KR102545080B1 - Water purifier having ice manufacturing function and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a water purifier having an ice making function and a control method thereof. The water purifier with an ice-making function includes a cooling part in which a space in which a refrigerant flows is formed, a flow part formed in an inner space surrounded by the cooling part and accommodating and flowing inflow water, and rotating in the flow part. an auger module including a separation transfer unit that separates and discharges ice generated in the moving unit and a motor that rotates the separation transfer unit; a current sensor for measuring a feedback current of the motor; and when the ice making operation by the auger module starts, detecting the freezing state of the auger module based on the motor current value transmitted from the current sensor, and stopping the operation of the auger module for a preset time when the freezing state is detected. It may be configured to include a control unit that controls to do so.

Description

Water purifier with ice making function and its control method {WATER PURIFIER HAVING ICE MANUFACTURING FUNCTION AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF}

The present application relates to a water purifier having an ice making function and a control method thereof.

A water purifier is a device for providing purified water by purifying raw water supplied from the outside. Recently, a water purifier that generates and provides ice using purified water in addition to providing purified water has been widely used.

There are various methods such as an immersion-type ice-making method, a spray-type ice-making method, a flowing water-type ice-making method, and an auger-type ice-making method as a method of generating ice.

Here, the auger-type ice making method allows the refrigerant to flow around the flow space through which water flows so that ice is created on the inner circumferential surface of the flow space, and the screw rotates in the flow space to separate the ice from the inner circumferential surface of the flow space. It is a method of transporting and discharging to the outside.

The auger module that generates ice by the auger-type ice-making method may be frozen depending on conditions such as the external environment. If the auger module freezes, the screw is constrained, and if the ice-making operation continues while the screw is constrained, it may cause damage to the product.

Therefore, in the art, a method for detecting and solving the freezing state of the auger module is required.

In order to solve the above problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides a water purifier having an ice making function.

The water purifier with an ice-making function includes a cooling part in which a space in which a refrigerant flows is formed, a flow part formed in an inner space surrounded by the cooling part and accommodating and flowing inflow water, and rotating in the flow part. an auger module including a separation transfer unit that separates and discharges ice generated in the moving unit and a motor that rotates the separation transfer unit; a current sensor for measuring a feedback current of the motor; and when the ice making operation by the auger module starts, detecting the freezing state of the auger module based on the motor current value transmitted from the current sensor, and stopping the operation of the auger module for a preset time when the freezing state is detected. It may include a control unit that controls to do so.

Meanwhile, another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for controlling a water purifier having an ice making function.

In the method for controlling a water purifier having an ice making function, in the method of controlling a water purifier having an auger module that generates ice by an auger type ice making method, when an ice making operation by the auger module starts, the auger module includes the control method. measuring the feedback current of the motor; sampling the motor current value for a preset period of time when the feedback motor current value is equal to or greater than the preset first current value; determining that the auger module is in an icing state when a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of the sampled data is equal to or greater than a preset value; and controlling to stop the operation of the auger module for a predetermined time when it is determined that the auger module is in an icy state.

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

According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the auger module is frozen, it can be sensed and the frozen state can be solved by itself.

1 is a configuration diagram of a water purifier having an ice making function according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of the auger module shown in FIG. 1 .
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an implementation example of the auger module shown in FIG. 1 .
4 is a flowchart of a control method of a water purifier having an ice making function according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. 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 gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings for parts having similar functions and actions.

In addition, throughout the specification, when a part is said to be 'connected' to another part, this is not only the case where it is 'directly connected', but also the case where it is 'indirectly connected' with another element in between. include In addition, 'including' a certain component means that other components may be further included, rather than excluding other components unless otherwise stated.

1 is a configuration diagram of a water purifier having an ice making function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the water purifier 100 includes a filter unit 110, a purified water storage unit 120, a cold water and ice storage unit 130, an auger module 140, a cooler 145, an extraction unit 150, It may include a control unit 160, a sensor unit 170, and a display unit 180.

