Water server

Abstract

To prevent a peripheral floor etc. from getting wet by water flowing out from a horizontal water outlet of a drain tube, and a user from getting burned on a hand, when draining a water server.SOLUTION: The water server comprises: a water stop valve 36 provided in the middle of a drain tube 33; a drain cover 43 movably supported between an exposed position exposing a water outlet 34 and a cover position covering the water outlet 34; and a connection rod 41 connecting the drain cover 43 and the water stop valve 36. The drain cover 43 has a drainage guide part 47 that takes in water flowing out from the water outlet 34 and drains the water downward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a water server.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, water servers have mainly been used in offices, hospitals, etc. In recent years, due to the increasing concern about water safety and health, water servers are becoming popular in ordinary households as well. A water server generally has a housing, a cold water tank and a hot water tank located inside the housing, a cooling device for cooling the water in the cold water tank, and a heating device for heating the water in the hot water tank. By pouring out water from the cold water tank or the hot water tank, it has the convenience of being able to use cold water and hot water whenever necessary.

[0003] This water server is normally used with water stored in the cold water tank and the hot water tank inside the water server at all times. However, when performing maintenance on the water server or when not using it for a long time such as during travel, all the water inside the water server may be drained to make the inside of the water server empty (draining operation).

[0004] To enable this draining operation, usually, as shown in FIG. 20, a drain tube 72 extending from the bottom surface of the hot water tank 70 to the outside of the housing 71 is provided in the water server. Here, the drain tube 72 has a horizontally oriented water outlet 73 at the end on the outside of the housing 71. Also, a drain cap 74 for closing the water outlet 73 is detachably attached to the end of the drain tube 72 on the outside of the housing 71 (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] By the way, when performing the water draining operation of the water server, usually, the water level inside the water server cannot be visually recognized, and the pressure loss of the pipes inside the water server is also unknown. Therefore, it is difficult to predict in advance how much water will flow out from the water outlet 73 at the end of the drain tube 72 when the drain cap 74 at the end of the drain tube 72 is removed. In addition, since the water outlet 73 at the end of the drain tube 72 is open horizontally, the place where the water falls also changes depending on the momentum of the water flowing out from the water outlet 73. Therefore, when the user drains the water server, there is a possibility that the water flowing out from the water outlet 73 at the end of the drain tube 72 cannot be successfully received by a container or the like immediately after removing the drain cap 74 at the end of the drain tube 72.

[0007] Here, when the user performs the water draining operation of the water server before enough time has passed after turning off the power of the water server, and the water in the hot water tank 70 is in a high temperature state, hot water flows out from the water outlet 73 at the end of the drain tube 72.

[0008] Therefore, when draining the water server, it is not possible to successfully receive the hot water flowing out from the water outlet 73 at the end of the drain tube 72 with a container or the like, and there is a possibility of wetting the floor around the water server or burning the user's hand or the like.

[0009] The problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a water server that can prevent wetting the surrounding floor or burning the user's hand or the like with the water flowing out from the horizontally oriented water outlet of the drain tube when draining the water server.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a water server having the following configuration. A housing, A hot water tank located inside the housing, A heating device for heating the water in the hot water tank, A drain tube extending from the bottom surface of the hot water tank to the outside of the housing and having a horizontally oriented water outlet at the end on the outside of the housing. In the water server, a drain cap for closing the water outlet is detachably attached to the end on the outside of the housing of the drain tube. A water stop valve provided in the middle of the drain tube, A drain cover supported movably between an exposed position for exposing the water outlet and a cover position for covering the water outlet, A connecting rod that connects the drain cover and the water stop valve such that the water stop valve opens in conjunction with an operation of moving the drain cover from the exposed position to the cover position, and the water stop valve closes in conjunction with an operation of moving the drain cover from the cover position to the exposed position. The water server is characterized in that the drain cover has a drainage guide portion for introducing water flowing out from the water outlet in a state where the drain cover is in the cover position and discharging it downward.

