KR20170125448A - Water treatment apparatus and operating method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a water treatment apparatus and an operating method thereof. The operating method of the water treatment apparatus having a sterilization function sequentially sterilizes a storage tank storing purified water, a flow path connected to the storage tank and a faucet extracting purified water provided from the storage tank through the flow path using sterilization water. The operating method comprises the following steps: initiating drainage of purified water stored in the storage tank if the sterilization function is initiated; stopping drainage of the storage tank if a signal of a first water level sensor stored in the storage tank is not sensed and initiating supply of the purified water to the storage tank again; and determining outage and terminating the sterilization function if predetermined time elapses while the signal of the first water level sensor is sensed after water supply of the purified water is initiated again.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a water processor,

The present application relates to a water processor and its method of operation.

A water purifier is a device for purifying raw water supplied from outside and providing purified water. A storage tank for storing purified water in a water purifier, a flow path for flowing purified water and a faucet for extracting purified water can be contaminated by bacteria or microorganisms have.

In order to solve such a problem, researches on a water purifier for sterilizing a storage tank, a flow path, and a faucet using sterilized water are underway.

In order to sterilize the inside of the water purifier by using the sterilizing water, water must be supplied from the outside. If a single number is generated at the start of the sterilizing function, it is difficult to normally perform the sterilizing operation.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a method for judging singularity at the time of starting the sterilizing function.

In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a water processor.

Wherein the water processor includes at least one filter and includes a filter unit for filtering and purifying raw water supplied from the outside; A sterilizing water supply unit for generating sterilizing water using purified water filtered through at least one filter included in the filter unit; A storage tank for storing purified water purified by the filter unit and receiving the sterilized water generated by the sterilization water treatment; A first water level sensor and a second water level sensor for sensing a first water level and a second water level of the storage tank, respectively; An extraction unit for providing a user with a purified water or a cold water provided from the storage tank through a purified water channel or a cold water channel; And when the sterilizing function is started manually or automatically, the purified water in the storage tank is drained, and the purified water is re-watered, and it is determined whether the water is singular based on the detection signal by the first water level sensor And a control unit.

Meanwhile, another embodiment of the present invention provides a method of operating a water processor.

The operation method of the water processor includes a storage tank for storing purified water, a flow path connected to the storage tank, and a sterilizing function for sequentially sterilizing the faucet for extracting purified water provided from the storage tank through the flow path, The method comprising: initiating a multiples of an integer stored in the storage tank when the sterilization function is initiated; Stopping the drainage of the storage tank if the signal of the first level sensor installed in the storage tank is not sensed and initiating re-supply of purified water to the storage tank; And terminating the sterilization function when a predetermined time elapses after the start of the re-supply of the purified water and the signal of the first level sensor is not sensed.

In addition, the means for solving the above-mentioned problems are not all enumerating the features of the present invention. The various features of the present invention and the advantages and effects thereof will be more fully understood by reference to the following specific embodiments.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the sterilizing function is started, it is judged whether or not it is singular, and when it is judged that it is singular, the sterilizing operation is not performed, so that malfunction due to singularity can be prevented.

1 is a configuration diagram of a water processor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a flowchart of a method of operating a water processor according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in order that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear. In the drawings, like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings.

In addition, in the entire specification, when a part is referred to as being 'connected' to another part, it may be referred to as 'indirectly connected' not only with 'directly connected' . Also, to "include" an element means that it may include other elements, rather than excluding other elements, unless specifically stated otherwise.

The water treatment apparatus can be used for various purposes such as processing industrial wastewater or water, producing ultrapure water, or the like (including for business use) (including business use), but the present invention particularly relates to a water treatment apparatus used for drinking. In this way, the water processor for drinking water collects raw water (constant water) and generates purified water for drinking, so it may be collectively referred to as a water purifier in a narrow sense. The water purifier is configured to supply raw water (constant water) to the user, which is filtered at the filter unit, and can provide hot water and / or cold water to the user by heating / cooling the purified water at room temperature do.

In addition, not only water but also various functional water such as ionized water, carbonated water, and oxygenated water are supplied to the water handler for drinking. In addition, there are a water heater, a water cooler, and an ice maker which heat or cool water supplied from a bucket or the like or generate ice. Therefore, in the present specification, the term "water treatment unit" is used generically to refer to the water purifier, the functional water heater, the water heater, the water cooler, the ice maker, and the like and a device having a combination of these functions. However, the water purifier may be used as an example of the water processor according to the present invention.

