Water supply device, beverage dispenser and drying method of water supply device

Abstract

To efficiently remove water left in a water supply device comprising a heating device.SOLUTION: Water supply devices 1, 1',1" each comprises: a water tank 2 storing water; a water supply path 3 having a water pouring port 31, and connecting the water pouring port and the water tank; a water heating device 5 having a water flow-in port 51, a water flow-out port 52, a water holding part 53 between the water flow-in port and the water flow-out port, and a heating part 54 for heating water in the water holding part; a water pump 4 supplying water in the water tank to the water pouring port through the water heating device; and a rotation mechanism 9 rotating the water heating device so that a positional relation between the water flow-in port and the water flow-out port is reversed in a vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water supply device, a beverage dispenser, and a method for drying a water supply device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a water supplying device that heats water contained in a water tank and supplies heated water to prepare beverages such as coffee. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe a coffee maker in which water (hot water) heated by a heating device is supplied to coffee powder, and coffee is extracted from the coffee powder. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-126312 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2006-263028 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such a water supply device, water is left in the water supply passage after supplying water, but if this state is left for a long period of time, it may cause deterioration of the water, which is unsanitary.

[0005] For this reason, when the water supply device, i.e., the beverage dispenser, does not supply water for a long period of time, it is desirable to remove the water remaining in the water supply device and dry the water supply device. However, in places where water is likely to accumulate, such as inside a heating device, it is difficult to drain the water by simply blowing air with a pump. For this reason, there is room for improvement in the method of drying the water supply device.

[0006] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to efficiently remove water remaining in a water supply device equipped with a heating device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The gist of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0008] (1) A water supply device comprising: a water tank for storing water; a water heating device having a water outlet and a water supply passage connecting the water outlet to the water tank; a water inlet, a water outlet, a water holding section between the water inlet and the water outlet, and a heating section for heating the water in the water holding section; a water pump for supplying water in the water tank to the water outlet through the water heating device; and a rotation mechanism for rotating the water heating device so that the positional relationship between the water inlet and the water outlet in the vertical direction is reversed.

[0009] (2) The water supply device described in (1) above, further comprising an air supply passage connected to the water supply passage between the water pump and the water heating device, and an air pump that supplies air from the air supply passage to the water supply passage.

[0010] (3) The water supply device according to (2) above, further comprising an air heating device for heating the air supplied by the air pump.

[0011] (4) The water supply device according to any one of (1) to (3) above, further comprising a state detector that detects the positional relationship between the water inlet and the water outlet in the vertical direction.

[0012] (5) A beverage dispenser comprising a water supply device according to any one of (1) to (4) above.

[0013] (6) A method for drying a water supply device including a water tank for storing water, a water supply passage having a water outlet and connecting the water outlet to the water tank, a water heating device having a water inlet, a water outlet, a water holding section between the water inlet and the water outlet, and a heating section for heating the water in the water holding section, and a water pump that supplies water in the water tank to the water outlet through the water heating device, the method including: cutting off the supply of water from the water tank to the water supply passage; rotating the water heating device so that the water inlet is higher than the water outlet in the vertical direction; and driving the water pump.

[0014] (7) The method for drying a water supply device described in (6) above, further comprising supplying air to the water supply passage between the water pump and the water heating device.

[0015] (8) The method for drying a water supply device described in (6) above, further comprising supplying heated air to the water supply passage between the water pump and the water heating device. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, water remaining in a water supply device equipped with a heating device can be efficiently removed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a beverage dispenser provided with a water dispenser according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the water heating device of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the control device of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the water heating device in a second state. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control routine for the drying control in the first embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a beverage dispenser provided with a water dispenser according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control routine for the drying control in the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a beverage dispenser provided with a water dispenser according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a control routine for the drying control in the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, like components are designated by like reference numerals.

[0019] First Embodiment First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0020] <Beverage dispenser> 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a beverage dispenser provided with a water supplying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The beverage dispenser 100 includes a powder supplying device 200 and a water supplying device 1, and supplies a beverage. The powder supplying device 200 and the water supplying device 1 are housed in the same housing.

[0021] The powder supplying device 200 supplies powder as an ingredient of a beverage. The powder may be, for example, coffee, cocoa, tea, milk, corn potage, etc. In this embodiment, the powder is supplied from the powder supplying device 200 to a beverage container 300 installed by a user. The powder supplying device 200 has a known configuration and will not be described in detail in this specification.