[0011] In this way, when the drain cover is moved to the cover position, the water outlet at the end of the drain tube is covered by the drain cover, so the drain cap cannot be attached to or detached from the end of the drain tube. On the other hand, when the drain cover is moved to the exposed position, the water outlet at the end of the drain tube is exposed, so it is possible to attach and detach the drain cap to and from the end of the drain tube. That is, when removing the drain cap from the end of the drain tube, the drain cover is in the exposed position. At this time, the water stop valve connected to the drain cover via the connecting rod is in a closed state in conjunction with the drain cover. Therefore, even if the drain cap is removed from the end of the drain tube, water does not flow out from the water outlet at the end of the drain tube just by that. Then, after that, when the drain cover is moved from the exposed position to the cover position, the water stop valve opens in conjunction with the movement of the drain cover, and water flows out from the water outlet at the end of the drain tube. At this time, the water outlet at the end of the drain tube is covered by the drain cover, and the water flowing out from the water outlet at the end of the drain tube is introduced into the drainage guide portion provided on the drain cover and discharged downward from the drainage guide portion. Therefore, by placing a container or the like below the drainage guide portion, it is possible to reliably receive the water flowing out from the water outlet at the end of the drain tube with the container or the like. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the surrounding floor or the like from being wetted by the water flowing out from the horizontal water outlet of the drain tube or the user from being burned when draining the water server.

[0012] The water stop valve has an operation handle that is rotated around a horizontal axis, and is a two-way valve in which opening and closing are switched by the rotation operation of the operation handle. One end of the connecting rod is connected to the operation handle so as to rotate integrally with the operation handle, and the other end is connected to the drain cover. Preferably, the drain cover is configured to be movable between the cover position and the exposed position by rotation around the connecting rod.

[0013] By doing so, it becomes possible to surely interlock the drain cover and the water stop valve with a simple configuration.

[0014] a cold water tank located inside the housing, and a cooling device for cooling the water in the cold water tank. The cooling device includes a compressor installed inside the housing, a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor and the outside air, an expansion valve that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger to lower the temperature, and a cooling pipe that performs heat exchange between the low-temperature refrigerant passing through the expansion valve and the cold water tank. When the heat exchanger is a net-like member in which the refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant flows is arranged in a meandering manner so as to cover the opening on the back surface of the housing, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which a rod support bracket that rotatably supports the connecting rod is attached to the heat exchanger.

[0015] By doing so, since the connecting rod is supported at two points by the water stop valve and the rod support bracket, the rotation of the connecting rod is stable, and it becomes possible to surely interlock the drain cover and the water stop valve.

[0016] It is preferable that the drain cover has an arc groove that extends in an arc shape around the connecting rod through a position facing the water outlet, and the drain guide portion is provided at one end in the circumferential direction of the arc groove.

[0017] By doing so, in the rotation section of the drain cover when the drain cover rotates between the exposed position and the cover position, the section where the water outlet at the end of the drain tube is covered by the drain cover can be lengthened. Therefore, even when water starts to flow out from the water outlet at the end of the drain tube before the drain cover completely reaches the cover position when the drain cover is rotated from the exposed position to the cover position, it is possible to surely receive the water flowing out from the water outlet with the drain cover.

[0018] The drainage guide portion may be configured to have a water receiving surface disposed opposite to the water outlet so as to receive water flowing out from the water outlet when the drain cover is in the cover position, and a vertically penetrating drainage cylinder portion continuously provided below the water receiving surface to introduce water falling from the water receiving surface and discharge it downward.

[0019] The water stop valve is preferably disposed at the end of the drain tube on the side of the hot water tank.

[0020] By doing so, it becomes possible to prevent the flavor of the water in the hot water tank from being affected by the drain tube. That is, during normal use of the water server, if water enters the normal-temperature drain tube from the hot water tank, the flavor of the water changes in the drain tube, and when the water mixes back into the hot water tank, it may affect the flavor of the water in the hot water tank. To address this problem, if the water stop valve is disposed at the end of the drain tube on the side of the hot water tank, during normal use of the water server, by keeping the water stop valve closed, it becomes possible to prevent water from entering the normal-temperature drain tube from the hot water tank or from the normal-temperature drain tube into the hot water tank, and it becomes possible to prevent the flavor of the water in the hot water tank from being affected by the drain tube.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] Even if the drain cap is removed from the end of the drain tube of this water server, water will not flow out from the water outlet at the end of the drain tube just by that. Then, when the drain cover is moved from the exposed position to the covered position, the water stop valve opens in conjunction with the movement of the drain cover, and water flows out from the water outlet at the end of the drain tube. At this time, the water outlet at the end of the drain tube is covered by the drain cover, and the water flowing out from the water outlet at the end of the drain tube is introduced into the drain guide portion provided on the drain cover and discharged downward from the drain guide portion. Therefore, by arranging a container or the like below the drain guide portion, it is possible to reliably receive the water flowing out from the water outlet at the end of the drain tube with the container or the like. Therefore, when draining the water server, it is possible to prevent the surrounding floor or the like from being wetted by the water flowing out from the horizontal water outlet of the drain tube, or the user from being burned by the hand or the like.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Figure 20

