[0073] In this way, the washer 1 of this embodiment stores the leftover beverage input from the leftover beverage input port 22, the washing water overflowing from the washing storage tank 21, and the condensed water collected by the condensed water collection hose 63 in the drainage tank 19, and automatically discharges the drainage water stored in the drainage tank 19 to the outside. The manager of the washer 1 does not need to periodically discard the leftover beverage or the drainage water generated by the washer 1, which improves the manager's convenience. Furthermore, the leftover beverage and the drainage water generated by the washer 1 can be discharged simultaneously, which improves maintainability.
[0074] The capacity of the drainage tank 19 is designed to be larger than the amount of drainage generated by one washing of the bottle 50. The amount of drainage that may be generated by one washing of the bottle 50 may be calculated based on the capacity of the bottle body 51 and the amount of rinsing water used in the rinsing process.
[0075] [1-1-6. Vibrator for drying] 19, 20, and 21 show the configuration related to drying in the washer 1. The washer 1 includes a drying vibrator 20, an interior plate 60, and a vibrating plate 61.
[0076] In the drying process, the drying vibrator 20 vibrates the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 to shake off water droplets adhering to the bottle body 51 and the lid 52.
[0077] The drying vibrator 20 does not vibrate the interior plate 60 that constitutes the bottom surface of the washing chamber 4, but vibrates a vibrating plate 61 provided below the interior plate 60. The vibration plate 61 is provided below the bottle body cleaning unit 5 and the lid cleaning unit 6. The vibration plate 61 has an opening below the bottle body holding unit 30 through which the bottle body cleaning injection unit 39 injects cleaning water and rinsing water into the bottle body 51.
[0078] The bottle body 51 is vibrated via the bottle body holding part 30 and the support part 37. The bottle body holding part 30 and the support part 37 are configured to vibrate together with the vibration plate 61. At least one of the bottle body holding part 30 and the support part 37 may be fitted to the vibration plate 61 by a clearance fit or a transition fit. This can promote resonance of the bottle body holding part 30, thereby improving drying efficiency.
[0079] The lid 52 is vibrated via the lid storage section 40. The lid storage section 40 is configured to vibrate together with the vibration plate 61. The lid storage section 40 may be fitted to the vibration plate 61 by a clearance fit or a transition fit. This can promote resonance of the lid storage section 40, thereby improving drying efficiency. The bottom surface of the lid storage section 40 may be formed by the vibration plate 61. In this case, the lid 52 comes into contact with the vibration plate 61 and is vibrated by the vibration plate 61.
[0080] At least one of the bottle body holding part 30, the support part 37, and the lid storage part 40 may have the same natural frequency as the natural frequency of the vibration plate 61. This can promote resonance, thereby improving the drying efficiency.
[0081] According to the washer 1 of this embodiment, since both the bottle body holding part 30 that holds the bottle body 51 and the lid storage part 40 that holds the lid 52 are vibrated by one drying vibrator 20, the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 can be dried simultaneously. Furthermore, since the configuration can be simplified, the manufacturing cost of the washer 1 can be reduced. Furthermore, since the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 are vibrated while the bottle body 51 is held by the bottle body holding part 30 and the lid 52 is held by the lid storage part 40, the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 are prevented from falling or moving during vibration, and safety can be improved.
[0082] [1-2. Operation] The operation and function of the washer 1 configured as above will be described below.
[0083] When the washer 1 is powered on, the control device activates the washing heater 16 to heat the washing water to about 60°C, and activates the rinsing heater 15 to heat the rinsing water to about 80°C.
[0084] The user removes the lid 52 of the bottle 50 and discards any beverage remaining in the bottle body 51 into the leftover beverage inlet 22. The user opens the large door 7 and sets the bottle body 51 in the bottle body holding section 30. The user opens the lid door and sets the lid 52 in the lid cleaning section 6. The user closes the lid door and closes the large door 7. The user instructs the washer 1 to perform a cleaning operation via the operation panel 3. The user can also instruct the washer 1 to perform a cleaning process via the operation panel 3 as necessary.
[0085] The control device executes a washing operation when the bottle body sensor 10 detects that the bottle body 51 is set in the bottle body holding section 30, and the main door opening / closing switch 8 and the lid door opening / closing switch 45 detect that the main door 7 and the lid door 43 are closed. In the washing process, the control device operates the automatic detergent dispenser 13 to dispense detergent into the washing water stored in the washing storage tank 21. The control device operates the washing pump 27 for a predetermined time, and supplies the washing water stored in the washing storage tank 21 to the bottle body washing section 5 and the lid washing section 6 to wash the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. When the washing process is completed, in the rinsing process, the control device operates the rinsing pump 25 for a predetermined time to dispense the washing water stored in the rinsing storage tank 24. The rinse water is supplied to the bottle body washing section 5 and the lid washing section 6 to rinse the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. As described above, in the washing process and the rinsing process, the chrysanthemum crack rubber 31 and the opening and closing section 33 may or may not be cleaned via the cleaning path 38. When the rinsing process is completed, the control device operates the drying vibrator 20 for a predetermined time in the drying process, vibrating the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 to shake off water droplets adhering to the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. When the drying process is completed, the control device notifies the user via the operation panel 3 that the cleaning operation has been completed.
[0086] The user opens the large door 7 and removes the bottle body 51 from the bottle body holding portion 30. The user opens the lid door 43 and removes the lid 52 from the lid cleaning portion 6. The user closes the lid door 43 and then closes the large door 7.
[0087] In the cleaning process, the control device operates the rinsing pump 25 for a predetermined time to clean the chrysanthemum-split rubber 31 and the upper surface of the opening / closing unit 33. Also, rinsing water is sprayed from the left lid cleaning outlet 42a and the right lid cleaning outlet 42b to clean the upper and lower stages of the placement table of the lid placement unit 41. When cleaning the opening / closing unit 33, etc., the control device turns on the interior light 11 and displays on the operation panel 3 that the opening / closing unit 33, etc. are being cleaned. When the cleaning process is completed, the control device waits for an instruction to perform the next cleaning operation. Note that the cleaning process does not have to be performed. The user may be allowed to select whether or not to perform the cleaning process after the cleaning operation is completed. The cleaning process may also be performed before the start of the cleaning operation. The user may be allowed to select whether or not to perform the cleaning process before the start of the cleaning operation.
