Water dispenser

Abstract

To provide a water server capable of easily making fine adjustment of a spouting amount per unit time of cold water and hot water.SOLUTION: The water server comprises: a discharge dial 40; a cam member 41 that turns integrally with the discharge dial 40; a cold water cam surface 46 and a hot water cam surface 47 symmetrically formed on a periphery of the cam member 41; a cold water side lever 42; and a hot water side lever 43. A cold water side valve rod 30 is connected in the vicinity of a lever fulcrum 48 of the cold water side lever 42, and a hot water side valve rod 34 is connected in the vicinity of a lever fulcrum 51 of the hot water side lever 43.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

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. However, in recent years, due to the increasing concern about water safety and health, water servers are becoming popular in ordinary households as well. Generally, a water server has a housing, a cold water tank and a hot water tank arranged inside the housing, a cold water pouring path for pouring cold water from the cold water tank to the outside of the housing, a cold water on-off valve provided in the cold water pouring path, a hot water pouring path for pouring hot water from the hot water tank to the outside of the housing, and a hot water on-off valve provided in the hot water pouring path. By selectively opening the cold water on-off valve and the hot water on-off valve, delicious cold water or hot water can be used immediately at any time, which has excellent convenience (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The inventor of the present application focused on the problem that it is difficult to finely adjust the opening amount of the cold water on-off valve when pouring cold water or the opening amount of the hot water on-off valve when pouring hot water in the water server of Patent Document 1.

[0005] In other words, in the water dispenser of Patent Document 1, the cold water shut-off valve consists of a cold water side valve body that is movable between a closed position that closes the cold water dispensing passage and an open position that opens the cold water dispensing passage, a cold water side valve stem that is connected to the cold water side valve body so as to move together with the cold water side valve body, and a cold water side lever connected to the cold water side valve stem. The upper end of the cold water side lever is the fulcrum in the longitudinal direction, and the lower end in the longitudinal direction is swingable in the front-to-back direction. Cold water can be dispensed by pushing the lower end of the cold water side lever lever inwards in the front-to-back direction with a cup or the like that receives the cold water.

[0006] Similarly, in the water dispenser of Patent Document 1, the hot water shut-off valve consists of a hot water side valve body that is movable between a closed position that closes the hot water dispensing passage and an open position that opens the hot water dispensing passage, a hot water side valve stem that is connected to the hot water side valve body so as to move together with the hot water side valve body, and a hot water side lever connected to the hot water side valve stem. The upper end of the hot water side lever is the fulcrum in the longitudinal direction, and the lower end in the longitudinal direction is swingable in the front-to-back direction. By pushing the lower end of the hot water side lever lever inwards in the front-to-back direction with a cup or the like that receives the hot water, it is possible to dispense hot water.

[0007] Here, when the lower end of the cold water lever lever is pushed inward in the front-to-back direction using a cup or similar object to receive the cold water, the cold water lever lever is hidden from the user's view by the cup or similar object, making it difficult to visually confirm the amount of movement of the cold water lever lever. Therefore, while it is easy to switch the cold water valve from fully closed to fully open by operating the cold water lever lever, it is difficult to fine-tune the amount of opening of the cold water valve, and thus difficult to fine-tune the amount of cold water dispensed per unit time.

[0008] Similarly, when using a cup or similar object to receive hot water and pushing the lower end of the hot water lever lever inwards in the front-to-back direction, the hot water lever lever is hidden from the user's view by the cup or object, making it difficult to visually confirm the amount of movement of the hot water lever lever. Therefore, while it is easy to switch the hot water valve from fully closed to fully open by operating the hot water lever lever, it is difficult to fine-tune the opening amount of the hot water valve when, for example, brewing coffee with hot water, and thus difficult to fine-tune the amount of hot water dispensed per unit time.

[0009] The problem this invention aims to solve is to provide a water dispenser that allows for easy fine-tuning of the amount of cold and hot water dispensed per unit time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the above problems, this invention provides a water dispenser with the following configuration. [Configuration 1] The casing and A chilled water tank and a hot water tank are arranged inside the aforementioned enclosure. A chilled water outlet passage for discharging chilled water from the chilled water tank to the outside of the housing, A cold water side valve body is provided so as to be movable between a closed valve position that closes the cold water dispensing passage and an open valve position that opens the cold water dispensing passage, A cold water side valve stem is provided connected to the cold water side valve body so as to move integrally with the cold water side valve body, A hot water outlet passage for discharging hot water from the hot water tank to the outside of the housing, A hot water side valve body is provided so as to be movable between a closed valve position that closes the hot water outlet passage and an open valve position that opens the hot water outlet passage, A water server having a hot water side valve stem connected to the hot water side valve body so as to move integrally with the hot water side valve body, A water outlet dial is positioned on the front side of the housing and is manually rotated around a pivot axis extending in the front-rear direction, A cam member is provided connected to the water outlet dial so as to rotate integrally with the water outlet dial, A cold water cam surface and a hot water cam surface are symmetrically formed on the outer circumference of the cam member, A cold water lever lever, with one end in the longitudinal direction serving as a fulcrum and the other end in the longitudinal direction sliding in contact with the cold water cam surface and swinging, It has a hot water side lever lever, one end of which in the longitudinal direction is a fulcrum, and the other end of which in the longitudinal direction slides against the hot water cam surface and swings, A water dispenser characterized in that the cold water side valve stem is connected near the fulcrum of the cold water side lever, and the hot water side valve stem is connected near the fulcrum of the hot water side lever.

