KR101721676B1 - A directly draining type water purifier with sensing filter replacement intention - Google Patents

Abstract

A water purifier that minimizes inconvenience to consumers by automatically shutting off the supply of raw water and discharging the remaining water is provided only by the operation necessary for replacing the filter such as pulling the water filter to be replaced when replacing the water filter. The proposed water purifier is provided with a protective door which is openably and closably provided in a water purifier body having a plurality of water filters and protects the water filters, a raw water valve which opens and closes a raw water passage through which the raw water flows, A residual pressure valve connected to at least one of the residual pressure discharge passage through which the residual water passes, and a replacement intent detector for detecting the intention of the user to replace the filter, which can occur only when the protective gate is opened. The raw water receiving valve and the residual pressure valve are controlled to correspond to the filter replacement preparation mode in response to the detected filter replacement intention.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a water purifier for detecting a filter replacement intention,

More particularly, the present invention relates to a water purifier, and more particularly, to an automatic water purifier that can be easily replaced by a user by simply performing operations necessary to replace a filter, such as pulling a filter to be replaced, To a water purifier capable of facilitating an operation of replacing a water filter.

Generally, a water purifier refers to a device that purifies potentially contaminated water by allowing the user to pass raw water through a water filter.

In recent years, water purifiers have become widespread and are being developed as one of the indispensable living devices indispensable for home and office.

However, the water purifier has a relatively large volume, so it occupies a lot of living space and living space, and has to be assisted by a skilled expert in replacing one of the most important components, the water filter. In order to solve such a problem, a consumer has been able to replace the water filter directly, and a miniaturized water purifier that does not take up much space has been actively studied.

1 is a side view showing an example of a water purifier according to the prior art.

As shown in FIG. 1, the water purifier according to the related art includes at least two water filters (1, 2, 3, 4) for purifying foreign matter contained in raw water (tap water or the like) A raw water moving passage 6 for supplying raw water to the water filter 1 arranged in such a manner that raw water is first introduced into the water filters 1, 2, 3 and 4, And a discharge cock (8) for discharging purified water purified by the filters (1,2,3,4).

As shown in FIG. 1, the water filters 1, 2, 3, and 4 are arranged in a vertically vertical manner from the front end to the rear end inside the water purifier main body 5, as shown in FIG.

The water filter (1, 2, 3, 4) includes a sediment filter for filtering rust, soil, suspended solids, and the like contained in raw water using a nonwoven fabric, a free carbon filter A UF that filters bacteria and inorganic substances in raw water using a polyamide composite membrane, and a post-carbon filter that treats gas components, odors, and the like in raw water by a filter group having two or more functions different from each other.

(1, 2, 3, 4) are protected from the outside on either side of the water purifier main body (5) A protective door for opening the door can be disposed.

The adjacent water filters of the water filters (1, 2, 3, 4) are connected to each other through the connection port (10) and the connection pipe (11).

In the water purifier according to the related art, when the water filter (1, 2, 3, 4) is to be replaced, water is prevented from entering the water purifier main body 5 through the water moving passage 6 The manually operated valve 7 provided in the raw water moving passage 6 is closed and then the discharge cock 8 is opened to remove the residual pressure inside the water filters 1, 2, 3 and 4, Seized water must be discharged.

After the residual water has been discharged through the discharge cock 8 to a certain extent, the protective doors are opened to replace the water filters (1, 2, 3, 4) required to be replaced, The valve 7 is operated to open the raw water passage 6.

However, in order to replace the water filter (1, 2, 3, 4) directly by a consumer who is a non-specialist, the conventional water purifier according to the related art has the following problem. The pipe 11 must be dismantled using a specific tool. Then, the supply of raw water is shut off by using the manual valve 7, the residual water is discharged by using the discharge cock 8, and then the water filters 1, 2, 3, 4 are replaced, (7) to supply raw water. As a result, there is a problem that a consumer who is a non-specialist feels a great inconvenience in performing a complicated water filter replacement operation.

In addition, consumers can not directly replace the water filters (1, 2, 3, 4) and inevitably seek help from experts. In this case, there is a problem that post-maintenance costs (A / S) occur.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem [8] The present invention has been proposed in order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a water purifier for a water purifier, And to provide a direct water type water purifier capable of minimizing inconvenience of consumers.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a water purifier including a water purifier body having a plurality of water filters; A protective door that is openably and closably provided on the purifier body to protect the purifier filters; A raw water receiving valve for opening / closing a raw water moving passage through which raw water flowing into the water purifying filters flows; A residual pressure valve connected to at least one of the water purification filters to open and close a residual pressure discharge passage through which residual water passes; And a replacement intent detector for detecting the degree of intention of the user to replace the filter, which can occur only when the protective door is opened, wherein the original inlet valve and the remaining pressure valve are connected to the filter replacement preparation mode Respectively.

The water purifier may further include a separation intention detector for detecting a degree of the filter separation intention that can occur only when the protector is opened, and at least one of the water filters may include a filter Lt; / RTI > can be released in response to the < RTI ID = 0.0 >

In the filter replacement preparation mode, the original receiving valve may be closed, and the remaining valve may be opened.

The filter replacement preparation mode may close the original receiving valve before opening the valve for remainder.

