Water server and air sterilization chamber for water server

Abstract

To provide a water server in which an ozone leakage from a chamber case is unlikely to occur, and an ozone decomposition filter inside the chamber case can be exchanged.SOLUTION: In the water server, a chamber case 23 comprises a cylindrical case main body 30 extending in a vertical direction, having an open top edge and a bottom edge closed at a bottom part 40, and a filter cassette 31 detachably fitted in a top edge opening of the case main body 30. The filter cassette 31 is a unit in which the following are integrated: an inlet side ozone decomposition filter 28; an outlet side ozone decomposition filter 29; a portion 57 between the air inlet 21 and the inlet side ozone decomposition filter 28 in the air inflow path 26; and a portion 60 between the outlet side ozone decomposition filter 29 and the air outlet 22 in the air outflow path 27.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water server and an air sterilization chamber for a water server. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, water servers have been used mainly in offices and hospitals, but in recent years, water servers are becoming more common in ordinary households due to growing interest in water safety and health (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The water server of Patent Document 1 has a cold water tank that contains air and cold water in two layers, a cold water outlet conduit that discharges cold water from the cold water tank to the outside of the housing, and an air inlet conduit that introduces air into the cold water tank as the water level in the cold water tank drops. To ensure the hygiene of the air introduced from the air inlet conduit to the cold water tank, the water server of Patent Document 1 has an air sterilization chamber in the air inlet conduit that sterilizes the air with ozone.

[0004] This air sterilization chamber has a chamber case having an air inlet and an air outlet, an air chamber formed inside the chamber case, an ozone lamp that converts oxygen in the air into ozone by irradiating the air in the air chamber with ultraviolet light, an air inlet passage connecting the air inlet and the air chamber, an air outlet passage connecting the air chamber and the air outlet, an inlet-side ozone decomposition filter provided in the air inlet passage, and an outlet-side ozone decomposition filter provided in the air outlet passage. The air inlet of the chamber case is open to the atmosphere, and the air outlet of the chamber case is connected to a cold water tank via the air introduction passage.

[0005] This air sterilization chamber introduces atmospheric air from the air inlet of the chamber case into the air chamber, contacts the air with ozone generated by an ozone lamp for sterilization, allows the sterilized air to flow out from the air outlet of the chamber case, and supplies it to a cold water tank. Here, since ozone has a strong oxidizing power, ozone decomposition filters are provided in the air inlet passage and the air outlet passage respectively to prevent the ozone generated by the ozone lamp from flowing out to the outside of the air sterilization chamber.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] By the way, in the water server of Patent Document 1, due to some trouble (for example, malfunction of the water level sensor in the cold water tank), the water supply to the cold water tank becomes excessive, water overflows from the cold water tank, and the water flows out from the cold water tank through the air introduction passage and flows into the air sterilization chamber. In this case, since the ozone decomposition filter incorporated in the air sterilization chamber becomes wet with water, bacteria are likely to multiply on the ozone decomposition filter, and it becomes necessary to replace the ozone decomposition filter with a new one.

[0008] On the other hand, in order to prevent ozone, which has a strong oxidizing power, from leaking outside the chamber case, the above air sterilization chamber has a highly airtight structure, specifically, a resin chamber case composed of a box-shaped case body with an opening on the front side and a case lid that closes the opening on the front side of the case body, and the case body and the case lid are sealed by ultrasonic welding, so that the chamber case cannot be opened. Therefore, the ozone decomposition filter cannot be removed from the chamber case, and when it becomes necessary to replace the ozone decomposition filter in the chamber case with a new one, the method of replacing the entire air sterilization chamber at once has been adopted.

[0009] Here, the inventors of the present application investigated whether it would be possible to remove the ozone decomposition filter from the chamber case and replace it with a new one while suppressing the risk of ozone leakage from the chamber case.