[0011] With this configuration, the water outlet dial is located on the front of the casing, and by manually rotating this dial around a pivot axis extending in the front-to-back direction, cold water and hot water are dispensed. This allows the amount of rotation of the water outlet dial to be visually monitored while dispensing cold or hot water. Therefore, it is easy to fine-tune the opening amount of the cold water valve and the hot water valve, and to fine-tune the amount of cold and hot water dispensed per unit time. In addition, since the operating member for dispensing cold water and the operating member for dispensing hot water are the same water outlet dial, the appearance of the front of the casing is simplified, resulting in a clean and aesthetically pleasing appearance.

[0012] [Configuration 2] The water outlet dial is supported so as to be movable in the front-to-back direction, The cam member is connected to the water outlet dial so as to move integrally with the water outlet dial in the front-rear direction, and is biased toward the rear in the front-rear direction by an offset spring. The water server according to Configuration 1, wherein when the cam member moves to the rear in the front-rear direction according to the biasing force of the offset spring, the front-rear position of the hot water cam surface and the front-rear position of the hot water lever are misaligned, resulting in an offset state where the hot water cam surface does not slide against the hot water lever, while when the cam member moves to the front in the front-rear direction against the biasing force of the offset spring, the front-rear position of the hot water cam surface and the front-rear position of the hot water lever coincide, resulting in a non-offset state where the hot water cam surface slides against the hot water lever.

[0013] Adopting this configuration makes it possible to effectively prevent situations where toddlers operate the dispenser and dispense hot water. Specifically, with the above configuration, in order to dispense hot water, it is necessary to switch from the offset state to the non-offset state by pulling the water outlet dial, which is held with the fingers, towards the user against the biasing force of the offset spring, and then rotate the water outlet dial while pulling it towards the user against the biasing force of the offset spring. On the other hand, for toddlers with weak grip strength, the operation of pulling the water outlet dial, which is held with the fingers, towards the user against the biasing force of the offset spring, while rotating it is not easy. Furthermore, the operation of pulling the water outlet dial towards the user is a small movement, making it difficult for toddlers to see and imitate. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent situations where toddlers operate the dispenser and dispense hot water.

[0014] [Configuration 3] The water outlet dial is supported so as to be movable in the front-to-back direction, The cam member is connected to the water outlet dial so as to move integrally with the water outlet dial in the front-rear direction, and is biased toward the rear in the front-rear direction by an offset spring. A vertical housing wall is provided between the water outlet dial and the cam member. In a portion of the housing wall of the water outlet dial that faces the housing wall, when the water outlet dial is in a state of moving toward the back side in the front-rear direction according to the biasing force of the offset spring, it engages with a lock hole formed in the housing wall to restrict rotation of the water outlet dial. On the other hand, when the water outlet dial is in a state of moving toward the front side in the front-rear direction against the biasing force of the offset spring, a lock claw is provided that disengages from the lock hole to allow rotation of the water outlet dial. The water server according to Configuration 1 or 2 described above.

[0015] When this configuration is adopted, it becomes possible to effectively prevent a situation where an infant operates to pour out warm water. That is, when the above configuration is adopted, to pour out warm water, it is necessary to pull out the water outlet dial held by hand against the biasing force of the offset spring to the front side, pull out the lock claw from the lock hole in the housing wall, and rotate the water outlet dial while pulling it to the front side against the biasing force of the offset spring. On the other hand, for an infant with weak grip strength, the operation of rotating the water outlet dial held by hand while pulling it to the front side against the biasing force of the offset spring is not easy. Furthermore, since the movement of pulling out the water outlet dial to the front side is small, it is difficult for an infant to understand even if they see it, and it is difficult for an infant to imitate. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent a situation where an infant operates to pour out warm water.

[0016] [Configuration 4] The lock claw is integrally formed with a lock release button that is housed in a button housing hole that opens to the outer periphery of the water outlet dial so as to be movable in the radial direction of the water outlet dial. The lock release button is biased by a button biasing spring toward the outer side in the radial direction of the water outlet dial. The water server according to Configuration 3, wherein the lock claw is formed with a key portion that protrudes outward in the radial direction of the water outlet dial so as to engage with the inner surface on the back side in the front-rear direction of the housing wall.