[0022] The water supplying device 1 heats water and supplies water (heated water) for dissolving the powder supplied by the powder supplying device 200. The beverage dispenser 100 mixes the powder supplied by the powder supplying device 200 with the water supplied by the water supplying device 1 to produce a beverage.

[0023] <Water supply device configuration> The following is a detailed description of the configuration of the water supply device 1. As shown in FIG.

[0024] The water tank 2 contains the water supplied by the water supplying device 1. The water tank 2 is detachable from the housing that contains the water supplying device 1. When the water in the water tank 2 runs short, the user removes the water tank 2 from the housing and refills the water tank 2 with water.

[0025] The water supply passage 3 has a water outlet 31, and connects the water outlet 31 to the water tank 2. The water supply passage 3 is, for example, a hose made of resin or metal. The water outlet 31 is formed at one end of the water supply passage 3, and water in the water tank 2 is poured out from the water outlet 31. In this embodiment, water is poured from the water outlet 31 into a beverage container 300 installed by a user.

[0026] The water pump 4 is disposed in the water supply passage 3, and is connected to the water tank 2 and the water heating device 5 via the water supply passage 3. The water pump 4 supplies water in the water tank 2 to the water outlet 31 through the water heating device 5. The water pump 4 is, for example, an electric pump.

[0027] The water heating device 5 is disposed in the water supply passage 3, specifically, in the water supply passage 3 between the water pump 4 and the water outlet 31. The water heating device 5 heats the water supplied by the water pump 4. The water heated by the water heating device 5 (heated water) is dispensed from the water outlet 31 into the beverage container 300.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a diagram that shows the water heating device 5 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the water heating device 5 has a water inlet 51, a water outlet 52, a water holding portion 53, and a heating portion 54. The water holding portion 53 has a hollow cylindrical shape and holds water in the water heating device 5. The heating portion 54 is disposed in the water holding portion 53 so as to be in contact with the water in the water holding portion 53, and extends in a spiral shape so as to surround the hollow portion of the water holding portion 53. The heating portion 54 generates heat by power supplied via wiring 55 to heat the water in the water holding portion 53. The heating portion 54 is, for example, a sheath heater.

[0029] Water inlet 51 connects water supply channel 3 upstream of water heating device 5 (water tank 2 side) to water retention section 53, and water supplied by water pump 4 flows into water retention section 53 from water inlet 51. Water outlet 52 connects water retention section 53 to water retention section 53 downstream of water heating device 5 (water outlet 31 side), and water heated in water retention section 53 flows out from water outlet 52 to water supply channel 3.

[0030] 1, the water supply device 1 further includes a drainage channel 6 and a flow path switching valve 7. The drainage channel 6 has a drain outlet 61, and connects the drain outlet 61 to the water supply channel 3. The drainage channel 6 is a flow path branched off from the water supply channel 3, and is connected to the water supply channel 3 between the water heating device 5 and the water outlet 31. The drainage channel 6 is, for example, a hose made of resin or metal. The drain outlet 61 is formed at one end of the drainage channel 6, and water that is not used for drinking is supplied from the drain outlet 61 to the outside. In this embodiment, water is discharged from the drain outlet 61 into a drainage container 400 installed by a user.

[0031] The flow path switching valve 7 is disposed around the water supply path 3 and the drain path 6, and blocks either the water supply path 3 or the drain path 6. That is, the flow path switching valve 7 switches the flow path through which the water flowing out from the water heating device 5 flows between the water supply path 3 and the drain path 6. When the water supply path 3 is blocked by the flow path switching valve 7, the water flows through the drain path 6 and is discharged into the drain container 400. On the other hand, when the drain path 6 is blocked by the flow path switching valve 7, the water flows through the water supply path 3 and is supplied to the beverage container 300. For example, the flow path switching valve 7 is configured to switch the flow path to be blocked by rotation. In this embodiment, the flow path switching valve 7 is configured to block the water supply path 3 when not energized, and block the drain path 6 when energized.

[0032] The water supplying device 1 further includes a control device 8 that executes various controls of the water supplying device 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the control device 8 of Fig. 1. The control device 8 includes a memory 81, a peripheral circuit 82, and a processor 83. The memory 81 and the peripheral circuit 82 are connected to the processor 83 via signal lines. The control device 8 is configured as, for example, a microcomputer or a sequencer.