The separation intention detector may sense the filter separation intention only after the replacement intention detector detects the intention of the filter replacement.

Wherein the at least one of the water purification filters and the connection end of the water purification filter is rotated at a predetermined angle or more by a predetermined angle to one side of the purifier body or a user input to an input unit It can be determined that the filter replacement intention is detected.

The separation intention detector may determine that the degree of the filter separation is detected when at least one of the water purification filters and the connection end are rotated by a second angle or greater than the first angle.

The water purifier may further include an open detector for detecting an open state of the protection door, and the replacement intention detector and the separation intention detector may detect the opening / closing of the protection door only when the open sensor detects opening of the protection door. Intention and the degree of the filter separation.

Wherein the valve for receiving the raw water and the valve for remainder pressure includes a valve body having an inlet and an outlet through which the raw water and the residual water are introduced and discharged; A guide accommodated in a space formed in the valve body and having a first communication hole communicating with the inlet and a second communication hole communicating with the outlet; An opening / closing body formed with a first through hole corresponding to the first communication hole and separating the space portion into two space portions; A movable body which is provided to be moved in at least one space of the two space parts and which opens and closes a second communication hole of the guide by movement so as to open and close a passage between the inlet and the outlet; And a housing that forms a moving space of the moving body.

The original-receiving valve and the remaining-pressure valve may be disposed above and below the rear end of the purifier body.

Wherein the valve for opening and closing the source is provided with a force for opening and closing the valve by an external force supply source responsive to the filter replacement intention and the external force supply source is a magnetic force of the permanent magnet for moving the movable body inside the housing, And the electromagnetic force of the electromagnet.

When the external force supply source is the electromagnetic force of the electromagnet, the electromagnetic force may be provided by receiving a signal activated in accordance with the filter replacement intention.

When the external force source is the magnetic force of the permanent magnet, the moving body may be made of a metal material which reacts with the magnetic force, and the permanent magnet may be provided so as to be close to or spaced from the moving body when the filter replacement is detected.

The remaining valve and the original valve may further include an elastic body that applies an elastic force to restore the moving body to its original position when the permanent magnet is separated from the moving body.

According to the present invention having such a configuration, as a preliminary work for replacing the water filter, even if the customer does not manually manipulate the raw water moving passage and the residual pressure discharge passage, even if the water filter to be replaced is pulled, It is possible to automatically implement the seizure and discharge, thereby improving the convenience of the consumer.

1 is a side view showing a conventional water purifier.
2 is a side view of a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an external perspective view of the water purifier according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which the protective door is closed.
FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of a water purifier according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which a protective door is opened. FIG.
5 is a perspective view showing a replacement state of the water filter.
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 5, and is a conceptual diagram showing the state before the water filter is replaced and the state of rotation for replacement.
7 is a conceptual diagram showing a rotating state immediately before separating the water filter.
Fig. 8 is a view showing a rotating state of the water filter up to immediately before separation from the state before the replacement in the embodiment of the present invention. Fig.
9 is a logic circuit diagram for outputting a signal to be activated in accordance with the filter replacement intention.
FIG. 10 is a view for explaining the operation of separating the water filter in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
11 to 14 are cross-sectional views illustrating the operation of the raw water receiving valve and the remaining water receiving valve according to the first embodiment of the configuration of the water purifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.
15 and 16 are operation diagrams showing an operation process of the external water supply source to the original receiving valve in the configuration of the water purifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.
17 and 18 are operation diagrams showing an operation process of a valve for residual pressure of an external power supply source among the constructions of the water purifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 19 to 22 are cross-sectional views illustrating an operation process of a raw water receiving valve and a residual water receiving valve according to a second embodiment of the configuration of the water purifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail.

It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

The terminology used in this application is used only to describe a specific embodiment and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, the terms "comprises" or "having" and the like are used to specify that there is a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component or a combination thereof described in the specification, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the relevant art and are to be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in the present application Do not.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention, the same reference numerals are used for the same constituent elements in the drawings and redundant explanations for the same constituent elements are omitted.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the water purifier according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the water purifier according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. Fig. 8 is an external view of the water purifier according to the example, in which the protective door is opened. Fig.

2, the water purifier 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a water purifier main body 105 having a discharge part 131 on its front surface and a predetermined space formed therein, (101, 102, 103) for passing raw water supplied through a raw water moving passage (106) to filter foreign substances in raw water, and a water filter And a purified water discharge passage 109 for transferring the purified water passing through the discharge ports 101, 102, and 103 to the discharge portion 131.

The discharge part 131 is provided to discharge the purified water downward, and the discharge of water can be controlled by the operation knob 130 provided on the front part. The operation knob 130 may be composed of a dial knob rotated in a dial manner. In other words, the dial knob is provided to rotate in one direction and the other direction around the rotation axis formed horizontally in the front and rear direction. When the user rotates in one direction, purified water is discharged. On the contrary, when the user rotates in the other direction, So as not to be discharged.

However, it is not absolutely necessary to rotate the dial knob in the other direction to close the discharge portion 131. When the user rotates the water knob in one direction to discharge the purified water and then releases the dial knob, It may be configured to be closed automatically while being rotated.

