KR20170035491A - Drinking water supplying device and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for controlling a drinking water supplying device, comprising: a first step of closing a flow passage in a mineral valve and operating a pump; a second step of stopping operation of the pump and opening the mineral valve when the device reaches set pressure and a third step of closing the flow passage in the mineral valve when preset time is elapsed.

Description

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

The present invention relates to a drinking water supply apparatus capable of providing a mineral water and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a drinking water supply apparatus and a control method thereof capable of providing stable water taste by mixing minerals stably in drinking water .

Generally, a drinking water supply device is a device that supplies drinking water to a user, which the user can drink. Such a drinking water supply device may be formed as a unique device, or may be formed to form a part of a household appliance such as a refrigerator.

The drinking water supply device can not only supply the drinking water at room temperature but also cool the drinking water flowing inside the drinking water supplying device using a cold water supplying device including a refrigeration cycle or heat the drinking water with a heater, It is also possible to supply the user with hot water.

Drinking water may be raw water supplied from ground water or water, and raw water supplied from water can be filtered by a separate filtering means such as a filter. However, the drinking water described below is not limited to the kind of the above-mentioned water in the meaning of drinking water.

Recently, the drinking water supply device is not limited to providing filtered water, cold water, or hot water to the user, but is designed to provide a function number that meets various needs of the user.

As an example, a drinking water supply device with a mineral supply module may be provided to provide the user with a predetermined amount of mineral-containing mineral water.

These minerals, along with proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins, are one of the five essential nutrients that are known to play an important role in biochemical (catalytic) action in the body, as well as in bone and teeth.

In particular, elements such as calcium (Ca), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and sodium (Na) are sufficient to supply only a small amount to the human body, but they can be considered essential mineral substances for smooth metabolism.

Mineral water containing these minerals can be carried out in the body as an auxiliary for health promotion, such as discharging waste accumulated in the body and promoting digestion.

In addition, when the drinking water contains a predetermined amount of minerals, the user can feel improved water taste when drinking the drinking water.

In order to generate such a mineral water, a mineral water supply module such as an electrolytic device, a mineral filter, or a device for directly supplying concentrated mineral to purified water may be installed in the drinking water supply device.

In order to directly supply the concentrated minerals to the water, there is a need for a mineral vessel containing concentrated minerals and a mineral supply line for connecting the mineral vessels and the drinking water supply line to add the concentrated minerals to the drinking water.

Since the air is contained in the pipe at the initial stage when the drinking water supply device is driven, when the user extracts the mineral water at the initial stage of driving, the mineral ratio varies depending on the mineral water.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem [8] Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a drinking water supply apparatus and a control method thereof, which provide mineral water mixed with minerals at a predetermined rate.

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a method for controlling a mineral valve comprising: a first step of closing a flow path in a mineral valve and driving a pump; A second step of stopping the driving of the pump and opening the mineral valve when the set pressure is reached; And closing the flow path of the mineral valve when the set time has elapsed.

The first step and the second step may be repeatedly performed a predetermined number of times.

In the first step, the air is compressed in the flow path to move the mineral into the flow path, and in the second step, air in the flow path can be discharged together with the mineral.

It is further possible that the initialization signal is input to the input unit by the user.

When power is supplied to the drinking water supply device, it is possible that the first step and the second step are performed.

The set pressure is usually equal to or greater than the pressure at which minerals are supplied.

It is possible that the set time is usually equal to or greater than the time when minerals are supplied.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blood pressure monitor comprising a first valve for opening and closing a flow path, and a flow rate sensor for sensing a flow rate of the drinking water, An outflow channel connected to a rear end of the first flow path for discharging the drinking water; A connection pipe connecting the first flow path and the outflow path; A second flow path provided with a pressure sensor for supplying minerals toward the connection pipe and measuring the pressure, and a second valve for opening and closing the flow path; A mineral container disposed at a front end of the second valve to receive concentrated mineral; A pump for applying pressure to the second flow path; And a controller for controlling the pump and the second valve to fill minerals in the second flow path.