[0033] The memory 81 includes, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory (for example, a RAM) and a non-volatile semiconductor memory (for example, a ROM). The memory 81 stores programs executed by the processor 83, various data used when the processor 83 executes various processes, and the like.

[0034] The peripheral circuit 82 includes additional elements (such as timers) necessary for the processor 83 to execute various processes. The processor 83 has one or more central processing units (CPUs) and executes various processes.

[0035] The control device 8 is electrically connected to and controls the water pump 4, the water heating device 5, and the flow path switching valve 7. Power is supplied to the control device 8 from an outlet via a power cord.

[0036] <Water supply device control> The beverage dispenser 100 equipped with the water dispenser 1 has a standby mode, a beverage supply mode, and a drying mode as operation modes. The operation mode of the beverage dispenser 100 is selected by a user via an input device. The input device is, for example, a button or a touch panel provided on the housing of the beverage dispenser 100. The input device may be a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, or the like capable of communicating with the control device 8.

[0037] In order to quickly supply heated water in the beverage supply mode, it is necessary to preheat the water in the water heating device 5. For this reason, when the beverage dispenser 100 is powered on in a state where water is not being supplied to the water supply path 3 of the water supply device 1 (for example, the shipping state of the beverage dispenser 100), the control device 8 executes initialization control. Specifically, the control device 8 shuts off the drain path 6 with the flow path switching valve 7, stops the water heating device 5, and drives the water pump 4 for a predetermined time.

[0038] As a result, water in the water tank 2 is poured out from the water outlet 31 through the water supply channel 3, and the water holding section 53 of the water heating device 5 is filled with water. At this time, the water poured out from the water outlet 31 in the initial control is collected in a beverage container 300 installed by the user. Note that the control device 8 may block the water supply channel 3 by the flow path switching valve 7 in the initial control. In this case, the water in the water tank 2 is collected from the drain outlet 61 through the drain channel 6 to the drain container 400.

[0039] Next, the control device 8 executes standby control. Specifically, the control device 8 stops the water pump 4, drives the water heating device 5, and blocks the water supply passage 3 by the flow path switching valve 7. As a result, the operation mode of the beverage dispenser 100 becomes a standby mode. In the standby mode, the temperature of the water in the water holding unit 53 is controlled to a predetermined temperature in preparation for supplying a beverage. Note that a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the water in the water holding unit 53 may be provided in the water heating device 5, and in the standby mode, the temperature of the water in the water holding unit 53 may be feedback-controlled based on the output of the temperature sensor.

[0040] In the standby mode, water holding portion 53 is filled with water. In the standby mode and the beverage supply mode, water heating device 5 is maintained in the first state shown in FIG. 2. When water heating device 5 is in the first state, water outlet 52 is located above water inlet 51 in the vertical direction. Therefore, in the standby mode, water in water holding portion 53 is held by gravity and does not flow out from water outlet 52. This prevents the water heating device 5 from heating without water. In the standby mode, when a small amount of water flows out from water outlet 52 due to a pressure change in water holding portion 53, the flowed out water is collected in drain container 400 through drainage channel 6.

[0041] When the beverage supply mode is selected by the user, a beverage is supplied from the beverage dispenser 100. Specifically, first, powder is supplied from the powder supplying device 200 to the beverage container 300, and then heated water is supplied from the water supplying device 1 to the beverage container 300. The control device 8 executes water supply control in the beverage supply mode. Specifically, the control device 8 blocks the drainage path 6 by the flow path switching valve 7, drives the water heating device 5, and drives the water pump 4 for a predetermined time. As a result, the water in the water holding portion 53 is pushed out from the water outlet 52 by the water supplied from the water tank 2, and a predetermined amount of heated water is poured out from the water pouring outlet 31.

[0042] When the supply of the beverage is completed in the beverage supply mode, the operation mode of the beverage dispenser 100 returns to the standby mode. Therefore, the control device 8 stops the water pump 4, drives the water heating device 5, and blocks the water supply path 3 by the flow path switching valve 7. At this time, the water holding portion 53 in the water heating device 5 is filled with the water newly supplied from the water tank 2.

[0043] Maintaining the standby mode for a long period of time without selecting the beverage supply mode may cause deterioration of the water remaining in the water supply device 1, which is unsanitary. For this reason, when the water supply device 1, i.e., the beverage dispenser 100, does not supply water for a long period of time, it is desirable to remove the water remaining in the water supply device 1 and dry the water supply device 1.

