JP2004011927A - Liquid container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To appropriately exhibit liquid leakage prevention mechanism irrelevant to production of precipitate due to a long period of use. <P>SOLUTION: This liquid container is disposed with a liquid channel 4 in a side of an inner container 2 of a container body, and allows the communication of the lower end part of the liquid channel 4 with the bottom part of the inner container 2 and its upper end part to the outside. The upper end part of liquid channel 4 is provided with the liquid leakage prevention part 8 formed by movably storing a valve element 12 in a cylindrical part 11. The cylindrical part 11 is formed with a support part 15 supporting the valve element 12 while enabling the passing of the air in its lower side inside and formed with a closing part 16 being closed by the abutment of the moved valve element 12 in being knocked over. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a liquid container such as an electric pot or a humidifier provided with a liquid passage such as a liquid outflow passage or a water level tube.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in a liquid container, a liquid passage is provided on a side of an inner container in which a liquid is stored. In the electric pot, the liquid passage communicates with the bottom of the inner container, and a sphere is provided to make the amount of liquid in the inner container visible. The liquid passage is provided with a liquid leakage prevention structure that closes an upper end opening of the liquid passage by the sphere so that the liquid in the inner container does not flow outside through the liquid passage when the liquid passage falls.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-mentioned conventional liquid container, the sphere is used in a state of being constantly immersed in the liquid. Therefore, when used for a long period of time, minerals such as calcium contained in the liquid may precipitate on the inner surface of the liquid passage and the surface of the valve body, and the valve body may malfunction.
[0004]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid container that can appropriately exhibit a liquid leakage preventing function irrespective of generation of a precipitate due to long-term use.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, as a means for solving the above-described problems, a liquid passage is provided on a side of an inner container of a container body, a lower end of the liquid passage communicates with a bottom of the inner container, and an upper end is connected to the outside. In the liquid container that communicates,
The upper end of the liquid passage is constituted by a liquid leakage preventing portion in which a valve body is movably accommodated in a cylindrical portion, and supports the valve body while allowing air to pass through a lower inner surface of the cylindrical portion. A closed portion is formed on the inner surface on the upper side of the cylindrical portion so that the moved valve body abuts and closes when it falls down.
[0006]
With this configuration, during normal use, the valve body will not be immersed in the liquid, and therefore, malfunction due to precipitation cannot occur. Further, in a state where the valve body is supported by the support portion, air can pass therethrough, so that the liquid level height in the liquid passage can be made to coincide with the liquid level height in the inner container, and the liquid level detection height can be reduced. Detection can also be appropriately performed.
[0007]
It is preferable that the tubular portion of the liquid leakage preventing portion is formed by molding an elastic material, since the tubular portion can be formed as a single component and cost can be reduced. In this case, the valve body may be accommodated inside by elastically deforming the supporting portion or the closing portion of the cylindrical portion.
[0008]
The tubular portion of the liquid leakage preventing portion is made of a transparent material, so that the valve body can be visually checked, so that the operating state of the valve body in the tubular portion can be confirmed during the assembly work. It is preferred in that respect.
[0009]
When the valve body has a spherical shape, and the closing portion of the liquid leakage preventing portion has a closing surface shaped along the valve body, the closed state of the valve body at the time of overturn is ensured, and the liquid leakage is appropriately performed. This is preferable because it can be prevented.
[0010]
If the liquid leakage prevention unit is provided so as to communicate with the inner container, even if the liquid leaks from the liquid passage through the liquid leakage prevention unit, it can be returned to the inner container, This is preferable in that it is possible to prevent the outflow from flowing out.
[0011]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0012]
FIG. 1 shows a humidifier that is an example of a liquid container according to the present embodiment. In this humidifier, water is contained in an inner container 2 provided in a humidifier main body 1, and steam generated by heating with a heater 3 is discharged to the outside through a passage (not shown). .
[0013]
A liquid passage 4 is formed in an internal space formed between the humidifier main body 1 and the inner container 2. The liquid passage 4 has a communicating portion 6 communicating with the bottom opening 5 of the inner container 2, a water level tube 7 extending upward from the communicating portion 6 and located on the side of the inner container 2, and an upper end of the water level tube 7. And a liquid leakage prevention section 8 provided in the first section. The communication portion 6 is made of a synthetic resin or the like in a substantially U shape. The water level tube 7 is formed of a transparent tubular body such as a glass tube. The water level tube 7 is held at the upper and lower ends by a guide member 9 fixed to the humidifier main body 1 (the holding state is not shown), and a water-transmitting window 10 formed on the front surface of the humidifier main body 1 is formed. It is arranged near. Then, the water level can be visually recognized by making it possible to discriminate between a portion having water and a portion having no water by an identification portion (for example, an inclined line drawn at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction) formed on the guide member 9. It has become.
