KR101141472B1 - Water dispensor with detecting means for filter replacement - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a water supply device having filter change detection means, comprising: a filter portion for filtering water to be supplied; A reservoir for storing the filtered water through the filter unit; A take-out unit for taking out the water stored in the storage tank; A filter mounting portion on which the filter portion is mounted; And a counter for storing information on the use period or the degree of use of the filter, wherein the filter mounting portion includes an initializing means for contacting the filter portion in a state in which the filter portion is mounted, Wherein the counter is initialized when the unit is disconnected from the initializing means.

Water supply device, filter replacement, water purifier, initialization.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a water-

The present invention relates to a water supply device having filter change detection means, and more particularly, to a water supply device having means for automatically initializing a filter replacement state when a filter for purifying water to be supplied is replaced.

A water supply device provided in a water purifier or a refrigerator is a device that enables water stored in a storage tank to be supplied when a user operates the water storage device and further includes a function of purifying the stored water There are many.

Specifically, the water supply device having the water purification function includes a filter unit for filtering out pollutants from raw water containing pollutants, a water collection unit for storing the water that has passed through the filter unit, And an extraction unit for extracting an integer. In this case, as the use time of the filter unit increases, foreign substances contained in the raw water accumulate. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain optimal water purification performance unless the filter unit is replaced at a proper time.

Therefore, the conventional water supply devices have a function of notifying the user of the replacement time when the filter has reached the end of its life. Normally, a flow meter or the like is built in to measure the total amount of the filtered water through the filter, Exceeds the predetermined criterion, it is determined that the filter has reached the end of its life, and it is notified to the user through visual or auditory means.

Therefore, in order to perform normal operation after replacing the filter whose lifetime has expired, the water quantity counter included in the water supply device must be initialized. For this purpose, an initialization button is provided inside the water supply device. When the filter replacement operation is completed, the operator or the user presses the initialization button to initialize the water supply amount counter.

However, if the initialization button is not pressed due to carelessness during the replacement operation, or if there is a failure of the initialization button, the initialization is not performed, so that the filter is not replaced even though the filter has been replaced. have.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to overcome the disadvantages of the related art as described above, and it is a technical object to provide a water supply device that can be initialized by only removing and attaching a filter without performing an initialization operation.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a filtering apparatus comprising: a filter unit for filtering water to be supplied; A reservoir for storing the filtered water through the filter unit; A take-out unit for taking out the water stored in the storage tank; A filter mounting portion on which the filter portion is mounted; And a counter for storing information on the use period or the degree of use of the filter, wherein the filter mounting portion includes an initializing means for contacting the filter portion in a state in which the filter portion is mounted, Wherein the counter is initialized when the unit is disconnected from the initializing means.

The above aspect of the present invention has an initializing means that is pressed or contacted by a filter unit during a process of attaching / detaching a filter unit, so that the counter can be initialized without any operation, thereby preventing a water supply device from malfunctioning Making it easier to replace the filter.

Here, the initialization means may include a push switch formed to protrude from the filter mounting portion, and the push switch may protrude when the filter portion is separated, and may be pressed when the filter portion is mounted to initialize the counter Lock.

The initialization means may include a terminal portion provided in the filter mounting portion and a conductive member provided in the filter portion. When the filter portion is mounted on the filter mounting portion, the conductive member may be configured to contact the terminal portion. The terminal portion is energized to initialize the counter when the conductive member contacts the terminal portion.

Here, the terminal portion may include a pair of electrodes protruding from the filter mounting portion, and the conductive member may include a metallic plate to be attached to the filter portion so that the metallic plate is electrically connected to the two electrodes can do.

The filter mounting portion may further include an engaging portion contacting the conductive member, and the engaging portion may physically deform the conductive member when the filter portion is detached from the filter mounting portion. By physically deforming the conductive member in this manner, the initialization means can be prevented from being operated even if the filter unit is mounted again, thereby preventing the filter having a shortened life span from being reused.

Here, the latching portion may break the conductive member, and the latching portion may deform the conductive member so as not to contact the terminal portion when the filter portion is reattached to the filter mounting portion.

The engaging portion is elastically supported so as to be slidable in the filter mounting portion. When the filter portion is mounted, the engaging portion is accommodated in the filter mounting portion. When the filter portion is separated, the engaging portion is held in a protruded state, It is possible. That is, when the filter is mounted, the conductive member is not caught by the retaining portion. However, when the filter is detached, the conductive member is caught by the retaining portion and the conductive member is broken or deformed.