[0044] Therefore, in the dry mode, the water remaining in the water supplying device 1 is removed to dry the water supplying device 1. Before selecting the dry mode, the user removes the water tank 2 from the housing in which the water supplying device 1 is housed. In other words, the user cuts off the supply of water from the water tank 2 to the water supply path 3.

[0045] However, even if water tank 2 is removed, a large amount of water remains in water retention section 53 of water heating device 5. For this reason, even if a small amount of water remaining in water supply passage 3 is supplied to water heating device 5 by water pump 4, the water in water retention section 53 is retained by gravity without flowing out from water outlet 52.

[0046] Therefore, in this embodiment, the water supply device 1 further includes a rotation mechanism 9 that rotates the water heating device 5 so that the positional relationship between the water inlet 51 and the water outlet 52 in the vertical direction is reversed. As shown in Fig. 2, the rotation mechanism 9 is fixed to the water heating device 5 and rotates integrally with the water heating device 5. In this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 9 has a cylindrical shape and rotates around the axis X of the cylinder.

[0047] The rotation mechanism 9 is disposed in a housing that accommodates the water dispenser 1 so as to be operated by a user. The rotation mechanism 9 is configured so that, in a first rotation position, the water heating device 5 is in a first state. In other words, the rotation mechanism 9 is configured so that, in the first rotation position, the water outlet 52 is positioned higher than the water inlet 51 in the vertical direction. The user maintains the rotation mechanism 9 in the first rotation position in the standby mode and the beverage dispense mode to prevent the water heating device 5 from heating without water.

[0048] On the other hand, when the user selects the drying mode, the user rotates the rotation mechanism 9 180 degrees from the first rotation position to the second rotation position. As a result, the water heating device 5 rotates 180 degrees, and the water heating device 5 changes from the first state to the second state. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the water heating device 5 in the second state. As shown in FIG. 4, when the water heating device 5 is in the second state, the water inlet 51 is located above the water outlet 52 in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the user selects the drying mode, the user rotates the water heating device 5 by the rotation mechanism 9 so that the water inlet 51 is located above the water outlet 52 in the vertical direction.

[0049] When the water inlet 51 is positioned higher than the water outlet 52 in the vertical direction, the water in the water holding portion 53 flows out from the water outlet 52 by gravity. Therefore, the water in the water holding portion 53 can be removed by rotating the rotation mechanism 9 from the first rotation position to the second rotation position.

[0050] The control device 8 executes drying control in the drying mode. Specifically, the control device 8 shuts off the drainage channel 6 with the flow path switching valve 7, stops the water heating device 5, and drives the water pump 4 for a predetermined time. As a result, the water in the water holding portion 53 is discharged from the water outlet 31 by gravity, and then the water in the water supply channel 3 upstream of the water heating device 5 is discharged from the water outlet 31 together with air by the water pump 4. Therefore, by performing the above-mentioned drying method of the water supply device 1 using the rotation mechanism 9 and the water pump 4, the water remaining in the water supply device 1 can be efficiently removed.

[0051] As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the water supply device 1 includes a first state detector 10 and a second state detector 11. The first state detector 10 detects the positional relationship between the water inlet 51 and the water outlet 52 in the vertical direction. Specifically, the first state detector 10 detects that the water heating device 5 is in the first state, that is, that the water outlet 52 is located above the water inlet 51 in the vertical direction. The first state detector 10 is, for example, a contact-type limit sensor, and is configured to come into contact with the water outlet 52 when the water heating device 5 is in the first state (see Fig. 2). The first state detector 10 may be configured to come into contact with the water inlet 51 when the water heating device 5 is in the first state.

[0052] The first state detector 10 is electrically connected to the control device 8, and the output of the first state detector 10 is input to the control device 8. When the control device 8 determines that the water heating device 5 is not in the first state based on the output of the first state detector 10 in the standby mode, the control device 8 issues a warning to the user via the output device. This makes it possible to prevent the water in the water holding unit 53 from flowing out in the standby mode and the water heating device 5 from heating the water empty. The output device is, for example, a display, a light-emitting component, a sound-producing component, a speaker, or the like provided on the housing of the beverage dispenser 100. The first state detector 10 may be a photoelectric sensor, a proximity sensor, or the like that detects in a non-contact manner that the water heating device 5 is in the first state.

