KR20230003949A - Ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and leaks - Google Patents

Abstract

An objective of the present invention is to provide an ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and leakage which can stop the operation of an ice water purifier in case of serious leakage and control to continue the operation of the water purifier in case of condensation or minute leakage. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and leakage comprises: an ice making unit making ice; a drain tank installed underneath the ice making unit to store drainage water of the ice making unit; a base plate arranged on the lower side of the internal space of a water purifier to collect condensation or leakage water; and a drain pump to discharge drainage water in the drain tank or water of a water collection part to the outside. The drain tank and the water collection part are connected to the drain pump via a solenoid valve. The solenoid valve is connected to the drain tank through a first water inlet line, is connected to the water collection part of the base plate through a second water inlet line, and is connected to the drain pump through a drain line.

Description

Ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and leakage {ICE WATER PURIFIER CAPABLE OF DETECTING CONDENSATION AND LEAKS}

The present invention relates to an ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and leakage.

Recently, the use of ice water purifiers in each home or office is increasing. The ice water purifier is installed at one end of the water supply pipe through which raw water is supplied, receives the raw water, filters impurities contained in the raw water, and supplies the purified raw water as cold or hot water. In general, a water purification tank that stores the purified water in the upper part of the housing. , A cold water/ice-making tank that receives and stores purified water from the water purification tank at the bottom of the housing, an ice-making means disposed between the purified water tank and the cold water/ice-making water tank and generating ice by receiving purified water from the cold water/ice-making tank, cold water/ice-making It includes a pair of ice bins disposed on both sides of the lower part of the water tank to accommodate the types of ice produced.

However, condensation may occur on the surface of these components of the ice water purifier due to a temperature difference from room temperature during operation, and water may drip downward due to leakage at the joint between parts, causing problems in product performance.

Although there may be differences among manufacturers of water purifiers, some water purifiers have a wide, flat base plate at the bottom of the inside of the water purifier to support condensation or water leakage from components such as an ice making unit or a connection passage. In addition, a flow sensor or the like is installed close to the base plate to automatically close the valve of the raw water supply line when water collection is detected on the plate to cut off the water supply to the water purifier to prevent continuous leakage.

Prior art: Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1116297

By the way, according to the prior art, if the water collected on the base plate is caused by a serious leak, the water purifier operation is automatically stopped to prevent product failure, but due to minor defects such as condensation or micro leaks, Even if it occurs, it is mistaken for a serious water leakage phenomenon and the product operation is stopped, so there is an inconvenient problem in that the user cannot use the product.

The present invention was created to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to distinguish and detect major leaks caused by component defects and simple condensation or micro leaks, thereby stopping the operation of the ice water purifier in the case of major leaks and In the case of condensation or micro-leakage, it is possible to control the operation of the water purifier to continue, and to provide an ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and water leakage.

The present invention relates to an ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and water leakage, wherein major water leakage caused by defects in components, etc., and simple condensation or micro water leakage are separately detected, and when it is determined to be a major water leak, the ice water purifier is stopped, The present invention relates to an ice water purifier that operates to discharge collected water without stopping operation when condensation or micro-leakage is determined.

An ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and leakage according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object includes an ice making unit that generates ice; a drain tank installed under the ice making unit to store drain water from the ice making unit; a base plate disposed below the inner space of the water purifier to collect condensation or water leakage; and a drainage pump for discharging water from the drainage tank or water collection unit to the outside, wherein the drainage tank and the water collection unit communicate with the drainage pump via a solenoid valve, and the solenoid valve is connected to a first inlet line. It is connected to the drain tank through a second inlet line, connected to the water collector of the base plate through a second inlet line, and connected to the drain pump through a drain line.

In addition, the drain pump may discharge drain water in the drain tank to the outside or discharge condensation or water leakage collected in the collecting part of the base plate to the outside.

In addition, a control unit including a first detection sensor and a second detection sensor for detecting whether water is collected on the base plate, receiving a condensation or leak detection signal from the detection sensor and controlling the operation of the drain pump or the raw water valve; When a condensation or water leakage detection signal is received from the first detection sensor, the control unit drives and controls the drainage pump to discharge the water collected in the collecting part of the base plate to the outside, and from the second detection sensor. When a signal for detecting condensation or water leakage is received, the raw water valve may be closed and controlled to stop the ice making operation of the ice making unit.

In addition, the first detection sensor is located at a first height from the base plate to detect when the water surface due to water leakage or condensation reaches a first height, and the control unit receives a detection signal from the first detection sensor Recognizes this as condensation or micro-leakage, and the second detection sensor is located at a second height higher than the first height to detect when the water surface due to leak or condensation reaches a second height, and the control unit detects this at a second height. When a detection signal is received from the detection sensor, it may be recognized as water leakage.

