Pouring box and carbonated water production device using the same

Abstract

To suppress deterioration of gas strength of produced carbonated water while keeping an area near a vent stage clean.SOLUTION: A pouring box of the present invention has a body in a hollow box shape with one side open and having a spout into which supplied liquid flows on any one of a plurality of interior wall surfaces, and a container holding part for holding a container stored inside the body. The container holding part holds the container so that the spout of the container is positioned on a movement track of the liquid flowing via the spout and a longitudinal direction of the container intersects a flow direction of the liquid flowing into the interior of the body via the spout.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water-filling box that holds a container into which carbonated water or drinking water is poured when carbonated water or drinking water is poured, and a carbonated water production device using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, vending machines are provided that sell various beverages. Some vending machines sell beverages in containers such as sealed plastic bottles or beverage cans that contain the beverages they produce, while others sell beverages that are produced in the vending machine by pouring them into cups or the like. In a vending machine that sells beverages produced in the machine by pouring them into cups or the like, for example, carbonated water produced in a carbonated water production device in the vending machine and various syrups that serve as base liquids for syrup beverages are poured into a container to provide a beverage that is a mixture of carbonated water and syrup (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-23979 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a vending machine that dispenses the produced beverage into a container, the carbonated water hits the bottom of the container when poured from the carbonated water production device into the container, and the carbon dioxide gas is likely to evaporate due to the impact. Therefore, the gas strength (GV: Gas Volume) of the carbonated water poured into the container is weaker than when it was produced. For example, in a carbonated water production device, it is possible to produce carbonated water with a high gas strength and extract it into a cup, but there is a risk that the carbonated water with a high gas strength will spray out from the dispensing nozzle.

[0005] In the case of a vending machine that dispenses beverages into the above-mentioned containers, a user inserts his / her hand into the space above the vent stage, grasps the container placed on the vent stage, and removes the container from the vent stage. When the user inserts his / her hand into the space above the vent stage, he / she may unintentionally touch, for example, an extraction nozzle disposed above the vent stage. Therefore, there is also a problem that the vicinity of the vent stage is unsanitary.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and its object is to provide a water injection box and a carbonated water production device using the same that can prevent a decrease in the gas strength of the produced carbonated water while keeping the area around the vent stage clean. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the water pouring box of the present invention has a hollow box shape with one side open, and comprises a main body having a water pouring port on any one of a number of inner wall surfaces through which liquid to be supplied flows in, and a container holding section for holding a container stored inside the main body, and is characterized in that the container holding section holds the container so that the center of the spout of the container is located on the movement trajectory of the liquid flowing in through the water pouring port and the longitudinal direction of the container intersects with the inflow direction of the liquid flowing into the inside of the main body through the water pouring port.

[0008] In addition, the carbonated water manufacturing apparatus of the present invention comprises the water injection box described above, a water storage section arranged above the water injection box and which receives a supply of cooling water and carbon dioxide gas to produce and store carbonated water, and a water injection pipe having one end connected to the water storage section and the other end arranged near the opening of the water injection box, which supplies the carbonated water stored in the water storage section to the inside of the main body through the opening, and is characterized in that the carbonated water flowing into the inside of the main body through the water injection pipe is injected into the inside of the container from the water injection port of the container held in the container holding section, running along the inner wall surface of the container. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the gas strength of the produced carbonated water and at the same time keep the area around the vent stage clean. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view showing the carbonated water production device of this embodiment with the front door closed, and FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view showing the carbonated water production device with the front door open. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2(a) is a view of the configuration of the water injection box as viewed from above the front of the water injection box, and FIG. 2(b) is a view of the configuration of the water injection box as viewed from below the front of the water injection box. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 shows the water injection box with the water injection door open. [Figure 4] Figure 4(a) is a view from above the front of the water injection box showing the pressure-resistant bottle held on the water injection door, and Figure 4(b) is a view from above the front of the water injection box showing the pressure-resistant bottle held on the water injection door. [Diagram 5] Figure 5(a) is a front view of the water injection box with the water injection door held in a closed position, Figure 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 5(a), Figure 5(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Figure 5(a), Figure 5(d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 5(a), and Figure 5(e) is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Figure 5(a). [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a carbonated water production device. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of a carbonated water production device. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing a flow from the production of carbonated water in the carbonated water production device to the completion of removal of the pressure-resistant bottle. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the flow of RO water in a rinsing step. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the flow of RO water in the water supply process. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the flow of carbon dioxide gas in the air supply process. [Figure 12]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a gas flow in a depressurization step. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the flow of carbonated water and carbon dioxide gas in the water injection process. [Figure 14] FIG. 14(a) is a perspective view showing the water filling door, which slides in the front-rear direction of the device, in a closed state, and FIG. 14(b) is a perspective view showing the water filling door in an open state. [Figure 15] Fig. 15(a) is a perspective view showing a state in which the water filling door, the lower end of which is pivotally supported by the lower end of the box body, is closed, Fig. 15(b) is a perspective view showing a state in which the water filling door is open, Fig. 15(b) is a perspective view showing a carbonated water production device when the water filling door is in a closed position, Fig. 14(c) is a perspective view showing a state in which the water filling door is in a closed position, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The carbonated water production device of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] The carbonated water production apparatus 10 of this embodiment is connected to an RO water production apparatus 200 (see FIG. 3), produces carbonated water using RO water produced by the RO water production apparatus 200, and pours the produced carbonated water into, for example, a pressure-resistant bottle 210 (see FIG. 3). The RO water production apparatus 200 is an apparatus that produces pure water (RO water) by filtering, for example, tap water or natural water through an RO (Reverse Osmosis) membrane.

[0013] 1 and 2, the carbonated water production device 10 has a front door 11 and a device body 12. The front door 11 rotates around one end side in the width direction of the device body 12 (the right side in FIG. 1) between a closed position that shields the inside of the device body 12 and an open position that exposes the inside of the device body 12.

[0014] The front door 11 has a touch panel 21, a QR (Quick Response) code reader 22, an IC (Integrated Circuit) card reader 23, and a water injection box 24.

[0015] The touch panel 21 displays information based on the operating state of the carbonated water production device 10 and information read by the QR code reader 22 or the IC card reader 23. The touch panel 21 also displays selection buttons (not shown) for selecting the gas strength (GV) or amount of carbonated water available for purchase, as necessary.

[0016] The QR code reader 22 reads a QR code (registered trademark) displayed on a portable terminal device owned by a purchaser, or a QR code printed on a receipt, etc. The QR code indicates, for example, information about the carbon dioxide gas purchased by the purchaser (the amount of carbon dioxide and the gas strength).

[0017] The IC card reader 23 reads information stored in an IC chip embedded in an IC card. Instead of the IC card reader 23, a magnetic card reader that reads a magnetic card may be used.

[0018] In this embodiment, the carbonated water production device 10 having the QR code reader 22 and the IC card reader 23 will be described as an example, but the carbonated water production device may have at least one of the QR code reader 22 or the IC card reader 23.

[0019] A pressure-resistant bottle 210 for injecting carbonated water is placed inside the water injection box 24. The water injection box 24 has a box body 25, a water injection door 26, and a drain tray 27. Details of the water injection box 24 will be described later.

[0020] When the front door 11 is rotated to the open position, a pressurized tank 28 and a sterilizing filter 29 arranged on the rear side of the front door 11 are exposed. The pressurized tank 28 stores RO water or generated carbonated water. The sterilizing filter 29 filters the RO water cooled by a cooler 31 (described later) to sterilize the RO water and remove impurities.

[0021] Furthermore, when the front door 11 is rotated to the open position, the device body 12 exposes the water storage tank 30, the cooler (chiller) 31, etc. The water storage tank 30 stores RO water sent from the outside and sends the stored RO water toward the pressurized tank 28. The cooler 31 exchanges heat with the RO water sent from the water storage tank 30, and cools the RO water flowing toward the pressurized tank 28.

