Modification unit, unit, and system kitchen

Abstract

To provide a water discharge device with enhanced commercial value.SOLUTION: A water discharge device discharges water to a sink disposed at an upper part of a cabinet. The water discharge device comprises a water discharge part, a flow path for supplying water to the water discharge part, and a modification unit 104 provided on the flow path. The modification unit 104 includes a housing 70 attached to an inner wall 112a of the cabinet, and a modification cartridge 48 detachably held by the housing 70 and configured to modify water supplied to the water discharge part. The modification cartridge 48 includes a held part held by the housing 70 and a grip part 48b exposed from the housing. The housing 70 has a surrounding wall 72e surrounding the grip part 48b, and a part in a circumferential direction of the surrounding wall 72e is opened.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a water discharge device. [Background technology]

[0002] Water discharge devices are becoming more and more sophisticated, and one example of such a device is a water discharge device that includes a reforming cartridge on a water supply line that reforms raw water (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-037772 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure has been made in light of such circumstances, and one of its exemplary purposes is to provide a water discharger with improved commercial value. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A water discharger according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a water discharger that discharges water into a sink located above a cabinet, and includes a water discharge portion, a water supply channel that supplies water to the water discharge portion, and a reforming unit provided on the water supply channel. The reforming unit includes a housing attached to the inner wall of the cabinet, and an elongated reforming cartridge that reforms the water to be supplied to the water discharge portion and is removably held in the housing. The reforming cartridge includes a held portion held in the housing, a connection portion that is located on one side of the held portion in the longitudinal direction of the reforming cartridge and that connects to the water supply channel, and a handle portion that is located on the other side of the held portion in the longitudinal direction and is exposed from the housing. The housing has an annular surrounding wall that surrounds the handle portion, and a circumferential portion of the annular surrounding wall is open.

[0006] A water discharger according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a water discharger that discharges water into a sink located above a cabinet, and includes a water discharge unit, a water supply channel that supplies water to the water discharge unit, an on-off valve provided on the water supply channel, and a functional unit housed within the cabinet, at least a portion of which is located in a space within the cabinet behind a panel located in front of the sink. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram schematically showing a water discharge device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a front view showing a system kitchen equipped with the water discharge device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a side view showing a system kitchen equipped with the water discharge device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a perspective view of the reforming unit of FIG. 1, seen obliquely from above and from the front. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a perspective view of the reforming unit of FIG. 1, seen obliquely from below and rearward. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a plan view of the reforming unit of FIG. 1, with a part of the housing body cut away. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the mounting member of FIG. 5. [Figure 9] 2 is a diagram showing how the reforming unit of FIG. 1 is attached to the inner wall of a cabinet. FIG. [Figure 10] 2 is a perspective view of the reforming unit of FIG. 1, seen obliquely from above and from the front. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Preferred embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing will be assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted where appropriate. Furthermore, the embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. Furthermore, in this specification, "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" refer to the upper, lower, left, and right sides, respectively, as seen from the user of the water discharge device, and "front" and "rear" refer to the front and rear sides, respectively, as seen from the user.

[0009] Refer to Figure 1. Water discharger 12 is installed in, for example, a kitchen. Water discharger 12 includes water discharger main body 16 provided with water discharger 28, first water supply line 18 and second water supply line 20 that supply water to water discharger 28, and control device 22. First water supply line 18 and second water supply line 20 supply different types of water to water discharger 28 of water discharger 12, although not particularly limited thereto. In this embodiment, first water supply line 18 supplies raw water (hot water mixed water) to water discharger 28, and second water supply line 20 supplies reformed water to water discharger 28.

[0010] The water discharger main body 16 comprises a water discharge pipe section 26, a water discharge section 28, a first operating section 30, and a second operating section 32. The water discharge pipe section 26 is, but is not limited to, in a so-called gooseneck shape. In this embodiment, the water discharge section 28 is provided at the tip of the water discharge pipe section 26. The water discharge section 28 discharges water supplied from the first and second water supply lines 18 and 20 in response to operations on the first and second operating sections 30 and 32.

[0011] The first water supply line 18 includes a water flow path 36 to which raw water (room temperature water) is supplied from a water supply source 34 such as a water supply system, a hot water flow path 40 to which hot water is supplied from a hot water source 38 such as a water heater, a mixing valve 42 with a water stop function that mixes the room temperature water supplied from the water flow path 36 with the hot water supplied from the hot water flow path 40, and a mixed water flow path 44 that supplies the hot and cold water mixed water mixed by the mixing valve 42 to the water discharge section 28.

[0012] The mixing ratio of room temperature water and hot water in the mixing valve 42 and the flow rate of the mixed hot and cold water supplied from the mixing valve 42 (including when the flow rate is zero, i.e., when the water supply is stopped) can be adjusted by operating the first operating unit 30 of the water discharger main body 16. The first operating unit 30 is, for example, a single lever.

