JP2010214241A - Water purifier - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a water purifier which has a sterilizing function by ultraviolet rays with a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: The water purifier 1 having a water purification cartridge 6 as a water purification portion in a body is provided with a luminous body assembly 18 including an ultraviolet LED generating ultraviolet light UV, and the ultraviolet light UV generated by the ultraviolet LED is radiated in a purified water passage 7 between the water purification cartridge 6 and a water discharge port 10 and approximately along the purified water passage 7 in the extending direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a water purifier.

  Conventionally, a water purifier provided with a glass tube type ultraviolet lamp and having a function of sterilizing water using ultraviolet rays is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2-222766

  However, since the glass tube type ultraviolet lamp is bulky, there is a problem that the water purifier becomes large.

  Then, an object of this invention is to obtain the water purifier which has the sterilization function by an ultraviolet-ray with a more compact structure.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, in the water purifier provided with the water purification unit in the main body, the ultraviolet light emitting diode that generates ultraviolet light is provided, and the ultraviolet light generated by the ultraviolet light emitting diode is disposed between the water purification unit and the water outlet. It is comprised so that it may irradiate along the extending direction of the said water purification channel | path in said water purification channel | path.

  The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that the ultraviolet light generated by the ultraviolet light emitting diode is irradiated from the water outlet side toward the upstream side.

  In invention of Claim 3, the inner peripheral surface of the said water purification channel | path was formed with the material which has an ultraviolet absorptivity.

  In invention of Claim 4, the inner peripheral surface of the said water purification channel | path was formed with the synthetic resin material, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  In invention of Claim 5, the internal peripheral surface of the said water purification channel | path was formed with the ultraviolet reflective material, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  The invention according to claim 6 includes a control unit that controls the ultraviolet light-emitting diode, and a lid sensor that detects the operation of at least one of the lid of the water discharge port and the lid of the water supply port. The unit controls the ultraviolet light emitting diode based on a detection result of the lid sensor.

  The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that the circuit board on which the control unit is mounted is disposed adjacent to the water supply port or the water discharge port.

  The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that the circuit board on which the control unit is mounted is disposed between the water supply port and the water discharge port.

  The invention according to claim 9 includes a light emitter assembly in which the ultraviolet light emitting diode and a lens for collecting the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light emitting diode are integrated, and is formed in the water purification passage and the main body portion. A through hole is formed in a partition wall separating the circuit board from the circuit board housing portion, the light emitter assembly is inserted into the through hole and attached to the main body, and the light emitter assembly is inserted into the water purification passage. It is characterized by being configured to emit ultraviolet light toward.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the lid sensor is a non-contact sensor that detects the detected portion on the lid side on the main body side.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, the lid sensor is a non-contact sensor that is mounted on the circuit board and detects the detected portion on the lid side.

  The invention according to claim 12 includes a control unit that controls the ultraviolet light emitting diode, and a flow rate sensor that detects a flow rate of water flowing in the water purifier, wherein the control unit detects the flow rate sensor. The ultraviolet light emitting diode is controlled based on the result.

  According to the invention of claim 1, since the ultraviolet light emitting diode smaller than the ultraviolet lamp is used, the sterilizing function can be given without enlarging the water purifier so much. Moreover, since it radiated | emitted along the extending | stretching direction of the purified water path through which the purified water after purification by the purified water part flows, it can sterilize efficiently in a wider range.

  According to invention of Claim 2, since irradiation intensity | strength can be enlarged at the spout side, the microbe which enters from a spout can be sterilized more efficiently. Further, it is possible to make it difficult for ultraviolet light to leak out from the water outlet.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since a UV-absorbing material such as a synthetic resin material is relatively inexpensive, the water purifier can be obtained at a lower cost.

  According to the invention of claim 4, since the synthetic resin material is relatively inexpensive, the water purifier can be obtained at a lower cost.

  According to the invention of claim 5, the ultraviolet light can be irradiated over a wider range by reflecting the ultraviolet light on the inner peripheral surface.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the sterilization treatment can be efficiently performed by controlling the operation timing of the ultraviolet light emitting diode according to the operation of the lid.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the distance between the circuit board and the lid sensor for detecting the operation of the lid of the water supply port or the water outlet is shortened, and the wiring between the circuit board and the lid sensor can be shortened.