[0022] As described above, the water filling box 24 has the box body 25, the water filling door 26, and the drain tray 27. As shown in Figs. 2 to 5, the box body 25 is a hollow box-shaped member with an open front. The box body 25 has an internal space that is larger than the pressure-resistant bottle 210 held by the water filling door 26, i.e., cannot accommodate a container having a diameter larger than that of the pressure-resistant bottle 210. Here, the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is a dedicated container used when purchasing carbonated water in the carbonated water producing apparatus 10.

[0023] The box body 25 has an opening 33 on the upper side surface 25a. A water injection pipe 112 disposed at the bottom of the pressurized tank 28 is inserted through the opening 33. Carbonated water generated inside the pressurized tank 28 is injected into a pressure-resistant bottle 210 held by the water injection door 26 through the water injection pipe 112.

[0024] The water filling door 26 is normally held in the closed position and is rotated to the open position when the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is installed in the water filling door 26 or when the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is removed from the water filling door 26. The water filling door 26 is biased toward the closed position by a spring (not shown).

[0025] The drain tray 27 collects carbonated water or RO water spilled from the water filling pipe 112 and drains it to the outside. The drain tray 27 also collects carbonated water that leaks from the water filling port 210a of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 when a cap (not shown) is attached to the water filling port 210a of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 and drains it to the outside.

[0026] Box body 25 has a bottle sensor 34 and a lock mechanism 35 (see FIG. 7). When water filling door 26 is closed, bottle sensor 34 is pressed against neck 210b of pressure-resistant bottle 210 held by water filling door 26 and turns on. Bottle sensor 34 is designed not to come into contact with a container even if water filling door 20 is closed with a container thinner than dedicated pressure-resistant bottle 210 being held by water filling door 20. Note that the case where bottle sensor 34 is provided that is pressed against neck 210b of pressure-resistant bottle 210 held by water filling door 26 and turns on when water filling door 26 is closed has been described, but this is not necessary and it is also possible, for example, to provide water filling box 24 with an imaging unit that images the inside of water filling box 24 and determine whether or not the container held by water filling door 26 is pressure-resistant bottle 210 from an image captured by the imaging unit.

[0027] The lock mechanism 35 is a mechanism that locks an engagement portion 36a provided on the handle 36 of the water filling door 26 when the water filling door 26 is rotated to the closed position. The lock mechanism 35 has a lock sensor 35a (see FIG. 7). When the water filling door 26 is rotated to the closed position, the lock sensor 35a is pressed by the engagement portion 36a provided on the handle 36 of the water filling door 26 and turns on. As described above, the box body 25 is large enough to accommodate the dedicated pressure-resistant bottle 210. Therefore, even if the water filling door 26 is closed while a container thicker than the dedicated pressure-resistant bottle 210 is held in the water filling door 26, the container abuts against the bottle sensor 34, but the water filling door 26 is held in a state where it does not move to the closed position. As a result, the lock sensor 35a cannot detect that the water filling door 26 is closed. It should be noted that lock sensor 35a turns off when water filling door 26 moves to the open position after water filling door 26 has been unlocked by lock mechanism 35.

[0028] Water filling door 26 rotates between a closed position and an open position, with the vertical direction in FIG. 2 as the center of rotation, by means of hinge portion 37 disposed between box body 25. Water filling door 26 shields the inside of box body 25 when in the closed position. Furthermore, water filling door 26 exposes the inside of box body 25 and holding piece 38 and support guide 39 disposed on inner surface 26a of water filling door 26 when in the open position. Here, holding piece 38 and support guide 39 function as a bottle holder that holds pressure-resistant bottle 210.

[0029] The water filling door 26 holds the pressure-resistant bottle 210 in an inclined state. Although not shown, when the water filling door 26 is closed while holding the pressure-resistant bottle 210, the water filling port 210a of the held pressure-resistant bottle 210 is located below the water filling pipe 112. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the water filling door 26 has a holding piece 38 fixed to an upper part of the inner surface 26a, and a support guide 39 fixed to a lower part of the inner surface 26a of the water filling door 26.

[0030] The holding piece 38 holds the neck 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210. The holding piece 38 has a bent portion 38a, for example, a rectangular metal plate bent at one end in the longitudinal direction at a right angle, and a notched portion 38b, which is cut from one end of the metal plate in the lateral direction to the other end, at the other end in the longitudinal direction. The bent portion 38a functions as a fixing portion that screws and fixes the holding piece 38 to the inner surface 26a of the water filling door 26. As shown in FIG. 5(a), when the water filling door 26 is closed while holding the pressure-resistant bottle 210, the water filling port 210a of the held pressure-resistant bottle 210 is located below the water filling pipe 112 extending vertically. In other words, the water filling port 210a is located on the movement trajectory of the carbonated water flowing downward from the water filling pipe 112. The pressure-resistant bottle 210 is held at an angle relative to the water injection tube 112 extending vertically. However, it is also possible to position the pressure-resistant bottle 210 so that its longitudinal direction (the axial direction of the water injection port 210a of the pressure-resistant bottle 210) is parallel to the vertical direction, while tilting the axial direction of the water injection tube 112 relative to the axial direction of the water injection port 210a of the pressure-resistant bottle 210.

[0031] The neck 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is inserted into the notch 38b when the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is held by the water filling door 26. When the neck 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle is inserted into the notch 38b, the flange 210c provided on the neck 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 abuts against the periphery of the upper surface of the notch 38b. This prevents the neck 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 from falling off the holding piece 38. The width of the notch 38b is set to be equal to or greater than the minimum diameter of the neck 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 and less than the outer diameter of the flange 210c provided on the neck 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210.

[0032] The support guide 39 supports the lower side of the pressure-resistant bottle 210, the neck of which is inserted into the notch 38b of the holding piece 38. The support guide 39 is a metal bar, such as stainless steel, bent multiple times so that both ends extend in the same direction and in parallel. One end 39a of the metal bar that is bent multiple times has a bent portion 39c that is bent so as to protrude in a direction away from the other end 39b. The bent portion 39c functions as a side support portion that supports the lower side of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 at two points. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the pressure-resistant bottle 210 held by the water filling door 26 is supported in a state in which the neck 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is held by the holding piece 38 and the lower side of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is positioned by the support guide 39.

[0033] In this embodiment, the support guide 39 supports the lower side surface of the pressure-resistant bottle 210, but if the pressure-resistant bottle can be held by the holding piece 38 alone, the configuration of the support guide 39 can be omitted. Also, the support guide 39 supports the lower side surface of the pressure-resistant bottle 210, but the position where the support guide 39 supports the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is not limited to this. Note that the configuration of the holding piece 38 and the support guide 39 is shown as an example, and any structure that can hold the pressure-resistant bottle 210 will do. Therefore, the holding piece 38 and the support guide 39 may be integrated.

[0034] Next, the configuration of the carbonated water producing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In Fig. 6, the flow of signals is indicated by dotted lines.

[0035] The carbonated water production device 10 has a cylinder unit 41, an air supply / exhaust unit 42, a water supply unit 43, a cooling unit 44, a sterilizing filter 29, a pressurized tank unit 45, a control unit 46, etc.

[0036] The cylinder unit 41 vaporizes the liquefied carbon dioxide gas stored in the gas cylinder 51 and supplies it toward the supply and exhaust unit 42. The cylinder unit 41 has a gas cylinder 51 and a pressure reducing valve unit 52. The gas cylinder 51 stores the liquefied carbon dioxide gas therein. The gas cylinder 51 has a container valve 53 and is connected to the pressure reducing valve unit 52 via the container valve 53.