[0010] As a result of this investigation, the inventors came up with the idea that if the chamber case were to be composed of a cylindrical case body extending in the vertical direction, with an open top and a closed bottom bottom, and a filter cassette that is removably fitted into the top opening of the case body, then because ozone has a higher specific gravity than air, ozone generated inside the case body would be less likely to reach the top opening of the case body (i.e., the mating portion between the filter cassette and the case body), and even if the seal at the mating portion between the filter cassette and the case body became incomplete, the ozone would be retained inside the case body, preventing the highly oxidizing ozone from leaking into the surrounding area.

[0011] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a water server that is less susceptible to ozone leakage from the chamber case and that allows the ozone decomposition filter inside the chamber case to be replaced. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a water server having the following configuration. [Configuration 1] A drinking water tank containing air and drinking water in two layers, one above the other; A drinking water outlet passage for discharging drinking water from the drinking water tank; an air introduction passage for introducing air into the drinking water tank in response to a drop in the water level in the drinking water tank; In the water server, the air introduction path is provided with an air sterilization chamber having a chamber case having an air inlet and an air outlet, an air chamber formed inside the chamber case, an ozone lamp that converts oxygen in the air into ozone by irradiating the air in the air chamber with ultraviolet light, an air inlet path that communicates between the air inlet and the air chamber, an air outlet path that communicates between the air chamber and the air outlet, an inlet-side ozone decomposition filter provided in the air inlet path, and an outlet-side ozone decomposition filter provided in the air outlet path, The chamber case is composed of a cylindrical case body that is open at the top and closed at the bottom at the bottom and extends in the vertical direction, and a filter cassette that is detachably fitted into the top opening of the case body, The water server is characterized in that the filter cassette is a unit that integrates the inlet side ozone decomposition filter, the outlet side ozone decomposition filter, the portion of the air inlet path between the air inlet and the inlet side ozone decomposition filter, and the portion of the air outlet path between the outlet side ozone decomposition filter and the air outlet.

[0013] When this configuration is adopted, the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter and the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter are assembled in a filter cassette that is detachably fitted into the upper end opening of the case body, so that the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter and the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter can be replaced together by removing the filter cassette from the upper end opening of the case body and replacing it. In addition, since ozone has a higher specific gravity than air, ozone generated inside the case body is unlikely to reach the upper end opening of the case body (i.e., the mating portion between the filter cassette and the case body). Therefore, even if the sealing of the mating portion between the filter cassette and the case body becomes incomplete, ozone is retained inside the case body, and it is possible to prevent the strong oxidizing ozone from leaking to the surroundings.

[0014] [Configuration 2] the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter is a flat member horizontally provided in the filter cassette such that air flowing through the air inlet passage passes through the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter in a vertical direction, the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter is a flat member horizontally provided within the filter cassette such that air flowing through the air outlet passage passes through the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter in a vertical direction, the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter and the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter are disposed vertically opposite to each other in the filter cassette, The water server according to configuration 1, wherein the filter cassette has a horizontal partition wall between opposing surfaces of the inlet side ozone decomposition filter and the outlet side ozone decomposition filter, separating the air inlet passage from the air outlet passage.

[0015] When this configuration is adopted, the inlet side ozone decomposition filter and the outlet side ozone decomposition filter are each arranged horizontally within the filter cassette, and the partition wall separating the air inlet passage and the air outlet passage is also arranged horizontally within the filter cassette, thereby reducing the vertical dimensions of the filter cassette and making it possible to miniaturize the filter cassette.

[0016] [Configuration 3] A lamp mounting hole is formed through a side wall of the case body, The water server of configuration 1 or 2, wherein the ozone lamp comprises a base portion that is detachably attached to the lamp mounting hole, a quartz glass light-emitting portion that extends horizontally from the base portion into the air chamber, and a rubber sealing member that is fitted onto the outer periphery of the base portion and seals between the inner periphery of the lamp mounting hole and the outer periphery of the base portion to prevent ozone in the air chamber from leaking outside the case body.

