JP3731530B2 - Water purifier - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a water purifier suitably used at home and the like.
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in areas where the quality of tap water is poor, a water purifier is often installed in the kitchen, etc., but in the water purifier, the amount of water used is added and the accumulated value reaches the cartridge replacement guideline. Some display a message prompting the user to replace the cartridge.
[0003]
By the way, it is often necessary to use a specified amount of water for cooking. In this case, use a measuring instrument such as a measuring cup. It needs to be transferred. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a measuring instrument separately from the pan etc. and wash it after use, and since the water surface is not constant immediately after pouring water, it must be measured after calming down the water surface once, Time consuming and cumbersome. Furthermore, when water exceeding a desired amount is poured at the time of measurement, the excess water must be discarded, and the capacity of water and filter media is wasted.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
An object of this invention is to provide the water purifier which can measure a required amount of water easily, without using a measuring instrument in view of the above-mentioned problem.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention integrates the flow rate display means for displaying the flow rate of water that has passed through each time, and the water flow rate for each time, to obtain a predetermined integrated value. A water purifier comprising an accumulating means for displaying a notification when it arrives and a reset button for initializing the accumulated value, wherein the flow rate displaying means has passed a predetermined time after the end of water flow after automatically initialized Rutotomoni, after passing water ends, when passed through again within the predetermined time, the flow rate of the water該再degree through water flow rate is stored is added, the on that time The integration unit is configured to display the flow rate of the passed water , and the integration unit is configured to display to promote cartridge replacement when the integration value reaches the cartridge life equivalent value. Features a water purifier characterized by Than it is.
[0006]
Here, the flow rate display means includes a rotor that rotates by passing water, a detector that detects the rotational speed of the rotor, and a display member that calculates and displays the flow rate based on the detected rotational speed. It is preferable that
[0007]
In the water purifier, the flow rate display means preferably displays the flow rate of the purified water treated with the filter medium, and the filter medium provided to communicate with the raw water flow path, the purified water flow path, and the purified water flow path. And a flow path switching valve having a water stop mechanism together with a mechanism for selectively switching whether the inflowing raw water is directly passed through the raw water flow path or the purified water flow path, and the flow path switching valve is operated. It is preferable that the flow rate display means displays the flow rate of water that has flowed from the water-stopped state until the water flow is started and ended by the operation means. also includes the and are, flow rate display means, also of the may view the flow rate of the purified water treated with the filter medium.
[0008]
In addition, the water stop mechanism here should just be a mechanism which can stop water flow substantially, and also includes the aspect that a trace amount of water is leaking.
[0009]
And about either of the said water purifiers, it is preferable that a hollow fiber membrane is included and the flow rate display means is equipped with the liquid crystal display member. Also, a display LED display to promote cartridges replacement, it is more preferable water flow rate at each time is an LCD display. Furthermore, it is preferable that the flow rate display means digitally displays a single water flow rate.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water purifier showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the main body of the water purifier of FIG. FIG. 3 is another longitudinal sectional view of the water purifier of FIG. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the filtration cartridge.
[0011]
The water purifier of the present invention includes, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a main body 1 that switches the flow path, a filtration unit 2 that purifies raw water introduced from the main body 1, and the like. A flow rate display means for integrating and displaying the flow rate of the water used for each time is provided.
[0012]
The main body 1 is connected to a water tap and receives a raw water inlet 5 for receiving raw water, a raw water outlet (raw water straight port 19, raw water shower port 17) through which the received raw water flows as it is, and a raw water supply port to the filtration unit 2. 9. A purified water receiving port 11 for receiving purified water from the filtration unit 2, a flow path switching valve 30 for switching the selected flow path, a switching lever 4 for operating the flow path switching valve 30, and the like. Further, the main body 1 has a flow rate display means such as a liquid crystal display unit 28 that displays an integrated flow rate from the start of water flow for each water flow, and a selected flow that displays a selected flow path such as a raw water straight, a raw water shower, and purified water. A road display window (not shown) is provided.