The control unit may stop driving the pump and open the mineral valve when the set pressure is reached after closing the flow path in the second valve and drive the pump, and close the mineral valve when the set time has elapsed Do.

The control unit can repeatedly perform the process of the ninth aspect.

The control unit may further include an input unit to which an initialization signal is input by a user. When the initialization signal is input to the input unit, the control unit can perform the operation described in the ninth aspect.

When the power source is applied, the control unit can perform the operation described in the ninth claim.

The set pressure is usually equal to or greater than the pressure at which minerals are supplied.

It is possible that the set time is usually equal to or greater than the time when minerals are supplied.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide mineral water mixed with a certain proportion of minerals even in the early stage of being driven. Therefore, the water taste can be kept constant even when the drinking water supply device is used for the first time or after several times of use.

In addition, according to the present invention, in order to initialize the mixing of a certain percentage of minerals at the initial stage of driving, a user may request initialization or automatically perform initialization when power is applied.

1 is an external perspective view of a drinking water supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a conceptual view showing a structure and piping of a drinking water supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3 schematically illustrates a configuration of a mineral supply module according to one embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a control flow diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention;

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

The same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals regardless of the reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. For convenience of explanation, the size and the shape of each constituent member shown may be exaggerated or reduced.

Hereinafter, in defining the term, water before passing through the filter section is referred to as raw water, raw water filtered through the filter is referred to as a constant, and raw water or an integer containing minerals is defined as mineral water. In addition, both the raw water and the water constant can be defined as "drinking water" which indicates water that the user can drink.

Further, the front end and the rear end may refer to the upstream side and the downstream side with respect to the forward flow direction of the fluid. In this case, the forward flow direction refers to a direction in which the drinking water flows in the drinking water supply apparatus during the discharge of the drinking water out of the drinking water supply apparatus.

1 is an external perspective view of a drinking water supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, the drinking water supply apparatus 1 includes a cabinet 2 and a dispenser 3 forming an external shape, and the dispenser 3 means a space in which a user is supplied with drinking water. Accordingly, the dispenser 3 is generally formed in front of the cabinet 2. [

The dispenser 3 is provided with a cock 73 through which drinking water is discharged, and a second input unit 4 for operating the discharge of drinking water may be provided.

The second input unit 4 may be provided in the form of a lever which is operated by pushing or pulling by a user.

The user can push or pull the lever corresponding to the second input unit 4. [ For example, the user may push or push the lever in a state where the cup C is disposed below the cock 73, so that the drinking water discharged from the cock 73 can be contained in the cup C.

At this time, the drinking water supply device 1 can be driven in a real-time control mode. In the real time control mode, the drinking water supply device 1 can be controlled so that the drinking water is discharged through the cock 73 based on a time when the user pushes or pulls the lever.

That is, when the user operates the lever, the drinking water supply device 1 can be driven in the real time control mode.

On the other hand, the drinking water supply device 1 may further include a mineral supply module (see FIGS. 2 and 3) for supplying minerals to the drinking water discharged from the drinking water supply device 1.

That is, through the mineral supply module, the user can receive the mineral water containing the minerals from the drinking water supply device 1 in the drinking water.

At this time, the drinking water supply device 1 may further include a display unit 6 informing the replacement time of the mineral container provided in the mineral water supply module, the failure of the components, and the like. The display unit 6 is provided with a first input unit for inputting various information by the user so that the screen provided by the display unit 6 can be changed according to the information inputted by the user through the first input unit.

The display unit 6 may be provided in the form of a touch panel so that the user may be provided with the first input unit on the screen of the display unit 6. [ In addition, the first input unit may have the form of a button provided at an adjacent portion of the display unit 6.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the drinking water supply device is provided independently, but the drinking water supply device may be combined with a part of another device such as a refrigerator.