[0017] This configuration makes it possible to remove the ozone lamp from the case body and replace it. Also, a rubber seal member that seals between the inner circumference of the lamp mounting hole and the outer circumference of the base is provided on the outer circumference of the base of the ozone lamp, so that ozone, which has strong oxidizing power, can be prevented from leaking out of the case body through the gap between the inner circumference of the lamp mounting hole and the outer circumference of the base.

[0018] [Configuration 4] A water server described in any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the filter cassette is positioned adjacent to the upper side of the air chamber so that the ozone lamp in the air chamber can be viewed from the upper opening of the case body when the filter cassette is removed from the upper opening of the case body.

[0019] By adopting this configuration, the ozone lamp can be visually inspected by removing the filter cassette, making it possible to easily check for a burned-out ozone lamp bulb when performing maintenance on the water server.

[0020] [Configuration 5] 5. The water server according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein an electronic board for supplying power to the ozone lamp is accommodated in a board accommodation chamber formed in the bottom of the case body.

[0021] When this configuration is adopted, the filter cassette, air chamber, and electronic board are arranged in a vertical line, so that the horizontal installation space for the air sterilization chamber is reduced, allowing the water server to be made more compact.

[0022] The present invention also provides an air sterilization chamber for use in the above water server, the air sterilization chamber having the following configuration. [Configuration 6] An air sterilization chamber for a water server, comprising: a chamber case having an air inlet and an air outlet; an air chamber formed inside the chamber case; an ozone lamp for converting oxygen in the air into ozone by irradiating the air in the air chamber with ultraviolet light; an air inlet passage connecting the air inlet and the air chamber; an air outlet passage connecting the air chamber and the air outlet; an inlet-side ozone decomposition filter provided in the air inlet passage; and an outlet-side ozone decomposition filter provided in the air outlet passage, The filter cassette is an air sterilization chamber for a water server, characterized in that it is an integrated unit that integrates the inlet side ozone decomposition filter, the outlet side ozone decomposition filter, the portion of the air inlet path between the air inlet and the inlet side ozone decomposition filter, and the portion of the air outlet path between the outlet side ozone decomposition filter and the air outlet. Effect of the Invention

[0023] In the water server of this invention, an inlet-side ozone decomposition filter and an outlet-side ozone decomposition filter are assembled in a filter cassette that is detachably fitted into the upper end opening of the case body, so that the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter and the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter can be replaced together by removing the filter cassette from the upper end opening of the case body and replacing it. In addition, since ozone has a higher specific gravity than air, ozone generated inside the case body is unlikely to reach the upper end opening of the case body (i.e., the fitting part of the filter cassette and the case body). Therefore, even if the sealing of the fitting part of the filter cassette and the case body becomes incomplete, ozone is retained inside the case body, and it is possible to prevent the strong oxidizing ozone from leaking to the surroundings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] A front view of a water server according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] Cross-section of the water server in Figure 1, seen from the right side [Diagram 3] A close-up of the air sterilization chamber of FIG. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 3. [Diagram 5] Cross-sectional view taken along line VV in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Figure 4. [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Figure 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a view showing a state in which the ozone lamp shown in FIG. 7 is rotated to align the circumferential positions of the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove. [Figure 9] FIG. 7 shows the ozone lamp shown in FIG. 6 removed from the case body. [Figure 10] A close-up of the air chamber of the air sterilization chamber of FIG. [Figure 11] Cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in Figure 10. [Figure 12] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the air sterilization chamber shown in FIG. [Figure 13]FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the case body shown in FIG. 12; [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the filter cassette shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] A water server according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 1. This water server has a housing 1, a cold water outlet 2 and a hot water outlet 3 arranged on the front side of the housing 1, a cold water outlet operation unit 4 that the user operates to dispense cold water, and a hot water outlet operation unit 5 that the user operates to dispense hot water.

[0026] 2, a cold water tank 6 and a hot water tank 7 are disposed inside the housing 1. The cold water tank 6 is fixed to the upper surface of a tank fixing plate 8 that is provided horizontally so as to divide the inside of the housing 1 into upper and lower parts, and the hot water tank 7 is fixed to the lower surface of the tank fixing plate 8.

