JPH08206641A - Water purifier - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a low cost water purifier having an electric filter replacement display function and not requiring the replacement of a battery in a power supply part. CONSTITUTION: This water purifier is provided with a replacing period determining means 23 measuring the amt. or purified water from a flow rate signal formed by converting the stream of water in a water channel into power and forming a replacement signal showing the replacing period of the filter material provided in the water channel when the integrated value of the amt. of purified water becomes predetermined quantity, a display means 31 displaying the replacing period of the filter material on the basis of the replacement signal and a power supply means 40 supplying power to at least the display means. A power generating means 41 forming electromotive force using light energy is installed to the power supply means and the replacing period of the filter material is displayed on the display means using the power formed by the power generating means.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water purifier, and more particularly to a water purifier having a function of electrically indicating when to replace a filter material inside the water purifier.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a household or commercial water purifier, there has been provided a water purifier that electrically indicates a replacement time of a filter material such as hollow paper or activated carbon in the water purifier. Such a water purifier is equipped with an electronic circuit that continuously measures the integrated value of the purified water amount or the integrated value of the water purifier usage time to determine the replacement time of the filter medium. Batteries are used.

In such a water purifier, electric power is supplied to the entire electronic circuit when the "raw water / purified water" switching lever of the water purifier is on the "purified water" side, and when it is on the "raw water" side, the integrated values are stored. Power is supplied only to the memory circuit and some other circuits.

[0004]

However, when the tap water valve is operated while the "raw water / purified water" switching lever is set to the "purified water" side, electric power is always supplied to the entire electronic circuit. Power consumption increases, and as a result, it becomes necessary to frequently replace the internal dry battery and button battery. Such battery replacement work is very troublesome and poses a risk of electric shock in view of the installation environment of the water purifier.
In addition, the structure of the water purifier itself becomes difficult because it facilitates the battery replacement work and guarantees the water resistance of the battery replacement part, resulting in an increase in the cost of the water purifier. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a water purifier having such a filter material exchange display function, which does not require battery replacement at its power source.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following modes. The water purifier according to the present invention measures the amount of purified water from the flow rate signal generated by using the water flow in the water channel as power, and when the integrated value of the amount of purified water reaches a predetermined amount, the replacement of the filter medium provided in the water channel. A replacement time determining means for providing a replacement signal indicating a time, a display means for displaying the replacement time of the filter medium based on the replacement signal, and a power supply means for supplying power to at least the display means are provided. The power supply means is provided with a power generation means for generating electromotive force by light energy, and the electromotive force generated by the power generation means is used to display the replacement time of the filter medium on the display means.

In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention,
It is preferable to provide a power storage means for storing the electromotive force generated by the power generation means in the power supply means. In a further preferred embodiment, voltage monitoring means for monitoring the voltage of the storage means,
It is preferable to provide charging control means for suppressing a charging current to the power storage means when the voltage of the power storage means reaches a first predetermined value at which the power storage means is saturated. Further, a storage unit for storing the measured integrated value of the purified water amount is provided in the replacement timing determining unit, and when the voltage of the power storage unit drops to a second predetermined value lower than the first predetermined value, voltage monitoring is performed. It is preferable that the means outputs a voltage drop signal to the replacement timing determining means to preferentially supply the power of the power storage means to the storage means.

[0007]

According to the above construction, the replacement timing determining means continuously measures the integrated value of the purified water amount when the water purifier is used, and generates the replacement signal when the integrated value reaches the predetermined amount. On the other hand, the power generation means in the power supply means always generates an electromotive force based on the light energy around the water purifier. As a result, when the replacement time determination means generates the replacement signal, the replacement time of the filter medium is displayed on the display means using this electromotive force.

Further, when the power storage means is provided in the power storage means, the electromotive force generated by the power generation means can be stored in the power storage means, and the stored power is used as the power source to replace the filter medium. Can be obtained by an electric method. Further, when the voltage monitoring means and the charge control means are further provided, the voltage of the power storage means is monitored, and when the voltage reaches a first predetermined value corresponding to the saturation state of the power storage means, the power storage means is overcharged. Is prevented. In addition, the voltage of the storage means is the first
When the voltage drops to a second predetermined value that is lower than the predetermined value, the power supply destination from the power storage means is limited by the voltage drop signal, and the electrically stored integrated value is continuously stored in the storage means. Can be done.