[0013] The second water supply line 20 includes a water supply flow path 46, an on-off valve 54, a reforming unit 104, and a cooling unit 106. The water supply flow path 46 is a flow path that branches off from the water flow path 36 and connects to the water discharge section 28. The on-off valve 54, the reforming unit 104, and the cooling unit 106 are all provided on the water supply flow path 46, and are arranged in this order from the upstream side.

[0014] The on-off valve 54 is an automatic on-off valve such as a solenoid valve or an electric valve. The on-off valve 54 opens and closes in accordance with instructions from the control device 22. In this embodiment, the on-off valve 54 is provided upstream of the reforming unit 104. The on-off valve 54 may also be provided downstream of the reforming unit 104, for example, between the reforming unit 104 and the cooling unit 106.

[0015] The reforming unit 104 includes a reforming cartridge 48 , an additive liquid holding section 58 , a liquid delivery section 60 , and a sterilization section 62 .

[0016] The reforming cartridge 48 is a container-shaped cartridge that reforms the raw water passing through it. Hereinafter, water reformed by the reforming cartridge 48 will be referred to as reformed water. "Raw water" refers to the water that is the target of reforming by the reforming cartridge 48. "Reforming" refers to removing or adding specific components to raw water through physical or chemical changes. For example, if the raw water is tap water, the reforming cartridge 48 may be a water purification cartridge that removes chlorine components contained in the tap water, i.e., reforms the tap water into purified water as reformed water. The reforming may also involve adding beauty components, fragrance components, carbon dioxide components, hydrogen components, etc. to the raw water.

[0017] The additive liquid holder 58 holds the additive liquid. The configuration of the additive liquid holder 58 is not particularly limited, and various containers, tanks, etc. can be used. The additive liquid is used for drinking, for example, as a concentrate drink for dilution, a concentrated food additive liquid, a seasoning liquid, etc. In addition, the additive liquid may be used for applications that come into contact with the human body, such as soapy water, lotion, body oil, etc. These applications that come into contact with the human body include the aforementioned concentrate drink for dilution that is used for drinking.

[0018] The liquid delivery unit 60 delivers the additive liquid. The liquid delivery unit 60 delivers the additive liquid by sucking the additive liquid from the additive liquid holder 58 and discharging it toward the water supply flow path 46. The configuration of the liquid delivery unit 60 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a pump, a compressor, or the like. In this embodiment, the liquid delivery unit 60 operates with a power source, but may also operate without a power source. In this case, the liquid delivery unit 60 may be, for example, a water flow-driven pump that is driven by the flow of water flowing through the water supply flow path 46.

[0019] The sterilization section 62 sterilizes the additive liquid sucked out from the additive liquid holding section 58. The sterilization section 62 is configured using, for example, a hollow fiber membrane filter, a photocatalyst, ultraviolet light, or the like.

[0020] The additive liquid sent by the liquid sending section 60 is added to the reforming water. As a result, diluted water in which the additive liquid is diluted with the reforming water is generated. In other words, the reforming unit 104 supplies diluted water in which the additive liquid is diluted with the reforming water.

[0021] The reforming unit 104 does not necessarily have to include the reforming cartridge 48. In this case, the additive liquid is added to the raw water. This produces diluted water in which the additive liquid is diluted with the raw water. In other words, the reforming unit 104 supplies diluted water in which the additive liquid is diluted with the raw water.

[0022] The reforming unit 104 may not include the additive liquid holding section 58, the liquid delivery section 60, and the sterilization section 62. In this case, the reforming unit 104 supplies reformed water.

[0023] The cooling unit 106 includes a cold water tank 52, a room temperature water on-off valve 55_1, a cold water on-off valve 55_2, and a power conversion unit 64. The water supply passage 46 branches into two passages, a room temperature water passage 46a and a cold water passage 46b, within the cooling unit 106, and these passages merge within the cooling unit 106.

[0024] Cold water tank 52 is provided in cold water flow path 46b. A temperature sensor 53 that detects the temperature of the water in cold water tank 52 and a chiller 56 that cools the water in cold water tank 52 are attached to cold water tank 52. Chiller 56 cools the water in cold water tank 52 under the control of control device 22 so that the temperature detected by temperature sensor 53 becomes equal to or lower than a set temperature (for example, 3°C to 5°C).

[0025] The on-off valves 55_1 and 55_2 are automatic on-off valves such as solenoid valves or motor-operated valves, similar to the on-off valve 54. The on-off valves 55_1 and 55_2 open and close in accordance with instructions from the control device 22. The room temperature water on-off valve 55_1 is provided in the room temperature water flow path 46a. The on-off valve 55_2 is provided in the cold water flow path 46b downstream of the cold water tank 52. As will be described in detail later, when room temperature water is discharged, the room temperature water on-off valve 55_1 is opened, and when cold water is discharged, the cold water on-off valve 55_2 is opened.