[0027] Cold water tank 6 contains air and cold water (low-temperature drinking water) in two layers, one above the other. Cold water tank 6 is connected to replaceable water bottle 10 (see FIG. 1) via water supply pipe 9. Cold water tank 6 is also provided with water level sensor 11 for detecting the water level in cold water tank 6. When water level sensor 11 detects that the water level in cold water tank 6 is lower than a predetermined water level, a water supply pump (not shown) provided midway through water supply pipe 9 is activated, and drinking water filled in water bottle 10 shown in FIG. 1 is supplied to cold water tank 6 via water supply pipe 9.

[0028] A cooling device 12 that cools the drinking water stored in the cold water tank 6 is attached to the cold water tank 6. The drinking water in the cold water tank 6 is kept at a predetermined low temperature (for example, 10°C or lower) by the cooling device 12. A cold water outlet conduit 13 that communicates between the cold water tank 6 and the cold water outlet 2 is connected to the bottom of the cold water tank 6. A cold water on-off valve 14 is provided midway along the cold water outlet conduit 13, and by operating the cold water outlet operating unit 4, the cold water on-off valve 14 opens, making it possible to discharge cold water from the cold water tank 6 to the outside of the housing 1.

[0029] The hot water tank 7 is filled with drinking water. The hot water tank 7 and the cold water tank 6 are connected via a tank connection line 15, and drinking water is introduced from the cold water tank 6 to the hot water tank 7 through the tank connection line 15. A heating device 16 that heats the drinking water contained in the hot water tank 7 is attached to the hot water tank 7. The drinking water in the hot water tank 7 is kept at a predetermined high temperature (e.g., 80°C or higher) by the heating device 16.

[0030] A hot water outlet conduit 17 that communicates between the hot water tank 7 and the hot water outlet port 3 (see FIG. 1) is connected to the top surface of the hot water tank 7. A hot water on-off valve 18 (see FIG. 1) is provided midway through the hot water outlet conduit 17, and the hot water on-off valve 18 opens by operating the hot water outlet operating unit 5 (see FIG. 1), making it possible to discharge hot water (high-temperature drinking water) from the hot water tank 7 to the outside of the housing 1. When hot water is discharged from the hot water tank 7, an equal amount of drinking water flows from the cold water tank 6 through the tank connection conduit 15 into the hot water tank 7, so that the hot water tank 7 is always kept full. The cold water outlet conduit 13 and the tank connection conduit 15 are drinking water outflow conduits that allow drinking water to flow out of the cold water tank 6.

[0031] An air introduction passage 19 is connected to the cold water tank 6, which introduces air into the cold water tank 6 in response to a drop in the water level in the cold water tank 6. An air sterilization chamber 20 is connected to the air introduction passage 19, which sterilizes the air with ozone to ensure hygiene of the air introduced into the cold water tank 6. The air sterilization chamber 20 is arranged horizontally alongside the cold water tank 6 inside the housing 1, and is fixed to the upper surface of the tank fixing plate 8.

[0032] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the air sterilization chamber 20 has a chamber case 23 having an air inlet 21 and an air outlet 22, an air chamber 24 formed inside the chamber case 23, an ozone lamp 25 that converts oxygen in the air into ozone by irradiating the air in the air chamber 24 with ultraviolet rays, an air inlet path 26 that connects the air inlet 21 and the air chamber 24, an air outlet path 27 that connects the air chamber 24 and the air outlet 22, an inlet side ozone decomposition filter 28 provided in the air inlet path 26, and an outlet side ozone decomposition filter 29 provided in the air outlet path 27.