In this case, an inclined surface contacting the filter portion may be formed in the engaging portion, and the engaging portion may be more easily slid into the filter mounting portion due to the contact with the filter portion due to the inclined surface.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a filter unit for filtering water to be supplied; A filter mounting portion on which the filter portion is mounted; And a counter for storing information on the use period or the degree of use of the filter, wherein the filter mounting portion includes an initializing means for contacting the filter portion in a state in which the filter portion is mounted, A water supply device is provided for initializing the counter in contact with the part.

In this aspect, the initialization means initializes the counter while being contacted by the filter unit when the filter is installed, and starts to store information on the amount of water or use time from that time.

Here, the initialization means may include a terminal portion provided in the filter mounting portion and a conductive member provided in the filter portion, and when the filter portion is mounted on the filter mounting portion, the conductive member may be configured to contact the terminal portion.

Here, the terminal portion may include a pair of electrodes protruding from the filter mounting portion, and the conductive member may be configured to include a metallic plate to be mounted on the filter portion.

The filter mounting portion may further include an engaging portion contacting the conductive member, and the engaging portion may be configured to physically deform the conductive member when the filter portion is detached from the filter mounting portion.

The engaging portion is elastically supported so as to be slidable in the filter mounting portion. When the filter portion is mounted, the engaging portion is accommodated in the filter mounting portion. When the filter portion is separated, the engaging portion is held in a protruded state to deform the conductive member .

The latching portion may be configured to break the conductive member.

According to aspects of the present invention having the above-described configuration, since the counter is initialized only by detachment and attachment of the filter without any special operation in the filter replacement process, the filter replacement process is facilitated and the malfunction of the device can be minimized to provide.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a water supply device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a left side view schematically showing the internal structure of the water purifier shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a view showing the water purifier shown in Fig. 1, Fig. Fig. 3 is a right side view schematically showing the internal structure of the first embodiment. The present invention is not necessarily limited to a water purifier, but may be applied to any water supply device, for example, a dispenser of a refrigerator, which is equipped with a filter unit and can supply filtered water through the filter unit.

1 to 3, the water purifier 10 is provided in a case 13 forming an outer appearance, and includes a filter unit for filtering water supplied from an external water source, a filter unit for storing water filtered by the filter unit, And a take-out part for selectively supplying the water stored in the water receiving part when there is a user's request.

Here, the case 13 is generally formed in a hexahedron shape, but the shape of the water purifier according to the present embodiment is not limited thereto. An operation button 51 for operating the operation of the water purifier 10 and a display unit 53 for displaying the state of the water purifier 10 are provided on the front surface of the case 13. The operation button 51 includes a button for selecting a type of water to be supplied (for example, cold water or hot water), a power button, and the like.

In addition, a control unit 110 for controlling the operation of the water purifier 10 through signal transmission is provided at one side of the case 13. The control unit 110 includes a printed circuit board on which a control circuit and a storage unit for storing various information are mounted. Information on the total amount of water supplied through the filter unit is stored in the storage unit, It is possible to perform a function as a counter for checking whether or not the life of the part has arrived. Here, the counter does not necessarily check the lifetime of the filter unit based on the total water supply amount. The life of the filter unit can be checked based on the total operation time of the water supply through the filter unit, and the lifetime can be confirmed by utilizing all of them.

Here, the filter unit is a device for purifying water introduced from a water source such as tap water or a water tank (hereinafter referred to as raw water) by water.

Specifically, the filter unit may include at least one filter 21 and a filter head 27 having a filter mounting unit 23 to which the filter 21 is fastened and fixed. In this case, the filter head 27 may be provided with a channel for guiding the raw water to the filter 21 and guiding the purified water discharged from the filter 21 to the water tub.

Here, when the plurality of filters 21 are provided, the flow path 25 may be provided to connect the plurality of filters 21 in series between the water source and the water receiving unit.

Alternatively, the filter unit may be provided as a pipe connecting the inlet of the at least one filter 21 and the filter 21 to the water source and connecting the outlet of the filter 21 to the water receiving unit, to be.

Here, the filter 21 may be a sediment filter, a pre-carbon filter, a reverse osmosis membrane filter, a post-carbon filter, An ultrafiltration filter, a nano-filtration filter, and the like.

