KR101872898B1 - Temperature control device and purifier including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An embodiment includes a housing; A first pipe disposed within the housing; A second pipe disposed within the housing; A third pipe connecting the first pipe and the second pipe; A first temperature control unit for controlling the temperature of the first pipe; A second temperature adjusting unit for adjusting the temperature of the second pipe; A first hollow tube for injecting an external fluid into the first pipe; A barrier disposed between the first pipe and the third pipe; And a second hollow pipe disposed inside the first pipe and connected to the third pipe through the barrier membrane, and a water purifier including the same.

Description

Technical Field [0001] The present invention relates to a temperature control device and a water purifier including the same,

The present invention relates to a temperature control device for controlling the temperature of drinking water and a water purifier including the same.

As the industry develops, environmental pollution becomes more serious and water pollution is accelerating. Therefore, not only tap water but also ground water could not be drunk, and the use of water purifiers became common in each household.

Conventional water purifiers have a structure in which a hot water tank is built in a water purifier, which makes it difficult to miniaturize the water purifier. Further, when the water contained in the hot water tank is maintained for a long period of time, the water quality deteriorates and the inside of the hot water tank is contaminated.

Recently, a direct water type water purifier has been introduced. However, the direct water type water purifier has a problem in stability because there is a problem in that the efficiency of the heater is low and the user can instantaneously heat the temperature to a desired temperature.

The embodiment provides a thermostat having improved efficiency and a water purifier including the same.

The embodiment provides a thermostat having improved stability and a water purifier including the same.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a temperature control apparatus comprising: a housing; A first pipe disposed within the housing; A second pipe disposed within the housing; A third pipe connecting the first pipe and the second pipe; A first temperature control unit for controlling the temperature of the first pipe; A second temperature adjusting unit for adjusting the temperature of the second pipe; A first hollow tube for injecting an external fluid into the first pipe; A barrier disposed between the first pipe and the third pipe; And a second hollow pipe disposed inside the first pipe and connected to the third pipe through the barrier film.

The upper end of the first hollow tube may be higher than the upper end of the second hollow tube.

The upper end of the second hollow tube may be higher than the temperature control region of the first temperature control unit.

The lower end of the first hollow tube may be lower than the temperature control region of the first temperature control unit.

The first temperature control unit and the second temperature control unit may be driven separately.

The first temperature control unit and the second temperature control unit may be a heating unit.

A first temperature sensor disposed in the first pipe, and a second temperature sensor disposed in the second pipe.

Wherein the first temperature control unit includes a first heating member for heating the first pipe and at least one first electrode for applying power to the first heating member, A second heating member for heating the pipe, and at least one second electrode for applying power to the second heating member.

A first blocking sensor connected to the first electrode, and a second blocking sensor connected to the second electrode, and the first blocking sensor and the second blocking sensor may be opened when a predetermined threshold value is exceeded.

The water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a water purification unit; A temperature regulating device including the above-described structure; And a control unit for controlling the water treatment unit and the temperature control unit.

The control unit may output a control signal to the first temperature control unit so as to be 60% to 70% of the target temperature and output a control signal to the second temperature control unit to be 100% of the target temperature.

According to the embodiment, the heating efficiency can be improved.

In addition, it is possible to detect and control overheating of the temperature control device, thereby improving stability.

In addition, noise caused by heating can be improved.

In addition, since hot water is generated only when necessary, a separate hot water tank can be omitted, and unnecessary power can be saved.

The various and advantageous advantages and effects of the present invention are not limited to the above description, and can be more easily understood in the course of describing a specific embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a view showing an integer process of a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention,
2 is a block diagram of a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 3 is a view showing an operation button of the water purifier according to the embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 4 is a view showing a temperature control device according to an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 5 is a view showing the inside of the first temperature control unit and the second temperature control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention,
6 is a view illustrating a process in which an inflow purified water is heated,
7 is a conceptual view showing the outer surface of the first housing,
8 is a conceptual view showing an outer surface of the second housing.

The present invention is capable of various modifications and various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated and described in the drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

The terms including ordinal, such as second, first, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the second component may be referred to as a first component, and similarly, the first component may also be referred to as a second component. And / or < / RTI > includes any combination of a plurality of related listed items or any of a plurality of related listed items.