[0033] 12, the chamber case 23 is composed of a case body 30 having a rectangular cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction with an open upper end and a closed lower end with a bottom 40 (see FIG. 13), and a filter cassette 31 that is detachably fitted into the upper opening of the case body 30. An attachment piece 32 is provided at the lower end of the case body 30 for fixing the case body 30 to the tank fixing plate 8 (see FIG. 2) with a screw.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 13, the case body 30 has a pair of case side walls 33 facing each other on the left and right, a case front wall 34 connecting the front ends of the pair of case side walls 33, a case rear wall 35 connecting the rear ends of the pair of case side walls 33, a bottom wall 36 closing the lower end of the space surrounded by the pair of case side walls 33, the case front wall 34, and the case rear wall 35, and a second bottom wall 37 arranged at a distance below the bottom wall 36. Between the bottom wall 36 and the second bottom wall 37, a board accommodating chamber 39 is formed to accommodate an electronic board 38 that supplies power to the ozone lamp 25. The bottom wall 36 and the second bottom wall 37 form a bottom 40 that closes the lower end of the internal space of the case body 30. As shown in FIG. 13, the case body 30 is formed by ultrasonically welding a resin case front wall 34 to the opening edge of a partial box body formed integrally of a pair of case side walls 33, a case rear wall 35, a bottom wall 36, and a second bottom wall 37 from resin.

[0035] A lamp cover 41 that surrounds the ozone lamp 25 is incorporated into the case body 30. The lamp cover 41 is a rectangular cylindrical member that is open at both the top and bottom ends. A through hole 42 for inserting the ozone lamp 25 is formed on the side of the lamp cover 41. The lamp cover 41 is also provided with a protrusion 44 that positions the lamp cover 41 in the up-down direction so that a gap is formed between the bottom end of the lamp cover 41 and the bottom wall 36 of the case body 30 by engaging with a protrusion 43 formed on the inner surface of the case body 30 (the inner surface of the case side wall 33 in the figure) when the lamp cover 41 is incorporated into the case body 30.

[0036] 6, a spacer protrusion 45 is formed on the inner surface of the case body 30 (in the figure, the inner surfaces of the case front wall 34 and the case rear wall 35). The spacer protrusion 45 is formed so as to extend elongatedly in the vertical direction. This spacer protrusion 45 forms a gap penetrating in the vertical direction between the lamp cover 41 and the inner surface of the case body 30. An air chamber 24 that houses the ozone lamp 25 is formed inside the lamp cover 41.

[0037] The ozone lamp 25 comprises a base portion 47 that is detachably attached to a lamp attachment hole 46 formed by penetrating the case side wall 33, a quartz glass light emitting portion 48 that extends horizontally from the base portion 47 inside the air chamber 24, and a rubber seal member 49 that is fitted to the outer periphery of the base portion 47. In the figure, an O-ring is used as the seal member 49. The seal member 49 seals the gap between the inner periphery of the lamp attachment hole 46 and the outer periphery of the base portion 47 so that ozone in the air chamber 24 does not leak out to the outside of the case body 30.

[0038] An engagement protrusion 51 is formed on the outer periphery of the base portion 47 to engage with an engagement groove 50 formed on the inner periphery of the lamp mounting hole 46, and the ozone lamp 25 is prevented from slipping out of the lamp mounting hole 46 by the engagement of the engagement protrusion 51 and the engagement groove 50. As shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the engagement groove 50 is a groove extending in the circumferential direction here. Also, an axial groove 52 intersecting the engagement groove 50 is formed on the inner periphery of the lamp mounting hole 46, and the ozone lamp 25 can be removed from the case body 30 by rotating the base portion 47 of the ozone lamp 25 to match the circumferential positions of the engagement protrusion 51 and the axial groove 52, and then pulling out the base portion 47 from the lamp mounting hole 46.

[0039] As shown in Figures 10 and 14, the filter cassette 31 is a unit that integrates the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter 28, the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter 29, a portion 57 (see Figure 10) that communicates between the air inlet 21 of the air inflow path 26 and the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter 28, and a portion 60 (see Figure 10) that communicates between the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter 29 and the air outlet 22 of the air outflow path 27.