[0053] The second state detector 11 detects the positional relationship between the water inlet 51 and the water outlet 52 in the vertical direction. Specifically, the second state detector 11 detects that the water heating device 5 is in the second state, i.e., that the water inlet 51 is located above the water outlet 52 in the vertical direction. The second state detector 11 is, for example, a contact-type limit sensor, and is configured to come into contact with the water outlet 52 when the water heating device 5 is in the second state (see FIG. 4). Note that the second state detector 11 may be configured to come into contact with the water inlet 51 when the water heating device 5 is in the second state.

[0054] Second state detector 11 is electrically connected to control device 8, and the output of second state detector 11 is input to control device 8. When control device 8 determines that water heating device 5 is not in the second state based on the output of second state detector 11 in the drying mode, it issues a warning to the user via the output device. This makes it possible to prevent water from being not removed from water holding section 53 in the drying mode. Note that second state detector 11 may be a photoelectric sensor, a proximity sensor, or the like that detects in a non-contact manner that water heating device 5 is in the second state.

[0055] <Drying control> The drying control will be described in detail below with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a control routine for the drying control in the first embodiment. This control routine is repeatedly executed by the control device 8 (specifically, the processor 83).

[0056] First, in step S101, the control device 8 determines whether or not the drying mode has been selected by the user. For example, the user selects the drying mode via an input device such as a button provided on the housing of the beverage dispenser 100. In this case, the control device 8 determines whether or not the drying mode has been selected based on an output signal of the input device.

[0057] If it is determined in step S101 that the drying mode has not been selected, this control routine ends. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S101 that the drying mode has been selected, this control routine proceeds to step S102.

[0058] In step S102, the control device 8 determines whether or not the water heating device 5 is in the second state based on the output of the second state detector 11. That is, the control device 8 determines whether or not the water inlet 51 is located above the water outlet 52 in the vertical direction based on the output of the second state detector 11.

[0059] If it is determined in step S102 that the water heating device 5 is not in the second state, the control routine proceeds to step S108. In step S108, the control device 8 issues a warning to the user via the output device. After step S108, the control routine ends.

[0060] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S102 that the water heating device 5 is in the second state, this control routine proceeds to step S103. In step S103, the control device 8 blocks the drainage path 6 using the flow path switching valve 7. That is, the control device 8 switches the flow path through which water flows to the water supply path 3 using the flow path switching valve 7. Specifically, the control device 8 supplies power to the flow path switching valve 7.

[0061] Next, in step S104, the controller 8 stops the water heating device 5. Specifically, the controller 8 stops the power supply to the heating unit 54 of the water heating device 5.

[0062] Next, in step S105, the control device 8 drives the water pump 4 for a predetermined time. The predetermined time is determined in advance through experiments or the like so that the water in the water supply passage 3 upstream of the water heating device 5 is discharged from the water outlet 31 by the water pump 4.

[0063] Next, in step S106, the control device 8 stops the water pump 4.

[0064] Next, in step S107, the control device 8 cuts off the water supply path 3. That is, the control device 8 switches the flow path through which water flows to the drainage path 6 by the flow path switching valve 7. Specifically, the control device 8 stops the power supply to the flow path switching valve 7. After step S108, this control routine ends. When the supply of beverage is to be resumed after the drying control, the water heating device 5 is returned to the first state by the user, and the control device 8 executes the initialization control.

[0065] In addition, in step S103, the control device 8 may shut off the water supply path 3 by the flow path switching valve 7, and step S107 may be omitted. That is, the water removed by the drying control may be discharged into the drainage container 400 through the drainage path 6. In this case, the user empties the drainage container 400 before selecting the drying mode so that the water in the drainage container 400 does not overflow.

[0066] Also, steps S101 and S108 may be omitted. That is, the control device 8 may determine that the drying control has been requested by the user when the water heating device 5 changes from the first state to the second state.

[0067] Also, the second state detector 11 may be omitted, and steps S102 and S108 may be omitted.

[0068] Second Embodiment The water supply device and the method for drying the water supply device according to the second embodiment are basically the same as the water supply device and the method for drying the water supply device according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0069] 6 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a beverage dispenser provided with a water dispenser according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the water dispenser 1' further includes an air supply passage 12, an air pump 13, and a check valve 14.

[0070] The air supply passage 12 is connected to the water supply passage 3 between the water pump 4 and the water heating device 5, and connects the water supply passage 3 to the air pump 13. For example, the air supply passage 12 is a hose made of resin or metal.