A cup receiving plate 133, which is detachably disposed in the front-back horizontal direction, may be provided at a lower portion of the discharge unit 131. The cup-receiving plate 133 serves to collect the water to be leaked to the outside while allowing the cup of the user to be seated. 3 and 4, the cup-receiving plate 133 may be provided in the form of a grill so that the upper surface of the cup-receiving plate 133 can store water therein. In addition, the rear end of the cup receiving plate 133 is connected to the discharge drain 135 to be described later, and the residual water discharged through the residual pressure discharge passage 126 can be collected.

Meanwhile, the water filters 101, 102, and 103 are provided in a filter group having at least two functions different from each other, and are arranged vertically vertically from the front end to the rear end inside the water purifier main body 105 as illustrated in FIG.

The water filters 101, 102, and 103 classified according to function or type include a purest filter for removing pipe rust, debris, residual chlorine and organic compounds contained in raw water, residual chlorine and chloroform, volatile organic compounds, A prosper filter that removes odors and odors, and a nanograb filter that removes common bacteria and fine suspensions and optionally removes heavy metals (mercury, iron, selenium, etc.).

The raw water supplied through the raw water transfer passage 106 is first introduced into the water filter 101 in the first front of the water filters 101, 102 and 103 provided in the water purifier main body 105, And then flows into the water filter arranged in the backward direction. By passing through the water filter 103 arranged at the first rear side, the completely purified water is supplied to the discharge portion 131 through the purified water discharge passage 109 extending forward.

The water purifier 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that water purified from the water filter 103 disposed at the rear most inside the water purifier body 105 among the water purifiers 101, And a residual pressure discharge passage 126 configured to be branched and discharged before being supplied to the discharge passage 109.

The residual pressure discharge passage 126 is for removing a predetermined flow pressure which is required for smooth flow of the raw water in the water filters 101, 102 and 103. Specifically, when the supply of raw water is interrupted for the replacement of the water filters 101, 102 and 103, the residual pressure discharge passage 126 serves to remove residual pressure remaining in the water filters 101, 102 and 103 do. It is understood that the phenomenon that the residual water is discharged to the outside through the residual pressure discharge passage 126 is caused by the residual pressure remaining in the water filters 101, 102, 103 being removed.

The raw water transfer passage 106 and the residual pressure discharge passage 126 are installed in a space of a home or an office from the rear of the water purifier main body 105 for improving the appearance of the water purifier 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Or discharged. However, the present invention is not limited to this, but may be applied to the water movement passageway 106 so that the water purifier 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention does not deteriorate the appearance of the water purifier 100, And the residual pressure discharge passage 126 may be designed.

The water purifier 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a water supply passage opening / closing valve A (for example, a water supply valve) for controlling the flow of raw water or purified water flowing through the raw water transfer passage 106 and the residual pressure discharge passage 126 (Hereinafter referred to as " valve A for residual pressure ") and an on-off valve B (hereinafter referred to as valve B for residual pressure).

The raw water receiving valve A and the residual pressure valve B are not exposed to the outside of the purifier body 105 even when the protective doors 110 of Figs. That is, the raw water receiving valve (A) and the residual pressure valve (B) are installed so as to be shielded by the inner wall surface (107) protecting the inner space of the water purifier body (105).

The raw water transfer passage 106 flows in the rear lower end of the water purifier main body 105 and is bent upward so as to extend forward from a predetermined space formed in the water purifier main body 105, To supply raw water to the water filter (101) disposed in the water filter (101). The residual pressure discharge passage 126 is arranged so that purified water from the water filter 103 disposed at the last of the water filters 101, 102 and 103 is diverted and supplied before entering the water discharge passage 109. [ At this time, the residual pressure discharge passage 126 may be arranged to discharge the purified water to the rear upper end of the purifier body 105.

The residual water discharged through the residual pressure discharge passage 126 can be discharged forward through the discharge drain 135 arranged to communicate from the rear lower portion of the purifier body 105 forward.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the raw water receiving valve A and the residual water pressure valve B may be spaced apart from each other above and below the rear end of the purifier body 105. The positions of the raw water receiving valve A and the residual pressure valve B may be shifted up and down insofar as they are capable of interrupting the raw water transfer passage 106 and the residual pressure discharge passage 126 described above. In the water purifier 100 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the original water receiving valve A is disposed below the rear end of the water purifier main body 105 and the remaining valve B is disposed below the purifier main body 105, As shown in Fig.

On the other hand, on the upper side of the water filters 101, 102, and 103, mediating the connection of the water filters 101, 102, and 103 and supplying raw water before being introduced, (140) may be disposed. For this, the water filters 101, 102, and 103 are preferably configured such that raw water flows in from the upper part thereof, is purified while flowing in the inside thereof, and then discharged to the upper part.

3 and 4, the water purifier 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is arranged to open / close a predetermined space of the water purifier body 105 on either side of the water purifier main body 105 And the protected protector 110 may be further provided.

The protective door 110 includes a rotation type in which the front end portion is rotated with respect to the vertical axis at the rear end of either one of the left and right sides of the water purifier main body 105 and a rotary type in which the front end portion, the rear end portion, the upper end portion, And a sliding type sliding in a direction opposite to the sliding direction.