[0017] When this configuration is adopted, since the key portion protruding radially outward formed on the locking claw engages with the rear surface of the housing wall in the front-rear direction, simply grasping the water discharge dial and pulling it toward the front side in the front-rear direction cannot pull out the water discharge dial to the front side. Here, to pull out the water discharge dial to the front side in the front-rear direction, when grasping the water discharge dial by hand, it is necessary to push the unlocking button housed in the button accommodation hole opening on the outer periphery of the water discharge dial radially inward against the biasing force of the button biasing spring to move the locking claw radially inward. Therefore, it is possible to particularly effectively prevent a situation where an infant operates to pour out warm water.

[0018] [Configuration 5] The water server according to Configuration 4, wherein a pair of the unlocking button and the locking claw are provided so as to be in a positional relationship opposite to each other by 180° with the rotation center of the water discharge dial interposed therebetween.

[0019] When this configuration is adopted, the water discharge dial cannot be pulled out to the front side unless a pair of unlocking buttons are simultaneously pushed radially inward. Therefore, it is possible to particularly effectively prevent a situation where an infant operates to pour out warm water.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] In the water server of this invention, a water discharge dial is arranged on the front side of the housing, and by manually rotating the water discharge dial around a rotation shaft extending in the front-rear direction, cold water and warm water are poured out. Therefore, when pouring out cold water or warm water, pouring can be performed while visually recognizing the rotation operation amount of the water discharge dial. Therefore, it is easy to finely adjust the valve opening amounts of the cold water on-off valve and the warm water on-off valve, and it is easy to finely adjust the pouring amounts of cold water and warm water per unit time. Further, since the operating member for pouring out cold water and the operating member for pouring out warm water are a common water discharge dial, the appearance on the front side of the housing becomes simple, and a neat aesthetic appearance can be obtained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] Cross-sectional view of a water dispenser according to an embodiment of this invention, viewed from the left side. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a front view of the water dispenser, seen from the front. [Figure 3] Figure 2 shows a magnified view of the water outlet control unit. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view along line IV-IV in Figure 3 [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view along line VV in Figure 3 [Figure 6] Figure 3 shows the water outlet control unit viewed from the right side. [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view along line VII-VII in Figure 6 [Figure 8] Figure 4 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the water outlet dial, indicating that the unlock button has been pressed down. [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view along the line IX-IX in Figure 8 [Figure 10] This cross-sectional view shows the state after pressing the unlock button in Figure 4 and pulling the water outlet dial towards the front in the front-to-back direction. [Figure 11] Figure 7 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the cold water valve in the state where the water outlet dial is turned counterclockwise to open it. [Figure 12] Figure 7 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the state when the hot water valve is opened by rotating the water outlet dial clockwise. [Figure 13] Figures 8 and 9 show exploded perspective views of the vicinity of one of the pair of unlock buttons on the water outlet dial. [Figure 14] Figures 8 and 9 show exploded perspective views of the vicinity of one of the pair of unlock buttons on the water outlet dial. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Figures 1 and 2 show a water dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention. This water dispenser includes a housing 1, a cold water tank 2 and a hot water tank 3 located inside the housing 1, a water dispensing operation unit 4 provided on the front side of the housing 1, and a water outlet 5 that selectively dispenses cold water and hot water in response to the operation of the water dispensing operation unit 4.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the housing 1 has a pair of side plates 6 (see Figure 2) facing each other on the left and right, a top plate 7 fixed to the upper ends of the pair of side plates 6, a bottom plate 8 fixed to the lower ends of the pair of side plates 6, a front panel 9 connecting the front ends of the pair of side plates 6, a rear plate 10 connecting the rear ends of the pair of side plates 6, a tank fixing plate 11 horizontally fixed to the pair of side plates 6 so as to divide the inside of the housing 1 vertically, and a water outlet operation plate 12 vertically fixed along the front end of the tank fixing plate 11.

[0024] The tank fixing plate 11 has the cold water tank 2 and the hot water tank 3 fixedly attached to it. The water outlet control unit 4 is attached to the water outlet control unit mounting plate 12. The tank fixing plate 11 and the water outlet control unit mounting plate 12 may be formed as separate parts and connected and fixed to each other, or they may be formed as a single unit by bending a single plate member.

[0025] A front door 13 is installed between the front panel 9 and the bottom plate 8, which opens and closes the lower front of the enclosure 1. By opening and closing this front door 13, it is possible to replace the water bottle 14 housed in the lower part of the enclosure 1.

[0026] Inside the housing 1 is a pump 15 that draws drinking water from the water bottle 14 to the cold water tank 2 and the hot water tank 3. The water bottle 14 and the cold water tank 2 are connected via the pump 15 by a raw water pumping pipe (not shown).

[0027] The chilled water tank 2 is equipped with a cooling device 16 that cools the drinking water introduced from the water bottle 14. The chilled water contained in the chilled water tank 2 is kept at a predetermined low temperature (for example, 10°C or below) by the cooling device 16.

