DE102020128968A1 - Method for controlling drinking water purity during drinking water treatment and drinking water purity control device - Google Patents

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a drinking water purity control method and a drinking water purity control apparatus (1) having a control unit (CPU). The method comprises the steps: an input stream of water (V-1) entering from an input connection (30) flows P through a first line section (L1); pre-filtering the input stream of water (V-1) downstream in a first water purification unit (F) into a pre-filtered stream of water (V-F); separating the pre-filtered flow water (V-F) downstream in a second water purification unit (RO) by means of the reverse osmosis unit (M) into a partial flow of a permeate flow further cleaned of dissolved solids water (V-P) and an associated other partial flow of a retentate flow water (V-R); discharging the retentate stream water (V-R) downstream via a third line section (L3); the permeate stream water (V-P) flowing through a second line section (L2), which has a first determination means (S1) set up to determine a first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS1); determining the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS1) in the permeate stream water (V-P) by means of the first determining means (S1); Verifying that a predetermined first target value (TDS1-TARGET) for the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS1) in the permeate stream water (V-P) is achieved, and discarding the permeate stream water (V-P) in negative according to the verifying step Trap based on the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS1) exceeding the first target value (TDS1-TARGET).

Description

technical field

The present invention relates to a method for controlling the drinking water purity during drinking water treatment in a continuously and/or semi-continuously operable drinking water supply device with a reverse osmosis unit, for use in households, gastronomy or the like, and a corresponding drinking water purity control device with a control unit for implementing the method for controlling the purity of drinking water. Furthermore, an associated computer program, an associated drinking water supply device, an associated mineral preparation and an associated product set (kit of parts) are disclosed.

Background of the Invention

The availability of clean, pure drinking water is a basic need of humans and other living beings. In many parts of the world, it is known that there is still a lack of it today. However, a hygienic impairment - which can occur in any drinking water system - can in the worst case not only endanger health, but also life.

Recently, in the public discussion, even in those industrialized nations in which clean drinking water in the form of high-quality tap water and with a degree of purity monitored by the authorities is available almost indefinitely, there have been certain doubts about a complete, i.e. one at a time and on the other hand everywhere, given purity has been announced. A large number of technical problems were at the center of the specialist discussions in the course of the new version of the German Drinking Water Ordinance (Federal Law Gazette I p. 959), which was issued on May 21, 2001 in an amended version and contains definitions of terms and protective regulations for drinking water. In this respect, the legislature provides for the monitoring of drinking water purity by the authorities, in particular an obligation to take regular, i.e. ideally annual, samples only in the case of large systems, such as in rented apartment buildings. Based on the scope of application of the Drinking Water Ordinance, certain restrictions and gaps can already be identified, in particular with regard to periods of less than a year and with regard to any systems that do not fall under the definition of large-scale systems used therein.

Overall, public and media attention has increased significantly in the recent past with regard to various issues and problems in connection with drinking water, especially tap water. This applies, for example, to various studies and discussions regarding possible traces (in particular of a solid) in tap water or drinking water due to anthropogenic input into the environment or into the water cycle. Possible traces due to an anthropogenic entry relate to those of medicines and/or pharmaceuticals, such as in particular antibiotics (e.g. as a result of factory farming) and/or hormones (e.g. contraceptives); and/or agricultural products used on a large scale, such as fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, etc.; and/or from (micro)plastic; and/or immobilized substances, e.g. heavy metal ions and/or radioactive ions, from landfills, disposal sites, etc. Furthermore, consumers are concerned about the presence of various undesirable residues or ingredients of all kinds, which originate from a drinking water installation such as pipes at the point of consumption , such as copper ions and the like dissolved from metallic piping and/or plastic particles, monomers and/or plasticizers that have migrated or released from plastic hoses into the tap water or drinking water. There are also not unjustified concerns on the part of consumers with regard to any harmful ingredients of biological origin that may be present. Such can be contained in the drinking water or tap water in the form of pathogenic germs, in particular bacteria such as legionella and/or multi-resistant strains, viruses, mold spores, prions, DNA fragments, etc. The uncertainty that prevails among many people as a result of this with regard to the completely reliable purity of tap water, in a quasi-absolute sense, is one of the main reasons why consumers often choose bottled mineral water as drinking water. Not least for baby food, the drinking water supply for allergy sufferers, sick people or older people with previous illnesses, mostly bottled water from certified sources is used.

However, the consumption of bottled water or mineral water is not without problems, especially not from a sustainability point of view such as the CO2 transport balance that affects the climate and compliance with climate protection goals. The transport logistics for mineral water, which is sold in stores in Germany, for example, causes a considerable, environmentally harmful and resource-intensive consumption of CO2. Exemplary estimates assume that based on 1,000 transported liter bottles of mineral water on the way from the producer to the beverage market about 120 kg of CO2 are emitted. There are also other emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Furthermore, in parts of society there are increasingly clear ethical concerns about the procurement of drinking water, especially mineral water as a valuable raw material, from distant regions.

Not least due to general global trends in the course of urban densification, global population growth and/or a striving for self-sufficient living with a large degree of self-sufficiency with necessary food, the latter recently increasingly triggered in the course of the covid 19 crisis, there is an ever more pressing need technical solutions for the direct, local supply of pure drinking water for the daily needs of individuals on site.

State of the art

Various solutions for cleaning water, in particular tap water, are known in the prior art. In particular, devices or drinking water supply devices for use in households, in gastronomy or the like are already commercially available in multiple designs. These are mostly based on the well-known filter and separation technologies in industrial process engineering, with sediment filters, activated carbon filters and reverse osmosis being used in particular.

However, it should be noted here that the usual devices or drinking water supply devices are not able, due to a large number of errors in terms of their constructive conception, outside or beyond optimal or theoretical operating conditions, as in an application test under laboratory conditions, a constant and/or to bring about or ensure sufficient quality in terms of the purity of the drinking water product resulting from the usual devices. In other words, the usual devices or drinking water supply devices have significant shortcomings when used in everyday life. In particular, the usual devices or devices for providing drinking water do not have any means of ensuring or implementing the required quality or product performance or drinking water purity when the conditions of use vary greatly between individual users or places of use. In addition, it is difficult for a consumer to understand whether or when a (e) usual device or drinking water supply device fails or represents a proper drinking water purity.

As a result, it is understandable that consumer confidence in the reliability of the promise of cleanliness of conventional devices or drinking water supply devices is significantly impaired. Another disadvantage in this context is that a consumer such as a private household and/or a catering business regularly does not have their own measuring and/or analytical possibilities and/or the corresponding technical know-how for checking or validating the cleaning performance with regard to contamination or the resulting degree of purity based on professional sampling.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method and a device for effectively eliminating any contamination from drinking water, in particular from tap water, in a reliable manner or in a transparent manner that is comprehensible for an (end) consumer, in particular to achieve or ensure at any time. The purpose of the disclosure is to protect human health from the adverse effects resulting from any contamination of drinking water intended for human consumption by ensuring its wholesomeness and purity.

In this context, there is a need for a method or a device which, when used by a consumer in households, gastronomy or the like, reliably brings about the required high degree of purity of the drinking water produced as a result or at least ensures it under all general conditions. In particular, there is a need for the segment of small systems within the meaning of the above-mentioned German Drinking Water Ordinance, according to which even large-scale water supply systems in detached and semi-detached houses do not count as large-scale systems for heating drinking water, § 3 number 12.

In particular, there is the technical task of providing completely purified drinking water despite a serious fluctuation range of various incoming influencing parameters. Main influencing parameters relate to a temporal pattern of the consumption and/or a quality of the water to be cleaned or treated in the inflow as a starting material according to the aforementioned large number of possible impurities and/or traces.

A consumer should be able to trust without further action that a promise of purity is actually kept, whereby completely purified drinking water should be understood to mean drinking water that has been purified to below a permissible or desirable upper limit and/or to a detection limit of impurities or traces . Since the present invention should be able to ensure overall technical reliability of the degree of purity in the purified drinking water, there is the prospect that consumer confidence in drinking water treatment in accordance with the disclosure, which has been created for the first time and is sustainable, can prepare the ground for changed consumer behavior away from bottled water consumption, which insofar means compliance with Climate protection goals, in particular the CO2 transport balance, should be able to serve.

A further technical task is that the method and the device must be able to produce a consistently high degree of purity of the drinking water produced as a result, independently of a user or a so-called operator influence. In other words, the consumer or user should simply be able to trust that he can enjoy the drinking water taken from a drinking water supply device at any time without hesitation.

Yet another technical task is to increase the service life of the system parts, which are sensitive to contamination, as far as possible in order to keep the costs for repairs, replacement parts and consumables as low as possible.

In addition, the technical disadvantage of existing drinking water supply devices must be overcome, that they usually require a high level of operating effort and a great deal of manual handling or a high set-up effort in order to produce a comparatively small volume or a small batch of purified drinking water. This is frustrating, especially for consumers who are not technically above average and represents an insurmountable hurdle for some. In this respect, there is also a need for a drinking water supply device whose operation, operation, device cleaning and/or maintenance is as simple, intuitive, transparent and should be efficient.

These objects are achieved according to a first aspect of the present disclosure by a method for controlling drinking water purity during drinking water treatment having the features of claim 1 and according to a second aspect of the present disclosure by a drinking water purity control device having the features of the independent claim. Thus, according to the disclosure, the disadvantages of the prior art described above can be overcome. Advantageous embodiments, developments or variants of the present disclosure are the subject matter of the dependent claims, the description and the figures.

A method for controlling the drinking water purity during drinking water treatment in a continuously and / or semi-continuously operable drinking water supply device with a reverse osmosis unit, for use in households, gastronomy or the like, according to a first aspect of the disclosure, comprises the following steps: Flow through a first line section with an input stream of water entering from an input port; pre-filtering the input stream of water downstream in a first water purification unit to mechanically separate solid particles dispersed in the input stream of water into a pre-filtered stream of water; Separating the pre-filtered stream of water downstream in a second water purification unit by means of the reverse osmosis unit, which can be activated in particular by pressurization, into a partial stream of a permeate stream of water further cleaned of dissolved solids and an associated other partial stream of a retentate stream of water; Discharging the retentate stream of water downstream via a third line section, in particular for outflow through an outlet connection; the permeate stream of water flowing through a second line section, which has a first determination means designed to determine a first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids; and determining the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids in the permeate stream water using the first determining means; Checking, in particular by means of an automated control unit, whether a predetermined, in particular constant, first target value for the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids in the permeate flow of water is reached, in particular undershot, and discarding the permeate flow of water, in particular by means of the automated control unit Reject if negative according to the step of checking, which is based on the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids exceeding the first target value. In this case, the discarding step can preferably be carried out by discharging via a fourth line section to the output connection.

Consequently, it is automatically ensured by means of the method for controlling the drinking water purity or by means of the control unit in an advantageous manner that a permeate stream of water does not (yet) correspond to a required first target value for a first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids in the permeate stream water (properly), is discarded or diverted (for another use, such as process water). To put it another way, the control unit causes or controls or ensures or monitors when executing the method for controlling the drinking water purity that a permeate flow of water which does not (yet) have a (permissible) upper limit concentration (or a limit value) in the form meets or falls below a first target value, is not used or is not used for human consumption or is made available to a user as drinking water.

The first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids in the permeate stream water indicates the sum or all of the plurality of (at least one) solid(s) dissolved in the water (aqueous or hydrophilic). In particular, the (at least one) solid comprises a salt, a mineral (sometimes referred to as “mineral”) and/or a metal. In this respect, the first aqueous concentration can be specified or measured or determined or specified as a (so-called) TDS value. The acronym TDS value stands for "Total Dissolved Solids". The (first) aqueous concentration or the (first) TDS value can be specified or measured or determined in one unit mg/l (milligrams per liter) and/or in the other unit ppm (parts per million). or be specified. For example, a TDS value of about 10 ppm means that there are about 10 molecules of dissolved solids for every 1 million water molecules. For example, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), water with less than 600 ppm can be considered acceptable drinking water, although this recommendation naturally refers to regions with a poor to suboptimal drinking water supply or availability.

In particular, the first target value, i.e. the first target TDS value, which specifies a target value for the first aqueous concentration, can be less than or equal to about 20 ppm, preferably less than or equal to about 10 ppm and even more preferably less than -equal to about 3 ppm.

In the present case, the term (at least one) dissolved solid(s) in the water, in particular tap water or drinking water, includes all the examples or embodiments of a substance relevant to the purity of the water or traces or .of residues. Accordingly, a solid to be cleaned or removed or separated or separated from the water according to the disclosure includes in particular: a solid present due to anthropogenic input into the environment or into the water cycle, for example a drug and/or a pharmaceutical such as an antibiotic and/or a hormone; and/or an agricultural substance, e.g. a fertilizer, a pesticide, an insecticide, etc.; and/or a (micro)plastic particle; and/or a substance immobilized from a shipment such as a landfill, such as a heavy metal ion and/or radioactive ion. Furthermore, the solid comprises a residue or ingredient of all kinds originating from a drinking water installation such as a pipeline at the point of consumption, e.g. a copper ion and the like, and/or an aqueous or hydrophilic (from) at the point of consumption from a plastic hose or tank. dissolved plastic particles, a monomer and/or a plasticizer. The solid also includes a harmful ingredient of biological origin, in particular a pathogenic germ, for example a bacterium such as legionella(s) and/or a bacterium assigned to a multi-resistant strain, a virus, a mold spore or type of mold, a prion, a DNA fragment or the like. Correspondingly, the solid also includes a (molecular) fragment and/or decomposition product or other modification of the examples or embodiments mentioned above for the solid. The above list is therefore not to be construed as exhaustive. In particular, the first target value can relate to any at least one solid (individually and/or collectively) that can directly or indirectly reduce human health and/or adversely change the smell or taste of the water.

According to the disclosure, the (first; further) aqueous concentration or the (first; further) TDS value is measured or determined by means of a (first; further) determination means. The respective (first; further) determination means is arranged or set up on or in a respective line section for determining a respective aqueous concentration of dissolved solids or a respective TDS value. In particular, the respective means of determination is a respective conductivity sensor or conductivity probe. For example, a TDS value shown as a ppm number in the other unit can lead to a microsiemens number that is approximately twice as large as a measure of electrical conductivity or can be determined. In other words, the electrical conductivity measured at around 10 microsiemens (µS), for example, can indicate a TDS value of around 5 ppm, particularly in the drinking water sector.

Insofar as the presently disclosed method is designed or set up for execution in the continuously and/or semi-continuously operable drinking water supply device, this means that it is essentially or mainly technical measures used not in batches or per individual batch or batch. In particular, the term "continuous and/or semi-continuous" refers to the fact that water is literally purified as it flows from the tap for a targeted consumer. The initial structural process steps during the drinking water treatment, in particular the flow through the first line section, the pre-filtering, the separation, the flow through the second line section, are related to a respective (flow) stream of water. In other words, according to the disclosure, essential steps are not carried out in a previously filled drinking water reservoir such as a storage container or water tank, as is the case, for example, in a precipitation process (flocculation). It is irrelevant for the functioning of the method according to the disclosure if the continuous operation can be or is temporarily interrupted or switched off or suspended. In this respect, this is also expressed by the term "semi-continuous". Furthermore, the term "semi-continuous" is intended to imply that in the step of determining the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids in the permeate stream water by means of the first determining means, it is not essential if the determination or the first concentration measurement as such takes place continuously. In other words, a measurement operation intermittent at short time intervals or a sequence of a large number of selective, individual determinations is also conceivable. In this respect, individual determinations or (first) concentration measurements in a repetition sequence that is sufficient or appropriately adapted according to the (flow) flow can appear equally analytically meaningful or permissible from a technical point of view.

The input connection for the incoming input flow of water for flowing through a first line section in the first step of the method often includes a house connection or a drinking water supply line, for example for a respective residential party. However, the input connection, especially in the case of mobile drinking water supply devices, such as in the case of mobile canteens or small kitchens, preferably on board a caravan, an airplane and/or a ship, can also have a fluid connection to a larger storage tank Produce water to purify the water contained in it according to revelation.

