TW202043583A - Water supply unit, connection system, and water treatment system - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are: a water supply unit that can improve connection workability with a water faucet main body, can prevent phenomena involving excessive water pressure in a water purifier, can also be connected to an existing water faucet main body, and can conserve space; and a connection system and a water treatment system provided with this water supply unit. A water supply unit (50) is provided with: a main pipe channel (52) for supplying water to a water faucet (10); a water purifier tap-water-side connection section (59) to which a channel that connects to a tap water inlet section (22) of a water purifier (20) is connected; a water purifier pure-water-side connection section (57) to which a channel from a pure water outlet section (23) of the water purifier (20) is connected; and a first water-side electric valve (valve) (61) for opening and closing the main pipe channel (52).

Description

Water delivery unit, connection system and water purification system

The present invention relates to a water delivery unit, and a connection system and water purification system provided with the water delivery unit, which is used in a cold and hot water mixing faucet device and is arranged in a raw water flow path for supplying water from a tap water to a faucet with an original valve .

The hot and cold water mixing faucet device that mixes cold water and hot water to spit out has become quite popular in ordinary households. In addition, there is also a known device that installs a water purifier on the hot and cold water mixing faucet device according to the customer's request, and supplies water after filtering the raw water (tap water) through the water purifier (for example, refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2).

The hot and cold water mixing faucet devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are capable of installing a water purifier on an existing faucet body. Specifically, a check valve, a T-shaped pipe joint, and an electric three-way valve are provided between the lower end of the water introduction pipe of the faucet body and the stopcock that opens and closes the raw water flow path toward the water introduction pipe. In addition, the purified water outlet of the water purifier is connected to a T-shaped pipe joint via a check valve, and the raw water inlet of the water purifier is connected to an electric three-way valve. In addition, the hot and cold water mixing faucet described in Patent Document 2 is similarly configured such that a branch flow path is provided in the raw water flow path, and the branch flow path is provided with a water purification path, and the water purifier can be directly installed in the existing On the faucet body. [Prior Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

Patent Document 1: Japanese Model Registration No. 3027934 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 7-171559

(The problem to be solved by the invention)

However, the hot and cold water mixing faucet devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 require the operator to connect the check valve, the T-shaped pipe joint, the electric three-way valve, etc. in order on site, and it takes a lot of time to connect. Improve connection workability. In addition, the water pressure system applied to the water purifier of the hot and cold water mixing faucet device is set with a predetermined value (such as an upper limit). If excessive water pressure is applied, water may leak from the connection part with the faucet body or the water purifier It may deteriorate and damage prematurely. In this regard, the cold and hot water mixing faucet devices of Patent Documents 1 and 2 have not been fully considered, and there is still room for improvement. In addition, in recent years, with the increasing demand of customers to ensure the space around the flow table, it is also necessary to realize space saving.

In view of this, the inventors of the present invention have conducted a dedicated study and found that starting from the unitization of the water delivery part, it is possible to improve the connection workability, avoid excessive water pressure and achieve space saving. Among them, the water delivery part is used in the hot and cold water mixing faucet. The device is arranged on the raw water flow path for supplying water from the tap water to the tap with the original valve.

The present invention was completed in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a water delivery unit, and a connection system and a water purification system provided with the water delivery unit, which can improve the workability of the connection with the faucet body and prevent the application of the water purifier The phenomenon of excessive water pressure can also be connected to the existing faucet body, and space saving can be realized. (Technical means to solve the problem)

The above-mentioned object of the present invention can be achieved by the following configuration. (1) A water delivery unit which is arranged in the raw water flow path for supplying water from the original valve for tap water to the faucet and connected to the faucet and the water purifier; characterized in that it has: This pipe flow path is used to supply water to the above faucet; The raw water side connecting part of the water purifier is connected with a flow path connected to the raw water inlet of the water purifier; The water purification side connection part of the water purifier is connected with the flow path from the water purification outlet part of the water purifier; and The valve is used to open and close the above-mentioned pipe flow path. (2) The water delivery unit of (1) above, wherein the valve is composed of an electric motor. (3) The water delivery unit of (1) above, wherein the valve is constituted by an electromagnetic solenoid. (4) A connection system, characterized in that it has: The water delivery unit of any one of (1) to (3) above; A pipe connecting the water supply unit and the faucet; Pipe connecting the water supply unit and the original tap water valve of the raw water flow path; A pipe connecting the water supply unit and the raw water inlet of the water purifier; and A pipe connecting the water supply unit and the purified water outlet of the water purifier. (5) A water purification system, characterized in that it has: The connection system of (4) above; and Operating part, which is used to open and close the valve; The operation part is arranged separately from the water supply unit.