[0037] The pressure reducing valve unit 52 sends out the carbon dioxide gas sent out from the gas cylinder 51 to the supply and exhaust unit 42. The pressure reducing valve unit 52 has pressure gauges 55 and 56, a pressure reducing valve 57, and a manual valve 58 in the gas path 54. When the gas cylinder 51 side of the pressure reducing valve unit 52 is considered to be the upstream side, the pressure gauge 55, the pressure reducing valve 57, the pressure gauge 56, and the manual valve 58 are arranged in this order from the upstream side. The pressure gauge 55 measures the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas sent to the pressure reducing valve 57. The pressure gauge 56 measures the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas sent out from the pressure reducing valve 57.

[0038] The pressure reducing valve 57 adjusts the pressure reduction of the carbon dioxide gas to be supplied to the supply and exhaust unit 42 so that the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas is, for example, 1 MPa. The pressure reduction adjustment of the carbon dioxide gas is performed, for example, while an operator visually checks the measurement value of the pressure gauge 56. The manual valve 58 is connected to a gas path 60 that is arranged between the cylinder unit 41 and the supply and exhaust unit 42. The manual valve 58 is usually held in an open state.

[0039] The supply and exhaust unit 42 supplies carbon dioxide gas supplied from the pressure reducing valve unit 52 to the pressurized tank unit 45 when producing or pouring carbonated water. The supply and exhaust unit 42 also supplies carbon dioxide gas sent out from the pressurized tank unit 45 to the cooling unit 44 when producing carbonated water. The supply and exhaust unit 42 also discharges carbon dioxide gas sent out from the pressurized tank unit 45 when the pressure in the pressurized tank unit 45 is reduced or when the water is fully discharged. Furthermore, full discharge means discharging all of the RO water stored in the water storage tank 30 described below.

[0040] The supply and exhaust unit 42 is disposed between the cylinder unit 41 and the pressurized tank unit 45. The supply and exhaust unit 42 has gas paths 61, 62, and 63 and exhaust paths 64 and 65.

[0041] When the cylinder unit 41 side is considered to be the upstream side, the gas path 61 is connected at its upstream end to the gas path 60, and is connected at its downstream end to the one-way valve 103 of the pressurized tank unit 45. The gas path 61 is arranged, from the upstream side, in this order: manual valve 67, gas filter 68, pressure switch (PS) 69, and control valve 70.

[0042] The manual valve 67 is disposed at the upstream end of the gas passage 61. The manual valve 67 is connected to the pressure reducing valve unit 52 via the gas passage 60. The manual valve 67 is normally held in an open state. The gas filter 68 removes impurities contained in the carbon dioxide gas flowing through the gas passage 61. The pressure switch 69 turns on when the pressure in the gas passage 61 reaches or exceeds a certain pressure (e.g., 0.8 MPa), and outputs an on signal to the control unit 46. The control valve 70 is open, for example, when producing carbonated water.

[0043] The gas line 62 has an upstream end connected to the gas line 61 and a downstream end connected to a one-way valve 105 of the pressurized tank unit 45. The gas line 62 is connected to the gas line 61 between the pressure switch 69 and the control valve 70, for example.

[0044] The gas passage 62 is arranged with a control valve 71 and a pressure reducing valve 72 from the upstream side. The control valve 71 is opened when pouring carbonated water, for example. The pressure reducing valve 72 reduces the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas supplied toward the pressurized tank unit 45.

[0045] The gas line 63 has an upstream end connected to the gas line 61. The gas line 63 has a downstream end inserted into a water tank of a cooler of the cooling unit 44. Like the gas line 62, the gas line 63 is connected to the gas line 61, for example, between the pressure switch 69 and the control valve 70.

[0046] In the gas passage 63, a control valve 73 and an orifice valve 74 are arranged from the upstream side. The control valve 73 opens, for example, when the cooling water stored in the cooling tank of the cooler 31 becomes supercooled. The orifice valve 74 adjusts the flow rate of carbon dioxide gas supplied to the cooler 31.

[0047] In the exhaust path 64, when the pressurized tank unit side is defined as the upstream side, a water separator 75, a control valve 76, and a silencer 77 are arranged in this order from the upstream side.

[0048] The water separator 75 separates liquid contained in the carbon dioxide gas discharged from the pressurized tank 28. The separated liquid is drained via a drainage channel 78 connected to the water separator 75. The drainage channel 78 is connected on the downstream side to an overflow drainage channel 94 connected to the cooler 31. Therefore, the liquid drained from the water separator 75 flows into the overflow drainage channel 94 and then is drained to the outside.

[0049] The control valve 76 is opened, for example, when the pressure in the pressurized tank 28 is reduced or the pressurized tank 28 is completely drained. The silencer 77 silences noise that is generated when carbon dioxide gas is discharged from the pressurized tank 28.

[0050] The exhaust passage 65 has an upstream end connected to the exhaust passage 64 between the water separator 75 and the control valve 76. The exhaust passage 65 has a downstream end connected to the gas passage 63 downstream of the orifice valve 74.

[0051] A relief valve 79 is disposed in the exhaust path 65. The relief valve 79 opens when the pressure in the exhaust path 65 reaches, for example, 0.5 MPa during production of carbonated water. By opening the relief valve 79, the internal pressure of the pressurized tank 28 is maintained at a constant pressure.

[0052] The water supply unit 43 is a unit that receives RO water to be supplied to the carbonated water production apparatus 10 and supplies the received water to the pressurized tank unit 45 as necessary. The received RO water is supplied downstream, for example, when producing carbonated water, when rinsing, when draining, etc. Rinsing refers to washing the inside of the pressurized tank 28 with RO water stored in a water storage tank, for example.

[0053] The water supply unit 43 has a water passage 80 connected to the RO water production apparatus 200. When the RO water production apparatus 200 side is considered to be the upstream side, the water passage 80 has a control valve 81, a one-way valve 82, a flow meter 83, a pressure switch (PS) 84, and a control valve 85 arranged in this order from the upstream side.

[0054] The control valve 81 is open when RO water is supplied from the RO water production apparatus 200. The one-way valve 82 prevents the RO water from flowing back to the RO water production apparatus 200. The flow meter 83 measures the flow rate of the RO water flowing through the water passage 80 and outputs a measurement signal to the control unit 46. The pressure switch 84 is turned on when the pressure value of the RO water flowing through the water passage 80 is equal to or higher than a preset pressure value (e.g., 0.2 MPa), and outputs an ON signal to the control unit 46. The preset pressure value is the pressure value of the RO water when the RO water is supplied at a sufficient speed toward the pressurized tank 28. The control valve 85 is open, for example, when producing carbonated water, rinsing, and completely draining.

[0055] Water passage 80 connects water passages 86 and 87 between one-way valve 82 and flow meter 83. Water passage 86 is connected to water storage tank 30. Water passage 86 has a manual valve 88. Manual valve 88 is usually in an open state, and is closed when water storage tank 30 is replaced, etc.

[0056] Although not shown, the water storage tank 30 has a balloon therein that functions as a diaphragm. The water storage tank 30 functions as a carbonated water generating means as described in the claims. The water storage tank 30 stores RO water by contracting the balloon under the pressure of water sent to the water storage tank 30. The water storage tank 30 also discharges the stored RO water at a predetermined timing by expanding the deflated balloon. The predetermined timing is, for example, when carbonated water is generated, when rinsing, and when completely draining. The flow rate of the RO water when it is discharged from the water storage tank 30 is, for example, 1 to 2 L / min.

[0057] The water passage 87 is, for example, a drainage passage for draining the RO water in the water passage 80 or the RO water stored in the water storage tank 30. The water passage 87 has a manual valve 89. The manual valve 89 is usually held in a closed state.

