KR102213443B1 - Apparatus for sterilization using carbonated water and water treatment apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application relates to a carbonated water sterilization apparatus and a water treatment apparatus including the same, wherein the carbonated water sterilization apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention sets a supply pressure according to an input pressure control signal, and is stored therein at the set supply pressure. Carbonic acid storage unit for supplying carbon dioxide; A carbonated water tank for generating carbonated water by mixing carbon dioxide supplied by the carbonate storage unit with a fluid; And a flow path switching unit for supplying the carbonated water to the sterilization zone by switching a supply flow path of carbonated water discharged from the carbonated water tank according to the input sterilization control signal.

Description

Carbonated water sterilization apparatus and water treatment apparatus including the same {Apparatus for sterilization using carbonated water and water treatment apparatus having the same}

The present application relates to a carbonated water sterilization apparatus and a water treatment apparatus including the same, and in particular, to a carbonated water sterilization apparatus capable of sterilizing the interior by using carbonated water, and a water treatment apparatus including the same.

In general, the carbonated water generating apparatus may generate carbonic acid (H2CO3) by dissolving carbon dioxide (CO2) in water (H2O), and may provide carbonated water including carbonic acid to a user. Here, since the solubility of carbon dioxide varies according to the injection pressure of carbon dioxide, carbonated water having a desired pH may be generated by adjusting the injection pressure of carbon dioxide. The carbonated water generating device is generally implemented as a function provided by the water treatment device, and may be implemented, for example, as a water purifier including a carbonated water generating function.

However, in the case of a water treatment device, problems due to microbial contamination or bacterial propagation may occur due to the internal moist environmental characteristics. In particular, in the case of a storage type water treatment device provided to the user after storing fluid including a water tank, etc. In this, problems such as the propagation of bacteria may occur more frequently.

Conventionally, in order to solve this problem, internal sterilization and decontamination are performed in a manner in which the sterilizing device periodically supplies the sterilizing agent generated through electrolysis, etc., or the manager directly periodically As a result, a disinfectant was injected inside. However, when additional devices such as a sterilizer are provided, costs may increase due to the addition of the device, and when a manager or the like performs periodic management of the water purifier, costs are incurred due to human resource maintenance or inconvenience in use. Etc. exist.

The present application is intended to provide a carbonated water sterilization device capable of sterilizing the interior using carbonated water and a water treatment device including the same.

A carbonated water sterilization apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a carbonic acid storage unit that sets a supply pressure according to an input pressure control signal and supplies carbon dioxide stored therein at the set supply pressure; A carbonated water tank for generating carbonated water by mixing carbon dioxide supplied by the carbonate storage unit with a fluid; And a flow path switching unit for supplying the carbonated water to the sterilization zone by switching a supply flow path of carbonated water discharged from the carbonated water tank according to the input sterilization control signal.

Here, the sterilization region may include at least one of a storage tank for storing fluid supplied to the carbonated water tank and a fluid discharge passage for supplying the fluid stored in the storage tank to a water outlet coke.

Here, the flow path switching unit includes: a connection channel connecting the carbonated water discharge channel to the fluid discharge channel and the carbonated water supplying the carbonated water to the discharge coke; And a flow path switching valve provided between the carbonic acid discharge passage and the connection passage and selecting one of the carbonic acid discharge passage and the fluid discharge passage as the carbonated water discharge passage.

Here, when the sterilization control signal is input, the flow path switching unit may select a discharge flow path of the carbonated water as the fluid discharge flow path, and supply the carbonated water to the fluid discharge flow path.

Here, the flow path switching unit may include: an inlet passage connecting the fluid discharge passage and the carbonated water tank; And a fluid pump provided in the intake passage, and when the sterilization control signal is input, the fluid pump is operated to supply the carbonated water to the storage tank.

Here, the storage tank includes: a drain unit for discharging the fluid stored in the storage tank to the outside; And if the fluid is carbonated water, a decompression unit configured to decompress the pressure of the carbonated water to separate and discharge the carbon dioxide and the fluid contained in the carbonated water.

Here, the depressurization part may be implemented as a flow path wound in a coil shape and connected to the drain part.