According to the structure of the water supply unit in (1) above, it is provided with: the pipe flow path for supplying water to the faucet; the raw water side connection part of the water purifier, which is connected to the raw water inlet of the water purifier The flow path; the water purification side connection part of the water purifier, which is connected with the flow path from the water purification outlet part of the water purifier; and the valve, which is used to open and close the flow path of the pipe. Therefore, since the valve of the water delivery unit is used to open and close the faucet body with the water delivery unit, it can withstand the water pressure on the side of the water delivery unit. This prevents the phenomenon of applying excessive water pressure to the water purifier. In addition, because the water supply unit also includes the connection part with the faucet body and is unitized, it can also be connected to the existing faucet body, and compared with the case where the operator connects the parts one by one on site as in the prior art, The connection workability with the faucet body is improved, and the structure for connecting the parts to each other can be greatly omitted, so space saving can also be realized. According to the above-mentioned (2) configuration of the water supply unit, since the valve is composed of an electric motor, the flow rate can be adjusted by the rotation of the motor and the sealing performance can be improved. According to the structure of the water delivery unit in (3) above, since the valve is composed of an electromagnetic solenoid, the water flow can be opened and closed at high speed, and the weight and size can be reduced, and space saving can be further achieved. According to the configuration of the connection system of (4) above, a connection system can be provided that can prevent excessive water pressure from being applied to the water purifier, and can also be connected to the existing faucet body, and can be connected to the faucet body Workability and space saving. According to the configuration of the water purification system of (5) above, since the operation part is separated from the water supply unit, the convenience of the user of the faucet can be improved. (Compared with the effect of previous technology)

According to the present invention, the water supply unit is provided with: the pipe flow path for supplying water to the faucet; the raw water side connection part of the water purifier connected with the flow path connected to the raw water inlet of the water purifier; The water purification side connection part of the water purifier is connected with the flow path from the water purification outlet part of the water purifier; and the valve is used to open and close the flow path of the pipe. Therefore, the connection workability with the faucet body can be improved, and the phenomenon of applying excessive water pressure to the water purifier can be prevented, and it can also be connected to the existing faucet body, and space saving can be realized.

Above, the present invention has been briefly described. Furthermore, the details of the present invention should be clarified more clearly by referring to the formulas of the drawings and thoroughly reading the modes for implementing the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") explained below.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments related to the water delivery unit, connection system, and water purification system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, the schema is set to be observed separately according to the orientation of the symbol.

<About the composition of the connection system and the water purification system> First, referring to Fig. 1, the configuration of the connection system 40 and the water purification system 1 of the embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic flow path configuration diagram illustrating the water purification system 1 of the present embodiment.

As shown in Figure 1, the water purification system 1 of this embodiment is installed on a cold and hot water mixing faucet (hereinafter, also referred to as "faucet") 10 arranged on the top plate 3 of the flow table 2 to pass purified water The device 20 spits out clean water. The water purification system 1 of this embodiment is configured as a so-called hot and cold water mixing faucet device, which includes a water purifier 20. In addition, in order to operate and control the opening and closing of a plurality of electric valves 33, 61, and 62 described later, the water purification system 1 further includes an operation unit 70 and a control unit 80. The main body (frame 71) of the operating unit 70 is arranged on the top plate 3 of the flow table 2. The main body of the control unit 80 is arranged under the top plate 3 of the flow table 2 (rear surface) and is housed in the flow table 2.

In addition, the disposition of the operating part 70 is not limited to the upper surface of the top plate 3 of the flow table 2, as long as it is a place where the user of the faucet 10 can easily operate it, there is no particular limitation. For example, it can be installed (fixed) by appropriately changing the wall surface or the user's foot (placed on the floor). By fixing the operating part 70 to the top plate 3 or wall surface, etc., the operating part 70 can be prevented from sliding down to the sink part of the countertop 2 and being damaged, or being taken away from the countertop 2 (for example, the kitchen due to children's mischief) ) And cause loss. In addition, when the operation part 70 is separated from the wall surface, the operation part 70 can be prevented from being drenched in water and malfunctioning, or the appearance of the flow table 2 can be improved and space can be secured. When the operation part 70 is arranged under the foot, if the operation part 70 is constituted by a foot switch, the convenience can be improved. Furthermore, the operating unit 70 may also be of a movable type, such as a remote controller that is not fixed and can be moved to any place for operation. By separating the operation part 70 from the water supply unit 50 or the flow table 2 to be a movable type, it can be operated in a place where the user can easily operate it. In addition, the fixed or movable type can be appropriately selected according to the user's requirements.

The water purifier 20 has: a frame 21; a filter (not shown), which is built into the frame 21; and a raw water inlet 22 and a purified water outlet 23, which are arranged separately from each other in the frame 21 One end face. In addition, the water purifier 20 is housed inside the flow table 2 and is fixed to the flow table 2 below the top plate 3 by a predetermined installation fixture or the like. The filter of the water purifier 20 is a cassette filter, and is set to be exchangeable from the outside. In addition, the water purifier 20 may have a connection portion provided with a raw water inlet portion 22 and a purified water outlet portion 23, and a filter may be embedded and fixed to the connection portion, instead of the frame 21 accommodating the filter. In this form, it is easy to directly hold the filter and operate it, so that the filter exchange operation becomes easy. Alternatively, the water purifier 20 may integrate the frame and the filter. By being integrated, a compact shape can be formed, so that the space under the sink can be effectively used. In this form, when the filter is exchanged, the frame body and the filter can be exchanged together. The material and structure of the water purifier 20 are not particularly limited as long as the function can be realized, and various types can be suitably adopted.

The faucet 10 of the water purification system 1 has: a faucet body 11 formed in a cylindrical shape and set to extend upward relative to the top plate 3; a faucet handle 12 provided at the front end of the faucet body 11; and a spout 13 , It is set to extend from a part of the side surface of the faucet body 11 toward its radially outer side. In addition, the faucet 10 is connected to the hot water flow path 24 and the raw water flow path 26 in order to mix cold and hot water for discharge.