In particular, the drinking water supply device for use in households, gastronomy or the like is dimensioned as a small system, particularly preferably the size of a microwave oven, a minibar or the like, more preferably like a built-in device (as a top cabinet and/or base cabinet) with external dimensions. Cumulatively or alternatively, the drinking water supply device can preferably be set up for (quasi) mobile use, in particular by means of an input connection designed with quick connections or flanges or fittings.

The first water purification unit for the mechanical separation of solid particles that are dispersed or in suspension or contained in the input stream of water to form a pre-filtered stream of water, which is set up to carry out the step of pre-filtering the input stream of water, can in principle be divided into several suitable flow-through filter stages . The first water purification unit can preferably comprise or have a first filter stage, which is designed as a sediment filter, and a second filter stage, which is designed as an activated carbon block filter. The (or the) sediment filter is used in particular for filtering visible solids and/or solids present in suspension (thermodynamically), which are present in particular in the order of millimeters. The activated charcoal filter is used in particular for filtering (off) microbiological substances or living substances, in particular bacteria and viruses, which are present in particular in the order of micrometers. A performance level of the activated charcoal filter is preferably at a (off) filtering of about 80% of the dispersed solid particles. As a result, however, the solids can regularly, completely or partially, continue to pass through the first water purification unit to a correspondingly unfiltered (off) portion, for example as drug residues, microplastics, viruses, metal ions and/or nitrates, and are therefore present in the pre-filtered stream water.

The step of separating the pre-filtered stream of water is carried out downstream in a second water purification unit by means of the reverse osmosis unit. As a result, a separation or a split or a division into a partial flow of a permeate flow of water further cleaned of (at least one) dissolved solid(s) and an associated other partial flow of a retentate flow of water takes place. In other words, in the second water purification unit, the pre-filtered stream of water is then (continuously) separated or split or (divided) into two partial streams to separate the (at least one) solid. As a result, on the one hand, a permeate flow further (finely) cleaned by means of reverse osmosis results (or flows off) as a partial flow. This one partial stream flows beyond or downstream of the reverse osmosis unit, esp. A back pressure diff fusion membrane, which is why it is called the permeate stream water. On the other hand, an associated corresponding retentate flow results (or flows off) as another partial flow. This other partial flow remains on this side or upstream of the reverse osmosis unit, especially a counter-pressure diffusion membrane, which is why it is referred to as the water retentate flow.

In terms of balance, it can be concluded from the separation or split or the division into two partial flows that (quasi) the retentate flow water is enriched to the extent or by the amount (mass) of the at least one separated solid by which the permeate flow V-P is depleted or further (finely) cleaned by means of diffusion through the reverse osmosis unit, in particular (back pressure diffusion) membrane. The water retentate stream enriched by the at least one separated solid is discarded (for the purpose according to the disclosure as completely clean drinking water). The retentate water can flow off freely. For this purpose, a third line section can be provided downstream for the fluid connection of the reverse osmosis unit to the outlet connection, for example to a drain, siphon for used water. On the other hand, the outlet connection can also lead the permeate stream to another use of water, e.g. as cleaning water.

Here, the (process of) osmosis refers to the directed flow of particles through a selectively permeable and/or semi-permeable separating layer or the reverse osmosis unit, in particular the (counterpressure-diffusion) membrane. As a result of osmosis, a concentration of the at least one dissolved solid in the water (or solvent) balances out over time as a result of mass transport processes across the membrane. The driving force behind spontaneous osmosis is the difference between the chemical potentials of the (at least one) dissolved solid in the water phases separated by the reverse osmosis unit, in particular by the (back pressure diffusion) membrane. That (at least one) dissolved solid or those particles (atoms, molecules or ions) of the components for which the reverse osmosis unit, in particular the (back pressure diffusion) membrane, is permeable, diffuses or diffuse in direction their lower chemical potential.

The (process of) reverse osmosis is the reversal or reversion of the (process of) osmosis by means of a (back) pressure, preferably applied externally. A phase or a (permeate flow-side) compartment of water (or solvent) , in which the concentration of the (at least one) dissolved solid is to be reduced or depleted or (finely) cleaned, is through the selectively permeable and/or semi-permeable separating layer or through the reverse osmosis unit, in particular through the ( Counter-pressure diffusion) membrane, separated or . Cut. The other phase or the other (retentate flow-side) compartment of the second water purification unit is exposed to a (back) pressure or reverse osmosis pressure, which must be higher than the osmosis pressure that is caused by the driving potential (of the process). Osmosis to balance the concentration occurs naturally or physically. In other words, the material transport process or the diffusion across the reverse osmosis unit, in particular the (back pressure diffusion) membrane, occurs when there is a (minimum) back pressure that exceeds the natural or physical osmosis pressure.

As a result, the water molecules (the molecules of the solvent) can migrate or diffuse (trans-membrane) against their “natural” osmotic direction of propagation or diffusion. In other words, the (process of) reverse osmosis pushes the water molecules into one phase or one compartment (on the permeate flow side) in which the (at least one) dissolved solid or the particles (atoms, molecules or ions) should be less concentrated (en). Consequently, a dilution effect takes place in one phase or one compartment (on the permeate flow side), which causes an increase in the degree of purity of the water (or solvent) (on the permeate flow side).

The reverse osmosis unit or the (back pressure diffusion) membrane preferably has an atomic lattice size corresponding to the size of the water molecule or approximately 0.275 nanometers. This means that all molecules of (at least one) dissolved solid that are larger than a water molecule can be (almost) completely retained. More preferably, the water (finely) purified in the reverse osmosis unit, i.e. the permeate stream V-P, can contain no more than 20 ppm of the (at least one) solid, in particular no more than 8-10 ppm [i.e. 8-10 foreign molecules of (at least one) solid per 1 million water molecules].

In particular, the reverse osmosis unit or the (back pressure/diffusion) membrane can be activated by applying the required (minimum) back pressure, which is applied to it in the pre-filtered stream of water. The osmosis pressure of the input stream and/or of the pre-filtered stream of water can in particular be less than or equal to 2 bar. preferred The (minimum) back pressure can be between 3 and 30 bar, depending on the back pressure diffusion membrane used and/or depending on the configuration of the drinking water supply device with regard to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure.

More preferably, an optional first feed pump can bring about a pressure increase. To this end, the control unit is set up to set, ideally regulate, the first feed pump, e.g -Volume flow of water, in particular with regard to the pre-filtered stream of water, can be controlled by the control unit

In a particularly preferred manner, the control unit can be embodied as a regulating unit.

From the above disclosure, there are very special advantages with regard to the initial situation described as follows: As explained above, the reverse osmosis process can only run smoothly or the step of separating by means of the reverse osmosis unit can only work if water flows through the ( Back pressure diffusion) membrane is pressed, which is higher than the natural osmosis pressure in drinking water (at about 2 bar). In other words, the reverse osmosis unit or the (back pressure-diffusion) membrane must be activated by applying the required (minimum) back pressure, which is applied to it in the pre-filtered flow of water. In contrast to large-scale or industrial plants, such as sewage and/or (seawater) desalination plants, in which the separation by means of reverse osmosis runs continuously in a continuous manner and thus a permanent (minimum) back pressure on the (back pressure diffusion) membrane is exercised, small systems, e.g. for domestic water treatment, are usually switched on and off at intervals.

The reverse osmosis thus runs between the one phase or the one (permeate stream side) compartment of water in which the concentration of (at least one) dissolved solid was previously reduced or depleted or (finely) cleaned, and the other Phase or the other (retentate flow-side) compartment in which the concentration of (at least one) dissolved solids had been increased or enriched, with a back-diffusion across the selectively permeable and / or semi-permeable separating layer or through the Reverse osmosis unit, in particular through the (back pressure diffusion) membrane takes place. As soon as the drinking water supply device or the second water purification unit is switched off - for example if (especially over a longer period of time, such as overnight or when you are away on vacation) no useful stream of pure water is queried - there is a reversal of the substance transport processes or the dilution process. In other words, the opposite process of osmosis naturally sets in unintentionally.

This entails an undesired increase in the amount of (at least one) dissolved solid in one phase or one (permeate flow-side) compartment. In other words, this unwanted effect - contrary to the intention of cleaning - leads to an increase in the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids in the permeate stream, and thus to its renewed contamination. As a result of the increased contamination in the permeate flow and consequently also downstream, up to the useful flow provided to the user, the actual drinking water purity no longer corresponds to the first target value. In this respect, the actual first aqueous concentration does not meet the user's expectations in terms of product quality or only supposedly clean drinking water is enjoyed.

In other words, conventional drinking water treatment systems do not take into account that at the moment when the (back) pressure of the water for reverse osmosis is "stopped" - for example, because no water is being taken from the conventional drinking water treatment system and/or the tank is full - regular osmosis occurs again. As a result, in conventional drinking water treatment systems, the permeate flow of water behind the reverse osmosis unit - i.e. exactly where the actually clean water is supposed to be - shows a considerable (first) concentration of dissolved solids, not least pollutants, or a high (first) TDS value. If the reverse osmosis unit is then switched on or activated again, in conventional drinking water treatment systems this again (osmosis) contaminated permeate stream water enters the tank or storage container intended for the (only apparent) «pure water». Accordingly, the consumption of such (osmosis) contaminated water from conventional drinking water treatment plants runs the core purpose or (alleged) main benefit. Incidentally, this serious technical problem from the prior art also occurs in so-called "direct flow" drinking water treatment systems, in which the water is pumped through the osmosis filter system and as a direct volume flow into the tap when the tap is opened. Especially with those conventional drinking water treatment systems that do not have a tank or reservoir for storing the drinking water that has already been treated are designed, the (first) concentration of dissolved solids, which is increased by the negative effect described above due to the standstill of the drinking water treatment plant, immediately gets into the drinking glass of the consumer with every tap, even if it is only short.

Another disadvantage is that the pores of the (counterpressure-diffusion) membrane enlarge or swell when the drinking water treatment plant is at a standstill due to the lack of water pressure. Due to the swelling of the pores, their permeability is increased outside of a nominal specification, which promotes a (transmembrane) concentration equalization in a negative way. Only after a few seconds of operation of the reverse osmosis unit do the pores compress again (like a pressed sponge). Only from this point in time does the reverse osmosis unit again achieve its full nominal performance in terms of a degree of separation.

Yet another disadvantage when the drinking water treatment plant or the reverse osmosis unit comes to a standstill is based on an undesired mass transfer of disinfectants or antibacterial and/or antifungal substances or the like, which the manufacturers use to inhibit any contamination or to suppress a (micro- ) Apply fouling to the foils or the (back pressure diffusion) membrane. In this respect, these can be released or detached to a certain extent during the standstill and pass into the aqueous phase. Here, too, this leads to an undesired accumulation over time.

Here, the disclosure makes it possible to avoid such a technically insufficient situation in advance. For this purpose, the first means of determination, in particular the first conductivity probe, after activation of the water treatment, in particular in the second water purification unit, can check the water flowing out at the pure water outlet as a permeate stream for its water quality by determining or measuring the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids. According to the disclosed method for controlling the purity of drinking water, as soon as the reverse osmosis unit is activated again, the permeate flow of water is initially discarded or until the first target value is reached as a threshold value preset for the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids. Preferably, this preset threshold value or the first target value can be set individually (by the user) and/or is set as a basic setting (for example at 10 ppm) by the manufacturer.

The present disclosure thus allows the (automatic) discarding of a forerun or a “cut” from an improperly clean permeate stream or only apparent clean water. Negative influences due to a (transient) start-up process effect and/or (system) downtime of the drinking water supply device are thus effectively avoided.

Preferably, the method comprises the further step: supplying the permeate flow of water, in particular automatically by means of the control unit, to a drinking water supply unit downstream via a fifth line section, in the positive case according to the checking step, which depends on reaching, in particular on falling below of the first target value by the first aqueous dissolved solids concentration.

In other words, the control unit set up to execute the (preferred) method makes a case distinction between the correspondingly negative case and the correspondingly positive case. This corresponds to an equivalent case distinction as to whether a (checked) first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids in the permeate flow of water is greater than a first target value or less than or equal to a first target value.

Accordingly, the control unit makes an automatic differentiation as to whether drinking water purity of the permeate stream water, such as that in the upstream purification stages, namely in the first water purification unit (or in the mechanical pre-filter) and the second water purification unit (or in the reverse osmosis unit), is achieved or achieved .is achievable. The control unit thus distinguishes whether the (checked) first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids is bad or insufficient or impermissible or unusable on the one hand (accordingly a negative case) or good or sufficient or admissible on the other hand (accordingly a positive case). or usable.

Accordingly, the terms “complete cleaning” and/or “completely (purified) clean(ed) water” are used here in accordance with the predetermined, in particular constant, first target value for the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids in the permeate stream water. In this respect, a degree of purification of 100%, ie in the case of complete purification, corresponds to that degree of purification at which the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids in the permeate stream water corresponds to the first target value (quasi). Even more preferably, the cleaning exceeds an expectation or specification of a user or a related standard setting ex works with regard to the first setpoint. In this respect, ideally the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids in the permeate stream water is below the first set point. In particular, completely (purified) water is fit for consumption and/or tasteless.

Cumulatively or alternatively, it is preferred that a completely (purified) water according to the disclosure has at least one relevant category of the microbiological, chemical, indicator parameters and/or radiological under §§ 4 to 7 of the German Drinking Water Ordinance specified requirements or limit values or a (respective) associated or previously theoretically determined first setpoint.

In particular with regard to the definitions of terms contained in the German Drinking Water Ordinance for drinking water in the sense of §3 and/or protective regulations or examination regulations for the specialist, in particular in the sense of § 15 with regard to relevant DIN EN standards, this is hereby expressly made part of the present disclosure by reference [ see BGBI. I p. 959; amended version with decree of May 21, 2001; "Drinking Water Ordinance in the version published on March 10, 2016 (BGBl. I p. 459), which was last amended by Article 99 of the Ordinance of June 19, 2020 (BGBl. I p. 1328)"].

In addition, the preferred embodiment of the control unit according to the disclosure prevents a permeate flow of water with a first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids that is too high from impinging on a downstream line section and/or a system part and/or a unit of the drinking water supply unit with an unfavorably high salt load . This prevents, among other things, calcification of the aforementioned water-carrying parts.

Preferably, the method can cumulatively or alternatively have the further step: determining a second aqueous concentration of dissolved solids in the incoming input stream of water using a second determining means set up in the first line section for input to the control unit.

Preferably, the method can cumulatively or alternatively have the further step: Adjusting the pressure of the pre-filtered stream of water upstream of the reverse osmosis unit to at least the reverse osmosis pressure required for separation above the natural osmosis pressure for activating the reverse osmosis unit, in particular by means of automated adjustment of the control unit, preferably by means of a first feed pump set up for this purpose in the first line section.

This is particularly advantageous when the pressure of an input flow of water entering from an input connection, such as a house line inflow, is not sufficiently high to still be able to continue after passage or flow through the first water purification unit, which is used for the mechanical separation of in solid particles dispersed in the input stream of water to form a pre-filtered stream of water, and with a corresponding pressure loss across the first water purification unit to reach or exceed the reverse osmosis pressure required for separation. In this respect, a first feed pump in the first line section serves to increase the pressure in the pre-filtered stream of water flowing to the second water purification unit or the reverse osmosis unit. Due to design considerations, it is preferred in the present case to provide the first feed pump, which serves to increase the pressure, rather in the first line section. However, under certain circumstances it may be preferable to arrange the first feed pump between the first water purification unit and the second water purification unit, ie to provide water for direct pressure increase of the pre-filtered stream or directly upstream of the second water purification unit.

Preferably, the method can cumulatively or alternatively have the further step: drinking water conditioning of a first filling volume of water supplied from the permeate stream in a storage tank of the drinking water supply unit over the course of a downtime. In particular, a remineralizing natural stone element can bring about the conditioning of the drinking water, namely in the form of a remineralizing of the first filling volume of water. In this case, the natural stone element can preferably be consumed over time with the release of ions. In this respect, the natural stone element can ideally be arranged in an exchangeable manner in the storage container.

