KR100831744B1 - Water purifier and method for refort an exchang time of filter thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a water purifier and a method for notifying time of replacement of the water filter. The present invention includes a purified water detection unit for detecting the purified water and a flow rate detecting unit for detecting the flow rate of the purified water. A display section for displaying the comparison result between the cumulative purified water amount detected by the purified water amount detection unit and the preset reference amount and the pipe state information by the flow rate detecting unit are provided. The display unit includes two or more light emitting elements, and displays the filter replacement time and the pipe state according to the lighting / flashing state of each of the light emitting elements so that the user can know. In addition, when notifying the filter replacement time and the pipe condition abnormality, the preliminary and warning signals are continuously displayed by dividing the filter at least in two or more steps so that the filter replacement or the replacement / repair of the pipe is performed at an appropriate time. Accordingly, the present invention can drink more sanitary purified water, there is an advantage that can be expected to improve the water purifier performance.

Water purifier, filter change, piping condition, water amount detection, flow rate detection.

Description

WATER PURIFIER AND METHOD FOR REFORT AN EXCHANG TIME OF FILTER THEREOF}

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a water purifier according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a drive circuit diagram of a display unit displaying a water filter / piping state shown in FIG. 1; FIG.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a driving state of a water purifier according to the power detector illustrated in FIG. 1.

Figure 4 is a flow chart of a method for notifying the water filter replacement time of the water purifier according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

10: purified water detection unit 12: flow meter

14 reed switch 20 memory

22: reset switch 24: flow rate detection unit

30: control unit 40: filter / piping status display unit

50: power supply unit 52: power detection unit

60: proximity sensor

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water purifier, and more particularly, to a water purifier and a method for notifying a water purifier filter replacement time for measuring the amount of water and the flow rate of the water purifier so as to easily check the condition of the water filter and the pipe condition.

In general, the water filter used in the water purifier can purify water of 1,800 ~ 2,000ℓ (Ministry of Environment, water purifier quality inspection standard value), and if it is more than that, the water purifier can be purified due to the weakening of the filtering function of raw water Doesn't work properly, you have to replace it with a new water filter.

That is, the replacement cycle must be determined accurately according to the purified water amount of the water filter. However, in reality, the water filter is replaced only if a certain period (for example, 3 months / 6 months / 12 months) elapses regardless of the replacement cycle. In this case, the actual amount of purified water varies greatly depending on where the water purifier is installed. However, since the replacement time of the purified water filter is collectively, the efficiency of the purified water filter is questioned. In other words, in the case of water purifiers installed in public places, even if the replacement cycle is three months, many people use the water without drinking water because it has already exceeded the life of the water filter within three months. have. On the other hand, a low frequency of using the water purifier can be used for more than three months, which is the replacement cycle, but if the replacement according to the specified replacement cycle, there is a problem that wastes unnecessary resources as well as the economic cost of replacement.

As an example for improving such a problem, the water purifier is provided with a device for notifying the filter replacement time. However, since the device for notifying the filter replacement time uses a common impeller method, a lot of errors occur in measuring the flow rate, which makes it difficult to accurately measure the amount of use. In particular, when the water pressure is weak, there is a problem that the error becomes larger.

In addition, in the environment where water purifier use conditions are poor, that is, the water purifying capacity changes according to the degree of water quality, the water purifier use period, and the pressure conditions, the water purifying capacity of the filter is significantly decreased and the output flow rate is decreased. This results in drinking water whose water purification capacity is reduced by replacing the water filter only by considering a predetermined elapsed time or the amount of the water filter used.

As a result, measures have been sought to adequately notify the replacement time of the water filter by measuring the number of times of use of the water filter or the amount of purified water. there is a problem. In addition, the water filter replacement of the water purifier and the pipe condition appear in a variety of forms, and the function of notifying the user in detail of such a case is not supported.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a water purifier and a method for notifying the water filter replacement time thereof so that a user can easily recognize the replacement time and the pipe condition of the water filter.

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the above object, a purified water amount detection unit for detecting the flow rate passing through the water filter, a flow rate detection unit for detecting the flow rate of the flow rate, by comparing the detected purified water amount with a predetermined reference amount of water filter And a control unit for determining an exchange time and determining a pipe state based on the detected flow rate, and a display unit for displaying the water filter and the pipe state according to a control operation of the control unit.

The display unit includes at least two light emitting elements and a switching element for driving on / off to supply / block power applied to the light emitting element according to a control operation of the controller.