One end of the hot water flow path 24 is connected to the original valve 25 for hot water. One end of the raw water flow path 26 is connected to an original valve 27 for tap water. Therefore, the hot water flow path 24 and the raw water flow path 26 are configured to include connection systems 30 and 40, respectively, each having a plurality of pipes 31, 32, 41, 42, 43, 44 described later. That is, the water purification system 1 of this embodiment has two systems of a hot water flow path side connection system 30 and a raw water flow path side connection system 40. In addition, in the faucet 10 of the present embodiment, the hot water supplied from the hot water flow path 24 and the water (raw water) supplied from the self-generated water flow path 26 are mixed in a desired ratio from the outlet portion according to the operation of the faucet handle 12 13 spit out. Alternatively, the water (purified water) supplied via the water purifier 20 in the self-generated water flow path 26 is discharged from the discharge port 13 in accordance with the operation of the faucet handle 12.

The hot water flow path side connection system 30 includes: a hot water side electric valve 33 for opening and closing the hot water flow path 24; a first pipe 31 connecting the hot water side electric valve 33 and the faucet 10; and a second pipe 32 connecting the heat The water-side electric valve 33 and the hot water flow path 24. The hot water side electric valve 33 is attached to the end of the faucet 10 side (downstream side). In other words, a check valve 34 is integrally provided at the connection part between the hot water side electric valve 33 and the first pipe 31. The hot water side electric valve 33 is composed of an electric motor, and automatically opens and closes the hot water passage according to the instructions of the operating unit 70 and the control unit 80 to pass or pass the hot water supplied by the original valve 25 for self-heating water. Stop switching.

The first pipe 31 and the second pipe 32 of the hot water flow path side connection system 30 are formed in a hollow (tube) shape in cross section, and the inside thereof is provided as a flow path through which hot water can pass. The materials of the first pipe 31 and the second pipe 32 are not particularly limited as long as hot water can pass through. For example, rigid pipe members made of metal, or olefin resin such as polyethylene, or silicon can be suitably used. Soft materials such as oxy resin, vinyl acetate resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, etc. In addition, with regard to its joints or connecting parts, as long as they can be connected without water leakage, their structure or materials are also not limited. For example, a connection structure of a hexagonal nut connection type, a coupling connection type, a clip connection type, a quick fastener type, etc. can be suitably adopted. In the case of using the hexagonal nut connection type, due to its universal versatility in the world, as long as the hexagonal nut is prepared according to the installation diameter of each country, it can be easily installed in many countries.

The raw water flow path side connection system 40 includes: a water delivery unit 50; a first pipe (pipe) 41 that connects the water delivery unit 50 and the faucet 10; a second pipe (pipe) 42 that connects the water delivery unit 50 and the tap water of the raw water flow path 26 The original valve 27; the third pipe (pipe) 43, which connects the water supply unit 50 and the raw water inlet 22 of the water purifier 20; and the fourth pipe (pipe) 44, which connects the water supply unit 50 and the water purifier 20 Water outlet part 23. The first to fourth pipes 41, 42, 43, 44 of the raw water flow path side connection system 40 are the same as the first and second pipes 31, 32 of the hot water flow path side connection system 30. As long as their functions can be achieved, their materials and There are no particular restrictions on the connection structure and the like, and various types can be suitably adopted. In addition, in the case of a coupling connection type, a clip connection type, a quick fastener type or a bayonet type, the water delivery unit 50 can be more easily connected to the raw water flow path side connection system 40, thereby further improving workability. In addition, even if an unskilled operator is engaged in the installation work in various countries, it is still different from the case where each member is connected separately as in the prior art, and the installation work of the water delivery unit 50 can be completed smoothly. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the faucet-side connecting portion 54, the raw water-side connecting portion 56, and the faucet-side connecting portion 56, which will be described later, are connected to the first pipe 41, the second pipe 42, the third pipe 43, and the fourth pipe 44, respectively. The connection part of the raw water side connection part 59 of the water purifier and the water purification side connection part 57 of a water purifier is a case where a hexagonal nut connection type is installed (refer FIG. 2).

＜About the composition of water supply unit＞ Next, referring to Fig. 2(A), Fig. 2(B) and Fig. 3, the structure of the water delivery unit 50 will be described. 2(A) and 2(B) are perspective views showing the appearance of the water supply unit 50 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow path structure of the water delivery unit 50 shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in Figure 2 (A) and Figure 3, the water delivery unit 50 includes: a metal frame 51; the pipe flow path 52 and the branch flow path 53, which are provided in the frame 51 and used for water It is supplied to the faucet 10; the faucet side connection part 54 is connected to the first pipe 41 (flow path) connected to the faucet 10; the raw water side connection part 56 is connected to the second pipe 42 connected to the original tap water valve 27 (Flow path); water purifier raw water side connection 59, which is connected with a third pipe 43 (flow path) connected to the raw water inlet 22 of the water purifier 20; water purifier water purification side connection 57, It is connected with the fourth pipe 44 (flow path) from the purified water outlet 23 of the water purifier 20; the first water-side electric valve (valve) 61 and the second water-side electric valve 62 are used to open and close the pipe flow Path 52 and branch flow path 53; and flow sensor 60.