[0009]

Embodiments of the water purifier according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a water purifier according to the present invention. This water purifier 10 has its water intake
11 is a faucet direct connection type water purifier that is directly attached to the faucet. In this water purifier 10, when the “raw water / purified water” switching lever 12 is passed through the water purification side, the water wheel 21 is rotated by the water flow of the water purified by the filter unit 13, and the water wheel 21 is rotated. A gear type counting mechanism 23 that meshes with the gear 22 of the above counts the amount of purified water. The gear-type counting mechanism 23 closes the contact 24 when the count value reaches a value corresponding to the replacement time of the filter material inside the filter 13 to generate a display signal indicating the replacement time of the filter material.

On the surface of the water purifier, a light emitting diode 31 for indicating the replacement time of the filter medium and a power supply unit 40 of the water purifier are provided.
And a solar cell 41 that generates the electric power. As a result, when the display signal is generated, the light emitting diode 31 is turned on or blinks by the power of the power supply unit 40. Although not shown, a storage unit such as a capacitor or a secondary battery may be provided in parallel with the solar cell 41 as necessary so that the electric power generated by the solar cell 41 is always stored in the storage unit. Further, a protection circuit for the power storage unit, a flicker circuit that operates with the stored power, or the like may be provided.

As described above, in this embodiment, the integrated value of the purified water amount is measured and the replacement time of the filter medium is mechanically determined,
Since the filter material replacement display is performed using the electromotive force generated by the solar cell, the filter material replacement display can be performed without providing a dry battery or a button battery in the water purifier. After the user of the water purifier confirms this exchange display and exchanges the filter medium, the gear-type counting mechanism 23 is reset, so that the gear-type counting mechanism restarts the integration of the purified water amount.

Next, a second embodiment of the water purifier according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The water purifier 110 measures the integrated value of the water purification amount and determines the replacement time of the filter medium,
In addition, the replacement display of the filtering material is all performed by using the electromotive force generated by the solar cell.

In FIG. 2, the present water purifier comprises a water purification detection unit 120 for detecting the amount of water purification based on a flow rate signal generated from the water flow in the water channel of the water purifier, and a signal processing of the flow rate signal to integrate the amount of water purification. A signal processing unit 130 that calculates the value and determines the replacement time of the filter material based on the integrated value, and a display unit 140 that displays the replacement of the filter material when the signal processing unit determines the replacement time of the filter material. And the power supply unit 15 that forms the power supply in the water purifier
0 and a voltage monitoring unit 160 that monitors and controls the voltage of this power supply unit
It has and.

The power supply unit 150 is provided with a power generation unit 151 having a solar cell, a power storage unit 152 for storing electromotive force generated by the power generation unit, and a charging unit 153 for charging the power storage unit. ing. Then, the voltage monitoring unit 160 is connected to the power storage unit 15
When the voltage from 3 is monitored and, for example, the voltage reaches a value equivalent to the saturation voltage of the power storage unit, an overcharge prevention signal is supplied to the overcharge protection circuit 154 of the charging unit to charge the power storage unit 152. Deter. In addition, when the voltage of the power storage unit 152 drops below a predetermined voltage, the power supply control unit supplies a voltage drop signal to the signal processing unit 130 to limit the power supply destination, and calculate each of the integrated values and the like. Data is stored in the signal processing circuit for a long time.

Next, the operation and configuration of each of the above parts will be described with reference to FIG. First, the purified water detection unit 120
It is equipped with a water turbine 121 inside, a rotor 122 having a permanent magnet attached to the rotation shaft of the water turbine 121, and a stator 123 in which electromotive force is excited by the rotation of the rotor 122, and is excited by the stator 123. The generated electromotive force is supplied to the signal processing unit 130 as a flow rate signal. In addition, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 3, when a water turbine is provided in the water channel where both raw water and purified water can flow,
The flow rate signal is supplied to the signal processing unit 130 only when water is purified through the switch 15 that is linked to the “clean water” switching lever 12.

The signal processing unit 130 can be realized by a one-chip microcomputer.
At 0, the flow rate signal supplied from the stator 123 is shaped into a rectangular wave, and the purified water amount measuring unit 131 that measures the amount of purified water by counting each edge thereof, and the integrated value of this purified water amount are continuously measured. Calculation control unit that calculates and determines when to replace the filter media
132 and a storage unit for storing data such as a program executed by the arithmetic control unit 132, its coefficient, and generated integrated value
133 and are provided.

As for the replacement time of the filter medium, the total purified water amount preset for the filter medium used in the water purifier and the integrated value calculated above are compared, and the integrated value is the total purified water amount. It will be decided when the amount exceeds the specified value or when the total amount of purified water is approached. When it is determined that it is time to replace the filter medium, the arithmetic unit control unit 132 supplies a display signal to the display unit 140 and causes the light emitting diode 141 to blink or light.