In the sediment filter, a nonwoven fabric is applied to filter foreign matters and suspended matters contained in raw water. The above-mentioned free carbon filter is subjected to filtration of chlorine components and odors contained in raw water by applying surfactant charcoal. The reverse osmosis membrane filter filters fine particles of about 0.001 탆. The post-carbon filter is relatively more excellent in adsorbing force than the surfactant carbon in the pre-carbon filter, thereby removing coloring matter and odor. The hollow fiber membrane filter filters the bacteria contained in the raw water by applying a thread-like membrane having an empty center.

Meanwhile, a pipe connecting the water source and the filter unit is provided with a pre-filter 26 for removing contaminants which are supplied to the filter unit and can reduce the efficiency of the filter 21, A raw water supply valve 24 for controlling the flow rate of the raw water and a flow rate sensing unit 22 for measuring the flow rate of the raw water supplied to the filter unit to determine whether the filter unit reaches the life of the filter unit.

The raw water supply valve 24 may be a gate valve, a cock valve, or the like, which is manually opened or closed, or may be a solenoid valve that is automatically opened or closed.

The water tub includes a storage tank 31 in which a space for storing purified water purified by the filter unit is formed. The storage tank 31 is provided with a float valve 34 for blocking the supply of purified water by buoyancy when the stored purified water reaches a predetermined amount. The water tank further includes a cold water tank 33 and a hot water tank 35 which are connected to the storage tank 31 in addition to the storage tank 31.

The cold water tank 33 is installed at a lower portion of the storage tank 31 so as to be connected to the storage tank 31 integrally with or connected to the storage tank 31. The cold water tank 33 is divided into two spaces, A partition plate 32 having a purified water supply hole 32a is provided.

The hot water tank 35 is provided separately from the storage tank 31 and is supplied with purified water through a purified water supply pipe 36 extending from the partition plate 32 in communication with the storage tank 31 Respectively. The water supply pipe 36 is provided with a water quantity control valve 36a for controlling the amount of purified water supplied to the hot water tank 35. The amount of cold water stored in the cold water tank 33 is controlled by the warm water control valve 36a so that the amount of hot water stored in the hot water tank 35 of the float valve 34 float valve 34 .

A heat exchanger 33b (for example, an evaporator or the like) for cooling purified water stored in the outside of the cold water tank 33 is wound around the outside of the water tank 35. A heater (35b). In addition, the heat exchanger 33b and the heater 35b may be installed inside the cold water tank 33 and the hot water tank 35 in order to improve the heat exchange rate.

The cold water tank 33 and the hot water tank 35 are respectively provided with temperature sensors 33a and 35a for sensing the temperature of the cold water and hot water stored therein and the operation of the heat exchanger 33b and the heater 35b Is controlled based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensors (33a, 35a).

The reason why the hot water tank 35 is provided separately from the storage tank 31 and the cold water tank 33 is that the heat generated by the heater 35b is transmitted to the cold water tank 33 or the storage tank 31, To reduce the cooling efficiency of the cold water tank 33 or to prevent the growth of contaminants in the purified water stored in the storage tank 31.

Particularly, in order to prevent the cooling efficiency of the cold water tank 33 from deteriorating, a partition plate (not shown) for partitioning the space to prevent heat exchange due to convection between the storage tank 31 and the cold water tank 33 and the hot water tank 35 32 are further provided.

The extraction unit is connected to the cold water tank 33 and the hot water tank 35 and is connected to the cold water pipe 33c and the hot water pipe 35c and the cold water pipe 33c, Off valves 43 and 45 for opening and closing the hot water pipe 35c and a lever unit 37 for generating an operation signal of the on-off valves 43 and 45, respectively.

Here, the on-off valves 43 and 45 may be realized by a valve that operates mechanically with a cock or a solenoid valve that is opened or closed by receiving an electrical input.

4 is an exploded perspective view showing the coupling structure of the filter mounting portion 23 and the filter 21. As shown in Fig. Referring to FIG. 4, a filter insertion portion 23a is formed on the bottom surface of the filter mounting portion 23, to which the upper portion of the filter 21 is inserted and fixed. The filter insertion portion 23a is formed such that a portion of the upper end of the filter 21 can be inserted therein, and a push switch 24 having a protrusion shape protrudes from the filter insertion portion 23a.