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a water server according to the first embodiment of this invention. This water server includes a housing 1, a raw water tank 2 for storing drinking water such as tap water, a replaceable water purification filter cartridge 3, a raw water pipe 4 that communicates between the raw water tank 2 and the water purification filter cartridge 3, an electric pump 5 provided in the middle of the raw water pipe 4, and a normal temperature water tank 6, a cold water tank 7, and a hot water tank 8 (see FIG. 2) located inside the housing 1.

[0024] The housing 1 has a cylindrical portion 9 extending in the vertical direction, a top plate 10 provided at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 9, and a bottom plate 11 provided at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 9. The cylindrical portion 9 has a pair of left and right side plates 12, a front plate 13 connecting the front edges of the side plates 12, and a rear plate 14 connecting the rear edges of the side plates 12. The raw water tank 2 is detachably set on the top plate 10. The top plate 10 is provided with a raw water inlet 15 at the upstream end of the raw water pipe 4.

[0025] The raw water tank 2 is provided with a tank on-off valve 16. The tank on-off valve 16 shuts off the communication between the inside and outside of the raw water tank 2 when the raw water tank 2 is lifted from the top plate 10, and is an on-off valve that communicates the inside of the raw water tank 2 with the raw water inlet 15 when the raw water tank 2 is set on the top plate 10.

[0026] The electric pump 5 sucks water from the side of the raw water tank 2 and discharges the water to the side of the water purification filter cartridge 3, thereby transferring the water in the raw water pipe 4 from the side of the raw water tank 2 to the side of the water purification filter cartridge 3. The water purification filter cartridge 3 and the normal temperature water tank 6 are connected by a water purification pipe 17, and the water filtered by the water purification filter cartridge 3 is introduced into the normal temperature water tank 6 through the water purification pipe 17.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, in the normal temperature water tank 6, air and the water filtered by the water purification filter cartridge 3 are accommodated in upper and lower two layers. The normal temperature water tank 6 is provided with a water level sensor 18 for detecting the water level in the normal temperature water tank 6, and the electric pump 5 (see FIG. 1) is controlled based on the output signal of this water level sensor 18.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, a normal temperature water outlet pipe 19 is connected to the bottom surface of the normal temperature water tank 6. The normal temperature water outlet pipe 19 is provided with a normal temperature water outlet valve 20 for discharging the water in the normal temperature water tank 6 to the outside of the housing 1.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, the cold water tank 7 is disposed below the normal temperature water tank 6. The cold water tank 7 and the normal temperature water tank 6 are connected via a cold water tank connection pipe 21, and water is introduced from the normal temperature water tank 6 into the cold water tank 7 through the cold water tank connection pipe 21. A cooling device 22 for cooling the water in the cold water tank 7 is attached to the cold water tank 7. The water in the cold water tank 7 is maintained at a predetermined low temperature (for example, 10° C. or lower) by the cooling device 22.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, the cooling device 22 includes a compressor 23, a heat exchanger 24, an expansion valve 25, and a cooling pipe 26. The compressor 23, the heat exchanger 24, the expansion valve 25, and the cooling pipe 26 are connected by refrigerant pipes so that the refrigerant passes through and circulates in order.