Hereinafter, a configuration and piping of a drinking water supply apparatus provided with a mineral water supply module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

2 is a conceptual view showing a structure and piping of a drinking water supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, the drinking water supply device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention converts raw water introduced into the drinking water supply device 1 through the external water supply source 10 into purified water via the filter part 20 .

The configuration of the filter unit 20 can be variously modified, and the filter unit 20 can be configured through a plurality of single filters 21, 22, and 23.

For example, the filter unit 20 may include a pre-carbon filter 21, a UF filter 22, and a post-carbon filter 23.

The purified water is discharged through the purified water pipe 30, the purified water supply valve 32, and the cock 73 to the outside of the drinking water supply apparatus 1 when the raw water is filtered through the filter unit 20 to generate purified water .

At this time, the drinking water supply device 1 may be configured to supply cold water or hot water according to a user's request.

The heated water supplied by heating the purified water is supplied to the first branched purified water pipe 301, the heating device 51, the hot water pipe 50, and the second branched water pipe 30 branched from the point A of the purified water pipe 30 located at the rear end of the filter unit 20, The hot water supply valve 52, and the cock 73. [0053]

The cold water to be supplied by cooling the purified water is supplied to the second branch purified water pipe 302, the cooling device 41, the cold water pipe 40, the cold water supply valve 42, (73).

For convenience of explanation, FIG. 2 shows an embodiment in which purified water, cold water and hot water are discharged through a single cock 73. However, it is also possible that each coke for water, cold water and hot water is provided, or one coke for pure water and cold water and another coke for hot water.

A cock valve 74 (hereinafter, also referred to as a "first valve") is provided on the rear end (that is, the downstream side) of the purified water supply valve 32, the cold water supply valve 42 and the hot water supply valve 52 .

The cock valve 74 may be connected to the distribution pipe 60. The distribution pipe 60 may be connected to the purified water pipe 30, the cold water pipe 40, and the hot water pipe 50, respectively.

An outflow pipe 70 to which purified water, cold water or hot water can be supplied may be provided at the rear end of the cock valve 74.

Water, cold water or hot water can be supplied to the distribution pipe 60 and purified water, cold water or hot water can be selectively supplied to the outflow pipe 70 when the cock 73 is opened through the single cock valve 74 Lt; / RTI >

Meanwhile, a mineralsupply module 100 for supplying minerals to the drinking water flowing into the outflow pipe 70 may be connected to the outflow pipe 70.

The mineral supply module 100 may be connected to one side of the outflow pipe 70 through a connection pipe 120 connected to the outflow pipe 70. At this time, the connection pipe 120 may be formed as a mineral water generating part in which drinking water and minerals are mixed.

The outflow pipe 70 has a first flow path 71 connected to the connection pipe 120 at a front end of the connection pipe 120 and a second flow path 71 connected to the connection pipe 120 at a rear end of the connection pipe 120. [ And a flow path 72.

When the coke valve 74 is opened, purified water, cold water or hot water flows into the first flow path 71 toward the coke 73 and flows into the connecting pipe 120 before being discharged through the coke 73 have.

That is, the first flow path 71 is disposed on the upstream side of the connection pipe 120 to supply drinking water such as purified water, cold water or hot water toward the connection pipe 120.

The outflow channel 72 is provided between the connection pipe 120 and the cock 73 so that the mineral water generated in the connection pipe 120 can be selectively discharged to the cock 73.

The mineral supply module 100 includes a mineral vessel 140, a pump 160 for pressurizing the mineral vessel 140, a second channel 110 connecting the connection vessel 120 and the mineral vessel 140, And a mineral valve 130 (hereinafter also referred to as a "second valve") provided on the second flow path 110.

The mineral supplied from the mineral supply module 100 to the connection pipe 120 may be a concentrated mineral having a high concentration.

The amount of minerals supplied from the mineral supply module 100 to the connection pipe 120 may be an important factor for determining the taste of the mineral water discharged through the coke 73.