[0026] Power is supplied to the power conversion unit 64 from a power supply unit 66. The power supply unit 66 may be, for example, an AC adapter connected to an outlet (commercial power supply). In this case, the power conversion unit 64 includes a DC-DC converter and reduces the DC power supplied from the AC adapter to DC power of a predetermined voltage.

[0027] Power supply unit 66 may be an outlet plug connected to an outlet (commercial power supply). In this case, power conversion unit 64 includes an AC-DC converter and converts AC power supplied from power supply unit 66 into DC power. The power conversion unit may further include a DC-DC converter that steps down the output of the AC-DC converter.

[0028] In either case, the power conversion unit 64 supplies DC power to the temperature sensor 53 and the cooler 56. The power conversion unit 64 also supplies DC power to the control device 22.

[0029] The control device 22 performs overall control of the water discharger 12. As described above, power is supplied to the control device 22 from the cooling unit 106, but the control device 22 can also receive power from the power supply unit 68, for example, an AC adapter connected to an outlet, without going through the cooling unit 106. The control device 22 causes water to be discharged from the water discharger 28 or stops water discharge from the water discharger 28 in accordance with instructions from the second operating unit 32, as will be described in detail later.

[0030] The basic configuration of the water discharger 12 has been described above.

[0031] It should be noted that the water discharger 12 may also be configured without the cooling unit 106. The cases in which the water discharger 12 does not have the cooling unit 106 include when an inexpensive model without the cooling unit 106 is selected, as well as when the cooling unit 106 is temporarily removed due to a malfunction or maintenance. In these cases, the control device 22 only needs to be supplied with DC power from the power supply unit 68.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 2. Each block shown in Figure 2 is realized as a hardware configuration using elements and circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory, and as a software configuration using a computer program, etc. However, the functional blocks shown here are realized by the cooperation of these elements. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art who have read this specification that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by combining hardware and software.

[0033] The control device 22 includes an input unit 81, a control unit 82, and a storage unit 84. The control unit 82 executes various types of data processing. The storage unit 84 stores data that is referenced and / or updated by the control unit 82. The storage unit 84 is realized by a memory or storage.

[0034] The input unit 81 accepts an input to select one operation mode from a plurality of operation modes for water discharge / stop control. The input unit 81 may be, for example, a dip switch or a push switch. In this embodiment, the selectable operation modes are "normal mode" and "restricted mode." The "restricted mode" is the operation mode that should be selected when the water discharger 12 does not have a cooling unit 106.

[0035] The control unit 82 includes an operation mode registration unit 90, a water discharge / stop instruction acquisition unit 92, and a water discharge / stop control unit 94. The memory unit 84 includes an operation mode memory unit 96. The components of the control unit 82 and the memory unit 84 show only the components that are of interest in this embodiment.

[0036] The operation mode registration unit 90 stores the operation mode received by the input unit 81 in the operation mode storage unit 96 .

[0037] The water discharge stop instruction acquisition unit 92 acquires the water discharge stop instruction output by the second operating unit 32. Here, in this embodiment, the second operating unit 32 is a rotary handle that can be switched to a plurality of rotation positions, and outputs an instruction corresponding to the rotation position to the control device 22. The instructions that can be selected by the second operating unit 32 are a "room temperature water discharge instruction" that causes room temperature reformed water to be discharged from the water discharger 28, a "cold water discharge instruction" that causes chilled reformed water to be discharged from the water discharger 28, and a "water stop instruction" that causes water discharge from the water discharger 28 to stop.

[0038] The water discharge / stop control unit 94 controls water discharge / stop in accordance with the selected operation mode, that is, the operation mode stored in the operation mode storage unit 96 .

[0039] (In the case of normal mode) When the discharge / stop instruction acquisition unit 92 acquires a "room temperature water discharge instruction," the discharge / stop control unit 94 opens the on-off valve 54 and the room temperature water on-off valve 55_1 (closes the cold water on-off valve 55_2) to discharge room temperature dilution water. When the discharge / stop instruction acquisition unit 92 acquires a "cold water discharge instruction," the discharge / stop control unit 94 opens the on-off valve 54 and the cold water on-off valve 55_2 (closes the room temperature water on-off valve 55_1) to discharge cooled dilution water. When the discharge / stop instruction acquisition unit 92 acquires a "stop water instruction," the discharge / stop control unit 94 closes all the on-off valves 54, 55_1, 55_2 to stop water discharge.