[0028] The hot water tank 3 is equipped with a heating device 17 that heats the drinking water introduced from the water bottle 14. The hot water contained in the hot water tank 3 is kept at a predetermined high temperature (for example, 80°C or higher) by the heating device 17.

[0029] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, this water dispenser has a cold water dispensing passage 18 that dispenses cold water from a cold water tank 2 (see Figure 1) to the outside of the housing 1, a cold water shut-off valve 19 provided in the cold water dispensing passage 18, a hot water dispensing passage 20 that dispenses hot water from a hot water tank 3 (see Figure 1) to the outside of the housing 1, and a hot water shut-off valve 21 provided in the hot water dispensing passage 20. The cold water dispensing passage 18 and the hot water dispensing passage 20 merge at a junction 22, and extend downward from the junction 22 to open to a common water outlet 5 (see Figure 7). It is also possible to configure the cold water dispensing passage 18 and the hot water dispensing passage 20 to extend downward and open separately without merging.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the chilled water outlet passage 18 consists of a chilled water horizontal flow path 23 that extends horizontally just before the confluence 22 and connects to the confluence 22, a water outlet flow path 24 that extends downward from the confluence 22, and a chilled water tank connection flow path 25 that extends from the chilled water tank 2 (see Figure 1) and connects to the chilled water horizontal flow path 23. The connection portion of the chilled water tank connection flow path 25 to the chilled water horizontal flow path 23 is provided so that its flow direction is in the front-to-back direction (up-down direction in the figure). The chilled water horizontal flow path 23 is provided so that its flow direction is in the left-to-right direction. The water outlet flow path 24 is provided so that its flow direction is in the up-and-down direction.

[0031] Similarly, the hot water outlet passage 20 consists of a hot water horizontal flow path 26 that extends horizontally just before the confluence section 22 and connects to the confluence section 22, a water outlet flow path 24 that extends downward from the confluence section 22, and a hot water tank connection flow path 27 that extends from the hot water tank 3 (see Figure 1) and connects to the hot water horizontal flow path 26. The connection portion of the hot water tank connection flow path 27 to the hot water horizontal flow path 26 is provided so that its flow direction is in the front-to-back direction (up-and-down direction in the figure). The hot water horizontal flow path 26 is provided so that its flow direction is in the left-to-right direction. The hot water horizontal flow path 26 is located on the opposite side of the cold water horizontal flow path 23 in the left-to-right direction, with the confluence section 22 in between.

[0032] The chilled water shut-off valve 19 includes an annular chilled water side valve seat 28 surrounding a chilled water horizontal flow path 23, a chilled water side valve body 29 that is horizontally movable between a closed position (shown in Figure 7) where it sits on the chilled water side valve seat 28 and closes the chilled water horizontal flow path 23 and an open position (shown in Figure 11) where it moves away from the chilled water side valve seat 28 and opens the chilled water horizontal flow path 23, a chilled water side valve stem 30 that is connected to the chilled water side valve body 29 so as to move horizontally together with the chilled water side valve body 29, and a chilled water side valve spring 31 that biases the chilled water side valve stem 30 so as to move the chilled water side valve body 29 from the open position to the closed position.

[0033] Similarly, the hot water shut-off valve 21 includes an annular hot water side valve seat 32 surrounding a hot water horizontal flow path 26, a hot water side valve body 33 that is horizontally movable between a closed position (shown in Figure 7) where it sits on the hot water side valve seat 32 and closes the hot water horizontal flow path 26 and an open position (shown in Figure 12) where it moves away from the hot water side valve seat 32 and opens the hot water horizontal flow path 26, a hot water side valve stem 34 that is connected to the hot water side valve body 33 so as to move horizontally together with the hot water side valve body 33, and a hot water side valve spring 35 that biases the hot water side valve stem 34 so as to move the hot water side valve body 33 from the open position to the closed position.

[0034] The cold water valve body 29 and the hot water valve body 33 are positioned opposite each other on the left and right sides with the confluence section 22 in between. The cold water valve body 29 and the hot water valve body 33 are positioned such that the direction approaching the confluence section 22 is the closing direction, and the direction away from the confluence section 22 is the opening direction.

[0035] As shown in Figure 7, the water outlet operation unit 4 includes a manually operated water outlet dial 40 (see Figure 3), a cam member 41 connected to the water outlet dial 40 so as to rotate integrally with the water outlet dial 40, a cold water side lever lever 42 that converts and transmits the rotation of the cam member 41 in one direction (in this case, counterclockwise rotation) to the horizontal movement of the cold water side valve stem 30, and a hot water side lever lever 43 that converts and transmits the rotation of the cam member 41 in the other direction (in this case, clockwise rotation) to the horizontal movement of the hot water side valve stem 34.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2, the water outlet dial 40 is a cylindrical knob located on the front side of the housing 1. As shown in Figure 4, a pivot shaft 44 is fixedly provided on the water outlet dial 40 so as to rotate integrally with the water outlet dial 40, and the pivot shaft 44 is rotatably supported by a vertical housing wall 45 provided between the water outlet dial 40 and the cam member 41. The pivot shaft 44 is a shaft body that extends in the front-rear direction (up-down direction in the figure).

