Dispenser

• US 8,286,444 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2009
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hoshizaki Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Hoshizaki Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Sasaki, Makoto, Itou, Kouichi, Hirano, Yuji, Kawachi, Motohiro, Nagai, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Melvin
• Application Number:
  US12/629,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20100140296A1
• 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. Based on delivery information output from a delivery control section for controlling delivery of ice chips, a wash control section in a controller judges whether or not a delivery count of the ice chips has reached a predetermined set count, and, when it is judged that the delivery count has reached the set count, opens the wash water supply valve to perform a wash action.

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 delivery control section for controlling 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 judges, based on information from the delivery control section, whether or not a delivery count of the supply has reached a predetermined set count, and, when it is judged that the delivery count has reached the predetermined set count, performs the wash action.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the wash control section performs the wash action when a predetermined waiting time duration elapses after it is judged that the delivery count has reached the predetermined set count.

3. A dispenser according to claim 1,

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

wherein the wash control section increases and decreases the predetermined set count based on the frequency setting information from the frequency setting section.

4. A dispenser that delivers a supply containing at least 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 control section for controlling generation of the ice chips;

a water supply main valve connected to the generation control section, for performing, in response to the controlling from the generation control section, switching as to whether or not to supply an ice-making water tank with ice-making water to be used for the generation of the ice chips;

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 judges, based on information from the generation control section, whether or not a count of water supplies to the ice-making water tank has reached a predetermined set count, and, when it is judged that the count of the water supplies has reached the predetermined set count, performs the wash action.

5. A dispenser according to claim to 4,

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

wherein the wash control section increases and decreases the predetermined set count based on the frequency setting information from the frequency setting section.