In addition, a barrier rib surrounding the water collecting portion of the base plate may be formed, and the barrier rib may have a mesh structure in which a plurality of through holes are formed.

In addition, the control unit may recognize this as water leakage when a detection signal is received at least N times from the first detection sensor for a predetermined time.

In addition, the N times may be three times.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, major leaks caused by defects in components, etc., and simple condensation or micro leaks are separately detected, and if it is determined to be a major leak, the ice water purifier stops operating and if it is determined to be condensation or micro leaks has an advantage of discharging the collected water to the outside while maintaining the ice water purifier in a usable state by operating to discharge the collected water instead of stopping the operation.

1 is a conceptual diagram showing the internal structure of an ice water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1 .
3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2 .
4 is a conceptual diagram of an ice water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of the present invention are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those skilled in the art, and the following examples may be modified in many different forms, and the scope of the present invention is as follows It is not limited to the examples. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the spirit of the invention to those skilled in the art.

In addition, in the following drawings, the thickness or size of each layer is exaggerated for convenience and clarity of explanation, and the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in the drawings. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any one and all combinations of one or more of the listed items. In addition, the meaning of "connected" in the present specification means not only when member A and member B are directly connected, but also when member A and member B are indirectly connected by interposing member C between member A and member B. do. Terms used in this specification are used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular form may include the plural form unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Also, when used herein, “comprise, include” and/or “comprising, including” refers to a referenced form, number, step, operation, member, element, and/or group thereof. presence, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other shapes, numbers, operations, elements, elements and/or groups.

In this specification, terms such as first and second are used to describe various members, components, regions, layers and/or portions, but these members, components, regions, layers and/or portions are limited by these terms. It is self-evident that These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first member, component, region, layer or section described in detail below may refer to a second member, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

Space-related terms such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” and “upper” are associated with an element or feature shown in a drawing. It can be used for easy understanding of other elements or features. Terminology related to this space is for easy understanding of the present invention according to various process conditions or use conditions of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. For example, if an element or feature in a figure is turned over, an element or feature described as "lower" or "below" becomes "above" or "above." Accordingly, "below" is a concept encompassing "upper" or "below".

1 is a conceptual diagram showing the internal structure of an ice water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. It is a conceptual diagram of an ice water purifier according to Hereinafter, an ice water purifier 100 capable of detecting condensation and leakage according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

An ice water purifier 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an ice making unit 110 that generates ice, a drain tank 120 installed below the ice making unit 110 to store drain water from the ice making unit 110, It includes a base plate 130 disposed on the lower side of the inner space of the water purifier to collect condensation or water leakage, and a drain pump 140 for discharging water from the drain or water collection unit 131 in the drain tank 120 to the outside. .

The ice making unit 110 communicates with at least one of a purified water tank and a cold water tank, receives purified water from the tank (not shown), and generates ice. The generated ice is stored in an ice storage inside the ice making unit 110 , and residual ice making water or wastewater generated during the ice making process is collected in the drain tank 120 outside and below the ice making unit 110 .

The drain pump 140 must be used to discharge the ice-making water remaining in the drain tank 120 to the outside, and for this purpose, the drain pump 140 is in communication with the drain tank 120. At this time, according to an embodiment of the present invention, residual ice-making water or wastewater in the drain tank 120 enters the drain pump 140 via the solenoid valve 150. The solenoid valve 150 is connected to the drain tank 120 through the first intake line 151 and connected to the water collector 131 of the base plate 130 through the second intake line 152, and is connected to the drain line It is connected to the drain pump 140 through 153.

Basically, when the drain pump 140 is driven, residual ice-making water in the drain tank 120 flows into the solenoid valve 150 along the first inlet line 151, and the valve provided inside the solenoid valve 150 ( For example, the flow is discharged to the drain pump 140 along the drain line 153 by opening the passage of a 2-way valve). On the other hand, in the solenoid valve 150, the second inlet line 152 is connected to the water collector 131 of the base plate 130 separately from the first inlet line 151, so that ice water or waste water in the drain tank 120 is connected. Apart from flowing to the drain pump 140 along the drain line 153, the water collected in the water collector 131 due to condensation/micro leak/major leak from the base plate 130 is sucked into the drain line 153. It can be sent to the drainage pump 140 along the.