[0013]
The flow rate display means is provided in the pipe line 23 from the purified water inlet 11 to the purified water outlet 20, and detects the rotor 24 rotated by the flow of water, the magnet 25 inserted in the rotor, and the rotation of the rotor 24. Detector 26, a control circuit 27 that calculates a flow rate from the start of water flow from the signal of the detector 26, a liquid crystal display unit 28 that displays the calculated flow rate, a detector 26, and a control circuit 27. And a power source 29 for the liquid crystal display unit 28, and are configured to integrate and display the flow rate of water to be treated by the filter medium.
[0014]
Next, the filtration unit 2 stores the filtration cartridge shown in FIG. 4, the raw water supply port 9 of the main body unit 1 and the raw water receiving port 10 of the filtration cartridge are connected, and the purified water receiving port 11 of the main body unit 1 and the filtration cartridge are connected. The purified water supply port 50 is connected.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 4, in the filtration cartridge, a filter medium such as an adsorbent 21 that adsorbs and removes chlorine odor and the like in received raw water and a hollow fiber membrane bundle 22 that filters bacteria and the like are accommodated in a container 32. Configured. A plurality of hollow fiber membranes are bundled and bent into an inverted U shape and housed in the cylindrical body 33. Both ends of the hollow fiber membranes are located between the hollow fiber membranes and the hollow fibers at the lower part of the cylindrical body 33. It is sealed and fixed (potted) with a curable resin 37 (sealing agent) filled between the membrane and the cylindrical body 33.
[0016]
Each hollow fiber membrane is partially cut and removed from the potting portion before being fitted into the container 32, so that the end is opened toward the purified water supply port 50. An adsorbent 21 made of activated carbon, zeolite, ion exchange resin, chelate resin, or the like is disposed between the cylindrical body 33 and the inner wall surface of the container 32.
[0017]
A cylindrical projection 32 a is formed on the inner bottom surface of the container 32, and the lower end of the cylindrical body 33 is fitted and erected through an O-ring 34. Ring-shaped filters 35 and 36 for holding the adsorbent layer 21 for treating raw water passing between the inner wall surfaces of 32 are fixed. Moreover, the upper part of the container 32 is opened so that the hollow fiber membrane bundle 22 and the adsorbent can be easily filled, and a transparent cap 38 is fitted so that the state of contamination of the hollow fiber membrane can be seen from the outside.
[0018]
In the water purifier of the present invention described above, tap water (raw water) flowing into the main body 1 from the tap through the raw water inlet 5 is straight water (raw water straight) that has not been purified by the operation of the switching lever 4. ), Unpurified shower-like water (raw water shower), or purified water discharged from the purified water outlet 20 through the filtration unit 2 from the raw water supply port 9 and discharged. At this time, the state of the discharged water (raw water straight, raw water shower, purified water) is displayed in the selected flow path display window.
[0019]
When the raw water supplied to the filtration unit 2 by the operation of the switching lever 4 of the main unit 1 passes through the adsorbent 21 made of activated carbon, zeolite, ion exchange resin, chelate resin, etc., chlorine, lead, etc. are removed. Bacteria and the like are filtered by the hollow fiber membrane bundle 22 and discharged from the purified water outlet 20 through the purified water supply port 50, the purified water receiving port 11, and the pipeline 23.
[0020]
At this time, the purified water passing through the pipe line 23 rotates the rotor 24. Along with this, the magnetic flux density by the magnet 25 built in the rotor 24 changes, so that the change in the magnetic flux density, that is, the rotation of the rotor 24 is detected by the detector 26 and a signal is transmitted to the control circuit 27. The control circuit 27 counts the number of rotations of the rotor 24 based on the signal transmitted from the detector 26, and uses the counted number of rotations and the amount of water per one rotation of the rotor 24 that is input in advance. The flow rate of the water is calculated, and the flow rate is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 28.