[0058] The cooling unit 44 is disposed between the water supply unit 43 and the pressurized tank unit 45. The cooling unit 44 has a cooler 31. The cooler 31 cools the cooling water stored in a water tank by a compressor 31a (see FIG. 7), and exchanges heat with the RO water flowing inside a water passage 91 inserted inside the cooler 31 to cool the RO water. The RO water is cooled, for example, from 25° C. to 4° C. by the cooler 31. The cooler 31 has a water thermometer 31b. The water thermometer 31b outputs a temperature signal indicating the temperature of the stored cooling water to the control unit 46. The water passage 91 is connected to the control valve 85 of the water supply unit 43 on the upstream side, and is connected to the sterilization filter 29 on the downstream side.

[0059] The cooler 31 is connected to a drainage channel 92. The drainage channel 92 has a manual valve 93. The manual valve 93 is usually kept in a closed state, and is switched to an open state, for example, when the cooling water stored in the water tank of the cooler 31 is discharged.

[0060] The cooler 31 is connected to an overflow drainage channel 94. The overflow drainage channel 94 drains the cooling water stored in the water tank of the cooler 31 when the amount of cooling water stored in the water tank of the cooler 31 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. The overflow drainage channel 94 has a drain trap 95. The drain trap 95 blocks unpleasant odors from the downstream side of the drainage path. The drain trap 95 may also be configured to prevent gas from leaking out of the drainage channel 94. The drainage channel 94 is connected to an air duct 96 on the upstream side of the drain trap 95. The air duct 96 smooths the flow of wastewater in the drainage channel 94 and protects the sealing water in the drain trap 95. The air duct 96 may be provided to allow fresh air to circulate in the drainage channel 94, thereby ventilating the drainage channel 94. Moreover, the overflow drainage channel 94 connects to the drainage channel 78, which is connected to the water separator 75, on the upstream side of the position where the air passage 96 is connected.

[0061] The upstream end of the sterilization filter 29 is connected to the water channel 91, and the downstream end is connected to the water channel 97. The sterilization filter 29 filters the RO water cooled by the cooler 31 to remove bacteria and the like contained in the RO water. The sterilization filter 29 is a filter having a hollow fiber membrane bundle in which hollow fiber membranes having a plurality of openings with a diameter of, for example, 0.2 μm are bundled into a cylindrical shape. The size of the openings provided in the hollow fiber membrane does not need to be limited to 0.2 μm, and may be, for example, 0.45 μm or less, which is generally considered to have a sterilization effect.

[0062] The pressurized tank unit 45 produces carbonated water from the RO water and carbon dioxide gas supplied to the pressurized tank 28. The pressurized tank unit 45 has air supply passages 99 and 100, a water supply passage 101, and an exhaust passage 102.

[0063] The air supply passage 99 is connected to a one-way valve 103 on the upstream side and to an ejection nozzle 104 installed inside the pressurized tank 28 on the downstream side. The one-way valve 103 is connected to the gas passage 61 of the air supply / exhaust unit 42 and prevents the carbon dioxide gas flowing through the air supply passage 99 from flowing back.

[0064] The air supply path 100 is connected to a one-way valve 105 on the upstream side and to the pressurized tank 28 on the downstream side. The one-way valve 105 is connected to the gas path 62 of the air supply / exhaust unit 42 and prevents backflow of the carbon dioxide gas flowing through the air supply path 100. The air supply path 100 is provided with an orifice valve 106. The orifice valve 106 adjusts the flow rate of the carbon dioxide gas flowing through the air supply path 100.

[0065] The water supply passage 101 is connected to a one-way valve 107 on the upstream side and to a jet nozzle 108 installed in the lower part of the pressurized tank 28 on the downstream side. The one-way valve 107 is connected to the water passage 97.

[0066] When the pressurized tank 28 side is defined as the upstream side, the exhaust path 102 connects the upper part of the pressurized tank 28 to the upstream side and connects a one-way valve 109 to the downstream side. The one-way valve 109 prevents backflow of carbon dioxide gas toward the supply and exhaust unit 42. The one-way valve 109 is connected to the water separator 75 of the supply and exhaust unit 42 via an exhaust path 110.

[0067] The pressurized tank 28 has ejection nozzles 104, 108 therein. The ejection nozzle 104 is disposed on the upper part of the pressurized tank 28. The ejection nozzle 104 may be disposed, for example, at a position where the ejection outlet of the ejection nozzle 104 is submerged in the RO water stored inside the pressurized tank 28. The ejection nozzle 104 ejects carbon dioxide gas supplied from the cylinder unit 41 into the RO water stored inside the pressurized tank 28. Here, the ejection nozzle 104 functions as a carbonated water generating means and a nozzle as recited in the claims.

[0068] The ejection nozzle 108 is disposed at the bottom of the pressurized tank 28. The ejection nozzle 108 ejects the RO water supplied from the water supply unit 43 from inside the pressurized tank 28 toward the top of the pressurized tank 28. Here, the flow rate of the RO water fed into the pressurized tank 28 is, for example, 1 to 2 L / min.

[0069] The pressurized tank 28 has a pressure switch (PS) 111 in addition to the ejection nozzle 104 and the ejection nozzle 108. The pressure switch 111 turns on when the pressure in the pressurized tank 28 reaches or exceeds a certain value, and outputs an on signal to the control unit 46.

[0070] A water injection pipe 112 is connected to the lower part of the pressurized tank 28. The water injection pipe 112 discharges the RO water or carbonated water stored in the pressurized tank 28. The water injection pipe 112 has a control valve 113. The control valve 113 is opened, for example, during rinsing, during full drainage, and during injection of carbonated water. When the control valve 113 is opened, the RO water or carbonated water stored in the pressurized tank 28 flows out from the water injection pipe 112. Here, when a pressure-resistant bottle 210 is set on the water injection door 26 of the water injection box 24 during injection of carbonated water, the carbonated water is injected into the pressure-resistant bottle 210 through the water injection pipe 112. When the control valve 113 is opened during rinsing or full drainage, the RO water flowing out from the water injection pipe 112 is received by the drainage tray 27 arranged at the lower part of the water injection box 24 and is drained to the outside. Here, the water injection pipe 112 and the control valve 113 correspond to the water injection means recited in the claims.

[0071] Next, the electrical configuration of the carbonated water production device 10 will be described with reference to the functional block diagram of Fig. 7. Note that the units shown in Fig. 7 are only those units that are electrically connected to other units. Therefore, the configuration of the cylinder unit 41 is omitted in Fig. 7.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 7, the carbonated water production device 10 includes a touch panel 21, a QR code reader 22, an IC card reader 23, an air supply / exhaust unit 42, a water supply unit 43, a cooling unit 44, a pressurized tank unit 45, and a control unit 46 electrically connected to these.

[0073] The control unit 46 executes a control program not shown in the figure to perform the functions of a main control unit 131, a time control unit 132, a water supply control unit 133, a supply and exhaust control unit 134, a cooling control unit 135, a water injection control unit 136, a display control unit 137, and a communication control unit 138.

[0074] The main control unit 131 comprehensively controls the water supply control unit 133, the supply and exhaust control unit 134, the cooling control unit 135, the water injection control unit 136, the display control unit 137, and the communication control unit 138, based on information from the QR code read by the QR code reader 22, information recorded on the IC card read by the IC card reader 23, and information controlled by the time control unit 132. The main control unit 131 also transmits and receives signals to and from the RO water producing apparatus 200.

[0075] Furthermore, the main control unit 131 releases the lock on the water filling door 26 by the lock mechanism 35 of the water filling box 24 when the RO water is being supplied to the pressurized tank 28. Furthermore, when an ON signal is output from the lock sensor 35a, the main control unit 131 locks the water filling door 26 by the lock mechanism 35. At this time, if an ON signal is output from the bottle sensor 34, the main control unit 131 instructs the supply and exhaust control unit 134 to start supplying air after the supply of RO water to the pressurized tank 28 is completed. Note that if either the ON signal from the lock sensor 35a or the ON signal from the bottle sensor 34 is not output, the main control unit 131 instructs the supply and exhaust control unit 134 and the water filling control unit 136 to start draining after a certain time has elapsed.