The protruding end 111 formed on the inner wall of the protector 110 is inserted into the guide hole 112 formed in the inner wall surface 107 of the purifier body 105 to open / (Not shown) is turned on (or off), it can be known that the protection gate 110 is closed. Conversely, when the protruding end 111 is exposed from the guide groove 112, the opening / closing detection switch is turned off (or turned on) so that it can be seen that the protective door 110 is opened. That is, the water purifier according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes an open sensor for detecting whether the protective gate 110 is opened or closed. The open sensor can sense whether the gate 110 is opened or closed by the above- .

As shown in FIG. 3, the protective door 110 protects the water filters 101, 102, and 103 provided in the inner space of the water purifier body 105 in a closed state. 4, the inner space of the water purifier main body 105 is exposed when the user rotates the water purifier unit to one side to open the water purifier main body 105. Accordingly, the water purifier 101, 102, 105 to be repaired.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the water filter is replaced, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 5 and is a conceptual view showing a state before the water filter is replaced, Fig.

As described above, the water filters 101, 102, and 103 may be installed in a predetermined space inside the water purifier main body 105 for each function or type.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the conventional water filters 101 to 104, raw water is introduced into one of the water filters 101 to 104 after being introduced from one side of the upper and lower sides, So as to flow into the water filter of another function or kind arranged to be disposed. This means that connection ports and connecting piping (see reference numerals 10 and 11 in Fig. 1) for the flow of raw water must be provided at the upper and lower parts of the water filters 101 to 104, respectively.

Accordingly, it is difficult for the consumer to directly replace the water filters 101 to 104 without the help of a specialist, and the connection ports and connecting pipes for connecting the conventional water filters 101 to 104 are difficult to replace, There is a problem in that it is difficult to manufacture a water purifier having a tendency to be miniaturized due to its volume, and the weight is increased.

In the water purifier 100 according to the present invention, the upper ends of the water filters 101, 102, and 103 are inserted one-touchly, and the raw water for purification is supplied to the adjacent water filters, The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by including a plurality of connection terminals 140 having a piping configuration capable of receiving purified water.

The plurality of connection terminals 140 are individually connected to either one of the left and right sides of the water purifier body 105 (preferably, the side on which the right and left protective doors 110 of the water purifier body 105 are provided) And is rotatable around the rotation axis C.

Since the plurality of connection terminals 140 can be rotated to one side, the upper space and the lower space of the predetermined space inside the water purifier body 105, which is conventionally required for replacement of the water filters 101, 102, and 103, Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the product, and to have a more compact internal design.

In addition, the plurality of connection terminals 140 are formed with insertion portions not shown in which upper ends of the water filters 101, 102, and 103 are inserted. When the upper end portions of the water filters 101, 102, 103 are inserted into the inserting portion with a predetermined insertion force, the functions of the water filters 101, 102, 103 are activated. On the other hand, when the water is inserted under a predetermined insertion force, the water filters 101, 102, 103 are not fastened. However, the present invention is not limited to the combination of the water filters 101, 102, and 103, but may be applied to the separation of the water filters 101, 102, and 103 as they are. The inserting portion may be configured such that when the water filter 101, 102, 103 is inserted and locked by a predetermined insertion force or more, a predetermined fastening sound such as "click"

When the upper ends of the water filters 101, 102, and 103 are once locked, the plurality of connection ends 140 can be freely locked by preventing the locking of the upper ends of the water filters 101, 102, Unlocking prevention means for preventing the water filters 101, 102, 103 from being separated from the insertion portion may be provided.

When the connection end 140 is rotated below a predetermined angle, even if a predetermined force is applied to the water filters 101, 102, 103 downward by the unlocking prevention means, the water filters 101, 102, 103 The locking is not released. When the user applies a predetermined force to the water filters 101, 102 and 103 in the longitudinal direction after rotating the connection end 140 by a predetermined angle or more, the locking of the water filters 101, 102, Is released.

After removing the water filter, the new water filter is inserted into the insertion part until a predetermined fastening sound is obtained in a state where the connection end 140 is rotated by a predetermined angle or more, and then the connection end 140 is returned to its original position Turning it on will complete the replacement operation for the corresponding integer filter.

The lower ends of the plurality of water filters 101, 102, and 103 are spaced apart from each other by a minimum distance that does not interfere with the rotation operation of the plurality of water filters with respect to a bottom surface (not shown) . The minimum distance here means that the vertical length of the water purifier main body 105 is prevented from becoming unnecessarily large and at least the fingers of a general adult are separated from the bottom surface of the predetermined space inside the water purifier body 105 and the water surface of the water filters 101, 102, and 103, respectively, to rotate only the water filter necessary to be replaced. 5, the bottom surface of the inner space of the water purifier main body 105 may be formed with a stepped portion 107 enough to insert a common adult's finger. The stepped portion 107 can be formed at the tip end in the direction in which the internal space of the purifier body 105 is opened.

As described above, when the lower ends of the water filters 101, 102, and 103 are rotated about the connection end 140, the water filter can be easily taken out or coupled Therefore, it is possible to reduce a predetermined separation distance between the water filters, which is conventionally required for holding the water filters 101, 102, and 103 by hand, so that the miniaturization design of the product is advantageous.