[0021]
The liquid crystal display unit 28 and the control circuit 27 are configured to automatically reset and return to the initial state after a predetermined time, for example, about 3 to 5 seconds has elapsed after the end of water flow. When water is started, the water flow rate is calculated and displayed from the initialized state. When the water flow is started again within the predetermined time, the control circuit 27 and the liquid crystal display unit 28 are not reset. Therefore, the number of rotations of the rotor 24 is continuously counted and the flow rate is displayed. That is, after completion of water flow, the control circuit 27 calculates and stores the flow rate within a predetermined time, and when filtered water is passed again within the predetermined time, it is added to the stored flow rate.
[0022]
In this way, in the present invention, the flow rate display means displays the flow rate of water that has passed through each time, so that the prescribed amount of water used during cooking and cooking can be It can be measured very easily without using any cooking utensils or the like, and is time efficient. Moreover, the troublesomeness, such as cleaning of the utensils, required when using utensils is eliminated. In addition, if it is configured to initialize after a predetermined time has passed, even if the faucet is closed when the amount of water is less than the desired amount of water, if the faucet is reopened and added to obtain purified water The total amount of water can be known, and subtle adjustment of the amount of water can be easily performed.
[0023]
Next, the flow path switching valve 30 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the flow path switching valve 30 includes balls (valve bodies) 7 a to 7 c and cam portions 6 a to 6 c that move the balls 7 a to 7 c to open and close the water passages. A valve shaft 16 is provided. The valve shaft 16 is configured to operate in response to rotation in only one direction of the switching lever 4 by a ratchet mechanism or the like, and the switching lever 4 rotated in one direction automatically returns to the initial position. It is preferable to provide a torsion coil spring or the like at the support point of the switching lever 4 so as to return. Further, a display ring that is switched in accordance with the rotation of the switching lever 4 in only one direction is provided (not shown). The display ring is configured to be visible through the selected flow path display window. The rotation of the switching lever 4 is transmitted to the valve shaft 16 by the drive gear 14 and the spur gear 15, and is transmitted to the display ring by the drive gear 14.
[0024]
FIG. 2 shows a state in which the raw water is filtered by the filtering unit 2 and discharged as purified water. The cam unit 6a pushes up the ball 7a to open the water passage to the filtering unit 2 and to the raw water straight port. The water passage and the water passage to the raw water shower port are closed by balls 7b and 7c. Therefore, the raw water that has flowed into the water purifier flows into the filtration unit 2 and is purified. At this time, “purified water” is displayed on the display ring that can be seen through the selected flow path display window.
[0025]
Next, when the switching lever 4 is rotated from this state, the valve shaft 16 is rotated in accordance with the rotation of the switching lever 4, the cam 6c is directed upward instead of the cam 6a, and the ball 7c is pushed up. . Thereby, the water flow path connected to the filtration part 2 is closed, and the water flow path connected to the raw water shower port is opened. As a result, the raw water is discharged from the raw water shower port 17. At this time, “shower” is displayed on the display ring that can be seen through the selected flow path display window.
[0026]
When the finger is released from the switching lever-4, the switching lever-4 rotates in the reverse direction by the restoring force of the torsion coil spring, returns to the initial position, and stops. At this time, the drive gear 14, the display ring, and the valve shaft 16 connected via the ratchet mechanism do not rotate.
[0027]
When the switching lever-4 is pushed down again, the display ring is rotated as described above, and at the same time, the valve shaft 16 is rotated, the cam 6b is directed upward instead of the cam 6c, and the ball 7b is pushed up. As a result, the water channel communicating with the raw water shower port is closed, and the water channel communicating with the raw water straight port is opened. As a result, the raw water is discharged from the raw water straight port 19. At this time, “raw water” is displayed on the display ring that can be seen from the selection display member.
[0028]
Note that the switching lever 4 may be either a double-end support type or a single-end support type, and the switching mechanism of the selection flow path may be any mechanism such as a one-way clutch in addition to a ratchet mechanism.
[0029]
Further, the present invention can be modified as shown in FIGS.
