JP2021073045A - Hot water supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a hot water supply device in which a device portion for extracting a beverage and a hot water tank portion for storing hot water therein and supplying the hot water to the device portion for extracting a beverage are installed separately.SOLUTION: The device comprises: a hot water storage part 100 for storing hot water; a pouring out part 200 which is connected with the hot water storage part 100 via a tube 300 and pours out a liquid in the hot water storage part 100; a pump 117 which transfers the hot water stored in the hot water storage part 100 to the pouring out part 200; and a control part 130 for controlling the pump 117. A control part 240 makes the pump 117 to transfer the liquid a plurality of times and determines a setting temperature of the hot water stored in the hot water storage part 100 on the basis of the difference between the amounts of the hot water poured out several times from the pouring out part 200 by the transfer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to a hot water supply device having a device portion for extracting a beverage and a hot water tank portion for supplying hot water.

A device for extracting coffee by grinding coffee beans stored in a canister with a mill and pouring hot water into the ground beans (ground beans) from a hot water tank is widely used. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a coffee extractor in which a hot water storage tank and a coffee extractor unit for extracting coffee are integrally configured.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-267029

However, for example, due to problems such as installation space, there is a desire to separately install a device portion for extracting beverages and a hot water tank portion for storing hot water and extracting beverages.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a hot water supply device in which a device portion for extracting a beverage and a hot water tank portion for storing hot water and extracting a beverage are separately installed.

The hot water supply device of the present disclosure is connected to a liquid storage unit for storing a liquid via a pipe, and is connected to a pouring unit for pouring out the liquid in the liquid storage unit and the liquid storage unit. A pump for transferring the stored liquid to the pouring unit and a control unit for controlling the pump are provided, and the control unit causes the pump to transfer the liquid a plurality of times to perform the transfer. The set temperature of the liquid stored in the liquid storage part is determined based on the difference in the amount of the liquid poured out from the pouring part for a plurality of times.
The hot water supply device of the present disclosure is connected to a liquid storage unit for storing a liquid via a pipe, and is connected to a pouring unit for pouring out the liquid in the liquid storage unit and the liquid storage unit. A pump for transferring the stored liquid to the pouring unit and a control unit for controlling the pump are provided, and the control unit causes the pump to transfer the liquid a plurality of times to perform the transfer. Accepts input of information regarding the amount of the liquid dispensed from the pouring unit for a plurality of times, and stores the liquid in the liquid storage unit based on the input information regarding the amount of the liquid dispensed for the plurality of times. Determine the set temperature of the liquid.

According to the present disclosure, there is provided a hot water supply device in which a device portion for extracting a beverage and a hot water tank portion for storing hot water and extracting a beverage are separately installed.

Diagram exemplifying the appearance of a hot water supply device Diagram illustrating the configuration of the hot water storage unit Cross-sectional perspective view illustrating the inside of the hot water storage section The figure which illustrated about the 1st boiling detection part The figure which illustrated the control block of a hot water storage part Perspective view showing the appearance of the dispensing part Perspective view to explain the superstructure of the dispensing section, the columns, and the internal structure of the base. Cross-sectional view along the left-right direction of FIG. 7 near the center of the superstructure Sectional view along the longitudinal direction of the nozzle head The figure for demonstrating the hot water sprayed from a nozzle head The figure for demonstrating the hot water sprayed from a nozzle head The figure which illustrated the control block of the pouring part The figure which illustrated the connection relationship of the hot water storage part, the pouring part and the tube when the tube is a double tube.

Hereinafter, the hot water supply device 1 according to each embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanations than necessary, such as detailed explanations of already well-known matters and duplicate explanations for substantially the same configuration, may be omitted.

It should be noted that the following description and referenced drawings are provided for those skilled in the art to understand the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims of the present disclosure.

<Explanation of the appearance of the hot water supply device 1>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of the hot water supply device 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the hot water supply device 1 has a hot water storage unit 100 and an injection unit 200, and the hot water supply device 1 is connected by a tube 300 between them. Although not shown in particular, the hot water storage unit 100 and the hot water storage unit 200 are electrically connected by, for example, a cable or the like, and the hot water storage unit 100 is connected to the hot water storage unit 200, or the hot water storage unit 200 is connected to the hot water storage unit 100. Power can be supplied.

The hot water storage unit 100 stores hot water while appropriately controlling the temperature, and transfers the hot water to the pouring unit 200 via the tube 300 as needed. The hot water storage unit 100 is an example of the liquid storage unit of the present disclosure. The dispensing unit 200 dispenses the hot water transferred from the hot water storage unit 100 to, for example, coffee beans in the dripper. As a result, coffee is extracted. The tube 300 is made of a heat-insulating material such as silicon, and transfers the hot water from the hot water storage unit 100 to the pouring unit 200 so as not to cool it as much as possible. The tube 300 is an example of the piping of the present disclosure. In the present embodiment, in order to improve the degree of freedom in installing the hot water supply device 1, the hot water storage section 100 and the pouring section 200 are arranged at separate positions, and the length of the tube 300 is, for example, about several meters. It is assumed that it can be changed.

<Structure of hot water storage unit 100>
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the hot water storage unit 100. Further, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating the internal configuration of the hot water storage unit 100.

As shown in FIG. 2, the hot water storage unit 100 includes a tank 101, a float 102, a float switch 103, a water supply unit 104, a water supply pipe 105, a heater 106, an excess water discharge port 107, an overflow pipe 108, and a first boiling detection unit 109. Second boiling detection unit 110, surplus water tank 111, partition plate 112, first water temperature detection unit 113, second water temperature detection unit 114, water intake 115, water intake pipe 116, pump 117, flow meter 118, three-way valve 119, stirring It has a pipe 120.

The tank 101 is a heat-resistant tank capable of storing high-temperature hot water, and has a box-shaped tank main body 1011 and an upper lid 1012 that covers the upper surface opening of the tank main body 1011. A float 102 that moves up and down in conjunction with the water level in the tank 101 is provided above the tank 101. The float 102 is formed of a material such as metal or resin to be hollow so as to float on the water surface. Further, a support rod 1021 is provided on the upper part of the float 102, and when the float 102 moves up and down in conjunction with the water level in the tank 101, the support rod 1021 comes into contact with the float switch 103. The upper lid 1012 of the tank 101 is provided with a hole (not shown) through which the support rod 1021 of the float 102 passes.

The float switch 103 has an upper limit water level switch 1031 corresponding to the position of the float 102 at the upper limit water level of the tank 101, and a lower limit water level switch 1032 corresponding to the position of the float 102 at the lower limit water level of the tank 101. The upper limit water level switch 1031 is provided at a position where the float 102 comes into contact with the support rod 1021 when the float 102 is at the upper limit water level of the tank 101, and the lower limit water level switch 1032 supports the float 102 when the float 102 is at the lower limit water level of the tank 101. It is provided at a position where it comes into contact with the rod 1021. With such a configuration, the float switch 103 detects that the water level in the tank 101 has reached the upper limit water level or the lower limit water level. When the upper limit water level switch 1031 or the lower limit water level switch 1032 of the float switch 103 detects the upper limit water level or the lower limit water level, the detection result is transmitted to the control unit 130 (not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) described later.

The water supply unit 104 is a tubular member that is connected to, for example, a water supply and supplies water having a temperature lower than that of hot water in the tank into the tank 101. The water supply unit 104 supplies the amount of water requested by the control unit 130 into the tank 101 under the control of the control unit 130 described later. The water supply unit 104 may include a filter, a water purification device, and the like (not shown) to purify the water supplied to the tank 101. The tip of the water supply unit 104 on the tank side is exposed at a position higher than the upper limit water level in the tank 101. The upper lid 1012 of the tank 101 is provided with a hole (not shown) through which the water supply unit 104 passes.

As shown in FIG. 2, all the water supplied from the water supply unit 104 flows into the water supply pipe 105 located at the extension of the tip portion of the water supply unit 104 on the tank 101 side. The tip of the water supply unit 104 on the tank 101 side and the inlet 1051 of the water supply pipe 105 have a predetermined interval (for example, an interval of 25 mm or more) to prevent backflow of water, and the inlet 1051 of the water supply pipe 105 has an interval of 25 mm or more. The water supply pipe 105 is fixed in the tank 101 so as to be higher than the upper limit water level of the tank 101. As shown in FIG. 2, the outlet 1052 of the water supply pipe 105 is open near the bottom surface of the tank 101.

The heater 106 heats the water stored in the tank 101 into hot water under the control of the control unit 130 described later. The heater 106 is, for example, a sheathed heater. The heater 106 is attached to the upper lid 1012 of the tank 101 and extends to the vicinity of the bottom surface of the tank 101 (more specifically, the vicinity of the upper surface of the partition plate 112 described later) as shown in FIG. The heater 106 has a non-heating portion 1061 which is a portion that does not generate heat, and a heating portion 1062 which is a portion that generates heat. In the heater 106 inserted into the tank 101, the non-heating portion 1061 extends from the upper lid 1012 of the tank 101 below the height of the lower limit water level, and the heating portion 1062 is a portion below the lower end of the non-heating portion 1061. .. Therefore, the heat generating portion 1062 is immersed in the hot water stored in the tank 101. This makes it possible to prevent empty cooking.

