KR20230149463A - Water purifier system and method for sterilizing and circulating water thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A circulation sterilization system for a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a filter unit that filters water introduced from the outside; a UV sterilizing unit that sterilizes the purified water filtered by the filter unit; a cooling unit connected to a rear end of the UV sterilization unit, temporarily storing purified water that has passed through the UV sterilization unit at a first temperature or lower, and instantaneously cooling it to a second temperature or lower when a water discharge signal is input; a one-way flow path that moves sterilized purified water from the UV sterilization unit to the cooling unit only; A circulation passage connecting the cooling unit and the UV sterilizing unit; When the water in the cooling unit is below a certain amount, it flows from the UV sterilization unit into the cooling unit through the one-way flow path, and when it is determined that the water in the cooling unit exceeds the first temperature and a predetermined time has elapsed, it flows into the circulation flow path. A circulation pump flows from the cooling unit to the UV sterilization unit and circulates purified water sterilized by flowing into the UV sterilization unit to the cooling unit through the circulation passage.

Description

Circulation sterilization system and circulation sterilization method for water purifier {WATER PURIFIER SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STERILIZING AND CIRCULATING WATER THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a circulation sterilization system and a circulation sterilization method for water purifiers. More specifically, the present invention relates to a circulation sterilization system and a circulation sterilization method for water purifiers, and more specifically, to utilize the cooling energy used for cold water intake while securing sufficient UV sterilization time without reducing energy efficiency through frequent UV sterilization. This relates to a circulation sterilization system and a circulation sterilization method for a water purifier that can verify that the bacteria in the water intake state are 0 even after a certain period of time has passed after the purified water has been UV sterilized.

A water purifier is a general term for a device that removes impurities by filtering water through physical and chemical methods. Depending on its type, there are a direct type that connects directly to the faucet and a storage type that puts water in a container and passes it through a filter. In addition, depending on the method, it can be divided into natural filtration type, direct filtration type, ion exchange resin type, distillation type, reverse osmosis type, etc.

Meanwhile, UV (ultraviolet) energy has the effect of preventing the reproduction of microorganisms by disrupting their metabolism by destroying their DNA and RNA. This UV sterilization effect mainly occurs in the range between 200nm and 280nm. In particular, it is effective for all sterilizations, causes little change in the irradiated object, and is simple to use, making it a sterilization system for water purifiers. It is being used a lot.

1A to 1D are diagrams illustrating the UV sterilization system used in a conventional water purifier. The UV sterilization system used in a conventional water purifier includes a raw water supply unit (1), a filter unit (2), and a UV sterilization unit (3). , includes a storage tank (4) and a water intake unit (5).

As shown in Figure 1a, the raw water supplied from the raw water supply unit (1) passes through the filter unit (2), filters out impurities, and then goes through a sterilization process in the UV sterilizing unit (3) and is stored in the storage tank (4). Afterwards, it can be supplied to the user through the water intake unit (5). In this case, there is a problem that bacteria that may occur in the filter unit (2) can be removed, but bacteria that may occur in the storage tank (4) cannot be removed. . In particular, when the user operates the water intake unit (5) to consume water, if air does not flow in from the outside, the vacuum level inside the storage tank (4) increases and water discharge is impossible. Therefore, the discharged water is inevitably If a large amount of air flows in from outside, general bacteria can grow in the stored water.

As shown in Figure 1b, the raw water supplied from the raw water supply unit (1) passes through the filter unit (2) to filter out impurities, and the filtered water moves to the storage tank (4) and becomes the water in the storage tank (4). When it is full, the water in the storage tank (4) can be moved to the UV sterilization unit (3) to be sterilized and then flowed back into the storage tank (4). In this case, the water in the storage tank (4) is full. Since it does not operate until the water is full, there is a problem in that if the water intake unit (5) is operated before the water is full, water that has not passed through the UV sterilization unit (3) is supplied to the user.

As shown in Figures 1C and 1D, the raw water supplied from the raw water supply unit (1) is filtered of impurities as it passes through the filter unit (2), and the filtered water passes through the storage tank (4) or directly into the water intake unit ( Through 5), the flowing water immediately after discharge can be sterilized by irradiating ultraviolet rays in the UV C wavelength band with the UV sterilizing unit (3). The UV sterilizing unit (3) must be installed on the flow path for supplying water, and the UV sterilizing unit (3) must be installed on the flow path to supply water. There is a problem of having to wait for more than about 30 seconds for the sterilizing unit (3) to be activated to an appropriate level after operation, so if water discharge is completed before the UV sterilizing unit (3) is activated to an appropriate level, the water cannot be properly sterilized. There is a problem that does not exist.