[0088] The cleaning operation may be performed in any of the following patterns: The pattern of the cleaning operation may be determined according to the user's instruction, the type and amount of the contents of the bottle 50, the number and frequency of the cleaning operation, etc. (1) Washing process, rinsing process (no cleaning) - drying process (2) Washing process, rinsing process (with cleaning) - drying process (3) Washing process, rinsing process (no cleaning) - drying process - cleaning process (4) Washing process, rinsing process (with cleaning) - drying process - cleaning process (5) Cleaning process - Washing process, rinsing process (no cleaning) - Drying process (6) Cleaning process - Washing process, rinsing process (with cleaning) - Drying process (7) Cleaning process - Washing process / Rinse process (no cleaning) - Drying process - Cleaning process (8) Cleaning process - Washing process, rinsing process (with cleaning) - Drying process - Cleaning process Fig. 22 shows the flow of water in the washing step. In the washing step, the control device opens the washing path solenoid valve 28 and closes the rinsing path solenoid valve 26. The control device operates the automatic detergent dispenser 13 to dispense detergent into the washing water stored in the washing storage tank 21. The control device operates the washing pump 27 to eject the washing water stored in the washing storage tank 21 from the bottle body washing ejection part 39 and the lid washing ejection part 42 to wash the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. The washing water used to wash the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 is collected in the washing storage tank 21 and circulated.
[0089] FIG. 23 shows the flow of water in the rinsing process. In the rinsing process, the control device opens the rinsing path solenoid valve 26 and closes the cleaning path solenoid valve 28. The control device operates the rinsing pump 25 to eject rinsing water stored in the rinsing storage tank 24 from the bottle body cleaning ejection portion 39 and the lid cleaning ejection portion 42 to rinse the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. The rinsing water used to rinse the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 is collected in the cleaning storage tank 21. Cleaning water that overflows from the cleaning storage tank 21 is collected in the overflow The water is discharged into the drain tank 19 via the drain outlet 48. When the water level in the rinsing storage tank 24 falls below a predetermined lower limit, the control device opens the water supply solenoid valve 59 to supply clean water from the water supply to the rinsing storage tank 24.
[0090] In the cleaning step, the control device opens the rinsing path solenoid valve 26 and closes the cleaning path solenoid valve 28. The control device operates the rinsing pump 25, and ejects the rinsing water stored in the rinsing storage tank 24 from the bottle body cleaning ejection unit 39 and the lid cleaning ejection unit 42 to clean the chrysanthemum crack rubber 31, the opening and closing unit 33, and the lid placement unit 41. The rinsing water used for cleaning is collected in the cleaning storage tank 21. The cleaning water overflowing from the cleaning storage tank 21 is discharged into the drain tank 19 through the overflow drain outlet 48. When the water level in the rinsing storage tank 24 falls below a predetermined lower limit, the control device opens the water supply solenoid valve 59 to supply clean water from the waterworks to the rinsing storage tank 24. The flow of water in the cleaning step is shown in the same diagram as FIG. 23, which shows the flow of water in the rinsing step.
[0091] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in this embodiment, the washer 1 includes the bottle body washing section 5 for washing the bottle body 51 and the lid washing section 6 for washing the lid 52, and the lid washing section 6 includes the lid storage section 40 for storing the lid 52, the lid door 43 for opening and closing the opening for inserting and removing the lid 52 into and from the lid storage section 40, and the lid washing ejection section 42 for ejecting cleaning water into the inside of the lid storage section 40. This allows various types of lids 52 to be washed regardless of the shape of the lid. In addition, the part of the lid 52 that contacts the mouth of the bottle body 51 can be prevented from contacting the washer 1, thereby improving hygiene.
[0092] In this embodiment, the washer 1 is provided with a lid door opening / closing switch 45 that detects whether the lid door 43 is open or closed, and when the lid door opening / closing switch 45 detects that the lid door 43 is open, cleaning water is not sprayed from the lid cleaning sprayer 42. This makes it possible to prevent cleaning water from leaking outside the lid storage section 40.
[0093] In this embodiment, the lid cleaning injection part 42 includes two or more injection ports provided to face each other across the position where the lid 52 is placed. This allows the lid 52 to be properly washed regardless of the shape of the lid 52. Also, the lid 52 can be properly washed regardless of the orientation in which the lid 52 is placed.
[0094] In this embodiment, the force exerted by the cleaning water ejected from two or more ejection ports on the lid 52 is balanced. This allows the lid 52 to be held stably while the lid 52 is being washed and rinsed, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the lid 52.
[0095] In this embodiment, the washer 1 includes a lid placement part 41 for placing the lid 52 inside the lid storage part 40, and the lid placement part 41 has a shape that matches the outer shape of the lid 52. This allows the lid 52 to be stably held while the lid 52 is being washed and rinsed, thereby improving the washing efficiency of the lid 52.
[0096] In this embodiment, the lid placement part 41 includes an upper stage having a downwardly convex curved surface shape and a lower stage having a downwardly convex curved surface shape. This allows both the screw-type lid 52 and the one-touch type lid 52 to be stably held, improving the cleaning efficiency of the lid 52. In addition, the safety of the cleaner 1 can be improved.
[0097] The lid cleaning injection unit 42 has an upper injection port provided near the upper stage and a lower injection port provided near the lower stage. The amount of cleaning liquid ejected from the lower-stage ejection outlet is greater than the amount of cleaning liquid ejected from the upper-stage ejection outlet, or the pressure of the cleaning liquid ejected from the lower-stage ejection outlet is greater than the pressure of the cleaning liquid ejected from the upper-stage ejection outlet, or the number of the lower-stage ejection outlets is greater than the number of the upper-stage ejection outlets. This improves the cleaning efficiency of the lid 52.
[0098] In this embodiment, a lid storage section ventilation port 46 for ventilating the inside air of the lid storage section 40 with the outside air is provided at the top of the lid storage section 40. This allows the warm water vapor inside the lid storage section 40 to be ventilated efficiently.