When the user, for example, replaces (or separates) the water filter 102, the water filter 102 is held as shown in FIG. 6 and the connection end 140 is rotated to one side by a predetermined angle or more. It is assumed that there is an intention to replace the filter when the filter is rotated at a predetermined angle or more. In this case, the round portion 140a formed on one side of the connection end 140 is separated from the switch or the button 160 formed on the purifier body 105. That is, the switch or button 160 that has been pressed for the first time is protruded. The switch or button 150 formed on the other side of the connection end 140 is brought into contact with the purifier body 105.

7, when the user further rotates the connection end 140 to one side, the water filter 102 can be separated. Here, it is assumed that there is a filter separation intent when the filter is rotated at an angle larger than the rotation angle in the case of the filter replacement intention.

As described above, in the water purifier 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, ordinary consumers, who find it difficult to replace the water filters 101, 102, and 103, 102, 103) can be accurately replaced, thereby reducing the post-management cost.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the state of rotation of the water filter up to immediately before separation from the state before replacement of the water filter, FIG. 9 is a logic circuit diagram for outputting a signal activated in accordance with the degree of filter replacement, Is a diagram for explaining the operation of separating the water filter in the embodiment of the present invention. Here, a case of separating the water filter 102 from the water filters 101, 102, and 103 will be described.

8, the round portion 140a formed at one side of the connection end 140 into which the water filter 102 is inserted is formed in the water purifier main body 105 The switch or the button 150 formed on the other side of the connection end 140 keeps the initial state away from the purifier body 105. [

In such an initial state, when the user wishes to replace (or disassemble) the water filter 102, it first takes the water filter 102 and holds it at the connection end 140, as in the middle diagram of FIG. 8 and the left- (First angle) by a predetermined angle? 1 (one second angle). In this case, the round portion 140a formed on one side of the connection end 140 is slightly separated from the switch or button 160 formed on the purifier body 105 (the state in which the switch or button 160 is completely protruded in all directions ). A switch or a button 150 formed on the other side of the connection end 140 is brought into contact with the purifier body 105. It is assumed that there is an intention to replace the filter when rotating at a predetermined angle (first angle) or more.

In the present invention, a replacement intent detector for detecting a user's intention to replace a filter, which can occur only when the protective door 110 is open, includes a water intrusion filter and a connection end It is possible to sense the rotation of the water purifier body 105 by a predetermined first angle? 1 to one side of the purifier body 105.

If there is an intention to replace the filter as described above, it is possible to generate a signal to be activated in accordance with the filter replacement intention. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, it is possible to generate using two orgas. 9, X1 is a signal indicating whether there is a filter replacement intention for the water filter 101, X2 is a signal indicating whether there is a filter replacement intention for the water filter 102, Is a signal indicating whether or not there is an intention to change the filter. And Y denotes a signal activated in accordance with the filter replacement intention.

If the user intends to replace the filter by the water filter 102 as in the above example, the value of X2 becomes "1" and the value of Y (that is, the output value of the replacement intention detector) do. Accordingly, the valve controller controls the raw water receiving valve (A) and the residual pressure valve (B) to correspond to the filter replacement preparation mode in response to the signal of the filter replacement intention detector. Here, in the filter replacement preparation mode, for example, the original valve A is closed and the valve B for remaining pressure is opened. Of course, in the filter replacement preparation mode, it may be first to close the original receiving valve A before opening the valve B for residual pressure.

Next, when the user grasps the water filter 102 and rotates the connection end 140 to one side more and rotates at an angle? 2 (second angle) larger than the first angle, the rightmost drawing of FIG. 8 and FIG. 10 The switch or button 150 formed on the other side of the connection end 140 is separated from the purifier body 105 As shown in Fig. The case of rotating the filter at a predetermined angle (second angle) or more is referred to as filter separation. It can be said that the degree of the filter separation is detected by the separation intention detector. The separation intention detector is configured such that one of the water filter and the connection end is rotated at a second angle &thetas; 2 larger than the first angle &thetas; 1 so that the switch or button 150 of the connection end 140 It can be determined that the degree of filter separation is detected.

When the user's intention of filter separation is detected by the separation intention detector as described above, since the primary connection with the connection end 140 of the water filter 102 is released, It can be easily separated from the connection terminal 140. Herein, the primary disengagement with the connection end 140 will be described. For example, if the switch or button 150 is pressed by the rotation of the switch 150 after it is caught by a chain or the like before the degree of the filter separation is detected If the degree of filter separation is detected), the engagement of the strut may be released. The primary coupling with the connection terminal 140 can be released.

Meanwhile, in the above description, the replacement intention detector detects that there is an intention to change the filter if any one of the water filter and the connection end rotates to one side of the water purifier main body 105 by a predetermined first angle or more. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, when a user input (for example, a button press) is input to the input unit 113 which is blocked by the protective door 110 from the outside, the intention of the filter replacement may be detected. For example, the input unit 113 may be regarded as a button.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the replacement intent detector and the separation intent detector may be configured to detect the opening / closing of the protective door 110 only when the opening sensor for detecting whether the protective door 110 is open or closed detects opening of the protective door 110, It is assumed to detect the degree.