The filter unit 110 is composed of one or more filters to sequentially filter and purify raw water, and may include a sediment filter, a pre-carbon filter, a reverse osmosis membrane filter, and a post-carbon filter, but the type of filter, The number and order may be changed according to the filtration method of the water purifier 100 or the filtration performance required of the water purifier 100. For example, a hollow fiber membrane filter may be provided instead of a reverse osmosis membrane filter. In addition, the post carbon filter may not be provided, and a micro filter (MF) or other functional filters may be provided instead of or in addition to the above-mentioned filter.

The purified water storage unit 120 may pass through the filter unit 110 and store purified purified water and selectively discharge the stored purified water.

For example, the purified water stored in the purified water storage unit 120 may be extracted to an extraction unit 150 such as a faucet through the first flow path conversion valve SV1 or provided to the cold water and ice storage unit 130 .

Here, the first flow path conversion valve SV1 is provided in a flow path connecting the purified water storage unit 120 and the cold water and ice storage unit 130 and the extraction unit 150, and controls the flow path according to the control of the control unit 160. can switch

For example, the first flow path conversion valve (SV1) is implemented as a 2-way valve so that the purified water stored in the purified water storage unit 120 is provided to the extraction unit 150 or the purified water stored in the purified water storage unit 120 is supplied to the extraction unit 150. The flow path may be switched to provide the cold water and ice storage unit 130 .

In some cases, the purified water storage unit 120 may not be provided. In this case, the purified water passing through the filter unit 110 is directly extracted to the extraction unit 150, or the cold water and ice storage unit 130 ) can be provided.

The cold water and ice storage unit 130 stores cold water or ice generated by being provided from the purified water storage unit 120 and cooled by the auger module 140 to be described later, and may selectively discharge the stored cold water or ice.

The cold water and ice storage unit 130 may be partitioned into a first storage space for storing cold water and a second storage space for storing ice by a partition wall (not shown) provided therein so as to store cold water and ice, respectively. there is.

In this case, the purified water provided from the purified water storage unit 120 may flow into the first storage space and then be provided to the auger module 140 to be described later to be cooled. In addition, the cold water cooled by the auger module 140 and generated may be supplied to the cold water and ice storage unit 130 again and stored in the first storage space. Meanwhile, ice generated by the auger module 140 may be provided to the cold water and ice storage unit 130 and stored in the second storage space.

However, as shown in FIG. 1 , the storage unit for storing cold water and ice does not necessarily have to be formed as one, and the cold water storage unit and the ice storage unit made independently may be positioned adjacent to each other.

In addition, a pump P1 and a second flow path conversion valve SV2 may be provided in a flow path connecting the first storage space of the cold water and ice storage unit 130 and the auger module 140 .

Here, the pump P1 may be implemented as, for example, a motor to provide cold water stored in the first storage space to the auger module 140 .

In addition, the second flow path conversion valve (SV2) is implemented as, for example, a 2-way valve so that the cold water stored in the first storage space of the cold water and ice storage unit 130 is supplied to the extraction unit 150, or the auger module ( 140), the flow path may be switched.

Meanwhile, a transfer means (not shown) for transferring ice is provided in the second storage space of the cold water and ice storage unit 130, and the ice transported by the transfer means is configured to be extracted through the extraction unit 150. can

The auger module 140 cools the cold water (or purified water) provided from the cold water and ice storage unit 130 by an auger-type ice making method to generate cold water and ice.

FIG. 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of the auger module shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a view showing an implementation example of the auger module shown in FIG. 144, a separation transfer unit 146, and a motor 148 may be included.

Here, the cooling unit 142 constitutes the outside of the auger module 140, and a space in which the refrigerant can flow is formed in the cooling unit 142 so that the refrigerant supplied from the cooler 145 described later can flow. .

In addition, the flow part 144 formed in the inner space surrounded by the cooling part 142 receives the cold water supplied from the cold water and ice storage part 130 and allows it to flow. The cold water flowing in the flow part 144 is further cooled by the refrigerant flowing in the cooling part 142 , and ice may be formed on a surface in contact with the cooling part 142 .