[0031] The compressor 23 is installed inside the housing 1 (the upper surface of the bottom plate 11 in the figure). The compressor 23 sucks the refrigerant from the cooling pipe 26, compresses the refrigerant to raise the temperature of the refrigerant, and discharges the refrigerant at high temperature and high pressure to the side of the heat exchanger 24. The heat exchanger 24 is a net-like member in which the refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 23 flows is arranged in a meandering manner so as to cover the opening on the back surface of the housing 1, and heat exchange is performed between the high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor 23 and the outside air to cool and condense the refrigerant. The expansion valve 25 receives the refrigerant that has passed through the heat exchanger 24, decompresses the refrigerant, and lowers the temperature. The cooling pipe 26 receives the refrigerant that has become low temperature and low pressure by the expansion valve 25, and performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and the cold water tank 7. The cooling pipe 26 is spirally wound around the outer periphery of the cold water tank 7. The cooling pipe 26 may be provided through the wall surface of the cold water tank 7 so as to pass through the inside of the cold water tank 7.

[0032] A cold water discharge pipe 27 is connected to the bottom surface of the cold water tank 7. A cold water discharge valve 28 for discharging the low-temperature water in the cold water tank 7 to the outside of the housing 1 is provided in the cold water discharge pipe 27. When the cold water discharge valve 28 is opened to discharge the low-temperature water, the same amount of water flows from the normal temperature water tank 6 into the cold water tank 7 through the cold water tank connection pipe 21, and the cold water tank 7 is always kept full.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4, the hot water tank 8 is disposed below the normal temperature water tank 6. The hot water tank 8 and the normal temperature water tank 6 are connected via a hot water tank connection pipe 29, and water is introduced from the normal temperature water tank 6 into the hot water tank 8 through the hot water tank connection pipe 29. A heating device 30 for heating the water in the hot water tank 8 is attached to the hot water tank 8. The water in the hot water tank 8 is maintained at a predetermined high temperature (for example, 80° C. or higher) by the heating device 30.

[0034] A hot water pouring pipe 31 is connected to the upper surface of the hot water tank 8. The hot water pouring pipe 31 is provided with a hot water pouring valve 32 for pouring the high-temperature water in the hot water tank 8 to the outside of the housing 1. When the hot water pouring valve 32 is opened to pour the high-temperature water, the same amount of water as that water flows from the normal temperature water tank 6 into the hot water tank 8 through the hot water tank connection pipe 29, and the hot water tank 8 is always kept full.

[0035] A drain tube 33 is connected to the bottom surface of the hot water tank 8. The drain tube 33 is a pipe extending from the bottom surface of the hot water tank 8 to the outside of the housing 1. The drain tube 33 has a horizontally oriented water outlet 34 (see FIG. 8) at the end on the outside of the housing 1. A drain cap 35 for closing the water outlet 34 is detachably attached to the end of the drain tube 33 on the outside of the housing 1.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the drain tube 33 and its vicinity as viewed from the back side of the housing 1, FIG. 6 is a view in which the illustration of the heat exchanger 24 (a net-like member in which the refrigerant pipes are arranged in a meandering manner so as to cover the opening on the back surface of the housing 1) in FIG. 5 is omitted, and FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the drain tube 33 and its vicinity shown in FIG. 6 from above.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 6, a water stop valve 36 is provided in the middle of the drain tube 33 (in the figure, the end on the hot water tank 8 side of the drain tube 33). The water stop valve 36 has an operation handle 37 that is rotated around a horizontal axis, and it is a two-way valve in which the valve opening and closing are switched by the rotation operation of the operation handle 37. As the water stop valve 36, a ball valve can be adopted that switches from the closed valve state to the open valve state by rotating the operation handle 37 90 degrees in one direction in the circumferential direction, and switches from the open valve state to the closed valve state by rotating the operation handle 37 90 degrees in the other direction in the circumferential direction.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the drain tube 33 includes a valve connection portion 38 that extends downward from the bottom surface of the hot water tank 8 and is connected to the inlet of the water stop valve 36, a drain tube main body portion 39 that extends from the outlet of the water stop valve 36 toward the outside of the housing 1, and a tube end portion 40 attached to the end of the drain tube main body portion 39 on the outside of the housing 1. The valve connection portion 38 is a portion for connecting between the hot water tank 8 and the water stop valve 36. The valve connection portion 38 is shorter than the drain tube main body portion 39. The tube end portion 40 is a terminal portion for fixing the end of the drain tube main body portion 39 on the outside of the housing 1 to the housing 1.