The light emitting device includes two light emitting diodes to display three colors, and the replacement time of the water filter and whether or not an abnormality of the pipe state occurs depending on the selective lighting state of the light emitting device. have.

And, the control unit is characterized in that notifying the replacement time of the water filter in two stages with a preliminary warning and a replacement alarm.

Further, according to another feature of the invention, the step of detecting the purified water and the number of times of use of the purified water filter passing through the water filter, comparing the purified water amount and the number of times of use with a predetermined reference amount, the comparison time of the replacement filter A first notification in the case of the first notification, and a second notification in the case that the water filter is not replaced.

The present invention may further include determining a flow rate of the purified water passing through the water filter, and determining a pipe state according to the flow of the flow rate as a result of the determination.

And, when the filter replacement notification and the pipe condition abnormality occurs, it is characterized by displaying through the lighting state of at least two light emitting elements.

According to the present invention having such a configuration, it is possible to properly check the replacement time and piping state of the water filter through the display means so that the user can easily check the water purifier efficacy due to the proper replacement of the water filter and inspection of the pipe condition. Can be improved.

Hereinafter, a water purifier according to the present invention and a method for notifying time of replacement of a water filter will be described in detail with reference to a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a water purifier according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a driving circuit diagram of the water filter / flow path display unit shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, a purified water amount detecting unit 10 mounted on a flow path of a purified water filter installed in a water purifier detects a purified water amount that has passed through the purified water filter. The purified water detection unit 10 is composed of a turbine type (turbine type) flow meter 12 and a reed switch (14). When the magnetic rotor (not shown) rotates in the flow meter 12, the reed switch 14 receives a pulse signal from the magnetic rotor and senses the amount of purified water. That is, the flowmeter 12 is provided with a magnetic rotor is mounted on the flow path, so that the reed switch 14 detects a pulse signal generated while rotating when the purified water passes through the flow path. According to the pulse signal, the controller 30 to be described later may determine whether or not the flow rate flows and flow rate. In addition, the reed switch 14 provides a function of opening and closing a current by facing two or more pieces of elastic reed pieces of magnetic material and allowing the leads to be contacted or separated by a magnetic field. do.

A memory 20 is provided for storing a predetermined amount of purified water purified by the purified water filter, a cumulative purified water amount, and a predetermined reference purified water amount for notification of an exchange time of the purified water filter.

A reset switch 22 is provided to reset the counter of the accumulated purified water stored in the memory 20. When the reset switch 22 is operated, the accumulated purified water amount stored in the memory 20 is reset and counted again from the beginning.

It is provided with a flow rate detection unit 24 for detecting the flow rate of water flowing through the water filter. The flow rate detecting unit 24 detects a case where the flow rate of the flow is slower or faster than the normal flow and generates a signal corresponding thereto. Here, when the flow rate flowing through the pipe is later than the normal flow, the pipe is clogged, and when the flow rate is faster than the general flow, water leak occurs in a predetermined portion of the pipe or there is no water filter. If there is no water filter, the raw water flows into the pipe as it is, so that a rapid flow appears.

A control unit for controlling to display and determine the pipe state in accordance with the replacement time of the water filter and the detection result of the flow rate sensor 24 based on the number of times of use of the water filter and the purified water amount detected by the purified water amount detection unit 10. 30 is provided. The control unit 30 also performs processing on signals applied from the reset switch 22 and the flow rate detecting unit 24. The controller 30 controls an indicator (not shown) that displays various functions of the water purifier to operate only when the water purifier is used, and when not in use, switches to the sleep mode to minimize power consumption. To do that. In addition, it is possible to minimize the filter change error by adopting a calculation method that takes into account the differences in the water quality of each region and the domestic use environment (ie water purifier use frequency, water pressure).

According to the control operation of the control unit 30, a water filter / piping state display unit (hereinafter, abbreviated as “display unit”) 40 is provided to visually check the replacement time and the pipe state of the water filter. The display unit 40 selectively displays three colors using two light emitting diodes, and displays the water filter and the pipe state according to the lighting / flashing operation of the light emitting diodes. That is, in the present embodiment, red and green are applied to the light emitting diodes, and the red and green are independently driven or simultaneously driven to display red, green, and orange colors which are mixed colors of red and green.

A configuration for driving the two light emitting diodes is shown in FIG. That is, the switching elements 46 and 48 are connected to the green light emitting diodes 42 and the red light emitting diodes 44 so as to be turned on by selectively receiving power from the power supply unit 50. The switching element is preferably provided with an electronic switch to perform the opening and closing function according to the control operation of the controller 30.