The water processor 100 according to the present invention will be described below. The water processor 100 purifies raw water, which is introduced through a raw water supply unit W, through various filters and supplies purified purified water (hereinafter, (Hereinafter referred to as " water purifier ") in a separate storage space and then to discharge it to the outside.

The water processor 100 filters raw water such as tap water or natural water through filters provided in the filter unit 110 to remove particulate impurities, heavy metals, and other harmful substances contained in the raw water.

In addition, the water treatment apparatus 100 to which the present invention is applied does not require the addition of a separate 'germicidal agent' or 'chloride', and electrolyzes the filtered water through at least a part of the filter unit 110 (Hereinafter referred to as " oxidation-reduction reaction ") to generate sterilized water containing a substance having a sterilizing function such as mixed oxidant (MO) So that the storage tank 130 and the passage through which the sterilizing water flows can be sterilized and cleaned. In addition, the water treatment apparatus 100 to which the present invention is applied can electrolyze water flowing into the sterilizing water treatment unit 120 without adding a chloride such as a chloride supply unit, thereby sterilizing water containing a high- Can be generated.

1 is a configuration diagram of a water processor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, a water processor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a filter unit 110, a sterilizing water supply unit 120, a storage tank 130, a cold water extraction pump 140, 150, a powder sterilizer 160, an auxiliary tank 170, a drain pump 180, a controller 190, and one or more valves V1 to V6.

The filter unit 110 may include a sediment filter, a pre-carbon filter, a reverse osmosis membrane filter, and a post-carbon filter. The filter unit 110 includes at least one filter, The number and order can be changed according to the filtering method of the water processor (water purifier) or the filtering performance required of the water processor (water purifier). For example, a hollow fiber membrane filter may be provided instead of the reverse osmosis membrane filter. Such a hollow fiber membrane filter is a porous filter having a pore size of several tens to several hundred nanometers (nm), and it removes contaminants in water through numerous micropores distributed on the membrane surface. In addition, a post-carbon filter may not be provided, or a micro filter MF or another functional filter may be provided in place of or in addition to the above-described filter.

A valve V1 for controlling the inflow of raw water into the filter unit 110 may be installed at the front end of the filter unit 110. [

The sterilizing water supply unit 120 includes a sterilizing material such as an oxidizing mixed material (MO) through electrolysis using purified water through at least one filter provided in the filter unit 110 Can be produced.

In this sterilization water treatment unit 120, water is passed between electrodes having different polarities, thereby sterilizing or destroying the microorganisms or bacteria remaining in the water. In general, the sterilization of water by electrolysis involves direct oxidation which directly oxidizes the microorganisms in the anode and various mixed oxidants (MO: Mixed Oxidant) such as residual chlorine, ozone, OH radical, oxygen Radicals and the like oxidize the microorganisms.

In addition, a valve V2 for controlling the inflow of the purified water into the sterilizing water dispenser 120 may be installed at the front end of the sterilizing water dispenser 120.

The storage tank 130 may receive the sterilized water flowing from the sterilization water supply unit 120 through the filter unit 110, stores the purified water, and selectively discharges the purified water.

For example, the storage tank 130 may store the purified water at room temperature and the cold water that has cooled some of the purified water through the filter unit 110. In this case, And a second storage unit 132 for forming a storage space for storing the cold water. However, the storage tank 130 may be formed as a storage space for storing only constants at room temperature, and the first storage unit 131 and the second storage unit 132 may be independent tanks.

The first and second storage units 131 and 132 may be partitioned in the vertical direction while being interconnected. The first storage unit 131 may be located on the upper side and the second storage unit 132 may be divided into the first and second storage units 131 and 132, And may be located below the storage unit 131. [ Here, the first and second storage units 131 and 132 are partitioned in a vertical direction through barrier ribs (not shown) and can communicate with each other.

The first storage unit 131 may be provided with one or more level sensors S1 and S2 for sensing the level of the constant and outputting the detection signal to the controller 190. [ Here, the water level sensor includes a low level sensor S1 for sensing a low level of an integer level, that is, a low level level at which an integer level is re-supplied in the first storage unit 131, and a low level sensor S1 for detecting an upper level, (S2) for sensing the temperature of the water. However, the number and position of the water level sensors can be changed variously according to the specific control method of the water processor (water purifier).