The push switch 24 is configured to be slid into the filter mounting portion 23 so that the push switch 24 can be accommodated in the filter mounting portion 23 while being pressed by the upper portion of the filter . Specifically, the filter 21 includes a filter body 21a and a cap 21b mounted on the upper portion of the filter body 21a. The cap 21b is formed of a thin metal plate.

Therefore, when the filter 21 is inserted into the filter insertion portion 23a of the filter mounting portion 23, the push switch 24 is pressed by the cap 21b. 5 is a sectional view showing the installation structure of the push switch 24. The push switch 24 is accommodated in an installation hole 23b formed in the filter insertion portion 23a. At this time, a flange 24a is formed at an inner end of the push switch 24 so that the switch is not released to the outside of the installation hole 23b. Further, a coil spring 24b is provided on the back surface of the push switch so that the push switch is held in a protruded state when there is no external force.

Therefore, when the filter 21 is attached, the push switch 24 is pressed, and when the push switch 24 is pressed, the counter is initialized. As a result, when the filter is newly installed, the counter is also initialized, so there is no need to perform a separate counter initialization operation. In this case, the counter is initialized when the push switch 24 is pressed. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. When the push switch 24 is pressed and released, that is, the filter 21 It is also possible to cause the counter to be initialized when disconnected.

On the other hand, an engaging portion 23c is formed on the inner wall surface of the filter insertion portion 23a. 5, the engaging portion 23c is formed to have an inclined bottom face and an upper face parallel to the filter inserting portion 23a. In the state where the filter 21 is inserted, Is disposed in contact with the end of the cap 21b. Therefore, when the filter 21 is inserted, the cap 21b is inserted into the filter insertion portion 23a while moving along the inclined surface. However, when the filter 21 is removed, the engagement portion 23c So that the cap 21b is caught by the parallel surface.

When the filter 21 is completely separated in this state, both ends of the cap 21b are deformed and the filter 21 is separated. In this way, when the cap 21b is deformed, it can be distinguished from the normal filter 21 in appearance, and can not be inserted into the filter insertion portion 23a. This makes it possible to prevent the filter 21, which has reached the end of its life, from being reused inadvertently. Of course, embodiments in which the cap 21b is removed may also be considered.

6 to 8 are a perspective view and a sectional view showing still another embodiment of the water supply device according to the present invention. 6 to 8, except for the filter mounting portion 23, are the same as those in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, so that a duplicate description will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 6, a filter insertion portion 23a is formed below the filter mounting portion 23, and a pair of electrodes 26 is provided inside the filter insertion portion 23a. The electrode 26 is connected to the printed circuit board side so that the counter can be initialized when two electrodes 26 are turned on. Of course, it is also possible to consider an example in which the counter is initialized when the two electrodes 26 are turned on and off.

A protrusion-shaped latching portion 28 is provided adjacent to the pair of electrodes 26. The latching portion is slidably mounted inside the filter mounting portion 23, and the end portion is formed to have an inclined surface.

7, a metal thin plate 29 is attached to the upper surface of the filter 21, and a groove 29a extending in a circumferential direction is formed on the bottom surface of the thin metal plate 29. [ The groove 29a is formed to receive the latching portion 28 when the filter 21 is mounted on the filter mounting portion 23. [ Here, the filter 21 is configured to be inserted into the filter mounting part 23 while being rotated. At this time, since the groove 29a extends in a circumferential shape as described above, the filter 21 can be smoothly rotated even when the engaging portion 28 is inserted into the groove 29a.

8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which the filter 21 is mounted on the filter mounting portion 23. As shown in Fig. The engaging portion 28 is inserted into the insertion hole 23b formed in the filter insertion portion 23a through a coil spring 28c and is inserted into the insertion hole 23a by a flange 28a formed at one end 23b. Therefore, when the external force is applied, the latching part 28 is slidably received in the insertion hole 23b, and the protruded state is maintained when the external force is removed.

Now, the operation of the above embodiment will be described. When the filter 21 is mounted, the engaging portion 28 is pushed by the upper surface of the filter 21 and is accommodated in the insertion hole 23a. When the filter 21 is rotated in this state, the filter 21 is fixed to the inside of the filter mounting part 23. In this process, the engaging part 28 meets the groove part 29a, And the metal thin plate 29 moves to the right side of the engaging portion 28 in a state of being in contact with the inclined surface to maintain the state of FIG. In this state, the thin metal plate 29 is brought into contact with the pair of electrodes 26, thereby making them conductive. Thus, the counter is initialized.