This pipe flow path 52 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the frame 51 in order to directly supply raw water to the faucet 10. The branch flow path 53 is provided on the side of the main pipe flow path 52 as a bypass of the main pipe flow path 52, and is supplied to the faucet 10 after the raw water is filtered by the water purifier 20. That is, the branch flow path 53 is configured to include a water purifier raw water side connection portion 59, a water purifier water purification side connection portion 57, a third pipe 43, a fourth pipe 44, and a water purifier 20.

And, as shown in FIG. 2(A), the frame 51 of the water supply unit 50 is formed in a substantially box shape, and is installed so that its longitudinal direction becomes a horizontal direction. At one end of the upper surface of the frame 51, a faucet-side connecting portion 54 is provided to protrude toward the faucet 10. At the other end of the lower surface of the frame 51, a raw water side connection portion 56 is provided so as to protrude toward the original tap water valve 27. In addition, on one side of the frame 51 (the front side in the figure), the raw water side connecting portion 59 and the water purifying side connecting portion 57 of the water purifier are arranged side by side along the horizontal direction (left and right direction in the figure). . In addition, the water purifier raw water side connection portion 59 and the water purifier water purification side connection portion 57 are provided so as to protrude from one end surface thereof toward the water purifier 20. In this way, if the longitudinal direction of the frame 51 is set to the horizontal direction, the distance from the water supply unit 50 to the faucet 10 can be obtained, and therefore the load applied to the pipe 41 or the faucet 10 due to the bending of the pipe 41 can be reduced. Furthermore, when the distance from the water supply unit 50 to the faucet 10 can be sufficiently ensured, as shown in FIG. 2(B), it may be installed so that the longitudinal direction of the frame 51 becomes the vertical direction. In addition, by using one or both of the faucet-side connecting portion 54 and the raw water-side connecting portion 56 to move relative to the circumferential direction of the frame 51, it can be moved at a position such as shown in FIG. 2(A). It is set to move between the position shown in Figure 2(B), and the orientation of the long side direction when the frame 51 is set can also be set between the orientation shown in Figure 2(A) and the orientation shown in Figure 2(B). Freely change between directions. For example, by providing the faucet-side connecting portion 54 bent in a U-shape, the first pipe 41 connected to the faucet 10 does not need to be bent, and excessive stress can be prevented from being applied to the faucet to cause water leakage. The materials and structures used for the frame 51 or the connecting parts 54, 56, 57, 59 are not particularly limited as long as they can achieve their functions, and various materials and structures can be suitably adopted.

In addition, the connecting parts 54, 56, 57, and 59 of the water supply unit 50 are, for example, all integrated into a tubular shape. In addition, the connecting parts of the connecting portions 54, 56, 57, 59 and the pipes 41, 42, 43, 44 are arranged in a hexagonal nut connection type as described above, but are not limited to this. In addition, a coupling connection type, a clip connection type, a quick fastener type, a bayonet type, etc. connection structure can be suitably adopted. The material is not particularly limited as long as it can achieve its function, and various materials can be suitably used.

As shown in FIG. 3, the flow sensor 60 is arranged adjacent to the raw water side connection part 56 in the flow path of the water supply unit 50. The flow sensor 60 measures the amount of raw water passing through the water supply unit 50 and transmits the measurement result to the control unit 80.

The first and second water-side electric valves 61 and 62 are composed of electric motors and automatically open and close the flow passages 52 and 53 of the water supply unit 50 according to instructions from the operation unit 70 and the control unit 80. As will be described later, the first water-side electric valve 61 and the second water-side electric valve 62 open and close appropriately for the passage or passage of the water supplied from the tap water original valve 27 to the main pipe flow path 52 or the branch flow path 53 Stop switching.

The first water-side electric valve 61 is arranged in the middle of the pipe flow path 52 so as to guide the water entering the water supply unit 50 to the branch flow path 53 side when it is completely closed. In addition, the second water-side electric valve 62 is arranged at the raw water-side connection portion 59 of the water purifier so that the water entering the water supply unit 50 does not pass through the water purifier 20 side, that is, does not pass through the branch flow path 53 when completely closed. internal. In addition, a check valve 55 is arranged inside the faucet-side connecting portion 54 so as not to cause water to flow back to the water supply unit 50 side. In the interior of the water purifier side connection portion 57 of the water purifier, similarly, a check valve 58 is arranged so as not to make the water flow back to the water purifier 20 side. In addition, by disposing a check valve, the amount of water leakage such as residual water in the filter when the filter of the water purifier 20 is exchanged can be reduced. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first and second water-side electric valves 61 and 62 are constituted by electric motors, but they can also be constituted by electromagnetic solenoids. In this case, the water flow can be opened and closed at high speed, and the weight and size can be reduced, and space saving can be realized. On the other hand, in the case of using an electric motor, although the opening and closing action is slower than the case of using an electromagnetic solenoid, it is easier to suppress water hammer. In addition, if the diameter of an electromagnetic valve is increased, a larger electromagnetic force is required for closing, which will increase the coil size and increase the size. In contrast, by using an electric valve, Increase the diameter while maintaining the overall unit size to achieve low pressure loss and large flow.

＜About the composition of the operation part and the control part＞ 4 and 5, the configuration of the operation unit 70 and the control unit 80 will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the operation unit 70 shown in FIG. 1. Fig. 5 is a schematic circuit configuration diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 80 shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in FIG. 4, the operating part 70 is provided by a thin box-shaped frame 71, and three LED lights 72, first and second switch sensors 73, 74, and a display are provided on the surface side of the frame 71 Section 75, microphone section 76, and speaker section 77.