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 are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning of the related art and are to be interpreted as either ideal or overly formal in the sense of the present application Do not.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 3, the water purifier according to the embodiment includes a pretreatment filter 11, a first valve 12a, a first flow sensor 13, an electrolytic bath 14, a second valve 12b, A filter 15, a second flow sensor 16, a third valve 12c, a temperature controller 100, and a fourth valve 12d. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and each component can be changed or deleted as needed.

The pretreatment filter 11 primarily removes contaminants from the raw water. Illustratively, the pretreatment filter 11 can remove contaminants contained in the raw water, such as chlorine (Cl).

The first flow sensor 13 can regulate the amount of raw water that is supplied to the electrolytic bath 14.

The electrolytic bath 14 can electrolyze water with acidic water, strong alkaline water, and weak alkaline water. Illustratively, the electrolytic bath 14 can be finally separated into acidic water, strong alkaline water and weak alkaline water by first separating the water into acidic water and alkaline water, and then secondary electrolyzing the alkaline water again. However, the constitution of the electrolytic bath is not particularly limited. The electrolyzer may be replaced with another water filter as needed.

The post-treatment filter 15 can once again filter the weak alkaline water.

The second flow sensor 16 can control the amount of hot water required.

The temperature regulating device 100 may be a heating unit for heating water. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the temperature regulating apparatus 100 may be a cooling unit. That is, the temperature regulating device may be a concept including a heating unit for heating purified water and / or a cooling unit for cooling purified water. Hereinafter, the heating unit will be described.

The first to fourth valves 12a to 12d can control the amount of water to be obtained. The fourth valve 12d can finally control the amount of water that is discharged to the outside of the water purifier. At this time, the fourth valve 12d can be controlled to drain water until the desired temperature is reached, and then to exit when the desired temperature is reached.

The control unit 17 can individually control each component of the water purifier. For example, the controller 17 can control each component according to the user's choice of the water temperature and / or the amount of water through the buttons B2 to B4 of FIG.

Illustratively, if the user selects a high temperature of about 80 ° C, the controller 17 may control the heating of the water to about 80 ° C by applying an output signal to the thermostat 100

The control unit 17 can control the fourth valve 12d to drain the water until the temperature of the water reaches 80 占 폚. At this time, the air existing inside the piping and the temperature control device can be removed.

If the user selects the high temperature water of about 80 ml, the controller 17 controls the amount of water by controlling the first to fourth valves 12a to 12d and the first and second flow sensors 13 and 16 , High temperature water can be dispatched.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a temperature control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a view showing the inside of a first temperature control unit and a second temperature control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. Is a view showing a process in which the introduced purified water is heated.

4 to 6, a temperature controller 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 110, a first pipe 120 and a second pipe 130 disposed in the housing 110, a first pipe A third pipe 140 connecting the first pipe 120 and the second pipe 130, a first temperature control unit C1 controlling the temperature of the first pipe 120, A first hollow pipe 126 for injecting water into the first pipe 120, a second pipe 120 disposed between the first pipe 120 and the third pipe 140, And a second hollow tube 127 connected to the third pipe 140 through the barrier membrane 129.

The first pipe 120, the second pipe 130, the first temperature control unit C1, the second temperature control unit C2, and the like may be disposed inside the housing 110 in the longitudinal direction.

The material of the housing 110 is not particularly limited. A plurality of through holes 111 may be formed in the outer surface of the housing 110 to exhaust air and heat in the housing 110 to the outside.

The first pipe 120 and the second pipe 130 may be disposed parallel to the inside of the housing 110. The third pipe 140 may connect the ends of the first pipe 120 and the second pipe 130. The third pipe 140 may form a channel 141 through which water can move between the first pipe 120 and the second pipe 130.

Although the first pipe 120, the second pipe 130, and the third pipe 140 are shown as being U-shaped as a whole in the embodiment, the overall shape of the pipe is not limited thereto. Illustratively, the first pipe 120 and the second pipe 130 may each include a plurality of U-shaped shapes. The shape of the pipe can be suitably adjusted to adjust the heating time and heating capacity of the water.

The first pipe 120 and the second pipe 130 may be quartz and the third pipe 140 may be made of a plastic material. However, the materials of the first to third pipes 120, 130, and 140 are not particularly limited as long as they are resistant to repeated heating.

The first temperature control unit C1 includes a first heating member (not shown) for heating the first pipe 120 and at least one first power source electrode 121a, 121b, 121c ). The first heating member is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that generates heat upon power application.