For example, the natural stone element can be a natural stone from a geographic region with geologically preferred mineral soils or rocks, for example a (rock) stone of volcanic origin such as lava and/or a sedimentary (rock) stone such as slate and/or from a geographic proximity to a source location for a natural mineral water or healing water. More preferably, the natural stone element can include a mineral and/or a preferably (semi)precious stone such as quartz, rock crystal, sodalite, aventurine, rose quartz, red jasper and/or amethyst. In particular, silver quartzite (up to 98% quartz, ie pressed rock crystal) is preferred because germs, fungi and/or biofilms cannot settle on silver quartzite.

The term "remineralizing", as used here, is intended to express the fact that the surface contact of the first filling volume of water with the natural stone element causes the (first filling volume) of water to move through natural mass transport processes or solubility processes with at least can accumulate a mineral from the natural stone element. In this respect, this physical interface situation recreates the natural situation of how mineral water is formed. In this respect, the term and/or the designation mineral water means that this water of natural origin dissolves some minerals when flowing through the rocks (especially carbonate and salt rocks) and part of their mostly inorganic components in soluble form, i.e. as cations and/or anions , than has absorbed minerals. Minerals are generally referred to as metal ions (e.g. cations Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, Zn2+, Se2+, Mo2+ etc.) and certain anions (HSiO3-, HCO3-, SO42-, F-, Cl-). Minerals are elements and compounds that also occur in minerals or are formed when minerals dissolve. In the vernacular, the minerals, i. H. the components usually consisting of at least one mineral (stone) dissolved, often referred to as "minerals" themselves (e.g. often legible on the label of mineral water bottles).

Similar to a naturally occurring mineral water, the first filling volume of water conditioned according to the disclosure contains more mostly inorganic components or minerals than unconditioned water such as normal household tap water. In other words, the optional additional step of conditioning drinking water succeeds in a particularly advantageous manner in compensating for a depletion of dissolved solids due to the upstream steps of pre-filtering and separating by means of the reverse osmosis unit, which in terms of a health-promoting and/or wholesome and/or physiologically optimal quality of the drinking water. Minerals are known to be essential to human life. In other words, according to the disclosure, a quality of drinking water can be achieved for a user which, on the one hand, has a high, effective degree of purity in terms of the depletion of undesirable, health-damaging and/or toxic ingredients in the water and, on the other hand, a sufficiently high, in particular isotonic, content of desirable, in particular physiologically required, minerals and similar health-positive ingredients in the water.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the natural stone element comprises a natural stone which originates or is obtained from a geographical region with preferred mineral soils or rocks and/or from the geographical vicinity of a mineral water source.

In the present disclosure, however, the terms “mineral” or “mineral preparation” (see below) should not be interpreted as limiting. The mineral may comprise an inorganic and/or organic substance (or ingredient). In particular, a mineral also includes a primary or secondary nutrient such as a vitamin, an enzyme, a ferment (product), a plant substance or the like; and/or a preferably natural and/or nature-identical aroma and/or a flavoring and/or an olfactory substance, for example an essential oil; and/or a probiotic substance, for example a metabolite of a probiotic bacterial strain of the gastrointestinal flora; and/or a substance desired by the user, for example an invigorating substance such as caffeine; and/or a health-promoting substance, for example a substance that stimulates the human immune system. It is also conceivable that the mineral or the at least one (ingredient) substance is formulated or packaged or presented and/or adjusted with regard to its solubility in an aqueous medium or with regard to its hydrophilicity or hydrophilic properties. Preferably the mineral preparation is in liquid form.

Advantageously, the storage container for replacing the natural stone element can be designed with an easily accessible cover that can be conveniently removed by a user, preferably from above. This enables the user to carry out frequent replacement with a fresh natural stone element in a simple, user-friendly manner. It is thus better ensured that the natural stone element can deliver the desired remineralizing minerals in sufficient quantities to the first filling volume of water.

Another advantage is that the user can add a first natural stone element with a first mineral composition, for example a first natural stone element supplied with the drinking water supply unit of the preferred embodiment, with a first mineral composition provided by default or provided by the manufacturer, at any time point can be exchanged for a second natural stone element with a second mineral composition, preferably provided according to a specific user request.

Cumulatively or alternatively, the drinking water conditioning can take place with stirring for homogenization and/or with activation for suppressing bacterial fouling. In this case, the drinking water conditioning can preferably be effected by a stirring element. The stirring element can preferably be activated by means of the control unit. Particularly preferably, the control unit can control or set the stirring element with regard to an input stirring power and/or a stirring time and/or a stirring interval.

Cumulatively or alternatively, the drinking water conditioning can take place for a first filling volume, which can be set to a predetermined, preferably constant, first target filling volume by means of the control unit. Cumulatively or alternatively, the control unit for drinking water conditioning can automatically run a cycle for refilling the first filling volume and/or cleaning the drinking water supply unit.

Preferably, the method can cumulatively or alternatively have the further step: remineralizing the first filling volume of water by metering in a mineral preparation. In particular, the remineralization can take place by means of a mineral preparation that is prefabricated as a portion, in particular as a cartridge. For this purpose, the mineral substance preparation can be arranged and/or is preferably arranged on the drinking water supply unit, in particular on or close to a reservoir or tank of the drinking water supply unit. For example, the drinking water supply unit can include an insert designed to hold the mineral preparation.

Cumulatively or alternatively, the first filling volume of water can be remineralized by means of a dosing pump that can be activated by the control unit. A flange for establishing a fluid connection between the mineral substance preparation used and the drinking water supply unit and/or the dosing pump can be provided in the insert. The provision of a dosing pump, in particular an automatic one or one that can be controlled by the control unit, serves to ensure reliable and convenient execution or monitoring of the preferred embodiment of the disclosed method. The metering pump can preferably be set up such that a metering volume flow and/or a metering point in time and/or a metering interval of the metering pump can be controlled, in particular regulated, by the control unit.

Cumulatively or alternatively, the optional step of remineralizing the first filling volume of water can be carried out according to a target metered quantity. In particular, it is preferred that the control unit can set the target metered quantity in such a way that a predetermined, preferably constant, target concentration of at least one mineral substance in the first filling volume of water is achieved. For example, the target concentration can be input by a user to the control unit using an operator interface (or human machine interface). The control unit is particularly preferably designed as a regulating unit.

Preferably, the method can cumulatively or alternatively have the further step: individual configuration of the mineral preparation. In this case, the individual configuration can take place in particular by means of the control unit. Cumulatively or alternatively, a user can use a user interface, for example a display with menu navigation, configurator algorithms and/or the like, to individually configure or put together his preferred mineral preparation.

The mineral preparation can preferably be configured with regard to its qualitative and/or quantitative composition. The term qualitative composition refers to the material components, i.e. the at least one mineral and/or at least one nutrient and/or at least one aroma that the mineral preparation consists of or is composed of. In other words, the qualitative composition refers to the information as to whether it is a mono-composition with (quasi) only one substance or an individual component or a multi-composition with a large number or mixture of material components. In the case of a multi-composition, the term quantitative composition refers to the proportions of the individual material components, preferably given as a percentage. In the case of the mono-composition, the term quantitative composition refers to the degree of purity of the individual component, preferably given as a percentage, based on a total amount.

It is further preferred that the user can individually configure or (off) the mineral preparation in such a way that a disclosed method with the optional further steps of individual configuration and remineralization of the first filling volume water, preferably in a storage container of a drinking water supply unit, drinking water produced or a (first) usable flow of water made available accordingly, based on drinking water that is already known, for example on the market and/or as a branded product, preferably mineral water and/or spring water and/or gourmet water and/or table water is.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the mineral preparation is carried out according to a (pre)known or (pre)determined original geological composition or is approximated or modeled on such. More preferably, the geological composition of the mineral preparation can be the composition of a natural stone from a geographic region with geologically preferred mineral soils or rocks, for example a (rock) stone of volcanic origin such as lava and/or a sedimentary (rock) stone such as slate, be. Cumulatively or alternatively, the geological composition of the mineral preparation can be a natural geological composition from a source location for a natural mineral water, preferably within the meaning of Section 2 of the Mineral and Table Water Ordinance, or a medicinal water, preferably within the meaning of Section 2 Paragraph 1 of the Medicines Act , correspond to or be modeled on or synthesize such. More preferably, the mineral preparation can consist of a mineral and/or a preferably (semi)precious stone such as quartz, rock crystal, sodalite, aventurine, rose quartz, red jasper and/or amethyst, aqueous or hydrophilic dissolved substances, especially ions , include.

Cumulatively or alternatively, a size of the mineral preparation can be individually configured or configured. The size of the mineral preparation, preferably the size of a portion of the mineral preparation prepackaged in a (primary) packaging means, in particular according to the target dosage quantity and/or the target concentration of at least one mineral in the first filling volume of water and/or a consumption period of the Be executed or designed mineral preparation. Further criteria for optimizing the size of the mineral preparation, preferably the pre-packaged portion and/or a refill pack, can represent a shelf life and/or a price and/or a requirement on the part of a distribution channel and/or a specification of a bottling plant. The mineral preparation can preferably, but not by way of limitation, be in a liquid form.

In a particularly preferred further development, it is cumulatively or alternatively conceivable that the individual configuration can take place in the form of a separate step in terms of time, preferably in advance, and/or location, preferably remotely. In other words, the user can put together the mineral preparation as desired or according to personal preferences with regard to a taste and/or nutrient content of the water, in particular in advance and/or separately from the actual use of the mineral preparation in the method for controlling the drinking water purity during drinking water treatment. For example, the user can order or obtain a specifically individualized or individually configured composition of the mineral preparation from a manufacturer or manufacturer of the mineral preparation. For this purpose, for example, ordering processes via order platforms on the Internet, preferably via a so-called application (“app”, in particular for application on a mobile device such as a smartphone), can be used conveniently. Furthermore, the individual configuration in the sense of an "(artificially) intelligent" controlled process or "smart devices" can be supported by "suggestions" from the control unit to the user.

Preferably, the method can have the following two steps cumulatively or alternatively: feeding the permeate stream water or a partial stream thereof branched off from it, in particular by means of automated feeding by means of the control unit, to a carbonation unit for carbonic acid enrichment downstream via a sixth line section, preferably branched off from the fifth line section Line section in the positive case according to the step of checking; and carbonating a second hold volume of water in the carbonation unit.

The control unit preferably controls or regulates the carbonic acid enrichment step in such a way as to set or regulate a predetermined and/or user-desired carbonic acid concentration. For this purpose, the carbon dioxide concentration desired by the user can be entered by the user via the user interface. The carbon dioxide concentration desired by the user can relate to a specific, direct value (quantity) and/or an indirect indication (quality, such as still, medium, sparkling) or the like. A so-called "default" setting is also possible.

Preferably, the method can cumulatively or alternatively have the further step: providing a useful flow of water, preferably to the user, via a drinking water dispensing unit, preferably by means of a second feed pump set up upstream of the drinking water dispensing unit. In particular, the Provided useful stream water can be related either as a first useful stream from the drinking water supply unit or as a second useful stream from the carbonation unit. Cumulatively or alternatively, the useful flow provided can be water mixed from the first useful flow and the second useful flow. When mixing, it is further preferred that the useful flow provided is mixed in an adjustable mixing ratio based on the ratio of the first useful flow and the second useful flow. In this case, the step of mixing or correspondingly the mixed useful current provided is even more preferably such that a respective first concentration of at least one mineral substance and a second concentration of carbonic acid assumes a respective associated predetermined desired value.

Preferably, the method can cumulatively or alternatively have the further step: cooling the drinking water supply device. Preferably, at least the first filling volume and/or the second filling volume is cooled or the control unit is set up to control or regulate (at least) a means for cooling the drinking water supply device, preferably the first filling volume and/or the second filling volume. Even more preferably, the input stream of water and/or the pre-filtered stream of water and/or the permeate stream of water and/or the first useful stream and/or the second useful stream can be or are additionally cooled. Cooling of the entire drinking water supply device from the input connection and/or from the first line section to the drinking water dispensing unit and/or to a last line section downstream therefrom is particularly preferred. Cumulatively and/or alternatively, it may be desirable to take into account a user-desired setpoint temperature of the useful stream of water that deviates from another setpoint temperature of the drinking water supply device that is preferred with regard to system cooling, or to control or regulate it using the control unit. A thermostat control can preferably be provided for this purpose. More preferably, the drinking water supply device has an insulating outer housing and/or is installed in a refrigerator unit. In this case, it is not important whether the control unit as such is cooled to a cool (setpoint) temperature relating to the water or not. In this respect, the control unit can (at least partially) lie within the outer housing, but does not have to (entirely).

The control unit can preferably be designed as a control unit with regard to at least one of the aforementioned steps of the method, in particular with regard to the execution or implementation of the majority or all of the steps of the method according to the disclosure. It is also conceivable that the control unit is designed in sub-units for controlling or regulating individual steps and/or a technically sensible (sub)group of several steps.

In particular, the control unit can be set up to regulate a controlled variable associated with an operating parameter of the drinking water supply device. In this case, the respectively associated controlled variable is a respective operating parameter that is to be kept constant or specifically variable by regulation by means of the control unit CPU. In this case, a desired value of the respective operating parameter is referred to as a respective target value; and an instantaneous or actual value is referred to as a respective actual value or process value.

For example, in the context of the steps of providing and/or carbonic acid enrichment for a drinking water consumer, the respective target value can be a respective desired sparkling strength, which physically corresponds to a carbonic acid concentration. In particular, the respective target value of the respective operating parameter can be entered via an operating interface or user interface provided on the drinking water purity control device. The user interface is more preferably a means for entering the first target value for the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids; and/or a means for entering the delivery rate of the first delivery pump and/or the second delivery pump and/or the metering pump. The respective delivery rate can be determined, for example, by sensors such as flow sensors and/or pressure sensors in terms of regulation. Cumulatively and/or alternatively, the operating interface or user interface can be a means for inputting at least one target temperature, which is preferably uniform for the entire drinking water supply device.

Preferably, an automatic cleaning step or a cycle desired by the user, for example automatic flushing of at least one part of the drinking water supply device that is in contact with the water with at least one cleaning fluid, can be entered or started by the user via the user interface. For example, a cleaning cycle can be carried out automatically (by the control unit) on a recurring basis, in particular every night or every three days. This means that a guide value based on the draft of DIN 1988-200 can be advantageously met, according to which a system with a favorable, high water exchange the entire storage content is exchanged every three days. The cleaning fluid can relate to a basic and/or acidic and/or surfactant-containing medium. The cleaning step can include backflushing and/or cleaning-in-place (CIP) and/or pig cleaning.

For the appropriate implementation and correct execution of the method described above, the present disclosure includes, according to a second aspect of the disclosure, a drinking water purity control device with a control unit for use during drinking water treatment.

According to the second (or second-mentioned, further) aspect of the disclosure, a drinking water purity control device with a control unit is proposed for use during drinking water treatment in a continuously and/or semi-continuously operable drinking water supply device with a reverse osmosis unit in households , gastronomy or the like is suitable or furnished. In this case, the drinking water purity control device has (or includes, has): a means for flowing through a first line section with an input stream of water entering from an input connection, in particular a first feed pump that can be controlled by the control unit and/or a first feed pump that can be controlled by the control unit magnetic tap; downstream a means for pre-filtering the input stream of water for the mechanical separation of solid particles dispersed in the input stream of water to form a pre-filtered stream of water, in particular a first water purification unit; downstream a means for separating the pre-filtered stream of water by means of the reverse osmosis unit, which can be activated in particular by pressurization, into a partial stream of a permeate stream of water further cleaned of dissolved solids and an associated other partial stream of a retentate stream of water, in particular a second water purification unit; downstream, a means for discharging the retentate stream of water, preferably for discharging through an outlet connection, in particular a third line section; and downstream a means for the water to flow through with the permeate stream, in particular a second line section, with a first determination means set up for determining a first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids, in particular a first conductivity sensor. The control unit is set up to: check whether a predetermined, in particular constant, first target value for the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids in the permeate stream water is reached, in particular undershot, and in the corresponding negative case, which on a Exceeding the first setpoint based on the verified first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids to discard the permeate water. In this case, the control unit for discarding can in particular be set up to discharge the permeate flow of water via a fourth line section to the outlet connection. For this purpose, it can be further preferred that a second magnetic tap, which can be controlled by the control unit, is set up in the fourth line section (to) (in order) to discard the permeate flow of water or to discharge it to the outlet connection.