The frame body 71 of the operation part 70 is comprised by the box body made of resin, for example. The frame 71 of the operating part 70 is implemented with anti-fouling processing, anti-bacterial processing, or waterproof processing to prevent dirt from adhering to the gap between the LED lamp 72 or the first and second switch sensors 73, 74, or to prevent water from entering. Leakage occurs. In addition, on the surface of the frame 71, printed fonts of "hot water", "raw water" and "purified water" are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the frame 71. In addition, with respect to the printing font groups of "hot water", "raw water" and "purified water", the printing system of "water out/stop" is arranged away from the vertical of the frame 71.

Like the control unit 80, the operation unit 70 is composed of a microcontroller, and can perform information processing even in a stand-alone state. In addition, the operation unit 70 has a built-in wireless communication circuit 78 and is configured to be able to communicate with an external device via a wireless connection with the control unit 80 or an Internet line. In addition, as a wireless method, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like can be suitably used.

The three LED lamps 72 are arranged on one side (left side in the figure) with respect to the above-mentioned printed font group of "hot water", "raw water" and "purified water". By lighting any one of the three LED lamps 72, the user can be notified of the type of water discharged from the discharge port 13.

The first and second switch sensors 73 and 74 are non-contact optical sensors, and are configured to have a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part. Thereby, the user can operate the water purification system 1 without directly touching the operation part 70. Therefore, it is possible to prevent dirty hands from touching the frame 71 of the operation portion 70, and it is not necessary to touch the frame 71 with hands even if the frame 71 becomes dirty. In addition, in the case where the operation part 70 is leaking due to a malfunction or the like, although the operation part 70 is provided with an electric shock prevention function, if it is set to a non-contact type, the user's electric shock can also be prevented more reliably. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first and second switch sensors 73 and 74 are composed of optical sensors, but it is not limited to this. For example, the function can also be realized by using AR (Augmented Reality) technology to project the image of the floating switch in the space, or project the image of the switch on the top plate 3, etc.

In addition, the first and second switch sensors 73 and 74 are arranged side by side on the surface side of the frame 71 of the operation portion 70 in the longitudinal direction of the frame 71. The first switch sensor 73 is arranged on the other side of the character symbol group of "hot water", "raw water" and "purified water" (right side in the figure). The second switch sensor 74 is arranged on the other side of the written record of "water discharge/stop". When the user reaches out and puts his hand near the first switch sensor 73, the operating unit 70 switches the discharged water to "hot water", "raw water" or "purified water" through the wireless communication circuit 78 to the control unit 80 transfer instructions. On the other hand, when the user reaches out and puts his hand near the second switch sensor 74, the operating unit 70 transmits a command to the control unit 80 through the wireless communication circuit 78 to switch the discharge or stop of water.

In addition, the switching of the first and second switch sensors 73 and 74 can also be used to sequentially switch between "hot water", "raw water", "clean water" or "water discharge/stop" according to the number of hand extensions. Switch according to the position of the hand, etc., and choose appropriately according to the requirements of use. In addition, in this embodiment, although the first and second switch sensors 73 and 74 are used for operation, it is also possible to use a physically pressed button switch instead of a sensor according to the user's request. Combine existing technologies to use.

The display unit 75 is composed of a liquid crystal display, and provides various information to the user. For example, in addition to the LED lamp 72, the display unit 75 may also display as text information whether the type of water discharged from the faucet 10 is clean water or raw water. At this time, you can display larger size text. Of course, information other than text information such as illustration information can also be used for display. In addition, the display unit 75 displays the amount of water filtered by the water purifier 20 (purified water amount) to prevent excessive spitting of purified water, or displays the cumulative value of the purified water amount to inform the reference standard of the filter exchange period of the water purifier 20 . Furthermore, the information about the amount of purified water is calculated in the control unit 80 based on the measurement result of the flow sensor 60 and the opening and closing states of the electric valves 33, 61, and 62, and is transmitted from the control unit 80 to the operation unit 70. In addition, the amount of purified water can be obtained by measuring the amount of water itself, or it can be displayed based on a rough calculation of the time the purified water flows.

In addition, when the filter exchange period or the cleaning/exchange period of the tubes 31, 32, 41, 42, 43, and 44 is reached, the operating unit 70 informs the exchange period through the display unit 75 to prevent the use of a degraded filter or tube. In addition, the operating unit 70 is for the purpose of not using the remaining water in the water purifier 20, and informs that the discharged water is in the state of waste water during a short (temporary) period after the faucet 10 starts to discharge. However, in the case where too long time has not elapsed since the previous use, for example, when the self-purified water is switched to raw water at the end and a whole day has not elapsed, the operating unit 70 does not need to notify the state of waste water. In addition, if the user accidentally uses the faucet 10 on the hot water side, the operating unit 70 notifies the misuse state. It can also be set to install an identification IC tag, etc. on the filter to show that the filter of another company is connected, or not to switch to the water purification side when the filter of another company is connected. Furthermore, when notifying the exchange time of the filter, it can also be configured that the operation unit 70 is connected to the Internet line to cause the display unit 75 to display the predetermined website or the recommended exchange filter item number, and then it can be displayed on the website Purchase filters.

