JPH0241735Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] This invention is used in cup-type beverage vending machines, and is used to sterilize the water supplied to the beverage cup and carbonator using a discharge-type ozone generator. Regarding sterilization equipment.

[Conventional technology]

The water circuit employed in this type of cup-type beverage vending machine will be explained with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, water supplied from a water pipe 1 through an electromagnetic valve 2 is filtered to remove impurities by a filter 3, and is sent to a reservoir 5 equipped with a float switch 4. The water in the reservoir 5 is always kept at a constant water level by opening and closing the electromagnetic valve 2 with a float switch 4, and is sterilized by a drinking water sterilizer 6, which will be described later. The sterilized water flows through a pipe 8 into the cooling cylinder of the ice maker 7 installed at a predetermined water level with respect to the reservoir 5, and is used for making ice, and also flows through a pipe 9 into a cooling cylinder installed in the middle thereof. The water is sent by a pump 10 to a carbonator 12 disposed in a cooling water tank 11, or to a beverage cup 14 by actuation of an electromagnetic three-way valve 13. In the carbonator 12, carbon dioxide gas sent from the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 15 is dissolved in the water to produce carbonated water. In addition to the water, the beverage cup 14 sent from the cup storage cylinder 16 to the bending stage in response to the sales signal is supplied with cooled water, which is sent from the syrup tank 17 through a pipe running inside the cooling water tank 11. Syrup and the carbonated water are supplied to prepare a soft drink, to which ice cubes delivered from the ice maker 7 are added and served to customers.

The drinking water sterilizer 6 includes a discharge type ozone generator 20 . This ozone generator 20 includes an ozone generating tube in which a pair of electrodes are arranged opposite to each other with a certain air gap, and an ozone generating section 21 that includes an air blower that sends raw material air to the air gap.
and a control unit 22 that includes a high-voltage transformer or the like for applying a high-voltage AC voltage to the ozone generating tube.
It consists of. The ozone generator tube to which a high voltage is applied generates a pulsed discharge between the electrodes with the discharge frequency equal to the power supply frequency, and this discharge generates a predetermined proportion of ozone in the raw material air to Ozonize. This ozonized air is led into the reservoir 5 from the ozone generator 21 through the take-out pipe 23, and is released into the water from the aeration head at the tip in the form of bubbles, and the ozone dissolved in the water is affected by its strong oxidation and decomposition action. Therefore, the water in the reservoir 5 is sterilized. By the way, the amount of ozone dissolved in water is inversely proportional to the water temperature as shown in Figure 2 when the ozone concentration in the ozonized air is constant; for example, when the water temperature is 10
℃ and water at 32℃, the ratio is 3:1. Airborne ozone remaining undissolved in the water is led to an ozone treatment tank 24 filled with activated carbon and decomposed, and underwater ozone remaining in the supplied water is decomposed and eliminated through a similar ozone treatment tank 25. .

[The problem that the idea attempts to solve]

By the way, in conventional drinking water sterilizers, if the amount of ozone generated is set so as to obtain a sufficient sterilizing effect on the water at high temperatures in the reservoir, an extremely excessive amount of ozone will dissolve in the water at low temperatures. , and atmospheric ozone increases relatively even in water at high temperatures. However, residual ozone shortens the life of the ozone generator and its peripheral equipment, and the activated carbon in the ozone treatment tanks 24 and 25 must be replaced in a short period of time.

This invention provides a drinking water sterilization device for a cup-type beverage vending machine that reduces excess ozone by supplying ozonized air with an ozone concentration suitable for the water temperature in the reservoir from an ozone generator to the reservoir. With the goal.

[Means to solve the problem]

This device is used in cup-type beverage vending machines that store water supplied from a tap or other source in a reservoir and supply it to a beverage cup or carbonator based on a supply signal. In a drinking water sterilizer that sterilizes water by dissolving it in water in a reservoir, a temperature sensor is provided to detect the water temperature in the reservoir or the atmospheric temperature of the water, and the ozone generator This is achieved by providing a control device that automatically controls the applied voltage and/or the discharge frequency.