  According to the invention of claim 8, the distance between both the circuit board and the lid sensor that detects the operation of the lid of the water supply port and the lid sensor that detects the operation of the lid of the water outlet becomes short, and the circuit board and each lid The wiring between the sensors can be shortened.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the labor of the work compared to the case where the ultraviolet light emitting diode and the lens are integrated separately, and the ultraviolet light emitting diode connected to the circuit board is exposed to the water purification passage. This configuration can be obtained as a relatively simple configuration.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the lid sensor can be obtained as a relatively simple configuration as compared with the case where the lid side and the main body portion side are configured as contact type sensors that contact each other.

  According to invention of Claim 11, compared with the case where a lid | cover sensor and a circuit board are attached separately, while being able to reduce the effort of an attachment operation, it is not necessary to ensure an attachment structure separately, and the structure of a water purifier Can be further simplified.

  According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the operation timing of the ultraviolet light-emitting diode can be controlled by the flow rate of water, and the sterilization treatment can be performed efficiently.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a water purifier according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the water purifier according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion to which a light emitter assembly including an ultraviolet light emitting diode of the water purifier according to the first embodiment of the present invention is attached. FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of the ultraviolet light emitting diode of the water purifier according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a water purifier according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that similar components are included in the following embodiments. Therefore, in the following, common reference numerals are given to those similar components, and redundant description is omitted.

  (First Embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1, a water purifier 1 according to this embodiment is configured as a pot type water purifier. A substantially bottomed cylindrical partition wall body 3 is accommodated in the cylinder of the substantially bottomed cylindrical pot case 2, and the partition wall body 3 forms approximately the upper half of the cylinder of the pot case 2. It is partitioned into a raw water chamber 4 and a water purification chamber 5 that forms approximately half of the lower side.

  The bottom wall 3a of the partition wall 3 is formed with a substantially cylindrical recessed portion 3b that is recessed downward. A substantially cylindrical water purification cartridge 6 is inserted into the recessed portion 3b from the top to the back and is fitted. An opening 3d is formed in the back wall 3c of the recessed portion 3b.

  In the state where the water purification cartridge 6 is mounted in the recessed portion 3b, the upper portion 6a of the water purification cartridge 6 is exposed in the raw water chamber 4, and the raw water is introduced into the water purification cartridge 6 from an inlet (not shown) formed in the upper portion 6a. To be introduced. The raw water introduced into the water purification cartridge 6 is filtered (purified) by the filter 6b, and the contained additive 6c is added. The lower portion 6d of the water purification cartridge 6 is exposed below the opening 3d, and the purified water treated in the water purification cartridge 6 is discharged into the water purification chamber 5 from the outlet 6e formed in the lower portion 6d, and the water purification chamber 5 is stored. In the present embodiment, the water purification cartridge 6 corresponds to a water purification unit.

  Above the raw water chamber 4, a ceiling wall 8 in which a water supply port 8a is formed is disposed. The water supply port 8a is closed so as to be openable and closable by a top-opening type lid 9 that is attached to the top wall 8 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis Ax1. The raw water is supplied into the raw water chamber 4 through the water supply port 8a with the lid 9 opened upward. In the present embodiment, a main body is formed by the pot case 2, the partition wall 3, and the top wall 8.

  Further, between the side wall 3e of the partition wall 3 and the side wall 2a of the pot case 2, an elongated water purification passage 7 extending upward from the water purification chamber 5 is formed, and the pot case 2 or the top wall 8 has A water discharge port 10 is formed at a position that becomes the upper end portion (downstream end portion) of the water purification passage 7. In the present embodiment, the pot case 2 is tilted so that the water outlet 10 is downward (in FIG. 1, the pot case 2 is tilted clockwise), and the purified water stored in the water purification chamber 5 is collected. The water is discharged from the water outlet 10 through the water purification passage 7. Moreover, in this embodiment, the spout 10 is closed by the pot case 2 or the ceiling wall 8 so that opening and closing is possible by the upper opening type lid 11 supported so that rotation around the rotation axis Ax2 was possible. . In this case, when the pot case 2 is tilted, the lid 11 can be rotated by its own weight, the dynamic pressure of water, etc., and the spout 10 can be opened.