The second storage unit 132 is provided with a cooling unit (not shown) for cooling the purified water flowing from the first storage unit 131. The cooling unit may be a cooling coil, for example.

Meanwhile, as described above, the first storage unit 131 and the second storage unit 132 may be independent tanks. In this case, the purified water stored in the first storage unit 131 is transferred to the second storage unit 132 through a separate flow path, or transferred to the ice tray or the like to be transferred to the second storage unit 132 It is possible.

The cold water extraction pump 140 may be installed on the cold water channel for providing cold water so that the cold water stored in the second storage unit 132 of the storage tank 130 may be supplied to the extraction unit 150 .

The cold water extraction pump 140 may be implemented by a motor, for example, a DC motor capable of controlling an operation speed using an input voltage or an AC motor capable of controlling an operation speed through frequency control.

The extraction unit 150 is for providing a user with an integer or a cold constant provided from the storage tank 130 through the purified water passage or the cold water passage, and may be implemented as a faucet, for example.

In addition, valves (V3, V4) for controlling purified water or cold water to be extracted may be installed on the purified water channel and the cold water channel connected to the extracting unit 150, respectively.

The powder sterilizer 160 is moved to the lower end of the extractor 150, that is, the powder sterilizer 150 under the control of the controller 190 to store the sterilization water supplied through the purified water channel and the cold water channel, Sterilization of the set is performed.

According to one embodiment, the powders sterilizing unit 160 may be configured such that the extracting unit 150 is exposed to the outside while the sterilizing operation is not performed, that is, while the extraction of the purified water or the cold water is possible. Can be located on one side. When the sterilizing function is initiated, the powder sterilizer 160 moves (eg, slides) to the lower end of the extractor 150 so as to cover the extractor 150 under the control of the controller 190 .

The powder sterilizing unit 160 may be configured in the form of a tray capable of storing sterilizing water provided through the purified water passage or the cold water passage when the sterilizing operation is performed. By the sterilizing water stored in the powder sterilizing unit 160 Sterilization of the powders can be carried out.

In addition, for example, a mesh-shaped net is provided inside the powder sterilizing unit 160 to prevent the sterilization water supplied through the extracting unit 150 from quickly flowing out to the auxiliary tank 170, .

The auxiliary tank 170 may be connected to the powder sterilizing unit 160 to store sterilizing water flowing from the powder sterilizing unit 160.

The drain pump 180 is installed on the drainage line drained to the drain D from the storage tank 130 or the auxiliary tank 170 and is connected to the drainage pipe 130 through the water / So that the sterilization water is drained to the drain (D). The drain pump 180 may be implemented by a motor, for example, a DC motor capable of controlling an operation speed using an input voltage or an AC motor capable of controlling an operation speed through frequency control.

Valves V5 and V6 for controlling the opening and closing of the drainage passage may be provided on the drainage passage drained to the drain D from the storage tank 130 or the auxiliary tank 170. [

The controller 190 controls the overall operation of the water processor 100 and includes a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA).

The control unit 190 controls the opening and closing of one or more valves V1 to V6 provided in the water processor 100 and the opening and closing of the cold water extraction pump 140, the powder sterilizing unit 160, and the drain pump 180 Or the like to provide the user with an integer or cold water, or to sterilize the storage tank 130, the purified water or the cold water flow path, and the extraction unit 150.

When the sterilizing function is started, the controller 190 drains the purified water stored in the storage tank 130 and re-supplies the purified water. Then, in response to the detection signal from the water level sensors S1 and S2, It is possible to control the sterilization operation to be performed by controlling the sterilization water to be supplied to the storage tank 130 if the number is not a single number, or to terminate the sterilization function if it is judged to be a single number.

A concrete procedure for determining whether the controller 190 is singular will be described later with reference to FIG.

2 is a flowchart of a method of operating a water processor according to another embodiment of the present invention.

2, the control unit of the water processor opens the valve V5 on the drain passage and opens the drain pump 180 when the sterilizing function is automatically initiated by the user's operation manually or under predetermined conditions (S205) To start a multiple of the integer stored in the storage tank 130 (S210).