[0040] (In the case of restricted mode) When the water discharge / stop instruction acquisition unit 92 acquires a "room temperature water discharge instruction," the water discharge / stop control unit 94 opens the on-off valve 54 to discharge room temperature dilution water. When the water discharge / stop instruction acquisition unit 92 acquires a "cold water discharge instruction," the water discharge / stop control unit 94 ignores the instruction and does not discharge water. Note that even when the water discharge / stop instruction acquisition unit 92 acquires a "cold water discharge instruction," the water discharge / stop control unit 94 may open the on-off valve 54 to discharge room temperature dilution water. When the water discharge / stop instruction acquisition unit 92 acquires a "water stop instruction," the water discharge / stop control unit 94 closes the on-off valve 54 to stop water discharge.

[0041] See Figures 3 and 4. System kitchen 110 includes water discharger 12, cabinet 112, counter 114, and sink 116. Counter 114 and sink 116 are located above cabinet 112. Discharge pipe 26 of water discharger 12 is installed in counter 114. Sink 116 receives water discharged from water discharger 12. Sink 116 is concealed by a panel 118.

[0042] Cabinet 112 has storage space 120 below sink 116 where items can be stored. A drawer 122 is housed in storage space 120 and can be pulled out freely. The front surface of drawer 122 is substantially flush with top panel 118 and forms the front surface of cabinet 112. Cabinet 112 may also have shelves (not shown).

[0043] The control device 22, the reforming unit 104, and the cooling unit 106 have housings separate from one another. In other words, the control device 22, the reforming unit 104, and the cooling unit 106 can be considered as being divided so that each function has a separate housing.

[0044] The control device 22, the reforming unit 104, and the cooling unit 106 are arranged such that at least a portion of at least one of them is located in the non-storage space 123, which is the space behind the headboard 118. That is, the multiple functional units are arranged such that at least a portion of at least one of them is located in the non-storage space 123.

[0045] In the example of FIGS. 3 and 4, the control device 22 is arranged so that its entirety is located in the non-storage space 123, specifically in the space to the right of the sink 116.

[0046] 3 and 4, the reforming unit 104 is arranged so that a portion thereof is located in the non-storage space 123, specifically, in the space behind the back panel 118 and below the sink 116. The reforming unit 104 is arranged in the upper part of the storage space 120, i.e., at a position relatively far from the bottom panel of the drawer 122. In other words, the reforming unit 104 is arranged in a position that does not relatively interfere with the storage of the drawer 122. The reforming unit 104 is fixed to the inner wall 112a of the cabinet 112 via, for example, an attachment member 130 as described below.

[0047] The reforming unit 104 may be entirely disposed in the non-storage space 123. Alternatively, the reforming unit 104 may be entirely disposed in the storage space 120, for example, in the spaces on the left and right of the drain pipe 124 extending from the drain outlet 116a of the sink 116. In this case, the reforming unit 104 may be disposed vertically so that the reforming cartridge 48 extends in the vertical direction.

[0048] 3 and 4, the entire cooling unit 106 is disposed in the storage space 120. More specifically, the cooling unit 106 is disposed so as to be aligned on the left and right sides with the drain pipe 124. The cabinet 112 in this embodiment is a drawer-type cabinet, and the cooling unit 106 is disposed in the space behind the front panel (not shown) of the drawer 112 when the drawer 122 is closed.

[0049] See Figures 5 to 9. The reforming unit 104 further includes a housing 70 and an attachment member 130 for attaching the housing 70 to the inner wall 112a of the cabinet 112. The housing 70 includes a housing main body 72 and a cartridge holder 74 (see Figure 7) that detachably holds the reforming cartridge. The housing main body 72 is, but is not limited to, a box having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The cartridge holder 74 is fixed to the housing main body 72 within the housing main body 72. The housing main body 72 has an insertion / removal opening 72g that is an opening corresponding to the cartridge holder 74.

[0050] The cartridge holder 74 includes a holder portion 76, an inflow portion 78a, and an outflow portion 78b. The holder portion 76 detachably holds a held portion (described later) of the reforming cartridge 48. The inflow portion 78a allows raw water to flow from the water supply flow path 46 into the reforming cartridge 48. The outflow portion 78b allows the reformed water that has passed through the reforming cartridge 48 to flow out into the water supply flow path 46. When the reforming cartridge 48 is attached to the cartridge holder 74, a flow path is formed in which water flows in the order of the inflow portion 78a of the cartridge holder 74, the reforming cartridge 48, and the outflow portion 78b.

[0051] The reforming cartridge 48 has an elongated shape and includes a held portion 48a and a grip portion 48b. The held portion 48a is located at one end in the longitudinal direction of the reforming cartridge 48 (the rear end side in FIG. 7). The grip portion 48b is located approximately at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the reforming cartridge 48 (the front end side in FIG. 7). Note that other portions may be provided between the held portion 48a and the grip portion 48b.