The features, combinations of features and the resulting advantages correspond to those which have been explained above in connection with the first aspect of the present disclosure.

In order to avoid repetition, reference is also made to the definitions of terms made above.

In this case, the additional term “magnetic valve” should not be used in a limiting manner. In particular, the magnetic tap can stand for any (controllable) (stop) tap and/or any (controllable) (stop) valve. The designation thus corresponds to that which is mostly naturalized in installation technology, according to which a valve is often referred to as a tap or water tap. Unlike the shut-off valve, where the flow can be continuously adjusted as required, (shut-off) valves do not have to be set to intermediate positions. They are usually only operated in two states: fully open or fully closed. In this context, a (shut-off) cock is understood to be a fitting that completely or completely releases or completely or completely blocks the flow of a fluid in a fluid line, especially a pipeline. A tap is operated by turning the locking element 90°. The construction of stopcocks is completely tight; this applies both to the connected pipeline and to the spindle of the actuator. It is essential for the present use of the term "magnetic valve", in particular "three-way valve", in connection with the drinking water purity control method or with the corresponding drinking water purity control device that the magnetic valve or valve mechanism arranged or set up in at least one fluid line is actuated by means of a control command (automatically) a control unit can open or release the fluid line on the one hand and close or block it on the other hand. In other words, it is not essential for this that the valve mechanism closes on an electromagnetically induced or inducible basis force based; rather, it is essential that the magnetic valve can be (controlled) by means of the control unit.

In a particularly preferred manner, the control unit can be embodied as a regulating unit.

In a preferred embodiment of the drinking water purity control device, the control unit can also be set up (to) supply the permeate flow of water to a drinking water supply unit downstream via a fifth line section in the correspondingly positive case. In this case, the correspondingly positive case is based on the fact that the checked first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids has reached, in particular fallen below, the first target value.

Cumulatively or alternatively, the control unit is set up to actuate a third magnetic tap (or a third magnetic valve) in the fifth line section (in order) in the correspondingly positive case to supply the permeate stream of water to a drinking water supply unit downstream via a fifth line section. Cumulatively or (particularly) alternatively, the control unit is set up to switch from a first fluid connection between the second line section and the fourth line section to a second fluid connection between the second line section and the fifth line section by means of a first three-way valve. This serves to automatically supply the water that has been completely cleaned according to the disclosure for at least one further use, so that no more (permeate flow) water is discarded than is necessary according to the first target value for the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids.

Preferably, the drinking water purity control apparatus further includes means for determining a second aqueous concentration of dissolved solids of the incoming input stream of water for input to the controller. The means for determining a second aqueous concentration is preferably a second determination means, in particular a second conductivity sensor, which is (or which) is set up or arranged in the first line section.

Preferably, the drinking water purity control apparatus further includes means for adjusting the pressure of the prefiltered stream of water upstream of the reverse osmosis unit to at least the reverse osmosis pressure required for separation above the natural osmosis pressure to activate the reverse osmosis unit. In particular, the pressure present upstream on the reverse osmosis unit can be built up or adjusted with a first feed pump set up for this purpose in the first line section.

The drinking water purity control device preferably also has at least one means for drinking water conditioning of a first filling volume of water supplied from the permeate flow in a storage container or tank of the drinking water supply unit over the course of a downtime. In this case, in particular, the means for conditioning drinking water can be a remineralizing natural stone element that preferably consumes itself over time with the release of ions and/or is replaceable. Cumulatively or alternatively, the means for conditioning drinking water can be a stirring element that can be activated by the control unit. The stirring element can preferably also be controllable with regard to an input stirring power and/or a stirring time and/or a stirring interval, or the control unit is set up to control (or regulate) the stirring element with regard to an input stirring power and/or a stirring time and/or a stirring interval ). The receiving container or tank is preferably transparent at least in a viewing section, for example in a viewing window area made of glass, in order to make stirring or a corresponding water vortex in the receiving container or tank visible to a user. Cumulatively or alternatively, the first filling volume can be set to a predetermined, preferably constant, first target filling volume by means of the control unit, or the control unit is set up to set the first filling volume to a predetermined, preferably constant, first target filling volume. Cumulatively or alternatively, the control unit can be set up to automatically carry out a cycle for refilling the filling volume and/or cleaning the drinking water supply unit.

Cumulatively or alternatively, the storage container or tank can be designed so that it can be cleaned from above by means of a cover. For this purpose, the cover is preferably to be arranged or set up in an outer housing of the drinking water supply device and/or on top of the storage container, for example pivotably. This preferred embodiment makes it easier for the user to carry out a visual inspection with regard to the optical purity of the conditioned drinking water on the one hand and on the other hand hygiene for manual or mechanical (intermediate) cleaning of the storage container or tank due to easy access. It is also possible for the cover to be placed loosely, to be sealed, for example to be closable by means of a circumferential sealing lip and/or by means of a bayonet catch, in particular pressure-tight. In particular, the lid can Have ventilation port for ventilation and / or venting to compensate for a change in the first filling volume or the water level or the level in the storage tank on the pressure side. The ventilation port can preferably be designed with a filter such as an activated carbon filter and/or a HEPA filter, preferably class H13 (degree of separation 99.95%) or H14 (degree of separation 99.9995%), for cleaning the inflowing ambient air. In this respect, this has the advantage that this preferred embodiment of the ventilation port with the filter offers effective protection against the entry of contaminants from the ambient air, in particular even viruses.

The drinking water purity control device preferably also has at least one means for remineralizing the first filling volume of water by metering in a mineral preparation. In particular, the mineral substance preparation can be and/or can be arranged as a prefabricated portion, in particular as a cartridge, prefabricated mineral substance preparation on the drinking water supply unit. Cumulatively or alternatively, a metering pump that can be activated by the control unit can meter in the mineral preparation. The dosing pump can preferably be controllable with regard to a dosing volume flow and/or a dosing time and/or a dosing interval, or the control unit is set up to control or regulate the dosing pump with regard to a dosing volume flow and/or a dosing time and/or a dosing interval. Alternatively or cumulatively, a target metered quantity can be adjusted by means of the control unit to a predetermined, preferably constant target concentration of at least one mineral substance in the first filling volume of water, or the control unit can be set up to adjust a target metered quantity by means of the control unit to a predetermined, preferably constant target concentration of at least one mineral substance in the first filling volume of water to set or regulate.

Preferably, the drinking water purity control device further has means for individually configuring the mineral preparation. In particular, the means for individually configuring can be designed as the control unit and/or as a user interface for a user. Preferably, a qualitative and/or quantitative composition of the mineral preparation from at least one mineral and/or at least one nutrient and/or at least one aroma and/or a multiplicity or mixture thereof can be configured and/or configured. Alternatively or cumulatively, a size of the mineral preparation can be configured and/or configurable. In particular, the size of the mineral preparation can correlate or correspond to (with) the target metered quantity and/or the target concentration of at least one mineral in the first filling volume of water and/or a consumption period of the mineral preparation. Cumulatively, the mineral preparation can be configured and/or configured separately in terms of time and/or location from the drinking water treatment.

Preferably, the drinking water purity control device further has a means for feeding the permeate stream water or a partial stream thereof branched off to a carbonation unit for carbonation downstream via a sixth line section in the correspondingly positive case with regard to the checked first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids; and means for carbonating a second hold volume of water in the carbonation unit. The sixth line section is preferably branched off from the fifth line section.

The control unit preferably controls or regulates the carbonic acid enrichment step in such a way as to set or regulate a predetermined and/or user-desired carbonic acid concentration. For this purpose, the carbon dioxide concentration desired by the user can be entered by the user via the user interface.

The drinking water purity control device preferably also has a means for providing a useful flow of water via a drinking water dispensing unit, in particular via a fitting. A second feed pump can preferably be set up to provide a useful flow of water upstream of the drinking water dispensing unit. In this case, in particular, the useful current can be obtained either as a first useful current from the drinking water supply unit or as a second useful current from the carbonation unit. The first useful stream is conditioned, optionally remineralized and/or cooled. The second useful stream is carbonated or enriched with carbonic acid and optionally cooled. Cumulatively or alternatively, the useful flow can preferably be a mixture of the first useful flow (still drinking water) and the second useful flow (sparkling drinking water). It is further preferred that the step of mixing or the corresponding mixing of the useful current is carried out in an adjustable mixing ratio on the basis of the ratio of the first useful current and the second useful current, in particular is set or regulated by the control unit. Cumulatively or alternatively, the useful current can be provided in such a way that a respective first concentration of at least one Mineral and a second concentration of carbonic acid assumes a respective associated predetermined setpoint. For this purpose, a specification desired by the user, in particular the mixing ratio and/or the first and/or second concentration, can be entered by the user via the user interface.

Preferably, the drinking water purity control device further has means for cooling the drinking water supply device. The means for cooling comprises a heat pump, in particular a refrigerator, and/or a heat exchanger and/or an electrothermal converter, in particular a Peltier element, and/or a convection cooling element such as a cooling fan. At least the first filling volume and/or the second filling volume is preferably cooled. More preferably, the input stream of water and/or the pre-filtered stream of water and/or the permeate stream of water and/or the first useful stream and/or the second useful stream can also be cooled. In particular, it is preferred that the means for cooling is set up or provided to cool the entire drinking water supply device. The term "entire drinking water supply device" relates to the balancing area or the area or the volume section, which extends from the input connection and/or from the first line section to the drinking water dispensing unit and/or to a downstream to the last line section expands.

In particular, (almost) all parts or surfaces of the drinking water supply device that come into contact with water can be made of stainless steel and/or a comparably water-inert material, such as ceramics and/or glass. Alternatively and/or cumulatively, at least one of the surfaces that come into contact with water has an antibacterial finish and/or is coated, for example with a nanosilver structure. In particular, a special water-inert sealing material can be used. With regard to the storage container and/or a portion or a primary packaging means of the mineral preparation, glass is particularly preferred, at least in sections.

The (central) drinking water purity control device is preferably set up with the control unit to activate or (also again) deactivate all sub-processes or steps of the disclosed method for controlling the drinking water purity individually and/or in combination. In particular, the control unit receives (a) respective measurement signal(s) from (at least) an associated determination means, in particular a conductivity probe, a level sensor, etc. On the basis of the measurement signal, the control unit controls (a) respective (execution) means , as described above, in particular the magnetic tap (or a large number of them), the stirring element in the storage container, the dosing pump, etc.

A central user interface, for example based on an “LCD touchscreen”, can preferably allow an (individual) setting of a respectively associated setpoint value, in particular with regard to the degree of purity in the manner of the first aqueous setpoint concentration. A respective associated target value preferably also includes the first and/or second filling volume, a desired carbon dioxide value in the useful stream (weak or still, medium or medium, strong or sparkling), a cooling temperature, a time for automatic cleaning , etc. Furthermore, a (data) output of the drinking water purity control device according to the disclosure with the control unit can relate to information with regard to a respectively associated and/or further actual value. The information can also relate to a planning date such as a remaining term or remaining service life of a filter stage, the natural stone element, the mineral preparation and/or a CO2 cartridge, a maintenance interval, a delivery time, etc.

According to a third (or third-mentioned, further) aspect of the disclosure, an associated computer program is proposed. When loaded into a digital memory of a computer, the computer program executes a method according to the disclosure for controlling the purity of drinking water. Accordingly, the computer program is set up, loaded into the digital memory of the computer, to implement the drinking water purity control device according to the disclosure with the control unit. The computer can be designed in particular in the form of or with the, preferably mobile, operating interface for a user, for example a cell phone (eg a “smartphone”). The computer program according to the disclosure can preferably be used by a mobile application. "(Mobile) App"] (or a program part thereof). In the present case, a (mobile) app (lication) refers to application software for mobile devices or for mobile operating systems (in particular for “smartphones” and “tablets”). This is for ease of use for the user. In this respect, this enables, in particular, operation from afar and/or at a different time from operation and/or by a large number of users, for example by different family members.

According to a fourth (or fourth-mentioned, further) aspect of the disclosure, an associated drinking water supply device with the reverse osmosis unit is proposed. there is the associated drinking water supply device for continuously and/or semi-continuously operable drinking water treatment in households, gastronomy or the like is set up or provided with or with implementation of the drinking water purity control device according to the disclosure. In particular, this aspect enables a modular design and/or serves to improve the availability of essential spare parts.

According to a fifth (or fifth-mentioned, additional) aspect of the disclosure, an associated mineral preparation is proposed. In this case, the associated mineral substance preparation is set up so that it can be and/or is arranged on a drinking water supply unit of a drinking water purity control device according to the disclosure. Alternatively or cumulatively, the associated mineral preparation is set up for or through the execution of a method for controlling the purity of the drinking water, insofar as a step of the method relates to the associated mineral preparation. In particular, it seems expedient that the associated mineral preparation is present as a pre-manufactured portion, in particular as a cartridge, and/or as a pre-manufactured mineral preparation, preferably in a primary portion packaging.

According to a sixth (or sixth-mentioned, further) aspect of the disclosure, an associated product set (“kit of parts”) with at least one consumable and/or spare part is proposed. In this case, the at least one consumable and/or replacement part is set up to be associated with the execution of a method according to the disclosure for controlling the purity of drinking water and/or to be associated with a control device for controlling the purity of drinking water according to the disclosure. In particular, the at least one consumable and/or spare part in the associated product set includes: a pre-filter for the first water purification unit; and/or the reverse osmosis unit for the second water purification unit; and/or the first determination means and/or the second determination means; and/or the natural stone element and/or the stirring element; and/or the mineral preparation according to the disclosure; and/or a carbon dioxide cartridge for the carbonation unit; and/or a magnetic tap or magnetic valve that can be controlled by the control unit; and/or a faucet for the drinking water dispensing unit; and/or a preferably mobile operating interface for a user. In this respect, original or factory replacement parts serve to ensure proper operation in accordance with the present disclosure or compatibility and the sense of longevity.

In summary, an essential idea or main benefit of the present disclosure is to provide an individual consumer such as a household and/or a catering business with a device or a drinking water supply device that not only cleans the water completely, but the cleaned one Water after the purification stages or filter processes (mechanical filtration; reverse osmosis) in the first water purification unit and the second water purification unit checked again for its quality or a suitable or desired degree of purity. In this respect, according to the disclosure, the purified water is then checked by a (n) corresponding probe or sensor. In particular, after the device has been switched on, water that has not yet been completely cleaned is initially discarded, and in fact until the suitable or desired degree of purity is maintained or is present. It's all done automatically, so the individual consumer doesn't have to worry about how the purity level is met. On the basis of the present disclosure, it is thus possible to make the purified water harmless even for consumers who are concerned about the concerns or precautionary reasons described in the introductory part of the disclosure. In a preferred further development, the device or the drinking water supply device can “communicate” to the consumer and make it transparent whether and to what extent the suitable or desired degree of purity is maintained and/or in which mode the device or the drinking water supply device or the corresponding method is located and/or the like.

The design and implementation of an automatic control of a quality check of the cleaned drinking water or tap water according to the disclosure, more preferably with an automatic cleaning and/or with an automatic exchange of the water for fresh water, thus serves a generally comfortable, convenient, uncomplicated operation and a reliable operation.

Furthermore, it has proven to be advantageous in a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure that the water cleaned after the filtering process no longer has plastic surfaces in the water-carrying components, such as in particular in a pipe section and/or in a container or tank , preferably, is in contact with surfaces exclusively made of stainless steel. In this way, any new contamination, in particular from plastic and/or fouling, in particular from biological microfouling, due to bacterial colonization and/or algae colonization is avoided from the outset.

Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, it proves to be advantageous that the cleaned drinking water can be stored or made available in an open, easy-to-clean drinking water supply unit, for example in a (slightly) conically upwardly opening vessel , instead of the usual in an inaccessible, closed (pressure) tank.

In a preferred variant of the present disclosure, it is provided that the water that has been completely cleaned by reverse osmosis is only slightly provided with salts or remineralized or conditioned so that the cleaned water can be absorbed more easily or more tolerably or more wholesomely by the human body.