In addition, when sterilized by ultraviolet rays in the UV C wavelength range through the UV sterilizing unit (3), it was confirmed that sterilization occurred during the test for E. coli, but other general bacteria, heterotrophic bacteria, etc. were not killed and a type of sterilization occurred after a certain period of time. It was found that once the condition is out of the way, active reproductive activity progresses.

The present invention was created to solve this problem, and the purpose of the present invention is to utilize the cooling energy used for cold water intake and secure sufficient UV sterilization time without reducing energy efficiency through frequent UV sterilization, so that purified water can be purified by UV. It provides a circulation sterilization system and a circulation sterilization method for a water purifier that can verify that the bacteria in the water intake state is 0 even after a certain period of time has passed after sterilization.

A circulation sterilization system for a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a filter unit that filters water introduced from the outside; a UV sterilizing unit that sterilizes the purified water filtered by the filter unit; a cooling unit connected to a rear end of the UV sterilization unit, temporarily storing purified water that has passed through the UV sterilization unit at a first temperature or lower, and instantaneously cooling it to a second temperature or lower when a water discharge signal is input; a one-way flow path that moves sterilized purified water from the UV sterilization unit to the cooling unit only; A circulation passage connecting the cooling unit and the UV sterilization unit; When the water in the cooling unit is below a certain amount, it flows from the UV sterilization unit into the cooling unit through the one-way flow path, and when it is determined that the water in the cooling unit exceeds the first temperature and a predetermined time has elapsed, it flows into the circulation flow path. A circulation pump flows from the cooling unit to the UV sterilization unit and circulates purified water sterilized by flowing into the UV sterilization unit to the cooling unit through the circulation passage.

The UV sterilizing unit includes a UV-C LED LAMP, the cooling unit includes a cooling tube or a cooling pipe, and the first temperature is 10° C., and the first temperature is a temperature at which the inactivated state of bacteria changes to activated state. , and the predetermined time is set as the time when the inactivated state of the bacteria changes to activated.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the water sterilized by the UV sterilizing unit, that is, the UV-C LED LAMP, is delivered to the cooling tank or cooling pipe, and the water with bacteria inactivated by ultraviolet rays is sterilized at a water temperature of 10°C or lower. Therefore, it can remain in a deactivated state.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, by setting the time for the inactivated state of bacteria to change to activated, the water can be cycled and sterilized again with UV-C LED to change the state to sterilized and inactivated, thereby reducing energy efficiency due to frequent UV sterilization. By ensuring sufficient UV sterilization time without splashing, the bacteria in the water intake can be verified as 0 even after some time has passed after the purified water has been UV sterilized.

Figure 1a is a configuration diagram illustrating a UV sterilization system used in a conventional water purifier.
Figure 1b is a configuration diagram illustrating a circulating UV sterilization system used in a conventional water purifier.
Figure 1c is a configuration diagram to explain the UV sterilization system used in a conventional water purifier.
Figure 1d is a configuration diagram to explain the UV sterilization system used in a conventional water purifier
Figure 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a UV circulation sterilization system used in a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a block diagram of the control unit of Figure 2
Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating the UV circulation sterilization method used in the water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a photograph showing a general bacterial culture test of sterilized cold purified water that has passed through the UV sterilization circulation system of a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Additionally, in this specification, direction indications such as top/bottom, top/bottom, etc. are based on the drawings.

Figure 2 is a configuration diagram for explaining a UV circulation sterilization system used in a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a block diagram of the control unit of Figure 2.

The UV circulation sterilization system 100 used in the water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a filter unit 120 for purifying water supplied from raw water 1, and a sterilization system for sterilizing water coming out of the filter unit 120. A unit 130, a cooling unit 140 for storing and maintaining the water from the sterilization unit 130 at a first temperature, a unit for moving the water from the filter unit 120 to the sterilization unit 130 in one direction. A first flow path (131), which is a one-way flow path, a discharge flow path (151) through which water from the cooling unit (140) goes outside the water purifier for water intake, and the water coming out of the cooling unit (140) when the temperature is higher than the first temperature is sterilized. A second flow path 133 is installed on the second flow path 133, which is a circulation flow path that moves the water to the unit 130 and circulates the water sterilized in the sterilization unit 130 back to the cooling unit 130. It may include a circulation pump 137 and a control unit 170 connected to the circulation pump 137.