FIGS. 11 to 14 are cross-sectional views illustrating an operation process of a raw water receiving valve and a residual water receiving valve according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. Figs. 17 and 18 are views showing operation of the water purifier according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 17 and Fig. 18 are views showing operation of the water purifier of the external power supply source, Fig.

The water purifier 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include an external force supply source 224 for applying a predetermined operating force for operation of the original receiving valve A and the remaining valve B.

The external power supply 224 is responsive to the filter replacement intent. In other words, the external force supply source 224 serves to supply the force for opening and closing the original valve (A) and the valve (B) for residual pressure in response to the filter replacement intention.

When the external power supply source 224 detects the intention of replacing the filter in the replacement intention detector as a precondition for replacing the water filters 101, 102 and 103, the original receiving valve A is closed and the remaining valve B It is desirable to have a structure that applies an operating force so that the operation of opening the first and second openings is performed simultaneously. Here, the external force supply source 224 may be a component of the valve controller described above. It is preferable that the external force supply source 224 is installed in the vicinity of the original water receiving valve A and the residual pressure valve B in the water purifier main body 105.

As shown in FIGS. 11 to 18, the raw water receiving valve A and the residual pressure valve B include a valve body 212 having an inlet 210 into which raw water flows and an outlet 211 through which residual water is discharged, A first communication hole 213 accommodated in the space portion 218 and 219 formed in the valve body 212 and communicating with the inlet 210 and a second communication hole 214 communicating with the outlet 211, An opening and closing member 220 having a guide 215 formed therein and a first through hole 216 corresponding to the first communication hole 213 and separating the space portions 218 and 219 into two space portions, The second communication hole 214 of the guide 215 is opened and closed by moving the second communication hole 214 of the guide 215 to be moved and moved in at least one space 218 of the space portion to open and close the passage between the inlet 210 and the outlet 211 A moving body 221 and a housing 222 for forming a moving space for the moving body 221. [

Here, the external force supply source 224 serves to provide a predetermined force for moving the moving body 221, which is a common component of the original-receiving valve (A) and the remaining-pressure valve (B). The external force supply source 224 simultaneously moves the moving body 221 of the raw water receiving valve A and the residual pressure valve B in response to the filter replacement intention while the protective door 110 is open, ) Is to be closed while the valve (B) for residual pressure is opened. Then, after the replacement of the filter is completed, the external supply source 224 should be designed such that the original valve A is opened and the valve B for the remaining pressure is closed.

The external force supply source 224 may be any one of a magnetic force of a permanent magnet MG for moving the moving body 221 inside the housing 222 or an electromagnetic force of an electromagnet. To this end, the moving body 221 may be made of a metal material that reacts with the magnetic force of the permanent magnet MG, or may be an object having a corresponding polarity responsive to the electromagnetic force of the electromagnet.

When the external force supply source 224 is the magnetic force of the permanent magnet MG, the permanent magnet MG is brought close to or away from the moving body 221 so that the magnetic force is provided to the moving body 221 in response to the filter replacement intention. So as to be spaced apart from each other.

Here, the permanent magnet MG is spaced apart from the housing 222 when there is an intention to replace the filter. When the filter is not intended to be replaced, the permanent magnet MG is installed close to or spaced from the moving body 221, .

When the external power supply source 224 is the electromagnetic force of the electromagnet, the electromagnetic force is not shown, but the electromagnetic force may be provided to receive and receive a signal that is activated in accordance with the filter replacement intention.

On the other hand, an actuating rod 225 may be coupled to the moving body 221. The operating rod 225 is connected to the moving body 221 and extends for a predetermined length toward the second communication hole 214 and moves in conjunction with the moving body 221 to substantially open or close the second communication hole 214 It plays a role.

The movable body 221 is moved inside the housing 222 when the electromagnetic force of the electromagnet or the magnetic force of the permanent magnet MG is at a distance, but it must be restored to its original position when the electromagnetic force or the magnetic force is not at a distance . For this purpose, the original receiving valve (A) and the remaining valve (B) are provided with a resilient force applying elastic force to restore the moving body 221 to its original position when the electromagnet or permanent magnet MG is separated from the housing 222 (223). The original position of the original container valve A with respect to the moving body 221 is the same as that shown in Fig. 11 and the original position of the valve body B for residual pressure with respect to the moving body 221 is the same as that shown in Fig. have.

The elastic body 223 may be employed as a spring spring interposed in the outer periphery of the operation rod 225. [ When the filter replacement intention is detected, the moving body 221 is closed when the moving body 221 is moved from the inside of the housing 222 to the second communication hole 214 in the case of the original receiving valve A, The spring spring is moved close to the moving body 221 in consideration of the fact that the moving body 221 is opened when the moving body 221 is moved away from the second communication hole 214 in the housing 222 It is preferable that the spring spring is employed as a tension spring which is relaxed in accordance with the moving movement of the moving body 221. In this case, However, this assumes that the position of the electromagnet or permanent magnet MG close to the housing 222 is the same as that of the original receiving valve A and the remaining valve B. Therefore, Regardless of the valve (B) for residual pressurization, it is sufficient that the above-mentioned electromagnet or permanent magnet (MG) is appropriately designed.

Hereinafter, the operation of the original valve A and the valve B for residual pressure will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 11 to 14, assuming that the protective door 110 is opened / Respectively.