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid leakage prevention unit 8 includes a tubular portion 11 and a valve body 12 movably accommodated therein. The cylindrical portion 11 is formed by processing a transparent elastic material such as silicon rubber, and has one end connected to the water level tube 7 disposed near the window 10 of the humidifier body 1 and the other end humidified. It is bent at two intermediate points to communicate with the upper opening of the container body 1. An annular rib 13 is formed on the outer peripheral surface at one end of the cylindrical portion 11, and can be press-fitted into the upper end opening of the water level tube 7. The inner peripheral surface at one end is a small diameter portion 14 having a small inner diameter, and a support portion 15 for supporting the valve element 12 is formed continuously with the small diameter portion 14. The support portion 15 has a configuration in which substantially triangular ribs that are gradually inclined toward the outer diameter side from the small diameter portion 14 toward the upper side are provided at four equal positions. On the other hand, an annular closing portion 16 is provided on the inner peripheral surface at the other end of the cylindrical portion 11 so as to extend inward. The closing portion 16 includes a closing surface 16a having a hemispherical shape. The valve element 12 is spherical and is rotatably accommodated in the cylindrical portion 11. Since the tubular portion 11 is formed of an elastic material, the valve body 12 can be easily accommodated in the tubular portion 11 while deforming the closing portion 16. The valve body 12 housed in the tubular portion 11 forms a gap between the valve body 12 and the inner surface of the tubular portion 11 by allowing the valve body 12 to abut on the support portion 15 to allow air to pass therethrough. The passage is closed by contacting the closing surface 16a of the passage 16.
[0015]
In the humidifier having the above-described configuration, since the tubular portion 11 of the liquid leakage preventing portion 8 is made of a transparent material, the operating state of the valve body 12 can be visually checked. Therefore, it is possible to detect a malfunction in the assembling stage.
[0016]
In addition, the valve body 12 of the liquid leakage prevention unit 8 is supported by the support unit 15 so that the water level tube 7 and the outside are in communication. Therefore, when water is contained in the inner container 2, the liquid level in the water level tube 7 rises according to the water level. Therefore, if the water level tube 7 is visually recognized through the window 10 of the humidifier main body 1, the water level can be detected by the identification unit. The liquid leakage prevention unit 8 is located at the upper end of the water level tube 7 and does not immerse in water. That is, even if the valve body 12 is used for a long time, calcium or the like does not precipitate on the outer surface of the valve body 12 or the inner surface of the tubular portion 11, and the valve body 12 and the tubular portion 11 are in close contact with each other and the valve body 12 malfunctions. There is no need to worry.
[0017]
When the humidifier falls down, the water in the water level tube 7 flows into the liquid leakage prevention unit 8 and moves the valve body 12 from the support unit 15 to the closing unit 16. Then, the valve body 12 abuts on the closing surface 16a of the closing portion 16, thereby preventing liquid leakage. Even if water leaks from the tubular part 11 while the valve body 12 is moving inside the tubular part 11, it is in the upper opening of the humidifier body 1 and may not reach the outside. Absent.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a liquid leakage prevention portion is provided at the upper end portion of the liquid passage so that the valve body is movably accommodated in the cylindrical portion, and the lower inner surface of the cylindrical portion is provided. Since a supporting portion for supporting the valve body while allowing air to pass through is formed, and a closing portion is formed on the inner surface on the upper side of the cylindrical portion so that the moved valve body abuts and closes when the body falls down. Precipitation on the body or the like can be prevented, and malfunctions when falling can be reliably avoided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional front view of a humidifier according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a liquid leakage prevention unit of FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Humidifier main body 2 ... Inner container 4 ... Liquid passage 7 ... Water level tube 8 ... Liquid leakage prevention part 9 ... Guide member 11 ... Cylindrical part 12 ... Valve element 15 ... Support part 16 ... Closure part

Claims (5)

In a liquid container having a liquid passage arranged on the side of the inner container of the container body, a lower end of the liquid passage communicating with the bottom of the inner container, and an upper end communicating with the outside.
The upper end of the liquid passage is constituted by a liquid leakage preventing portion in which a valve body is movably accommodated in a cylindrical portion, and supports the valve body while allowing air to pass through a lower inner surface of the cylindrical portion. A liquid container, comprising: a support portion that is closed; and a closing portion that is closed by contacting the moved valve element when the device falls down, on the upper inner surface of the cylindrical portion. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the tubular portion of the liquid leakage preventing portion is formed by processing an elastic material. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the tubular portion of the liquid leakage preventing portion is made of a transparent material so that the valve body can be viewed. The liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the valve body has a spherical shape, and the closing portion of the liquid leakage preventing portion has a closing surface shaped along the valve body. . The liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the liquid leakage prevention part is provided so as to communicate with the inner container.

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