The surplus water discharge port 107 is a hole provided at a position slightly higher than the upper limit water level of the tank 101, and the overflow pipe 108 is connected to the hole. When the hot water stored in the tank 101 exceeds the upper limit water level for some reason, the surplus hot water (surplus water) is discharged from the surplus water discharge port 107. Alternatively, when the hot water in the tank 101 boils, the steam generated from the hot water is discharged from the surplus water discharge port 107. Similar to the inlet 1051 of the water supply pipe 105 described above, the surplus water discharge port 107 also has a predetermined distance (for example, an interval of 25 mm or more) from the tip of the water supply unit 104 on the tank 101 side to prevent backflow. It is desirable to be placed.

The overflow pipe 108 is a pipe for discarding excess water. The tip of the overflow pipe 108 opposite to the surplus water discharge port 107 is connected to the surplus water tank 111, and the surplus water in the tank 101 is stored in the surplus water tank 111. The surplus water tank 111 can be arbitrarily removed by the user of the hot water supply device 1, and the surplus water stored in the surplus water tank 111 is appropriately discarded by the user of the hot water supply device 1.

The overflow pipe 108 has a first boiling detection unit 109 near the middle thereof and a second boiling detection unit 110 near the connection portion (terminal portion) with the surplus water tank 111. The first boiling detection unit 109 is an example of the boiling detection unit of the present disclosure. Although the position of the first boiling detection unit 109 is set to be near the middle of the overflow pipe 108 in the above, it may be arranged slightly closer to the tank 101 than the middle of the overflow pipe 108 in order to increase the detection speed. ..

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the first boiling detection unit 109. As shown in FIG. 4, the first boiling detection unit 109 has a configuration in which the temperature sensor 1092 is attached to the pipe unit 1091. The pipe portion 1091 is a tubular member that forms a part of the overflow pipe 108. The pipe portion 1091 may be integrally formed with another part of the overflow pipe 108, or may be separately formed and connected to another part of the overflow pipe 108.

The temperature sensor 1092 has, for example, a structure in which the thermistor is held by a screw-shaped member, and the tip end portion of the screw-shaped member is inserted into a hole (not shown) provided in the pipe portion 1091 and fixed. Then, the thermistor exposed from the tip of the screw-shaped member is warmed by excess water or steam passing through the pipe portion 1091. With such a configuration, the temperature sensor 1092 can detect the temperature of excess water or steam. The temperature sensor 1092 transmits the detected temperature of excess water or steam to the control unit 130, which will be described later. As will be described in detail later, the control unit 130 stops the heating by the heater 106 when the temperature of the thermistor of the first boiling detection unit 109 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature due to excess water or steam. The predetermined temperature is the temperature of the first boiling detection unit 109 heated by the steam generated by boiling in the tank 101, for example, 83 ° C.

The second boiling detection unit 110 has, for example, a configuration in which a bimetal thermostat is attached to a pipe connected to an overflow pipe 108. As excess water or steam in the overflow pipe 108 passes through the pipe, the temperature of the bimetal thermostat rises accordingly. When the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature, the bimetal thermostat physically cuts off the power supply to the heater 106 regardless of the control of the control unit 130. The predetermined temperature is, for example, 83 ° C., the same as the first boiling detection unit 109 described above.

With such a configuration, the heater 106 prevents the hot water in the tank 101 from continuing to boil. Preferably, the bimetal thermostat included in the second boiling detection unit 110 is a manual return type. As a result, when the bimetal thermostat that has reached a predetermined temperature or higher runs out, the hot water in the tank 101 is not heated by the heater 106 unless it is restored by the user of the hot water supply device 1. The situation where the hot water continues to boil is more preferably avoided.

As described above, in the hot water supply device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the hot water storage unit 100 has two boiling detection units, each of which performs boiling detection by a different method. The first boiling detection unit 109 has a configuration in which the thermistor is exposed inside the pipe unit 1091, and the first boiling detection unit 109 is on the upstream side of the overflow pipe 108 from the second boiling detection unit 110, so that boiling occurs. When the hot water in the tank 101 boils, the boiling is detected faster than the second boiling detection unit 110 because the predetermined temperature for detecting the above is the same. In the present embodiment, the detection temperatures of the first boiling detection unit 109 and the second boiling detection unit 110 are the same, but the detection temperature of the first boiling detection unit 109 is higher than the detection temperature of the second boiling detection unit 110. It may be low. In this case, when the hot water in the tank 101 boils, the boiling is detected faster than the second boiling detection unit 110.

In the normal operation of the hot water supply device 1, when the first boiling detection unit 109 detects boiling, the heating of the heater 106 is stopped, so that the boiling of the hot water in the tank 101 is stopped and the second boiling detection unit 110 starts boiling. It does not detect. Only when the first boiling detection unit 109 cannot detect the boiling of hot water in the tank 101 for some reason, the second boiling detection unit 110 detects boiling, the bimetal thermostat is cut off, and the power supply to the heater 106 is physical. Is blocked. That is, the second boiling detection unit 110 does not operate in the normal operation of the hot water supply device 1, but serves as a safety device in the event of an abnormality, that is, when the first boiling detection unit 109 does not operate.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the partition plate 112 is a plate-shaped member provided in the tank 101. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the outlet 1052 of the water supply pipe 105 is arranged so as to be below the tank 101 with respect to the partition plate 112. Further, the lower end of the heat generating portion 1062 of the heater 106 is arranged so as to be located on the upper side by a predetermined distance (for example, 5 mm) from the partition plate 112.

With such a configuration, the water supplied by the water supply unit 104 is discharged from the outlet 1052 of the water supply pipe 105 to the lower side of the partition plate 112 in the tank 101. Therefore, the water existing below the partition plate 112 in the tank 101 is less likely to be heated by the heat generating portion 1062 of the heater 106 due to the presence of the partition plate 112, and thus is kept at a relatively low temperature. On the other hand, in the tank 101, above the partition plate 112, there is a relatively high temperature hot water heated by the heat generating portion 1062 of the heater 106. In the following, the hot water existing above the partition plate 112 in the tank 101 may be simply referred to as the hot water in the tank 101. Further, the water existing in the tank 101 below the partition plate 112 may be simply described as the water in the tank 101.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the partition plate 112 may be provided with a hole or an opening. The holes and openings provided in the partition plate 112 are not limited to the positions and shapes illustrated in FIG. 3, and for example, openings may be provided on both sides of the partition plate 112.

The partition plate 112 is provided at a position close to the bottom surface of the tank 101 between the lower limit water level of the tank 101 and the bottom surface of the tank 101. Depending on the position of the partition plate 112, the amount of hot water existing above the partition plate 112 is larger than that of water existing below the partition plate 112. Specifically, for example, the partition plate 112 is arranged so that the capacity above the partition plate 112 of the tank 101 is 5.5 liters and the capacity below the partition plate 112 is about 2.0 liters.

The first water temperature detection unit 113 and the second water temperature detection unit 114 are temperature sensors, detect the temperature of hot water or water in the tank 101, and transmit it to the control unit 130 described later. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sensor unit of the first water temperature detection unit 113 is above the partition plate 112 of the tank 101, and the sensor unit of the second water temperature detection unit 114 is below the partition plate 112 of the tank 101. , Each is arranged. Therefore, the first water temperature detecting unit 113 detects the temperature of the hot water existing above the partition plate 112 in the tank 101 (hereinafter referred to as the hot water temperature), and the second water temperature detecting unit 114 detects the temperature of the hot water existing above the partition plate 112 in the tank 101, and the second water temperature detecting unit 114 in the tank 101 The temperature of water existing below (hereinafter referred to as water temperature) is detected.

The water intake port 115 is an opening for taking in hot water in the tank 101, and the water intake pipe 116 is connected to the water intake port 115. The water intake port 115 is arranged below the lower limit water level of the tank 101 and sufficiently above the partition plate 112. As a result, the temperature of the hot water taken from the water intake port 115 becomes substantially equal to the hot water temperature detected by the first water temperature detecting unit 113. A pump 117 is provided near the intake port 115 of the water intake pipe 116. The pump 117 operates under the control of the control unit 130, sucks out the hot water in the tank 101, and transfers the hot water to the pouring unit 200 through the tube 300 connected to the downstream side of the intake pipe 116.

A flow meter 118 is provided on the downstream side (tube 300 side) of the water intake pipe 116 from the pump 117. The flow meter 118 transmits information regarding the flow rate of hot water flowing through the intake pipe 116 to the control unit 130. For example, hot water flowing through the water intake pipe 116 flows to the flow meter 118, and pulse information is transmitted to the control unit 130 for each predetermined amount of hot water.