[0071] The air pump 13 supplies air from the air supply passage 12 to the water supply passage 3. The air pump 13 is, for example, an electric pump. The air pump 13 is electrically connected to the control device 8 and controlled by the control device 8.

[0072] The check valve 14 is disposed in the air supply passage 12 and prevents backflow (flow to the air pump 13) of fluids (air and water).

[0073] Even if the water in the water supply passage 3 is removed by the water pump 4 in the drying control, a small amount of water remains on the inner walls of the water supply passage 3 and the water retaining section 53 of the water heating device 5. Similarly, a small amount of water remains on the wall surface of the drainage passage 6. Therefore, in the second embodiment, air is supplied to the water supply passage 3 by the air pump 13 to dry the inner walls of the water flow passage.

[0074] Specifically, in the drying control, the control device 8 stops the water pump 4 and then drives the air pump 13 for a predetermined time. At this time, the drainage channel 6 is blocked by the flow path switching valve 7, and the water supply channel 3 is opened. Therefore, the air supplied by the air pump 13 is discharged from the water outlet 31 through the water supply channel 3, and the water adhering to the water supply channel 3 and the inner wall of the water retention section 53 can be evaporated.

[0075] Thereafter, the control device 8 shuts off the water supply path 3 using the flow path switching valve 7, and drives the air pump 13 again for a predetermined time. As a result, the air supplied by the air pump 13 is discharged from the drain outlet 61 through the drain path 6, and water adhering to the inner wall of the drain path 6 can be evaporated. By alternately supplying air to the water supply path 3 and the drain path 6 as described above, water remaining in the water supply device 1 can be completely removed, and the water supply device 1 can be kept cleaner.

[0076] <Drying control> 7 is a flowchart showing a control routine for drying control in the second embodiment. This control routine is repeatedly executed by the control device 8 (specifically, the processor 83).

[0077] Steps S201 to S206 and step S211 are similar to steps S101 to S106 and step S108 in FIG. 5, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0078] After stopping the water pump 4 in step S206, in step S207, the control device 8 drives the air pump 13 for a predetermined time. The predetermined time is determined in advance through experiments or the like so that the water supply passage 3 and the inner wall of the water retention portion 53 are dried by the air supplied by the air pump 13.

[0079] Next, in step S208, the control device 8 shuts off the water supply channel 3 using the flow path switching valve 7. That is, the control device 8 switches the flow path through which the water flows to the drainage channel 6 using the flow path switching valve 7. Specifically, the control device 8 stops the power supply to the flow path switching valve 7.

[0080] Next, in step S209, the control device 8 drives the air pump 13 for a predetermined time. The predetermined time is determined in advance through experiments or the like so that the inner wall of the drainage channel 6 is dried by the air supplied by the air pump 13.

[0081] Next, in step S210, the control device 8 stops the air pump 13. After step S210, this control routine ends.

[0082] In this control routine, air is supplied to the water supply path 3 before the drain path 6, but air may be supplied to the drain path 6 before the water supply path 3. The control routine of FIG. 7 can be modified in the same manner as the control routine of FIG. 5.

[0083] <Third embodiment> The water supply device and the method for drying the water supply device according to the third embodiment are basically the same as the water supply device and the method for drying the water supply device according to the second embodiment. Therefore, the third embodiment of the present invention will be described below, focusing on the differences from the second embodiment.

[0084] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a beverage dispenser provided with a water dispenser according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, the water dispenser 1″ further includes an air heating device 15 in addition to an air supply passage 12, an air pump 13, and a check valve 14.

[0085] The air heating device 15 is disposed in the air supply path 12 between the air pump 13 and the water supply path 3, and heats the air supplied by the air pump 13. The air heating device 15 is electrically connected to the control device 8 and is controlled by the control device 8. The air heating device 15 is, for example, a sheath heater. Note that the air heating device 15 and the air pump 13 may be integrated together.

[0086] In the third embodiment, the air pump 13 and the air heater 15 supply heated air to the water supply passage 3 to dry the inner wall of the water passage. Specifically, in the drying control, the control device 8 stops the water pump 4 and then drives the air pump 13 and the air heater 15 for a predetermined time. At this time, the drainage passage 6 is blocked by the passage switching valve 7 and the water supply passage 3 is opened. Therefore, the heated air is discharged from the water outlet 31 through the water supply passage 3, and the water attached to the inner wall of the water supply passage 3 and the water retention section 53 can be evaporated.

