JP2008296083A - Water purifier - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water purifier equipped with a display apparatus in which various light emitting elements can be used. <P>SOLUTION: The water purifier 1 is provided with: an original water inflow port 6 through which original water is received; a cartridge 4 for filtering the received original water; a discharge port 18 through which the filtered purified water is discharged; and the display apparatus 10 for displaying the operated state of the water purifier. The display apparatus is provided with; a light source; display parts 24, 26 for displaying the operated state of the water purifier by utilizing the light from the light source; a power unit; and a controller. The power unit has a plurality of power sources B. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a water purifier, and more particularly, to a water purifier including a liquid crystal display device that displays an operation state.

  A water purifier that filters water using a filter using a hollow fiber membrane or the like is known. Since this type of water purifier needs to replace the filter cartridge when a certain amount of water is filtered, it is equipped with a flow meter that measures the amount of water that has passed through the film cartridge, and the measured flow rate is stored in the storage unit of the control device. Accumulated and stored, and when the accumulated value reaches a predetermined value, the user is notified that a new filter cartridge needs to be replaced.

  In addition, when the water purifier has a mechanism for switching between a filtration mode in which the flowing tap water (raw water) is filtered and discharged by a filter cartridge and a raw water mode in which the water is discharged without passing through the filter cartridge, the water purifier Is informing the user of which mode it is currently in.

  It is known to use a display device using a liquid crystal device as means for performing notification of the operating state of such a water purifier (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-82022 A

In the water purifier described in Patent Document 1, a display device using a liquid crystal device uses one coin-type battery as a power source. However, since only one coin-type battery supplies less power, There has been a problem that light-emitting elements that can be used as light sources are limited.
There is also a problem that the display function and the like must be restricted in consideration of the life of a battery such as a coin-type battery.

This invention is made | formed in order to solve the problem mentioned above, and it aims at providing the water purifier provided with the display apparatus which can use a various light emitting element.
Moreover, an object of this invention is to provide the water purifier with few restrictions regarding a display function.

According to the present invention, a water purifier comprising a raw water inlet that receives raw water, a cartridge that filters the raw water, a discharge port that discharges filtered purified water, and a display device that indicates an operating state,
The display device includes a light source, a display unit that performs display using light from the light source, a power supply device, and a control device.
The power supply device comprises a plurality of power supplies;
The water purifier characterized by this is provided.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to use a light source that requires a high voltage for operation, and display in various colors or luminosities is possible.

  According to another preferable aspect of the present invention, the plurality of power sources include a battery and a power source different from the battery or a power source other than the battery.

According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, the display device is a liquid crystal display device.
According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, the plurality of power sources are constituted by a plurality of types of batteries arranged in series.
According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, the plurality of power sources are constituted by at least one battery and a solar battery.

According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, the light source is an RGB light emitting element.
According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, the light source is an EL element.

According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, the plurality of power sources are constituted by one or more types of primary batteries and a secondary battery.
According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, the secondary battery is constituted by a hydroelectric generator and a secondary battery fed from the hydroelectric generator.

According to this invention which has such a structure, the water purifier provided with the display apparatus which can use a various light emitting element is provided.
Moreover, according to this invention, the water purifier with few restrictions regarding a display function is provided.

  Hereinafter, with reference to an accompanying drawing, composition of water purifier 1 of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is explained. 1 is a perspective view of the water purifier 1, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the water purifier 1 partially broken along the line II-II in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the water purifier 1.

  The water purifier 1 is a type connected to a faucet or the like, a so-called faucet direct connection type water purifier, and includes a main body casing 2 and a filter cartridge 4 as shown in FIGS. Yes. The filter cartridge 4 contains a filtering material such as a hollow fiber membrane filter that filters water flowing into the main casing 2 from a tap or the like, and is detachable from the main casing 2.

  The water purifier 1 of the present embodiment can use two types of filter cartridges: a standard type that is a normal filter cartridge and a high grade type that has a large amount of water that can be filtered and a long life.

  In this embodiment, a magnet is embedded in one of the two types of filter cartridges, for example, a connection portion with the high-grade type main body casing 2, and magnetism from this magnet is detected in the vicinity of the filter cartridge connection portion of the main body casing 2. A magnetic sensor is attached.