[0076] The time control unit 132 manages the current date and time. When a preset time is reached, the time control unit 132 outputs a signal indicating that the preset time has been reached to the main control unit 131. In response to this, the main control unit 131 controls each part of the control unit 46 to execute the entire drainage process. The preset time is set to a time outside the business hours of the store, such as a supermarket, in which the carbonated water production device 10 is installed.

[0077] Furthermore, the time control unit 132 measures the time that has elapsed since a sales command was output to each unit in the carbonated water production device 10. Then, when a certain time (e.g., 30 minutes) has elapsed, the time control unit 132 outputs a signal indicating that the certain time has elapsed to the main control unit 131. In response to this, the main control unit 131 controls each unit of the control unit 46 to start the rinsing process.

[0078] The water supply control unit 133 controls the opening and closing of the control valve 81 upon receiving instructions from the main control unit 131 to start and stop receiving RO water. The instruction to start receiving RO water is output from the main control unit 131 to the water supply control unit 133 when, for example, the pressure switch 84 stops outputting a signal to the water supply control unit 133, the main control unit 131 transmits a signal (water supply signal) to the RO water production apparatus 200 to instruct the supply of RO water, and receives a signal (water supply operation signal) from the RO water production apparatus 200 to execute the supply of RO water. The instruction to stop receiving water is output from the main control unit 131 to the water supply control unit 133 when, for example, the pressure switch 84 outputs a signal to the water supply control unit 133 again, the main control unit 131 transmits a signal (water supply stop signal) to the RO water production apparatus 200 to instruct the supply of RO water to stop, and receives a signal (stop operation signal) from the RO water production apparatus 200 to stop the supply of RO water.

[0079] Furthermore, the water supply control unit 133 controls the opening and closing of the control valve 85 upon receiving instructions from the main control unit 131 to start and stop rinsing, to start and stop water supply, or to start and stop total drainage. At this time, the water supply control unit 133 calculates the supply amount of RO water supplied to the pressurized tank 28 based on a measurement signal from the flowmeter 83, and switches the control valve 85 to a closed state when the calculated supply amount of RO water reaches a preset supply amount.

[0080] The air supply and exhaust control unit 134 controls the opening and closing of the control valve 70 upon receiving instructions from the main control unit 131 to start and stop air supply. The air supply and exhaust control unit 134 also controls the opening and closing of the control valve 71 upon receiving instructions from the main control unit 131 to start and stop water injection. The air supply and exhaust control unit 134 also controls the opening and closing of the control valve 73 based on a measurement signal from the water temperature gauge 31b of the cooler 31. The air supply and exhaust control unit 134 also notifies the main control unit 131 that an error has occurred upon receiving that the on signal from the pressure switch 69 has stopped. At this time, the main control unit 131 instructs each unit to stop selling carbonated water.

[0081] The cooling control unit 135 drives the compressor 31a at all times. The cooling control unit 135 also determines whether or not the temperature of the cooling water stored in the water tank of the cooler 31 is suitable for cooling the RO water to be supplied to the pressurized tank, based on a measurement signal from the water thermometer 31b arranged in the cooler 31. If the temperature of the cooling water stored in the water tank of the cooler 31 is not suitable for cooling the RO water to be supplied to the pressurized tank 28 (i.e., if the temperature of the cooling water stored in the water tank is high), the cooling control unit 135 outputs an error signal to the main control unit 131. In response to this, the main control unit 131 outputs a sales stop command to each unit.

[0082] The water injection control unit 136 controls the opening and closing of the control valve 113 upon receiving instructions from the main control unit 131 to start and stop rinsing, start and stop water injection, or start and stop all drainage.

[0083] The display control unit 137 controls displays based on operations on the touch panel 21 and displays based on reading by the QR code reader 22 and the IC card reader 23, as well as displays for various operations in the carbonated water production device 10.

[0084] The communication control unit 138 is connected to an information management terminal 140 such as a server via, for example, the communication unit 139. The communication control unit 138 transmits information related to the operation of the carbonated water production device 10, such as the production history of carbonated water in the carbonated water production device 10 and the history of errors that have occurred, to the information management terminal 140.

[0085] Hereinafter, the flow of processing related to purchasing carbonated water in the carbonated water production device 10 will be described based on the flowchart of Fig. 8. Note that the flow of processing in the flowchart of Fig. 8 is executed as a result of receiving a purchase command to the carbonated water production device.

[0086] Step S101: Rinse process In step S101, the main control unit 131 displays a comment such as "Rinsing" on the touch panel 21 via the display control unit 137. The main control unit 131 also instructs the water supply control unit 133 to start rinsing. The water supply control unit 133 switches the control valve 85 from a closed state to an open state. As shown in FIG. 9, when the control valve 85 switches to the open state, the pressure in the water passage 80 is released, the balloon in the water storage tank 30 expands, and the RO water in the water storage tank 30 is sent from the water storage tank 30 to the water passage 86. The RO water sent from the water storage tank 30 flows from the water passage 86 to the water passage 80, and then flows into the water passage 91 of the cooling unit 44. The RO water flowing through the water passage 91 is cooled by the cooler 31 and then flows into the sterilization filter 29.

[0087] After passing through the sterilizing filter 29, the RO water flows through the water passage 97. The RO water then passes through the one-way valve 107 and is sprayed from the spray nozzle 108 inside the pressurized tank 28 via the water supply passage 101 into the inside of the pressurized tank 28. The inside of the pressurized tank 28 is cleaned by the RO water being sprayed from the spray nozzle 108. When a certain time T1 has elapsed since issuing an instruction to start rinsing, the water supply control unit 133 switches the control valve 85 from the open state to the closed state.

[0088] Thereafter, the main control unit 131 instructs the supply / exhaust control unit 134 and the water injection control unit 136 to start drainage. The supply / exhaust control unit 134 switches the control valve 71 from a closed state to an open state. At the same time, the water injection control unit 136 switches the control valve 113 from a closed state to an open state. As a result, the RO water that has cleaned the inside of the pressurized tank 28 is pushed into the water injection pipe 112 by the carbon dioxide gas sent into the pressurized tank 28. The RO water pushed into the water injection pipe 112 flows into the drainage tray 27 and is then drained to the outside.

[0089] After a certain time T2 has elapsed since the main control unit 131 instructed the start of drainage, the main control unit 131 instructs the supply and exhaust control unit 134 and the water injection control unit 136 to stop drainage. The supply and exhaust control unit 134 switches the control valve 71 from an open state to a closed state. At the same time, the water injection control unit 136 switches the control valve 113 from an open state to a closed state. This stops the drainage of RO water from the pressurized tank 28 via the water injection pipe 112. The certain time T2 is the time until all of the RO water supplied to the pressurized tank 28 is discharged. The certain time T2 is a time that is set based on the supply amount of RO water calculated based on the measurement signal from the flow meter 83.

[0090] Step S102: Water supply process In step S102, the main control unit 131 displays a comment such as "Water supplying" on the touch panel 21 via the display control unit 137. The main control unit 131 also instructs the water supply control unit 133 and the supply and exhaust control unit 134 to start water supply. The water supply control unit 133 switches the control valve 85 from a closed state to an open state. The supply and exhaust control unit 134 switches the control valve 76 from a closed state to an open state. As shown in FIG. 10, when the control valve 85 switches to the open state, the RO water stored in the water storage tank 30 flows through the water passage 86, the water passage 80, and the water passage 91 in this order. When the RO water flows through the water passage 91, the RO water is cooled by the cooler 31. Then, after being filtered by the sterilization filter 29, it flows through the water passage 97 and the water supply passage 101, and is sprayed from the spray nozzle 108 into the pressurized tank 28. The RO water sprayed into the pressurized tank 28 is stored inside the pressurized tank 28. At this time, the control valve 76 is switched to an open state, and the carbon dioxide gas remaining in the pressurized tank 28 is pushed out to the exhaust path 102 by the RO water stored inside the pressurized tank 28. The carbon dioxide gas pushed out to the exhaust path 102 flows through the exhaust path 110 and then the exhaust path 64, and is exhausted to the outside. This prevents the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas remaining inside the pressurized tank 28 from increasing when the RO water is supplied inside the pressurized tank 28. As a result, the supply of the RO water to the pressurized tank 28 is performed smoothly.