[0039] A connecting rod 41 extending from the operation handle 37 to the outside of the housing 1 is provided on the water stop valve 36. The connecting rod 41 is a rod-shaped member that extends horizontally from the operation handle 37 of the water stop valve 36. One end of the connecting rod 41 is connected to the operation handle 37 so as to rotate integrally with the operation handle 37. A drain cover 43 is attached to the other end of the connecting rod 41. The drain cover 43 is connected to the connecting rod 41 so as to rotate integrally with the connecting rod 41. The connecting rod 41 is rotatably supported by a rod support bracket 42 attached to the heat exchanger 24 (see FIG. 5).

[0040] Here, the drain cover 43 is rotatably supported around the connecting rod 41, and by this rotation, it can move between an exposed position (the position shown in FIG. 8) where the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 is exposed and a cover position (the position shown in FIG. 9) where the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 is covered. Also, the connecting rod 41 is connected to the water stop valve 36 such that the water stop valve 36 opens in conjunction with the operation of moving the drain cover 43 from the exposed position (the position shown in FIG. 8) to the cover position (the position shown in FIG. 9), and the water stop valve 36 closes in conjunction with the operation of moving the drain cover 43 from the cover position (the position shown in FIG. 9) to the exposed position (the position shown in FIG. 8).

[0041] The water stop valve 36 is fixed to a valve support bracket 44 that extends from the rod support bracket 42 toward the inside of the housing 1. The valve support bracket 44 prevents the rotational torque input to the operation handle 37 via the connecting rod 41 from the drain cover 43 during the rotation of the drain cover 43 from acting on the valve connection portion 38 between the water stop valve 36 and the hot water tank 8 by preventing the water stop valve 36 from rotating around the heat exchanger 24 (see FIG. 5) via the rod support bracket 42.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 11, the tube end portion 40 is a sleeve-shaped member fixed in a state where one end protrudes inside the housing 1 and the other end protrudes outside the housing 1. The end portion of the drain tube main body 39 is fitted and fixed to the portion of the tube end portion 40 that protrudes inside the housing 1. The end opening on the outside of the housing 1 of the tube end portion 40 constitutes the water outlet 34 of the drain tube 33.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a drain cap 35 that closes the water outlet 34 is attached to the portion of the tube end portion 40 that protrudes outside the housing 1. In the figure, the tube end portion 40 is fixed to a flange portion 45 formed by bending along the rear edge of the side plate 12, but the tube end portion 40 may be configured to be fixed to the heat exchanger 24 (see FIG. 5) in the same manner as the rod support bracket 42.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 13, the drain cover 43 is formed in a fan shape centered on the connecting rod 41. The drain cover 43 has an arc groove 46 that extends in an arc shape around the connecting rod 41 through a position facing the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33, and a drain guide portion 47 provided at one end in the circumferential direction of the arc groove 46. The other end in the circumferential direction of the arc groove 46 is an open end that opens in the circumferential direction so that the end of the drain tube 33 can enter and exit in the circumferential direction. The drain guide portion 47 is a portion that introduces the water flowing out from the water outlet 34 and discharges it downward in a state where the drain cover 43 is in the cover position (the position shown in FIG. 9).

[0045] As shown in FIG. 11, the arc groove 46 is formed in a U-shaped cross section having a groove bottom surface 48 that horizontally faces the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 and a pair of groove side surfaces 49 that face each other with the end of the drain tube 33 therebetween. The end of the connecting rod 41 on the outer side of the housing 1 is fitted and fixed in a rod fitting hole 50 formed in the drain cover 43.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 12, the drain guide portion 47 has a water receiving surface 51 disposed to face the water outlet 34 so as to receive the water flowing out from the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 when the drain cover 43 is in the cover position (the position shown in FIG. 9), and a vertically penetrating drain tube portion 52 continuously provided below the water receiving surface 51 to introduce the water falling from the water receiving surface 51 and discharge it downward. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a semi-circular recess 53 that fits into the lower half circumference portion of the outer periphery of the end of the drain tube 33 is formed in the drain guide portion 47 in a state where the drain cover 43 is in the cover position.

[0047] An example of using the water server will be described. First, when the water server is in normal use, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the drain cover 43 is kept in the exposed position. At this time, the water stop valve 36 connected to the drain cover 43 via the connecting rod 41 is closed, and the space between the hot water tank 8 and the drain tube 33 is blocked.