[0052] The held portion 48a is a portion that is held by the holder portion 76. In this embodiment, an external thread (not shown) is formed on the outer peripheral surface 48c of the held portion 48a, with the central axis being the longitudinal direction of the reforming cartridge 48. An internal thread (not shown) that corresponds to the external thread of the held portion 48a is formed on the outer peripheral surface 76b of the corresponding insertion hole 76a of the holder portion 76. The external thread of the held portion 48a threads into the internal thread of the holder portion 76, so that the reforming cartridge 48 is held by the holder portion 76 and, ultimately, the housing 70. In this case, the reforming cartridge 48 can be attached to the housing 70 by rotating the reforming cartridge 48, for example, clockwise. The reforming cartridge 48 can be removed from the housing 70 by rotating the reforming cartridge 48, for example, counterclockwise. The holding structure by which the holder portion 76 holds the held portion 48a is not limited to a threaded structure, and may be one that uses, for example, a snap fit or magnetic force.

[0053] The grip portion 48b is a portion that is exposed from the housing 70 when the reforming cartridge 48 is held in the housing 70. When replacing the reforming cartridge 48, the grip portion 48b can be gripped to attach or detach the reforming cartridge 48.

[0054] Next, the mounting member 130 will be described. Hereinafter, for convenience, the mounting member 130 will be described using notations of directions such as up, down, front, back, left, and right, but these notations of directions do not limit the orientation of the mounting member 130 when mounting the housing 70 to the inner wall 112a. For example, as will be described later with reference to Figure 10, the housing 70 may be mounted to the inner wall 112a so that the longitudinal direction of the reforming cartridge 48 coincides with the up-down direction.

[0055] The mounting member 130 mounts the housing 70 to the inner wall 112a of the cabinet 112 (the left inner wall in the example of FIGS. 5 to 9). The housing 70 is mounted to the inner wall 112a so that the longitudinal direction of the reforming cartridge 48 coincides with the front-to-rear direction. The mounting member 130 supports the housing 70 in a cantilevered manner. Here, when the housing 70 is supported in a double-supported manner, specifically, for example, when the right side of the housing 70 is additionally supported in the example of FIGS. 5 to 9, a support structure for supporting the right side is required, which results in unnecessary consumption of the storage space 120. In contrast, when the mounting member 130 supports the housing 70 in a cantilevered manner, such a support structure is not required, and unnecessary consumption of the storage space 120 can be avoided.

[0056] The mounting member 130 includes a fixed portion 132 fixed to the inner wall 112a of the cabinet 112, a first support portion 134 and a second support portion 136 spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and extending in the left-right direction from the fixed portion 132, and an abutment portion 138 extending in the left-right direction from the fixed portion 132 behind the front ends of the first support portion 134 and the second support portion 136, and at least a portion of which is located between the two support portions 134, 136 when viewed from the front (when viewed in the front-to-back direction from the front).

[0057] In the examples of FIGS. 5 to 9, the fixing portion 132, the two support portions 134, 136, and the abutment portion 138 are all plate-shaped. The fixing portion 132 has a rectangular plate shape. One or more insertion holes (through holes) 132a are formed in the fixing portion 132. The fixing portion 132 is fixed to the inner wall 112a of the cabinet 112 by fasteners 140 such as screws that pass through the insertion holes 132a. The fixing portion 132 may also be fixed to the inner wall 112a by double-sided tape or the like. In this case, the insertion holes 132a are not necessary.

[0058] The first support portion 134 extends to the right from the lower end of the fixed portion 132. The first support portion 134 has a first support surface 134a that faces upward (i.e., its normal line extends in the vertical direction). The second support portion 136 has a second support surface 136a that faces upward and downward to the first support surface 134a. The first support surface 134a abuts against the lower surface 72a of the housing main body 72, and the second support surface 136a abuts against the upper surface 72b of the housing main body 72.

[0059] The first support portion 134 is fixed to the lower surface 72a of the housing main body 72 with a fastener such as a screw (not shown) that passes through the insertion hole 134b. As a result, the housing 70 is supported from below by the first support portion 134. In addition to or instead of the first support portion 134, a second support portion 136 may be fixed to the upper surface 72b of the housing main body 72 with a fastener such as a screw. As a result, the housing 70 is supported from above by the second support portion 136.

[0060] 5 to 9, if the first support surface 134a is relatively small and cannot support the area directly below the center of gravity of the housing 70, releasing the housing 70 before fastening it to the first support part 134 with screws or the like will cause the housing 70 to fall from the first support part 134. In contrast, the second support surface abuts against the upper surface of the housing (i.e., presses down on the upper surface), preventing the reforming unit 104 from falling. Therefore, by sandwiching the housing 70 between the first support surface 134a and the second support surface 136a, the user can release their hands from the housing 70 and fasten the first support part 134 to the lower surface 72a of the housing main body 72 with both hands. In other words, workability is improved.

