Dispenser

• US 8,286,443 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2009
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hoshizaki Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Hoshizaki Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Nagai, Hiroshi, Itou, Kouichi, Kawachi, Motohiro, Sasaki, Makoto, Hirano, Yuji, Hosaka, Seiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Melvin
• Application Number:
  US12/629,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20100072225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 623/40, 623/54, 222/108, 222/146.6, 222/148, 222/149
• US Class Current: 62/354
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/07 Cleaning beverage-dispensing apparatus B67D1/0834, B67D1/0837 take precedence

Abstract

Provided is a dispenser in which a wash water discharge opening provided to a drain pan is connected to an external tap water system via a wash water supply path. The wash water supply path is provided with a wash water supply valve for controlling whether or not to supply wash water to the drain pan. A wash control section in a controller performs timing separately from control of a generation/delivery control section for performing generation and delivery of ice chips, and also performs a wash action at predetermined time intervals by opening the wash water supply valve.

Claims

1. A dispenser that delivers a supply containing at least one of a drink and ice chips from a delivery opening, and that has a drain pan disposed below the delivery opening so that the supply is received,

wherein the dispenser comprises:

a generation/delivery control section for controlling generation and delivery of the supply;

a wash water discharge opening provided to the drain pan;

a wash water supply path connected to the wash water discharge opening;

a wash water supply valve provided to the wash water supply path; and

a wash control section connected to the wash water supply valve, for performing, by opening the wash water supply valve, a wash action of supplying wash water to the drain pan through the wash water supply path and the wash water discharge opening, and

wherein the wash control section performs timing separately from control of the generation/delivery control section, and performs the wash action at predetermined time intervals.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1,

wherein the dispenser further comprises a wash enable/disable setting section connected to the wash control section, for inputting a wash enabling/disabling signal to the wash control section, and

wherein the wash control section determines whether or not to perform the wash action based on the wash enabling/disabling signal.

3. A dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the wash enable/disable setting section judges whether or not a current time falls within an off-peak time period during which a frequency of delivering the supply is lower than a predetermined frequency, and, when it is judged that the current time is out of the off-peak time period, inputs the wash enabling/disabling signal for inhibiting the wash action from being carried out to the wash control section.

4. A dispenser according to claim 1,

wherein the dispenser further comprises a wash interval setting section connected to the wash control section, for inputting a wash interval setting signal to the wash control section, and

wherein the wash control section changes a time interval for performing the wash action based on the wash interval setting signal.

5. A dispenser according to claim 4, wherein the wash interval setting section judges whether or not the current time falls within a use time period during which the supply is delivered, and, when it is judged that the current time falls within the use time period, inputs, to the wash control section, the wash interval setting signal for shortening the time interval for performing the wash action compared to a case in which it is judged that the current time is out of the use time period.

6. A dispenser according to claim 4, wherein the wash interval setting section judges whether or not the current time falls within a busy time period during which the frequency of delivering the supply is higher than the predetermined frequency, and, when it is judged that the current time falls within the busy time period, inputs, to the wash control section, the wash interval setting signal for shortening the time interval for performing the wash action compared to a case in which it is judged that the current time is out of the busy time period.

7. A dispenser according to claim 1,

wherein the dispenser further comprises a wash time duration setting section connected to the wash control section, for inputting a wash time duration setting signal to the wash control section, and

wherein, at a time of performing the wash action, the wash control section changes a time duration of valve opening of the wash water supply valve based on the wash time duration setting signal.