[0099] (Embodiment 2) Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 24 to 28. The washer according to the second embodiment is mainly for washing the bodies and caps of beverage bottles. Note that the description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted.
[0100] [2-1. Configuration] In the second embodiment, the washer 1 includes a shared pump 70 instead of the rinsing pump 25 and the washing pump 27 in the first embodiment.
[0101] 24 is a perspective view of the washer 1 seen from the left rear with the left and right side panels removed from the washer body 2. The washer 1 is equipped with a shared pump 70, a rinsing path solenoid valve 76, a cleaning path solenoid valve 78, and a water draining solenoid valve 29.
[0102] The common pump 70 is operated by the control device to supply the cleaning water stored in the cleaning storage tank 21 to the bottle body cleaning section 5 and the lid cleaning section 6 to clean the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. In the cleaning process, the control device opens the cleaning path solenoid valve 78 and closes the rinsing path solenoid valve 76. The control device operates the common pump 70 to supply the cleaning water stored in the cleaning storage tank 21 to the bottle body cleaning section 5 and the lid cleaning section 6 to clean the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. The cleaning water stored in the cleaning storage tank 21 is heated to about 60°C by the cleaning heater 16. This can improve the cleaning efficiency while suppressing the adhesion of proteins contained in milk and the like due to thermal denaturation. The cleaning water supplied to the bottle body cleaning section 5 and the lid cleaning section 6 is collected in the cleaning storage tank 21 and circulated. When the cleaning machine 1 is moved or when maintenance is performed on the cleaning machine 1, the control device opens the water draining solenoid valve 29 and drains the cleaning water stored in the cleaning storage tank 21 into the drainage tank 19.
[0103] The common pump 70 is operated by the control device to supply the rinsing water stored in the rinsing storage tank 24 to the bottle body washing section 5 and the lid washing section 6 to rinse the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. In the rinsing process, the control device opens the rinsing path solenoid valve 76 and closes the washing path solenoid valve 78. The control device operates the common pump 70 to supply the rinsing water stored in the rinsing storage tank 24 to the bottle body washing section 5 and the lid washing section 6 to rinse the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. The rinsing water stored in the rinsing storage tank 24 is heated to about 80°C by the rinsing heater 15. This can improve the rinsing efficiency and the drying efficiency. In addition, the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 can be sterilized. The rinsing water supplied to the bottle body washing section 5 and the lid washing section 6 is collected in the washing storage tank 21.
[0104] 25 shows the water flow during the washing process when the shared pump 70 is used. During the washing process, the control device opens the washing path solenoid valve 78 and closes the rinsing path solenoid valve 76. The control device operates the automatic detergent dispenser 13 to dispense detergent into the washing water stored in the washing storage tank 21. The control device operates the shared pump 70 to dispense detergent into the washing water stored in the washing storage tank 21. The cleaning water stored in the cleaning tank 21 is ejected from the bottle body cleaning ejection portion 39 and the lid cleaning ejection portion 42 to clean the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. The cleaning water used to clean the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 is collected in the cleaning storage tank 21 and circulated.
[0105] FIG. 26 shows the flow of water in the rinsing step when the shared pump 70 is used. In the rinsing step, the control device opens the rinsing path solenoid valve 76 and closes the cleaning path solenoid valve 78. The control device operates the shared pump 70 to eject the rinsing water stored in the rinsing storage tank 24 from the bottle body cleaning ejection unit 39 and the lid cleaning ejection unit 42 to rinse the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. The rinsing water used to rinse the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 is collected in the cleaning storage tank 21. The cleaning water overflowing from the cleaning storage tank 21 is discharged into the drain tank 19 via the overflow drain port 48. When the water level in the rinsing storage tank 24 falls below a predetermined lower limit, the control device opens the water supply solenoid valve 59 to supply clean water from the waterworks to the rinsing storage tank 24.
[0106] In the cleaning step, the control device opens the rinsing path solenoid valve 76 and closes the cleaning path solenoid valve 78. The control device operates the common pump 70, and ejects the rinsing water stored in the rinsing storage tank 24 from the bottle body cleaning ejection part 39 and the lid cleaning ejection part 42 to clean the chrysanthemum crack rubber 31, the opening and closing part 33, and the lid placement part 41. The rinsing water used for cleaning is collected in the cleaning storage tank 21. The cleaning water overflowing from the cleaning storage tank 21 is discharged into the drain tank 19 through the overflow drain outlet 48. When the water level in the rinsing storage tank 24 falls below a predetermined lower limit, the control device opens the water supply solenoid valve 59 to supply clean water from the waterworks to the rinsing storage tank 24. The flow of water in the cleaning step is shown in the same diagram as FIG. 26, which shows the flow of water in the rinsing step.
[0107] Here, the rinsing storage tank 24 is provided above the cleaning storage tank 21, and stores rinsing water for rinsing the bottle body 51 and the lid 52. The rinsing path solenoid valve 76 is provided above the cleaning path solenoid valve 78 in accordance with the positional relationship between the rinsing storage tank 24 and the cleaning storage tank 21, so that even if cleaning water remains in the path between the shared pump and the cleaning path solenoid valve 78, the cleaning water can be prevented from flowing back upward beyond the rinsing path solenoid valve 76.
[0108] In the rinsing step, the control device opens the rinsing path solenoid valve 76 and closes the cleaning path solenoid valve 78. Again, since the rinsing storage tank 24 is provided above the cleaning storage tank 21 and the cleaning path solenoid valve 78, even if the rinsing path solenoid valve 76 is opened and the rinsing pump 25 is operated, the rinsing water from the rinsing storage tank 24 is forcefully supplied to the common pump 70 by gravity and water pressure. This makes it possible to prevent the cleaning water from flowing back upwards beyond the rinsing path solenoid valve 76, even if cleaning water remains in the path between the common pump 70 and the cleaning path solenoid valve 78.