At this time, the amount of minerals supplied from the mineral supply module 100 to the connection pipe 120 may be extremely small compared to the flow rate of the drinking water flowing through the connection pipe 120 (i.e., purified water, hot water or cold water) have.

Therefore, the connection pipe 120 may be provided with the fine flow path portion 121. That is, the concentrated minerals can be supplied to the drinking water flowing into the connection pipe 120 through the micro channel part 121.

For example, the connector tube 120 may be formed in a "T" shape.

The connection pipe 120 includes a mixing pipe 122 provided between the first flow path 71 and the outflow path 72 in parallel with the first flow path 71 and the outflow path 72, And a fine channel portion 121 formed to supply concentrated minerals toward the mixing pipe 122 in a direction perpendicular to the pipe 122.

Hereinafter, the specific structure of the mineral supply module 100 and the structure in which the mineral is supplied from the mineral supply module 100 to the outflow pipe 70 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

3 is a view schematically showing a configuration of a mineral supply module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, reference numeral 74 denoted by a cock valve in the upper part is denoted by a first valve.

2 and 3 together, the drinking water supply device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an outflow pipe 70 formed to allow the drinking water to flow, a flow rate sensor 75 configured to sense the flow rate of the drinking water, A second channel 110 formed to supply minerals toward the connection pipe 120, a mineral container 140 containing concentrated minerals, a second channel 110 formed to supply minerals toward the connection pipe 120, , And a pump 160 configured to press the mineral vessel 140.

The outflow pipe (70) may include a first flow path (71) and an outflow path (72). At this time, the first flow path 71 may be provided on the upstream side of the outflow channel 72.

Specifically, the first flow path 71 may be formed to allow drinking water to flow, and the first flow path 71 may include a first valve 74 formed to selectively open and close the first flow path 71 .

The flow sensor 75 may be configured to sense the flow rate of the drinking water flowing through the outflow pipe 70. More specifically, the flow rate sensor 75 may be configured to detect the flow rate of the drinking water flowing through the first flow path 71 in real time.

The flow sensor 75 may be provided in the purified water pipe 30 at the rear end of the filter unit 20 or may be provided in the first flow path 71. That is, the flow rate sensor 75 may be provided in a pipe or a flow path provided upstream of the connection pipe 120 to detect the flow rate of the drinking water.

The outflow channel 72 may be connected to the rear end of the first channel 71 to discharge drinking water. That is, the drinking water flows sequentially through the first flow path 71 and the outflow path 72, and can be discharged through the cock 73.

The connection pipe 120 may be formed to connect the first flow path 71 and the outlet flow path 72.

The connection pipe 120 may be formed in a T shape and includes a mixing pipe 122 for guiding drinking water having passed through the first flow path 71 to the outflow channel 72, And a fine channel portion 121 for forming a channel for concentrated minerals flowing toward the mixing pipe 122 in a direction perpendicular to the mixing pipe 122.

When the concentrated minerals are guided to the mixing pipe 122, the pressure of the concentrated minerals can be lowered while passing through the fine channel portion 121.

The cross-sectional diameter of the micro channel portion 121 may be smaller than the length of the micro channel portion 121. In addition, the cross-sectional area of the micro channel portion 121 may be smaller than the cross-sectional area of the mixing tube 122.

Therefore, the capacity of the concentrated mineral guided toward the mixing pipe 122 can be precisely controlled.

The second flow path 110 may be formed to supply minerals (for example, concentrated minerals) toward the connection pipe 120. That is, the second flow path 110 may be formed as a mineral supply pipe (or a mineral supply pipe).

One end of the second flow path 110 in the longitudinal direction may be connected to the connection pipe 120. More specifically, one end of the second flow path 110 in the longitudinal direction may be connected to the micro flow path portion 121 of the connection pipe 120.