[0048] When maintaining the water server or when it will not be used for a long period such as during a trip, etc., drain all the water inside the water server and perform a draining operation to make the inside of the water server empty once. This draining operation can be performed as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 8, remove the drain cap 35 from the end of the drain tube 33. At this time, even if the drain cap 35 is removed, since the water stop valve 36 is closed, water does not flow out from the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33. Then, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, rotate the drain cover 43 to the cover position. At this time, since the water stop valve 36 opens in conjunction with the rotation of the drain cover 43, the water in the hot water tank 8 flows out from the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 through the drain tube 33. Further, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the water flowing out from the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 is discharged downward from the drain guide portion 47 through the drain guide portion 47 of the drain cover 43.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 9, in the water server of the above-described embodiment, when the drain cover 43 is moved to the cover position, the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 is covered by the drain cover 43, so the drain cap 35 cannot be attached to or detached from the end of the drain tube 33. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, when the drain cover 43 is moved to the exposed position, the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 is exposed, so the drain cap 35 can be attached to and detached from the end of the drain tube 33. That is, when removing the drain cap 35 from the end of the drain tube 33, as shown in FIG. 8, the drain cover 43 must be in the exposed position. At this time, the water stop valve 36 connected to the drain cover 43 via the connecting rod 41 is in a closed state in conjunction with the drain cover 43. Therefore, even if the drain cap 35 is removed from the end of the drain tube 33, water does not flow out from the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 just by that. Then, after that, when the drain cover 43 is moved from the exposed position (the position shown in FIG. 8) to the cover position (the position shown in FIG. 9), the water stop valve 36 opens in conjunction with the movement of the drain cover 43, and water flows out from the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 is covered by the drain cover 43, and the water flowing out from the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 is introduced into the drain guide portion 47 provided on the drain cover 43 and discharged downward from the drain guide portion 47. Therefore, by arranging a container or the like below the drain guide portion 47, it is possible to surely receive the water flowing out from the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 with the container or the like. Therefore, when draining the water server, it is possible to prevent the surrounding floor or the like from being wetted by the water flowing out from the horizontally oriented water outlet 34 of the drain tube 33 or the user from being burned by the water.

[0050] In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, this water server has a rod support bracket 42 that rotatably supports the connecting rod 41 attached to the heat exchanger 24. Therefore, the connecting rod 41 is supported at two points by the water stop valve 36 and the rod support bracket 42, and the rotation of the connecting rod 41 is stable. As a result, it is possible to reliably interlock the drain cover 43 and the water stop valve 36.

[0051] In addition, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 13, this water server has an arc groove 46 in which the drain cover 43 extends in an arc shape around the connecting rod 41 through a position facing the water outlet 34. Therefore, when the drain cover 43 rotates between the exposed position (the position shown in FIG. 8) and the cover position (the position shown in FIG. 9), the section of the rotation range of the drain cover 43 in which the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 is covered by the drain cover 43 is long. As a result, when the drain cover 43 is rotated from the exposed position (the position shown in FIG. 8) to the cover position (the position shown in FIG. 9), even if water starts to flow out from the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 before the drain cover 43 completely reaches the cover position, it is possible to reliably receive the water flowing out from the water outlet 34 with the drain cover 43.

[0052] Also, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, since the water stop valve 36 is arranged at the end of the drain tube 33 on the side of the hot water tank 8, it is possible to prevent the flavor of the water in the hot water tank 8 from being affected by the drain tube 33. That is, when water enters from the hot water tank 8 at normal temperature into the drain tube 33 during normal use of the water server, the flavor of the water changes in the drain tube 33, and if the water then mixes back into the hot water tank 8, it may affect the flavor of the water in the hot water tank 8. To address this problem, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the water stop valve 36 is arranged at the end of the drain tube 33 on the side of the hot water tank 8, by keeping the water stop valve 36 closed during normal use of the water server, it is possible to prevent water from entering from the hot water tank 8 at normal temperature into the drain tube 33 or from the drain tube 33 at normal temperature into the hot water tank 8, and it is possible to prevent the flavor of the water in the hot water tank 8 from being affected by the drain tube 33.