[0037] As shown in Figure 7, a cold water cam surface 46 and a hot water cam surface 47 are formed symmetrically on the outer circumference of the cam member 41. The cold water cam surface 46 is a surface whose distance from the rotation center of the water outlet dial 40 gradually increases from the lower end of the water outlet dial 40 toward one direction of rotation (clockwise in the figure), and is, for example, a cylindrical surface whose center is eccentrically located above the rotation center of the water outlet dial 40. The hot water cam surface 47 is a surface whose distance from the rotation center of the water outlet dial 40 gradually increases from the lower end of the water outlet dial 40 toward the other direction of rotation (counterclockwise in the figure), and is, for example, a cylindrical surface whose center is eccentrically located above the rotation center of the water outlet dial 40.

[0038] The chilled water side lever lever 42 is a vertically extending member whose longitudinal lower end is a fulcrum 48 and whose longitudinal upper end is a swinging end 49 that slides against the chilled water cam surface 46 and swings from side to side. A chilled water side connecting pin 50 is provided near the fulcrum 48 of the chilled water side lever lever 42 (a position closer to the fulcrum 48 between the swinging end 49 and the fulcrum 48), and the chilled water side valve stem 30 is connected to the chilled water side lever lever 42 via this chilled water side connecting pin 50.

[0039] The hot water side lever lever 43 is a vertically extending member whose longitudinal lower end is a fulcrum 51 and whose longitudinal upper end is a swinging end 52 that slides against the hot water cam surface 47 and swings from side to side. A hot water side connecting pin 53 is provided near the fulcrum 51 of the hot water side lever lever 43 (a position closer to the fulcrum 51 between the swinging end 52 and the fulcrum 51), and the hot water side valve stem 34 is connected to the hot water side lever lever 43 via this hot water side connecting pin 53.

[0040] As shown in Figures 4 and 10, the water outlet dial 40 is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction relative to the housing wall 45, and a cam member 41 is connected to the water outlet dial 40 via a pivot shaft 44 so as to move in the front-rear direction together with the water outlet dial 40. The cam member 41 is biased toward the rear in the front-rear direction by an offset spring 54, and the water outlet dial 40 connected to the cam member 41 is also biased toward the rear in the front-rear direction by the offset spring 54 via the cam member 41. Here, the offset spring 54 is incorporated to directly bias the cam member 41, but it is also possible to incorporate the offset spring 54 between the water outlet dial 40 and the housing wall 45, and the offset spring 54 will bias the water outlet dial 40 toward the rear in the front-rear direction, and the cam member 41 will be biased via the water outlet dial 40.

[0041] Here, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, when the cam member 41 moves to the rearward side in the front-rear direction according to the biasing force of the offset spring 54, as shown in Figure 4, the front-rear positions of the cold water cam surface 46 and the hot water cam surface 47 are offset from the front-rear positions of the cold water lever lever 42 and the hot water lever lever 43. In this offset state, even if the cam member 41 rotates, the cold water cam surface 46 and the hot water cam surface 47 on the outer circumference of the cam member 41 do not slide against the swinging end 49 of the cold water lever lever 42 and the swinging end 52 of the hot water lever lever 43, and neither the cold water valve 19 nor the hot water valve 21 opens.

[0042] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 10, when the cam member 41 moves towards the front in the front-rear direction against the biasing force of the offset spring 54, the front-rear positions of the cold water cam surface 46 and the hot water cam surface 47 coincide with the front-rear positions of the cold water lever lever 42 and the hot water lever lever 43, resulting in a non-offset state. In this non-offset state, when the cam member 41 rotates, the cold water cam surface 46 and the hot water cam surface 47 on the outer circumference of the cam member 41 slide against the swinging end 49 of the cold water lever lever 42 and the swinging end 52 of the hot water lever lever 43, enabling the opening operation of the cold water on / off valve 19 and the hot water on / off valve 21.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, a locking claw 55 is provided on the portion of the water outlet dial 40 facing the housing wall 45, protruding toward the housing wall 45. A locking hole 56 is formed in the housing wall 45 into which the locking claw 55 is inserted. As shown in Figures 8, 9, 13, and 14, the locking claw 55 is integrally formed with a release button 58, which is housed in a button housing hole 57 opening on the outer circumference of the water outlet dial 40 so as to be movable in the radial direction of the water outlet dial 40. The release button 58 and the locking claw 55 are provided in pairs, each positioned 180° opposite to each other with the pivot center of the water outlet dial 40 in between. The release button 58 is biased radially outward of the water outlet dial 40 by a button biasing spring 59 provided on the water outlet dial 40.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4, the locking claw 55 has a key portion 60 that protrudes radially outward from the water outlet dial 40 so as to engage with the rear surface of the housing wall 45 in the front-rear direction (the edge of the lock hole 56) when the unlocking button 58 is moved radially outward according to the biasing force of the button biasing spring 59. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, when the unlocking button 58 is pushed radially inward against the biasing force of the button biasing spring 59, the engagement of the key portion 60 with the rear surface of the housing wall 45 in the front-rear direction (the edge of the lock hole 56) is released.