Here, the carbonated water sterilization device comprises: an ice generation unit configured to cool the supplied fluid to generate ice; And a spray nozzle part for spraying carbonated water supplied through the flow path conversion part into the ice generating part.

Here, the spray nozzle may spray the carbonated water into the ice generating unit by using a spraying pressure that is sprayed into the atmosphere.

Here, the carbonated water sterilization device further includes a fluid pump for discharging the carbonated water to the outside of the carbonated water tank by applying pressure to the carbonated water stored in the carbonated tank according to a sterilization control signal, and using the fluid pump, the injection nozzle A carbonated water sterilization device that controls the spraying pressure of the carbonated water to be sprayed.

A water treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the above-described carbonated water sterilization apparatus.

In addition, the solution to the above-described problem does not enumerate all the features of the present invention. Various features of the present invention and advantages and effects thereof may be understood in more detail with reference to the following specific embodiments.

The carbonated water sterilization apparatus and the water treatment apparatus including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention may self-sterilize the flow path and the inside of the storage tank using carbonated water.

The carbonated water sterilization apparatus and the water treatment apparatus including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention perform sterilization using carbonated water, so that the carbonated water used for sterilization may be separated into carbon dioxide and water afterwards. Therefore, there is no problem of secondary pollution and eco-friendly sterilization is possible.

1 is a block diagram showing an apparatus for sterilizing carbonated water according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram showing a carbonated water sterilization apparatus including an ice generating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art may easily implement the present invention. However, in describing a preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings for portions having similar functions and functions.

In addition, throughout the specification, when a part is said to be'connected' to another part, it is not only'directly connected', but also'indirectly connected' with another element in the middle. Include. In addition, "including" a certain component means that other components may be further included rather than excluding other components unless specifically stated to the contrary.

In general, the carbonated water generating apparatus may generate carbonic acid (H2CO3) by dissolving carbon dioxide (CO2) in water (H2O), and may provide carbonated water containing the carbonic acid to a user. Here, since the solubility of carbon dioxide varies according to the injection pressure of the carbon dioxide, carbonated water having a desired pH may be generated by adjusting the injection pressure. Typically, carbonated water used as drinking water may have a pH of 2 to 3. The carbonated water generating device may be used alone, but is generally included in a water treatment device and the like, and may be implemented as one function provided by the water treatment device. For example, the water purifier may be implemented to include the carbonated water generating device, and the carbonated water may be provided according to the user's selection in addition to purified water, cold water, and hot water generally provided by the water purifier.

However, in the case of the water treatment device, problems due to microbial contamination or bacterial propagation may occur due to the internal moist environmental characteristics. In particular, the storage type water treatment device provided to the user after storing the fluid including a water tank In this case, problems such as the propagation of the bacteria may occur more frequently. Conventionally, in order to solve this problem, a separate sterilization device is further included, and the sterilization device periodically supplies the sterilizing agent generated through electrolysis to the inside to perform internal sterilization and decontamination, or the manager directly periodically As a result, a disinfectant was injected inside. However, if an additional device such as the sterilizer is provided, additional costs may be incurred due to the installation of the sterilizer, and if a manager or the like performs periodic management of the water purifier, there may be a cost due to maintaining human resources There are inconveniences in use that occur when injecting the disinfectant.

In general, it is known that acidic water such as carbonated water has a sterilizing ability, and when exposed to acidic water with a pH of 2 to 3, bacteria can be killed within a few minutes. Accordingly, sterilization of the interior of the water treatment device may be performed using carbonated water generated by the carbonated water generating device, and the like, and the carbonated water generating device may be utilized as a carbonated water sterilization device. In this case, the carbonated water generating device is included in the water treatment device and the like to perform a function of providing carbonated water to a user and at the same time performing a sterilization function for the interior thereof, thereby minimizing the cost of sterilization. In addition, in the case of sterilization using the carbonated water, since the sterilization operation can be automatically performed internally, the maintenance of additional personnel for the sterilization can be minimized, and the sterilization operation can be easily performed. Hereinafter, an apparatus for sterilizing carbonated water according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

1 is a block diagram showing an apparatus for sterilizing carbonated water according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the carbonated water sterilization apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a carbonated water storage unit 10, a carbonated water tank 20, a flow path switching unit 30, a storage tank 40, and a water outlet cock 60. And a depressurization unit 70.