[0109] Therefore, even if the washer 1 is configured with the shared pump 70 when supplying water in the washing step and the rinsing step, by providing the rinsing storage tank 24 above the washing storage tank 21, it is possible to prevent washing water with a higher turbidity than the rinsing water from flowing back into and mixing with the rinsing storage tank 24. This also makes it possible to avoid a situation in which water with a higher turbidity than the rinsing water is mistakenly used in the rinsing step.
[0110] In addition, by using a shared pump 70 instead of the rinsing pump 25 and the cleaning pump 27, the interior space or the tank space can be made larger, and the paths between the pump, the solenoid valve, and the tank can be simplified.
[0111] Furthermore, the rinsing path solenoid valve 76 may be provided at a position higher than the overflow drain outlet 48 provided near the upper end of the cleaning storage tank 21. Since the water level of the cleaning storage tank 21 is maintained at or below the position of the overflow drain outlet 48, this configuration makes it possible to more reliably prevent cleaning water that is more turbid than the rinsing water from being mixed into the rinsing storage tank 24.
[0112] For example, even if the rinse water stored in the rinse storage tank 24 is emptied once, an air layer is formed in the path between the rinse path solenoid valve 76 and the shared pump 70, directly below the rinse path solenoid valve 76, up to the height of the overflow drain outlet 48. Therefore, even if the rinse path solenoid valve 76 is opened thereafter, the air layer prevents the rinse water and the wash water from mixing, making it possible to more reliably prevent wash water that is more turbid than the rinse water from being mixed into the rinse storage tank 24.
[0113] In the above example, the rinsing path solenoid valve 76 and the cleaning path solenoid valve 78 are described as separate solenoid valves. However, a simple configuration may be achieved by using one three-way valve 77 that can select and control the paths between the shared pump 70, the cleaning storage tank 21, and the rinsing storage tank 24. When the three-way valve 77 is used instead of the rinsing path solenoid valve 76 and the cleaning path solenoid valve 78, the arrangement and paths of the solenoid valves can be simplified, and the interior space or tank space can be made larger.
[0114] Fig. 27 shows the water flow in the washing step when the shared pump 70 and the three-way valve 77 are used. Also, Fig. 28 shows the water flow in the rinsing step and the cleaning step when the shared pump 70 and the three-way valve 77 are used.
[0115] (Embodiment 3) Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 29 to 31. The washer according to the third embodiment is mainly for washing the bodies and caps of beverage bottles. Note that the description of the same configuration as the first or second embodiment will be omitted.
[0116] [3-1. Configuration] In the third embodiment, the washer 1 is provided with a drain hole cover 80 on the rear side of the bottle body insertion opening 32 and the drain hole 34 in the bottle body washing section 5 described in the first embodiment.
[0117] FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of the bottle body cleaning part 5 equipped with the drain hole cover 80 when the bottle body 51 is not held.
[0118] An opening / closing section 33 provided on the inside lower part of the bottle body holding section 30 opens the bottle body insertion opening 32 when the bottle body 51 is held by the bottle body holding section 30, and closes the bottle body insertion opening 32 when the bottle body 51 is not held by the bottle body holding section 30.
[0119] The opening / closing part 33 includes two semicircular members 33a each having a semicircular arc when viewed from the front, and an opening / closing part support plate 33b that supports the two members. Each semicircular member 33a is supported by a rotating shaft 35 so that the arc side faces upward, and is opened by rotating downward about the rotating shaft 35. This allows the opening / closing part 33 to be easily opened by the weight of the bottle body 51 when the bottle body 51 is inserted into the bottle body insertion port 32.
[0120] A drain hole 34 is provided near the center of the opening / closing part 33 when viewed from above, for allowing the washing water present on the upper surface of the opening / closing part 33 to fall below the opening / closing part 33. The upper surface of the opening / closing part 33 is inclined so that the position where the drain hole 34 is provided is lower. This allows the rinsing water used for cleaning the split rubber 31 and the upper surface of the opening / closing part 33 to be collected in the cleaning storage tank 21 and This allows the drain hole 34 to dry the cover 31 and the opening / closing portion 33, thereby further improving hygiene. The drain hole 34 may be formed by a notch provided near the center of the side where the left and right members constituting the opening / closing portion 33 come into contact.
[0121] The drain hole cover 80 is formed along the backside of each of the edges where the left and right opening / closing part support plates 33b come into contact, and opens together with the opening / closing part 33 when the bottle body 51 is inserted into the bottle body insertion opening 32. When the bottle body 51 is not held, it closes together with the opening / closing part 33. When the bottle body insertion opening 32 is closed, the drain hole cover 80 is provided to cover the gap where the edges where the left and right members constituting the opening / closing part 33 come into contact and the area directly below the drain hole 34.
[0122] This prevents the rinsing water ejected from the bottle body cleaning ejection part 39 during the cleaning process from splashing out from the drainage hole 34 or the gap between the sides where the left and right members constituting the opening / closing part 33 come into contact.
[0123] The drain hole cover 80 is curved downward and inward toward the side where the left and right members constituting the opening / closing part 33 come into contact when the bottle body insertion opening 32 is closed. When the bottle body insertion opening 32 is closed, the left and right drain hole covers 80 are closed and a rod-shaped space is formed between the drain hole covers 80 and the opening / closing part support plate 33b along the left and right edges of the opening / closing part support plate 33b. This part is called the return water pocket 81.
[0124] Fig. 30 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the vicinity of drain hole 34. As shown in Fig. 30, drain hole cover 80 is provided so as to cover the gap where the left and right members constituting opening / closing part 33 come into contact with each other and the area directly below drain hole 34 when bottle body insertion opening 32 is closed. A return water drain hole 82 that connects return water pocket 81 to the outside is provided on the side of return water pocket 81. A plurality of return water drain holes 82 may be provided.
[0125] As a result, even if rinsing water collects on the top surface of the opening / closing section 33 when the bottle body insertion port 32 is closed, the return water that falls into the drainage hole 34 or into the gap between the edges where the left and right components that make up the opening / closing section 33 come into contact is collected in the return water pocket 81, drained through the return water drainage hole 82, and collected in the cleaning storage tank 21.