When the switching elements 46 and 48 are selectively opened and closed according to the control operation of the controller 30, the respective functions when the green light emitting diodes 42 and the red light emitting diodes 44 are turned on are shown in the following [Table 1]. It is described in.

TABLE 1

A power supply unit 50 is provided to supply power to perform the water purifier operation. The power supply unit 50 is configured with a power conversion unit (not shown) for receiving a general AC power source (AC) or DC power source (DC) is converted to the drive power source so that the power supply suitable for driving the water purifier. In addition, the power supply unit 50 supplies appropriate power to drive the display unit 40. The power supply unit 50 is preferably provided with one or more power conversion unit.

A power detector 52 for monitoring the power level of the power supply unit 50 is provided. The power detector 52 detects whether power supplied to the water purifier driving unit and the display unit 40 is constantly supplied. As a result of the detection, when abnormal power is supplied or the supply power is low, the power supply is cut off according to the control operation of the controller 30 or the display unit 40 is displayed to indicate a low voltage state (ie, blinking orange). do.

When the water purifier is driven, a proximity sensor 60 for detecting a user's proximity and generating a detection signal is provided. According to the detection of the proximity sensor 60, the control unit 30 drives the water purifier.

Next, FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a driving state of the water purifier according to the power detector illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown therein, the power detector 52 has a low voltage warning reference voltage level (hereinafter referred to as 'first reference voltage') and a reference voltage level (hereinafter referred to as 'second reference voltage') to cut off the power supply. ) Is compared with the input power applied from the power supply unit 50 to perform a low voltage warning or power off operation. The above operation is executed by the control operation of the controller 30.

Next, a filter exchange time notification method using the water purifier according to the present invention having the above-described configuration and using the same will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

First, the control unit 30 detects that power is supplied from the power supply unit 50 by manipulating a power supply switch from a user. In this case, the controller 30 may adjust the driving state of the water purifier according to the detection result of the voltage detector 52 according to the supplied power. The voltage detector 52 continuously detects the input voltage supplied from the power supply unit 50 (step 100), and compares it with a preset first reference voltage (step 102). As a result of the comparison, if the input voltage exceeds the first reference voltage, the driving is performed normally as in step 103. If the input voltage is less than the first reference voltage, the control unit 30 proceeds to step 104. 2 Comparison with reference voltage. As a result of the comparison, when the input voltage exceeds the second reference voltage, the low voltage warning, that is, the green and red light emitting diodes are simultaneously blinked to notify the user (step 106). However, when the second reference voltage is equal to or greater than the input voltage, the controller 30 cuts off power applied to the water purifier (step 108). The water purifier may be protected even when an abnormal voltage is generated due to the power cut-off.

When the power is normally supplied by the power supply unit 50 as described above, the controller 30 alternately blinks the green light emitting diodes 42 and the red light emitting diodes 44 of the display unit 40 to supply power. Notify that it has been done (step 110).

The controller 30 continuously detects whether the user uses a water purifier. As a result of the detection, when the water purifier is not used for a predetermined time, the controller 30 switches to the sleep mode to minimize power consumption.

In the sleep mode state, the lamp and the like provided in the display unit 40 and the indicator are in an inoperative state. When the user approaches the water purifier for use of the water purifier in the sleep mode, the proximity sensor 60 detects this and transmits the detection signal to the controller 30. Then, the controller 30 drives the lamp provided in the indicator and the like for a predetermined time and drives the water purifier according to the detection signal. That is, when the water purifier installation place is dark, it is necessary to use after turning on a separate light, but since the lamp having a constant illuminance that the water purifier can be easily used only by the sensing operation of the proximity sensor 60 is convenient to use. This is possible.

When the water purifier is driven in operation 112, in operation 114, the controller 30 drives the indicator, and accumulates and stores the purified water amount, the water purification time, and the number of times of use of the filter that are purified by the water filter in the memory 20. The purified water amount calculation is performed by the reed switch 14 detecting a pulse signal generated when the magnetic rotor included in the flowmeter 12 of the purified water amount detector 10 rotates and calculating the pulse signal by the controller 30. Is executed. The purified amount is accumulated and stored in the memory 20 as the total accumulated purified amount.