In the case of the present embodiment, one light emitting diode 141 is provided on the outer surface of the water purifier in the display unit 140 so as to be protected against water. For example, a plurality of light emitting diodes or liquid crystal displays are provided together with two switches, The present integrated value may be displayed when one switch is operated, and the integrated value may be reset when both switches are operated simultaneously.

Further, when the replacement of the filter medium is displayed in this manner, the usage state of the faucet is determined based on the flow rate signal, and the faucet is continuously used when the faucet is used. When it disappears, it may be displayed for a predetermined time after the flow rate signal disappears. As a result, the replacement display can be performed only when a person is near the faucet, so that the power consumption in the water purifier can be saved.

Next, the power supply unit 150 of the water purifier will be described. The power generation unit 151 in the power supply unit is formed by connecting a plurality of solar cells 155 in series and parallel to each other on the upper surface of the water purifier 110. As a result, the voltages of the respective solar cells are superimposed, so that power of a relatively high voltage can be supplied from the power generation unit 151. The charging unit 152 uses this electric power to charge the storage battery of the power storage unit 152. The power storage unit 152 is composed of one or a plurality of storage batteries and is constantly charged, while supplying its electric power to the signal processing unit 130 and the display unit 140.

As described above, the voltage of the power storage unit 152 is monitored by the voltage monitoring unit 160. Therefore, for example, when the storage battery is sufficiently charged during the daytime, overcharge is prevented. Further, when the voltage of the power storage unit 152 drops at night or the like, the electric power is preferentially supplied only to the storage unit 133 in the signal processing unit 130. As a result, data such as an integrated value can be stored for a long time while reducing the power consumption of power storage unit 152. In addition, in order to store the integrated value and each data, a dedicated lithium battery is provided as a backup power source in addition to the storage battery,
The standby power supply may be switched before the operation of the signal processing unit becomes impossible due to the power supply voltage drop.

Although the respective embodiments of the water purifier according to the present invention have been described above, as a modification of the above embodiment, the usage time of the water purifier is integrated based on the flow rate signal, and the integrated usage time of the water purifier is calculated based on the cumulative usage time. Alternatively, the replacement time of the filter medium may be determined.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, a solar cell is provided on the surface of a water purifier that is used in a bright environment at least during use, and the electromotive force of the solar cell is used as a power source. It is possible to display the replacement of the filter medium without requiring an external power source including the battery. Therefore, a compact water purifier that is structurally simple can be realized at low cost. In addition, since electric shock and water loss inside the water purifier that are expected at the time of battery replacement are all avoided, safety and durability can be provided at the same time under the condition that the water purifier is attached.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of a water purifier according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram showing a second embodiment of the water purifier according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of each part of the water purifier of FIG. 2.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 110 ... Water purifier 12 ... Raw water / purified water switching lever 13 ... Filter 14 ... Water channel 21, 125 ... Water wheel 23 ... Gear type counting mechanism 24 ... Replacement time display contact 31, 141 ... Light emitting diode 40 ... Power generation part (power supply part) ) 41, 155 ... Solar cell 120 ... Purified water detection unit 121 ... Water turbine 122 ... Rotor 123 ... Stator 130 ... Signal processing unit 140 ... Display unit 150 ... Power supply unit 154 ... Overcharge prevention circuit 160 ... Power supply monitoring unit

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. The amount of purified water is measured from a flow rate signal generated by using the water flow in the water channel as a power source, and when the integrated value of the purified water amount reaches a predetermined amount, the replacement time of the filter medium provided in the water channel is determined. A power supply means for supplying power to at least the display means; and a power supply means for displaying a replacement time determining means for providing a replacement signal indicating the replacement time of the filtering material based on the replacement signal. A water purifier in which the means has a power generation means for generating an electromotive force from light energy, and the generated electromotive force is used to cause the display means to display a replacement time of the filter medium. 2. The power supply means further comprises a power storage means for storing the electromotive force generated by the power generation means.
Water purifier described in. 3. A voltage monitoring means for monitoring the voltage of the power storage means, and a charge control means for suppressing a charging current to the power storage means when the voltage of the power storage means reaches a first predetermined value at which the voltage is saturated. The water purifier according to claim 2, further comprising: 4. The replacement timing determining means includes a storage means for storing the measured integrated value, and the voltage of the storage means has reached a second predetermined value lower than the first predetermined value. At this time, the water purifier according to claim 3, wherein the voltage monitoring means provides a voltage drop signal to the replacement timing determining means so that the power of the power storage means is preferentially supplied to the storage means.