[0126] [3-2. Water flow] FIG. 31 shows the flow of rinsing water in the cleaning process. The rinsing water ejected upward from the bottle body cleaning ejection part 39 reaches the top surface of the bottle body holding part 30 through the cleaning path 38 from the gap between the opening / closing part 33 and the bottle body holding part 30, and is guided to the multiple slits 58. The rinsing water that passes through the slits 58 flows onto the upper surface of the chrysanthemum-split rubber 31. The rinsing water that has collected at the central opening of the chrysanthemum-split rubber 31 flows down the opening / closing part 33, drops from the drain hole 34, and is collected in the return water pocket 81. Then, it drops from the return water drain hole 82 provided on the side of the return water pocket 81, and is collected in the cleaning storage tank 21.
[0127] This allows the returning water to be drained downwards, without maintaining an unsanitary state in which the rinsing water accumulates on the upper surface of the drain hole 34.
[0128] Furthermore, this configuration makes it possible to simultaneously prevent rinsing water from splashing out from the drainage hole 34 or the gaps between the left and right opening / closing sections 33, and to drain water accumulated on the upper surface of the opening / closing section 33, thereby improving hygiene and user convenience.
[0129] (Embodiment 4) Hereinafter, the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 32 to 37. The washer according to the fourth embodiment is mainly for washing the bodies and caps of beverage bottles. Note that the description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted.
[0130] [4-1. Configuration 1] When the bottle body 51 is set in the bottle body cleaning section 5, the bottle body 51 is carried to the bottle body cleaning section 5 with the mouth facing downward. At this time, there is a possibility that the remaining drink in the bottle body 51 will spill onto the bottom surface of the chamber. In addition, when removing the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 after cleaning, water may drip. If such water droplets are visible on the chamber interior panel 60, it may be perceived as unsanitary.
[0131] Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, the washer 1 has a first interior plate 60a that constitutes the bottom surface of the washing chamber 4, instead of the interior plate 60 in the first embodiment. The first interior plate 60a has a plurality of slits 64 that collect water that has dropped onto the interior bottom surface.
[0132] Fig. 32 is a perspective view showing the fourth embodiment, and Fig. 33 is a perspective view of the fourth embodiment with drainage plate 67 removed. Fig. 34 is a sectional perspective view of a part of the interior plate of Fig. 32 cut away. Fig. 35 is a simplified side sectional view of washer 1 showing the fourth embodiment. Fig. 36 is a perspective view of the fourth embodiment when second interior plate 60b is a flat plate.
[0133] Fig. 32 shows a diagram in which a number of slits 64 are formed in the first interior plate 60a in the fourth embodiment. The slits 64 guide water droplets inside the cabinet to a position that cannot be seen from above the first interior plate 60a by allowing the water droplets to fall downward. It is preferable that a number of slits 64 are formed in the first interior plate 60a in order to guide the water droplets. In particular, it is preferable that the slits 64 are provided over more than half of the interior bottom surface, and further over the entire periphery of the cleaning section.
[0134] Furthermore, the washer 1 has a second interior plate 60b for collecting the water that has fallen through the slits 64. The second interior plate 60b is provided below the first interior plate 60a and serves as a water receiving tray. The second interior plate 60b is designed to be large enough to cover the area in which the multiple slits 64 are provided in order to receive the water that has fallen through the slits 64. Preferably, the second interior plate 60b is the same size as the first interior plate 60a or larger than the first interior plate 60a.
[0135] Furthermore, a water recovery hole 653 may be provided on the front edge of the second interior plate 60b. The water recovery hole 653 is a path for recovering and draining water accumulated on the second interior plate 60b. Here, the water recovery hole 653 is provided by opening a part or the whole of the front edge of the second interior plate 60b.
[0136] The water recovery hole 653 is provided so as to be lower in height than the upper surface of the rim. The water recovery hole 653 is connected to a drain sink 68 and a drain tank 19 located in the front of the washing chamber 4 by a tray drain path 654.
[0137] By arranging the water recovery hole 653 on the second interior plate 60b provided below the first interior plate 60a, rather than on the top surface of the first interior plate 60a, it is possible to guide water droplets inside the cabinet to the drainage path from a position that cannot be seen from above the interior plate 60. In addition, since the water recovery hole is not exposed to the outside, there is no risk of it being blocked, and water can be drained stably.
[0138] As shown in FIG. 35, the second interior plate 60b is provided with an inclination that becomes lower toward the water recovery hole 653. With this configuration, water droplets that fall from the slits 64 are easily guided to the water recovery hole 653. In addition, wastewater is less likely to remain on the second interior plate 60b, which is hygienic. In this case, the vibration plate 61 (not shown) is provided below the second interior plate 60b.
[0139] The second interior plate 60b may be a flat plate. In this case, for example, a cross-sectional view of the washer 1 taken along line BB or CC in Fig. 32 is shown in Fig. 35, and a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the slit 64 is shown in Fig. 36. When the second interior plate 60b is a flat plate, the second interior plate 60b is easy to clean.
[0140] The second interior plate 60b may have ribs. In this case, a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the slit 64 is shown in FIG. 34. The second interior plate 60b has a large number of tray ribs 651 extending in the vertical direction and tray grooves 652 formed between the tray ribs 651. The tray ribs 651 are provided on the water receiving tray 65 in a large number, extending in the front-rear direction (vertical direction) and having an upwardly convex shape. Therefore, the tray grooves 652 recessed downward are formed at positions on the second interior plate 60b that are sandwiched between the tray ribs 651.
[0141] A plurality of tray ribs 651 and tray grooves 652 are provided on the second interior plate 60b. It is preferable that a large number of them are formed in order to guide water droplets. In particular, it is preferable that they are provided over more than half of the interior bottom surface, and furthermore, over the entire periphery of the cleaning section, and it is even more preferable that they correspond to the positions where the slits 64 are formed.
[0142] The tray groove 652 is provided so as to draw a smooth curve downwardly convexly. In FIG. 34, the cross section is shown as a semicircular arc, but it may be provided in an angular shape such as a rectangle or a triangle. As shown in FIG. 34, the framework of the first interior plate 60a forming the slit 64 and the tray rib 651 provided on the second interior plate 60b, which is convex upwardly, are arranged to match, so that a vertical partition is formed from the slit 64 to the second interior plate 60b. Here, the water recovery hole 653 may be provided so as to be lower in height than the upper surface of the tray rib 651.