The microphone unit 76 and the speaker unit 77 are arranged side by side at the corners of the frame 71 of the operation unit 70. In addition, since the operation unit 70 has the microphone unit 76 and the speaker unit 77, it can function as a speaker (so-called smart speaker) with an AI support function corresponding to interactive voice operations. That is, the operator collects the voice uttered by the user through the microphone unit 76, and performs information processing after the voice recognition. Specifically, the user can switch the type of water by giving a voice command to the microphone section 76 of the operation section 70 to replace the operation of the first and second switch sensors 73 and 74. In this case as well, there is no need to touch the frame 71 of the operation portion 70 with dirty hands, etc., and there is no need to worry about leakage. Furthermore, the smart speaker can also be provided separately from the operating unit 70. In this case, it can communicate with the operating unit 70 or the control unit 80 through wireless communication such as Wi-Fi. In addition, the operating unit 70 grasps the type of water to be discharged at any time based on the transmission information from the control unit 80, and in the case of hot water, the speaker unit 77 emits a sound warning "it is hot water" or the like.

In addition, the operation unit 70 may also be configured to respond only to the registered voice when performing voice recognition. For example, only the voice of the user (for example, an adult) may be registered in the operation unit 70 in advance, and it may be set not to respond to other people (for example, a child). In this case, it can prevent children and other people from accidentally touching the hot water. In addition, a remote controller with a display function can be provided separately from the display unit 75 of the operation unit 70. In this case, even when the user is not around the flow table 2, the state of the water purification system 1 can be confirmed. In addition, the LED lamp 72 or the display unit 75 may be provided in the frame 51 of the water supply unit 50.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 80 is composed of a microcontroller, and has a CPU 81 (central arithmetic circuit), ROM 82 (read-only memory circuit), RAM 83 (writeable memory circuit), interface circuit 85, and wireless The communication circuit 84 and the bus 86 connecting the circuits to each other. In addition, the control unit 80 is electrically connected to the electric valves 33, 61, and 62 through the interface circuit 85. The electric valves 33, 61, and 62 are opened and closed in accordance with instructions from the control unit 80, respectively. In addition, the control unit 80 is also connected to the flow sensor 60 in the same manner, and the measurement result of the flow sensor 60 is input.

The CPU 81 appropriately executes or reads out programs and data stored in the ROM 82 and the RAM 83 to control the flow sensor 60 and the electric valves 33, 61, 62. The ROM 82 stores various programs and the like useful for realizing its functions. When the CPU 81 executes the program, the RAM 83 temporarily stores the data generated in the middle. The interface circuit 85 has a physical interface function with various external devices. In this embodiment, the interface circuit 85 can communicate with the circuits of the flow sensor 60 and the electric valves 33, 61, 62, etc., via electrical signals. The wireless communication circuit 84 has the function of an interface for wireless communication, and can transmit or receive various information with the operating unit 70 or the Internet line.

In the control unit 80 configured as described above, it is determined whether the water discharged from the discharge port 13 of the faucet 10 is discarded based on the measurement result of the flow sensor 60 and the opening and closing states of the electric valves 33, 61, and 62. When it is determined that it is waste water, the control unit 80 controls the electric valve 62 to be fully opened so that the flow rate from the faucet 10 becomes maximum. In this case, the waste water can be discharged as soon as possible. In addition, the amount of purified water is calculated in the control unit 80 according to time series and stored in memory. Therefore, when the amount of purified water in one operation is more than the set threshold value, the control unit 80 can determine that an excessive amount of purified water is used and notify the user. If it is within the set range, it can also be determined to be the most Good flow rate and notify users.

In addition, in the case where a malfunction of the operating unit 70 is detected, the control unit 80 can control the electric valves 33, 61, 62, etc. so that the raw water can directly pass through and issue a command. Thereby, even in the case where the water purifier 20 cannot be used in an abnormal situation, the faucet 10 can still be used, so that the user's sense of peace of mind can be improved. Furthermore, it can also be configured such that when the operation unit 70 or the control unit 80 fails or when a power failure occurs, the electric valves 33, 61, and 62 spontaneously shift to a state where raw water can be used, that is, the electric valves 33, 61, and 62 are not energized. The positions of the valves 33, 61, and 62 are positions where raw water can pass.

<About the operation of the operating unit> Next, referring to Fig. 6, the operation of the water supply unit 50 configured as described above will be described. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the water delivery unit 50 shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in FIG. 6(A), the control unit 80 controls the first and second water-side electric valves 61 and 62, sets the first water-side electric valve 61 to fully open, and sets the second water-side electric valve 62 to fully open. close. In this case, the raw water is not supplied to the side of the water purifier 20, and the raw water passes through the pipe flow path 52, and the raw water is directly spouted from the outlet 13 of the faucet 10. Furthermore, at this time, in the faucet-side connection portion 54 and the water purifier's water-purification-side connection portion 57, the raw water does not flow back due to the check valves 55 and 58 thereof. In addition, by disposing the check valve, when the filter of the water purifier 20 is exchanged, the amount of leaking water such as residual water in the filter can be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 6(B), the control unit 80 controls the first water-side electric valve 61 and the second water-side electric valve 62, sets the first water-side electric valve 61 to be fully closed, and sets the second water-side electric valve 62 is set to full open. In this case, the raw water does not pass through the channel 52 side of this pipe, and the raw water is supplied to the water purifier 20 side. In addition, the raw water filtered by the filter of the water purifier 20, that is, the purified water system, is returned to the water supply unit 50. Thereby, clean water is discharged from the discharge port 13 of the faucet 10. Alternatively, the second water-side electric valve 62 may be opened first, and then the first water-side electric valve 61 may be closed in an incompletely closed manner.