The filter unit 120 purifies water flowing in from outside the water purifier and includes at least one filter 121, 122, and 123. For example, the plurality of filters 121, 122, and 123 include a first filter 121 having a sediment filter, a second filter 122 having a free carbon filter, a reverse osmosis membrane filter, a hollow fiber membrane filter, and a deionization filter. , may include a third filter 123 selected from nano filters and nanofiber filters. In Figure 2, three filters 121, 122, and 123 are shown, but they can be added as needed.

The sterilization unit 130 sterilizes the water discharged from the filter unit 120. In this specification, the sterilizing unit 130 can sterilize water using ultraviolet LED.

In particular, it is preferable that the ultraviolet LED is configured to emit ultraviolet rays of UVC wavelength. It is a semi-permanent product with a significantly increased lifespan compared to existing ultraviolet lamps, and can solve the problems of existing ultraviolet lamps that are difficult to repair, manage, and maintain.

The cooling unit 140 has an inlet 141 through which water that has sequentially passed through the filter unit 120 and the sterilization unit 130 flows in, and the water cooled in the cooling unit 140 is discharged for water intake. A circulation inlet ( 143) and a circulation outlet 144.

In addition, the cooling unit 140 includes a cooling tank 145 in which cooled water is stored, and the cooling tank 145 may have a cooling unit 146, where the cooling unit 146 is cooled by a semiconductor. By adopting this method, the size of the water purifier can be reduced.

It is embedded inside the cooling tank 145 and further includes a temperature sensor 161 for measuring the temperature of cold water inside the cooling tank 145 and a flow sensor 163 for measuring the flow rate inside the cooling tank 145. You may.

The discharge passage 151 is a pipe through which water from the discharge port 142 of the cooling unit 140 flows to the outside through the cock 150 and may be made of plastic or metal.

The second flow path 133, that is, the circulation flow path, is a pipe through which water from the cooling unit 140 returns to the sterilization unit 130, and water from the sterilization unit 130 returns to the cooling unit 140. It is made of plastic. It can be formed of or metal.

The circulation pump 137 may be located in the second flow path 133 using a motor. The circulation pump 165 forces water to flow in a certain direction and may be, for example, a pump.

A first valve 135 and a second valve 155 are respectively disposed in the second flow path 133 and the discharge flow path 151, and a flow sensor is further provided and connected to the control unit 170. and can be controlled by the control unit 170.

The control unit 170 includes a timer 1710, which allows the UV sterilizing unit 130 to irradiate ultraviolet rays in the UVC wavelength band for a sufficient time to sterilize water, and for a predetermined period of time. If it exceeds this, energy can be saved by stopping the operation of the UV sterilizing unit 130, and the cooling unit 140 is frequently used due to the heat emitted from the UVC LED of the UV sterilizing unit 130 throughout the water purifier. It can be reduced.

In addition, the set time for which the deactivated state of bacteria changes to activated after the temperature inside the cooling tank 145 exceeds the first temperature can be customized.

Now, with reference to FIG. 4, the circulation sterilization method of the circulation sterilization system for a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

Figure 4 is a control block diagram explaining the circulation sterilization method of the circulation sterilization system for water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the circulation sterilization method of the UV circulation sterilization system of the purifying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 170 learns and determines the user's water intake pattern (S1), for example, the user If a person wakes up at 7 am and drinks 1 cup of water, 1 hour later drinks water again, at 7 pm he drinks 1 cup of water again, and 1 hour later drinks 2 cups of water again. Taking the water intake pattern into account, the cooling tank of the cooling unit 140 is determined by taking into account the operation time of the filter unit 120, the UV sterilization unit 130, and the cooling unit 140 based on a customized learning judgment of the user's water intake pattern. (145) or the cooling tank (145) of the cooling unit (140) by receiving the flow rate signal of the cooling tank (145) or the cooling pipe (145') received through the flow sensor (163) in the cooling pipe (145'). 145) or determine whether the flow rate in the cooling pipe 145' is sufficient for the user's usage (S2).

If the control unit 170 determines that the flow rate in the cooling tank 145 or cooling pipe 145' of the cooling unit 140 is not sufficient for the user's usage, the control unit 170 determines that the water intake source (1) Raw water is supplied through (S3), the filter unit 120 purifies the water (S4), and the purified water is sterilized through the UV sterilization unit 130 for a sufficient sterilization time set by the timer 171. and moves (S5) to the cooling unit 140 through the first passage 131 (S6).