A three-way valve 119 is provided on the downstream side of the water intake pipe 116 from the flow meter 118. The three-way valve 119 connects the upstream side and the downstream side of the intake pipe 116 and the stirring pipe 120. The three-way valve 119 is, for example, a solenoid valve, and changes the flow path under the control of the control unit 130. Specifically, when the stirring pipe 120 side of the three-way valve 119 is closed by the control of the control unit 130, a flow path that flows from the upstream side to the downstream side of the intake pipe 116 is formed. On the other hand, when the downstream side of the water intake pipe 116 in the three-way valve 119 is closed by the control of the control unit 130, a flow path is formed from the stirring pipe 120 through the three-way valve 119 to the upstream side of the water intake pipe 116. As a configuration for changing the flow path of the hot water flowing through the intake pipe 116, solenoid valves may be provided on the upstream side, the downstream side, and the stirring pipe 120 of the intake pipe 116 instead of the three-way valve 119. .. In this case, the flow path is changed by the control unit 130 (see FIG. 5) controlling each of the three solenoid valves.

The stirring pipe 120 is a tubular member having one connected to the three-way valve 119 and the other connected to the lower side of the partition plate 112 of the tank 101.

<Operation of hot water storage unit 100>
Next, the operation of each configuration of the hot water storage unit 100 will be described. Each configuration of the hot water storage unit 100 described above operates under the control of the control unit 130. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a control block of the hot water storage unit 100.

The control unit 130 is a control block for controlling the operation of each configuration of the hot water storage unit 100. Although not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the control unit 130 is provided inside the hot water storage unit 100. The control unit 130 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which a control program is stored, a working memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The CPU reads a control program from the ROM, expands it into the RAM, and controls the operation of each configuration of the hot water storage unit 100 in cooperation with the expanded control program.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 130 includes a float switch 103, a first boiling detection unit 109, a first water temperature detection unit 113, a second water temperature detection unit 114, a flow meter 118, an operation unit 131 to be described later, and an operation unit 131 to be described later. The operation of the water supply unit 104, the heater 106, the pump 117, and the three-way valve 119 is controlled by using at least one of the information transmitted from the control unit 240 of the injection unit 200. Hereinafter, the control performed by the control unit 130 according to each information will be described.

[Control regarding water level]
The control unit 130 refers to the upper limit water level detection result from the upper limit water level switch 1031 of the float switch 103, and receives the water supply by the water supply unit 104 depending on whether or not the current water level in the tank 101 is the upper limit water level. Decide whether or not.

Specifically, the control unit 130 stops the operation of the water supply unit 104 and detects the upper limit water level because the inside of the tank 101 is the upper limit water level while receiving the upper limit water level detection result from the upper limit water level switch 1031. When the result is no longer received, the hot water in the tank 101 is no longer at the upper limit water level, so the water supply unit 104 is controlled to supply water.

With such control, when the water level in the tank 101 drops from the upper limit water level, for example, when the hot water in the tank 101 is transferred to the pouring unit 200, water is supplied into the tank 101 by the water supply unit 104. Therefore, the water level in the tank 101 is always maintained at the upper limit water level.

[Control regarding hot water transfer]
The control unit 130 controls the pump 117 based on the hot water supply instruction information received from the control unit 240 of the pouring unit 200 to transfer the hot water in the tank 101 to the pouring unit 200. The hot water supply instruction information includes information on the amount of hot water requested by the pouring unit 200, and the control unit 130 receives from the flow meter 118 to transfer the requested amount of hot water. Pump 117 is controlled using information about the flow rate through 116. The details of the hot water supply instruction information will be described in the description of the dispensing unit 200. In the present embodiment, the discharge direction of the pump 117 when the pump 117 transfers hot water from the intake port 115 to the pouring portion 200 through the water intake pipe 116 and the tube 300 is referred to as a forward direction.

By such control, the hot water required in the pouring section 200 is transferred to the pouring section 200 in just proportion.

Here, after the hot water is transferred from the hot water storage unit 100 to the pouring unit 200, the hot water remains in the tube 300. It suffices if the hot water requests in the dispensing section 200 are continuous, but if this is not the case, the hot water remaining in the tube 300 will cool down, and the next time coffee is extracted in the dispensing section 200, A situation may occur in which the temperature of the hot water obtained in the dispensing section 200 drops.

In order to prevent such a situation, in the hot water supply device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the hot water remaining in the tube 300 is discharged after a predetermined time elapses after the hot water is transferred from the hot water storage unit 100 to the pouring unit 200. Control is performed to return to the hot water storage unit 100. The details of the control for returning the hot water remaining in the tube 300 to the hot water storage unit 100 will be described later.

[Control regarding preheating of tube 300]
The control unit 130 controls the pump 117 based on the preheating instruction information to be described later received from the control unit 240 of the pouring unit 200 to transfer a predetermined amount of hot water in the tank 101 into the tube 300. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the hot water is cooled when the hot water is transferred from the hot water storage section 100 to the pouring section 200 via the tube 300. The details of the control regarding the preheating of the tube 300 will be described later.

[Control regarding the temperature of hot water in the tank 101]
The control of the control unit 130 regarding the temperature of the hot water in the tank 101 differs depending on whether or not the set temperature is set lower than the boiling point. The set temperature is the temperature at which the hot water in the tank 101 should be maintained. The set temperature is set by the control unit 130 based on the desired temperature information transmitted from the injection unit 200. The desired temperature information is information regarding the temperature of hot water obtained on the side of the pouring unit 200, which is desired by the user of the hot water supply device 1. The control unit 130 stores the set temperature in a memory or the like (not shown). The details of the control for setting the temperature of the hot water in the tank 101 based on the desired temperature information transmitted from the dispensing unit 200 will be described later.

The operation unit 131 is, for example, an input device such as a button, a switch, or a touch panel provided on the outer surface of the hot water storage unit 100 (not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3). Alternatively, the operation unit 131 may be capable of communicating with the control unit 130 by wire or wireless communication like a remote control switch, and may be configured to be separable from the main body of the hot water storage unit 100. The operation unit 131 receives, for example, an operation input by the user of the hot water supply device 1, and transmits the operation information regarding the content of the operation input to the control unit 130. Specifically, the content of the operation input received by the operation unit 131 is, for example, the set temperature of the hot water in the tank 101 or the extraction of coffee when the hot water in the tank 101 is lower than the set temperature (the hot water is not boiling). It is a lower limit temperature or the like for stopping the transfer of hot water to the pouring section 200 because it is impossible.

(1) When the set temperature is not set lower than the boiling point When the set temperature is not set lower than the boiling point, in other words, the set temperature is not set or the set temperature is set to a temperature higher than the boiling point. If so, the control unit 130 performs the following control. The case where the set temperature is set to a temperature equal to or higher than the boiling point occurs when the boiling point drops due to a change in atmospheric pressure, for example, when the water heater 1 is installed at a high place. This is the case when the boiling point is 95 ° C. and the set temperature is 97 ° C. or the like.

The control unit 130 receives from the first water temperature detection unit 113 the temperature (hot water temperature) of the hot water existing above the partition plate 112 in the tank 101, and determines whether or not the received hot water temperature is lower than the set temperature. To do. When the received hot water temperature is lower than the set temperature, the heater 106 is controlled until the hot water temperature in the tank 101 reaches the set temperature to perform heating. Even when the set temperature is not set, the control unit 130 similarly controls the heater 106 to perform heating.

Here, since the case where the set temperature is not set or the set temperature is set higher than the boiling point is described, the hot water temperature in the tank 101 becomes the boiling point by continuously heating the heater 106. Exceeds and boils.

When the temperature of the first boiling detection unit 109 provided in the overflow pipe 108 becomes a predetermined temperature (for example, 83 ° C.) or higher, the control unit 130 determines that the hot water in the tank 101 is boiling. Here, when the first boiling detection unit 109 determines that the hot water in the tank 101 is boiling, the control unit 130 notifies the control unit 240 of the pouring unit 200 that the hot water in the tank 101 has boiled. You may try to do it.

When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 1092 of the first boiling detection unit 109 is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit 130 determines that the hot water in the tank 101 is boiling, controls the heater 106, and controls the tank 101. Stop heating the hot water inside. Further, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 1092 of the first boiling detection unit 109 is less than a predetermined temperature, the control unit 130 does not determine that the hot water in the tank 101 is boiling and operates the heater 106. And heat the hot water in the tank 101.

That is, the control unit 130 controls the heater 106 so that when it is determined that the hot water in the tank 101 is not boiling, the hot water is always heated, and when it is determined that the hot water is boiling, the heating is stopped. By such control, the hot water in the tank 101 frequently repeats a boiling state and a non-boiling state, and the hot water temperature is maintained at the temperature immediately before boiling. With such a configuration, it is possible to keep the hot water in the tank 101 as high as possible while avoiding the danger of the hot water in the tank 101 continuing to boil.