  The top wall 8 has a recess 12 formed in a recessed manner between the water supply port 8 a and the water discharge port 10, and the circuit board 13 is accommodated in the recess 12. That is, in the present embodiment, the concave portion 12 corresponds to a board housing portion that houses the circuit board 13. The recess 12 is partitioned from the raw water chamber 4 and the water purification passage 7 by the peripheral wall 8b and the bottom wall 8c. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the peripheral wall 8b and the bottom wall 8c correspond to partition walls. The upper opening of the recess 12 is closed by a detachable lid member 12a.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the recessed part 12 and the partition which forms this are arrange | positioned so that the side wall 3e which divides the raw | natural water chamber 4 and the purified water channel | path 7 may be straddled, and a part of bottom wall 8c and the surrounding wall 8b is purified water. Projecting to the downstream end (upper end) of the passage 7. The bottom wall 8 c is substantially orthogonal to the extending direction of the water purification passage 7 (the vertical direction in FIGS. 1 and 2) and faces the upstream side of the water purification passage 7. In the present embodiment, a through hole 8d having a circular cross section is formed in a portion where the bottom wall 8c faces the upstream side of the water purification passage 7, and an ultraviolet light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as ultraviolet LED) 19 is built in the through hole 8d. A light emitter assembly 18 is mounted. The ultraviolet light UV emitted from the light emitter assembly 18 is irradiated toward the upstream side of the purified water passage 7 substantially along the extending direction of the purified water passage 7.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the light emitter assembly 18 includes a substantially bottomed cylindrical case 18a made of synthetic resin, and an ultraviolet LED 19 is accommodated in a cylinder of the case 18a. The emission direction of the ultraviolet light UV by the ultraviolet LED 19 is the axial direction of the case 18a, that is, the lower side in FIG. Moreover, the opening side (lower side in FIG. 3) of the case 18a is covered with the lens 20, and the irradiation angle of the ultraviolet light UV can be set by the lens 20. The lens 20 is formed of, for example, quartz glass and is fixed to the case 18a while ensuring airtightness and liquid tightness with urethane resin or the like.

  A through hole 8d having a size for fitting the case 18a is formed in a portion (the bottom wall 8c in this embodiment) to which the light emitter assembly 18 is attached, and the front side of the through hole 8d is inserted (the upper side in FIG. In the form, a locking claw 8e protrudes from the peripheral edge of the recess 12 inside. The light emitting assembly 18 is fixed to the bottom wall 8c by engaging the locking claws 8e with the locking claws 18b of the case 18a. An annular groove 18d is formed in the outer peripheral surface 18c of the case 18a, and a gap between the through hole 8d and the outer peripheral surface 18c is sealed by the O-ring 21 fitted in the groove 18d. It is like that. At least one of the locking claws 18b and 8e can be elastically deformed, and the light emitter assembly 18 can be attached to and detached from the bottom wall 8c relatively easily.

  With this configuration, in the present embodiment, the light emitter assembly 18 and the circuit board 13 can be mounted relatively easily from the side of the recess 12 serving as a board housing part. Further, the light emitter assembly 18 can be connected to the circuit board 13 via the wiring 17 to constitute a subassembly, and the subassembly can be attached to the main body portion (with the subassembly still). That is, first, the light emitter assembly 18 can be inserted and mounted in the through hole 8d from the side of the recess 12 serving as a substrate housing portion, and then the circuit board 13 can be fixed in the recess 12 by screwing or bonding. Therefore, it is not necessary to route long wiring, install the configuration related to irradiation of ultraviolet light UV in multiple places, connect the wiring after attaching each part, and the procedure is simple, It is possible to perform the attachment work or the exchange work with relatively little effort.

  Moreover, this water purifier 1 is equipped with lid sensors 14 and 15 that detect opening and closing operations of the lid 9 of the water supply port 8a and the lid 11 of the water discharge port 10, and in the present embodiment, these lid sensors 14 and 15 are provided. It is directly mounted on the circuit board 13 as a non-contact sensor that does not directly contact the detection target. As described above, in this embodiment, since the recess 12 as the substrate housing portion is formed between the water supply port 8a and the water discharge port 10, the circuit board 13 is provided between the water supply port 8a and the water discharge port 10. Can be placed next to each other. Therefore, since the lid 9 of the water supply port 8a and the lid 11 of the water discharge port 10 are also arranged in the vicinity of the circuit board 13, the lid sensors 14 and 15 can be mounted on the circuit board 13.