[0045] As shown in Figure 4, when the water outlet dial 40 is moved to the rear in the front-rear direction according to the biasing force of the offset spring 54, the locking claw 55 engages with the locking hole 56 formed in the housing wall 45 to restrict the rotation of the water outlet dial 40. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 10, when the water outlet dial 40 is moved to the front in the front-rear direction against the biasing force of the offset spring 54, the claw 55 has a length in the front-rear direction that allows the water outlet dial 40 to rotate by disengaging from the locking hole 56.

[0046] As shown in Figure 8, the rear (upper in the figure) radial outer end of the key portion 60 is provided with a claw-side inclined surface 61 that is inclined to displace radially inward as it moves from the front (front) to the rear in the figure. Additionally, the front (lower in the figure) opening edge of the lock hole 56 is provided with a hole-side inclined surface 62 that is inclined to displace radially inward as it moves from the front to the rear in the figure.

[0047] This section describes an example of how to dispense cold water using this water dispenser. First, pinch the water dispensing dial 40 shown in Figure 3 with your fingers. At this time, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, push the release button 58 located on the outer circumference of the water dispensing dial 40 radially inward against the biasing force of the button biasing spring 59, thereby moving the locking claw 55 radially inward. Next, as shown in Figure 10, while keeping the release button 58 pushed radially inward, pull the water dispensing dial 40 towards you in the front-rear direction against the biasing force of the offset spring 54, thereby removing the locking claw 55 from the locking hole 56 and aligning the front-rear position of the cold water cam surface 46 with the front-rear position of the cold water side lever lever 42. Next, with the water outlet dial 40 pulled out towards the user against the biasing force of the offset spring 54, the water outlet dial 40 is manually rotated in one direction (counterclockwise) as shown in Figure 11. This causes the cam member 41 to rotate integrally with the water outlet dial 40, and the cold water cam surface 46 on the outer circumference of the cam member 41 pushes the swing end 49 of the cold water lever 42. At this time, due to the principle of leverage, the cold water valve stem 30, which is connected to the cold water lever 42 via the cold water connecting pin 50, is moved in the opening direction against the biasing force of the cold water valve spring 31, causing the cold water valve body 29 to separate from the cold water valve seat 28, and the cold water shut-off valve 19 to open. When the cold water shut-off valve 19 opens, the cold water in the cold water tank 2 (see Figure 1) is discharged from the water outlet 5 through the cold water discharge passage 18. Subsequently, when the user releases the water outlet dial 40, the biasing force of the cold water side valve spring 31 causes the cold water side valve body 29 to seat on the cold water side valve seat 28, closing the cold water on / off valve 19 and stopping the dispensing of cold water. At this time, the water outlet dial 40 rotates in the opposite direction (clockwise) due to the force transmitted sequentially from the cold water side valve spring 31 through the cold water side valve stem 30, the cold water side connecting pin 50, the cold water side lever lever 42, and the cam member 41. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the water outlet dial 40 and the cam member 41 move inward in the front-rear direction due to the biasing force of the offset spring 54.Here, as the water outlet dial 40 is pulled inward in the front-rear direction by the biasing force of the offset spring 54, the claw-side inclined surface 61 of the lock claw 55 shown in Figure 8 slides against the hole-side inclined surface 62 of the lock hole 56, causing the lock claw 55 to move radially inward against the biasing force of the button biasing spring 59, and the key portion 60 passes through the lock hole 56. Subsequently, the lock claw 55 moves radially outward by the biasing force of the button biasing spring 59, and the key portion 60 engages with the radially outer portion of the opening edge on the rear side (upper side in the figure) of the lock hole 56.