[0091] The water supply control unit 133 calculates the amount of RO water to be supplied based on the measurement signal measured by the flow meter 83. When the calculated amount of RO water to be supplied reaches the amount of RO water required for one production of carbonated water, the water supply control unit 133 switches the control valve 85 from an open state to a closed state. This stops the supply of RO water to the pressurized tank 28. After stopping the supply of RO water, the water supply control unit 133 outputs a signal to the main control unit 131 indicating the end of water supply.

[0092] In step S103, main control unit 131 activates lock mechanism 35 of water filling box 24 to unlock water filling door 26. This allows the purchaser of carbonated water to move water filling door 26 from the closed position to the open position.

[0093] In step S104, the main control unit 131 determines whether the bottle sensor 34 and the lock sensor 35a are turned on. When the lock of the water filling door 26 is released, the water filling door 26 is rotated from the closed position to the open position by the purchaser who purchases carbonated water. The lock sensor 35a is turned off by rotating the water filling door 26 to the open position. After the water filling door 26 is rotated to the open position, the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is held by the holding piece 38 fixed to the inner surface 26a of the water filling door 26 by the purchaser. The pressure-resistant bottle 210 is held by the holding piece 38 by inserting the neck portion 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 into the notch portion 38b of the holding piece 38. At this time, the lower side surface of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is supported by the side support portion 39c of the support guide 39.

[0094] Thereafter, water filling door 26 is rotated from the open position to the closed position. If the container held by water filling door 26 is pressure-resistant bottle 210, water filling door 26 is rotated to the closed position, and bottle sensor 34 and lock sensor 35a are both turned on. Therefore, these sensors output on signals to main control unit 131. In response to this, main control unit 131 determines that bottle sensor 34 and lock sensor 35a are on (Yes in step S104). Main control unit 131 then proceeds to the processing of step S105.

[0095] On the other hand, if the container held by water filling door 26 is thinner than pressure-resistant bottle 210, water filling door 26 is rotated to the closed position, similar to pressure-resistant bottle 210. At this time, the container is not detected by bottle sensor 34. In other words, lock sensor 35a is turned on, but bottle sensor 34 is not turned on. In this case, main control unit 131 determines that bottle sensor 34 and lock sensor 35a are not on (No in step S104). Then, main control unit 131 proceeds to the process of step S112.

[0096] Furthermore, if the container held by water filling door 26 is thicker than pressure-resistant bottle 210, the container is detected by bottle sensor 34, but water filling door 26 cannot be rotated to the closed position. In other words, bottle sensor 34 is turned on, but lock sensor 35a is not turned on. In this case, main control unit 131 also determines that bottle sensor 34 and lock sensor 35a are not on (No in step S104). Main control unit 131 then proceeds to the process of step S112.

[0097] In step S105, main control unit 131 activates lock mechanism 35 to lock water filling door 26. This prevents water filling door 26 from rotating to the open position, and keeps pressure-resistant bottle 210 housed inside water filling box 24.

[0098] Step S106: Air supply process In step S106, the main control unit 131 instructs the supply and exhaust control unit 134 to start supplying air. The supply and exhaust control unit 134 switches the control valve 70 from a closed state to an open state. As shown in FIG. 11, the carbon dioxide gas stored in the gas cylinder 51 flows through the gas path 54, the gas path 60, and the gas path 61 in this order. The carbon dioxide gas flowing from the gas path 60 to the gas path 61 passes through the control valve 70 and is supplied to the pressurized tank unit 45 after impurities are removed by the gas filter 68. The carbon dioxide gas that has reached the pressurized tank unit 45 passes through the one-way valve 103 and is ejected from the ejection nozzle 104 inside the pressurized tank 28 into the pressurized tank 28. Then, the supply and exhaust control unit 134 switches the control valve 70 from an open state to a closed state after a certain time T3 has elapsed. Here, the certain time T3 is a time that is set based on the gas strength (GV) of the carbonated water to be produced.

[0099] As described above, the ejection nozzle 104 has an ejection outlet submerged in the RO water stored in the pressurized tank 28. When carbon dioxide gas is supplied to the inside of the pressurized tank 28, the carbon dioxide gas is ejected into the RO water stored in the pressurized tank 28. As a result, the carbon dioxide gas ejected into the RO water is mixed with the RO water while being stirred. When the carbon dioxide gas and the RO water are stirred and mixed, the pressure in the pressurized tank 28 increases. When the pressure value of the pressurized tank 28 reaches a certain pressure value (e.g., 0.5 MPa) or more, the relief valve 79 of the supply and exhaust unit 42 opens. When the relief valve 79 opens, the pressure in the pressurized tank 28 decreases, and new carbon dioxide gas is ejected from the ejection nozzle 104, promoting mixing and stirring with the RO water in the pressurized tank 28, and the pressure in the pressurized tank 28 increases again. The relief valve 79 opens every time the certain pressure is exceeded. Therefore, every time the relief valve 79 opens, the RO water and the carbon dioxide gas are mixed and stirred while maintaining the pressure value inside the pressurized tank 28 at a constant pressure value. As a result, after the lapse of a certain time T3, carbonated water with a predetermined gas strength (GV) is produced. The certain time T3 is a time that is set based on the gas strength (GV).

[0100] On the other hand, the carbon dioxide gas flowing through the exhaust passage 65 with the opening of the relief valve 79 is ejected into the water tank of the cooler 31 through the gas passage 63. The carbon dioxide gas is ejected into or onto the surface of the cooling water stored in the water tank of the cooler 31. This prevents the cooling water stored in the water tank from being overcooled and from freezing due to overcooling. At the same time, noise that occurs when the carbon dioxide gas is exhausted is prevented.

[0101] Step S107: Decompression process In step S107, the main control unit 131 instructs the air supply / exhaust control unit 134 to start depressurizing. The air supply / exhaust control unit 134 switches the control valve 76 from a closed state to an open state. As shown in Fig. 12, the carbon dioxide gas inside the pressurized tank 28 is exhausted to the outside via the exhaust path 102, the exhaust path 110, and the exhaust path 64. The depressurizing process is performed until the output of the ON signal from the pressure switch 111 is stopped.

[0102] Step S108: Water injection process In step S108, the main control unit 131 instructs the supply and exhaust control unit 134 and the water injection control unit 136 to start water injection. The water injection control unit 136 switches the control valve 113 from a closed state to an open state. Also, the supply and exhaust control unit 134 switches the control valve 70 from a closed state to an open state. As shown in FIG. 13, carbon dioxide gas is supplied to the inside of the pressurized tank 28 through the gas path 61 and the air supply path 99. By supplying carbon dioxide gas to the inside of the pressurized tank 28, the carbonated water stored in the pressurized tank 28 flows out of the water injection pipe 112 while being pressed by the carbon dioxide gas. That is, the carbonated water in the pressurized tank 28 is injected at a constant speed. Also, the carbonated water injected from the water injection pipe 112 is prevented from spouting out. Then, after a certain time T4 has elapsed, the main control unit 131 instructs the supply and exhaust control unit 134 and the water injection control unit 136 to stop water injection. The certain time T4 is the time from when the pouring of carbonated water starts until all of the carbonated water inside the pressurized tank 28 has been poured.

[0103] In response to the water injection being stopped, the supply and exhaust control unit 134 switches the control valve 70 from the open state to the closed state. At the same time, the water injection control unit 136 switches the control valve 113 from the open state to the closed state.