[0143] Therefore, water that has spilled onto the interior bottom surface is not limited to the location of the collected slit, but is guided by the tray groove 652 along the vertical partition, and flows down toward the drain sink 68 side due to the inclination of the second interior plate 60b, and is collected in the water collection hole 653. The water that has flowed into the water collection hole 653 flows into the tray drainage path 654.
[0144] 33 and 35, the end of the drainage path is connected to a sink communication hole 66, which is an opening provided on one side of a drainage sink 68. Therefore, the water collected in the water recovery hole 653 flows from the sink communication hole 66 into the drainage sink 68 and is drained. Therefore, the leftover drinks put in from the leftover drinks input port 22 and the water that has flowed from the water recovery hole 653 to the sink communication hole 66 are mixed in the drainage sink 68.
[0145] In this embodiment, the sink communication hole 66 is provided on the rear inner wall of the drain sink 68. With this structure, water droplets that fall on the interior plate 60 can be collected in the drain sink 68.
[0146] Note that there may be multiple water recovery holes 653 and sink communication holes 66, as long as the water recovery holes 653 can drain water from the sink communication holes 66 to the drain sink 68 through a drainage path. In this embodiment, the water collected in the two water recovery holes 653 passes through the two corresponding sink communication holes 66 and flows down to the drain sink 68. With this structure, water droplets that fall on the interior plate 60 are guided without spreading, and can be smoothly collected in the drain sink 68.
[0147] As shown in Figure 33, when the washer 1 is cut along line BB so as to pass through the sink communication hole 66, the cross-sectional side view shown in Figure 35 is obtained. The water recovery hole 653, the tray drainage path 654, and the sink communication hole 66 are connected to each other and lead to the drainage sink 68. Note that, when the water recovery hole 653 is provided by opening the entire front edge of the second interior panel 60b, the cross-sectional view shown in Figure 35 is not limited to the line BB.
[0148] In addition, it is preferable that the sink communication hole 66 is provided below the drain plate 67 that covers the upper surface of the drain sink 68. With this configuration, the drainage water from inside the cabinet can flow into the drain sink 68 without being seen by the user from above the interior plate 60 to the drain, which is hygienic and does not cause discomfort. In addition, leftover drinks and water droplets that have spilled inside the cabinet can be drained into the second interior plate 60b, so the interior of the cabinet can be kept clean.
[0149] As described above, when a water receiving tray such as the second interior plate 60b is provided below the first interior plate 60a as in the configuration according to the fourth embodiment, water droplets that have fallen from the interior plate 60 are collected by the second interior plate 60b through the slits 64 and drained. Therefore, water can be drained without exposing leftover drinks on the interior plate 60. This configuration helps keep the interior of the refrigerator cleaner than when the user simply drains water droplets that have fallen onto the interior bottom surface.
[0150] [4-2. Configuration 2] 37 is a perspective view showing an application example of embodiment 4. In this case, the interior plate 60 is provided with a plurality of slits 64 for collecting water that has fallen onto the interior bottom surface, and the bottom surface of the interior plate 60 receives the water that has fallen from the slits 64. The water collecting holes 603 may be provided exposed in front of the edge 600 that surrounds the periphery of the interior plate 60.
[0151] With this configuration, there is no need to provide sink communication hole 66 and a drainage path leading to sink communication hole 66. Furthermore, when the amount of water that falls into slits 64 and accumulates on the bottom surface of interior plate 60 reaches a certain amount, the overflowing water naturally passes through leftover drink inlet 22 and is collected in drainage sink 68. Note that interior plate 60 may be designed with an incline as described above, in which case drainage is easier. With this configuration, leftover drink and water droplets do not accumulate on interior plate 60, making it hygienic.
[0152] (Embodiment 5) Hereinafter, the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 38 and 39. The washer according to the fifth embodiment is mainly for washing the bodies and caps of beverage bottles. Note that the description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted.
[0153] [5-1. Configuration 1] When the bottle body 51 is set in the bottle body cleaning section 5, the bottle body 51 is carried to the bottle body cleaning section 5 with the mouth facing downward. At this time, there is a possibility that the remaining drink in the bottle body 51 will spill onto the bottom of the chamber. In addition, when removing the bottle body 51 and the lid 52 after cleaning, there is a possibility that water will drip. If such water droplets remain on the chamber interior panel 60, the next user may feel that the water droplets are unsanitary when using the cleaner 1.
[0154] In the fifth embodiment shown in Fig. 38, an interior panel 60 has a plurality of ribs 601 extending in the vertical direction and grooves 602 sandwiched between the ribs 601. The relationship between the ribs and the grooves is similar to that of the second interior panel 60b in the fourth embodiment.
[0155] A large number of ribs 601 are provided on an interior plate 60 constituting the bottom surface of the cleaning chamber 4, extending in the front-rear direction (vertical direction) and projecting upward. Therefore, a groove 602 is formed on the interior plate 60 at a position sandwiched between the ribs 601.
[0156] Here, it is preferable that a large number of ribs 601 and grooves 602 are formed on the interior plate 60 to guide water droplets. In particular, it is preferable that they are provided on more than half of the interior bottom surface, and furthermore, on the entire periphery of the cleaning section. With this configuration, the water droplets that fall do not spread uniformly, but are guided by the grooves 602 and spread vertically, making them less noticeable. This configuration can reduce discomfort to users compared to when they see water droplets that have fallen on the interior bottom surface as they are.
[0157] [5-2. Configuration 2] Furthermore, the interior panel 60 of the fifth embodiment may be provided with a water recovery hole 603 at the front as shown in FIG.