In a further preferred variant of the present disclosure, it is provided that the water that has been completely purified by reverse osmosis is improved into any available form of (natural) mineral water or spring water, which is otherwise or until now only commercially available as bottled water. More preferably, a user or water consumer should have the option or even a short-term choice of being able to use or drink the cleaned water or water to be provided as carbonated sparkling water.

Thus, the present disclosure makes it possible to obtain (drinking) water that is completely clean or pure, possibly or preferably prepared according to individual taste, possibly or preferably carbonated if desired, as if directly from the tap.

character list

• 1 ein Anlagenschema einer Trinkwasserbereitstellungs-Vorrichtung mit einer Trinkwasserreinheit-Steuerungsvorrichtung zur Ausführung eines Verfahrens zur Steuerung der Trinkwasserreinheit während einer Trinkwasseraufbereitung, gemäß einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel des Verfahrens bzw. der Trinkwasserreinheit-Steuerungsvorrichtung nach der vorliegenden Offenbarung;
• 2 ein schematisches Flussdiagramm des Verfahrens zur Steuerung der Trinkwasserreinheit, während einer Trinkwasseraufbereitung in einer Trinkwasserbereitstellungs-Vorrichtung, gemäß dem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel;
• 3 ein Anlagenschema einer Trinkwasserbereitstellungs-Vorrichtung mit einer Trinkwasserreinheit-Steuerungsvorrichtung gemäß einem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel des Verfahrens bzw. der Trinkwasserreinheit-Steuerungsvorrichtung nach der vorliegenden Offenbarung;
• 4a ein Anlagenschema einer Trinkwasserbereitstellungs-Vorrichtung mit einer Trinkwasserreinheit-Steuerungsvorrichtung gemäß einer ersten Variante eines dritten Ausführungsbeispiels des Verfahrens bzw. der Trinkwasserreinheit-Steuerungsvorrichtung nach der vorliegenden Offenbarung;
• 4b ein Anlagenschema einer Trinkwasserbereitstellungs-Vorrichtung mit einer Trinkwasserreinheit-Steuerungsvorrichtung gemäß einer zweiten Variante eines dritten Ausführungsbeispiels des Verfahrens bzw. der Trinkwasserreinheit-Steuerungsvorrichtung nach der vorliegenden Offenbarung;
• 5 ein schematisches Flussdiagramm des Verfahrens zur Steuerung der Trinkwasserreinheit, während einer Trinkwasseraufbereitung in einer Trinkwasserbereitstellungs-Vorrichtung, gemäß dem dritten Ausführungsbeispiel;
• 6 ein Anlagenschema einer Trinkwasserbereitstellungs-Vorrichtung mit einer Trinkwasserreinheit-Steuerungsvorrichtung gemäß einem vierten Ausführungsbeispiel nach der vorliegenden Offenbarung;
• 7 ein Anlagenschema einer Trinkwasserbereitstellungs-Vorrichtung mit einer Trinkwasserreinheit-Steuerungsvorrichtung gemäß einem fünften Ausführungsbeispiel nach der vorliegenden Offenbarung;
• 8 ist eine perspektivische Vorderansicht einer Trinkwasserbereitstellungs-Vorrichtung mit einer Trinkwasserreinheit-Steuerungsvorrichtung gemäß einem sechsten Ausführungsbeispiel nach der vorliegenden Offenbarung; und
• 9 ist eine perspektivische Aufsicht einer Trinkwasserbereitstellungs-Vorrichtung mit einer Trinkwasserreinheit-Steuerungsvorrichtung gemäß einem siebten Ausführungsbeispiel nach der vorliegenden Offenbarung.

The present disclosure is described in more detail below using preferred exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

• 1 a system diagram of a drinking water supply device with a drinking water purity control device for executing a method for controlling the drinking water purity during drinking water treatment, according to a first exemplary embodiment of the method or the drinking water purity control device according to the present disclosure;
• 2 a schematic flow diagram of the method for controlling the drinking water purity during drinking water treatment in a drinking water supply device according to the first embodiment;
• 3 a system diagram of a drinking water supply device with a drinking water purity control device according to a second exemplary embodiment of the method or the drinking water purity control device according to the present disclosure;
• 4a a system diagram of a drinking water supply device with a drinking water purity control device according to a first variant of a third exemplary embodiment of the method or the drinking water purity control device according to the present disclosure;
• 4b a system diagram of a drinking water supply device with a drinking water purity control device according to a second variant of a third embodiment of the method or the drinking water purity control device according to the present disclosure;
• 5 a schematic flowchart of the method for controlling the drinking water purity during drinking water treatment in a drinking water supply device according to the third embodiment;
• 6 A system diagram of a drinking water supply device including a drinking water purity control device according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure;
• 7 A system diagram of a drinking water supply device including a drinking water purity control device according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure;
• 8th 12 is a front perspective view of a drinking water supply device including a drinking water purity control device according to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure; and
• 9 14 is a perspective plan view of a drinking water supply device including a drinking water purity control device according to a seventh embodiment of the present disclosure.

Description of the exemplary embodiments

Hereinafter, seven embodiments of the present disclosure are explained based on the related 1 until 9 described. This results in further details, features and advantages of the invention. Identical or functionally equivalent features are provided with the same reference symbols in the individual figures.

First of all, a system diagram according to one of the exemplary embodiments should be illustrated 1 , 3 until 4a respectively. 4b , 6 and 7 noted that three types of line representations to be distinguished, namely solid / dashed / dotted, are used respectively. A solid (arrow) line represents a water flow or a volumetric flow of water a dotted (arrow) line represents a forwarding of a respective control signal from the control unit CPU to a component controlled by the control unit CPU, in particular to a magnetic valve M1, M2, ....

Furthermore, in advance of the above, a respective system diagram is illustrative 1 , 3 until 4a respectively. 4b , 6 and 7 noted that a respective magnetic valve (or a respective magnetic valve) M1, M2, ... M8 by default and without further special mention in the functional description in the currentless closed state. They are only mentioned if they are opened by the control unit CPU to fulfill the function, namely to establish a fluid connection.

1 and 2 relate to a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, namely on the one hand with regard to the method according to the disclosure for controlling the drinking water purity (during drinking water treatment in a drinking water supply device) as a first aspect (control method) and on the other hand with regard to the corresponding drinking water purity control device according to the disclosure a second aspect (control device): So shows 1 a system diagram of the drinking water supply device with the drinking water purity control device for executing the method for controlling the drinking water purity; this serves to illustrate the second aspect. Accordingly, the to the 1 corresponding 2 a schematic flow chart with the steps of the method for controlling the purity of drinking water; this serves to illustrate the first aspect.

With reference to 1 a water treatment system 10 has a drinking water purity control device 1 with the control unit CPU as a drinking water supply device, such as can be operated continuously and/or semi-continuously, e.g. by a private single-family household or a restaurant for drinking water treatment for daily consumption. At this time, the drinking water purity control device 1 implements the disclosed drinking water purity control method fairly by means of the control unit CPU.

Namely, the method for controlling the purity of drinking water is based on the in 2 steps S100 to S800 disclosed are executed by the control unit CPU. In particular, a decision made by the control unit CPU in a check step S700 on the basis of a preceding determine step S600 comes into play, as explained in more detail further below.

The water treatment system 10 performs the drinking water treatment of the water supply to tap water V-1, which flows as an input flow of water from a household water tap 30 as an input connection. For this purpose, the water treatment system 10 is connected to the water tap 30 via a first line section L1, for example by means of a connecting piece of hose. Referring to the corresponding 2 this corresponds to a first step throughflow S100 of the method for controlling the drinking water purity.

In order to release the water supply of mains water V-1 to or into the water treatment system 10, the first magnet tap (or the first magnet valve) M1 must be opened automatically by activation by means of the control unit CPU. For this purpose, a consumer enters on an interactive display HMI (e.g. a “touchpad”) as an operating interface of the drinking water purity control device 1 that he would like to start the water treatment system 10 .

At this point, it should be noted in general that in the following functional description all magnetic valves are in the normally closed or fluid-blocking state, unless otherwise stated. In this respect, a magnetic tap (or solenoid valve) is only mentioned in particular if it (or AS) is (actively) opened to fulfill its function automatically or by means of an associated control signal from the control unit CPU in order to open an associated fluid line in a respective line section, in or on which the respective magnet valve is arranged to be released for flow. If the naturally occurring pressure of the water supply to mains water V-1 is too low, a first feed pump P1 (not shown; cf. 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ) be provided to increase the pressure. In this case, preferably the control unit CPU, the optional first feed pump P1, in particular switch on or control together with the first magnetic valve M1.

• Zunächst passiert bzw. durchströmt das Leitungswasser V-1 nach Öffnen des Wasserhahns 30 zur Trinkwasseraufbereitung eine Vorfilterstufe F als eine erste Wasserreinigungseinheit. Unter Bezugnahme auf die korrespondierende 2 entspricht dies einem nachfolgenden Schritt Vorfiltern S200 des Verfahrens zur Steuerung der Trinkwasserreinheit.

At the core of the drinking water treatment, the water treatment plant 10 has a two-stage structure:

• First, after opening the water tap 30 for drinking water treatment, the mains water V-1 passes or flows through a pre-filter stage F as a first water purification unit. Referring to the corresponding 2 this corresponds to a subsequent step pre-filtering S200 of the method for controlling the purity of drinking water.

Subsequently or downstream, a stream of water VF pre-filtered by passage through the pre-filter stage F reaches a reverse osmosis stage RO as a second water purification unit. Referring to the corresponding 2 this corresponds to a subsequent step Separation S300 of the method for controlling the purity of drinking water.

In the pre-filter stage F, there is a mechanical separation of (at least one) unwanted solid(s) that reduce the water purity or of (at least one) impurity(s) in the tap water, which are separated by the pre-filter stage F, ideally at least to a certain degree of separation if mostly not completely, can be filtered out. In particular, the pre-filter stage F is used for the mechanical separation of coarser particles of the (at least one) solid, for example lime flakes from pipes.

The respective degree of separation of such a pre-filter stage F can be different for different solids in each case. In particular, the following influencing factors can affect the process of mechanical separation in the pre-filter stage: (respective) particle size or particle size distribution of the at least one solid present in the tap water (dispersed or in suspension or as suspended matter), (boundary) physical affinity of the respective at least one solid to the at least one filter matrix of the pre-filter stage F, time course (in particular due to a so-called filter cake build-up), porosity or porosity distribution or empty volume of the filter matrix, flow rate (distribution), flow pressure (distribution), depth of the filter matrix and the like . As a result, an associated degree of separation, based in each case on the at least one solid, can vary greatly. On the one hand, a degree of separation (in the pre-filter stage F) of 100% indicates that the mechanical separation of the at least one solid from the tap water flowing in from the water tap 30 is complete. On the other hand, a degree of separation (in the pre-filter stage F) of 0% indicates that the mechanical separation of the at least one solid from the tap water drawn from the tap 30 has not taken place.

In the reverse osmosis stage RO, the pre-filtered stream of water is then (continuously) separated or split or (divided) into two partial streams to separate the (at least one) solid. The result is, on the one hand, a permeate flow V-P further (finely) cleaned by means of reverse osmosis as a partial flow and, on the other hand, an associated corresponding retentate flow V-R as another partial flow. In terms of balance, it can be concluded from the separation or split or the division into two partial flows that (quasi) the retentate flow water V-R is enriched to the extent or by the amount (mass) of the (at least one) separated solid by which the permeate flow V-P is depleted or further (finely) cleaned by means of diffusion through a counter-pressure diffusion membrane M as a reverse osmosis unit.

In the (steady-state) course of the reverse osmosis process in the reverse osmosis stage RO, according to a manufacturer's specification for a preferred counter-pressure diffusion membrane M, the retentate water V-R can measure approx. two thirds of the pre-filtered water V-F. Accordingly, approximately one third of the water in the pre-filtered flow of water V-F is available as a permeate flow V-P or at the pure water outflow of the counter-pressure diffusion membrane M. Permeate stream V-P is highly diluted in that it now consists almost entirely of water molecules. The aim of the filtering is in particular a purity value of < 10 ppm as the first target concentration (adjustable on the control unit, for example via an "app").

In the reverse osmosis stage RO, the pre-filtered stream of water V-F is pushed through the counter-pressure diffusion membrane M. Their atomic lattice size can roughly correspond to the size of a water molecule of around 0.275 nanometers. All molecules that are larger than a water molecule are almost completely held back. The water (finely) purified in the reverse osmosis stage RO, i.e. the permeate stream V-P, can preferably contain no more than 20 ppm of the (at least one) solid, in particular no more than 8-10 ppm [i.e. 8-10 foreign molecules of (at least one) solid per 1 million water molecules]. The substance transport process or the diffusion across the counter-pressure diffusion membrane M occurs when there is a natural or physical osmosis pressure exceeding (minimum) counter-pressure.

In this respect, the reverse osmosis stage RO can be activated by applying the required (minimum) back pressure, which is applied to the back pressure diffusion membrane M in the pre-filtered stream of water VF. The osmosis pressure of the tap water V-1 can in particular be less than or equal to 2 bar. The (minimum) back pressure applied here, applied in the reverse osmosis stage RO, can preferably be between 3 and 30 bar, depending on the back pressure diffusion membrane M used and/or depending on the configuration of the water treatment plant 10. With reference to the corresponding 2 this corresponds to a subsequent step S400 of the method for controlling the purity of drinking water.

As already mentioned above, the optional first feed pump P1 (not shown; cf. 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ) cause or set a pressure increase, ideally regulate it, e.g. in the sense of a target (minimum) back pressure and/or at least a target volume flow of water.

The retentate flow of water V-R enriched (with the at least one dissolved solid or with the impurities) can flow off freely, for which purpose a third line section L3 is provided downstream for the fluid connection of the reverse osmosis stage RO to a drain 40, e.g. siphon, as an outlet connection for used water is.

The permeate flow of water VP flows out of a compartment beyond the counter-pressure diffusion membrane M. The permeate stream of water VP flows through a second line section L2, which is provided as a means for flowing through. A first conductivity sensor (or a first conductivity probe) S1 is set up in the second line section L2 as a first determination means. Referring to the corresponding 2 this corresponds to a subsequent flow step S500 of the method for controlling the purity of drinking water.

In this case, the first conductivity sensor S1 serves to determine S600 (or to determine, to measure) a first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids TDS1. In this respect, a conductivity value (or a Siemens number) measured in the permeate flow of water V-P as the aqueous solvent (or medium) correlates with a so-called TDS value. As a result, the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids TDS1 can be determined using the first conductivity sensor S1. In the determination process or in the determination step S600, in addition to a mathematical correlation in the sense of a dependency function, an analytically obtained predetermined characteristic map (for example with concentration-dependent correction factors or offsets) can also be used.

On the basis of the determined first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids, the control unit CPU checks whether the purity in the permeate stream of water VP, which is predetermined in the form of a first setpoint value TDS1-Soll, is actually achieved or is present. For this purpose, the control unit CPU is set up to carry out an automatic comparison of the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids TDS1 as the actual actual value with the first desired value TDS1-Soll. Referring to the corresponding 2 this corresponds to the subsequent step checking S600 of the method for controlling the drinking water purity.

Only if the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids actually reaches at least the first setpoint value TDS1-Soll, ideally even falls below it, does the automatic check or evaluation of the comparison of the two values (or the check step S600) reach the result that the predetermined purity in the permeate water V-P is actually achieved or is present. In other words, it is only in this case that a cleaning performance or a degree of cleaning of the first water purification unit located upstream together with the second water purification unit is rated as sufficient or accordingly positive in accordance with the specifications. Otherwise, i.e. the insufficient or accordingly negative case, occurs when the automatic check or evaluation of the comparison of the two values (or the check step S600) has led to the result that the predetermined purity in the permeate stream Water V-P is not actually reached or is not present as expected. In other words, the correspondingly negative case is based on the first target value TDS1-SOLL being exceeded by the checked first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids TDS1.

Then, ie in the correspondingly negative case, the drinking water supply device is set up with the control unit CPU to automatically discard the permeate flow of water V-P. For this purpose, the control unit CPU controls a (currentless closed) second magnetic valve M2 in a fourth line section L4, which establishes a fluid connection from the second line section L2 with the first conductivity sensor S1 to the outflow 40, to the fourth line section L4 for discharging the permeate flow of water to keep V-P open.