  When the filter cartridge 4 is attached to the main casing 2 and the magnetic sensor detects magnetism, the control device such as the microcomputer P that manages the operation of the water purifier determines that the filter cartridge 4 is a high grade with many attached filter cartridges 4. If the magnetic sensor does not detect magnetism, it is determined that the attached filter cartridge 4 is a standard type with few. Then, the control device sets the filterable water amount of the attached filter cartridge based on the determination result.

  The main casing 2 is provided with a raw water inlet 6, a switching lever 8, a liquid crystal display unit 10, and the like. The raw water port 6 is connected to a water tap through an annular fixture 12 and functions as an opening for introducing tap water into the main casing 2.

  The switching lever 8 is a “fresh water mode” in which tap water (raw water) flowing into the raw water inlet 6 is filtered by a filter medium in the filter cartridge 4 and discharged, and the raw water is filtered. This is a switching means for switching between the “raw water mode” in which the raw water is discharged directly and the “shower mode” in which the raw water is discharged in a shower form.

  The switching lever 8 of the water purifier 1 of the present embodiment includes a lever base portion 8a that is pivotally connected to the main body casing 2 around one end, and a switching lever main body 8b that is connected to the other end of the lever base portion 8a. ing. The lever main body 8b is supported by the lever base 8a only at one end (right end in FIG. 1) and extends in the lateral direction at a position spaced from the main body casing 2 in the user side direction. For this reason, it is compact and easy to use for left-handed users. Furthermore, the distance between the lever main body 8a and the main body casing 2 is set such that the user does not pinch his / her finger when the switching lever is switched.

  The water purifier 1 can select a discharge mode of “fresh water”, “raw water”, and “shower” by moving the lever body 8b up and down and rotating the switching lever 8 around the lever base 8a. It is configured.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a flow meter 14 for measuring the amount of water filtered by the filter cartridge 4 is provided in the main body casing 2. The flow meter 14 is arranged on the downstream side of the filter cartridge 4 and is configured to measure the amount of water flowing out from the filter cartridge 4, that is, the amount of water (fresh water) filtered by the filter cartridge 4 (filtered water amount). .

  The value of the filtered water amount measured by the flow meter 14 is sent to a control device such as a microcomputer P that is built in the main body casing 2 and manages the operation of the water purifier 1, and is accumulated and stored in the control device. The water purifier 1 of the present embodiment needs to replace the filter cartridge 4 when the integrated value of the filtered water amount reaches a predetermined value.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, tap water filtered by the filter medium in the filter cartridge 4, that is, fresh water, is discharged to the lower surface of the main casing 2 when the “fresh water mode” is selected. When fresh water discharge port 16, “raw water mode” is selected, raw water, that is, raw water discharge port 18 through which tap water that does not pass through filter cartridge 4 is directly discharged, and when “shower mode” is selected, raw water is discharged. A raw water shower port 20 discharged in a shower shape is formed.

  Further, a reset switch 22 is provided on the lower surface of the main casing 2 for resetting the integrated value of the filtered water amount stored in the control device. In the water purifier 1 of the present embodiment, when the filter cartridge is replaced with a new filter cartridge, the user operates the reset switch 22 to reset the accumulated value of the filtered water amount stored in the control device to zero. In this configuration, the accumulation of the amount of water filtered by the cartridge is started.

  The liquid crystal display unit 10 is a display unit that indicates the state of the water purifier 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the liquid crystal display unit 10 includes a first display window 24 and a second display window 26. The first display window 24 is covered with a transparent member so that the display content of the internal liquid crystal display panel 28 can be seen through.

In the present embodiment, the life expectancy display unit 32, the fresh water sign unit 34, and the battery replacement sign unit 36 provided in the liquid crystal display panel 28 can be seen through from the first display window 24.
The remaining life display unit 32 is a display unit that digitally displays the amount of water that can be filtered by the filter cartridge 2 (that is, the remaining life of the filter cartridge), and the fresh water sign unit 34 is that purified water filtered by the filter cartridge 2 is discharged. The battery replacement sign unit 36 is a display unit that notifies the remaining amount of the battery that operates the control device, the LED, and the like.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the indications of “Shimizu”, “Raw”, and “Shower” attached from the second display window 26 to the rotating shaft of the switching lever 8 disposed below the second display window 26 are displayed. Of these, the display corresponding to the currently selected discharge mode can be seen through by the rotation of the switching lever 8.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, in the water purifier 1, a battery chamber 37 is formed on the side surface of the main body casing 2. The battery chamber 37 is a recess that opens outward from the main body casing 2, and is configured such that the open end is sealed by the battery chamber lid L. The battery chamber lid L includes a cylindrical battery holding portion H on the back surface. As shown in FIG. 2, the battery holding unit H can accommodate two coin-type batteries B constituting a power supply unit that supplies power to the control device of the water purifier 1, the liquid crystal display device 10, and the like in a stacked state. It is configured as follows. Therefore, in the water purifier 1, the power supply device includes a plurality of power supplies (coin-type batteries).