(Operation) This device automatically controls the applied voltage and/or discharge frequency of the power supplied to the ozone generator based on the water temperature in the reservoir, and automatically adapts the ozone concentration of the ozonized air to the water temperature. It was designed so that

(Example) This invention is based on the fact that the amount of ozone generated in a discharge type ozone generator is approximately proportional to the applied voltage and the discharge frequency, as shown in Figure 3, and that the amount of ozone dissolved in water is equal to the amount of ozone in ozonized air. This was done by focusing on the fact that the concentration increases in proportion to the concentration.

Figure 1 shows an example of this invention, 31
In this case, the temperature sensor uses a thermistor, and it is also possible to use a thermostat or a bimetal for this temperature sensor depending on the case.
Reference numeral 32 denotes a frequency conversion device built into the control section 22, which follows the resistance change of the thermistor and converts the frequency of the electric power supplied to the ozone generating tube of the ozone generating section 21, that is, the discharge frequency, to the temperature sensor 31. Increase or decrease depending on the detected temperature.

In the above configuration, when the water temperature in the reservoir 5 is high, power with a high discharge frequency is applied to the ozone generator tube to generate a large amount of ozone, and the ozone generator 20 supplies ozonized air with a high ozone concentration to the reservoir 5. Release into water. Therefore, the amount of ozone dissolved in the high-temperature water increases, effectively sterilizing the water, and reduces the amount of atmospheric ozone that remains undissolved in the water. Furthermore, when the water temperature in the reservoir 5 is low, the frequency converter 32 automatically lowers the discharge frequency of the electric power applied to the ozone generating tube, reducing the amount of ozone generated.
Therefore, ozonized air in which ozone is suppressed to an appropriate amount is supplied to the low-temperature water, and excessive dissolution of ozone is prevented.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, a case has been described in which the discharge frequency is automatically controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 31, but a voltage converter is used in place of the frequency converter 32, and the voltage applied to the ozone generator tube is similarly controlled. It is also possible to automatically control the voltage, and it is also possible to use both together, and the same effects can be obtained by the same actions as in the above-mentioned embodiments. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the temperature sensor 31 was placed in water to detect the water temperature in the reservoir 5, but it may be installed in the air in the reservoir 5 to detect the atmospheric temperature of the water. The effect of this can be obtained.

[Effect of idea]

According to this invention, a temperature sensor is provided that detects the water temperature in the reservoir or the atmospheric temperature of the water, and a control device that automatically controls the applied voltage and/or discharge frequency of the ozone generator based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. Since we set up
Ozonized air with an ozone concentration suitable for the water temperature is supplied to the water in the reservoir 5, eliminating an increase in atmospheric ozone and excessive dissolution of ozone, and preventing shortening of the life of the ozone generator and its peripheral equipment.
Moreover, the activated carbon in the ozone treatment tank maintains its effect for a long time.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a water circuit diagram of a cup-type beverage vending machine equipped with a drinking water sterilizer according to an embodiment of this invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of ozone dissolved and water temperature.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of ozone generated, applied voltage, and discharge frequency. 5...Reservoir, 6...Drinking water sterilizer,
12...Carbonator, 14...Beverage cup, 2
0...Ozone generator, 31...Temperature sensor,
32... Frequency conversion device (control device).

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Used in cup-type beverage vending machines that store water supplied from a tap or the like in a reservoir and supply it to a beverage cup, carbonator, etc. in response to a supply signal. In a drinking water sterilizer that sterilizes water by dissolving it in water, a temperature sensor is provided to detect the temperature of the water in the reservoir or the atmospheric temperature of the water, and the voltage applied to the ozone generator or A drinking water sterilizer for a cup-type beverage vending machine, characterized in that it is equipped with a control device that automatically controls discharge frequency or both.