[0104] In step S109, the main control unit 131 activates the lock mechanism 35 to unlock the water filling door 26. At the same time, the main control unit 131 displays a message such as "Water filling completed. Please remove the bottle" on the touch panel 21 via the display control unit 137. In response to this, the purchaser opens the water filling door 26 and removes the pressure-resistant bottle 210. Then, after attaching a cap to the water filling port 210a of the pressure-resistant bottle 210, the water filling door 26 is closed.

[0105] In step S110, the main control unit 131 determines whether or not the lock sensor 35a is on and the bottle sensor 34 is off. When the water filling door 26 is rotated from the closed position to the open position, the engagement portion 36a provided on the handle 36 of the water filling door 26 presses the lock sensor 35a. As a result, the lock sensor 35a is turned on and an on signal is output to the main control unit 131. At this time, if the pressure-resistant bottle 210 has been removed from the water filling door 26, the bottle sensor 34 remains off. Therefore, the main control unit 131 determines that the lock sensor 35a is on and the bottle sensor 34 is off (Yes in step S110).

[0106] On the other hand, if the pressure-resistant bottle 210 has not been removed from the water filling door 26, when the water filling door 26 rotates to the closed position, the bottle sensor 34 turns on again. In this case, the main control unit 131 determines that the lock sensor 35a and the bottle sensor 34 are both on (No in step S110). In this case, the main control unit 131 repeats the process of step S110 until it is determined that the lock sensor 35a is on and the bottle sensor 34 is off.

[0107] Furthermore, when the water filling door 26 from which the pressure-resistant bottle 210 has been removed is not rotated to the closed position but is in the open position, the lock sensor 35a and the bottle sensor 34 remain off. In this case as well, the main control unit 131 repeats the process of step S110 until it is determined that the lock sensor 35a is on and the bottle sensor 34 is off.

[0108] In step S111, main control unit 131 activates lock mechanism 35 to lock water filling door 26. Thus, water filling door 26 is prevented from rotating to the open position.

[0109] If it is determined in the determination process of step S104 that both the bottle sensor 34 and the lock sensor 35a are not on, the main control unit 131 performs the process of step S112.

[0110] In step S112, if main control unit 131 determines that a certain amount of time has passed since water filling door 26 of water filling box 24 was unlocked (Yes in step S112), main control unit 131 proceeds to the process of step S113. On the other hand, if main control unit 131 determines that the certain amount of time has not passed (No in step S112), main control unit 131 returns to step S104.

[0111] Step S113: Drainage process In step S113, the main control unit 131 instructs the water injection control unit 136 to start drainage. The water injection control unit 136 switches the control valve 113 from a closed state to an open state. When the control valve 113 is switched from a closed state to an open state, the RO water stored inside the pressurized tank 28 flows from the water injection pipe 112 to the drainage tray 27 and is drained to the outside. Then, after a certain time T5 has elapsed, the main control unit 131 instructs the water injection control unit 136 to stop drainage. In response to the drainage stop, the water injection control unit 136 switches the control valve 113 from an open state to a closed state. The certain time T5 is the time during which the RO water in the pressurized tank 28 is drained.

[0112] In addition, in the drainage process in step S113, the main control unit 131 can not only instruct the water injection control unit 136 to start drainage, but also instruct the air supply and exhaust control unit 134 to start drainage. For example, when the main control unit 131 instructs the air supply and exhaust control unit 134 to start drainage, the air supply and exhaust control unit 134 switches the control valve 71 from a closed state to an open state. When the control valve 71 is opened, carbon dioxide gas is supplied to the inside of the pressurized tank 28 via the gas path 62 and the air supply path 100. When carbon dioxide gas is supplied to the pressurized tank 28, the pressure inside the pressurized tank 28 increases, and the RO water stored in the pressurized tank 28 is pushed toward the water injection pipe 112. As a result, the RO water stored in the pressurized tank 28 is drained via the water injection pipe 112.

[0113] Here, the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas inside the pressurized tank 28 is approximately atmospheric pressure. For example, when only the control valve 113 is switched to an open state, that is, when carbon dioxide gas is discharged without being supplied to the pressurized tank 28, there is a risk that the RO water stored in the pressurized tank 28 is not all discharged with only the carbon dioxide gas inside the pressurized tank 28 and remains inside the pressurized tank 28. Therefore, by supplying carbon dioxide gas to the pressurized tank 28, the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas inside the pressurized tank 28 presses the RO water stored in the pressurized tank 28 toward the water injection pipe 112, and all the RO water stored in the pressurized tank 28 is discharged to the outside via the water injection pipe 112. This makes it possible to prevent the RO water stored inside the pressurized tank 28 from remaining.

[0114] In this way, in the water filling box 24 of this embodiment, since the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is set in the water filling door 26 or the pressure-resistant bottle 210 held in the water filling door 26 is removed, there is no need to insert hands into the inside of the water filling box 24. Therefore, by inserting the purchaser's hands into the water filling box 24, dirt and bacteria on the hands will not adhere to the inside of the water filling box 24, and hygiene of the inside of the water filling box 24 is ensured.

[0115] In addition, since the pressure-resistant bottle 210 held by the water filling door 26 is held at an angle, the carbonated water poured from the water filling tube 112 is poured into the pressure-resistant bottle 210 along the inner wall surface of the pressure-resistant bottle. As a result, the impact applied to the carbonated water when pouring can be reduced, and the gas strength of the carbonated water is prevented from being weakened more than necessary.

[0116] In the water filling box 24, the pressure-resistant bottle 210, which is a dedicated container, is placed on the water filling door 26, and when the water filling door 26 is closed, the bottle sensor 34 and the lock sensor 35a are each turned on. In this case, after the water filling door 26 is locked by the lock mechanism 35, carbonated water is poured into the pressure-resistant bottle 210. On the other hand, when a container thinner or thicker than the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is placed on the water filling door 26 and the water filling door 26 is closed, neither the bottle sensor 34 nor the lock sensor 35a is turned on. In this case, the water filling door 26 is not locked by the lock mechanism 35, and carbonated water is not poured into the container. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the supply of carbonated water from being received using a container other than the pressure-resistant bottle 210, which is a dedicated container.

[0117] In the above embodiment, the water injection box 24 is provided in the carbonated water production device 10 as an example, but it can also be used in a vending machine that provides drinking water such as RO water.

[0118] The water filling box 24 used in the carbonated water production device 10 described above is described as an example having a box body 25 and a water filling door 26 that rotates between an open position and a closed position around an axis perpendicular to the box body 25. However, the water filling door 26 provided in the water filling box 24 is not limited to the water filling door described above. Hereinafter, the same components as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the above embodiment.

[0119] As shown in Figures 14(a) and 14(b), water filling box 151 of carbonated water production device 150 has water filling door 152 and box body 153. Water filling door 152 moves between a closed position (see Figure 14(a)) in which box section 152a provided on the rear side is stored in box body 153, and an open position (see Figure 14(b)) in which box section 152a is exposed from box body 153. For example, when water filling door 152 is moved from the closed position to the open position, water filling door 152 is pulled out from box body 153. When water filling door 152 is moved from the open position to the closed position, water filling door 152 is pushed into box body 153.

[0120] As shown in Figs. 15(a) and 15(b), water filling box 155 of carbonated water production device 154 has box body 156 and water filling door 157 pivoted at the bottom of box body 156. Water filling door 157 rotates about its lower end between a closed position (see Fig. 15(a)) that covers the front opening of box body 156 and an open position (see Fig. 15(b)) that exposes the front opening of box body 156. For example, when water filling door 157 is rotated from the closed position to the open position, the upper end of water filling door 157 is pulled out from box body 156. Also, when water filling door 157 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the upper end of water filling door 157 is pushed into box body 156.