Accordingly, the supply pressure of the concentrated minerals supplied through the second flow path 110 can be lowered by the fine flow path portion 121. That is, the micro channel section 121 functions to lower the supply pressure of the concentrated minerals supplied through the second channel 110.

Also, the second valve 110 may be provided with the second valve 130. The second valve (130) is formed to selectively open and close the second flow path (110).

The mineral vessel 140 may be configured to receive concentrated minerals. Also, the mineral container 140 may be connected to the connection pipe 120 through the second flow path 110.

That is, one end of the second flow path 110 in the longitudinal direction is connected to the connection pipe 120, and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the second flow path 110 may be connected to the mineral container 140.

The pump 160 may be configured to press the inside of the mineral container 140 to discharge the concentrated mineral contained in the mineral container 140 to the outside of the mineral container 140.

For example, the pump 160 may be an air pump. That is, the pump 160 may be an air pump configured to suck outside air and inject the outside air into the mineral vessel 140.

Accordingly, the pump 160 may suck external air and inject it into the mineral container 140 to raise the pressure in the mineral container 140.

That is, when external air is injected into the mineral vessel 140 by the driving of the pump 160, the concentrated minerals contained in the mineral vessel 140 due to a rise in the pressure in the mineral vessel 140, ). ≪ / RTI >

At this time, the concentrated mineral discharged out of the mineral vessel 140 flows into the second flow path 110, so that the pressure in the second flow path 110 can be increased. Since the inside of the mineral container 140 and the second flow path 110 are in communication with each other, the pressure in the mineral container 140 and the pressure in the second flow path 110 may be the same.

An injection hole 141 for injecting outside air into the mineral container 140 and a discharge hole 142 through which the concentrated mineral is discharged from the mineral container 140 are formed in the lower portion of the mineral container 140 .

Concretely, the concentrated mineral contained in the mineral container 140 is directed to the lower side of the mineral container 140 by gravity. At this time, since the injection hole 141 and the discharge hole 142 are formed on the lower side of the mineral vessel 140, the airtightness of the mineral vessel 140 can be improved.

More specifically, the drinking water supply apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a container fastening part 150 fastened to the mineral container 150 at a lower side of the mineral container 140.

At this time, the injection hole 141 and the discharge hole 142 may be formed at the lower end of the container coupling part 150.

The container coupling part 150 may include an air injection path 143 communicating with the injection hole 141 and a mineral discharge path 144 communicating with the discharge hole 142.

At this time, the injection hole 141 can communicate with the inside of the mineral vessel 140 through the air injection channel 143, and the discharge hole 142 can communicate with the mineral vessel 140 through the mineral discharge channel 144 140, respectively.

Since the pump 160, that is, the air pump, is formed to inject air into the mineral container 140, it is necessary to maintain the airtightness of the mineral container 140 in order to discharge the required amount of concentrated mineral from the mineral container 140 .

Since the mineral container 140 is disposed on the upper side of the container coupling part 150 and the injection hole 141 and the discharge hole 142 are provided on the lower end of the container coupling part 150 , The airtightness of the mineral container 140 can be improved.

In addition, an air filter 161 may be provided at the air inlet side of the pump 160. The air filter 161 controls the impurities contained in the air injected into the mineral vessel 140 through the pump 160. At this time, the air filter 161 may be formed of a hydrophobic member.

The connection line 162 connecting the pump 160 and the mineral container 140 (i.e., the container coupling unit 150) may be provided with a check fitting or a check valve 163.

The check fitting or check valve 163 prevents minerals from flowing back toward the pump 160 from the mineral container 140. This is because when the mineral flows back to the pump 160, the pump 160 may be damaged.

The second flow path 110 is provided with a pressure sensor 200. The pressure sensor 200 may measure a pressure inside the second flow path 110. When the pump 160 is driven, air is injected into the mineral container 140. Since the second flow path 110 is in communication with the mineral container 140, the pressure of the mineral container 140 The pressure of the second flow path 110 rises and the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 200 rises.

The embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a first valve (74) for opening and closing the flow path and a flow rate sensor (75) for sensing the flow rate of the drinking water are provided and includes a first flow path (71) for guiding drinking water, An outlet channel 72 connected to the rear end of the first flow path 71, a connection pipe 120 connecting the first flow path 71 and the outlet flow path 72, A second flow path 110 provided with a pressure sensor 200 for measuring the pressure and a second valve 130 for opening and closing the flow path and a second flow path 110 disposed at the front end of the second valve 130, A pump 160 for applying a pressure to the second flow path 110 and a second valve 130 for controlling the minerals 140, And a control unit 180 that fills up the data.

When the initialization operation is performed, the controller 180 closes the flow path from the second valve 130, drives the pump 160, stops driving the pump 160 when the set pressure is reached, The valve 130 is opened, and when the set time has elapsed, the mineral valve 130 is closed.

4 is a control flow diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, an initialization signal is input (S10).

At this time, the initialization signal can be input by the user through the first input unit. If the display unit 6 is able to input both the information of the information and the information in the form of a touch panel, the user touches the display unit 6 to select a menu for performing initialization, Can be input.

If the display unit 6 can not input information and can only provide information to the user, the display unit 6 may receive a signal requesting initialization through the first input unit disposed adjacent to the display unit 6, Can be input.

In addition, it is also possible to perform initialization when power is supplied to the drinking water supply device. The drinking water supply device is provided with cold water, hot water, etc., and must be supplied with electricity from an external power source since it must drive a pump or the like. When the drinking water supply device is initially installed and connected to an external power source, the control unit 180 may recognize that an initialization signal has been input.

Then, the flow path is closed at the mineral valve 130 (S20). Unless the drinking water supply device is newly connected to the external power source, the mineral valve 130 normally keeps the second flow path 110 in a closed state so that the minerals in the mineral container 140 are unnecessarily Thereby preventing leakage through the two flow paths 110 to the outside.

When the mineral valve 130 is closed, the pump 160 is driven (S30).

Since the mineral valve 130 is disposed at one end of the second flow path 110 when the mineral valve 130 closes the second flow path 110, And is compressed between the pump 160 and the mineral valve 130. The additional air supplied from the pump 160 is guided to the mineral container 140 and the mineral container 140 is communicated with the second flow path 110.

It is determined whether the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 200 installed in the second flow path 110 has reached the set pressure (S40).

At this time, it is preferable that the set pressure is usually equal to or greater than the pressure when the minerals are supplied. The inside of the second flow path 110 is raised to the set pressure by driving the pump 160. In this case, the minerals in the mineral container 140 should be moved to the second flow path 110 .

At this time, if air or air exists in the second flow path 110, the air is compressed while the pressure inside the second flow path 110 is increased, and the mineral inside the mineral container 140 is moved to the empty space.

When the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 200 reaches the set pressure, the driving of the pump 160 is stopped, so that the pressure inside the second flow path 110 is no longer increased (S50). If the excessive pressure is supplied to the second flow path 110 by the pump 160, leakage may occur in the second flow path 110 or a problem may occur in another system.

When the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 200 reaches the set pressure, the mineral valve 130 is opened (S60).

Since the mineral valve 130 is disposed at one end of the second flow path 110, when the flow path is opened in the mineral valve 130, the inside of the second flow path 110 is communicated with the outside. Therefore, when the second valve 110 is opened and the pressure of the second valve 110 is higher than that of the second valve 110, the pressure of the second valve 110 is equal to the pressure of the second valve 110, have. Also, the air in the second flow path 110 may be discharged together with the minerals.

Accordingly, air that may be present in the second flow path 110 may be initially discharged to the outside so that air is finally removed from the second flow path 110, or only a minute amount of air is removed, Can be filled with minerals.

The mineral valve 130 is opened for a predetermined time (S70).