  The lid sensors 14 and 15 can be configured as magnetic sensors using the Hall effect, for example. In this case, magnets are attached to the lids 9 and 11 as the detected portions 14a and 15a. Specifically, with respect to the lid 9 of the water supply port 8a, the tip end portion 9a extends to the top of the concave portion 12, the detected portion 14a is provided at the tip end portion 9a, and when the lid 9 is closed, the detected portion 14a is covered. It arrange | positions on the sensor 14, and it comprises so that the to-be-detected part 14a may space apart from the lid sensor 14 when the lid | cover 9 is opened. Therefore, when the lid 9 is opened / closed, the distance of the detected portion 14a to the lid sensor 14 changes and the magnetic flux density changes, and the lid sensor 14 can detect the open / closed state of the lid 9. On the other hand, with respect to the lid 11 of the spout 10, the detected portion 15 a is provided at the base end portion 11 a near the rotation axis Ax 2, and the detected portion 15 a is adjacent to the side of the lid sensor 15 when the lid 11 is closed. When the lid 11 is opened, the detected portion 15a is separated from the lid sensor 15. Therefore, when the lid 11 is opened and closed, the distance of the detected portion 15a to the lid sensor 15 is changed and the magnetic flux density is changed, and the lid sensor 15 can detect the opened and closed state of the lid 11.

  In addition to the elements constituting the lid sensors 14 and 15, various electronic components are mounted on the circuit board 13, and a light emission control mechanism of the ultraviolet LED 19 shown in FIG. 4 is constructed. That is, a CPU 16 as a control unit is provided on the circuit board 13, and the CPU 16 controls the light emission of the ultraviolet LED 19 based on the detection results of the lid sensors 14 and 15. CPU16 has a process part, a memory | storage part, a time measuring part, etc., and performs arithmetic processing according to the program hold | maintained at the memory | storage part.

  Specifically, for example, when it is detected by the lid sensors 14 and 15 that the lids 9 and 11 are closed after the lids 9 and 11 are opened, the ultraviolet LED 19 is turned on for a predetermined time after the closure (for example, 3 minutes). It can be controlled to emit light. Since miscellaneous bacteria and the like may enter the water purifier 1 through the water supply port 8a and the water discharge port 10, it is effective to sterilize the ultraviolet LED 19 after entering. In this case, when the lid sensors 14 and 15 detect that the lids 9 and 11 are opened during the light emission, it is preferable to stop the emission of the ultraviolet LED 19. The ultraviolet LED 19 is selected to have a small influence on the human body, but it is preferable to prevent the ultraviolet ray from being irradiated as much as possible. In the present embodiment, the light emission of the ultraviolet LED 19 is controlled based on the opening / closing of both the two lids 9, 11. However, the light emission of the ultraviolet LED 19 can be controlled based on the opening / closing of one of the two lids 9, 11. Note that the CPU 16 controls the ON / OFF of the ultraviolet LED 19 as well as changes the emission intensity of the ultraviolet LED 19 according to the length of time the lids 9 and 11 are open or the like. An LED may be provided to selectively switch the ultraviolet LED that emits light.

  Further, when the irradiation angle of the ultraviolet light UV emitted from the light emitter assembly 18 is made relatively wide by setting the case 18a of the light emitter assembly 18 and the lens 20 (for example, the irradiation angle in a cross section along the axial direction). : 45 ° to 120 °), the inner peripheral surface 7a of the water purification passage 7 is formed of an ultraviolet reflective material (for example, a metal material such as an iron-based material), and the irradiated ultraviolet light UV is used as the inner peripheral surface of the water purification passage 7. It is possible to sterilize in a wider range by reflecting with 7a. In this case, the wall forming the water purification passage 7 may be made of a material having ultraviolet reflectivity, or plating (for example, chromium plating or electroless nickel plating) is applied to the inner peripheral surface 7a of the material having no ultraviolet reflectivity. Etc.), vapor deposition, film sticking, and the like, the surface layer (glossy surface) of the material having ultraviolet reflectivity may be formed.

  On the other hand, when the irradiation angle of the ultraviolet light UV emitted from the light emitter assembly 18 is relatively narrow (for example, irradiation angle: 10 ° to 45 °, etc.), the ultraviolet light UV is irradiated substantially along the purified water passage 7. Thus, it becomes possible to sterilize in a wider range. In this case, since the ultraviolet light UV reaches the back side of the water purification passage 7 (upstream side in the present embodiment), the inner peripheral surface 7a of the water purification passage 7 is made of a synthetic resin material (for example, ABS resin) having ultraviolet absorptivity. ), Good sterilization performance can be obtained over a wide range.