The carbonated water sterilization device may receive raw water from the outside, and the raw water may be purified through the filter unit F. That is, the filter unit F can generate clean purified water by filtering foreign substances or contaminants included in the fluid, and the filter unit F includes a sediment filter and a pre-carbon filter. filter), a reverse omosis membrane filter, a post-carbon filter, and a nano filter. However, the type, number, and order of filters provided in the filter unit F may be variously changed. The purified water filtered by the filter unit F may be supplied to the storage tank 40 or may be discharged to the water outlet cock 60 through a direct water supply channel L4.

The carbonic acid storage unit 10 stores carbon dioxide and may be implemented in the form of a carbon dioxide cylinder. The carbonate storage unit 10 may set a supply pressure according to an input pressure control signal, and may inject carbon dioxide stored therein at the set supply pressure into the carbonated water tank 20. Since the pH of the carbonated water may vary according to the injection pressure of carbon dioxide, the pH of the carbonated water may be adjusted according to the supply pressure set in the carbonate storage unit 10. Here, the injection pressure of the carbon dioxide may be adjusted using a CO2 valve 35 that adjusts the flow rate of CO2 flowing through the CO2 pipe L1.

The carbonated water tank 20 may generate carbonated water by mixing carbon dioxide supplied from the carbonate storage unit 10 with a fluid. As shown in Fig. 1, the fluid supplied from the storage tank 40 may be stored in the carbonated water tank 20, and carbon dioxide is injected into the carbonated water tank 20 through a CO2 pipe (L1). Can be. Accordingly, the fluid stored in the carbonated water tank 20 and the carbon dioxide may be mixed to generate carbonic acid (H2CO3), and the generated carbonated water may be stored in the carbonated water tank 20. Here, the internal pressure of the carbonated water tank 20 may be maintained at about 10 bar, and carbonated water having a pH of 2 to 3 may be stored in the carbonated water tank 20.

When a sterilization control signal is input, the flow path switching unit 30 may switch a supply flow path of carbonated water discharged from the carbonated water tank 20. That is, the flow path switching unit 30 may supply the carbonated water to the sterilization area in response to the sterilization control signal. Here, the sterilization region refers to a region in which the carbonated water sterilization device performs sterilization using the carbonated water, for example, a storage tank 40 in which a fluid is stored or a fluid stored in the storage tank 40 The fluid discharge passage L3 supplied to the water outlet cock 60 may correspond to the sterilization area. In addition, the sterilization zone may be set to a place where bacteria may multiply or microbial contamination may occur inside a water treatment device or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the flow path switching unit 30 may include a connection flow path 31, a flow path switching valve 32, an inlet flow path 33, and a fluid pump 34.

The connection passage 31 may connect between the carbonate discharge passage L2 for supplying carbonated water to the water outlet coke 60 and the fluid discharge passage L3, and the carbonated water discharges the fluid through the connection passage 31 It may be supplied into the flow path L3 or the storage tank 40.

The flow path switching valve 32 may be provided between the carbonic acid discharge flow path L2 and the connection flow path 31, and according to the operation of the flow path switching valve 32, the carbonic acid discharge flow path L2 ) And the fluid discharge passage (L3). Here, when a sterilization control signal is input, the flow path switching valve 32 selects the carbonated water discharge flow path as the fluid discharge flow path L3, and selects the carbonated water as the fluid discharge flow path L3 or the storage tank 40 Can supply to In particular, since the internal pressure of the carbonated water tank 20 is as high as about 10 bar, the carbonated water can be easily supplied into the fluid discharge passage L3 to the storage tank 40 maintaining about 1 bar.