[0061] The abutting portion 138 extends to the right from the rear end of the fixing portion 132. The abutting portion 138 has an abutting surface 138a facing forward. The rear surface 72c of the housing main body 72 abuts against the abutting surface 138a. The abutting portion 138 has a fitting hole 138b into which a protrusion 72d formed on the rear surface 72c fits. The fitting hole 138b and the protrusion 72d have complementary shapes, in other words, corresponding shapes, or even substantially the same shape, when viewed from the rear in the front-to-rear direction. In the example of FIG. 6, the fitting hole 138b and the protrusion 72d are vertically elongated. By fitting the protrusion 72d into the fitting hole 138b, it is possible to prevent the reforming unit 104 from falling when the first support surface 134a cannot support the area directly below the center of gravity of the reforming unit. The abutting portion 138 may have a plurality of fitting holes 138b, and the rear surface 72c may have a plurality of protrusions 72d, which may fit into the plurality of fitting holes 138b.

[0062] When installing the reforming unit 104, first, the mounting member 130 is fixed to the inner wall 112a of the cabinet 112. Next, the housing 70 is inserted from the front between the two support portions 134, 136 and slid to abut against the abutment portion 138. At this time, when the left side surface 72e of the housing main body 72 is slid against the fixed portion 132 to abut against the abutment portion 138, in other words, when the housing main body 72 is slid to abut against the abutment portion 138 with the left side surface 72e of the housing main body 72 abutting against the fixed portion 132, the protrusion 72d fits into the fitting hole 138b. Here, sliding the left side surface 72e of the housing main body 72 onto the fixed portion 132 means, when the fixed portion 132 is fixed to the inner wall 112a with a fastener 140 such as a screw, sliding the left side surface 72e onto the fastener 140, that is, sliding the left side surface 72e while it is in contact with the fastener 140. The above-mentioned easy fitting is achieved by making the left-right distance from the fastener 140 or the fixed portion 132 to the fitting hole 138b substantially the same as the left-right distance from the left side surface 72e of the housing main body 72 to the protrusion 72d. Note that the reforming cartridge 48 may or may not be attached when the reforming unit 104 is installed.

[0063] The housing main body 72 has an annular surrounding wall 72f that surrounds the grip portion 48b of the reforming cartridge 48. A portion of the annular surrounding wall 72f is open in the circumferential direction, in other words, it is cut out. In the example of FIG. 5, the portion of the annular surrounding wall 72f that faces downward, i.e., the portion that faces the bottom plate 112 of the cabinet 112 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) via the drawer 122, is open. In other words, the portion of the annular surrounding wall 72f that is located below the grip portion 48b of the attached reforming cartridge 48 is open. Hereinafter, the open portion of the annular surrounding wall 72f will also be referred to as an open portion 72h. The width W in the left-right direction of the open portion 72h is preferably greater than the dimension S of the reforming cartridge 48 in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction). Because the surrounding wall 72f has the open portion 72h, when removing the reforming cartridge 48, the reforming cartridge 48 can be pulled out toward the lower part where the surrounding wall 72f is open (i.e., in the direction of arrow D1 in FIG. 5) once the held part 48a of the reforming cartridge 48 has come out of the holder part 76. Furthermore, when attaching the reforming cartridge 48, the reforming cartridge 48 can be inserted from the lower part where the surrounding wall 72f is open toward the insertion / removal opening 72g (i.e., in the direction of arrow D2 in FIG. 5).

[0064] Here, when the reforming unit 104 is arranged so that at least a portion thereof is located in the non-storage space 123, if the reforming cartridge 48 could only be inserted and removed in the front-to-rear direction, the header panel 118 would interfere, making it difficult to insert and remove the reforming cartridge 48. In contrast, in this embodiment, the reforming cartridge 48 can be removed downward and inserted from below, so interference with the header panel 118 can be avoided, making it easy to insert and remove the reforming cartridge 48. In other words, the reforming cartridge 48 is easy to replace.

[0065] The held portion 48a of the reforming cartridge 48 is entirely located on the side opposite the gripping portion (i.e., rearward) from the center C (see FIG. 7) in the longitudinal direction of the reforming cartridge 48. In other words, the held portion 48a is shorter than the gripping portion 48b in the longitudinal direction of the reforming cartridge 48. In further words, the range of the held portion 48a in the longitudinal direction of the reforming cartridge 48 is shorter than the length from one end (the rear end in FIG. 7) of the reforming cartridge 48 in the longitudinal direction to the center C in the longitudinal direction of the reforming cartridge 48. Although it is necessary to insert and remove the reforming cartridge 48 in the front-to-rear direction until the held portion 48a is removed from the holder portion 76, because this distance is short, it is easy to insert and remove the reforming cartridge 48.