When, for example, the first boiling detection unit 109 cannot detect the boiling of hot water in the tank 101 due to a failure of the first boiling detection unit 109, a disconnection between the first boiling detection unit 109 and the control unit 130, or the like. The second boiling detection unit 110 detects boiling and forcibly stops the heater 106. Specifically, as described above, when the temperature of the excess water or steam in the overflow pipe 108 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the second boiling detection unit 110 sends the heater 106 regardless of the control of the control unit 130. Physically cut off the power supply. Then, once the temperature of the excess water or steam in the overflow pipe 108 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature and the second boiling detection unit 110 is cut off, the hot water in the tank 101 by the heater 106 is not restored unless it is restored by the user of the hot water supply device 1. The heating is not performed, and the situation where the hot water in the tank 101 continues to boil is preferably avoided.

In this way, when the set temperature is not set lower than the boiling point, the control unit 130 controls so that the hot water in the tank 101 is kept as high as possible (close to the boiling point).

(2) When a set temperature lower than the boiling point is set When a set temperature lower than the boiling point is set, specifically, when the boiling point is 100 ° C and the set temperature is 97 ° C, control is performed. The unit 130 performs the following control.

The control unit 130 receives from the first water temperature detection unit 113 the temperature (hot water temperature) of the hot water existing above the partition plate 112 in the tank 101, and determines whether or not the received hot water temperature is lower than the set temperature. To do. When the received hot water temperature is lower than the set temperature, the control unit 130 controls the heater 106 until the hot water temperature in the tank 101 reaches the set temperature to perform heating. On the other hand, the control unit 130 stops the heating of the heater 106 when the received hot water temperature is equal to or higher than the set temperature.

Then, when the received hot water temperature is equal to or higher than the set temperature, the control unit 130 controls to lower the temperature of the hot water existing above the partition plate 112 by using the water existing below the partition plate 112.

Specifically, the control unit 130 operates the pump 117 in the opposite direction, closes the downstream side of the intake pipe 116 of the three-way valve 119, and agitates the water existing below the partition plate 112. It is sucked up through and flows to the upstream side of the intake pipe 116. As a result, the relatively low-temperature water existing below the partition plate 112 is supplied from the intake port 115 into the relatively high-temperature hot water above the partition plate 112 in the tank 101.

The control unit 130 supplies a relatively low temperature to the tank 101 based on the set temperature, the hot water temperature received from the first water temperature detection unit 113, and the water temperature received from the second water temperature detection unit 114. Calculate the amount of water. This calculation method is not particularly limited in the present embodiment. Then, the control unit 130 controls the pump 117 so as to supply the relatively low temperature water into the tank 101 by the calculated amount while referring to the flow rate of the water flowing through the intake pipe 116 received from the flow meter 118. ..

By such control, the water existing below the partition plate 112 is transferred from the intake port 115 to the layer of hot water existing above the partition plate 112 in the tank 101, so that relatively low temperature water is released. , It is mixed with relatively high temperature hot water, and the temperature of the hot water existing above the partition plate 112 is lowered. As a result, the temperature of the hot water existing above the partition plate 112 is adjusted to the set temperature.

<Explanation of dispensing section 200>
Next, the dispensing unit 200 will be described. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the dispensing portion 200. As shown in FIG. 6, the pouring section 200 includes a superstructure 201, two columns 202 and 203, a base 204, a dripper stand 205, an operation section 206, a hot water supply availability switch 207, a drain port 208, a drain groove 209, and a nozzle. It has a unit 210. In the following description of the dispensing section 200, as shown in FIG. 6, the front side of the dispensing section 200 in FIG. 6 is defined as the front, the right side is the right side, and the upper side is the top side.

As shown in FIG. 6, the dispensing portion 200 is a gate in which two columns 202 and 203 are provided at substantially the left and right ends of the base 204, and a superstructure 201 is provided at the upper ends of the two columns. It has a shape like. Nozzle units 210 for spraying hot water are provided near the center of the left and right sides of the superstructure 201.

A dripper stand 205 is provided near the upper and lower centers of the two columns 202 and 203. A circular hole is provided in the center of the dripper base 205, and a funnel-shaped dripper 2051 (see FIGS. 10A and 10B described later) is arranged. Although it is described in the present embodiment that the dispensing section 200 includes the dripper 2051, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the dispensing section 200 does not have to include the dripper 2051. Any dripper can be used as long as it has a funnel shape that is fitted and fixed in the hole of the dripper base 205.

The operation unit 206 is an input device such as a button, a switch, or a touch panel, and receives an operation input of the user of the hot water supply device 1. Specifically, the contents of the operation input received by the operation unit 206 are the specification of the amount of hot water sprayed from the nozzle unit 210, the temperature of the hot water desired by the user (the temperature of the hot water sprayed from the nozzle unit 210: hereinafter. , A desired temperature), and instructions for preheating the tube 300 so that the hot water transferred from the hot water storage unit 100 is not cooled by the tube 300. The control unit 240 is set by the user on, for example, a display unit 227 (see FIG. 11, not shown in FIGS. 6 and 7) provided on the outer surface of the injection unit 200 so that the user can confirm the desired temperature. The desired temperature and the current set temperature (the temperature at which the hot water in the tank 101 should be maintained) may be displayed. Further, when the set temperature is changed based on the desired temperature, the control unit 240 may notify that the set temperature has been changed. Further, the control unit 240 may notify that the hot water in the tank 101 has boiled when the control unit 130 of the hot water storage unit 100 notifies that the hot water in the tank 101 has boiled. The operation unit 206 transmits the operation information regarding the contents of the received operation input to the control unit 240, which will be described later.

The hot water supply availability switch 207 is, for example, an on / off switch, and is a switch for setting whether or not hot water can be supplied from the nozzle unit 210 in the pouring unit 200. The hot water supply availability switch 207 is an example of the supply availability setting unit of the present disclosure. That is, when the hot water supply enable / disable switch 207 is off, the pouring unit 200 does not pour hot water from the nozzle unit 210 at all regardless of the operation input of the user of the hot water supply device 1 to the operating unit 206.

The drain port 208 has a hole-shaped structure provided directly below the hole of the dripper base 205, and is covered with a lid having a gap for passing hot water as shown in FIG. Although not shown, when the dripper 2051 is arranged on the dripper stand 205 to extract coffee, a beverage container (cup or the like) is placed on the lid of the drain port 208, and the extracted coffee is used as the beverage container. Is injected into. The drain port 208, for example, allows hot water spilled from the nozzle unit 210 or the dripper stand 205 to flow into the drain groove 209. The drainage groove 209 is a groove for discharging hot water spilled from the drainage port 208.

The nozzle unit 210 sprays hot water on the ground coffee beans placed in the dripper 2051 (see FIG. 10A described later) arranged in the hole of the dripper base 205, which will be described in detail later. As a result, coffee is extracted.

The tube 300 connected to the hot water storage unit 100 is connected to the pouring unit 200 to transfer hot water from the hot water storage unit 100. The position of the dispensing portion 200 to which the tube 300 is connected is not particularly limited in the present disclosure, but may be connected to the rear surface side of the base 204, for example, as shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view for explaining the internal structure of the superstructure 201, the support column 203, and the base 204 of the dispensing portion 200. In FIG. 7, the outer walls of the superstructure 201, the columns 203, and the base 204 are seen through. In FIG. 7, contrary to FIG. 6, the dispensing portion 200 is viewed from the rear side.

A motor 221 is provided directly below the support column 203 on the base 204. The motor 221 is arranged so that the rotation axis is parallel to the vertical direction of the dispensing portion 200. One end of a shaft 222 arranged inside the support column 203 is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 221. The other end of the shaft 222 is connected to the center of rotation of the pulley 223 provided in the superstructure 201. A belt 224 is hung on the pulley 223 and the pulley 225 arranged near the center of the superstructure 201. A nozzle head support portion 230, which will be described later, is provided at the center of the pulley 225. The motor 221 rotates under the control of the control unit 240, which will be described later.

With such a configuration, when the motor 221 rotates, the pulley 223 rotates via the shaft 222, and the rotation of the pulley 223 is transmitted to the pulley 225 by the belt 224. As a result, the nozzle head 231 (details will be described later) supported by the nozzle head support portion 230 rotates. The nozzle head support portion 230 and the nozzle head 231 correspond to the nozzle unit 210 described above.

A hot water supply pipe 226 passing through the inside of the superstructure 201 and the support column 202 (not shown in the hot water supply pipe 226 inside the support column 202) is connected to the nozzle head 231. The hot water supply pipe 226 is connected to the tube 300 and transfers the hot water transferred from the hot water storage unit 100 to the nozzle head 231.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle head support portion 230 and the nozzle head 231 (that is, the nozzle unit 210) provided near the center of the superstructure 201. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the left-right direction of FIG. 7 near the center of the superstructure 201.