The inlet passage 33 may connect between the fluid discharge passage L3 and the carbonated water tank 20, and the fluid stored in the storage tank 40 through the inlet passage 33 is transferred to the carbonated water tank 20. Can be supplied. In this case, the fluid stored in the storage tank 40 may be supplied to the carbonated water tank 20 by using the fluid pump 34 located in the intake passage 33. That is, the inside of the carbonated water tank 20 can be filled with a fluid using the intake passage 33 and the fluid pump 34, and then carbon dioxide can be injected into the carbonated water tank 20 to generate the carbonated water. have. However, when the sterilization control signal is input, it is possible to operate the fluid pump 34 in reverse to supply carbonated water stored in the carbonated water tank 20 to the storage tank 40.

The purified water filtered by the filter unit F may be supplied to the storage tank 40, and the storage tank 40 may store the purified water. At this time, the storage tank 40 may be to generate hot water or cold water by heating or cooling the stored purified water, a purified water tank that stores the purified water, and a hot water tank that generates and stores hot water by heating the purified water with a heater It may include at least one of a cold water tank for generating and storing cold water by cooling the purified water with a cooler. However, since the solubility of carbon dioxide in a liquid increases as the temperature of the liquid decreases, it is preferable to use cold water having a low temperature to increase the solubility. Accordingly, the storage tank 40 may be a cold water tank that cools purified water filtered through the filter unit F to generate cold water.

Thereafter, when the sterilization control signal is input, the carbonated water stored in the carbonated water tank 20 may be diffused into the fluid discharge passage L3 to the storage tank 40. In this case, since the carbonated water comes into contact with the inner wall of the fluid discharge passage (L3) to the storage tank 40 or the inside of the passage, the carbonated water prevents the inside of the fluid discharge passage (L3) to the storage tank (40). Sterilization and cleaning effects can be obtained. When the predetermined sterilization time has elapsed, it may be determined that the sterilization and cleaning are completed, and the carbonated water that has diffused in the fluid discharge passage L3 and the storage tank 40 may be discharged to the outside. In this case, the carbonated water may be discharged through the drain part 41 located at the lower end of the storage tank 40.

Here, since the internal pressure of the carbonated water tank 20 is a high pressure of about 10 bar, the internal pressure of the storage tank 40 in which the carbonated water has been diffused may also increase to have an internal pressure of about 5 bar. In this case, when the high-pressure carbonated water is directly discharged, it may cause inconvenience to the user such as noise. Accordingly, a configuration of a depressurization unit 70 for reducing the pressure of the carbonated water discharged from the storage tank 40 may be further included. That is, the decompression unit 70 may reduce the pressure of the carbonated water, and the carbonated water may be separated into carbon dioxide and a fluid and discharged by the depressurization in the decompression unit 70. In particular, the depressurization unit 70 may be connected to the drain unit 41, as shown in FIG. 1, and may have a coil shape in which a flow path through which the carbonated water is discharged is wound several times.

Additionally, as shown in FIG. 2, the carbonated water sterilization apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an ice generating unit 50.

The ice generation unit 50 may be supplied with a fluid, and may generate ice by cooling the supplied fluid. Specifically, when the fluid is accommodated in the ice tray 52, the cooler 51 may be immersed in the fluid contained in the ice tray 52. Thereafter, the cooler 51 may perform cooling to generate ice around the cooler 51, and when the ice generation is completed, the ice is removed by using a stripping heater (not shown). Can be separated from. The separated ice may be stored at the bottom of the ice generating unit 50, and a desired amount of ice may be provided to the user by rotation of the rotating screw 53. Conventionally, sterilization has not been performed on the inside of the ice generation unit 50, but there is a need for sterilization and cleaning because there is a high risk of contamination caused by microorganisms or bacteria inside the ice generation unit 50.

Specifically, the carbonated water sterilization apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a spray nozzle part 54 inside the ice generating part 50, and the spray nozzle part 54 is a flow path switching part 30 The carbonated water supplied from) may be sprayed into the ice generating unit 50. Here, it may further include an injection control valve 55 for adjusting the flow rate of carbonated water supplied to the injection nozzle unit 54. Thereafter, the carbonated water may be brought into contact with the inner wall of the ice generating unit 50 or the surface of the composition by the spray nozzle unit 54, and sterilization and cleaning of the ice generating unit 50 are performed accordingly. Can be. Here, since the carbonated water is separated into carbon dioxide and water over time, it is not necessary to perform separate washing after spraying the carbonated water, and secondary pollution does not occur.