Here, the flow rate of the cold water flowing through the flow unit 144 may vary depending on whether the aforementioned pump P1 is driven. For example, when the pump P1 is driven, the flow rate increases, and accordingly, ice may not be generated in the flow part 144 or only a relatively small amount of ice may be generated. On the other hand, when the pump P1 is not driven, the flow rate slows down, and accordingly, ice can be sufficiently generated.

The separation and transfer unit 146 is implemented as, for example, a screw rotating in the moving unit 144 to separate and transfer ice generated on the surface in contact with the cooling unit 142 and discharge it to the cold water and ice storage unit 130. there is.

The motor 148 may be driven to rotate the separation transfer unit 146 .

The cold water generated by the auger module 140 described above is provided to the first storage space of the cold water and ice storage unit 130, and the ice generated by the auger module 140 is supplied to the cold water and ice storage unit 130. It may be provided as a second storage space.

Meanwhile, the auger module 140 configured as described above may be frozen depending on conditions such as the external environment, and in this case, the separate transfer unit 146 may be restrained. When the ice making operation by the auger module 140 continues while the transfer unit 146 is restrained, the motor 148 drives the transfer unit 146 to rotate in one direction, while the transfer unit 146 will repeat forward rotation and reverse rotation by restraint.

The cooler 145 provides refrigerant to the cooling unit 142 of the auger module 140, and liquefies the refrigerant by releasing heat from a compressor that compresses the refrigerant and a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant compressed in the compressor. It may be configured to include a condenser to do.

The extraction unit 150 is for selectively extracting purified water stored in the purified water storage unit 120, cold water stored in the first storage space of the ice storage unit 130, and ice stored in the second storage space. For example, it may be implemented as a faucet for extracting purified water and cold water and a spout for extracting ice.

The control unit 160 is for controlling the overall operation of the water purifier 100, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field It can be implemented with a processor such as Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA).

For example, when the ice making operation by the auger module 140 starts, the control unit 160 detects the freezing state of the auger module 140 based on a signal transmitted from the sensor unit 170 to be described later, and the freezing state is determined. When detected, the operation of the auger module 140 is stopped for a certain period of time so that the auger module 140 can be thawed.

In addition, the controller 160 detects the freezing state and when the number of times the operation of the auger module 140 is stopped is accumulated more than a certain number of times, the controller 160 may determine that the product is abnormal and display an error display through the display unit 180 to be described later. there is.

A specific method for the control unit 160 to detect the freezing state of the auger module 140 according to an input signal and to control the operation of the water purifier 100 according to the detection result will be described later with reference to FIG. 4 .

The sensor unit 170 is for sensing information necessary for controlling the operation of the water purifier 100 .

For example, the sensor unit 170 may include a current sensor that measures a feedback current of the motor 148 included in the auger module 140 .

The display unit 180 is for displaying operation-related information of the water purifier 100, and may be implemented as a display device such as an LED or LCD.

For example, the display unit 180 may display error display information and the like when the controller 160 determines that the product is abnormal.

4 is a flowchart of a control method of a water purifier having an ice making function according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4 , first, when an ice making operation by the auger module starts (S40), a feedback current of a motor included in the auger module may be measured (S41).

If the feedbacked motor current value is equal to or greater than the preset first current value (eg, 180 mA) (S42), the motor current value is sampled for a preset period of time (eg, 30 motor current values are sampled for 3 seconds) (S43), the difference between the maximum and minimum values of the sampled data can be calculated (S44). Here, the first current value represents a motor current value that is fed back in a restrained state of the auger module, and may be set differently according to the type of motor. In addition, the time and frequency of sampling the motor current value may also be variously changed.

If the calculated difference value is greater than the preset value (eg, Δ40mA) (S45), it is determined that the auger module is in an icing state, and the ice-making operation by the auger module is stopped for a preset time (eg, 40 minutes). Thus, the auger module can be naturally thawed (S46), and the error count can be increased once (S47). On the other hand, if the calculated difference value is less than the preset value, the above-described step S41 may be re-entered and the above-described step may be repeatedly performed. Here, the preset value represents the deviation of the motor current value that is fed back when the motor repeats forward rotation and reverse rotation, and may be set differently according to the type of motor. In addition, the time for naturally thawing the auger module may also be changed according to the ice making performance of the auger module, the external temperature, and the like.