  The circuit board 13 is also configured with a battery mounting portion for mounting batteries serving as power sources for the lid sensors 14 and 15 and the CPU 16. The battery can be replaced by attaching and detaching the lid member 12a.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the water purifier 1 including the water purification cartridge 6 as the water purification unit in the main body is provided with the ultraviolet LED 19 that generates the ultraviolet light UV, and the ultraviolet light UV generated by the ultraviolet LED 19 is the water purification cartridge. In the purified water passage 7 between 6 and the water discharge port 10, it was configured to irradiate substantially along the extending direction of the purified water passage 7. Therefore, the sterilization function can be given without enlarging the water purifier 1 so much as the ultraviolet LED 19 smaller than the ultraviolet lamp is used. Moreover, since the ultraviolet light UV is irradiated substantially along the extending direction of the water purification passage 7, the water purification passage 7 through which the purified water purified by the water purification cartridge 6 flows can be efficiently sterilized in a wider range. it can.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, it comprised so that the ultraviolet light UV which arose by ultraviolet LED19 might be irradiated toward the upstream from the spout 10 side. Therefore, since the irradiation intensity of the ultraviolet light UV can be increased on the water outlet 10 side, the bacteria entering from the water outlet 10 can be sterilized more efficiently. Moreover, the ultraviolet light UV can be made difficult to leak out from the water outlet 10 by irradiating the upstream side.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the internal peripheral surface 7a of a water purification channel | path can be formed with the synthetic resin material which has ultraviolet absorptivity. Since materials having ultraviolet absorptivity such as synthetic resin materials are relatively inexpensive, the water purifier 1 can be obtained at a lower cost. In this case, in order to reduce the influence of ultraviolet absorption, it is preferable to set the emission angle of the ultraviolet light UV from the light emitter assembly 18 or the ultraviolet LED 19 to be relatively narrow.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the internal peripheral surface 7a of the water purification channel | path 7 can be formed with an ultraviolet reflective material. If it carries out like this, ultraviolet light can be irradiated to a wider range by reflecting ultraviolet light UV by the internal peripheral surface 7a.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the CPU 16 as a control unit that controls the ultraviolet LED 19, lid sensors 14 and 15 that detect the operation of at least one of the lid 11 of the water discharge port 10 and the lid 9 of the water supply port 8 a, The CPU 16 controls the ultraviolet LED 19 based on the detection results of the lid sensors 14 and 15. Therefore, the operation timing of the ultraviolet LED 19 can be controlled by the operation of the lids 9 and 11 to efficiently sterilize. Specifically, for example, by irradiating ultraviolet light UV at the timing immediately after the bacteria enter and effectively suppressing the growth of the bacteria, or by stopping the irradiation at unnecessary timing, wasteful power consumption Unintentional events can be avoided by reducing the number of times or stopping the irradiation at an undesired timing.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the circuit board 13 which mounts CPU16 as a control part was arrange | positioned adjacent to the water supply port 8a or the water discharge port 10. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the wiring between the circuit board 13 and the lid sensors 14 and 15 can be shortened. As a result, the lid sensors 14 and 15 can be mounted on the circuit board 13.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the circuit board 13 which mounts CPU16 as a control part was arrange | positioned between the water supply port 8a and the water discharge port 10. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the wiring between the circuit board 13 and both the lid sensors 14 and 15 can be shortened, and as a result, the lid sensors 14 and 15 can be mounted on the circuit board 13.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the light emitter assembly 18 in which the ultraviolet LED 19 and the lens 20 that collects the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet LED 19 are integrated is provided, and the circuit board 13 formed in the purified water passage 7 and the main body portion is provided. A through hole 8d is formed in the bottom wall 8c as a partition wall that partitions the recess 12 as the substrate housing portion, and the light emitter assembly 18 is inserted into the through hole 8d and attached to the main body portion. An ultraviolet light was emitted toward the passage 7. Therefore, by combining the ultraviolet LED 19 and the lens 20 and reducing them separately compared to the case where they are separately attached, the configuration in which the ultraviolet LED 19 connected to the circuit board 13 faces the purified water passage 7, It can be obtained as a relatively simple configuration. Moreover, since the light emitter assembly 18 and the circuit board 13 can be disposed relatively close to each other, the wiring 17 between them can be shortened.

  The light emitter assembly 18 can be attached to the through-hole 8d from the side of the recess 12 serving as a substrate housing portion, and the circuit board 13 can be housed and attached to the recess 12 so that they are attached to different locations. In this case, the mounting operation can be performed more easily than when mounting from different directions.