Referring to the corresponding 2 this corresponds to the subsequent discard step S700 of the control method tion of drinking water purity. In both 1 and 2 the (case) decision made by the control unit CPU is symbolized by a diamond symbol known from logic for the representation of algorithms. If the automatic check carried out by the CPU control unit (or check step S600) based on the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids determined with the conductivity measurement using the first conductivity sensor S1, as actually present in the permeate flow, comes to a (correspondingly negative ) The result of non-fulfillment of a (purity) condition, which is formulated in advance in the form of the first target value TDS1 target (numerically), this is the case in both 1 and 2 indicated by the annotation "NO".

To check the purity, the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids TDS1 is ideally measured in (quasi) real time by the conductivity probe S1. Furthermore, the steps based on this measurement, which are carried out by the control unit CPU according to the determined first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids TDS1, are preferably carried out, namely (automatic) steps of checking and, if necessary, discarding according to the step of checking negative cases, ideally in (quasi) real time. This is used for continuous control in a continuous operation of the drinking water treatment with continuous flow with the respective volume flows of water.

3 12 shows a system diagram of a drinking water supply device with a drinking water purity control device according to a second exemplary embodiment of the method and the drinking water purity control device according to the present disclosure.

This in 3 illustrated second embodiment shows compared to in the 1 and 2 illustrated basic principle of the present disclosure some further (optional) extensions: First, the drinking water supply device can also include a drinking water supply unit 50 with a tank or (stainless steel or glass) container T as storage container. The drinking water supply unit 50 can be designed with various optional means or elements, as described in detail below. Furthermore, a faucet 80 can be provided as a drinking water dispensing unit for the withdrawal of a completely (or accordingly positively) purified useful stream of water V-80 by a consumer (not shown) of the pure water. Furthermore, the first water purification unit F can be divided into two filtration stages F1 and F2. Furthermore, a second conductivity probe S2 can be set up in the first line section L1 as a second determination means for determining a second aqueous concentration of dissolved solids TDS2 in the input stream of water V-1.

Within the scope of the present disclosure, it should be understood that respective optional extensions, as explained with reference to the second to seventh exemplary embodiments, each relate to partial aspects that are independent of one another. In this respect, the person skilled in the art understands that respective optional extensions can be preferred individually or in combination. In addition, modifications of the optional extensions or the detailed exemplary embodiments are also conceivable and can be equally preferred.

In other words, the different views show analogous representations with regard to a system diagram of a drinking water supply device 10 with a drinking water purity control device 1 for carrying out a method for controlling the drinking water purity during drinking water treatment: 1 according to a first embodiment of the method or the drinking water purity control device 1 according to the present disclosure; 3 according to a second embodiment; 4a respectively. 4b according to a third embodiment in a first or second variant; 6 according to a fourth embodiment; 7 according to a fifth embodiment. In order to avoid repetitions, the basic structure of the drinking water supply device 10 with the drinking water purity control device 1 is referred to in the explanations 1 With 2 referred. Furthermore, with regard to respective (optional) extensions of the drinking water supply device 10 with the drinking water purity control device 1 for solving independent partial aspects, reference is made to the statements with regard to each of the 3 ; the 4a respectively. 4b With 5 ; the 6 ; the 7 respectively. 8th referred. This again illustrates 5 one to 2 analog representation.

With reference to 3 the measurement by a second conductivity probe S2 is followed by the first water purification unit F with the first filter stage F1 and the second filter stage F2.

The first filter stage F1 can preferably be designed as a sediment filter. The first filter stage F1 serves to pre-filter small suspended particles and/or microparticles from the input stream of water V-1; and/or the removal of most biological contaminants such as bacteria and viruses. In this case, the first filter stage F1 can preferably contain up to one particle filter about 5 microns (5 µm) in size. The sediment filter captures rust, sand and/or other coarse particles, protecting the second filter stage F2.

The second filter stage F2 can preferably be designed as an activated carbon (block) filter and/or as a virus-filtering HEPA filter. The second filter stage F2, e.g. the activated carbon (block) filter, is set up to remove smaller particles or dissolved solids such as chlorine and/or a pesticide and/or a portion of a drug residue and/or a portion of microplastics downstream or downstream and/or remove viruses. An ozone filter can also be used cumulatively or alternatively.

The flow of water V-F pre-filtered in the first water purification unit F with the first and second filter stage F1, F2 flows further to the second water purification unit RO. There, the ultra-fine filtering takes place by means of separation through a (back pressure diffusion) membrane M as a reverse osmosis unit.

In the positive case, the drinking water supply unit 50 obtains the (completely cleaned) permeate flow V-P from the second water purification unit RO (her) via a fluid connection, which comes from a pipeline marked with the logic symbol "YES" (positive case) along the second Line section L2, the fifth line section L5 and the seventh line section L7. For this purpose, the control unit CPU has previously activated and opened the magnetic valve M3 set up in the fifth line section L5 and the magnetic valve M5 set up in the subsequent seventh line section L7. At the same time, the pipeline marked with the logic symbol "NO" (correspondingly negative case) along the fourth line section L 4 is closed by the control unit CPU by means of the magnetic valve M2 set up therein.

The drinking water supply unit 50 uses an open vessel made of a preferably hygienic, inert material such as glass and/or stainless steel as the tank or container T for storing the pure water. The container T is easily accessible by means of a cover 60 that can be opened from above, so that it can be cleaned (also manually). This embodiment is particularly advantageous compared to conventional systems; in this respect, conventional systems use a closed pressure tank to store the pure water in order to build up enough water pressure for withdrawal from the tap. However, these closed tanks cannot be cleaned; furthermore, a visual inspection for any contamination and/or the formation of biofilms is not possible.

The necessary water pressure at the water tap 80 is ensured by a second feed pump P3 that runs very quietly. Ideally, their water-carrying parts are also made of a hygienic, inert material such as ceramic and/or stainless steel. This embodiment is particularly advantageous compared to conventional systems; in this respect, conventional systems lead the water through piping and/or hoses made of plastic after it has been cleaned. However, plasticizers and other pollutants can disadvantageously diffuse out of this plastic. This diffusion into the water that has already been cleaned represents a disadvantage in conventional systems, which comes into play in particular when the system is at a standstill and/or in particular on hot days. However, in a preferred embodiment, the disclosed drinking water supply unit 50, in particular downstream of the first and second water purification unit, can exclusively consist of pipes and other, in particular fixed, parts made of a hygienic, inert material such as stainless steel, glass and/or ceramic. Here, in particular, a further preferred embodiment, in which all contact surfaces with water are made of stainless steel, advantageously develops an antibacterial effect. More preferably, all sealing materials, insofar as they are in contact with water, can consist of a material that is inert to water, in particular a material that is long-term inert and/or does not swell with water.

For (remineralizing) conditioning of the first filling volume W1 of water, there can preferably be a natural stone element 66 in the reservoir T, for example in the form of a ring disk.

A magnetic stirring element 64 can preferably be located in the (circular) center of the storage container T or in a central circular recess of the natural stone element 66 to activate the first filling volume W1 of water. The stirring element 64 may be driven by an underfloor electric motor 65 or by an induction magnet drive (depending on the model). A whirlpool can thus advantageously be generated in the storage container T. The intensity and/or activation cycle of this whirlpool can be adjusted using the CPU control unit, e.g. also via an app. The eddy or water vortex serves to homogenize the temperature of the water in the storage tank T. Furthermore, the formation of a microbiological film is advantageously avoided. In this respect, the convection flow prevents a reduction in the laminar boundary layer. As a result, (micro)biological fouling on an inner wall of the storage tank T is prevented.

As already for the 1 and 2 explained, is located downstream of the second water fountain The unit RO with the reverse osmosis unit M has a first conductivity probe S1, with which the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids TDS1 in the permeate stream water VP (flow) is measured. Before it is forwarded to the storage tank T of the drinking water preparation unit 50 , the permeate stream water VP is fed into the drain 40 as long as a fixed or previously adjustable first target value TDS1 target is not reached or not reached.

After activation of the first water purification unit F, consisting of a first filter stage F1 and a second filter stage F2, as well as the second water purification unit RO, the initial permeate flow of water V-P is first discarded (and sent to the drain 40) until the first conductivity probe S1 measures a sufficiently low particle concentration (e.g. about 8-10 ppm) as the first aqueous dissolved solids concentration TDS1.

Only then (in the correspondingly positive case "YES") is the supply or feeding of the storage tank T of the drinking water supply unit 50 or the storage vessel with fresh water from the now completely (or correctly) opened by means of the control unit CPU automatically opened third solenoid valve M3. pure permeate stream water V-P switched on.

Solenoid valves M1 and M3 are opened by user activation and/or cycling by the (Central) Control Unit (CPU). As a result, tap water reaches the drinking water supply device 10 as an input flow V-1 from the domestic water connection (cold) 30. The input flow V-1 passes through a second conductivity probe TDS2. The permeate flow VP downstream of the second water purification unit RO passes the first conductivity probe TDS1 (cf. 1 ). The first and second conductivity probes S1, S2 record the conductivity of the water (for example in micro-Siemens) via the proportion of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in relation to the total number of water molecules in ppm (parts per million). This serves to measure the water quality or a degree of purity. A visual display of the measured first and second aqueous concentration of dissolved solids TDS1, TDS2 takes place in a display HMI as the operating interface of a (central) drinking water purity control device 1 with the control unit CPU.

Additionally or alternatively it can be provided (not shown) that an “app” (or application software) available for a so-called “smartphone” performs a visual display of the measured first and second aqueous concentration of dissolved solids TDS1, TDS2 dislocally.

As already mentioned above, the drinking water supply unit 50 can be designed with various optional means or elements. The level of the water in the storage tank T, referred to as a first filling volume W1, can be determined by an ultrasonic sensor S4 (“Level Transmitter LT-0-5”) as a fourth means of determination, which is arranged in the cover 60 of the storage tank T, by means Distance measurement and volume calculation are measured. The larger the first filling volume W1 turns out to be, the smaller the distance between the ultrasonic sensor S4 and the water surface of the first filling volume W1.

The first filling volume W1 can then preferably be adjustable by means of the drinking water purity control device 1 with the control unit CPU. For example, the first filling volume W1 can be selected between 3, 4 or 5 liters (storage volume). In addition, a ventilation port 62, preferably in the form of an activated carbon filter, can be provided in the cover 60 that hygienically covers the storage container T. The ventilation port 62 serves to equalize the pressure in the storage tank T when filling and emptying the first filling volume W1 of water and for the general exchange of air in the storage tank T.

As soon as the storage tank T has been filled to a first filling volume W1, the magnetic cocks M1 and M3 and M5 are closed by the control unit CPU. If the storage tank T is completely full, all the solenoid valves are de-energized and therefore closed. The storage container T can preferably be emptied automatically by pressing a button on the display HMI by means of the control unit CPU.

Any overfilling of the storage tank T can preferably be avoided by an emergency float switch S3 (“Level Alert LA-5”) as a third determination means. As a result, the control unit CPU can immediately close solenoid valve M1 in the event of a measurement signal from the emergency float switch S3, which reports an unintentional exceeding of an exemplary filling quantity of 5 liters to the control unit CPU of the drinking water purity control device.

As a further optional backup safety measure, a humidity sensor S8 (“Level Alert LA-0”) can be arranged as an eighth determination means in the bottom of an outer housing 2 of the entire drinking water supply device 10 . Because of this, the control unit CPU can close the first magnet valve M1 and/or switch off the drinking water supply device 10 if leakage water and/or moisture occurs.

In this case, the outer housing 2 can preferably have a heat pump 90 as a means for cooling the (virtually entire) drinking water supply device 10 . The outer housing 2 and/or insulation 68 (of a wall) of the storage tank T are preferably designed to be heat-insulating.

4a (first variant) or 4b (second variant) and 5 relate to a third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, namely on the one hand with regard to the method according to the disclosure for controlling the drinking water purity (during drinking water treatment in a drinking water supply device 10) as a first aspect (control method) and on the other hand with regard to the corresponding drinking water purity control device according to the disclosure as a second aspect (control device): So shows 4a respectively. 4b a system diagram of the drinking water supply device 10 with the drinking water purity control device 1 for executing the method for controlling the drinking water purity; this serves to illustrate the second aspect. Accordingly, the to the 4a respectively. 4b corresponding 5 a schematic flow chart with the steps of the method for controlling the drinking water purity; this serves to illustrate the first aspect.

Again, the third embodiment relates essentially to a further development of the basis 3 discussed second embodiment.

On the one hand, the drinking water supply device 10 can include a mineral substance preparation PMF. A metering pump P2 arranged between the mineral preparation PMF can be provided, controlled by the control unit CPU, to meter the mineral preparation PMF, at least partially, into the first filling volume W1 in the storage container in a remineralizing manner. Referring to the too 4 corresponding 5 this corresponds to an optional remineralization step S1200 of the drinking water purity control process.

Irrespective of this, the drinking water supply device 10 can also include a carbonation unit 70 . In this case, the carbonation unit 70 can preferably be in fluid connection with a fitting 80 as a water dispensing unit. Referring to the too 4 corresponding 5 this corresponds to optional steps feeding to a carbonating unit S1300 and carbonating S1350 of the drinking water purity control method.

In the correspondingly positive case, the permeate stream water V-P, similar to water distilled by steam condensation, is almost completely pure (e.g. first aqueous concentration TDS1 < 10 ppm).

In order to prepare the taste of the water, there is the option of treating it with a mineral preparation PMF that can be purchased individually.

The mineral preparation PMF can preferably be based on a conventional mineral water in terms of its mixture or composition. Alternatively or cumulatively, a mixture or composition relating to the mineral preparation PMF can be configured individually. Referring to the too 4a respectively. 4b corresponding 5 this corresponds to the optional step remineralize S1200; and also preferably the further optional step individual configuration S1250 of the method for controlling the drinking water purity.

For this purpose, a mineral mixture in the mineral preparation PMF (“Premixed Mineral Fluid”), which is provided for example in the form of a cartridge, is added to the storage tank T by the metering pump P2. The control of the dosing pump P2 or dosing can take place in particular on the basis of the above-described monitoring of the first filling volume W1 by means of the ultrasonic sensor S4. A (very finely) metered amount of the mineral preparation PMF can be metered in each time the first filling volume W1 falls below a fixed, predetermined target value and/or after it has been completely emptied by the cleaning cycle or removal. The (very finely) metered quantity of the mineral preparation PMF, for example a few milliliter units, can preferably be added to the first filling volume W1 of water, calculated in each case on the basis of a predetermined mineral dilution ratio.

In addition to the targeted remineralization using the mineral preparation PMF, there is again at the bottom of the tank, as already mentioned in 3 shown, the replaceable natural stone element 66, which releases a small amount of minerals, salts and / or ions to the first filling volume W1 water over a long period of time.

In the correspondingly positive case, the second magnetic valve M3 is closed and the magnetic valves M3 and M5 are opened, so that the clean water and the permeate stream water VP can reach both the storage container T, as already shown 3 explained, as well as in a carbonator C of a carbonation unit 70, namely for the production of carbonated according to water. In other words, at the same time as the storage tank T is being filled, water is fed through the sixth magnetic valve M6, which is opened by the control unit CPU, via a sixth line section L6 into the carbonizer C. In addition, the control unit CPU has opened the seventh magnetic valve M7, namely for venting while feeding water into the carbonator C.

A filling level sensor S6 (“LT 0.5”) arranged in the carbonizer C as the sixth means of determination can signal complete (filling) filling to the control unit CPU. If the carbonizer C is filled to a second filling volume W2, the sixth and seventh magnetic valve M6, M7 are closed by the control unit CPU. Immediately afterwards, the CPU control unit automatically opens the eighth magnetic valve M8. Carbon dioxide can thus be conducted from the external carbon dioxide cartridge CO2 into the storage container T in such a way that the second filling volume W2 water is carbonated. An overpressure switch 72 prevents overfilling with CO2.