It is preferable that the set time is usually equal to or greater than the time when the minerals are supplied. When the mineral valve 130 opens the second flow path 110, a time margin is required to sufficiently discharge the air present in the second flow path 110. Such a time is required when the conventional mineral water is supplied Because it requires a time equal to or greater than the time.

If it is determined that the set time has elapsed, it is detected whether the steps S20 to S70 are repeated the predetermined number of times (S80).

At this time, if the set number of times is increased, the reliability of the initialization is increased. On the other hand, if the set number of times is decreased, the reliability may be lowered, but the operation efficiency may be increased. When the above steps S20 to S70 are performed, the minerals contained in the mineral container 140 are discharged in a state that they are not included in the drinking water consumed by the user, so that the minerals may be discarded.

Accordingly, the set number of times may be set differently depending on the situation by the operator or the user, or may be changed later.

Then, the mineral valve 130 is closed (S90). When the mineral valve 130 is closed, the second flow path 110 is sealed to the outside, and air can be prevented from flowing from the outside through the mineral valve 130.

Meanwhile, when the initialization operation is completed, information indicating that the initialization is completed can be displayed through the display unit 6. Of course, if there is a sound generating apparatus capable of generating sound, it is also possible to provide information to the user that the initialization is completed through the sound generating apparatus.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when mineral water is extracted at an early stage of using the drinking water supply device, for example, by replacing a mineral container, applying power to a drinking water supply device, exchanging other accessories, or other reasons, In a situation where air can be contained in the discharged flow path, the air can be discharged to the outside to keep the minerals contained in the mineral water at a predetermined ratio.

Therefore, the user can maintain a constant ratio of minerals when extracting mineral water for the first time and after extracting the mineral water for a long time, so that the mineral water can have a constant water taste in the initial or time-lapse situations.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

1 Drinking water supply 71 First flow
74 1st valve 75 Flow sensor
100 mineral supply module 110 second flow path
130 second valve 160 pump
180 control unit 200 pressure sensor

Claims (14)

A first step of closing the flow path in the mineral valve and driving the pump;
A second step of stopping the driving of the pump and opening the mineral valve when the set pressure is reached;
And closing the flow path of the mineral valve when the set time has elapsed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first step and the second step are repeatedly performed a predetermined number of times. The method according to claim 1,
In the first step, minerals are moved into the flow path while air is compressed in the flow path,
Wherein the air in the flow path is discharged along with the mineral in the second step. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising the step of inputting an initialization signal to the input unit by the user. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first step and the second step are performed when power is supplied to the drinking water supply device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the set pressure is generally equal to or greater than a pressure at which minerals are supplied. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the set time is usually equal to or greater than a time when minerals are supplied. A first valve for opening and closing the flow path, and a flow rate sensor for sensing a flow rate of the drinking water, the first flow path for guiding the drinking water;
An outflow channel connected to a rear end of the first flow path for discharging the drinking water;
A connection pipe connecting the first flow path and the outflow path;
A second flow path provided with a pressure sensor for supplying minerals toward the connection pipe and measuring the pressure, and a second valve for opening and closing the flow path;
A mineral container disposed at a front end of the second valve to receive concentrated mineral;
A pump for applying pressure to the second flow path;
And a controller for controlling the pump and the second valve to fill minerals in the second flow path. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein,
Wherein the controller stops the driving of the pump and opens the mineral valve when the set pressure is reached, and closes the mineral valve when the set time has elapsed after closing the flow path of the second valve and driving the pump. Device. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein,
The drinking water supply device as recited in claim 9, wherein the process is repeatedly performed. 10. The method of claim 9,
Further comprising an input unit to which an initialization signal is input by a user,
Wherein when the initialization signal is input to the input unit, the control unit performs the operation described in the ninth aspect. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein when the power is applied, the control unit performs the operation described in claim 9. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the set pressure is usually equal to or greater than a pressure at which minerals are supplied. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the set time is usually equal to or greater than a time when minerals are supplied.

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