[0048] Similarly, when dispensing hot water, first grasp the water outlet dial 40 shown in Figure 3 with your fingers. At this time, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, push the release button 58 located on the outer circumference of the water outlet dial 40 radially inward against the biasing force of the button biasing spring 59, thereby moving the locking claw 55 radially inward. Next, as shown in Figure 10, while keeping the release button 58 pushed radially inward, pull the water outlet dial 40 towards the front in the front-rear direction against the biasing force of the offset spring 54, thereby removing the locking claw 55 from the locking hole 56 and aligning the front-rear position of the hot water cam surface 47 with the front-rear position of the hot water side lever lever 43. Next, with the water outlet dial 40 pulled out towards the user against the biasing force of the offset spring 54, the water outlet dial 40 is manually rotated in the other direction (clockwise) as shown in Figure 12. This causes the cam member 41 to rotate together with the water outlet dial 40, and the hot water cam surface 47 on the outer circumference of the cam member 41 pushes the swing end 52 of the hot water lever 43. At this time, due to the principle of leverage, the hot water valve stem 34, which is connected to the hot water lever 43 via the hot water connecting pin 53, is moved in the opening direction against the biasing force of the hot water valve spring 35, causing the hot water valve body 33 to separate from the hot water valve seat 32, and the hot water shut-off valve 21 to open. When the hot water shut-off valve 21 opens, the hot water in the hot water tank 3 (see Figure 1) is discharged from the water outlet 5 through the hot water discharge passage 20. Subsequently, when the user releases the water outlet dial 40, the biasing force of the hot water side valve spring 35 causes the hot water side valve body 33 to seat on the hot water side valve seat 32, the hot water on / off valve 21 closes, and the hot water dispensing stops. At this time, the water outlet dial 40 rotates in the opposite direction (counterclockwise) due to the force transmitted sequentially from the hot water side valve spring 35 through the hot water side valve stem 34, the hot water side connecting pin 53, the hot water side lever 43, and the cam member 41. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the water outlet dial 40 and the cam member 41 move inward in the front-rear direction due to the biasing force of the offset spring 54. At this time, similar to when dispensing cold water, the inclined surface 61 on the claw side of the lock claw 55 shown in Figure 8 slides against the inclined surface 62 on the hole side of the lock hole 56, causing the lock claw 55 to move radially inward against the biasing force of the button biasing spring 59, and the key part 60 passes through the lock hole 56.Subsequently, the locking claw 55 moves radially outward due to the biasing force of the button biasing spring 59, and the key portion 60 engages with the radially outer portion of the opening edge on the inner side (upper side in the figure) of the lock hole 56 in the front-rear direction.

[0049] As shown in Figure 2, this water dispenser has a water dispensing dial 40 located on the front side of the housing 1. By manually rotating the water dispensing dial 40 around a pivot shaft 44 that extends in the front-to-back direction, cold water and hot water are dispensed. This allows the user to visually monitor the amount of rotation of the water dispensing dial 40 while dispensing cold or hot water. Therefore, it is easy to fine-tune the opening amounts of the cold water on / off valve 19 and the hot water on / off valve 21 shown in Figure 7, and thus easy to fine-tune the amount of cold and hot water dispensed per unit time.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, this water dispenser uses a common water dispensing dial 40 for both dispensing cold water and hot water. This results in a simple and clean appearance on the front of the casing 1.

[0051] Furthermore, in order to dispense hot water from this water dispenser, as shown in Figures 4 and 10, the user must pull the water dispenser dial 40, which is held by hand, towards the user against the biasing force of the offset spring 54, thereby removing the locking claw 55 from the locking hole 56, aligning the front-to-back position of the hot water cam surface 47 with the front-to-back position of the hot water lever 43, and then rotate the water dispenser dial 40 while pulling it towards the user against the biasing force of the offset spring 54. On the other hand, for a toddler with weak grip strength, the operation of pulling the water dispenser dial 40 towards the user against the biasing force of the offset spring 54 while rotating it is not easy. Moreover, the operation of pulling the water dispenser dial 40 towards the user is small, making it difficult for a toddler to see and imitate. Therefore, this water dispenser can effectively prevent a toddler from operating it and dispensing hot water.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, in this water dispenser, the key portion 60 that protrudes radially outward formed on the locking claw 55 engages with the rear surface of the housing wall 45 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, simply pinching the water dispensing dial 40 and pulling it towards the front in the front-rear direction will not pull the water dispensing dial 40 forward. In order to pull the water dispensing dial 40 towards the front in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, when pinching the water dispensing dial 40 with your hand, you need to push the release button 58, which is housed in a button housing hole 57 that opens on the outer circumference of the water dispensing dial 40, radially inward against the biasing force of the button biasing spring 59, thereby moving the locking claw 55 radially inward. This makes it particularly effective in preventing situations where a child operates the dispenser and dispenses hot water.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the water dispenser's water dispensing dial 40 cannot be pulled out unless a pair of release buttons 58 are simultaneously pushed radially inward. Therefore, it is particularly effective in preventing situations where a child operates the dispenser and dispenses hot water.