[0158] The interior plate 60 has an edge 600 surrounding the periphery, and a water recovery hole 603 for recovering water on the interior plate 60 is provided in front of the edge 600. In detail, a water recovery groove 604 is provided on one side of the front inside of the edge 600 so as to be lower in height than the upper surfaces of the edge 600 and the rib 601. A part of the water recovery groove 604 is opened and functions as a water recovery hole 603. The water recovery hole 603 communicates with the drain sink 68 and the drain tank 19 by a drainage path (not shown).
[0159] Water droplets that fall onto the interior plate 60 and collect in the multiple grooves 602 spread out vertically and are collected in the water recovery groove 604. The water that has collected in the water recovery groove 604 flows into the water recovery hole 603 and flows into the drainage path.
[0160] The drain path is connected to a sink communication hole 66, which is an opening provided on one side of a drain sink 68. Therefore, the water collected in the water recovery hole 603 flows from the sink communication hole 66 into the drain sink 68 and is drained. Therefore, the leftover drinks put in from the leftover drinks input port 22 and the water that has flowed from the water recovery hole 603 to the sink communication hole 66 are mixed in the drain sink 68.
[0161] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 39, the sink communication hole 66 is provided on the rear inner wall of the drain sink 68. With this structure, water droplets that fall on the interior plate 60 can be collected in the drain sink 68.
[0162] There may be multiple water recovery holes 603 and multiple sink communication holes 66, as long as the water recovery holes 603 can drain water from the sink communication holes 66 to the drain sink 68 through a drainage path. In this embodiment, the water collected in the two water recovery holes 603 passes through the two corresponding sink communication holes 66 and flows down to the drain sink 68.
[0163] Here, it is preferable that the sink communication hole 66 is provided below the drain plate 67 that covers the upper surface of the drain sink 68. With this configuration, the drainage water inside the cabinet can flow into the drain sink 68 without being seen by the user, which is hygienic and does not cause discomfort.
[0164] Furthermore, the interior plate 60 may be provided with an incline so that it becomes lower toward the front side, i.e., the water recovery hole 603 side. With this configuration, water droplets that fall on the interior plate 60 are easily guided to the water recovery hole 603. In addition, water is less likely to remain on the interior plate 60, which is hygienic.
[0165] 39, the sink communication hole 66 and the drainage path leading to the sink communication hole 66 may not be provided, and the water collected in the water recovery hole 603 may flow directly down into the leftover drink input port 22 when it overflows. In this configuration, when the water collected on the interior plate 60 reaches a certain amount, it is naturally drained into the leftover drink input port 22. Also, if the interior plate 60 is tilted as described above, the water may be drained directly into the leftover drink input port 22. It may be designed with an incline, which will allow for better drainage.
[0166] (Other embodiments) As described above, the first to fifth embodiments have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to these, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. In addition, it is also possible to combine the components described in the first to fifth embodiments to create new embodiments.
[0167] Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below.
[0168] In the first to fifth embodiments, examples of cleaning beverage containers have been mainly described, but the techniques of the present embodiments can be applied to cleaning containers for any purpose.
[0169] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology of the present disclosure, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, and the like can be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents. (Additional Note) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.
[0170] (Technology 1) a body washing section for washing the body of the container; A lid cleaning unit for cleaning the lid of the container; Equipped with The main body cleaning unit and the lid cleaning unit are accommodated in a cleaning chamber, The interior plate constituting the bottom surface of the cleaning chamber has a plurality of slits. Cleaning machine.
[0171] This makes it possible to guide water droplets inside the container to a position that is not visible from above the container interior panel 60, thereby improving user comfort and hygiene.
[0172] (Technology 2) A first interior plate having the plurality of slits; A second interior plate having a size equal to or larger than the area in which the plurality of slits are provided is provided below the first interior plate. The cleaning machine according to technique 1.
[0173] This allows water falling through the slits 64 to be received without leakage.
[0174] (Technology 3) A water recovery hole for recovering water on the second interior plate is provided on the front side of the second interior plate. The cleaning machine according to technique 2.
[0175] This allows the water on the second interior plate 60b to be collected.
[0176] (Technology 4) The second interior plate is inclined so as to be lower toward the front, The cleaning machine according to any one of claims 2 to 3.
[0177] This allows the water on the second interior plate 60b to be collected more effectively. Since water does not accumulate on the interior plate 60b of the second chamber, hygiene can be improved.
[0178] (Technology 5) The second interior plate is formed with a number of upwardly convex ribs extending in the front-rear direction. A cleaning machine according to any one of claims 2 to 4.
[0179] As a result, a vertical partition is formed from the slit 64 to the second interior plate 60b, and water that falls onto the interior bottom surface can be guided to the water recovery hole 653 along the vertical partition.
[0180] (Technology 6) A water recovery hole is provided at the front edge of the interior plate, The cleaning machine according to technique 1.
[0181] As a result, when the amount of water accumulated on the bottom surface of the interior plate 60 reaches a certain amount, the overflowing water can be naturally collected without providing a drainage path.
[0182] (Technology 7) a body washing section for washing the body of the container; A lid cleaning unit for cleaning the lid of the container; Equipped with The main body cleaning unit and the lid cleaning unit are accommodated in a cleaning chamber, A cleaning machine in which a number of upwardly convex ribs extending in the front-to-rear direction are formed on an interior plate that constitutes the bottom surface of the cleaning chamber.
[0183] This makes it possible for water droplets that fall onto the interior bottom surface to be less noticeable.
[0184] (Technology 8) The cleaning machine described in Technology 7, wherein a water recovery hole is provided at the front edge of the interior plate to recover water on the interior plate.
[0185] This allows the water on the bottom surface of the interior of the container to be collected.
[0186] (Technology 9) The interior plate is inclined so as to be lower toward the front. The cleaning machine according to any one of claims 7 to 8.
[0187] This allows water on the interior bottom surface to be collected more effectively.
[0188] (Technology 10) A drainage path is provided for draining water on the interior plate, and the water recovery hole is connected to a drainage tank via the drainage path. The cleaning machine according to any one of Techniques 3 to 6, 8 and 9.
[0189] This allows water that has fallen onto the bottom surface of the interior of the chamber to be guided to the drainage path at a position that is not visible from above the interior plate 60.