The first heating member may be disposed inside the first pipe 120 or may be disposed outside. Illustratively, the first heating element may be a known heating element structure included in the quartz tube heater, or may be a coil disposed in the first pipe 120. Further, it may be a known transparent heating element including graphene, carbon fiber and the like.

The first power supply electrodes 121a, 121b, and 121c are electrically connected to the first heating member to apply power. The first power supply electrodes 121a, 121b, and 121c may be platinum (pl), but are not limited thereto. The electrode terminals 122, 123, and 124 may be disposed on the first power source electrodes 121a, 121b, and 121c, respectively. Therefore, the external power source can be applied to the first heating member through the electrode terminals 122, 123, 124 and the first power source electrodes 121a, 121b, 121c.

A plurality of electrode terminals 122, 123, and 124 and first power electrodes 121a, 121b, and 121c may be disposed in the first pipe 120. Illustratively, the common electrode terminal 123 may be connected to the center of the first pipe 120, and a plurality of the driving electrode terminals 122 and 124 may be disposed. The plurality of driving electrode terminals may be electrically connected through the extended electrode P1. With this configuration, the circuits can be connected in parallel.

The second temperature control unit C2 may have the same structure as the first temperature control unit C1. The second temperature control unit C2 includes a second heating member (not shown) for heating the second pipe 130 and at least one second driving electrode 131a, 131b, 131c ). At this time, the common electrode terminal 133 can be connected to the common electrode terminal 123 of the first temperature control unit by the connector 133b.

The first temperature regulating unit C1 is driven by the potential difference between the common power supply S1 and the first driving power supply S2 and the second temperature regulating unit C2 is driven by the common power supply S1 and the second driving power supply S3 ). That is, the first temperature control unit C1 and the second temperature control unit C2 can be controlled separately.

The first hollow tube (126) is disposed inside the first pipe (120). The first hollow pipe 126 communicates with the inflow nozzle 125 of the first pipe 120. Thus, water may be injected into the first pipe 120 through the first hollow tube 126.

The second hollow pipe 127 may be disposed inside the first pipe 120 and connected to the third pipe 140. A shielding film 129 may be disposed between the first pipe 120 and the third pipe 140. The shielding film 129 may be a rubber stopper, but is not particularly limited as long as it can shield the flow of water. The second hollow pipe 127 may be connected to the third pipe 140 through the barrier membrane 129.

The first temperature sensor 128 may be disposed inside the first pipe 120 to measure an upper temperature of the first pipe 120. The first temperature sensor 128 may be connected to the signal line 128a through the third pipe 140 and exposed to the outside.

The second temperature sensor 138 may be disposed inside the second pipe 130 to measure the upper temperature of the second pipe 130. The second temperature sensor 138 may be connected to the signal line 138a which is exposed to the outside through the third pipe 140.

Referring to FIG. 6, the water W1 may flow into the first pipe 120 through the first hollow pipe 126. Then, the water W2 gradually increases inside the first pipe 120 by the blocking film 129. At this time, the water W2 is firstly heated while passing through the temperature regulation region H1 of the first temperature regulation unit C1. The water W2 is directly contacted with the inner wall of the heated first pipe 120 and heated, thereby improving the heating efficiency.

Here, the temperature regulation region (H1) can be defined as a region for directly transmitting heat energy to the pipe. If there are a plurality of electrode terminals 122, 123 and 124 as shown in FIG. 5, it may be an area between the electrode terminal 122 at the highest position and the electrode terminal 124 at the lowest position. Further, in the case where the first temperature control unit (C1) is a structure that uses a coil, the temperature control region may be a coiled region.

When the water W3 reaches the upper end of the second hollow pipe 127, the water moves to the third pipe 140 through the second hollow pipe 127. At this time, since the water W3 passes through the temperature control region H1, the heat loss can be minimized.

Thereafter, the water W4 flows into the second pipe 130 and finally discharged to the outside. At this time, the water is secondarily heated while passing through the temperature regulation region H2 of the second temperature control unit C2.

The temperature controller can heat the water to 60% to 70% of the target temperature by the primary heating and to 100% of the target temperature through the secondary heating. Therefore, the temperature can be adjusted quickly and precisely by heating in two stages.