[0053] FIGS. 14 to 18 show a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment has a different shape of the drain cover 43 compared to the first embodiment, and the other configurations are basically the same. Therefore, parts corresponding to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, the drain cover 43 is rotatably supported about the connecting rod 41, and by this rotation, it can move between an exposed position (the position shown in FIG. 15) where the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 is exposed and a cover position (the position shown in FIG. 16) where the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 is covered. Also, the connecting rod 41 connects the drain cover 43 and the water stop valve 36 such that the water stop valve 36 opens in conjunction with the operation of moving the drain cover 43 from the exposed position (the position shown in FIG. 15) to the cover position (the position shown in FIG. 16), and the water stop valve 36 closes in conjunction with the operation of moving the drain cover 43 from the cover position (the position shown in FIG. 16) to the exposed position (the position shown in FIG. 15).

[0055] Here, when the drain cover 43 is in the exposed position (the position shown in FIG. 15), the operation handle 37 is at a position rotated from its original valve-closed position (the angular position at the center of the angular range of the operation handle 37 where the water stop valve 36 is in the valve-closed state. Here, as shown in FIG. 14, it is the position where the operation handle 37 is completely horizontal), but even if the operation handle 37 is rotated from its original valve-closed position (the position shown in FIG. 14), within a predetermined angular range, the water stop valve 36 maintains the valve-closed state. Therefore, when the drain cover 43 is in the exposed position (the position shown in FIG. 15), the water stop valve 36 is closed.

[0056] Also, as shown in FIG. 14, the drain cover 43 is formed such that the end face of the drain cap 35 is covered by the drain cover 43 in a state where the operation handle 37 is in its original valve-closed position. Here, when the operation handle 37 is in its original valve-closed position, the drain cover 43 is at a position shifted in the direction from the exposed position to the cover position (normal use position). In the figure, by forming a semi-circular protrusion 54 (see FIGS. 17 and 18) at the open end of the arc groove 46 of the drain cover 43, as shown in FIG. 14, when the operation handle 37 is in its original valve-closed position, the lower half-circumference portion of the outer periphery of the drain cap 35 and the end face of the drain cap 35 are covered by the drain cover 43. Note that the rotation angle of the drain cover 43 from the normal use position shown in FIG. 14 to the exposed position shown in FIG. 15 is about 30°, and the rotation angle of the drain cover 43 from the exposed position shown in FIG. 15 to the cover position shown in FIG. 16 is about 120°.

[0057] An example of using this embodiment will be described. First, during normal use of the water server, as shown in FIG. 14, the drain cover 43 is set in the normal use position (the position where the operation handle 37 comes to its original valve-closed position). At this time, the water stop valve 36 connected to the drain cover 43 via the connecting rod 41 is closed, and the space between the hot water tank 8 and the drain tube 33 is blocked.

[0058] When performing the water draining operation of the water server, first, as shown in FIG. 15, rotate the drain cover 43 to the exposed position, and then remove the drain cap 35 from the end of the drain tube 33. At this time, even if the drain cap 35 is removed, since the water stop valve 36 is closed, water does not flow out from the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33. Then, as shown in FIG. 16, rotate the drain cover 43 to the cover position. At this time, since the water stop valve 36 opens in conjunction with the rotation of the drain cover 43, the water in the hot water tank 8 flows out from the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 through the drain tube 33, and further, the water flowing out from the water outlet 34 at the end of the drain tube 33 is discharged downward from the drain guide portion 47 through the drain guide portion 47 of the drain cover 43.

[0059] The water server of this embodiment also has the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0060] In each of the above embodiments, a water purification water server that introduces the water filtered by the water purification filter cartridge 3 into the cold water tank 7 and the hot water tank 8 has been described as an example. However, the present invention can also be applied to a water server that introduces water from an exchangeable raw water bottle 60 into the cold water tank 7 and the hot water tank 8, for example, as shown in FIG. 19. Hereinafter, parts corresponding to the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

[0061] The water server shown in FIG. 19 includes a housing 1, a cold water tank 7 and a hot water tank 8 located inside the housing 1, and a raw water introduction pipe 61 that introduces water from the raw water bottle 60 into the cold water tank 7. The raw water bottle 60 is placed on the top plate 10 of the housing 1 with the water outlet facing downward. The raw water bottle 60 is filled with water such as natural water or RO water. A float valve 62 that opens and closes according to the water level in the cold water tank 7 is provided at the end of the raw water introduction pipe 61 on the cold water tank 7 side.