Thereafter, when the error count is equal to or greater than a preset number of times (eg, 5 times) (S48), it is determined that the product is faulty and error display information may be provided through a display provided in the water purifier (S49). On the other hand, if the error count is less than the preset number of times, the above-described step S40 may be re-entered and the above-described steps may be repeatedly performed.

On the other hand, if the feedback motor current value is less than the preset first current value (eg, 180 mA) (S42), and furthermore, if the motor current value is less than the preset second current value (eg, 160 mA) (S50 ), it is determined that the auger module is naturally thawed and is in a normal state, and the error count may be initialized (S51). On the other hand, if the motor current value is less than the first current value or exceeds the second current value, the above-described step S41 may be re-entered and the above-described steps may be repeatedly performed.

As described above, according to the present invention, by detecting that the screw included in the auger module repeatedly performs forward rotation and reverse rotation based on the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the motor current value sampled for a predetermined time, the auger module The freezing state of the can be detected more accurately.

The present invention is not limited by the foregoing embodiments and accompanying drawings. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the components according to the present invention can be substituted, modified, and changed without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention.

100: water purifier
110: filter unit
120: constant storage unit
130: cold water and ice storage unit
140: auger module
145: cooler
150: extraction unit
160: control unit
170: sensor unit
180: display unit

Claims (12)

A cooling part in which a space in which the refrigerant flows is formed, a moving part formed in the inner space surrounded by the cooling part and accommodating and flowing the inflowing water, and separating ice generated in the flowing part by rotating in the flowing part an auger module including a separate conveying unit that operates and discharges and a motor that rotates the separate and transport unit;
a current sensor for measuring a feedback current of the motor; and
When the ice-making operation by the auger module starts, detecting the freezing state of the auger module based on the motor current value transmitted from the current sensor, and stopping the operation of the auger module for a predetermined time when the freezing state is detected Including a control unit for controlling,
The control unit samples the motor current value for a preset time if the motor current value is equal to or greater than the preset first current value, and if the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the sampled data is equal to or greater than the preset value, the auger module is in an icing state. judging
A water purifier with an ice-making function.
delete According to claim 1,
The water purifier having an ice making function in which the control unit increases an error count by one time when it is determined that the auger module is frozen.
According to claim 3,
wherein the control unit controls the auger module to perform an ice making operation again when the error count is less than a preset number of times.
According to claim 3,
The water purifier having an ice making function, wherein the control unit determines an abnormal state when the error count is equal to or greater than a preset number of times.
According to claim 5,
The water purifier with an ice making function further includes a display unit that displays error display information when the control unit determines that the state is abnormal.
According to claim 4,
wherein the control unit initializes the error count when the motor current value is equal to or less than a preset second current value.
In the control method of a water purifier having an auger module for generating ice by an auger-type ice making method,
measuring a feedback current of a motor included in the auger module when an ice making operation by the auger module is started;
sampling the motor current value for a preset period of time when the feedback motor current value is equal to or greater than the preset first current value;
determining that the auger module is in an icing state when a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of the sampled data is equal to or greater than a preset value; and
and controlling an operation of the auger module to stop for a predetermined time when it is determined that the auger module is frozen.
According to claim 8,
The method of controlling a water purifier having an ice making function further comprising increasing an error count once when it is determined that the auger module is frozen.
According to claim 9,
determining an abnormal state when the error count is equal to or greater than a preset number of times; and
A method of controlling a water purifier having an ice making function, further comprising displaying error display information when the abnormal state is determined.
According to claim 9,
Controlling the ice making operation by the auger module again when the error count is less than a preset number of times and measuring the feedback current of the motor included in the auger module again A method of controlling a water purifier having an ice making function .
According to claim 11,
and initializing the error count when the motor current value is equal to or less than a preset second current value.

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