  When the batteries are connected in series, the voltage obtained is basically increased in proportion to the number of batteries. In this embodiment, by connecting two 3V batteries in series, a voltage of 6V can be obtained, and it is possible to stably use an LED element that requires a high voltage to operate, for example, a blue LED element. Become. Blue is generally a color that gives the image of “safety”, “cleanliness”, “peacefulness”, etc., and has been well established as a color that gives an image of “Shimizu”, and is most desirable for use in water purifiers. The color that I had.

  In the water purifier 1 of this embodiment, since a high voltage can be obtained by using two coin-type batteries B, a blue LED can be stably used as a light source, and as a result, RGB, which is the three primary colors of light, RGB All of (red, green, blue) can be used, and by using RGB light emitting elements, various colors such as white can be expressed.

  In this embodiment, coin-type batteries of the same type are arranged in series, but other types of coin-type batteries or coin-type batteries and other batteries are arranged in series or in parallel so as to ensure a necessary and sufficient voltage. It may be configured.

  Next, the configuration of the liquid crystal display unit 10 will be described. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal display unit 10 taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal display unit 10 taken along line VV in FIG. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid crystal display unit 10 includes a circuit board 36 to which a control circuit is attached, a display 38 fixed to one surface of the circuit board 36 and controlled by the control circuit, and a circuit board. 36 and a display 38 are accommodated, and an outer case 40 having one end opened is provided.

  The circuit board 36 and the display 38 are mounted in the outer case 40 so that the circuit board 36 is disposed on the opening side of the outer case 40. The outer case 40 is a member constituting a part of the upper part of the main casing 2 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

  In the present embodiment, the display 38 is a liquid crystal display including a liquid crystal display panel (liquid crystal display element) 42, a light guide plate 44 having a wedge-shaped cross section and an RGB light emitting element 46 constituting a backlight unit. The light guide plate 44 and the liquid crystal display panel 46 are arranged in this order from the opening side of 40. The liquid crystal display panel 46 is arranged so that the display surface faces in the direction opposite to the opening of the exterior case 40, and is configured to perform a predetermined display through the first display window 24 under the control of the control device.

  In the present embodiment, the RGB light emitting element 46 is composed of three LEDs, a red LED, a green LED, and a blue LED 4, and is arranged so that light is incident on the end surface 44a on the thick side of the light guide plate 44. 44 constitutes an end face incident type backlight. By using RGB light emitting elements that are the three primary colors of light, various emission colors including white can be expressed by various combinations.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the circuit board 36 is attached to the outer side (outer case 40 opening side) position of the frame-like liquid crystal holder 48 fixed in the opening of the outer case 40. Thus, the outer case 40 is fixed. The display 38 is fixed to the outer case 40 by being attached to the other side of the liquid crystal holder 48.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the opening of the outer case 40 is sealed with a one-component curable resin 50 on the back surface (lower side in FIGS. 4 and 5) of the circuit board 36. The one-component curable resin 50 is also disposed on the stepped portion 40b in the side wall thickness direction formed at the front end of the side wall constituting the opening end of the exterior case 40, and covers the entire opening.

  Examples of the one-part curable resin include polyamide-based resins and styrene-based resins. From the aspect of adhesiveness to the ABS resin and polycarbonate resin used for the outer case 26, the influence of molding temperature, the surface of melt viscosity, and the like. It is preferable to use a polyamide-based resin based on dimer acid, which is a natural fatty acid.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims.

  Instead of the RGB light emitting elements of the water purifier 1 of the above embodiment, EL elements, particularly organic EL elements may be used. Such a configuration is preferable for a water purifier because a clear, bright and thin display device can be configured.