As shown in FIG. 8, a circular hole is formed in the center of the pulley 225, and the pulley 225 rotates around the center of the hole. A nozzle head support portion 230 that connects the hot water supply pipe 226 and the nozzle head 231 so as to be able to communicate with each other is arranged in the hole of the pulley 225. The nozzle head support portion 230 rotates integrally with the pulley 225.

More specifically, the nozzle head support portion 230 is formed in a tubular shape and is arranged inside the superstructure 201 so that the lower side of the tube is exposed to the outside from a bearing 232 provided on the lower surface of the superstructure 201. One end of the hot water supply pipe 226 is fitted from the upper end of the nozzle head support portion 230 to the middle of the pipe. A part of the nozzle head 231 (convex portion 2311 described later) is detachably screwed and fixed from the middle to the lower end of the pipe of the nozzle head support portion 230. A seal member 2261 such as an O-ring is provided near one end of the hot water supply pipe 226 to prevent leakage. Similarly, the sealing member 2315 is also provided on the convex portion 2311 of the nozzle head 231.

With such a configuration, when the nozzle head 231 is mounted on the nozzle head support portion 230, hot water is supplied into the nozzle head 231 by the hot water supply pipe 226. Further, when the pulley 225 is rotated by the rotation of the motor 221 the pulley 225, the nozzle head support portion 230, and the nozzle head 231 screwed into the nozzle head support portion 230 are integrally rotated. The center of rotation of the nozzle head 231 coincides with the center of the dripper 2051 arranged on the dripper base 205.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the nozzle head 231. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal direction of the nozzle head 231. The convex portion 2311 on the upper side of the nozzle head 231 in FIG. 9 is a portion screwed into the nozzle head support portion 230 and is formed in a tubular shape. The convex portion 2311 is provided at a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle head 231.

The nozzle head main body 2312 is formed in a tubular shape in which one end (right side in FIG. 9) is released and the other end (left side in FIG. 9) is sealed. A hole 2313 is provided on the lower surface of the nozzle head body 2312 near the sealed end. Although FIG. 9 illustrates the case where the number of holes 2313 is 3, the number of holes is not particularly limited in the present disclosure.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, a plug 2314 is screwed into the released other end of the nozzle head main body 2312, and is fixed by, for example, a screw. The stopper 2314 is provided with a seal member 2316 to prevent leakage.

With such a configuration, when the convex portion 2311 is screwed into the nozzle head support portion 230 and hot water is supplied from the hot water supply pipe 226, the hot water that has passed through the inside of the convex portion 2311 and the nozzle head main body 2312 is external from the hole 2313. Is sprayed on. The hot water sprayed from the hole 2313 is poured into the dripper 2051 arranged in the hole of the dripper stand 205 described later.

Since the hole 2313 of the nozzle head 231 is provided near one end of the sealed nozzle head main body 2312 as shown in FIG. 9, the nozzle head 231 is moved to the nozzle head support portion 230 by the rotation of the motor 221. When it rotates together with the hole 2313, the position where the hot water sprayed from the hole 2313 is poured also rotates.

Further, the nozzle head 231 can be removed from the nozzle head support portion 230, and when the stopper 2314 is pulled out with the nozzle head 231 removed from the nozzle head support portion 230, the tubular inner wall surface of the nozzle head main body 2312 is removed. It can be easily washed with a rod-shaped cleaning tool (not shown) or the like.

10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the hot water sprayed from the nozzle head 231. FIG. 10A shows a cross section along a vertical line (vertical line in FIGS. 6 and 7) passing through the center of rotation of the nozzle head 231.

As shown in FIG. 10A, each configuration is arranged so that the center of the nozzle head 231 and the center of the hole provided in the dripper base 205 coincide with each other. Further, the hole 2313 of the nozzle head 231 is provided so that the hot water sprayed from the nozzle head 231 is poured into the inside of the funnel-shaped dripper 2051 arranged in the hole of the dripper base 205. More preferably, the hot water sprayed from the outermost hole of the hole 2313 of the nozzle head 231 is dropped directly onto the ground coffee beans placed in the dripper 2051 instead of on the wall surface portion of the dripper 2051. It is desirable that the hole 2313 of the nozzle head 231 is provided so as to be provided.

When the nozzle head 231 is rotated by the rotation of the motor 221, the locus of the hot water sprayed from the hole 2313 is as shown in FIG. 10B. FIG. 10B is a view of the trajectory of the hot water poured into the dripper 2051 as viewed from above the dripper 2051. The outermost circle of the concentric circles shown in FIG. 10B is the upper edge of the funnel shape of the dripper 2051, and the three inner circles are from each of the three holes 2313 of the nozzle head 231 illustrated in FIG. It shows the trajectory of the hot water sprayed. As shown in FIG. 10B, the hot water sprayed from the nozzle head 231 is concentrically poured into the inside of the dripper 2051. Therefore, hot water is evenly and evenly poured into the ground beans (coffee beans) prepared in advance in the dripper 2051, so that high-quality coffee is extracted.

<Operation of the dispenser 200>
Next, the operation of the dispensing section 200 when the user of the hot water supply device 1 tries to brew coffee using the dispensing section 200 will be described.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a control block of the dispensing unit 200. As shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 240 of the pouring unit 200 controls the motor 221 and the display unit 227 based on the operation information transmitted from the operation unit 206 and the on / off of the hot water supply availability switch 207. .. The display unit 227 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or a 7-segment display, and notifies the user of the display based on the control of the control unit 240. The display unit 227 is an example of the notification unit and the display unit of the present disclosure.

Further, the control unit 240 relates to hot water supply instruction information for requesting hot water transfer and the temperature of hot water sprayed from the nozzle unit 210 of the pouring unit 200 based on the operation information transmitted from the operation unit 206. The desired temperature information, which is information, is transmitted to the control unit 130 of the hot water storage unit 100.

Hereinafter, the contents of the operation input performed to the operation unit 206 and the operation of the control unit 240 will be specifically described.

[Control regarding preheating of tube 300]
When the user preheats the tube 300 so that the hot water transferred from the hot water storage unit 100 does not cool while passing through the tube 300 before brewing coffee using the pouring unit 200, the operation unit 206 is used. The preheating instruction operation of the tube 300 is performed through the tube 300. Then, the operation unit 206 transmits information to the effect that the preheating instruction has been made to the control unit 240. Upon receiving the information that the preheating instruction has been given, the control unit 240 generates the preheating instruction information instructing the preheating of the tube 300 and transmits it to the control unit 130 of the hot water storage unit 100. In response to this, the control unit 130 of the hot water storage unit 100 controls the preheating of the tube 300, which will be described later, to preheat the tube 300.

The hot water used for preheating the tube 300 may be discarded, for example, from the drain port 208 through the drain groove 209, or may be used for preheating the beverage container. When hot water is used for preheating the beverage container, the hot water in the beverage container may be discarded before the coffee is brewed by the user.

[Operation of supplying hot water from the nozzle unit 210]
When brewing coffee using the pouring unit 200, the user operates the operating unit 206 to specify the amount of hot water required for extraction. Specifically, for example, the operation unit 206 has an operation button for designating the amount of hot water such as "large", "medium", and "small", and the amount of coffee beans used by the user and the size of the beverage container can be adjusted. When the corresponding operation button is operated, the operation unit 206 transmits information indicating the requested amount of hot water to the control unit 240.

Upon receiving the information indicating the requested amount of hot water, the control unit 240 generates hot water supply instruction information for instructing the hot water storage unit 100 to supply hot water, and transmits the hot water supply instruction information to the control unit 130 of the hot water storage unit 100. In response to this, the control unit 130 of the hot water storage unit 100 controls the transfer of hot water described above.
Hot water is transferred from the hot water storage unit 100 to the pouring unit 200.

The hot water transferred to the pouring section 200 through the tube 300 is transferred to the nozzle unit 210 via the hot water supply pipe 226. The transfer of hot water from the hot water storage unit 100 to the pouring unit 200 via the tube 300 and the transfer of hot water from the tube 300 via the hot water supply pipe 226 are performed by the pump 117 of the hot water storage unit 100.

When the user performs an operation of designating the amount of hot water for the operation unit 206, the control unit 240 rotates the motor 221 at a predetermined rotation speed. By such control, the rotational torque of the motor 221 is transmitted to the nozzle unit 210 via the shaft 222, the pulley 223, the belt 224, and the pulley 225, and the nozzle head 231 rotates at a predetermined rotation speed. As a result, hot water is poured into the ground coffee beans prepared in advance in the dripper 2051 by the user, and the coffee is extracted and accumulated in the beverage container.

<Detailed explanation of control to return the hot water remaining in the tube 300 to the hot water storage unit 100>
The configuration and operation of the hot water supply device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure have been described above. Hereinafter, the control of returning the hot water remaining in the tube 300 to the hot water storage unit 100 after the hot water is transferred from the hot water storage unit 100 to the pouring unit 200 will be described in more detail.