The purified water is continuously managed according to the operation of the water purifier, and the controller 30 compares the reference amount previously stored in the memory 20 with the total purified water amount (step 116). According to the comparison result, if the total amount of water approaches or exceeds the predetermined reference amount corresponding to the filter replacement time, the controller 30 turns on both the green light emitting diodes 42 and the red light emitting diodes 44 to turn on the purified water filter. Notify the exchange primarily (step 118).

According to the notification of the replacement time of the water filter, the user can exchange the water filter at an appropriate period based on the information provided based on the actual amount of water regardless of the replacement cycle.

However, if the water filter replacement is not performed despite the notification of the replacement time of the water filter (NO in step 120), in step 122, the controller 30 continuously turns on the red light emitting diodes 44 to purify the water. Notify continuously to replace the filter (secondary notification). In other words, a notification function is provided so that the water filter must be replaced. At this time, the first notification time is when the life of the water filter is 75%, the second notification time is determined to be 80%, even if the water filter is not changed immediately after the second notification time, Allow time to drink purified water.

When the water filter is replaced, the user operates the reset switch 22 to initialize the total amount of purified water stored in the memory 20. After the total amount of purified water is initialized, the controller 30 counters the purified amount of the purified water filter that has been exchanged again from the beginning.

On the other hand, the flow rate detection unit 24 continuously detects the flow rate of the purified water through the water filter, and notifies the control unit if a change occurs in the flow rate. The flow rate detection may be detected by analyzing a pulse signal generated when the magnetic rotor of the flow meter 12 rotates. According to the analysis result, if the flow rate is later or faster than the average flow rate, the controller 30 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the piping of the water purifier and notifies the user through the blinking operation of the red light emitting diodes 44. Accordingly, the user can check the pipe of the water purifier, thereby improving the performance of the water purifier.

As described above, the present invention described in the above embodiment accurately detects the amount of purified water and notifies the filter replacement time in two stages, and the pipe state can be checked according to the flow rate detection result, thereby improving the function of the water purifier. Will be.

Although described with reference to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention as described above, this is merely exemplary, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It will be apparent that other embodiments may be modified and equivalent. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

In other words, in the present embodiment, the filter replacement cycle and the pipe state are notified according to the lighting operation of the light emitting diodes. You can also send a voice notification or output only a guide message.

As described above, according to the present invention has the following effects.

First, when the filter replacement cycle arrives due to the actual amount of water, a primary preliminary signal is generated and notified to the user. If the filter replacement is not performed despite the primary preliminary signal, the secondary replacement warning signal is continuously generated. In addition, there is an effect that can be used as drinking water can be safely purified water purified through proper replacement of the water filter.

In addition, the present invention can detect the pipe state flowing through the purified water through the flow rate detection, when an abnormality in the pipe condition can be made appropriate repair and replacement can improve the water purifier performance and can extend the service life It also works.

Claims (8)

A power detector for detecting input power; A purified water amount detector for detecting a flow rate passing through the purified water filter; A flow rate detecting unit detecting a flow rate of the flow rate; Selecting and supplying power according to the detected input power and a comparison of two or more preset reference voltages, controlling lamp driving and water purifier driving according to a detection signal of a sensor in a water purifier sleep mode, and detecting the amount of purified water during driving of the water purifier. A control unit for determining a water filter replacement time and a pipe state, respectively, by the detected flow rate; And, And a display unit for displaying the power supply state, the water filter state, and the pipe state using two light emitting diodes according to a control operation of the controller. delete delete The method of claim 1, The control unit, And display the power supply state, the water filter state, and the pipe state according to the lighting and blinking operation of the light emitting diodes by using the two light emitting diodes. The method of claim 1, The control unit, The water purifier filter replacement period of the water filter is characterized in that the preliminary alarm and the replacement alarm to notify in two stages. Detecting input power; Comparing the detected input power with two or more preset reference voltages and selectively supplying power; Detecting the amount of water that has passed through the water filter and its flow rate while the power is supplied, The water purifier may be determined based on the detected amount of purified water and the detected flow rate, and the pipe filter state may be changed, and the power supply state, the water filter state, and the pipe state may be controlled using two light emitting diodes. Notification of water filter replacement The method of claim 6, The power supply state, the water filter state, and the pipe state may be displayed in three colors by the two light emitting diodes, and the water filter replacement time of the water purifier may be displayed according to the lighting and flashing operation of the light emitting diodes. Notification method. The method of claim 6, And controlling the lighting lamp to be driven normally and driving the water purifier when the water purifier is detected in front of the water purifier in the sleep mode.

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