  Other devices that can be used by using a power supply device that obtains a high voltage by connecting a plurality of batteries in series, such as a sound generator from a water purifier, a vibration device for a water purifier, and a place other than a water purifier For example, a signal transmission device directed toward the. By using these, it is possible to notify the user of cartridge replacement or the like.

  Moreover, the several power supply provided in the water purifier of this invention is not limited to the several coin type battery connected in series, It can select freely by the objective.

  A combination of a battery such as a coin-type battery and a solar battery 52 as shown in FIG. 6 is also effective as the plurality of power sources. By this combination, consumption of a battery such as a coin-type battery can be suppressed, and the battery life of a battery such as a coin-type battery can be extended. As for the installation location of the solar cell 52, light is well applied and a location near the circuit unit is preferable, and therefore a location adjacent to the liquid crystal display unit 10 is preferable.

  By using the solar battery together with a battery such as a coin-type battery, the flowmeter and the liquid crystal display unit can be operated even when the water purifier is used in a dark state where power cannot be obtained from the solar battery. .

  Conventionally, in order to suppress the consumption of a battery such as a coin-type battery, the display of the liquid crystal display unit 10 has been limited to only when fresh water is passed. Since the consumption of a battery such as a coin-type battery can be suppressed, display on the display unit can be performed in a mode other than the “Shimizu” mode or at all times. Filter modes such as “Shimizu” and “Raw water” can be displayed on the liquid crystal display unit together with the display of cartridge life and battery replacement.

  Further, as a plurality of power sources, a battery such as a coin-type battery and a secondary battery may be used in combination. This combination can also extend the life of a battery such as a coin-type battery.

  As an example of the secondary battery, as shown in FIG. 7, a power generation turbine 54, a generator (hydraulic power generation device) 56 that is rotationally driven by the power generation turbine 54, and the generator 56 are charged. Some are constituted by the secondary battery 58.

  The power generation turbine 54 is preferably disposed between the raw water inlet and a switching valve that switches the flow of raw water to the filter cartridge. The secondary battery 58 constitutes a power source for the water purifier together with a battery such as a coin-type battery.

  Even with such a configuration, consumption of a battery such as a coin-type battery can be suppressed, and display on the display device can be performed in a mode other than the “Shimizu” mode or at all times. Filter modes such as “Shimizu” and “Raw water” can be displayed on the liquid crystal display unit together with the display of cartridge life and battery replacement.

  In addition, according to such a configuration, since a coin-type battery is also used, electric power can be secured even when the generator cannot generate sufficient power at a low flow rate, and the flowmeter and the liquid crystal display unit are operated. It becomes possible to make it.

It is a perspective view of the water purifier of preferable embodiment of this invention. It is a horizontal cross-sectional view along the II-II line of the water purifier of FIG. It is a bottom view of the water purifier of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the liquid crystal display part fractured | ruptured along the VI-VI line of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the liquid crystal display part fractured | ruptured along the VV line | wire of FIG. It is the example which showed the installation place of the solar cell which comprises the power supply device of the water purifier of other embodiment of this invention. It is drawing which shows schematic structures, such as a hydraulic power unit which comprises the power supply device of the water purifier of other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: Water purifier 2: Main body casing 4: Filter cartridge 6: Raw water port 8: Switching lever 10: Liquid crystal display unit 37: Battery chamber L: Battery chamber lid H: Battery holding unit B: Coin-type battery

Claims (9)

A water purifier comprising a raw water inlet for receiving raw water, a cartridge for filtering the raw water, a discharge port for discharging filtered purified water, and a display device indicating an operating state,
The display device includes a light source, a display unit that performs display using light from the light source, a power supply device, and a control device.
The power supply device comprises a plurality of power supplies;
A water purifier characterized by that. The plurality of power sources include a battery and a battery of a type different from the battery or a power source other than the battery.
The water purifier according to claim 1. The display device is a liquid crystal display device;
The water purifier according to claim 1 or 2. The plurality of power supplies are constituted by a plurality of types of batteries arranged in series.
The water purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The plurality of power sources are constituted by solar cells and batteries other than solar cells,
The water purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The light source is an RGB light emitting element;
The water purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The light source is an EL element;
The water purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The plurality of power sources are constituted by one or more types of primary batteries and secondary batteries.
The water purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The secondary battery is composed of a hydroelectric generator and a secondary battery fed from the hydroelectric generator,
The water purifier according to claim 8.

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