In order to replace the water filters 101, 102, and 103, the user rotates any one of the water filters and the corresponding connection end 140 to one side of the water purifier body 105 by a predetermined first angle? When the user input for the button 113 is made, the replacement intention detector determines that the intention of the filter replacement has been detected, so that the original inlet valve A is operated as follows.

11, the moving body 221 is stopped and operated on the upper portion of the housing 222 by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet MG disposed close to the moving body 221. In this state, The rod 225 maintains the state in which the second communication hole 214 is opened. When the intention of the filter replacement is detected, the moving body 221 is moved downward from the inside of the housing 222 by the magnetic force release of the permanent magnet MG separated as shown in FIG. 12, 2 communicating hole 214 and closes the second communication hole 214. As shown in Fig. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 15, when the operation rod 225 keeps the second communication hole 214 open by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet MG and the intention of the filter replacement is detected, The magnetic force is released while the permanent magnet MG is separated from the housing 222 to move the moving body 221 in the direction to close the second communication hole 214 while being moved by the restoring force of the elastic body 223 .

In order to replace the water filters 101, 102 and 103, the user may rotate any one of the water filters and the corresponding connection end 140 to one side of the water purifier body 105 by a predetermined first angle? Or when a user input is made to the input unit 113 (button), the replacement intention detector determines that the intention of the filter replacement is detected, so that the valve B for remaining pressure operates as follows.

13, when the moving body 221 is stopped in the lower portion of the housing 222 by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet MG disposed close to the moving body 221, The operating rod 225 maintains the state in which the second communication hole 214 is closed. 14, when the moving body 221 is moved upward from the inside of the housing 222 by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet MG being separated as illustrated in FIG. 14, And the second communication hole 214 is opened. 17, the operating rod 225 keeps the second communication hole 214 closed by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet MG. When the intention of the filter replacement is detected, The magnetic force is released while the magnet MG is separated from the housing 222 and the moving body 221 is moved in the direction of opening the second communication hole 214 while being moved by the restoring force of the elastic force.

On the other hand, after the user has replaced the water filters 101, 102, and 103, the original receiving valve A is operated as follows.

The moving member 221 is stopped at the lower portion of the housing 222 by the restoring force of the elastic body 223 so that the operating rod 225 closes the second communication hole 214, When the user enters an initial state as shown on the left-hand side of FIG. 8 due to replacement of the water filters 101, 102 and 103, the moving body 221 is moved by the magnetic force of the adjacent permanent magnet MG as illustrated in FIG. The operating rod 225 moves away from the second communication hole 214 while opening the second communication hole 214 while moving the upper portion of the resilient body 223 in the housing 222.

16, the moving body 221 maintains the state in which the operating rod 225 closes the second communication hole 214 by the restoring force of the elastic body 223, When the initial state of the filter as shown in FIG. 8 is not detected and the degree of filter separation is not detected, as shown in FIG. 15, the permanent magnet MG provides a magnetic force close to the housing 222, Is moved in the direction of opening the second communication hole 214 while being moved by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet MG.

On the other hand, after the user replaces the water filters 101, 102, and 103, the valve B for residual pressure is operated as follows.

14, when the moving body 221 is stopped at the upper portion of the housing 222 by the restoring force of the elastic body 223, the operating rod 225 opens the second communication hole 214 When the user enters an initial state as shown in the leftmost figure of FIG. 8 due to the replacement of the water filters 101, 102, and 103 by the user, the movable body 221 move to the lower side while restoring the restoring force of the elastic body 223 inside the housing 222 and move the operation rod 225 to approach the second communication hole 214 to close the second communication hole 214 .

18, the magnetic force of the permanent magnet MG is insufficient, so that the operating rod 225 keeps the second communication hole 214 opened by the restoring force of the elastic body 223, When the intention or the degree of filter separation is not detected and the initial state as shown in the leftmost drawing of FIG. 8 is reached, the permanent magnet MG approaches the housing 222 as shown in FIG. 17, Is moved in the direction of closing the second communication hole 214 while being moved by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet MG.

The water purifier 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include at least one of the water filters and the corresponding connection end of the water purifier main body 105 in order to replace the water purifier 101, The valve B is operated so that the flow of the raw water is shut off and the residual pressure water is discharged from the valve A So that it is not necessary for the user to operate the valve separately. As a result, the consumer who is a non-specialist may not have specialized knowledge, thereby enhancing the convenience of the consumer.

FIGS. 19 to 22 are cross-sectional views illustrating an operation process of a raw water receiving valve and a residual water receiving valve according to a second embodiment of the configuration of the water purifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.

11 to 14, the external power supply source 224 is connected to either one of the electromagnetic force or the magnetic force of the electromagnet or the permanent magnet MG in the case of the valve A and the valve B for residual pressure according to the first embodiment, However, the embodiment of the present invention is not necessarily limited to the first embodiment.

That is, as illustrated in FIGS. 19 to 22, it is also possible to implement the second embodiment described later in which the physical force according to the filter replacement intention is directly added to the mobile body 221.

The original valve A and the valve B for residual pressure according to the second embodiment are provided so that the moving body 221 protrudes to the outside of the housing 222, 230 are provided to move the moving body 221 linearly inside the housing 222.