[0040] 10, the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter 28 is a flat member provided horizontally in the filter cassette 31 so that the air flowing through the air inflow passage 26 passes through the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter 28 in the vertical direction. The outlet-side ozone decomposition filter 29 is also a flat member provided horizontally in the filter cassette 31 so that the air flowing through the air outflow passage 27 passes through the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter 29 in the vertical direction. The inlet-side ozone decomposition filter 28 and the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter 29 are, for example, activated carbon filters in which activated carbon is supported on a breathable filter material (such as nonwoven fabric or foamed resin).

[0041] The inlet-side ozone decomposition filter 28 and the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter 29 are arranged facing each other vertically in the filter cassette 31. The filter cassette 31 also has a horizontal partition wall 53 between the opposing surfaces of the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter 28 and the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter 29, which separates the air inflow path 26 and the air outflow path 27. Between the partition wall 53 and the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter 28, a portion of the air inflow path 26 immediately before the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter 28 is formed, and between the partition wall 53 and the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter 29, a portion of the air outflow path 27 immediately before the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter 29 is formed.

[0042] The filter cassette 31 has a seal member 54 that seals the fitted portion between the case body 30 and the filter cassette 31 when the filter cassette 31 is fitted into the upper opening of the case body 30 and attached. The filter cassette 31 also has an engagement claw portion 56 that engages with an engagement recess 55 formed on the outer surface of the case body 30 when the filter cassette 31 is fitted into the upper opening of the case body 30. The engagement between the engagement claw portion 56 and the engagement recess 55 enables the filter cassette 31 to be fixed to the case body 30. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , the outer periphery of the lower end of the filter cassette 31 fits into the inner periphery of the upper end of the lamp cover 41.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 12, the filter cassette 31 is positioned adjacent to the upper side of the air chamber 24 so that the ozone lamp 25 in the air chamber 24 (see FIG. 10) can be seen from the upper opening of the case body 30 when the filter cassette 31 is removed from the upper opening of the case body 30.

[0044] 10, the air inflow passage 26 that introduces air from the air inlet 21 of the case body 30 to the air chamber 24 is made up of a portion 57 that communicates between the air inlet 21 and the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter 28, the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter 28, and a portion 58 that communicates between the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter 28 and the air chamber 24. The portion 57 that communicates between the air inlet 21 and the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter 28 is formed to extend horizontally from the air inlet 21 inside the filter cassette 31 along the underside of the partition wall 53.

[0045] On the other hand, the air outflow path 27, which allows air to flow from the air chamber 24 to the air outlet 22 of the case body 30, is composed of a portion 59 communicating between the air chamber 24 and the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter 29, the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter 29, and a portion 60 communicating between the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter 29 and the air outlet 22. The portion 59 communicating between the air chamber 24 and the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter 29 is composed of a gap between the lower end of the lamp cover 41 and the bottom wall 36 of the case body 30, a gap between the lamp cover 41 and the inner surface of the case body 30, a gap between the side of the filter cassette 31 and the inner surface of the case body 30, and a portion extending horizontally inside the filter cassette 31 along the upper side of the partition wall 53.

[0046] As shown in Figures 12 and 14, this water server has an inlet side ozone decomposition filter 28 and an outlet side ozone decomposition filter 29 incorporated in a filter cassette 31 that is removably fitted into the upper opening of the case body 30. Therefore, by removing the filter cassette 31 from the upper opening of the case body 30 and replacing it, the inlet side ozone decomposition filter 28 and the outlet side ozone decomposition filter 29 can be replaced together.

[0047] Furthermore, since ozone has a higher specific gravity than air, ozone generated inside case body 30 is unlikely to reach the upper end opening of case body 30 (i.e., the fitting portion between filter cassette 31 and case body 30). Therefore, even if the sealing by sealing member 54 of the fitting portion between filter cassette 31 and case body 30 becomes incomplete, ozone is retained inside case body 30, and it is possible to prevent the strong oxidizing ozone from leaking to the surroundings.