The base plate 130 is disposed on the lower side of the inner space of the water purifier, and the base plate 130 collects condensation or water leakage when condensation occurs in one or more internal components installed above it or water leakage occurs at a branch point of a flow path. play a role The base plate 130 may have a plate shape with a flat bottom, and edge walls may be formed along the edge for smooth water collection. More preferably, one region of the water collector 131 is provided with a groove (not shown) that is recessed lower than the surrounding area so that condensation or leakage can be easily stored, and the area around the groove is inclined downward toward the groove. It can be designed as a structure that makes up.

As described above, in the ice water purifier 100 of the present invention, residual ice-making water collected in the drain tank 120 is basically discharged to the outside through the drain pump 140 when the solenoid valve 150 is opened. Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, apart from the discharge of residual ice-making water from the drain tank 120, major leakage or simple condensation or micro-leakage due to defects in internal components of the ice water purifier 100 When water is accumulated inside the water purifier, it discharges it to the outside, and the first detection sensor 161 and the second detection sensor 162 detect whether or not water is collected on the base plate 130 in order to discharge condensation or leakage. , utilizes the drainage pump 140 described above.

Specifically, the ice water purifier 100 of the present invention includes a first detection sensor 161 that detects whether or not water is collected on the base plate 130 . The first detection sensor 161 is a type of water leakage detection sensor, and the sensing unit at the end is located at a position close to the base plate 130, that is, at a first height from the base plate 130. When the height of the water surface reaches the first height while the water collects in the water collector 131 of the base plate 130, the water surface contacts the sensing unit, and the first detection sensor 161 recognizes it as condensation or water leakage to prevent condensation or water leakage. generate a detection signal. When water collects in the water collection unit 131 and the water surface contacts the sensing unit, the first detection sensor 161 generates a signal for detecting condensation or water leakage.

The detection signal of the first detection sensor 161 is transmitted to the control unit, and when the control unit receives the condensation or water leakage detection signal from the first detection sensor 161 , it recognizes it as condensation or fine water leakage. Since the first detection sensor 161 is disposed at a first height close to the base plate 130, water rising to the first height is considered to be due to condensation or micro-leakage. When receiving the detection signal of the first detection sensor 161, the control unit applies a valve opening signal to the solenoid valve 150 and simultaneously applies an operation signal to the drainage pump 140 to control driving. Accordingly, the water rising to the first height in the water collector 131 of the base plate 130 is discharged to the outside. According to this operating mechanism, when water is detected at the first height of the base plate 130, it is regarded as a fine leak or condensation rather than a serious leak, and is discharged to the outside, but the operation of the ice making unit 110 remains the same. keep

Meanwhile, the ice water purifier 100 of the present invention further includes a second detection sensor 162 for detecting whether or not water is collected on the base plate 130 . The second detection sensor 162 is a type of water leakage detection sensor, and the sensing unit at the end is located at a second height from the base plate 130, and the second height is higher than the first height. If water continuously accumulates in the collecting part 131 of the base plate 130 or rises suddenly and the height of the water surface reaches the second height, the water surface contacts the sensing part of the second detection sensor 162 and the second detection sensor The sensor 162 generates a condensation or leak detection signal.

The detection signal of the second detection sensor 162 is transmitted to the control unit, and when the control unit receives the condensation or water leakage detection signal from the second detection sensor 162, it recognizes it as a major water leak. Since the second detection sensor 162 is disposed at a second height separated by a predetermined distance from the base plate 130, water rising to the second height is regarded as a major leak due to a defect in a component or the like. When receiving the detection signal of the second detection sensor 162, the control unit applies a valve blocking signal to the raw water valve. Accordingly, the supply of raw water into the ice water purifier 100 is cut off, thereby stopping the operation of the ice making unit 110 . Of course, the control unit may simultaneously apply an operation signal to the drainage pump 140 to control driving. Accordingly, the water raised to the second height on the base plate 130 is discharged to the outside. According to this operating mechanism, when water is detected at the second height near the base plate 130, the water is discharged to the outside and the operation of the ice making unit 110 is stopped.

According to the configuration described above, the drainage pump 140 of the present invention not only discharges the drainage in the drainage tank 120 to the outside, but also removes condensation or water leakage collected in the water collector 131 of the base plate 130 to the outside. It is configured to perform the function of discharging at the same time.

In addition, when the condensation or water leakage detection signal is received from the first detection sensor 161, the control unit of the present invention determines that condensation or micro-leakage has occurred inside the ice water purifier 100, drives and controls the drainage pump 140, The water collected in the collecting part 131 of the base plate 130 is discharged to the outside, but the operation of the ice making unit 110 is maintained. Conversely, when a condensation or leak detection signal is received from the second detection sensor 162, it is determined that a serious leak has occurred inside the ice water purifier 100, and the raw water valve is closed and controlled to stop the ice making operation of the ice making unit 110 and drain water. The pump 140 is driven and controlled to discharge water collected in the water collector 131 of the base plate 130 to the outside.