[0066] 5 to 9, the reforming unit 104 is attached to the left inner wall 112a. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the reforming unit 104 may be attached to the right inner wall 112a. In this embodiment, the same attachment member 130 can be used to hold the right side of the housing 70 and attach it to the right inner wall 112a. In this case, the attachment member 130 can be turned upside down and the fixing portion 132 can be fixed to the right inner wall. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the rear surface 72c also has a protrusion 72d on the right side, and this protrusion 72d on the right side can be fitted into the fitting hole 138b.

[0067] Refer to Figure 10. In the example of Figure 10, the housing 70 is attached to the inner wall 112a so that the longitudinal direction of the reforming cartridge 48 coincides with the up-down direction. More specifically, the attachment member 130 is fixed to the right inner wall 112a (not shown) so that the first support portion 134 and the second support portion 136 face each other in the front-to-rear direction. The housing 70 is supported by the attachment member 130 so that the open portion 72h of the surrounding wall 72f faces forward.

[0068] Next, the effects achieved by this embodiment will be described.

[0069] If the control device 22, the reforming unit 104, and the cooling unit 106 were integrated into an integrated device (single housing), the device would naturally be large. Therefore, unless a dedicated cabinet is used, the device would interfere with the movement of the drawers, which could result in a problem that the device could only be installed in a dedicated cabinet. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the control device 22, the reforming unit 104, and the cooling unit 106 each have a separate housing. In other words, the control device 22, the reforming unit 104, and the cooling unit 106 are separated so that they each have a separate housing. In this case, the control device 22, the reforming unit 104, and the cooling unit 106 are naturally smaller than if they were integrated into an integrated device (single housing). Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , for example, at least a portion of the control device 22 and the reforming unit 104 can be placed in the non-storage space 123. In other words, according to this embodiment, by separating the functional units so that each has a separate housing, the individual functional units can be made smaller. As a result, in various cabinets, at least a portion of at least one functional unit can be placed in the non-storage space 123. This allows each functional unit to be positioned in a way that does not interfere with the movement of the drawers in various cabinets. As described above, this embodiment provides water discharger 12 that can be installed in various cabinets. This eliminates the need to prepare a dedicated cabinet for installing water discharger 12.

[0070] According to this embodiment, power is supplied to the control device 22 from the cooling unit 106. In other words, power is supplied from one functional unit connected to an outlet to the other functional units. In this case, there is no need to connect each functional unit to an outlet, and one outlet is sufficient. Therefore, the water discharger 12 can be used even in cabinets that do not have an abundance of outlets. In other words, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a water discharger 12 that can be installed in various cabinets.

[0071] According to this embodiment, the control device 22 can also receive power from an AC adapter connected to an outlet without going through the cooling unit 106, so that the control device 22 and thus the water discharge device 12 can be used even if the cooling unit 106 is temporarily not provided due to, for example, a malfunction.

[0072] According to this embodiment, the reforming unit 104 can be fixed to the inner wall 112a so as not to interfere with storage in the storage space 120. Furthermore, the reforming unit 104 can be installed in a position where the reforming cartridge 48 can be easily replaced. Furthermore, since a portion of the surrounding wall 72f of the housing 70 in the circumferential direction is open, the reforming cartridge 48 can be removed obliquely toward the open portion 72h. Furthermore, the reforming cartridge 48 can be inserted obliquely from the open portion 72h. As a result, for example, when the reforming unit 104 is disposed so that at least a portion thereof is located in the non-storage space 123, which is the space behind the header panel 118, the reforming cartridge 48 can be inserted and removed without being interfered with by the header panel 118. In other words, the storage space 120 can be used effectively, and a user-friendly water discharger 12 can be realized. Furthermore, since the inner wall 112a of the cabinet 112 is

[0073] According to this embodiment, the reforming unit 104 is equipped with an attachment member 130, and the support portion of the attachment member 130 supports the housing 70 from below, and the protrusion 72d of the housing 70 fits into the fitting hole 138b of the abutment portion 138. This allows the attachment member 130 to support the housing 70 so that it does not fall off the support portion even if the support portion cannot support the center of gravity of the housing 70 directly below. Therefore, it is possible to release your hands from the housing 70 and use both hands to fix the support portion to the underside 72a of the housing main body 72.

[0074] According to this embodiment, housing 70 and mounting member 130 are configured so that protrusion 72d fits into fitting hole 138b when housing 70 is slid onto fixing portion 132 and brought into contact with abutment portion 138. This eliminates the need for precise positioning of housing 70, making installation easier.