In FIG. 8, when the groove 29a moves to the right, the filter 21 is fastened. When the groove 21 moves to the left, the filter 21 is detached.

When the filter 21 is to be replaced due to its end of life, the filter 21 is rotated in the separating direction to separate the metal foil 29 from the side surface of the engaging portion 28 And is broken as the rotation continues. In order to facilitate this breakage, the side surface of the latching portion 28 may have a triangular shape.

If the thin metal plate 29 breaks, the pair of electrodes 26 can not be connected even if the thin metal plate 29 is re-mounted, so that the counter is not initialized and the filter replacement is notified again. As a result, it is possible to prevent reuse of the filter having the end of life, and the filter with the thin metal plate 29 can be easily recognized by the user whether the life of the filter has been reached.

In some cases, it may be considered that the water supply device is not operated in a state where the pair of electrodes are not connected to each other.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a water purifier to which an embodiment of the water supply device according to the present invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a left side view schematically showing the internal structure of the water purifier shown in Fig. 1. Fig.

Fig. 3 is a right side view schematically showing the internal structure of the water purifier shown in Fig. 1. Fig.

4 is an exploded perspective view showing the filter mounting structure of the water purifier shown in Fig.

5 is a sectional view showing the filter mounting structure of the water purifier shown in Fig.

6 is a perspective view showing a filter mounting portion of another embodiment of the water supply device according to the present invention.

7 is a perspective view showing a filter mounted on the filter mounting portion shown in Fig.

8 is a sectional view showing the filter mounting structure of the embodiment shown in Fig.

Claims (15)

A filter unit for filtering the water to be supplied; A reservoir for storing the filtered water through the filter unit; A take-out unit for taking out the water stored in the storage tank; A filter mounting portion on which the filter portion is mounted; And And a counter for storing information on a use period or use degree of the filter, An initializing means including a terminal portion provided in the filter mounting portion and a conductive member provided in the filter portion, Wherein the conductive member is in contact with the terminal portion when the filter portion is mounted on the filter mounting portion, and the initializing means initializes the counter when the conductive member is separated from the terminal portion. delete delete The method according to claim 1, Wherein the terminal portion includes a pair of electrodes protruding from the filter mounting portion, and the conductive member includes a metallic plate mounted on the filter portion. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the filter mounting portion further includes a latching portion that is in contact with the conductive member, and the latching portion physically deforms the conductive member when the filter portion is detached from the filter mounting portion. 6. The method of claim 5, And the engaging portion breaks the conductive member. 6. The method of claim 5, Wherein the engaging portion deforms the conductive member so as not to contact the terminal portion when the filter portion is reattached to the filter mounting portion. 6. The method of claim 5, The engaging portion is resiliently supported so as to be slidable in the filter mounting portion. When the filter portion is mounted, the engaging portion is received in the filter mounting portion. When the filter portion is separated, the engaging portion is maintained in a protruded state to deform the conductive member . 9. The method of claim 8, Wherein the engaging portion is formed with an inclined surface contacting the filter portion in the process of mounting the filter portion. A filter unit for filtering the water to be supplied; A filter mounting portion on which the filter portion is mounted; And And a counter for storing information on a use period or use degree of the filter, An initializing means including a terminal portion provided in the filter mounting portion and a conductive member provided in the filter portion, Wherein when the filter unit is mounted on the filter mounting unit, the conductive member contacts the terminal unit, and the initializing unit initializes the counter while the conductive member contacts the terminal unit. delete 11. The method of claim 10, Wherein the terminal portion includes a pair of electrodes protruding from the filter mounting portion, and the conductive member includes a metallic plate mounted on the filter portion. 13. The method of claim 12, Wherein the filter mounting portion further includes a latching portion that is in contact with the conductive member, and the latching portion physically deforms the conductive member when the filter portion is detached from the filter mounting portion. 14. The method of claim 13, The engaging portion is resiliently supported so as to be slidable in the filter mounting portion. When the filter portion is mounted, the engaging portion is received in the filter mounting portion. When the filter portion is separated, the engaging portion is maintained in a protruded state to deform the conductive member . 15. The method of claim 14, And the engaging portion breaks the conductive member.

Images