On the other hand, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a partition wall 163 surrounding the periphery of the water collector 131 of the base plate 130 is formed, and the partition wall 163 may have a mesh structure in which a plurality of through holes are formed. there is. As described above, since the second water supply line 152 of the solenoid valve 150 is disposed toward the water collecting part 131, the water collected in the water collecting part 131 is drained by the operation of the drain pump 140 to the solenoid valve ( As the water is sucked into the drainage pump 140 along the second water intake line 152 and the drain line 153 of 150, the water collected in the water collector 131 is collected toward the first water intake line 151. At this time, by forming the partition wall 163 with a plurality of through holes to surround the water collecting part 131, for example, the second inlet line 152, foreign substances floating in the ice water purifier 100 are filtered through the partition wall 163. Accordingly, the clogging problem of the solenoid valve 150 or the drainage pump 140 is solved.

On the other hand, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may be set to recognize this as a major leak when a detection signal is received at least N times from the first detection sensor 161 for a predetermined time. At this time, N times may be three times. The detection signal by the first detection sensor 161 is basically regarded as micro-leakage or condensation, but if the detection frequency of micro-leakage or condensation is frequent, it may cause a fatal problem in the product performance of the ice water purifier 100. Accordingly, if the number of times the water surface touches the first height frequently even if the water level is not as high as the second height, it is regarded as a major water leak and it is necessary to stop the ice making operation of the ice making unit 110 . Therefore, when the detection signal of the first detection sensor 161 is generated N times (for example, 3 times) or more within a predetermined time t, the control unit closes the raw water valve to stop the ice making operation of the ice making unit 110 and drain the water. The pump 140 is driven and controlled to discharge water collected in the water collector 131 of the base plate 130 to the outside.

What has been described above is only one embodiment for implementing the ice water purifier 100 capable of detecting condensation and water leakage according to the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and in the following claims As claimed, anyone skilled in the art in the field to which the present invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention will say that the technical spirit of the present invention exists to the extent that various changes can be made.

100: ice water purifier 110: ice making unit
120: drain tank 130: base plate
140: drain pump 150: solenoid valve
161: first detection sensor 162: second detection sensor

Claims (7)

an ice making unit that produces ice;
a drain tank installed under the ice making unit to store drain water from the ice making unit;
a base plate disposed below the inner space of the water purifier to collect condensation or water leakage; and
a drainage pump for discharging the water in the drainage tank or the water collection unit to the outside;
including,
The drain tank and the water collector communicate with the drain pump through a solenoid valve, the solenoid valve is connected to the drain tank through a first water intake line, and connected to the water collector of the base plate through a second water intake line. And connected to the drain pump through a drain line,
Ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and leaks. According to claim 1,
The drain pump is characterized in that for discharging the drainage in the drain tank to the outside or discharging the condensation or water leakage collected in the collecting part of the base plate to the outside.
Ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and leaks. According to claim 2,
A control unit including a first detection sensor and a second detection sensor for detecting whether or not water is collected on the base plate, and receiving a condensation or leak detection signal from the detection sensor to control the operation of the drain pump or raw water valve; includes and
When a condensation or water leakage detection signal is received from the first detection sensor, the control unit drives and controls the drain pump to discharge the water collected in the water collecting part of the base plate to the outside, and the second detection sensor detects condensation or water leakage. When a detection signal is received, the raw water valve is controlled to close to stop the ice making operation of the ice making unit.
Ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and leaks. According to claim 3,
The first detection sensor is located at a first height from the base plate and detects when the water surface due to water leakage or condensation reaches a first height, and the control unit detects this when a detection signal is received from the first detection sensor. Recognize condensation or micro-leakage,
The second detection sensor is located at a second height higher than the first height and detects when the water surface due to water leakage or condensation reaches the second height, and the control unit receives a detection signal from the second detection sensor When it is recognized as a leak,
Ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and leaks. According to claim 1,
A barrier rib surrounding the water collecting portion of the base plate is formed, and the barrier rib is composed of a mesh structure in which a plurality of through holes are formed.
Ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and leaks. According to claim 4,
Wherein the control unit recognizes it as a leak when a detection signal is received at least N times from the first detection sensor for a predetermined time period,
Ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and leaks. According to claim 6,
The ice water purifier capable of detecting condensation and leakage, wherein the N times are three times.

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