  Further, the light emitter assembly 18 substantially closes the through hole 8d, and an O-ring or other sealing member is used between the light emitter assembly 18 and the bottom wall 8c, for example, the outer peripheral surface 18c of the light emitter assembly 18 and the through hole 8d. By sealing the gap between them, it is possible to prevent purified water from entering the recess 12 as the substrate housing portion from the purified water passage 7 through the through hole 8d with a relatively simple configuration. In particular, since the light emitter assembly 18 is detachably engaged with the main body, maintenance and the like can be easily performed.

  In the present embodiment, the lid sensors 14 and 15 are configured as non-contact sensors that detect the detected portions 14a and 15a on the lids 9 and 11 side on the main body side. Therefore, the lid sensors 14 and 15 can be obtained as a relatively simple configuration as compared to a case where the lid side and the main body side are configured as contact sensors that contact each other. Further, when configured as a contact type sensor, adjustment of the contact position may be troublesome, but since it is configured as a non-contact type sensor, the lid sensors 14 and 15 can be attached relatively easily. become.

  In the present embodiment, the lid sensors 14 and 15 are mounted on the circuit board 13 and configured as non-contact sensors that detect the detected portions 14a and 15a on the lid side. Therefore, compared with the case where lid sensors 14 and 15 and circuit board 13 are attached separately, it is possible to reduce the labor of the attachment work, and the structure of water purifier 1 is further increased because it is not necessary to separately secure the attachment configuration. It can be simplified. Further, since the configuration as a non-contact type sensor is simplified, the configuration can be simplified as compared with the case where the sensor is configured as a contact type sensor, and the mounting operation can be performed more easily.

  (Second Embodiment) As shown in FIG. 5, a water purifier 1A according to this embodiment is configured as a stationary water purifier. That is, an inner space is formed by covering a bottomed cylindrical case 2A opened downward on the pedestal 22, and a water purification cartridge 6A as a water purification section vertically arranged in a substantially cylindrical shape in the inner space. And the block part 24 which is arrange | positioned at the upper part of the said water purification cartridge 6A, and forms the water purification path 7 of the downstream of the said water purification cartridge 6A is arrange | positioned. Further, an outlet pipe 25 that projects through the case 2 </ b> A protrudes from the block portion 24 toward the side. In the present embodiment, the base 22, the case 2A, and the block portion 24 correspond to the main body portion.

  The raw water is introduced from a water guide tube 23 communicating with a water pipe or the like and introduced into the water purification cartridge 6A. The purified water purified by the purified water cartridge 6 </ b> A passes through the purified water passage 7 </ b> A formed in the block portion 24 and the outlet pipe 25 and is discharged from the tip of the outlet pipe 25.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the light emitter assembly 18 having the same configuration as that of the first embodiment is attached to the through hole 24a formed so as to face the bent portion of the block portion 24. From the light emitter assembly 18, The ultraviolet light UV is irradiated along the extending direction of a portion of the water purification passage 7A that extends substantially linearly from the bent portion toward the downstream side.

  Light emission by the ultraviolet LED 19 in the light emitter assembly 18 is controlled by the CPU 16 as a control unit similar to that of the first embodiment mounted on the circuit board 13A. However, in the present embodiment, the CPU 16 controls the ultraviolet LED 19 based on the detection result of the flow sensor 26 provided in the block unit 24, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 4 and FIG. Specifically, for example, when the flow rate becomes zero after the flow rate sensor 26 detects a flow rate exceeding a predetermined amount, the ultraviolet LED 19 is emitted for a predetermined time (for example, 3 minutes) after the flow rate becomes zero. Can be controlled. According to such a configuration, the sterilization process can be performed at a predetermined frequency with the use of the water purifier 1A (purified by flowing water) as a trigger. Moreover, useless power consumption can be reduced by stopping irradiation at unnecessary timing. In addition, as the flow sensor 26, the type which measures the rotation speed of an impeller can be used.

  In the present embodiment, the inner peripheral surface 7a of the outlet pipe 25 that forms the purified water passage 7A is formed of an ultraviolet reflective material. Specifically, the outlet pipe 25 may be made of a metal pipe, or at least the inner surface of a tubular body made of synthetic resin may be plated.

  In the present embodiment, a battery mounting portion 28 for mounting the battery 27 is provided on the circuit board 13A. The case 2 </ b> A is provided with a detachable lid 29 corresponding to the battery mounting portion 28, and the user can remove the lid 29 and replace the battery 27.