[Details of control]
When the control unit 130 of the hot water storage unit 100 receives the hot water supply instruction information from the hot water supply unit 200, as described above, the control unit 130 controls the pump 117 to suck out the requested amount of hot water from the tank 101 and inject it through the tube 300. Transfer to the exit 200.

The control unit 130 determines the amount of transferred hot water based on the information regarding the flow rate flowing through the intake pipe 116 received from the flow meter 118, and stops the pump 117 when the requested amount of hot water is transferred. At this point, the hot water existing in the tube 300 remains in the tube 300.

The control unit 130 measures the time since the pump 117 that was operated for the previous transfer to the pouring unit 200 was stopped, and the state in which the hot water remained in the tube 300 continued for a predetermined time. In this case, the pump 117 is operated in the opposite direction to return the hot water remaining in the tube 300 to the tank 101 through the water intake pipe 116 and the water intake port 115. The predetermined time may be, for example, about 1 to 2 minutes during which the hot water in the tube 300 does not cool down.

When the hot water remaining in the tube 300 is controlled to be returned to the tank 101 in this way, the water level in the tank 101 rises due to the returned hot water. Further, when the hot water in the tube 300 has already cooled, the temperature of the hot water in the tank 101 decreases. In such a case, the state of the hot water in the tank 101 is preferably adjusted by controlling the water level in the tank 101 and controlling the temperature of the hot water in the tank 101 as described above.

In the above description, the time since the pump 117 that was operated for the previous transfer to the dispensing unit 200 is stopped is measured, and the state in which the hot water remains in the tube 300 continues for a predetermined time. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, although the control for returning the hot water remaining in the tube 300 to the inside of the tank 101 has been described. For example, when the control unit 130 finishes transferring the amount of hot water requested from the pouring unit 200, the hot water remaining in the tube 300 may be returned to the tank 101 each time.

<Details of control regarding hot water transfer considering the amount of hot water remaining in the tube 300>
When the control unit 130 receives the next hot water supply instruction information from the injection unit 200 between the time when the pump 117 operated for transfer to the injection unit 200 is stopped and the predetermined time elapses. , The process related to the transfer of hot water must be performed in consideration of the amount of hot water remaining in the tube 300. For this purpose, it is necessary to accurately grasp the internal volume of the tube 300. Hereinafter, the process of grasping the internal volume of the tube 300 will be described.

[Calculation processing of internal volume of tube 300]
The process described below is performed when the installation locations of the hot water storage section 100 and the hot water supply section 200 of the hot water supply device 1 are determined and these are connected by the tube 300. That is, it is performed at a stage before coffee is actually extracted at the pouring unit 200 using the hot water of the hot water storage unit 100.

The amount of hot water transferred from the tank 101 to the pouring unit 200 by the pump 117 is measured by the flow meter 118 as described above. Specifically, for example, the flow meter 118 is a pulse transmission type flow meter, and transmits a pulse signal to the control unit 130 every time a predetermined amount of hot water flows.

Based on the above, the following processing is performed. In the following calculation, for the sake of simplification of the explanation, the calculation of the internal volume of the tube 300 will be performed, but strictly speaking, the calculation is performed from the flow meter 118 to the nozzle head 231 via the tube 300. Means the internal volume up to.
(1) Calculation process 1
First, in order to empty the tube 300, the control unit 130 controls, for example, to operate the pump 117 in the opposite direction to return the hot water in the tube 300 to the tank 101. Next, the control unit 130 controls the pump 117 so as to transfer hot water for a predetermined number of pulses pls 1 minute from the tank 101 to the pouring unit 200. Then, the user of the hot water supply device 1 measures the amount of hot water sprayed from the nozzle unit 210 of the pouring unit 200 by another means. It is assumed that this measurement result is wt1 (ml).

Next, the tube 300 is emptied again, and the control unit 130 controls the pump 117 so that hot water for a predetermined number of pulses pls 2 minutes larger than pls 1 is transferred from the tank 101 to the pouring unit 200. Then, the user of the hot water supply device 1 measures the amount of hot water sprayed from the nozzle unit 210 of the pouring unit 200 by another means. It is assumed that this measurement result is wt2 (ml).

Assuming that the internal volume of the tube 300 is X (ml), the amount of hot water transferred by the pump 117 in the first operation is X + wt1, and the amount of hot water transferred by the pump 117 in the second operation is X + wt2.

In this case, the internal volume X of the tube 300 can be calculated by the following formula (1).
X = ((wt2-wt1) / (pls2-pls1) × pls1) -wt1 (1)

(2) Calculation process 2
First, with the tube 300 empty, the control unit 130 controls the pump 117 so that hot water for a predetermined number of pulses pls 1 minute is transferred from the tank 101 to the pouring unit 200. Then, the user of the hot water supply device 1 measures the amount of hot water wt1 sprayed from the nozzle unit 210 of the pouring unit 200 by another means.

Next, with the tube 300 filled with hot water, the control unit 130 controls the pump 117 so as to transfer hot water for 1 minute of the same pulse pls as in the above case from the tank 101 to the pouring unit 200. The user measures the amount of hot water wt2 sprayed from the nozzle unit 210 of the pouring unit 200 by another means.

The amount of hot water sprayed from the nozzle unit 210 of the pouring section 200 when the tube 300 is empty, and the amount of hot water sprayed from the nozzle unit 210 of the pouring section 200 when the tube 300 is full. The difference wt2-wt1 of is the internal volume X of the tube 300.

In the process of calculating the internal volume of the tube 300 as described above, for example, the user of the hot water supply device 1 determines the installation locations of the hot water storage section 100 and the hot water supply section 200 of the hot water supply device 1, and these are transferred to the tube 300. It is done at the stage of connecting. The user inputs the calculated internal volume of the tube 300 using, for example, the operation unit 131 of the hot water storage unit 100, and the control unit 130 stores the calculated internal volume of the tube 300 in a memory (not shown). I will do it.

[Details of control]
Using the internal volume of the tube 300 calculated in advance in this way, the control unit 130 controls the transfer of hot water in consideration of the amount of hot water remaining in the tube 300.

The control unit 130 measures the time since the pump 117 that was operated for the previous transfer to the pouring unit 200 was stopped, and the state in which the hot water remained in the tube 300 continued for a predetermined time. In this case, the hot water remaining in the tube 300 is controlled to be returned to the hot water storage unit 100. On the other hand, when the control unit 130 newly receives the hot water supply instruction information from the dispensing unit 200 before a predetermined time elapses after stopping the pump 117 that was operated for transfer to the dispensing unit 200 last time. , The following control is performed.

That is, if a predetermined time has not elapsed since the pump 117 that was operated for transfer to the dispensing unit 200 last time was stopped, hot water remains in the tube 300. In such a case, the control unit 130 controls the pump 117 so as to transfer the amount of hot water required in the hot water supply instruction information received from the pouring unit 200.

Further, when the control unit 130 finishes transferring the amount of hot water requested from the pouring unit 200 and returns the hot water remaining in the tube 300 to the tank 101 each time, the following control is performed. I do. The amount of hot water remaining in the tube 300 is not always equal to the internal volume of the tube 300. Therefore, the control unit 130 controls to return the hot water remaining in the tube 300 to the hot water storage unit 100 until the flow meter 118 idles and stops. However, in consideration of the case where an abnormality or failure occurs in the flow meter 118, the control unit 130 detects a flow rate of less than a predetermined ratio (for example, 10%) of the internal volume of the tube 300, for example, in the state where the flow meter 118 detects. When the flow meter 118 is stopped, it is determined that the flow meter 118 is abnormal or malfunctioning, and when the flow meter 118 detects, for example, a flow rate several times the internal volume of the tube, it is determined that a timeout has occurred.

[Control at power-on]
When the power of the hot water supply device 1 is turned on, the control unit 130 performs the following control assuming that hot water remains in the tube 300. When the power is turned on, the control unit 130 cannot determine whether or not hot water remains in the tube 300 when the power is turned off. Therefore, even if the hot water supply instruction information is received from the pouring unit 200, the hot water supply instruction information is sent to the pouring unit 200. No hot water for coffee extraction is transferred.

The control unit 130 controls the pump 117 to flow a larger amount of hot water than the internal volume of the tube 300 based on the operation when the user performs, for example, an operation of flushing the inside of the tube 300 with respect to the operation unit 131. I do. In order to prevent the situation where hot water is unintentionally discharged from the pouring unit 200, the control unit 130 does not execute the control to flush the inside of the tube 300 unless the user operates it. After that, the control unit 130 controls to return the hot water remaining in the tube 300 to the tank 101, and then receives the hot water supply instruction information from the pouring unit 200. In the initial state such as when shipped from the factory, the control unit 130 has a predetermined value set in advance as the internal volume of the tube 300. The predetermined value is, for example, the value of the internal volume of the tube 300, which is the largest in the product specifications.

<Details of control regarding preheating of tube 300>
Next, the control regarding the preheating of the tube 300 in the hot water storage unit 100 by the control unit 130 of the hot water storage unit 100 will be described in more detail.