And, as shown in FIG. 6(C), in order to shift from the discharge state of purified water (refer to FIG. 6(B)) to the discharge state of raw water (refer to FIG. 6(A)), the control unit 80 controls the first water side The electric valve 61 is controlled to switch from fully closed to fully open. Simultaneously, the control unit 80 controls the second water side electric valve 62 to switch from fully open to fully closed. Alternatively, the first water-side electric valve 61 may be opened first, and then the second water-side electric valve 62 may be closed in an incompletely closed manner. That is, by this switching control, the spouting port 13 of the faucet 10 switches the self-purified water to raw water and then spits out raw water.

<About the advantages of this embodiment> As described above, according to the water supply unit 50 of this embodiment, the water supply unit 50 includes: the pipe flow path 52 for supplying water to the faucet 10; and the raw water side connection portion 59 of the water purifier, which is connected to the water purifier The flow path to which the raw water inlet 22 of 20 is connected; the water purifier side connecting portion 57, which is connected to the flow path from the purified water outlet 23 of the water purifier 20; and the first water-side electric valve (valve) 61, which is used to open and close the flow path 52 of the pipe. Therefore, since the first water side electric valve (valve) 61 of the water delivery unit 50 opens and closes the faucet body 11 where the water delivery unit 50 is installed, the water delivery unit 50 can withstand water pressure. Thereby, the phenomenon that excessive water pressure is applied to the water purifier 20 can be prevented. In addition, since the water supply unit 50 also includes the connection part with the faucet body 11 and is unitized, it can also be connected to the existing faucet body 11 and connect the parts one by one with the conventional operator on site. In comparison, the connection workability with the faucet body 11 can be improved, and the structure for connecting the parts to each other can be largely omitted, so space saving can also be realized.

In addition, according to the water delivery unit 50 of this embodiment, since the first and second water-side electric valves (valves) 61 and 62 are constituted by electric motors, the flow rate can be adjusted by the rotation of the motor, and the Tightness.

In addition, according to the connection system 40 of this embodiment, a connection system 40 can be provided, which can prevent excessive water pressure from being applied to the water purifier 20, and can also be connected to the existing faucet body 11, and can be connected to the faucet The connection workability and space saving of the main body 11. In addition, according to the water purification system 1 of the present embodiment, since the operation part 70 and the water supply unit 50 are separately arranged, the convenience of the user of the faucet 10 can be improved.

In particular, in the conventional technology, check valves, T-shaped pipe joints, electric three-way valves, etc. are engaged as individual parts, so it is not easy to install parts for obtaining electric power. In contrast, in contrast to the present embodiment In the water purification system 1, by using the water supply unit 50 for unitization, a battery can be easily installed in the unit, or electricity can be easily obtained from a power source used in a kitchen waste disposer, a dishwasher, and the like. Therefore, the water purification system 1 can easily add various electronic components as described in the above or the following modification examples, and can improve the IoT (Internet of Things, which can transmit and receive information between these electronic components to provide users with appropriate services). The affinity of the Internet of Things.

<Modifications> Next, referring to FIG. 7, a modification of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 7 is a schematic flow path configuration diagram illustrating a modification of the water delivery unit 50 of the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, as a modification of this embodiment, the first and second water-side electric valves 61, 62 may not be provided on the water supply unit 50, and instead of this, the pipe flow path 52 and the branch flow path 53 The branch part is equipped with an electric three-way valve 90. In this case, because only one valve device is required, not only the structure of the water supply unit 50 can be simplified, but also the control process in the control unit 80 can be simplified. The other constitutions and functions are the same as the above-mentioned embodiment.

The above completes the description of the specific embodiment, but the aspect of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be modified and improved as appropriate. For example, a pressure release mechanism may be further arranged on the water supply unit 50. In this case, the water pressure of the water purifier 20 can be prevented from becoming more than a fixed value, and the safety can be further improved.

In addition, it may be configured such that a thermometer is installed in the outlet portion 13 of the faucet 10 and the measurement result of the thermometer is displayed on the display portion 75 of the operation portion 70. In this case, the user can use the handle of the faucet 10 while referring to the temperature display of the display portion 75 to adjust the spouted water to a desired temperature.

In addition, the operation unit 70 and the control unit 80 may be configured to be able to discharge clean water in a certain amount (for example, a cup) in accordance with a user's instruction on the operation unit 70. In this case, the user can easily obtain the required amount of purified water without using a measuring cup. In this case, for example, it may be configured to be linked to recipe information provided via the Internet, and the amount of clean water required for a predetermined cooking can be automatically discharged. In addition, it is also possible to set it so that it can be discharged intermittently and in small amounts (for example, each predetermined unit amount) like drips when discharging.

In addition, a child-proof switch may be arranged on the operation part 70. In this case, the control unit 80 can prevent the prank of children from staying in the state of spitting clean water according to the ON/OFF of the switch.

In addition, a water sensor, humidity sensor, etc. may be further provided in the control unit 80 so that the control unit 80 can be configured to detect water leakage inside the flow table 2. In this case, water seepage inside the flow table 2 can be prevented. It is also possible to integrate the control unit 80 and the water supply unit 50 into a more compact shape including a sensor, so that there is no need to separately provide the control unit, and space can be saved.