[0030]
FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a water purifier showing another embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the main body 101 of the water purifier shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the flow rate measuring unit 112 shown in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a switch of the flow path switching valve 111 shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the switching lever 130 during the switching operation corresponding to FIG.
[0031]
The water purifier shown in FIG. 5 includes a main body portion 101 and a filtration portion 102. The main body portion 101 includes a flow path switching valve 111, a switching lever 130 for operating the flow path switching valve 111, and a flow rate display means. A flow rate measuring unit 112, a control circuit 113, a display unit 115, a battery holder 114 that holds a battery serving as a power source, a reset button 116 of the control circuit 113, and the like are provided. In addition, the external switch 101 is provided with a measurement switch so that a flow path can be measured when desired. The measurement switch is fixed to the main body 101 via a spring so that the switching lever 130 pressed by hand contacts the measurement switch and is turned on by contracting the spring, and the hand is released from the switching lever. The switching lever 130 is configured to be turned off when it begins to return due to the restoring force.
[0032]
The flow path switching valve 111 includes a switching lever 130, a valve shaft 131, and balls (valve bodies) 132a, 132b, and 132c. The valve shaft 131 is rotated by the rotation operation of the switching lever 130, and the cam portions 133a to 133d provided on the valve shaft 131 push up any of the balls 132a, 132b, and 132c in the same manner as in the previous embodiment. Open the raw water straight, raw water shower, or purified water flow path.
[0033]
Further, in this embodiment, even if the valve shaft 131 is rotated by the switching lever 130, no ball is pushed up at a predetermined position, that is, water is stopped, and at another predetermined position. A cam portion is provided to measure the flow rate of purified water. This will be specifically described below.
[0034]
As shown in FIG. 8, the valve shaft 131 is provided with cam portions 133a to 133d, for example, at four locations, and the three locations (cam portions 133a to 133c) are shifted in phase by 72 °, and the remaining one location (133d ) Is shifted by 108 ° from the cam portion 133c.
[0035]
Therefore, when the switching lever 130 is rotated and set to the position of “raw water straight” as shown in FIG. 9A, the cam portion 133c pushes up the ball 132c as shown in FIG. 8A. The raw water will flow straight out. At this time, the other flow paths are closed by the balls 132a and b.
[0036]
Subsequently, when the switching lever 130 is rotated by 72 ° and set to the “raw water shower” position as shown in FIG. 9B, the cam portion 133b is moved to the ball 132b as shown in FIG. 8B. Push up to drain the raw water into a shower. At this time, the other flow paths are closed by the balls 132a and c.
[0037]
Further, when the switching lever 130 is rotated 72 ° and is set to the position of “purified water” as shown in FIG. 9C, the cam portion 133a pushes up the ball 132a as shown in FIG. 8C. Since the purified water flow path is opened, the raw water is guided to the filtration unit 102, purified as described in the previous embodiment, and taken out as purified water. At this time, the other flow paths are closed by the balls 132b and 132c.
[0038]
The above is the usage method when the amount of water used is not measured.
[0039]
Next, the case of measuring the amount of water used, in particular, the amount of purified water used in this embodiment will be described.
[0040]
The switching lever 130 is further rotated 72 ° in the same direction from the state of FIG. 9C, and is once adjusted to the “water stop” position as shown in FIG. 9D. At this time, since the balls 132a to 132c are not pushed up by any of the cam portions 133a to 133c as shown in FIG. 8D, any flow paths of the raw water shower, the raw water straight, and the purified water are closed. Therefore, the water purifier is stopped.
[0041]
When the switching lever 130 is further rotated 36 ° from this state, the switching lever 130 comes into contact with a measurement switch 134 provided on the main body 101 via a spring 135 as shown in FIG. When the switching lever 130 is kept in contact with the measurement switch, the cam portion 133d pushes up the ball 132a to open the purified water flow path as shown in FIG. Purify and escape. The other flow paths are closed by the balls 132b and 132c, and the spring 135 is kept in a contracted state, so that the purified water flow rate is measured. If the hand is released from the switching lever 130 after obtaining the required flow of purified water, the switching lever 130 automatically returns to the “water stop” position by the restoring force of the spring 135, and the outflow of purified water is stopped and the flow rate is measured. Ends.