[0190] (Technology 11) an inlet for injecting the contents of the container; A drain sink provided below the inlet, The drain tank is located below the drain sink and stores the contents that have been introduced through the inlet and passed through the drain sink, and the cleaning water used by the cleaning unit. The cleaning machine according to any one of the first to tenth aspects.
[0191] This makes it possible to prevent waste liquid with an unexpected amount of turbidity from being reused for cleaning or rinsing.
[0192] (Technology 12) the drain sink is located at the front of the washing chamber; The water recovery hole is connected to a sink communication hole provided on one side of the drainage sink via the drainage path, The contents introduced from the inlet and the contents flowing from the water recovery hole to the sink communication hole are mixed in the drain sink. 12. The cleaning machine according to claim 11.
[0193] As a result, water droplets that fall on the interior plate 60 are guided without spreading and smoothly collected and drained into the drain sink 68, keeping the interior of the cabinet clean. In addition, water that falls on the interior bottom and contents placed in the leftovers insertion port 22 can be collected in a single drain sink.
[0194] (Technology 13) The upper surface of the inlet is covered with a removable drainage plate, The washing machine according to Technology 12, wherein the sink communication hole is provided below the drain plate.
[0195] This allows the drainage water inside the cabinet to flow into the drain sink 68 without being seen by the user. Also, since the sink communication hole 66 is not exposed, there is no risk of it being blocked, and drainage can be performed stably. [Industrial Applicability]
[0196] The present invention can be used in a washing machine for washing containers. [Explanation of symbols]
[0197] 1. Cleaning machine 2. Cleaning machine body 3 Operation Panel 4. Cleaning Room 5 Bottle body cleaning section 6 Lid cleaning section 7 large door 8. Large door opening / closing switch 9. Cleaning room ventilation 10 Bottle body sensor 11 Interior light 12. Ventilation fan inside the cabinet 13 Automatic detergent dispenser 14 Pump for automatic detergent dispenser 15 Rinse heater 16 Cleaning heater 17 Drain hose 18 Drainage pump 19 Drainage tank 20 Drying vibrator 21 Cleaning storage tank 22 Leftover drink inlet 23 Ventilation Duct 24 Rinse storage tank 25 Rinse pump 26 Rinse path solenoid valve 27 Cleaning Pump 28 Cleaning path solenoid valve 29 Water drain solenoid valve 30 Bottle body holding part 31 Chrysanthemum Cracked Rubber 32 Bottle body insertion port 33 Opening and closing section 33a Semicircular member 33b Opening / closing part support plate 34 Drain hole 35 Rotational Axis 36 Pressurizing part 37 Support part 38 Cleaning Path 39 Bottle body cleaning injection part 40 Lid storage section 41 Lid placement part 42 Lid cleaning injection part 42a Left side outlet for lid cleaning 42b Right injection port for lid cleaning 43 Lid door 44 Lid door rotation shaft 45 Lid door opening / closing switch 46 Lid storage area ventilation hole 47 Leftover Drinks Drain 48 Overflow drain 49 Routes 50 Bottles 51 Bottle body 52 Lid 53 Lid top 54 Lower lid 55 Axis 56 Locking part 57 Button 58 Slit 59 Water supply solenoid valve 60 Interior Panel 60a First interior panel 60b Second interior panel 600 601 Rib 602 Groove 603 Water recovery hole 604 Water collection ditch 61 Vibration plate 63 Condensation water collection hose 64 Slit 651 Trey Ribs 652 Tray groove 653 Water recovery hole 654 Tray drainage path 66 Sink connection hole 67 Drainage plate 68 Drainage Sink 70 Common Pump 76 Rinse path solenoid valve 77 Three-way valve 78 Cleaning path solenoid valve 80 Drain hole cover 81 Return water pocket 82 Return water drain hole
Claims
1. a body washing section for washing the body of the container; A lid cleaning unit for cleaning the lid of the container; Equipped with The main body cleaning unit and the lid cleaning unit are accommodated in a cleaning chamber, A cleaning machine, wherein an inner plate constituting a bottom surface of the cleaning chamber has a plurality of slits.
2. A first interior plate having the plurality of slits; The washer according to claim 1 , further comprising a second interior plate disposed below the first interior plate and having an area equal to or larger than an area in which the plurality of slits are provided.
3. The washer according to claim 2 , wherein a water recovery hole is provided on a front side of the second interior plate to recover water on the second interior plate.
4. The washer according to claim 3 , wherein the second interior plate is inclined downward toward the front.
5. A number of upwardly convex ribs extending in the front-rear direction are formed on the second interior plate.
5. A cleaning machine according to claim 3 or 4.
6. The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the inner plate has a front edge provided with exposed water recovery holes.
7. a body washing section for washing the body of the container; A lid cleaning unit for cleaning the lid of the container; Equipped with The main body cleaning unit and the lid cleaning unit are accommodated in a cleaning chamber, A cleaning machine in which a number of upwardly convex ribs extending in the front-to-rear direction are formed on an interior plate that constitutes the bottom surface of the cleaning chamber.
8. The washing machine according to claim 7, wherein a water recovery hole is provided at a front edge of the interior plate for recovering water on the interior plate.
9. The washer according to claim 7, wherein the interior plate is inclined downward toward the front.
10. A drainage path for draining water on the interior plate is provided, 9. The cleaning machine according to claim 3, 6 or 8, wherein the water recovery hole communicates with a drain tank via the drain path.
11. an inlet for injecting the contents of the container; A drain sink provided below the inlet, The cleaning machine according to claim 10, wherein the drain tank is located below the drain sink and stores the contents that have been introduced through the inlet and passed through the drain sink, and cleaning water used by the cleaning unit.
12. the drain sink is located at the front of the washing chamber; The water recovery hole is connected to a sink communication hole provided on one side of the drainage sink via the drainage path, The contents put in through the inlet and the water flowing through the water recovery hole to the sink communication hole are The machine of claim 11, wherein the contents of the drain sink are mixed with the drain sink.
13. The upper surface of the inlet is covered with a removable drainage plate, The washer according to claim 12, wherein the sink communication hole is provided below the drain plate.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Washer, controller, and washing method
JP2022126260A