If the control unit 170 determines that the flow rate in the cooling tank 145 or the cooling pipe 145' of the cooling unit 140 is not sufficient for the user's usage, the cooling tank 145 or the cooling pipe 145' ') It is determined whether the measured temperature measured and transmitted from the temperature sensor 161 attached to the inactive state is a first temperature that can change the bacteria from an inactive state to an active state, preferably 10 degrees or less (S7).

The measured temperature received by the control unit 170 from the temperature sensor 161 attached to the cooling tank 145 or cooling pipe 145' is a first temperature that is the activation temperature of bacteria, preferably 10 degrees or lower. If judged, the water discharge standby mode is maintained (S8).

In the water discharge standby mode, the control unit 170 determines whether a water discharge signal has been input (S9), and when the water discharge signal is input, the cooling unit 146 of the cooling unit 140 is driven to cool the cooling tank 145. ) The water inside is instantly cooled (S10) and cold water that is good for drinking is dispensed (S11).

Meanwhile, the control unit 170 determines that the flow rate in the cooling tank 145 or cooling pipe 145' of the cooling unit 140 is sufficient for the user's usage, but there is no water discharge signal and in the water discharge standby mode. , when it is determined that the measured temperature of the cooling tank 145 or the cooling pipe 145' exceeds the first temperature, which is the activity temperature of bacteria, preferably by 10 degrees, the first temperature state is set through the timer 171. It is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed (S12).

The predetermined time is the time for the bacteria to go from an inactive state to an active state, and may be changed depending on the second temperature exceeding the first temperature.

The time for bacteria to go from inactive to active was measured more than 20 times by changing the second temperature and is shown in [Table 1].

As shown in [Table 1], by irradiation of ultraviolet rays in the UV C wavelength band of the UV sterilization unit 130, inactive bacteria are killed for 16 hours at 13 degrees, 14 hours at 15 degrees, and 12 hours at 17 degrees. It was confirmed that it changed to an active state when maintained for more than 10 hours at 20 degrees and for more than 4 hours at 25 degrees.

When the second temperature is 13 degrees, 15 degrees, 17 degrees, 20 degrees, and 25 degrees, the predetermined time decreases, and it can be seen that it decreases especially sharply above 20 degrees, so the control unit 170 ) can be set and changed to suit learning of user usage patterns by considering the second temperature.

Time from inactive to active state of bacteria depending on temperature 13 degrees 15 degrees 17 degrees 1 20 degrees 25 degrees Bacterial activation time 16 hours 14 hours 12 hours 10 hours 4 hours

At this time, whether the flow rate in the cooling tank 145 or the cooling pipe 145' of the cooling unit 140 has changed can be determined by the change in the flow rate value measured by the flow sensor 163.

The control unit 170 determines that the measured temperature in the cooling tank 145 or cooling pipe 145' of the cooling unit 140 is a second temperature at which bacteria change from an inactive state to an active state, and that a predetermined temperature is determined at the second temperature. When the time is maintained, the circulation pump 137 on the second flow path 133 for sterilization circulation is driven (S13) to cool the cooling tank 145 or cooling pipe 145' of the cooling unit 140. Water of the second temperature is moved along the second flow path 133 to the UV sterilization unit 130.

The control unit 170 determines whether the sufficient sterilization time has been exceeded so that the UV sterilization unit 130 irradiates ultraviolet rays in the UVC wavelength band for a sufficient time to sterilize the water (S15). When sterilization is completed, the operation of the UV sterilization unit 130 can be stopped and the cooling unit 140 can be moved along the second flow path 133 (S16).

Figure 5 is a photograph showing a general bacterial culture test of sterilized cold purified water that has passed through the UV sterilization circulation system of a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 5, the water that has passed through the UV sterilization circulation system of the water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention is sterilized by UV C ultraviolet rays, and is maintained at a temperature of 10°C or less within the cooling unit 140. As a result of conducting a medium test for general bacteria in Experimental Examples 1, 2, and 3 at different locations A, B, and C for one sterilized cold purified water, it can be seen that general bacteria are not detected.

At this time, for verification, E. coli was spiked into the raw water, the water that passed through the UV sterilization circulation system was sterilized by UV C ultraviolet rays, and the temperature was maintained at 10°C or lower in the cooling unit 140. As a result, the result was repeated. , it can be confirmed that E. coli is also inactivated.