[0042]
The flow rate of purified water is measured by a flow rate measuring unit 112 shown in FIG. This is because the rotor 121 arranged in the pipe for guiding the raw water to the filtration unit 102, the magnet 122 embedded in the rotor 121, the outer circumference of the pipe that detects the rotation of the rotor 121, and in the vicinity of the rotor 121. It consists of a reed switch (detector) 123 provided.
[0043]
When the raw water is guided to the filtration unit 102, the rotor 121 is rotated by the water flow, and the magnet 122 is also rotated integrally therewith. Accordingly, the magnetic flux density in the vicinity of the rotor 121 changes, so that the reed switch 123 repeats ON / OFF. An ON / OFF signal (pulse signal (p)) of the reed switch 123 is sent to the control circuit 113 via a lead wire. In the control circuit 113, the number of ON / OFF times of the reed switch is counted (integrated pulse P), converted into a flow rate (flow rate conversion Q), and if the measurement switch 134 is in an ON state, the converted value is calculated. This is sent to the display unit 115. The counted number of ON / OFF of the reed switch is automatically initialized after a predetermined time has elapsed after the water flow is completed (P = 0, Q = 0).
[0044]
Further, the measurement result of the flow rate is stored in the control circuit 113 and sequentially integrated (integrated flow rate S). When this integrated value reaches the replacement guide for the cartridge provided in the filter unit 102, a signal for lighting the cartridge replacement sign is sent from the control circuit 113 to the display unit 115. The integrated value stored in the control circuit 113 is reset by pressing the reset button 116 after the cartridge replacement (P = 0, Q = 0, S = 0).
[0045]
The series of operations as described above are controlled by an algorithm program as shown in FIG. 10, for example.
[0046]
The display unit 115 includes an LED 151 for displaying a cartridge replacement indication, an LCD 152 for displaying a purified water flow rate, an LED 153 for signing a battery replacement, and the LCD 152 for displaying the purified water flow rate using a color liquid crystal with a backlight. It is preferable to use a digital display. These display functions may be displayed by a buzzer, sound, or the like, if necessary, in addition to visual ones, or a combination of visual display and auditory display.
[0047]
The battery holder 114 holds a battery therein and supplies power to the control circuit 113 and the display unit 115. As the battery, a button-type lithium battery is preferably used for miniaturization, but a rechargeable battery used in a cellular phone or a household outlet may be used as a power source.
[0048]
Furthermore, the present invention can be modified as follows.
(1) Although the above-mentioned embodiment demonstrated what displays the flow volume of the purified water processed with the filter medium, even if it is any flow volume of the water which passes a water purifier, ie, raw water and purified water, it will pass through once. For example, a rotor may be provided in the vicinity of the raw water inlet and water may be detected in the raw water channel so as to integrate and display the flow rate of water used for each water.
(2) In the above-described embodiment, the switching valve using a ball as a valve body is used. However, a switching valve having a rubber packing or an O-ring mounted on a rotating shaft may be used.
(3) As the liquid crystal display unit in the above-described embodiment, an arbitrary display device such as a mechanical counter type can be used.
[0049]
【The invention's effect】
As mentioned above, since the water purifier of this invention displays the flow volume of the water flowed at that time for every flow of water, the specified amount of water used for cooking and cooking is changed to other It can be measured very easily without using cooking utensils or the like, and is time efficient. Moreover, troublesomeness, such as washing | cleaning of an appliance required when using a cooking appliance, can be reduced. Furthermore, if it is configured to initialize after a predetermined time has elapsed, even if the faucet is closed when the amount is less than the desired amount of water, if the faucet is reopened and added to obtain purified water The total amount of water can be known, and subtle adjustment of the amount of water can be easily performed.