[0054] In the above embodiment, a water server of the type in which a replaceable water bottle 14 is installed at the bottom of the housing 1 was described as an example. However, this invention can also be similarly applied to a water server of the type in which a replaceable water bottle 14 is installed at the top of the housing 1 (for example, on the top surface of the top plate 7). Furthermore, this invention may also be applied to a water purification type water server that has a raw water tank for storing household tap water instead of a replaceable water bottle 14, filters the water in the raw water tank with a water purification cartridge placed inside the housing 1, and stores the filtered purified water in a cold water tank 2 and a hot water tank 3. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 1 cabinet 2. Cold water tank 3. Hot water tank 18 Cold water outlet 20 Hot water outlet 29 Cold water side valve body 30 Cold water side valve stem 33 Hot water side valve body 34 Hot water side valve stem 40 Water Dial 41 Cam component 42 Cold water side lever 43 Hot water side lever 44 pivot shafts 45 Housing Wall 46 Cold water cam surface 47 Hot water cam surface 48, 51 Lever fulcrum 54 Offset Springs 55 Locking claws 56 lock holes 57 buttonholes 58 Unlock button 59 Button-type spring 60 Key section

Claims

1. The enclosure (1) and A chilled water tank (2) and a hot water tank (3) are arranged inside the housing (1), A chilled water outlet passage (18) for discharging chilled water from the chilled water tank (2) to the outside of the housing (1), A cold water side valve body (29) is provided so as to be movable between a closed valve position that closes the cold water dispensing passage (18) and an open valve position that opens the cold water dispensing passage (18), A cold water side valve stem (30) is provided connected to the cold water side valve body (29) so as to move integrally with the cold water side valve body (29), A hot water outlet passage (20) for discharging hot water from the hot water tank (3) to the outside of the housing (1), A hot water side valve body (33) is provided so as to be movable between a closed valve position that closes the hot water outlet passage (20) and an open valve position that opens the hot water outlet passage (20), In a water server having a hot water side valve stem (34) connected to the hot water side valve stem (33) so as to move integrally with the hot water side valve stem (33), A water outlet dial (40) is located on the front side of the housing (1) and is manually rotated around a pivot shaft (44) that extends in the front-rear direction, A cam member (41) is provided connected to the water outlet dial (40) so as to rotate integrally with the water outlet dial (40), The cam member (41) has a cold water cam surface (46) and a hot water cam surface (47) formed symmetrically on its outer circumference, A cold water-side lever lever (42) has one end in the longitudinal direction as a fulcrum (48) and the other end in the longitudinal direction slides against the cold water cam surface (46) and swings, It has a hot water side lever lever (43) whose longitudinal end is a fulcrum (51) and whose longitudinal end slides against the hot water cam surface (47) and swings, A water dispenser characterized in that the cold water side valve stem (30) is connected near the fulcrum (48) of the cold water side lever (42), and the hot water side valve stem (34) is connected near the fulcrum (51) of the hot water side lever (43).

2. The water outlet dial (40) is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, The cam member (41) is connected to the water outlet dial (40) so as to move integrally with the water outlet dial (40) in the front-rear direction, and is biased toward the rear in the front-rear direction by an offset spring (54). The water server according to claim 1, wherein when the cam member (41) is moved to the rear in the front-rear direction according to the biasing force of the offset spring (54), the front-rear position of the hot water cam surface (47) and the front-rear position of the hot water side lever lever (43) are misaligned, resulting in an offset state in which the hot water cam surface (47) does not slide against the hot water side lever lever (43), while when the cam member (41) is moved to the front in the front-rear direction against the biasing force of the offset spring (54), the front-rear position of the hot water cam surface (47) and the front-rear position of the hot water side lever lever (43) coincide, resulting in a non-offset state in which the hot water cam surface (47) slides against the hot water side lever lever (43).

3. The water outlet dial (40) is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, The cam member (41) is connected to the water outlet dial (40) so as to move integrally with the water outlet dial (40) in the front-rear direction, and is biased toward the rear in the front-rear direction by an offset spring (54). A vertical housing wall (45) is provided between the water outlet dial (40) and the cam member (41). The water dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a locking claw (55) is provided on the portion of the water dispensing dial (40) facing the housing wall (45), such that when the water dispensing dial (40) is moved to the rear in the front-rear direction according to the biasing force of the offset spring (54), it engages with a locking hole (56) formed in the housing wall (45) to restrict the rotation of the water dispensing dial (40), while when the water dispensing dial (40) is moved to the front in the front-rear direction against the biasing force of the offset spring (54), it disengages from the locking hole (56) to allow the rotation of the water dispensing dial (40).

4. The locking claw (55) is integrally formed with a release button (58) which is housed in a button housing hole (57) opening on the outer circumference of the water outlet dial (40) so as to be movable in the radial direction of the water outlet dial (40). The aforementioned unlock button (58) is biased radially outward from the water outlet dial (40) by a button biasing spring (59), The water dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the locking claw (55) has a key portion (60) that protrudes radially outward from the water outlet dial (40) so as to engage with the rear surface of the housing wall (45) in the front-rear direction.

5. The water dispenser according to claim 4, wherein the unlock button (58) and the locking claw (55) are each provided in a pair such that they are in a positional relationship of 180° opposite to each other with the pivot center of the water dispensing dial (40) in between.

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