When the intention of the filter replacement is detected, the pusher 230 of the original receiving valve A, which is in the open state as illustrated in Fig. 19, moves the moving body 221 in the direction in which the second communication hole 214 is closed The moving body 221 closes the second communication hole 214 as illustrated in Fig. On the other hand, when the intention of the filter replacement is sensed, the pusher 230 of the valve B for residual pressure, which has been closed as shown in Fig. 20, moves the moving body 221 in the direction in which the second communication hole 214 is opened The moving body 221 opens the second communication hole 214 as illustrated in FIG.

After replacing the water filter to be replaced by a user with a new water filter and then returning to the initial state as shown in the leftmost figure of FIG. 8, the user of the original water receiving valve A As the pusher 230 moves the moving body 221 in the direction of opening the second communication hole 214, the moving body 221 opens the second communication hole 214 as illustrated in Fig. As the pusher 230 of the valve B for residual pressure, which was in the open state as illustrated in Fig. 22, moves the moving body 221 in the direction in which the second communication hole 214 is closed, The moving body 221 closes the second communication hole 214 as shown in FIG.

As described above, an optimal embodiment has been disclosed in the drawings and specification. Although specific terms have been employed herein, they are used for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the claims or the claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims.

10: Water purifier 10, 102, 103: Water filter
105: purifier body 106:
109: purified water discharge passage 110: protective gate
113: Input unit 130: Adjustment knob
131: discharging part 133: cup receiving plate
135: drain drain 140: connection end
A: One-way valve B: Valve for residual pressure
210: inlet 211: outlet
212: valve body 213: first communicating hole
214: second communicating hole 215: guide
216: first through hole 218, 219:
220: open / close body 221: mobile body
222: Housing 223: Elastic body
224: External power supply 225:

Claims (14)

delete delete delete delete delete delete A water purifier main body having a plurality of water filters;
A protective door that is openably and closably provided on the purifier body to protect the purifier filters;
A raw water receiving valve for opening / closing a raw water moving passage through which raw water flowing into the water purifying filters flows;
A residual pressure valve connected to at least one of the water purification filters to open and close a residual pressure discharge passage through which residual water passes;
A replacement intention detector for detecting the intention of the user to replace the filter when the protector is opened; And
And a separation intention detector for detecting the degree of the filter separation intention of the user that can occur only when the protective door is opened,
Wherein the source and destination valves are controlled to correspond to the filter replacement preparation mode in response to the detected filter replacement intention,
At least one of the water filters is released from the primary coupling with the coupling stage in response to the detected degree of filter separation,
The filter replacement preparation mode
Wherein the first valve is closed, the valve for remaining pressure is opened, the first valve is closed before the valve for remainder is opened,
The separation intention detector
The degree of the filter separation intention is detected only after the replacement intention detector detects the intention of the filter replacement,
The replacement intention detector
When the connection end is pulled over a first predetermined angle to one side of the water purifier main body with respect to an axis corresponding to the connection end, it is determined that the filter replacement intention is detected,
The separation intention detector
When the connection end is pulled over a second angle larger than the first angle with respect to an axis corresponding to the connection end, it is determined that the degree of the filter separation is detected,
The degree of detachment of the filter is detected by detecting the operation of pulling the first button over the first degree according to the degree of the first button being pushed by the structure formed at one side of the connection end, Wherein the detector detects the degree of the filter separation by sensing an operation of being pulled over the second angle in accordance with the degree of pressing of the second button corresponding to the structure formed on the other side opposite to the one side of the connection end. water purifier. The method of claim 7,
The water-
Further comprising an open detector for detecting an open condition of the protective door, wherein the change intent detector and the detec- tion intent detector are operable to change the filter change intention and the filter de- tectivity only when the open- Wherein the water purifier is configured to detect the water level. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the original-receiving valve and the remaining-
A valve body having an inlet and an outlet through which the raw water and the residual water are introduced and discharged;
A guide accommodated in a space formed in the valve body and having a first communication hole communicating with the inlet and a second communication hole communicating with the outlet;
An opening / closing body formed with a first through hole corresponding to the first communication hole and separating the space portion into two space portions;
A movable body which is provided to be moved in at least one space of the two space parts and which opens and closes a second communication hole of the guide by movement so as to open and close a passage between the inlet and the outlet;
And a housing that forms a moving space of the moving body. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the original-receiving valve and the remaining-
Wherein the water purifier is disposed above and below the rear end of the purifier body. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the original-receiving valve and the remaining-
Wherein the external force is supplied by a force for opening and closing the valve by an external force supply source responsive to the filter replacement intention and the external force supply source is any one of a magnetic force of a permanent magnet or an electromagnetic force of an electromagnet moving the movable body in the housing. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the electromagnetic force is provided by receiving a signal activated in accordance with the filter replacement intention when the external force supply source is an electromagnetic force of the electromagnet. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the moving body is made of a metal material responsive to the magnetic force when the external force supply source is a magnetic force of the permanent magnet, and the permanent magnet is provided so as to be close to or spaced from the moving body when the filter replacement is sensed. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the valve for residual pressurization and the valve for the raw water supply,
Further comprising an elastic body that applies an elastic force to restore the moving body to its original position when the permanent magnet is separated from the moving body.

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