The spray nozzle part 54 sprays the carbonated water into the ice generating part 50 by using a pressure difference generated when the high-pressure carbonated water stored in the carbonated water tank 20 is sprayed into the atmosphere as a spraying pressure. can do. In addition, by operating the fluid pump 34 according to the sterilization control signal, by applying pressure to the carbonated water stored in the carbonated water tank 20 by the fluid pump 34, the carbonated water is discharged to the outside of the carbonated water tank 20. It is possible. At this time, since the fluid discharge passage (L3) can be closed when the carbonated water is sprayed by adding a fluid supply valve (36), the carbonated water sprayed by the spray nozzle part 54 using the fluid pump 34 It is possible to adjust the injection pressure of.

Although not shown, various types of water treatment devices may be connected, including the carbonated water sterilization device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the water treatment device may collectively refer to a device having at least some of the functions of a water purifier, a functional water heater, a water heater, a cold water heater, an ice maker, and the like.

The present invention is not limited by the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains, that components according to the present invention can be substituted, modified, and changed within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention.

10: carbonated storage unit 20: carbonated water tank
30: flow path switching unit 40: storage tank
50: ice generation unit 60: drainage coke
70: decompression unit

Claims (11)

Carbonic acid storage unit for supplying the carbon dioxide stored therein;
A carbonated water tank for producing carbonated water by mixing carbon dioxide supplied by the carbonate storage unit with a fluid; And
In accordance with an input sterilization control signal, it includes a flow path switching unit for switching the supply flow path of the carbonated water discharged from the carbonated water tank to supply the carbonated water to the sterilization area,
The sterilization region includes at least one of a storage tank for storing fluid supplied to the carbonated water tank and a fluid discharge passage for supplying the fluid stored in the storage tank to a water outlet coke,
The flow path conversion unit
A connection passage connecting the carbonate discharge passage for supplying the carbonated water to the water outlet coke and the fluid discharge passage; And
A carbonated water sterilization device comprising a flow path switching valve provided between the carbonic acid discharge flow path and the connection flow path and selecting one of the carbonated water discharge flow path and the fluid discharge flow path.
delete delete The method of claim 1, wherein the flow path switching unit
When the sterilization control signal is input, the carbonated water sterilization device selects a discharge passage of carbonated water as the fluid discharge passage and supplies the carbonated water to the fluid discharge passage.
The method of claim 4, wherein the flow path switching unit
An inlet passage connecting the fluid discharge passage and the carbonated water tank; And
A carbonated water sterilization device further comprising a fluid pump provided in the intake passage, and operating the fluid pump when the sterilization control signal is input to supply the carbonated water to the storage tank.
The method of claim 1, wherein the storage tank
A drain part for discharging the fluid stored in the storage tank to the outside; And
If the fluid is carbonated water, the carbonated water sterilization device further comprises a decompression unit for decompressing the pressure of the carbonated water to separate and discharge the fluid and carbon dioxide contained in the carbonated water.
The method of claim 6, wherein the depressurization unit
A carbonated water sterilization device implemented as a flow path wound in a coil shape and connected to the drain.
The method of claim 1,
An ice generation unit for cooling the supplied fluid to generate ice; And
A carbonated water sterilization device further comprising a spray nozzle part for spraying the carbonated water supplied through the flow path switching part into the ice generating part.
The method of claim 8, wherein the injection nozzle
A carbonated water sterilization device for injecting the carbonated water into the ice generating unit using a spraying pressure that is sprayed into the atmosphere.
The method of claim 9,
Further comprising a fluid pump for discharging the carbonated water to the outside of the carbonated water tank by applying pressure to carbonated water stored in the carbonated water tank according to a sterilization control signal, and a spray pressure of the carbonated water sprayed by the spray nozzle using the fluid pump Sparkling water sterilization device to control the.
A water treatment device comprising the carbonated water sterilization device according to any one of claims 1 and 4 to 10.

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