110: Water purifier body 120: Filter unit
130: UV sterilization unit 140: Cooling unit
137 ; Circulation pump 161: Temperature sensor
163: flow sensor 170: control unit
171: Timer

Claims (7)

A filter unit that filters water introduced from the outside;
a UV sterilizing unit that sterilizes the purified water filtered by the filter unit;
A cooling unit connected to the rear end of the UV sterilization unit, temporarily stores the purified water that has passed through the UV sterilization unit at a first temperature or lower, and instantaneously cools it to a second temperature or lower when a water discharge signal is input;
a one-way flow path that moves sterilized purified water from the UV sterilization unit to the cooling unit only;
A circulation passage connecting the cooling unit and the UV sterilizing unit; and
When the water in the cooling unit is below a certain amount, it flows from the UV sterilization unit into the cooling unit through the one-way flow path, and when it is determined that the water in the cooling unit exceeds the first temperature and a predetermined time has elapsed, it flows into the circulation flow path. A circulation sterilization system for a water purifier, comprising a circulation pump that flows purified water from the cooling unit into the UV sterilization unit and circulates the sterilized purified water flowing into the UV sterilization unit to the cooling unit through the circulation passage. . According to claim 1,
The UV sterilization unit includes a UV-C LED LAMP, and the cooling unit includes a cooling tank or cooling pipe and a cooling unit made of a semiconductor device. According to claim 2,
A temperature sensor embedded inside the cooling tank or cooling pipe to measure the cold water temperature inside the cooling tank or cooling pipe, a flow sensor for measuring the flow rate of the cooling tank or cooling pipe, and a timer, the UV A circulation sterilization system for a water purifier further comprising a control unit that controls the sterilization unit, the cooling unit, the circulation pump, and the first and second valves. According to claim 3,
The first temperature is 10°C, the first temperature is the temperature at which the inactivated state of the bacteria changes to activated, and the predetermined time is the time when the inactive state of the bacteria changes to activated, and the control unit learns the user usage pattern and Circulation sterilization system that changes settings. In Jeong Soon-gi's UV circulation sterilization method,
The control unit learns and determines the user's water intake pattern, takes into account the operation times of the sequentially connected filter unit, UV sterilization unit, and cooling unit, measures the flow rate in the cooling tank or cooling pipe of the cooling unit with a flow sensor, and A step of determining whether the flow rate in the cooling tank or cooling pipe is sufficient for the user's usage,
If the flow rate in the cooling tank or cooling pipe of the cooling unit is insufficient for the user's usage, raw water is supplied, the filter unit purifies the purified water, and the timer sets the user's water intake pattern through the UV sterilization unit. A UV circulation sterilization method for a water purifier comprising the step of sterilizing for a sufficient sterilization time set by learning judgment and moving from the UV sterilization unit to the cooling unit through a first flow path, which is a one-way flow path. According to claim 5,
If the control unit determines that the flow rate in the cooling tank or cooling pipe of the cooling unit is sufficient for the user's usage, the measured temperature of the cooling tank or cooling pipe is linked to the temperature sensor attached to the cooling tank or cooling pipe in an inactive state. Determine whether it is the first temperature that can change the bacteria to an active state, maintain the water outlet standby mode if it is determined to be the first temperature, and when the water outlet signal is input, operate the cooling unit of the cooling unit to cool the cooling tank. Or a UV circulation sterilization method for a water purifier including the step of instantaneously cooling the water in the cooling pipe. According to claim 6,
Although the control unit determines that the flow rate in the cooling tank or cooling pipe of the cooling unit is sufficient for the user's usage, there is no water discharge signal, and in the water discharge standby mode, the measured temperature of the cooling tank or cooling pipe is the first temperature. If it is determined that the second temperature exceeds the second temperature, determining whether a predetermined time has elapsed under the second temperature using a timer;
The temperature measured in the cooling tank or cooling pipe of the cooling unit is a second temperature at which bacteria change from an inactive state to an active state, and when a predetermined time has elapsed at the second temperature, the circulation pump on the second flow path for sterilization circulation operates to move water at a second temperature in the cooling tank or cooling pipe of the cooling unit to the UV sterilization unit, and when sterilization is performed in the UV sterilization unit for a sufficient sterilization time, stopping the operation of the UV sterilization unit, UV circulation sterilization method of a water purifier, comprising the step of circulating the cooling unit along the second flow path.

Images