[0087] Thereafter, the control device 8 shuts off the water supply path 3 using the flow path switching valve 7, and again drives the air pump 13 and the air heating device 15 for a predetermined time. As a result, heated air is discharged from the drain outlet 61 through the drain path 6, and water adhering to the inner wall of the drain path 6 can be evaporated. By alternately supplying heated air to the water supply path 3 and the drain path 6 as described above, evaporation of water adhering to the inner wall can be promoted, and the time required for drying can be shortened.

[0088] <Drying control> 9 is a flowchart showing a control routine for drying control in the third embodiment. This control routine is repeatedly executed by the control device 8 (specifically, the processor 83).

[0089] Steps S301 to S306 and step S311 are similar to steps S101 to S106 and step S108 in FIG. 5, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0090] After stopping the water pump 4 in step S306, in step S307, the control device 8 drives the air pump 13 and the air heating device 15 for a predetermined time. The predetermined time is determined in advance by experiment or the like so that the water supply passage 3 and the inner wall of the water retention section 53 are dried by the heated air.

[0091] Next, in step S308, the control device 8 shuts off the water supply channel 3 using the flow path switching valve 7. That is, the control device 8 switches the flow path through which the water flows to the drainage channel 6 using the flow path switching valve 7. Specifically, the control device 8 stops the power supply to the flow path switching valve 7.

[0092] Next, in step S309, the control device 8 drives the air pump 13 and the air heating device 15 for a predetermined time. The predetermined time is determined in advance by experiment or the like so that the inner wall of the drainage channel 6 is dried by the heated air.

[0093] Next, in step S310, the control device 8 stops the air pump 13 and the air heating device 15. After step S310, this control routine ends.

[0094] In this control routine, heated air is supplied to the water supply path 3 prior to the drain path 6, but heated air may be supplied to the drain path 6 prior to the water supply path 3. The control routine of FIG. 9 can be modified in the same manner as the control routine of FIG. 5.

[0095] <Other embodiments> Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the claims.

[0096] For example, the drainage channel 6 and the flow path switching valve 7 may be omitted, and a drainage receiver may be provided at the location where the beverage container 300 is installed. In this case, steps S103 and S107 in Fig. 5, steps S203 and S208 in Fig. 7, and steps S303 and S308 in Fig. 9 are omitted.

[0097] Furthermore, the rotation mechanism 9 may be an electric motor or the like electrically connected to the control device 8. In this case, the control device 8 maintains the rotation mechanism 9 in the first rotation position in the standby mode and the beverage supplying mode, and rotates the rotation mechanism 9 from the first rotation position to the second rotation position when the drying mode is selected by the user. Furthermore, the water supply devices 1, 1', 1" may be provided in a water server or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1, 1', 1” water supply device 2 Water tank 3 Water supply channel 31 Water spout 4. Water pump 5 Water heating device 51 Water inlet 52 Water outlet 53 Water holding part 54 Heating section 8 Control device 9 Rotation mechanism

Claims

1. A water tank for storing water; A water supply passage having a water outlet and connecting the water outlet to the water tank; a water heating device having a water inlet, a water outlet, a water holding section between the water inlet and the water outlet, and a heating section for heating the water in the water holding section; a water pump that supplies water in the water tank to the water outlet through the water heating device; a rotation mechanism that rotates the water heating device so that a positional relationship between the water inlet and the water outlet in a vertical direction is reversed; A water supply device comprising:

2. an air supply line connected to the water supply line between the water pump and the water heating device; an air pump for supplying air from the air supply passage to the water supply passage; The water supply apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

3. The water supply apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising an air heating device for heating the air supplied by the air pump.

4. The water supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising a state detector that detects a positional relationship between the water inlet and the water outlet in a vertical direction.

5. A beverage dispenser comprising a water supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. A water tank for storing water; A water supply passage having a water outlet and connecting the water outlet to the water tank; a water heating device having a water inlet, a water outlet, a water holding section between the water inlet and the water outlet, and a heating section for heating the water in the water holding section; a water pump that supplies water in the water tank to the water outlet through the water heating device; A method for drying a water supply device comprising: cutting off the supply of water from the water tank to the water supply passage; Rotating the water heating device so that the water inlet is vertically above the water outlet; Driving the water pump; A method for drying a water supply device, comprising:

7. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising supplying air to the water supply line between the water pump and the water heating device.

8. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: supplying heated air to the water supply line between the water pump and the water heating device.

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