[0075] The present invention has been described above based on an embodiment. This embodiment is merely an example, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. Modifications will be described below.

[0076] (1) The cabinet 112 may be a hinged door type cabinet. (2) Unlike the embodiment, the cooling unit may be configured so that power is supplied from the control device 22. (3) The water discharger 12 does not have to include the first water supply line 18. (4) The cooling unit 106 does not have to include the room temperature water flow path 46a. (5) Instead of or in addition to the cooling unit 106, a hot water tank may be provided to supply hot water obtained by heating the dilution water.

[0077] The above-described embodiments and modifications are merely examples. The abstract technical ideas should not be interpreted as being limited to the contents of the embodiments and modifications. Many design changes are possible in the contents of the embodiments and modifications, such as changing, adding, or deleting components. In the above-described embodiments, the contents that allow such design changes are emphasized by adding the notation "embodiment." However, design changes are naturally permitted even in contents that do not have such notation.

[0078] (Additional Note) The following techniques are disclosed in this specification.

[0079] (Item 1) A water discharge device that discharges water into a sink located above a cabinet, A water outlet section; a flow path that supplies water to the water discharge portion; a reforming unit provided on the flow path; Equipped with The reforming unit comprises: a housing attached to an inner wall of the cabinet; a reforming cartridge that reforms water to be supplied to the water discharge portion and is detachably held in the housing; Including, The reforming cartridge comprises: a held portion held by the housing; a grip portion exposed from the housing; Including, The housing has a surrounding wall that surrounds the grip portion, and a circumferential portion of the surrounding wall is open.

[0080] (Item 2) The water discharge device described in item 1, wherein the held portion is located at one end of the reforming cartridge in the longitudinal direction, and the range of the held portion in the longitudinal direction is shorter than the length from the one end to the center of the reforming cartridge in the longitudinal direction.

[0081] (Item 3) the housing is attached to the inner wall of the cabinet so that the attachment and detachment direction of the reforming cartridge coincides with the front-rear direction; At least a portion of the reforming unit is located in a space behind a panel disposed in front of the sink, within the space within the cabinet; 3. The water discharge device according to item 1 or 2, wherein the part is a part of the surrounding wall that is located below the reforming cartridge.

[0082] (Item 4) the reforming unit further includes a mounting member for mounting the housing to the inner wall; the mounting member includes a fixing portion fixed to the inner wall, a support portion supporting the housing from below, and an abutment portion against which the rear surface of the housing abuts; 4. The water discharge device according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the abutment portion has a fitting hole into which a protrusion provided on the back surface fits.

[0083] (Item 5) The water-discharge device described in item 4, wherein the housing and the mounting member are configured so that when the housing is slid onto the fixed portion and brought into contact with the abutment portion, the protrusion fits into the mating hole.

[0084] (Item 6) 6. The water discharge device according to item 4 or 5, wherein the mounting member further comprises another support portion that abuts against the housing from above and faces the support portion.

[0085] (Item 7) Further comprising a plurality of functional units housed within the cabinet; A water discharge device described in any one of items 1 to 6, in which one of the multiple functional units is supplied with power directly from a power source, and the other functional units are supplied with power via that one functional unit.

[0086] (Item 8) the plurality of functional units include first and second functional units; The water discharge device described in item 7, wherein the second functional unit is a control device and is capable of performing water discharge stop control in normal mode and water discharge control in limited mode when the first functional unit is not provided.

[0087] (Item 9) the plurality of functional units include first and second functional units; the first functional unit is the one functional unit, Item 9. The water discharger according to item 7 or 8, wherein the second functional unit is also capable of receiving power from a power source without going through the first functional unit.

[0088] (Item 10) A water discharge device that discharges water into a sink located above a cabinet, A water outlet section; a flow path that supplies water to the water discharge portion; an on-off valve provided on the flow path; a functional unit housed in the cabinet; Equipped with At least a portion of the functional unit is a water discharge device located in a space within the cabinet behind a panel disposed in front of the sink. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 12 water discharge device, 28 water discharge portion, 46 water supply flow path, 48 reforming cartridge, 48a held portion, 48b gripping portion, 70 housing, 72f surrounding wall, 104 reforming unit, 112 cabinet, 112a inner wall, 116 sink.

Claims

[Claim 1] A water discharge device that discharges water into a sink located above a cabinet, A water outlet section; A flow path that supplies water to the water discharge portion; a reforming unit provided on the flow path; Equipped with The reforming unit comprises: a housing attached to an inner wall of the cabinet; a reforming cartridge that reforms water to be supplied to the water discharge portion and is detachably held in the housing; Including, The reforming cartridge comprises: a held portion held by the housing; a grip portion exposed from the housing; Including, The housing has a surrounding wall that surrounds the grip portion, and a circumferential portion of the surrounding wall is open.

Images