[Purpose of control regarding preheating of tube 300]
When a predetermined time has elapsed since the pump 117 that was operated for the previous transfer to the pouring unit 200 was stopped by the control by the control unit 130 regarding the transfer of hot water as described above, the hot water in the tube 300 is discharged to the tank 101. It is returned to the inside and the inside of the tube 300 is emptied. In this state, the temperature of the tube 300 is lower than the temperature of the hot water in the tank 101, so that the hot water cools while passing through the tube 300 the next time the hot water is transferred to the pouring portion 200. Things can happen.

In order to prevent such a situation, in the present disclosure, the tube 300 is preheated when the user instructs the preheating. In the following, the control regarding the preheating of the tube 300 will be described in detail.

[Details of control]
Upon receiving the preheating instruction information from the pouring unit 200, the control unit 130 of the hot water storage unit 100 controls the preheating of the tube 300. Specifically, the control unit 130 preheats the tube 300 by, for example, the following method.

(1) First Method As the first method, the control unit 130 controls the pump 117 to flow a predetermined amount of hot water into the tube 300. The predetermined amount of hot water may be an amount that can sufficiently heat the entire tube 300, and is not particularly limited in the present disclosure.

In this first method, the hot water used to heat the tube 300 is discharged from the nozzle unit 210 of the pouring unit 200. The user of the hot water supply device 1 who has input an instruction to preheat the tube 300 to the control unit 240 of the dispensing unit 200 prepares, for example, a container for receiving the hot water used for preheating at the lower part of the nozzle unit 210. May be good. More preferably, the user may receive the hot water discharged from the nozzle unit 210 in the beverage container used for containing the coffee extracted after preheating the tube 300, and use the hot water for preheating the beverage container. .. When the user does not prepare the container, the hot water discharged from the nozzle unit 210 may be discarded from the drain port 208 through the drain groove 209.

(2) Second method As the second method, the control unit 130 controls the pump 117 to reach the end of the tube 300 as seen from the hot water storage unit 100, that is, the end on the pouring unit 200 side. There is a method of returning the hot water to the tank 101 when the hot water reaches the end on the side of the pouring portion 200. When this method is adopted, the hot water used for preheating is not discharged from the nozzle unit 210 of the pouring unit 200.

In this second method, the control unit 130 reads the internal volume of the tube 300 calculated by the calculation process of the internal volume of the tube 300 described above from the memory, and in a state where the tube 300 is empty, the tube 300 An amount of hot water equal to the internal volume is flowed through the tube 300 by operating the pump 117 in the forward direction. Then, when the flow meter 118 detects that an amount of hot water equal to the internal volume of the tube 300 has flowed to the tube 300 through the intake pipe 116, the control unit 130 operates the pump 117 in the opposite direction. The hot water in the tube 300 is returned to the tank 101. Although the case where an amount equal to the internal volume of the tube 300 is passed through the tube 300 has been described here, an amount different from the internal volume may be set, such as an amount smaller than the internal volume of the tube 300 by a predetermined amount.

With such control, the tube 300 can be preheated without discharging hot water from the nozzle unit 210 of the pouring unit 200. If sufficient preheating cannot be achieved by the hot water reciprocating in the tube 300 only once, the control unit 130 operates the pump 117 in the forward direction to enter the tube 300 in an amount equal to the internal volume of the tube 300. The pump 117 may be operated in the opposite direction to return the hot water in the tube 300 to the tank 101 a plurality of times.

(3) Third method As the third method, the tube 300 is used as a double tube having a double structure so that the tube 300 can be easily preheated and the hot water used for the preheating does not have to be discarded. , There is a method of taking a structure in which hot water for preheating flows to the outside of the double pipe.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the connection relationship between the hot water storage section 100, the pouring section 200, and the tube 300 when the tube 300 is a double tube. When the tube 300 is a double pipe, a three-way valve 301 is provided at the downstream end of the water intake pipe 116 of the hot water storage unit 100 and connected to the tube 300. The three-way valve 301 is, for example, a solenoid valve that operates in response to the control of the control unit 130, and is a flow path for flowing hot water transferred from the tank 101 through the intake pipe 116 to the outer pipe 302 of the double pipe of the tube 300. And the flow path to flow through the inner pipe 303.

When the control unit 130 preheats the tube 300, the three-way valve 301 is controlled to close the flow path to the inner pipe 303, so that the hot water reaches the outer pipe 302 of the tube 300 as shown in FIG. It flows. As a result, the tube 300 is preheated. As shown in FIG. 12, a return pipe for returning the hot water used for preheating to the tank 101 of the hot water storage unit 100 is located near the end of the tube 300 of the outer pipe 302 (the end on the pouring portion 200 side). 304 is connected.

On the other hand, when the control unit 130 transfers the hot water to the pouring unit 200, the hot water is a tube, although not shown, by controlling the three-way valve 301 to close the flow path to the outer pipe 302. It flows through the inner pipe 303 of 300. The end portion of the inner pipe 303 is connected to the hot water supply pipe 226 of the pouring portion 200, and with such a configuration, hot water is transferred to the pouring portion 200.

<Details of control for setting the temperature of hot water in the tank 101 based on the desired temperature information transmitted from the pouring unit 200>
Next, the control for setting the temperature (set temperature) of the hot water in the tank 101 based on the desired temperature information transmitted from the pouring unit 200 by the control unit 130 of the hot water storage unit 100 will be described in more detail. As described above, the desired temperature information is information on the temperature of hot water obtained on the side of the pouring unit 200, which is set by the user of the hot water supply device 1.

[Purpose of control for setting the temperature of hot water in the tank 101 based on the desired temperature information transmitted from the pouring unit 200]
As described above, the hot water supply device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be set at a position where the hot water storage unit 100 and the pouring unit 200 are separated from each other. Therefore, when the hot water storage unit 100 and the pouring unit 200 are installed at separate positions, the length of the tube 300 connecting the hot water storage unit 100 and the pouring unit 200 is set between the hot water storage unit 100 and the pouring unit 200. It is longer than the case where the 200 is arranged close to each other. Therefore, even if the user of the hot water supply device 1 sets the hot water temperature in the tank 101 of the hot water storage unit 100 to a desired temperature, the hot water temperature changes while passing through the tube 300, and the nozzle unit of the pouring unit 200 The temperature of the hot water sprayed from 210 may differ from the temperature desired by the user.

When such a situation occurs, the user of the hot water supply device 1 predicts in advance the cause of the hot water temperature dropping while the hot water is being transferred from the hot water storage section 100 to the nozzle unit 210 of the pouring section 200, and considers the amount of the drop. Then it was necessary to set the hot water temperature. If the user forgets the temperature to be lowered, the temperature of the hot water sprayed from the nozzle unit 210 is calculated from the hot water temperature of the tank 101, or the hot water sprayed from the nozzle unit 210 is separately used with a thermometer or the like. It will be necessary to measure and confirm the temperature directly.

An object of the present disclosure is to allow the user to directly set the temperature of the hot water sprayed from the nozzle unit 210 of the dispensing unit 200 in order to reduce such labor of the user. Hereinafter, the control of the temperature of the hot water in the tank 101 performed by the control unit 130 of the hot water storage unit 100 will be described in detail based on the temperature of the hot water sprayed from the nozzle unit 210 set by the user. The control described below is assumed when the temperature set by the user is lower than the boiling point.

[Details of control]
The internal volume X of the tube 300 is known in advance by the above-mentioned calculation process of the internal volume of the tube 300. The length plen of the tube 300 can be calculated by dividing the internal volume X of the tube 300 by the cross-sectional area calculated from the inner diameter r (known value) of the tube 300 as shown in the following equation (2). ..
plen = X / (π × r × r) (2)

The calculation process of the length plen of the tube 300 is performed when the installation locations of the hot water storage section 100 and the hot water supply section 200 of the hot water supply device 1 are determined and these are connected by the tube 300. That is, it is performed at a stage before coffee is actually extracted at the pouring unit 200 using the hot water of the hot water storage unit 100.

It is known that the length K of the tube 300, in which the temperature of the hot water drops by 1 ° C. when the hot water flows through the tube 300 which has cooled to room temperature, is determined by the material of the tube 300 or measured as an actually measured value. Is the value of. Hereinafter, this value is referred to as a 1 ° C. drop length K.

Based on the 1 ° C. drop length K, the length plen of the tube 300, and the desired temperature T input to the operation unit 206 of the injection unit 200, the control unit 130 is described as follows. The set temperature Ts, which is the temperature at which the hot water temperature in the tank 101 should be set, is calculated by the equation (3) of.
Ts = T + (plen / K) (3)

When the calculated set temperature Ts exceeds 100 ° C., the control unit 130 forcibly sets the set temperature Ts to 99 ° C., for example. Further, for example, the control unit 130 may subtract the maximum value of the desired temperature T that can be input by the operation unit 131 in advance by (plen / K).