[0121] In the case of the water filling boxes 151 and 155 as well, similarly to the water filling box 24, it is necessary to provide a holding piece for holding a pressure resistant bottle on the back side of the water filling doors 152 and 157.

[0122] <Overview of the embodiment> The present invention relates to a water-filling box that holds a container into which carbonated water or drinking water is poured when pouring carbonated water or drinking water, and a carbonated water production device that uses the same.

[0123] In vending machines that dispense beverages by injecting them into containers, the carbon dioxide gas from the carbonated water vaporizes when it is dispensed from the carbonated water maker into the container, and the gas strength (GV: Gas Volume) of the carbonated water extracted into the container tends to be weak. For example, in a carbonated water maker, it is possible to generate carbonated water with a high gas strength and extract it into a cup, but there is a risk that the carbonated water with a high gas strength will spray out from the carbonated water dispensing nozzle.

[0124] In the case of a vending machine that dispenses beverages into the above-mentioned containers, a user inserts his / her hand into the space above the vent stage, grasps the container placed on the vent stage, and removes the container from the vent stage. When the user inserts his / her hand into the space above the vent stage, he / she may unintentionally touch, for example, an extraction nozzle disposed above the vent stage. Therefore, there is also a problem that the vicinity of the vent stage is unsanitary.

[0125] The purpose is to prevent a decrease in the gas strength of the produced carbonated water while keeping the area around the vent stage clean.

[0126] The above-mentioned water-filling box is in the shape of a hollow box with one side open, and has a box body 25 having an opening 33 in one of multiple inner wall surfaces through which the liquid to be supplied flows in, and a holding piece 38 that holds the pressure-resistant bottle 210 stored inside the box body 25, and is characterized in that the holding piece 38 holds the pressure-resistant bottle 210 at a position where the water-filling port 210a of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is separated from the opening 33.

[0127] According to the above configuration, when the holding piece 38 is provided on the water filling door 26, the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is set on the water filling door 26, or the pressure-resistant bottle 210 held on the water filling door 26 is removed, so there is no need to insert hands into the inside of the water filling box 24. Therefore, by inserting the purchaser's hands into the inside of the water filling box 24, dirt and bacteria on the hands will not adhere to the inside of the water filling box 24, and hygiene of the inside of the water filling box 24 is ensured.

[0128] The box also has a water filling door 26 that can be opened and closed freely relative to the box body 25, and the retaining piece 38 is provided on the surface 26a of the water filling door 26 that faces the inside of the box body 25 when the water filling door 26 is closed.

[0129] This requires only the simple action of setting pressure-resistant bottle 210 in water filling door 26 and closing water filling door 26, eliminating the need to insert hands into water filling box 24 when setting pressure-resistant bottle 210. In other words, since there is no need to touch the inside of water filling box 24, dirt and bacteria on hands that are swung inside water filling box 24 are prevented from adhering to the inside of water filling box 24. As a result, the inside of water filling box 24 can be kept clean.

[0130] In addition, the holding piece 38 is characterized in that it holds the pressure-resistant bottle 210 so that the water inlet 210a of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is located on the movement trajectory of the liquid flowing in through the opening 33, and so that the longitudinal direction of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 intersects with the inflow direction of the liquid flowing into the inside of the box body 25 through the opening 33.

[0131] According to this, the carbonated water flowing into the pressure-resistant bottle 210 hits the inner wall surface or bottom surface of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 at a predetermined angle, not perpendicularly. In other words, the impact on the carbonated water is smaller than when the carbonated water falls perpendicularly and hits the inner wall surface of the pressure-resistant bottle 210, so that the amount of carbon dioxide gas vaporizing from the carbonated water can be suppressed.

[0132] The holding piece 38 is characterized by holding at least the neck portion 210 b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 .

[0133] According to this, the pressure-resistant bottle 210 can be set on the water filling door 26 simply by carrying out the simple task of holding the neck 210b of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 with the holding piece 38. Furthermore, even if a plurality of pressure-resistant bottles 210 with different capacities and the same size of the neck 210b are provided as dedicated containers, the pressure-resistant bottles 210 can be held by the holding piece 38.

[0134] The device also includes a bottle sensor 34 that determines whether the pressure-resistant bottle 210 held by the holding piece 38 is a genuine container when the water-filling door 26 is closed, and a locking mechanism 35 that locks the closed water-filling door 26.The locking mechanism 35 is characterized in that when the bottle sensor 34 determines that the pressure-resistant bottle 210 held by the holding piece 38 is not a genuine container, it does not lock the water-filling door 26, but allows the water-filling door 26 to be opened and closed.

[0135] According to this, when a container other than the pressure-resistant bottle 210 is used as a container for pouring carbonated water, the water filling door 26 is not locked and carbonated water is not poured into the container. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the use of an inappropriate container.

[0136] The carbonated water production device 10 also has a water injection box 24, a pressurized tank 28 arranged above the water injection box 24 and which receives a supply of cooling water and carbon dioxide gas to produce and hold carbonated water, and a water injection pipe 112 having one end connected to the pressurized tank 28 and the other end arranged near an opening 33 of the water injection box 24, which supplies the carbonated water produced in the pressurized tank 28 to the inside of the box body 25 via the opening 33, and is characterized in that the carbonated water injected into the inside of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 via the water injection pipe 112 is supplied from the water injection port 210a of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 held by the holding piece 38 along the inner wall surface of the pressure-resistant bottle 210 to the inside of the pressure-resistant bottle 210.

[0137] This allows the carbonated water produced in the pressurized tank 28 to be poured into the pressure-resistant bottle 210 without reducing the gas strength. In addition, since there is no need to insert hands into the water-filling box 24 when setting the pressure-resistant bottle 210, the inside of the water-filling box 24 can be kept clean. [Explanation of symbols]

[0138] 10… Carbonated water maker 18…Water injection box 19…Box body 20...Water filling door 28…Pressurized tank 34…Bottle sensor 35…Locking mechanism 35a…Lock sensor 38...Holding piece 39…Support guide 33…Aperture 112…Water injection pipe 210…Pressure-resistant bottle

Claims

1. a main body having a hollow box shape with one side open, and a water inlet through which a liquid to be supplied flows in, on any one of a plurality of inner wall surfaces; a container holder for holding a container to be stored inside the main body; having A water-filling box characterized in that the container holding portion holds the container at a position where the spout of the container is spaced apart from the water-filling port.

2. A door is provided which can be opened and closed relative to the main body, 2. The water filling box according to claim 1, wherein the container holding portion is provided on a surface of the door that faces the inside of the main body when the door is closed.

3. The water pouring box of claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the container holding portion holds the container so that the spout of the container is located on the movement trajectory of liquid flowing in through the water pouring inlet, and so that the longitudinal direction of the container intersects with the inflow direction of liquid flowing into the inside of the main body through the water pouring inlet.

4. 4. The water filling box according to claim 1, wherein the container holding portion holds at least a neck portion of the container.

5. a discrimination unit that discriminates whether the container held in the container holder is a regular container when the opening and closing door is closed; a lock mechanism for locking the door when closed; having The water filling box described in claim 2, characterized in that the locking mechanism allows the opening and closing door to be opened and closed without locking the opening and closing door when the discrimination unit determines that the container held in the container holding unit is not a genuine container.

6. The water injection box according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A carbonated water generating unit that is disposed above the water injection box and receives cooling water and carbon dioxide gas to generate and hold carbonated water; a water injection pipe having one end connected to the carbonated water generating unit and the other end disposed near the water injection port of the water injection box, for supplying the carbonated water generated by the carbonated water generating unit to the inside of the main body through the water injection port; having A carbonated water production apparatus characterized in that the carbonated water injected into the inside of the container through the water injection pipe is supplied to the inside of the container from the spout of the container held in the container holding section, along the inner wall surface of the container.

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