Preferably, the first filling volume W1 of water in the storage tank T and/or the second filling volume W2 of water in the carbonizer C can be replaced by a regular cleaning cycle that can be set in the control unit CPU to avoid contamination. In other words, the contents or filling volumes W1, W2 of the storage tank T or of the carbonizer C can be emptied independently or separately from one another. For this purpose, the first filling volume W1 of water in the storage tank T and/or the second filling volume W2 of water in the carbonizer C is first emptied. To do this, the control unit can use magnetic valve M5 (for fluid connection with storage tank T) and/or the two magnetic valves M6 (for fluid connection with carbonizer C) and M7 (for venting carbonizer C) together with the fourth magnetic valve M4 (for fluid connection with drain 40) open. In this way, the third feed pump P3, for example a diaphragm pump, can pump the first filling volume W1 of water in the storage tank T and/or the second filling volume W2 of water in the carbonizer C to the drain 40. Meanwhile, check valves R1 and R2 can block in the direction of the water tap 80.

A cleaning cycle in the first water cleaning unit F and in the second water cleaning unit RO can then be initiated again by the control unit CPU. In addition, the consumer can also activate a cleaning cycle himself at any time on the HMI display.

With regard to water withdrawal by the consumer, the water dispensing unit can preferably be designed in the form of a standard fitting designed as a 4-way tap 80 . For the sake of completeness it should be mentioned that the paths '1' and '2' are used for removing cold or hot unfiltered water. The 4-way tap 80 (or alternatively an electronic tap, depending on the model) allows either "still" or "carbonated" water to be dispensed.

The removal takes place depending on which direction of rotation of the lever attached to the 4-way valve 80 (not shown) is selected.

The opening of the lever for "still water" initially causes a drop in pressure in the water line V-81 between the third feed pump P3 and the 4-way valve 80, thus activating a pressure switch DS1. By assignment to the pressure switch DS1, the control unit CPU triggers the opening of the fifth magnet valve M5 and the activation of the third delivery pump P3. As a result, the water is conveyed through the 4-way tap 80 as a first useful flow V-81 from the first filling volume W1, ie from the storage tank T with still water.

Regarding the withdrawal of “carbonated (sparkling) water”, opening the lever for “carbonated (sparkling) water” first causes a pressure drop in the water line V-82 between the third feed pump P3 and the 4-way tap 80, thus an activation of a pressure switch DS2. By assignment to the pressure switch DS2, the control unit CPU triggers the opening of the sixth magnetic valve M6 and the activation of the third feed pump P3. As a result, the water from the second filling volume W2, ie from the carbonizer C with carbonated (sparkling) water, is conveyed through the 4-way tap 80 as a second useful flow V-82.

If the fill level falls below a preset level due to the withdrawal as useful flow V-80, the control unit CPU automatically requests new, pure fresh water as the permeate flow V-P by activating the water treatment, in particular the second water purification unit RO by means of pressurization, as already explained above. This activates the normal filling process.

4b shows with reference to 4a as a first variant of the third embodiment, a second variant thereof. However, this is for illustrative purposes only and those skilled in the art can independently provide such a variation on any embodiment. First of all, this relates to the possibility of arranging the at least one means for cooling differently. As from the comparison of 4a and 4b As can be seen, instead of a means for cooling provided centrally on the housing 2, e.g. in the form of an outer refrigerator housing, a first means for cooling 90 can be provided on the storage container T and/or a second means for cooling on the carbonizer C. The respective, first and/or second means for cooling 90 can be controlled in each case by the control unit CPU. This variant has the advantage that the cooling acts directly on the treated water, which enables improved cooling efficiency, a smaller design and, in the case of the directly cooled carbonator, improved carbonation.

Furthermore, in the 4b the third feed pump, for example the diaphragm pump, P3 is provided in front of or upstream of the fifth magnet valve M5, which allows the carbonizer to be filled under pressure. In other words, in the second variant, the carbonizer C is arranged on the pressure side of the third feed pump P3. This is advantageous with regard to an improved introduction of carbonic acid into the second filling volume W2 of water in the carbonizer C, in particular for the provision of medium to intensive or strongly sparkling sparkling water.

Insofar as the second filling volume W2 is water under increased pressure, the carbonated water or sparkling water, like the 4b to be removed without a pump via the sixth magnetic valve M6 directly to the 4-way valve 80 as the first useful flow V-81 flow. In other words, in this second variant there is no need for a pump, for which the carbonizer would be arranged on the suction side. Again, the first useful flow V-81 passes through the first check valve R1 and the first pressure switch DS1.

In the 4b can the control unit CPU, as in the 4a , open the eighth magnetic valve M8 in order to add carbonic acid to the second filling volume W2 of water from the external carbon dioxide cartridge CO2. To provide "medium" sparkling sparkling water, a one-time filling or application of carbon dioxide and a subsequent "relaxation" or equilibrium setting (according to a saturation partial pressure) in the carbonizer C are controlled by the control unit CPU. In order to provide "intensive" or strongly sparkling sparkling water, the control unit is set up to carry out a double filling or impingement with carbonic acid. By repeating the carbonation step (cf. 5 : S1350) a distinctly sparkling, fresh drinking water can advantageously be provided.

• In einem optionalen Schritt S900 wird vorzugsweise der Permeatstrom Wasser zu einer Trinkwasserbereitstellungs-Einheit stromab zugeführt. Dabei erfolgt der Schritt S900 über einen fünften Leitungsabschnitt (nur) im gemäß dem vorangegangenen Schritt des Überprüfens S700 positiven Falle, d.h. „YES“, welcher auf einem Erreichen, insbesondere auf einer Unterschreitung, des ersten Soll-Wertes durch die erste wässrige Konzentration von gelösten Feststoffen basiert. In einem optionalen Schritt S 1000 kann vorzugsweise eine zweite wässrige Konzentration von gelösten Feststoffen des eintretenden Eingangsstromes Wasser bestimmt werden. Dabei erfolgt der Schritt S 1000 mittels eines in dem ersten Leitungsabschnitt eingerichteten zweiten Bestimmungsmittels zur Eingabe an die Steuereinheit.

That (with further reference to 4a respectively. 4b) in 5 The method for controlling the drinking water purity (during drinking water treatment in a drinking water supply device 10) that is schematized with the flowchart as a first aspect (control method) includes the steps S100 to S800 that are essential to disclosure (shown as boxes surrounded by a solid line), to avoid repetitions on the description of 2 (with further reference to 1 ) is referenced. Furthermore, the drinking water purity control method may include (respective) optional steps S900 to S1500 below (represented as boxes surrounded by dashed lines), as now set forth:

• In an optional step S900, the permeate flow of water is preferably fed downstream to a drinking water supply unit. Step S900 takes place via a fifth line section (only) in the case that is positive according to the preceding step of checking S700, ie “YES”, which indicates that the first aqueous concentration of dissolved water has reached, in particular fallen below, the first target value Solids based. In an optional step S1000, a second aqueous concentration of dissolved solids of the incoming input stream of water can preferably be determined. In this case, step S 1000 takes place by means of a second determination means set up in the first line section for input to the control unit.

In an optional step S250, the pressure of the pre-filtered stream of water that is present upstream of the reverse osmosis unit can preferably be adjusted to at least the reverse osmosis pressure required for step S300 of the separation.

In an optional step S1100, drinking water conditioning of a first filling volume of water supplied from the permeate flow can preferably take place in a storage tank of the drinking water supply unit over the course of a downtime. In an optional step S 1200, the first filling volume of water can then preferably be remineralized by metering in a mineral preparation. For this purpose, the mineral preparation can preferably be individually configured in a preparatory optional step S1250.

In an optional step S1300, in the positive case according to the preceding step of checking S700, i.e. "YES", preferably the permeate stream water or a partial stream branched off from it can be fed downstream to a carbonation unit for carbonic acid enrichment.

In an optional step S 1400, a useful flow of water can preferably be provided via a drinking water dispensing unit.

In an optional step S1500, the drinking water supply device, preferably at least the first filling volume and/or the second filling volume of water, particularly preferably the (virtually) entire drinking water supply device, can be cooled.

6 12 is a system diagram of a drinking water supply device including a drinking water purity control device according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. The fourth exemplary embodiment corresponds to that in FIG 4 discussed third embodiment, but with the omission of the carbonization unit and the corresponding second useful stream of sparkling water. In addition, based on 6 illustrates that two magnetic valves at a fluid fork point, which are alternately controlled or controllable by the control unit CPU and which are set up in alternative line sections, in particular the second magnetic valve M2 ("NO") and the third magnetic valve ("YES"), by a corresponding three-way valve M10 or a three-way (solenoid) valve can be replaced. In this respect, the analog comparison to the 3 , 4 and 7 pointed out. At this point it should be emphasized that (regardless of one of the respective first to seventh embodiments described) a three-way valve can generally perform a fluid connection situation with two alternatively (open-closed versus closed-open) to be switched respective magnetic valves as the same means. In particular, a three-way valve can also bring about a corresponding fluid connection situation in other line sections with a further fork point. As an advantage, the same means of two magnetic taps is mostly cheaper than a three-way tap.

7 12 is a system diagram of a drinking water supply device including a drinking water purity control device according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. The fifth exemplary embodiment corresponds to that in FIG 4 discussed third exemplary embodiment, but with the omission of the mineral preparation and the associated dosing pump for remineralizing the first filling volume W1.

8th 12 is a front perspective view of a small water treatment facility 10 as a drinking water supply device 10 including a drinking water purity control device according to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure. The small-scale water treatment system 10 for a single-family household is an embodiment of the size of a table-top appliance, such as an office coffee machine, a microwave oven, a minibar or the like. Based on 8th It can be seen that a core of the small water treatment system 10 shown here is provided in the form of a first water purification unit (not shown) and a second water purification unit (not shown) as well as a storage tank (not shown) in an outer housing 2. In this case, the outer housing 2 is arranged in the manner of a refrigerator 90 as a means for cooling. In other words, the water treatment unit 10 is built into a refrigerator 90 (drawer-shaped), so to speak. A view of the drinking water supply unit 50 with the storage tank (not shown) is released through a rectangular viewing window set in as a transparent pane of glass. The pure water V-80 produced by the small water treatment system 10 as a useful stream is filled into a drinking vessel provided by the consumer (not shown) upon request. A rectangular “touch screen” HMI is provided as a user interface for interactive communication with the consumer to operate the drinking water purity control device and to execute an associated operating menu guide.

9 12 is a perspective plan view of a drinking water supply device including a drinking water purity control device according to a seventh embodiment of the present disclosure. Concerns 9 according to a structurally slightly modified variant of the sixth embodiment 8th . Alternatively could 9 basically a rear view of the sixth embodiment according to 8th affect. Of the 9 the following components can be seen: the (alternative) small water treatment system 10 shown here is comparable to the construction in 8th , built into a refrigerator 90 (in the form of a drawer) and thus provided in its entirety in a refrigerated outer housing 2

A first water purification unit F and a second water purification unit RO protrude as cylindrical inserts sunken into a drinking water supply unit 50 . A round cover 50 (sealed) is arranged on a storage tank (not shown) of the drinking water supply unit 50 . For cleaning and/or inspection purposes by a consumer (not shown), the cover 50 is set up in such a way that it can be (easily) removed and/or pivoted upwards. The outer housing 2 is in the manner of a refrigerator 90 as one Means arranged for cooling. The pure water V-80 produced by the small water treatment system 10 as a usable stream is made available to the consumer via a delicate, round-shaped feeder tap that is also built in and built in. A rectangular operating interface HMI for displaying measured values and/or for interactive communication with the consumer is provided for operating the drinking water purity control device and for executing an associated operating menu. Optionally, the content of the operator interface HMI can continue to be duplicated at least partially on a (not shown) display of a remote device, such as a so-called “smartphone”, of the consumer and the like and/or vice verse. In this case (not shown), the consumer can preferably also carry out or trigger the configuration step disclosed above and/or an ordering process using the HMI user interface.

Thus, the drinking water purity control device 1 according to the disclosure (see esp. 1 ) of the drinking water supply device or for the execution of the control method according to the disclosure (see in particular 2 ) a (e.g. private, non-industrial) end user to treat conventional tap water in such a way that it becomes completely clean water, ie without health concerns. This is achieved technically in particular by the verification (or the verification step S700, see 2 and 5 ) and optionally (ie, in the correspondingly negative case) discarding (or discarding step S800, see 2 and 5 ) of the water that is not yet sufficiently pure can be carried out automatically by the control unit CPU. In particular, according to the disclosure, it is possible to avoid in advance that insufficiently pure water continues to flow downstream from the second water purification unit RO into the drinking water supply unit 50, in particular the storage tank T. This is particularly advantageous in the case of a permeate flow of water, which has been enriched or contaminated again with impurities or with the (at least one) solid by stopping reverse osmosis and the spontaneous occurrence of natural osmosis as a reverse process or declining equilibrium process is. This situation occurs, for example, when the system is shut down at night and/or when the consumption of pure water is low and/or when the system is out of operation for a longer period of time, for example when the primarily private end user is absent from travel.

In preferred embodiments of the disclosure, it is possible for the end user to remineralize the completely clean water by conditioning it with a natural stone element and/or by dosing it from a prefabricated mineral preparation, according to the desire for known and/or popular mineral combinations (see esp. 3 until 7 ). This further refinement can contribute to the drinking pleasure, also in terms of taste, or upgrade the completely clean water with regard to the alimentary content for the human metabolism. In addition to the addition of minerals according to the consumer's wishes, the addition of CO2 can optionally be offered according to the consumer's taste preferences.

It goes without saying for the person skilled in the art that preferred variants of the drinking water supply device according to the disclosure also include table-top devices (with a separate water tank) and built-in devices for kitchen construction.

Preferably, the disclosure offers many other pluses in terms of preferred embodiments. Particularly noteworthy is the possibility of cleaning the storage tank of the drinking water supply unit due to an open design. Also to be mentioned is a high level of reliability and convenience for the consumer due to fully automatic self-control (or regulation) by means of the control unit. Another advantage is the consistent avoidance of contamination by cooling ideally (almost) all (component) parts of the drinking water supply device according to the disclosure or correspondingly ideally (almost) all (procedural) steps of the method according to the disclosure for controlling the purity of the drinking water see. Preferably, the entire drinking water supply device can not only be (constantly) cooled, but the purity of the water fed in can be (permanently) checked such that the water is automatically emptied and replaced or exchanged if necessary. The (permanent) exchange thus avoids contamination of the water.

Furthermore, a serious benefit of the present disclosure consists in a contribution to being able to better achieve climate protection goals through a corresponding reduction in transport logistics for mineral water bottled in (returnable) bottles. The disclosure completely and permanently replaces the need to purchase bottled mineral water from retailers. This results in a significant contribution to sustainability through the consistent avoidance of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2 footprint).