[0062] The hot water tank 8 is disposed below the cold water tank 7. The hot water tank 8 and the cold water tank 7 are connected via a tank connection pipe 63, and water is introduced from the cold water tank 7 into the hot water tank 8 through the tank connection pipe 63.

[0063] A drain tube 33 extending from the bottom surface of the hot water tank 8 to the outside of the housing 1 is connected to the bottom surface of the hot water tank 8, and a drain cap 35 is detachably attached to the end of the drain tube 33 on the outside of the housing 1. The drain tube 33 is provided with a water stop valve 36 similar to that in the above embodiment, and further provided with a drain cover 43 and a connecting rod 41 similar to those in the above embodiment.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0064] 1 Housing 7 Cold water tank 8 Hot water tank 22 Cooling device 23 Compressor 24 Heat exchanger 25 Expansion valve 26 Cooling pipe 30 Heating device 33 Drain tube 34 Water outlet 35 Drain cap 36 Water stop valve 37 Operation handle 41 Connecting rod 42 Rod support bracket 43 Drain cover 46 Arc groove 47 Drain guide portion 51 Water receiving surface 52 Drain cylinder portion

Claims

1. a housing (1); a hot water tank (8) located inside the housing (1); a heating device (30) for heating the water in the hot water tank (8); a drain tube (33) extending from the bottom surface of the hot water tank (8) to the outside of the housing (1) and having a horizontally oriented water outlet (34) at the end on the outside of the housing (1); In a water server in which a drain cap (35) for closing the water outlet (34) is detachably attached to the end on the outside of the housing (1) of the drain tube (33), a water stop valve (36) provided in the middle of the drain tube (33); a drain cover (43) movably supported between an exposed position for exposing the water outlet (34) and a cover position for covering the water outlet (34); a connecting rod (41) connecting the drain cover (43) and the water stop valve (36) such that the water stop valve (36) opens in conjunction with an operation of moving the drain cover (43) from the exposed position to the cover position, and the water stop valve (36) closes in conjunction with an operation of moving the drain cover (43) from the cover position to the exposed position; The drain cover (43) has a drainage guide portion (47) for introducing water flowing out from the water outlet (34) and discharging it downward in a state where the drain cover (43) is in the cover position. A water server characterized by this.

2. The water stop valve (36) is a two-way valve having an operation handle (37) that is rotated around a horizontal axis, and opening and closing are switched by the rotation operation of the operation handle (37). One end of the connecting rod (41) is connected to the operation handle (37) so as to rotate integrally with the operation handle (37), and the other end is connected to the drain cover (43). The water server according to claim 1, wherein the drain cover (43) is movable between the cover position and the exposed position by rotation about the connecting rod (41).

3. a cold water tank (7) located inside the housing (1); a cooling device (22) for cooling the water in the cold water tank (7); The cooling device (22) includes a compressor (23) installed inside the housing (1), a heat exchanger (24) that performs heat exchange between the high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor (23) and the outside air, an expansion valve (25) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger (24) to lower the temperature, and a cooling pipe (26) that performs heat exchange between the low-temperature refrigerant passing through the expansion valve (25) and the cold water tank (7). The heat exchanger (24) is a net-like member in which the refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant flows is arranged in a meandering manner so as to cover the opening on the back surface of the housing (1). The water server according to claim 2, wherein a rod support bracket (42) for rotatably supporting the connecting rod (41) is attached to the heat exchanger (24).

4. The drain cover (43) has an arc groove (46) that extends in an arc shape around the connecting rod (41) through a position facing the water outlet (34), and a drain guide portion (47) is provided at one end in the circumferential direction of the arc groove (46). The water server according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The drain guide portion (47) includes a water receiving surface (51) arranged to face the water outlet (34) so as to receive the water flowing out from the water outlet (34) when the drain cover (43) is in the cover position, and a vertically penetrating drain cylinder portion (52) continuously provided below the water receiving surface (51) to introduce the water falling from the water receiving surface (51) and discharge it downward. The water server according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The water server according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the water stop valve (36) is arranged at the end of the drain tube (33) on the side of the hot water tank (8).

Images