The control unit 17 receives the temperature information of the water filled in the first pipe 120 and the second pipe 130 through the first temperature sensor 128 and the second temperature sensor 138, So that the temperature control device can be controlled. The temperature control can be controlled by controlling the amount of current or the pulse width (PWM).

The upper end of the second hollow tube 127 may be higher than the temperature regulation area H1 of the first temperature regulation unit C1. That is, the upper end of the second hollow tube 127 may be disposed higher than the electrode terminal 122 at the highest position when the plurality of electrode terminals 122, 123, and 124 are present (see FIG. 5).

If the upper end of the second hollow tube 127 is lower than the temperature control area H1 of the first temperature control unit C1, noise may be generated during the inflow of water. That is, when water flows into the upper end of the directly heated second hollow tube 127, steam may be generated and noise may be generated. Therefore, it is preferable that the upper end of the second hollow tube 127 is disposed (d1) at least about 10 cm higher than the temperature control region of the first temperature control unit C1.

The upper end of the first hollow tube 126 may be higher than the upper end of the second hollow tube 127. In addition, the lower end of the first hollow tube 126 may be disposed lower than the temperature control area H1 of the first temperature control unit C1. That is, the upper and lower ends of the first hollow tube 126 and the second hollow tube 127 may not overlap with the temperature control region H1. This structure can minimize noise.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual view showing the outer surface of the first housing, and FIG. 8 is a conceptual view showing an outer surface of the second housing.

Referring to FIG. 7, a first blocking sensor 180 and a second blocking sensor 170 may be disposed on the outer surface of the first housing 110b. The first cutoff sensor 180 may cut off the power supply when the current applied to the first temperature adjustment unit C1 is greater than a predetermined current. The second cut-off sensor 170 may also cut off the power supply if the current applied to the second temperature control unit C2 is greater than a predetermined current.

Illustratively, the first blocking sensor 180 and the second blocking sensor 170 may be bimetal switches. The first blocking sensor 180 and the second blocking sensor 170 may be designed to be disconnected (opened) when the temperature exceeds about 135 캜. Thereafter, when the temperature drops, it can be reconnected manually or automatically.

The third temperature sensor 190 can measure the temperature of the housing 110. The control unit 17 can shut off the operation of the temperature regulating device when the temperature of the housing 110 exceeds a preset temperature.

14: electrolytic bath
17:
100: Temperature controller
110: Housing
120: first pipe
126: first hollow tube
127: second hollow tube
130: second pipe
140: Third pipe
C1: first temperature control unit
C2: second temperature control unit

Claims (11)

housing;
A first pipe disposed within the housing;
A second pipe disposed within the housing;
A third pipe connecting the first pipe and the second pipe;
A first temperature control unit for controlling the temperature of the first pipe;
A second temperature adjusting unit for adjusting the temperature of the second pipe;
A first hollow tube for injecting an external fluid into the first pipe;
A barrier disposed between the first pipe and the third pipe; And
And a second hollow pipe disposed inside the first pipe and connected to the third pipe through the barrier,
The fluid introduced into the lower portion of the first hollow pipe flows into the upper portion of the second hollow pipe,
And the upper end of the second hollow tube is higher than the temperature control region of the first temperature control unit.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the upper end of the first hollow tube is higher than the upper end of the second hollow tube.
delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the lower end of the first hollow tube is lower than the temperature control region of the first temperature control unit.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first temperature control unit and the second temperature control unit are individually controlled.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first temperature control unit and the second temperature control unit are heating units.
The method according to claim 1,
A first temperature sensor disposed in the first pipe, and
And a second temperature sensor disposed in the second pipe.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first temperature adjusting unit includes a first heating member for heating the first pipe and at least one first electrode for applying power to the first heating member,
The second temperature control unit includes a second heating member for heating the second pipe, and at least one second electrode for applying power to the second heating member.
9. The method of claim 8,
A first blocking sensor coupled to the first electrode, and
And a second blocking sensor coupled to the second electrode,
Wherein the first shut-off sensor and the second shut-off sensor are opened when a predetermined threshold value is exceeded.
A water purification unit;
10. A temperature control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, And
And a controller for controlling the water purification unit and the temperature control unit.
11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the control unit outputs a control signal to the first temperature adjustment unit so as to be 60% to 70% of the target temperature and outputs a control signal to the second temperature adjustment unit so as to be 100% of the target temperature.

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