Reference List

1

Drinking water purity control device

2

exterior enclosure

10

Drinking water supply device

30

input port

40

output port

50

Drinking water supply unit

60

lid

62

ventilation port

64

stirring element

65

engine

66

natural stone element

68

insulation

70

carbonation unit

80

Drinking water dispensing unit

90

means for cooling

C

carbonizer

CPU

Central processing unit

CO2

carbon dioxide

DS1

first pressure switch

DS2

second pressure switch

f

first water purification unit

F1

first filter stage

F2

second filter stage

HMI

User interface (“Human-Machine-Interface”)

M

reverse osmosis unit (“membrane”)

M1

first magnetic tap

M2

second magnetic tap

M3

third magnetic tap

M4

fourth magnetic tap

M5

fifth magnetic tap

M6

sixth magnetic tap

M7

seventh magnetic tap

M8

eighth magnetic tap

M3

third magnetic tap

M10

three-way tap

L1

first line section

L2

second line section

L3

third line section

L4

fourth line section

L5

fifth line section

L6

sixth line section

L6

seventh line section

P1

first feed pump

p2

dosing pump

P3

second feed pump

PMF

mineral preparation

R1

first check valve

R2

second check valve

RO

second water purification unit (“reverse osmosis”)

S1

first means of determination

S2

second means of determination

S3

third means of determination

S4

fourth means of determination

S5

fifth means of determination

S6

sixth means of determination

S7

seventh means of determination

S8

eighth means of determination

T

storage container

TDS1

first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids ("Total Dissolved Solids")

TDS1 TARGET

first target value

TDS2

second aqueous concentration of dissolved solids

V-1

input stream water

V-80

utility water

V-81

first useful current

V-82

second useful current

V-C

partial flow of water

V-F

pre-filtered stream water

V-P

permeate stream water

V-R

retentate stream water

w1

first filling volume

W2

second filling volume

S100 to S1500

process steps

Claims (24)

Method for controlling the drinking water purity during drinking water treatment in a continuously and/or semi-continuously operable drinking water supply device (10) with a reverse osmosis unit (M), for use in households, gastronomy or the like, with the steps: - flow through (S100 ) a first line section (L1) with an input flow of water (V-1) entering from an input connection (30); - Pre-filtering (S200) of the input stream of water (V-1) downstream in a first water purification unit (F) for the mechanical separation of solid particles dispersed in the input stream of water (V-1) to form a pre-filtered stream of water (VF); - Separation (S300) of the pre-filtered stream of water (VF) downstream in a second water purification unit (RO) by means of the reverse osmosis unit (M), which can be activated in particular by pressurization, into a partial stream of a permeate stream of water (VP) further purified from dissolved solids and a associated other partial flow of a retentate water (VR); - Discharging (S400) the retentate stream of water (VR) downstream via a third line section (L3), in particular for discharging through an outlet connection (40); - the permeate stream water (VP) flowing through (S500) a second line section (L2) which has a first determination means (S1) set up to determine a first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS1); and - determining (S600) the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS1) in the permeate stream water (VP) by means of the first determining means (S1); characterized by the steps: - checking (S700), in particular by means of a control unit (CPU) automated checking, whether a predetermined, in particular constant, first target value (TDS1 -SOLL) for the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS1) in the Permeate flow of water (VP) is reached, in particular falls below, and - Discarding (S800) of the permeate flow of water (VP), in particular by means of the control unit (CPU) automated discarding, in the negative case according to the step of checking (S700), which is based on a Exceeding the first target value (TDS1-SOLL) based on the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS1), preferably by discharging via a fourth line section (L4) to the outlet connection (40). procedure after claim 1 , characterized by the step: - supplying (S900) the permeate flow of water (VP), in particular by means of the control unit (CPU) automated supply, to a drinking water supply unit (50) downstream via a fifth line section (L5), in accordance with the step of Checking (S700) positive trap, which is based on reaching, in particular falling below, the first target value (TDS1-SOLL) by the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS1). procedure after claim 1 or 2 , characterized by the step: - determining (S1000) a second aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS2) of the incoming input stream of water (V-1) by means of a second determination means (S2) set up in the first line section (L1) for input (S1050) to the control unit (CPU). Procedure according to one of Claims 1 until 3 , characterized by the step: - Adjusting (S250) the reverse osmosis unit (M) upstream pressure of the pre-filtered stream of water (VF) to at least the separation (S300) required reverse osmosis pressure above the natural osmosis pressure for activation the reverse osmosis unit (M), in particular automated setting by means of the control unit (CPU), preferably by means of a first feed pump (P1) set up for this purpose in the first line section (L1). Procedure according to one of claims 2 until 4 , characterized by the step: - Drinking water conditioning (S1100) of a first filling volume (W1) of water supplied from the permeate stream (VP) in a storage container (T) of the drinking water supply unit (50) during a service life, in particular: - by means of a remineralizing natural stone element (66) which is preferably consumed over time with the release of ions and/or is replaceable; and/or - with stirring for homogenization and/or with activation for suppressing bacterial fouling by a stirring element (64) which can be activated by the control unit (CPU) and can preferably be controlled with regard to an input stirring power and/or a stirring time and/or a stirring interval. ; and/or - for a first filling volume (W1) that can be set to a predetermined, preferably constant, first set filling volume by means of the control unit (CPU); and/or - by means of a cycle that can be executed automatically by the control unit (CPU) for refilling the first filling volume (W1) and/or cleaning the drinking water supply unit (50). Procedure according to one of claims 2 until 5 , Characterized by the step: - remineralizing (S1200) the first filling volume (W1) of water by metering in a mineral preparation (PMF), in particular: - by means of a prefabricated portion, in particular as a cartridge, prefabricated mineral preparation (PMF), which Unit (50) can be arranged and/or is arranged; and/or - by means of a metering pump (P2) which can be activated by the control unit (CPU) and can preferably be controlled with regard to a metering volume flow and/or a metering time and/or a metering interval; and/or - according to a target metering quantity, which can be adjusted by means of the control unit (CPU) to a predetermined, preferably constant target concentration of at least one mineral substance in the first filling volume (W1) of water. Method according to the directly preceding claim, characterized by the step: - individual configuration (S1250) of the mineral preparation (PMF), in particular by means of the control unit (CPU) and/or a user interface for a user, preferably: - according to a qualitative and/or quantitative Composition of the mineral preparation (PMF) from at least one mineral and/or at least one nutrient and/or at least one aroma and/or a multiplicity or mixture thereof; and/or according to a size of the mineral preparation (PMF), in particular according to the target dosing quantity and/or the target concentration of at least one mineral in the first filling volume (W1) of water and/or a consumption period of the mineral preparation (PMF); and/or - in the form of a temporally and/or spatially separate step. Procedure according to one of Claims 1 until 7 , characterized by the steps: - feeding (S1300) the permeate stream water (VP) or a partial stream branched off from it, in particular by means of the control unit (CPU) automated feeding, to a carbonation unit (70) for carbonic acid enrichment downstream via one, preferably from the sixth line section (L6) branched off from the fifth line section (L5) in the positive case according to the step of checking (700); and - carbonic acid enrichment (S1350) of a second filling volume (W2) of water in the carbonation unit (70), preferably to a carbonic acid concentration adjustable by means of the control unit (CPU) and/or an operator interface for a user. Procedure according to one of claims 2 until 8th , characterized by the step: - providing (1400) a useful flow of water (V-80), preferably to the user, via a drinking water dispensing unit (80), preferably by means of a second feed pump ( arranged upstream of the drinking water dispensing unit (80) P3), in particular: - is obtained optionally as a first useful flow (V-81) from the drinking water supply unit (50) or as a second useful flow (V-82) from the carbonation unit (70); and/or - mixed from the first useful current (V-81) and the second useful current (V-82), more preferably in an adjustable mixing ratio based on the ratio of the first useful current (V-81) and the second useful current ( V-82), even more preferably in such a way that a respective first concentration of at least one mineral and a second concentration of carbonic acid assumes a respective associated predetermined desired value. Procedure according to one of Claims 1 until 9 , characterized by the step: - cooling (1500) of the drinking water supply device (10), preferably at least the first filling volume (W1) and/or the second filling volume (W2), more preferably additionally the input stream of water (V-1) and/ or the pre-filtered stream of water (VF) and/or the permeate stream of water (VP) and/or the first useful stream (V-81) and/or the second useful stream (V-82), particularly preferably cooling of the entire drinking water supply device (10 ) from the input connection (30) and/or from the first line section (L1) to the drinking water dispensing unit (80) and/or to a last line section downstream therefrom. Drinking water purity control device (1) with a control unit (CPU) for use during drinking water treatment in a continuously and/or semi-continuously operable drinking water supply device (10) with a reverse osmosis unit (M), in households, gastronomy or the like : - a means for flowing through a first line section (L1) with an input stream of water (V-1) entering from an input connection (30), in particular a first feed pump (P1) which can be controlled by the control unit (CPU) and/or a through the control unit (CPU) controllable first magnet valve (M1); downstream - a means for pre-filtering the input stream of water (V-1) for the mechanical separation of solid particles dispersed in the input stream of water (V-1) to form a pre-filtered stream of water (VF), in particular a first water purification unit (F); downstream - a means for separating the pre-filtered stream of water (VF) by means of the reverse osmosis unit (M), which can be activated in particular by pressurization, into a partial stream of a permeate stream of water (VP) further cleaned of dissolved solids and an associated other partial stream of a retentate stream of water ( VR), in particular a second water purification unit (RO); downstream - a means for discharging the retentate stream of water (VR), preferably for discharging through an outlet connection (40), in particular a third line section (L3); and downstream - a means for the permeate stream water (VP) to flow through, in particular a second line section (L2), with a first determining means (S1) set up to determine a first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS1), in particular a first conductivity sensor; characterized by the control unit (CPU), which is set up to: - check whether a predetermined, in particular constant, first target value (TDS1-SOLL) for the first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS1) in the permeate stream of water (VP ) is reached, in particular undershot, and - in the correspondingly negative case, which is based on the checked first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS1) exceeding the first target value (TDS1-SOLL), the permeate stream water (VP). rejected, in particular via a fourth line section (L4) to the outlet connection (40), more preferably by means of a control unit (CPU) controllable second magnetic valve (M2) in the fourth line section (L4). Drinking water purity control device (1) after claim 11 , wherein the control unit (CPU) is set up to, in the correspondingly positive case, which is based on reaching, in particular on falling below, the first target value (TDS1-SOLL) by the checked first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS1), feeding the permeate flow of water (VP) to a drinking water supply unit (50) downstream via a fifth line section (L5), preferably: - by means of a third magnetic valve (M3) in the fifth line section (L5) that can be controlled by the control unit (CPU); and/or - by means of a first fluid connection between the second line section (L2) and the fifth line section (L4) which can be switched over by the control unit (CPU) from a first fluid connection between the second line section (L2) and the fourth line section (L4) to a second fluid connection three-way cock (M10). Drinking water purity control device (1) after claim 11 or 12 , further comprising means for determining a second aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS2) of the incoming input stream of water (V-1) for input to the control unit (CPU), preferably a second determination means (S2) set up in the first line section (L1) , In particular a second conductivity sensor. Drinking water purity control device (1) according to one of Claims 11 until 13 , further comprising means for adjusting the pressure of the pre-filtered stream of water (VF) upstream of the reverse osmosis unit (M) to at least the reverse osmosis pressure required for separating (300) above the natural osmosis pressure to activate the reverse osmosis unit (M), in particular with a first feed pump (P1) set up for this purpose in the first line section (L1). Drinking water purity control device (1) according to one of Claims 12 until 14 , further with at least one means for drinking water conditioning of a first filling volume (W1) of water supplied from the permeate stream (VP) in a storage tank (T) of the drinking water supply unit (50) during a service life, with in particular: - the means for drinking water - conditioning is a remineralizing natural stone element (66) that is preferably consumed over time with the release of ions and/or is replaceable; and/or - the means for conditioning drinking water is a stirring element (64) which can be activated by the control unit (CPU) and can preferably be controlled with regard to an input stirring capacity and/or a stirring time and/or a stirring interval; and/or - the first filling volume (W1) by means of the control unit unit (CPU) can be adjusted to a predetermined, preferably constant, first target filling volume; and/or - the control unit (CPU) is set up to automatically carry out a cycle for refilling the first filling volume (W1) and/or cleaning the drinking water supply unit (50); and/or - the storage tank (T) can be cleaned from above by means of a cover (60) arranged in an outer housing (2) of the drinking water supply device (10) and/or at the top of the storage tank (T). Drinking water purity control device (1) according to one of Claims 12 until 15 , further with at least one means for remineralizing the first filling volume (W1) of water by metering in a mineral preparation (PMF), in particular: - the mineral preparation (PMF) as a prefabricated portion, in particular as a cartridge, prefabricated mineral preparation (PMF) on the drinking water supply - unit (50) can be arranged and/or is arranged; and/or - a metering pump (P2) which can be activated by the control unit (CPU) and can preferably be controlled with regard to a metering volume flow and/or a metering time and/or a metering interval, metering in the mineral substance preparation (PMF); and/or - a target metering quantity can be adjusted by means of the control unit (CPU) to a predetermined, preferably constant target concentration of at least one mineral substance in the first filling volume (W1) of water. Drinking water purity control device (1) according to the directly preceding claim, further with a means for individually configuring the mineral preparation (PMF), in particular the control unit (CPU) and/or a user interface for a user, preferably such that: - A qualitative and/or quantitative composition of the mineral preparation (PMF) from at least one mineral and/or at least one nutrient and/or at least one aroma and/or a multiplicity or mixture thereof; and or - A size of the mineral preparation (PMF), in particular according to the target dosage and / or the target concentration of at least one mineral in the first filling volume (W1) water and / or a consumption time of the mineral preparation (PMF); and or - Mineral preparation (PMF) can be configured and/or configured separately in time from the drinking water treatment and/or locally. Drinking water purity control device (1) according to one of Claims 11 until 17 , further with: - a means for feeding the permeate stream water (VP) or a partial stream branched off from it to a carbonation unit (70) for carbonic acid enrichment downstream via a sixth line section (L6), preferably branched off from the fifth line section (L5), in the accordingly positive trap based on the checked first aqueous concentration of dissolved solids (TDS1); and - a means for carbonic acid enrichment of a second filling volume (W2) of water in the carbonation unit (70), preferably to a carbonic acid concentration adjustable by means of the control unit (CPU) and/or a user interface (HMI) for a user. Drinking water purity control device (1) according to one of Claims 12 until 18 , further with means for providing (1400) a usable stream (V-80) of water, via a drinking water dispensing unit (80), in particular a fitting, preferably by means of a second feed pump (P3) set up upstream of the drinking water dispensing unit (80) , wherein in particular the useful current (V-80): - is obtained either as a first useful current (V-81) from the drinking water supply unit (50) or as a second useful current (V-82) from the carbonation unit (70). ; and/or - mixed from the first useful current (V-81) and the second useful current (V-82), more preferably in an adjustable mixing ratio based on the ratio of the first useful current (V-81) and the second useful current ( V-82), even more preferably in such a way that a respective first concentration of at least one mineral and a second concentration of carbonic acid assumes a respective associated predetermined desired value. Drinking water purity control device (1) according to one of Claims 11 until 19 , further with a means for cooling (90) the drinking water supply device (10), preferably at least the first filling volume (W1) and/or the second filling volume (W2), more preferably additionally the input stream of water (V-1) and/or the pre-filtered stream of water (VF) and/or the permeate stream of water (VP) and/or the first useful stream (V-81) and/or the second useful stream (V-82), particularly preferably with a means for cooling (90) the entire drinking water supply device (10) from the input connection (30) and/or from the first line section (L1) to the drinking water dispensing unit (80) and/or to a line section downstream therefrom. Computer program, loaded into a digital memory of a computer, in particular a, preferably mobile, user interface (HMI) for a user, which executes a method for controlling the drinking water purity according to one of the preceding claims directed to the method for controlling the drinking water purity and/or a drinking water purity - Control device (1) implemented with a control unit (CPU) according to any one of the preceding claims directed to the drinking water purity control device (1). Drinking water supply device (10) with a reverse osmosis unit (M) for continuously and/or semi-continuously operable drinking water treatment in households, gastronomy or the like with a drinking water purity control device (1) according to one of the above on the drinking water purity control device (1) directed claims. Mineral preparation (PMF), in particular a mineral preparation (PMF) prepared as a pre-made portion, in particular as a cartridge, which is set up on a drinking water supply unit (50) of a drinking water purity control device (1) according to one of the above on the drinking water purity control device ( 1) directed claims can be arranged and/or arranged; and/or for or by carrying out a method for controlling the purity of drinking water claim 6 or 7 is set up. Product set with at least one consumable and/or spare part, which belongs to a method for controlling the drinking water purity according to one of the preceding claims directed to the method for controlling the drinking water purity and/or belonging to a drinking water purity control device (1) according to one of the preceding to the Drinking water purity control device (1) is set up, in particular with: - a pre-filter for the first water purification unit (F); and or - the reverse osmosis unit (M) for the second water purification unit (RO); and or - the first determination means (S1) and/or second determination means (S2); and or - The natural stone element (66) and/or the stirring element (66); and or - The mineral preparation (PMF) according to the preceding claim directed to the mineral preparation (PMF); and or - A carbon dioxide cartridge for the carbonation unit (70); and or - A magnetic valve (M1; ... M10) or magnetic valve which can be controlled by the control unit (CPU); and or - a faucet for the drinking water dispensing unit (80); and or - A preferably mobile operator interface (HMI) for a user.

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