[0050]
Furthermore, using a flow path switching valve provided with a water stop mechanism and an operating means for operating the flow path switching valve, water that flows between the start and end of water flow from the water stop state by the operating means. When configured to display the flow rate, the operation means can easily stop running water, and the flow measurement start and end operations can be linked with the movement of the operation means, so that simple operation is possible. The desired amount of water can be obtained. Furthermore, since water is flowed out from the water stop state by the operating means and the flow rate is measured, it is possible to accurately measure without wasting water and filter media.
[0051]
In particular, when a lever is used as the operating means, it can be operated with one hand despite the simple structure, and the operability is good. In addition, if the switching lever is configured to automatically return to the “water stop” position with a spring or the like, the water can be stopped just by releasing the hand from the spring, preventing the excess water from flowing more reliably. be able to.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the water purifier shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a YY sectional view of the water purifier shown in FIG. 1;
4 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a filtration cartridge loaded in the water purifier of FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a water purifier showing another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a cross-sectional view of the main body 101 of the water purifier shown in FIG.
7 is a schematic diagram of the flow rate measuring unit 112 shown in FIG. 6. FIG.
8 is a schematic diagram showing a state during switching operation of the flow path switching valve 111 shown in FIG. 6. FIG.
9 is a schematic diagram showing a state of the switching lever 130 during the switching operation corresponding to FIG. 8. FIG.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an algorithm related to flow measurement.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Main-body part 2: Filtration part 4: Switching lever 5: Raw | natural water inlet 6a-6c: Cam part 7a-7c: Ball | bowl (valve body)
8a to 8c: Water passage 9: Raw water supply port 10: Raw water receiving port 11: Purified water receiving port 13: Display ring 14: Drive gear 15: Spur gear 16: Valve shaft 17: Raw water shower port 19: Raw water straight port 20: Purified water Outlet 21: Adsorbent 22: Hollow fiber membrane bundle 23: Pipe line 24: Rotor 25: Magnet 26: Detector 27: Control circuit 28: Liquid crystal display unit 29: Power supply 30: Channel switching valve unit 32: Container 32a: Cylindrical protrusion 33: Cylindrical body 34: O-ring 35: Filter 36: Filter 37: Curable resin 38: Transparent cap 50: Clean water supply port 101: Main body 102: Filtration unit 111: Channel switching valve 112: Flow rate measuring unit 113: Control circuit 114: Battery holder 115: Display unit 116: Reset button 121: Rotor 122: Magnet 123: Reed switch 30: switching lever 131: valve shaft 132a to 132c: ball (valve body)
133a-133c: Cam part 134: Measurement switch 135: Spring 151: LED of cartridge replacement indication
152: LCD for water purification flow rate display
153: LED for battery replacement sign

Claims (7)

A flow rate display means that displays the flow rate of water that has passed through each time, and an integration that displays the amount of water flow that has passed each time and that notifies when it reaches a predetermined integrated value means, a water purifier and a reset button for initializing the integrated value, the flow rate display means after passing water ends, Rutotomoni is automatically initialized after a predetermined time has elapsed, through When the water is passed again within the predetermined time after the end of the water, the flow rate of the water passed again is added to the stored flow rate and displayed as the flow rate of the water passed at that time. The water purifier is configured so that the accumulating means is configured to display to promote cartridge replacement when the accumulated value reaches the cartridge life equivalent value. The flow rate display means includes a rotor that rotates by passing water, a detector that detects the number of rotations of the rotor, and a display member that calculates and displays a flow rate based on the detected number of rotations. The water purifier according to. The water purifier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flow rate display means displays a flow rate of the purified water treated with the filter medium. The water purifier in any one of Claims 1-3 which contains a hollow fiber membrane. The water purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the flow rate display means includes a liquid crystal display member. The water purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the display for facilitating cartridge replacement is an LED display, and the water flow rate per time is an LCD display. The water purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the flow rate display means digitally displays a single water flow rate.

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