In addition, the control unit 80 can also be configured to calculate the usage of purified water, raw water, and hot water based on the measurement result of the flow sensor 60 and the opening and closing states of the electric valves 33, 61, 62, and use a wireless communication circuit 84 and provide information related to the usage to the established cloud service. In this case, users can confirm their usage through the cloud service with graph display, etc. In addition, the cloud service can also visualize the annual usage by displaying graphs, etc., or convert the amount of water saved or saved money into the number of bottles for display. In addition, if the user’s smartphone, etc. is set to automatically display notifications from the cloud service, the user can not only check the usage through the corresponding application, but also easily know the water supply unit, connection piping, and software. Notification of regular maintenance of management, etc. In addition, smart phones, etc. can also display the exchange period of the filter, the product number of the recommended exchange filter, and the link advertisement banner of the purchase site.

In addition, the recognition range of the first and second switch sensors 73 and 74 of the operating unit 70 or the microphone unit 76 can also be set. In this case, it is possible to prevent the first and second switch sensors 73 and 74 from malfunctioning, or the microphone part 76 to collect unnecessary sounds, thereby improving the recognition accuracy. In addition, a wireless mouse can also be used as an additional configuration of the operating unit 70. In this case, for example, switching between raw water and purified water is performed by clicking left and right.

In addition, the hot water flow path 24 may penetrate through the frame 51 of the water supply unit 50. In this case, if the electric valve 33 on the hot water side is also provided in the frame 51, the entire water purification system 1 can be made more compact.

Above, various embodiments have been described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is of course not limited to the above examples. Obviously, as long as one is familiar with the technology related to the invention of the present application, various modifications or amendments can be considered within the scope of the patent application. Of course, such modifications or amendments also belong to the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, it is also possible to arbitrarily combine the constituent elements of the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the essence of the present invention.

In addition, this application was completed based on the Japanese patent application (Japanese Patent Application 2019-017880) filed on February 4, 2019, and the content is incorporated in this specification as a reference.

1: Water purification system 2: Liu Litai 3: top plate 10: Faucet 11: Faucet body 12: Faucet handle 13: Discharge Department 20: Water purifier 21: Frame 22: Raw water inlet 23: Water Purification Export Department 24: Hot water flow path 25: Original valve for hot water 26: Raw water flow path 27: Original valve for tap water 30: Hot water flow path side connection system 31: The first tube 32: second tube 33: Hot water side electric valve 34: Check valve 40: Raw water flow path side connection system (connection system) 41: The first tube (tube) 42: second tube (tube) 43: The third tube (tube) 44: The fourth tube (tube) 50: water delivery unit 51: Frame 52: This pipe flow path 53: branch flow path 54: faucet side connection part 55: check valve 56: Raw water side connection part 57: Water purification side connection part of water purifier 58: check valve 59: Connection part of raw water side of water purifier 60: Flow sensor 61: The first water side electric valve (valve) 62: The second water side electric valve 70: Operation Department 71: Frame 72: LED light 73: The first switch sensor 74: The second switch sensor 75: Display Department 76: Microphone section 77: Speaker Department 78: wireless communication circuit 80: Control Department 81: CPU 82: ROM 83: RAM 84: wireless communication circuit 85: interface circuit 86: Bus 90: Electric three-way valve (valve)

Fig. 1 is a schematic flow path configuration diagram illustrating a water purification system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2(A) and 2(B) are perspective views showing the appearance of the water delivery unit shown in FIG. 1. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow path structure of the water delivery unit shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the operating part shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a schematic circuit configuration diagram showing the configuration of the control unit shown in Fig. 1. 6(A) to 6(C) are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the water delivery unit shown in FIG. 1. Fig. 7 is a schematic flow path configuration diagram illustrating a modification of the water delivery unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

41: The first tube (tube)

42: second tube (tube)

43: The third tube (tube)

44: The fourth tube (tube)

50: water delivery unit

51: Frame

52: This pipe flow path

53: branch flow path

54: faucet side connection part

55: check valve

56: Raw water side connection part

57: Water purification side connection part of water purifier

58: check valve

59: Connection part of raw water side of water purifier

60: Flow sensor

61: The first water side electric valve (valve)

62: The second water side electric valve

Claims (5)

A water supply unit is arranged in the raw water flow path used to supply water from the tap water original valve to the faucet, and is connected to the faucet and the water purifier; it is characterized in that it has: This pipe flow path is used to supply water to the above faucet; The raw water side connecting part of the water purifier is connected with a flow path connected to the raw water inlet of the water purifier; The water purification side connection part of the water purifier is connected with the flow path from the water purification outlet part of the water purifier; and The valve is used to open and close the above-mentioned pipe flow path. Such as the water delivery unit of claim 1, wherein the valve is composed of an electric motor. Such as the water delivery unit of claim 1, wherein the valve is composed of an electromagnetic solenoid. A connection system, characterized in that it has: The water delivery unit of any one of claims 1 to 3; A pipe connecting the water supply unit and the faucet; Pipe connecting the water supply unit and the original tap water valve of the raw water flow path; A pipe connecting the water supply unit and the raw water inlet of the water purifier; and A pipe connecting the water supply unit and the purified water outlet of the water purifier. A water purification system, characterized in that it has: The connection system of claim 4; and Operating part, which is used to open and close the valve; The operation part is arranged separately from the water supply unit.

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