  In the above embodiment, the ultraviolet LED 19 is provided in the stationary water purifier 1A. Therefore, the sterilization function can be given without enlarging the water purifier 1 so much as the ultraviolet LED 19 is used. Also in this embodiment, since the ultraviolet light UV is irradiated substantially along the extending direction of the purified water passage 7, the purified water passage 7 through which the purified water purified by the purified water cartridge 6A flows is more efficiently in a wider range. Can be sterilized well.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, CPU16 as a control part controls ultraviolet LED19 based on the detection result of the flow sensor 26. FIG. Therefore, also in this embodiment, the operation timing of the ultraviolet LED 19 can be controlled and sterilized efficiently. Specifically, for example, by irradiating ultraviolet light UV at the timing immediately after the bacteria enter and effectively suppressing the growth of the bacteria, or by stopping the irradiation at unnecessary timing, wasteful power consumption Unintentional events can be avoided by reducing the number of times or stopping the irradiation at an undesired timing.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made. For example, the present invention can be applied to water purifiers other than pot type and stationary type. Further, the installation position and mounting structure of the lid sensor and the flow rate sensor can be changed as appropriate. The lid sensor may be any sensor as long as it can detect the position (distance) of the lid with respect to the main body, and a sensor of another type (for example, an eddy current sensor) may be used as the non-contact sensor.

1,1A Water purifier 2 Pot case (main part)
2A case (main part)
3 Bulkhead (Main body)
6,6A Water purification cartridge (water purification section)
7, 7A Water purification passage 7a Inner peripheral surface 8 Top wall (main part)
8a Water supply port 8b Perimeter wall (partition wall)
8c Bottom wall (partition wall)
8d Through-hole 9 Lid 10 Water outlet 11 Lid 12 Recessed part (substrate housing part)
13, 13A Circuit board 14, 15 Lid sensor 14a, 15a Detected part 16 CPU (control part)
18 Light Emitter Assembly 19 UV LED (Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diode)
20 Lens 22 Base (Main body)
24 Block (Body)
24a Through hole 26 Flow sensor

Claims (12)

In a water purifier equipped with a water purification unit in the main body,
It has an ultraviolet light emitting diode that produces ultraviolet light,
A water purifier configured to irradiate ultraviolet light generated by the ultraviolet light-emitting diode in a water purification passage between the water purification section and a water discharge port substantially along the extending direction of the water purification passage.   The water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the water purifier is configured to irradiate ultraviolet light generated by the ultraviolet light emitting diode from the water outlet side toward the upstream side.   The water purifier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an inner peripheral surface of the water purification passage is formed of a material having ultraviolet absorptivity.   The water purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an inner peripheral surface of the water purification passage is formed of a synthetic resin material.   The water purifier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an inner peripheral surface of the water purification passage is formed of an ultraviolet reflective material. A control unit for controlling the ultraviolet light emitting diode;
A lid sensor for detecting the operation of at least one of the lid of the water outlet and the lid of the water supply port;
With
The said control part controls the said ultraviolet light emitting diode based on the detection result of the said cover sensor, The water purifier as described in any one of Claims 1-5 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The water purifier according to claim 6, wherein a circuit board on which the control unit is mounted is disposed adjacent to a water supply port or a water discharge port.   The water purifier according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a circuit board on which the control unit is mounted is disposed between a water supply port and a water discharge port. A light emitter assembly in which the ultraviolet light emitting diode and a lens for collecting the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light emitting diode are integrated,
A through hole is formed in a partition wall that partitions between the water purification passage and the substrate housing part of the circuit board formed in the main body part,
Insert the light emitter assembly into the through-hole and attach it to the main body,
The water purifier according to claim 7 or 8, wherein ultraviolet light is emitted from the light emitter assembly into the water purification passage.   The water purifier according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the lid sensor is a non-contact sensor that detects a detected portion on the lid side on the main body side.   The water purifier according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the lid sensor is a non-contact sensor that is mounted on the circuit board and detects a detected portion on the lid side. A control unit for controlling the ultraviolet light emitting diode;
A flow sensor for detecting a flow rate of water flowing in the water purifier,
With
The said control part controls the said ultraviolet light emitting diode based on the detection result of the said flow sensor, The water purifier as described in any one of Claims 1-5 characterized by the above-mentioned.

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