Thereafter, while the water level of the low-level sensor S1 is not sensed, that is, until the water level of the storage tank 130 falls below the low-water level sensor S1, the signal of the low-level sensor S1 is not sensed The valve V5 is closed and the operation of the drain pump 180 is stopped to stop the drainage of the storage tank 130 and then the valve V1 on the flow path to which the raw water is supplied is opened to open the storage tank 130, (S220). ≪ / RTI >

Thereafter, the water supply is continued until the signal of the low-level sensor S1 is sensed, that is, until the water level of the storage tank 130 rises above the low-water level sensor S1. When the signal of the low- level sensor S1 is sensed ), It is determined that the sterilizing operation can be performed normally, and the sterilizing operation is performed. Specifically, the water supply to the storage tank 130 is stopped, and the valve V2 provided at the front end of the sterilization water supply unit 120 is opened to start sterilization water supply to the storage tank 130 (S230). Thereafter, the water supply continues until the signal of the full water level sensor S2 is sensed, that is, until the water level of the storage tank 130 rises above the full water level sensor S2. When the signal of the full water level sensor S2 is sensed The water sterilization water supply is stopped and the sterilization water is used to perform the sterilization operation in the order of the storage tank 130, the purified water and the cold water flow path, and the extraction unit 150 (S240).

On the other hand, after the water supply to the storage tank 130 is started (S220) and a predetermined time (for example, 20 minutes) elapses after the signal of the low-water level sensor S1 is not sensed (S245) And the sterilization function is immediately terminated without watering the sterilization water.

The operation method of the water processor described above with reference to FIG. 2 can be performed by a processor included in the water processor.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

100: water processor
110:
120: sterilized hand-made study
130: Storage tank
140: cold water extraction pump
150:
160: Powder sterilization part
170: auxiliary tank
180: Drain pump
190:
W: raw water supplier
D: drain
V1 to V6: Valve
S1, S2: Water level sensor

Claims (7)

An operation method of a water processor having a sterilizing function for sequentially sterilizing a faucet for extracting purified water from the storage tank through a flow path connected to the storage tank and a storage tank for storing purified water, As a result,
When the sterilization function is initiated, initiating a multiple of the purified water stored in the storage tank;
Stopping the drainage of the storage tank if the signal of the first level sensor installed in the storage tank is not sensed and initiating re-supply of purified water to the storage tank; And
And when the predetermined time has elapsed after the first water level sensor has not sensed the signal after the water re-supply of the purified water has started, it is determined that the first water level sensor is in the singular value and the sterilization function is terminated.
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising the step of supplying sterilizing water to the storage tank to perform a sterilization operation when a signal of the first water level sensor is sensed after the restart of the purified water is started.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein performing the sterilization operation further comprises:
And a sterilization unit for sterilizing the sterilization water in the storage tank, the flow channel and the faucet sequentially by stopping the water supply of the sterilization water when a signal of the second water level sensor is sensed after the start of the water supply of the sterilization water How it works.
A filter unit including at least one filter and filtering the raw water supplied from the outside to purify the raw water;
A sterilizing water supply unit for generating sterilizing water using purified water filtered through at least one filter included in the filter unit;
A storage tank for storing purified water purified by the filter unit and receiving the sterilized water generated by the sterilization water treatment;
A first water level sensor and a second water level sensor for sensing a first water level and a second water level of the storage tank, respectively;
An extraction unit for providing a user with a purified water or a cold water provided from the storage tank through a purified water channel or a cold water channel; And
A controller for determining whether the water stored in the storage tank is singular based on a detection signal from the first water level sensor while rehydrating the water after draining the water stored in the storage tank, ≪ / RTI >
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the control unit determines that the water level of the first water level sensor is not sensed after the water re-supply is started, and terminates the sterilizing function when a predetermined time elapses.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the control unit controls the sterilization operation so that sterilization water is supplied to the storage tank when a signal of the first level sensor is sensed after the water re-supply is started.
The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the control unit stops water supply of the sterilized water when a signal of the second water level sensor is sensed after the water supply of the sterilized water is started and stops the supply of the sterilized water to the storage tank, And a controller for controlling the sterilizing unit to sequentially sterilize the extracting unit.

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