[0048] In addition, as shown in FIG. 10, in this water server, the inlet side ozone decomposition filter 28 and the outlet side ozone decomposition filter 29 are each arranged horizontally within the filter cassette 31, and the partition wall 53 separating the air inlet passage 26 and the air outlet passage 27 is also arranged horizontally within the filter cassette 31. This reduces the vertical dimension of the filter cassette 31, making it possible to make the filter cassette 31 more compact.

[0049] In addition, as shown in FIG. 12, in this water server, the base part 47 of the ozone lamp 25 is detachable from the lamp mounting hole 46 of the case body 30. Therefore, when the lighting time of the ozone lamp 25 exceeds its life time or when the ozone lamp 25 burns out, the ozone lamp 25 can be removed from the case body 30 and replaced, and there is no need to replace the entire air sterilization chamber 20 all at once.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 10 , a rubber seal member 49 that seals between the inner periphery of the lamp mounting hole 46 and the outer periphery of the base portion 47 is provided on the outer periphery of the base portion 47 of the ozone lamp 25, so that ozone, which has strong oxidizing power, can be prevented from leaking out of the case body 30 through the gap between the inner periphery of the lamp mounting hole 46 and the outer periphery of the base portion 47.

[0051] 10, in this water server, the filter cassette 31 is disposed adjacent to the upper side of the air chamber 24, so that the ozone lamp 25 can be visually confirmed by removing the filter cassette 31 even when the ozone lamp 25 is still attached to the case body 30. Therefore, it is possible to easily check for burned-out bulbs of the ozone lamp 25 when performing maintenance on the water server.

[0052] 4, this water server has an electronic board 38 that supplies power to the ozone lamp 25 housed in a board housing chamber 39 formed in the bottom 40 of the case body 30, so that the filter cassette 31, the air chamber 24 and the electronic board 38 are vertically aligned in a row. This reduces the horizontal installation space for the air sterilization chamber 20, making it possible to miniaturize the water server.

[0053] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , a water server has been described as an example in which air and drinking water are stored in two upper and lower layers in the cold water tank 6, and air is introduced from the air sterilization chamber 20 into the cold water tank 6 as the water level in the cold water tank 6 drops. However, the present invention can also be applied to a water server in which a room temperature water tank that supplies drinking water to the cold water tank 6 is provided above the cold water tank 6, air and drinking water are stored in two upper and lower layers in the room temperature water tank, and air is introduced from the air sterilization chamber 20 into the room temperature water tank as the water level in the room temperature water tank drops.

[0054] In addition, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, an replaceable bottle type water server has been described as an example in which drinking water is introduced from a replaceable water bottle 10 filled with drinking water into the cold water tank 6 for use. However, the present invention can also be applied to a purified water type water server in which raw water such as tap water is filtered with a water purification filter cartridge to produce purified water, and the purified water is introduced into the cold water tank 6 for use. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 6. Cold water tank (drinking water tank) 13 Cold water outlet (drinking water outlet) 15 Tank connection path (drinking water outflow path) 19 Air intake passage 20 Air Sterilization Chamber 21 Air inlet 22 Air outlet 23 Chamber Case 24 Air chamber 25 Ozone Lamp 26 Air inlet passage 27 Air Outlet 28 Inlet ozone decomposition filter 29 Outlet ozone decomposition filter 30 Case body 31 Filter Cassette 38 Electronic Board 39 Substrate Storage Room 40 bottom 46 Lamp mounting hole 47 Base 48 Light-emitting part 49 Sealing material 53 Partition Wall 57 The part of the air inlet passage between the air inlet and the inlet side ozone decomposition filter 60 The portion of the air outlet passage between the outlet ozone decomposition filter and the air outlet