Then, the control unit 130 controls the temperature of the hot water in the tank 101 described above so that the temperature becomes Ts, and controls so that the hot water temperature in the tank 101 becomes the set temperature.

If a factor other than the tube 300 for lowering the hot water temperature peculiar to the hot water supply device 1 is known, the set temperature may be calculated in consideration of the lowering temperature due to this factor.

When the set temperature is changed based on the desired temperature information as described above, the control unit 130 notifies the control unit 240 of the dispensing unit 200 that the set temperature has been changed. As a result, the control unit 240 can notify the user that the set temperature has been changed by using the display unit 227.

Further, the control unit 130 changes the set temperature when the control unit 240 of the pouring unit 200 notifies that the hot water supply availability switch 207 has been turned off after changing the set temperature based on the desired temperature information as described above. Reset the set temperature to the set temperature before the change. As a result, the set temperature is reset to the set temperature before the change each time the hot water supply availability switch 207 is turned on / off, so that it is possible to prevent a situation in which the set temperature is left as it is changed.

<Action / effect>
As described above, the hot water supply device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is connected to the hot water storage unit 100 having the tank 101 for storing hot water via the hot water storage unit 100 and the tube 300, and hot water of the hot water storage unit 100 is supplied. A hot water supply device having a pouring unit 200 for extracting a beverage by using the hot water storage unit 100 or the pouring unit 200 has an operation unit 131 (206) for receiving an operation by a user of the hot water supply device 1. The hot water storage unit 100 includes a heater 106 for heating the hot water in the tank 101, a desired temperature set by the user for the operation unit, which is the temperature of the hot water used for extracting the beverage in the pouring unit 200, and a desired temperature in advance. Based on the calculated temperature of hot water lowered by the tube 300 while being transferred from the hot water storage unit 100 to the pouring unit 200, the set temperature of the hot water in the tank 101 is calculated, and the hot water in the tank 101 is used. It has a control unit 130 that controls heating so as to reach a set temperature.

With such a configuration, even if the user of the hot water supply device 1 sets the hot water temperature in the tank 101 of the hot water storage unit 100 to a desired temperature, the hot water temperature changes while passing through the tube 300, and the pouring unit 200 It is possible to prevent a situation in which the temperature of the hot water sprayed from the nozzle unit 210 of the above is different from the temperature desired by the user.

Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modifications or modifications within the scope of the claims, which naturally belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure. Understood. In addition, each component in the above embodiment may be arbitrarily combined as long as it does not deviate from the purpose of disclosure.

In the above-described embodiment, the hot water storage unit 100 of the hot water supply device 1 warms the water and stores it as hot water, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The hot water supply device of the present disclosure can be applied to liquids other than water.

In the above-described embodiment, in the hot water storage section 100 of the hot water supply device 1, the hot water in the tank 101 is transferred to the pouring section 200 by using the pump 117. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and for example, the hot water supply device 1 has a different pouring section from the pouring section 200, and hot water is discharged by utilizing the head pressure in the tank. May be good. When the control unit 130 controls to return the hot water remaining in the tube 300 to the tank, the water level in the tank fluctuates depending on the internal volume of the tube 300, which affects the head pressure. Therefore, when the head pressure is used, it is desirable to return the hot water in the tube 300 to the tank after transferring the hot water from the hot water storage section 100 to the pouring section 200 without waiting for the elapse of a predetermined time.

In the above-described embodiment, the time since the control unit 130 of the hot water storage unit 100 stops the pump 117 that was operated for the previous transfer of hot water to the pouring unit 200 is measured, and the hot water is supplied to the tube 300. When the state remaining inside was continued for a predetermined time, the pump 117 was operated in the reverse direction to control the hot water in the tube 300 to be returned to the tank 101. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 130 determines in advance whether or not the internal volume of the tube 300 calculated by the calculation process of the internal volume of the tube 300 is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value, and the internal volume of the tube 300 is predetermined. If it is equal to or higher than the threshold value, the hot water in the tube 300 may be controlled to be returned to the tank 101 after the transfer of the hot water to the pouring unit 200 is completed. Such control affects the temperature of the hot water that is then transferred to the pouring unit 200 by cooling the hot water remaining in the tube 300 when the internal volume of the tube 300 is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value. Is considered to be relatively large.

In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 130 has described a method of forming the tube 300 into a double tube as a method of preheating the tube 300, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, while the tube 300 is a single tube, a three-way valve may be provided on the side of the pouring portion 200, and a return tube for returning hot water may be connected to the tank 101. With such a configuration, at the time of preheating, the three-way valve closes the flow path connected to the injection section 200 and opens the flow path to the return pipe, so that the hot water used for preheating is released by the return pipe. Return to the tank 101 on the hot water storage unit 100 side. Further, when the hot water is transferred from the hot water storage section 100 to the pouring section 200, the three-way valve closes the flow path to the return pipe and opens the flow path connected to the pouring section 200, thereby opening the pouring section. The transfer of hot water to 200 is carried out.

In the above-described embodiment, in the dispensing unit 200, the control unit 240 having the dispensing unit 200 controls each configuration such as the motor 221 is performed, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the pouring unit 200 may not have the control unit 240, and the control unit 130 of the hot water storage unit 100 may control all the configurations of the pouring unit 200.

In the above-described embodiment, in the nozzle unit 210 in the pouring portion 200, the nozzle head 231 is formed in a tubular shape and rotates, and hot water is sprayed from a hole 2313 provided near the end portion so as to draw a circular locus. However, this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a nozzle head that sprays hot water in a shower shape may be adopted.

In the above-described embodiment, the pouring unit 200 has a display unit 227, and the control unit 240 uses the display unit 227 to notify the user, but the hot water storage unit 100 has a display unit. Notification may be performed.

The present disclosure is useful for a hot water supply device that transfers hot water stored in a tank via a pipe.

1 Hot water supply device 100 Hot water storage section 101 Tank 1011 Tank body 1012 Top lid 102 Float 1021 Support rod 103 Float switch 1031 Upper limit water level switch 1032 Lower limit water level switch 104 Water supply section 105 Water supply pipe 1051 Inlet 1052 Outlet 106 Heater 1061 Non-heat generating section 1062 Water discharge port 108 Overflow pipe 109 1st boiling detection part 1091 Pipe part 1092 Temperature sensor 110 2nd boiling detection part 111 Surplus water tank 112 Partition plate 113 1st water temperature detection part 114 2nd water temperature detection part 115 Intake port 116 Intake pipe 117 Pump 118 Flowmeter 119 Three-way valve 120 Stirring pipe 130 Control unit 131 Operation unit 200 Injection unit 201 Superstructure 202 Strut 203 Strut 204 Base 205 Dripper stand 2051 Dripper 206 Operation unit 207 Hot water supply availability switch 208 Drain port 209 Unit 221 Motor 222 Shaft 223 Pulley 224 Belt 225 Pulley 226 Hot water supply piping 2261 Seal member 227 Display part 230 Nozzle head support part 231 Nozzle head 2311 Convex part 2312 Nozzle head body 2313 Hole 2314 Plug 2315 Seal member 2316 Seal member 232 300 Tube 301 Three-way valve 302 Outer pipe 303 Inner pipe 304 Return pipe

Claims (6)

A liquid storage unit that stores liquid and
The liquid storage unit is connected to the liquid storage unit via a pipe, and the liquid storage unit is connected to the liquid storage unit to discharge the liquid.
A pump that transfers the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit to the pouring unit, and
A control unit that controls the pump and
With
The control unit causes the pump to transfer the liquid a plurality of times, and the liquid storage unit is based on the difference in the amount of the liquid dispensed from the dispensing unit by the transfer. Determines the set temperature of the liquid stored in
Water heater. An operation unit that accepts a first operation for setting a desired temperature of the liquid discharged from the injection unit is further provided.
The control unit determines the set temperature based on the desired temperature and the difference.
The hot water supply device according to claim 1. The operation unit receives a second operation for inputting information regarding the amount of the liquid to be dispensed in the plurality of times.
The hot water supply device according to claim 2. The information regarding the pouring amount of the liquid for the plurality of times is information regarding the difference between the pouring amounts of the liquid for the plurality of times.
The hot water supply device according to claim 3. A liquid storage unit that stores liquid and
The liquid storage unit is connected to the liquid storage unit via a pipe, and the liquid storage unit is connected to the liquid storage unit to discharge the liquid.
A pump that transfers the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit to the pouring unit, and
A control unit that controls the pump and
With
The control unit causes the pump to transfer the liquid a plurality of times, and receives and inputs information regarding the amount of the liquid dispensed from the dispensing unit by the transfer for a plurality of times. The set temperature of the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit is determined based on the information regarding the pouring amount for the plurality of times.
Water heater. The information regarding the pouring amount of the liquid for the plurality of times is information regarding the difference between the pouring amounts of the liquid for the plurality of times.
The hot water supply device according to claim 5.

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