Claims

1. A drinking water tank (6) containing air and drinking water in two layers, upper and lower; a drinking water outlet (13, 15) for discharging drinking water from the drinking water tank (6); an air introduction passage (19) for introducing air into the drinking water tank (6) in response to a drop in the water level in the drinking water tank (6); In the water server, the air introduction path (19) is provided with an air sterilization chamber (20) having a chamber case (23) having an air inlet (21) and an air outlet (22), an air chamber (24) formed inside the chamber case (23), an ozone lamp (25) that converts oxygen in the air into ozone by irradiating the air in the air chamber (24) with ultraviolet light, an air inlet path (26) that communicates between the air inlet (21) and the air chamber (24), an air outlet path (27) that communicates between the air chamber (24) and the air outlet (22), an inlet-side ozone decomposition filter (28) provided in the air inlet path (26), and an outlet-side ozone decomposition filter (29) provided in the air outlet path (27), The chamber case (23) is composed of a cylindrical case body (30) that is open at its upper end and closed at its lower end by a bottom portion (40) and extends in the vertical direction, and a filter cassette (31) that is detachably fitted into the upper end opening of the case body (30), The filter cassette (31) is a water server characterized in that it is an integrated unit comprising the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter (28), the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter (29), a portion (57) of the air inlet path (26) between the air inlet (21) and the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter (28), and a portion (60) of the air outlet path (27) between the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter (29) and the air outlet (22).

2. the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter (28) is a flat member horizontally provided in the filter cassette (31) so that air flowing through the air inlet passage (26) passes through the inlet-side ozone decomposition filter (28) in a vertical direction; the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter (29) is a flat member horizontally provided in the filter cassette (31) so that air flowing through the air outlet passage (27) passes through the outlet-side ozone decomposition filter (29) in a vertical direction; The inlet side ozone decomposition filter (28) and the outlet side ozone decomposition filter (29) are arranged vertically opposite to each other in the filter cassette (31), The water server of claim 1, wherein the filter cassette (31) has a horizontal partition wall (53) between the opposing surfaces of the inlet side ozone decomposition filter (28) and the outlet side ozone decomposition filter (29) to separate the air inlet passage (26) and the air outlet passage (27).

3. A lamp mounting hole (46) is formed through the side wall of the case body (30), The water server according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ozone lamp (25) comprises a base portion (47) that is detachably attached to the lamp mounting hole (46), a quartz glass light-emitting portion (48) that extends horizontally from the base portion (47) within the air chamber (24), and a rubber seal member (49) that is fitted to the outer periphery of the base portion (47) and seals between the inner periphery of the lamp mounting hole (46) and the outer periphery of the base portion (47) so as to prevent ozone in the air chamber (24) from leaking to the outside of the case body (30).

4. 3. The water server according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the filter cassette (31) is arranged adjacent to the upper side of the air chamber (24) so ​​that the ozone lamp (25) in the air chamber (24) can be viewed from the upper end opening of the case body (30) when the filter cassette (31) is removed from the upper end opening of the case body (30).

5. 3. The water server according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an electronic board (38) that supplies power to the ozone lamp (25) is accommodated in a board accommodation chamber (39) formed in the bottom (40) of the case body (30).

6. An air sterilization chamber (20) for a water server, comprising: a chamber case (23) having an air inlet (21) and an air outlet (22); an air chamber (24) formed inside the chamber case (23); an ozone lamp (25) for converting oxygen in the air into ozone by irradiating the air in the air chamber (24) with ultraviolet light; an air inlet passage (26) communicating between the air inlet (21) and the air chamber (24); an air outlet passage (27) communicating between the air chamber (24) and the air outlet (22); an inlet-side ozone decomposition filter (28) provided in the air inlet passage (26); and an outlet-side ozone decomposition filter (29) provided in the air outlet passage (27), The filter cassette (31) is an air sterilization chamber for a water server, characterized in that it is an integrated unit comprising the inlet side ozone decomposition filter (28), the outlet side ozone decomposition filter (29), a portion (57) of the air inlet path (26) between the inlet side ozone decomposition filter (28) and the air inlet (21), and a portion (60) of the air outlet path (27) between the outlet side ozone decomposition filter (29) and the air outlet (22).

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