Abstract:
The present invention discloses a switching valve for ion water generator that makes it possible to discharge the same species of ion water through a specific faucet despite the conversion of the polarity of chambers in electrolyzers. The switching valve device comprises a valve body with a double-headed drum pinched in at the middle for switching a pair of outflow openings to the discharging channels, a solenoid housing for exerting a magnetic force on the iron core formed at the valve body.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to an ion water generator, and more particularly, to a switching valve for an ion water generator. The present invention presents a switching valve with solenoid that enables the outlet or the faucet to supply the same species of ion water, namely, either alkaline ion water or acid ion water, despite the polar conversion of the chambers comprising the electrolyzer of the ion water generator.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    It is well known that one of the causes for the modern adult disease like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease is the acidification of physical constitution due to the excessive intake of acid food.  
           [0003]    As a consequence of the preference for alkaline ion water, an apparatus like an ion water generator has been introduced. Furthermore, it is understood that the alkaline ion water helps to convert the acid physical constitution into the light-alkaline one.  
           [0004]    FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of the mechanism of an ion water generator in accordance with the prior art.  
           [0005]    Traditionally, the ion water generator consists of a purifier  1  for the filtration of water and an electrolyzer  2  that electrolytically dissociates the purified water.  
           [0006]    More specifically, the electrolyzer  2 , comprising a cation chamber  4  and an anion chamber  5  being separated from each other by a barrier rib  3 , produces ion water through the electrolysis process of water with proper voltages applied to those chambers.  
           [0007]    When the voltage is applied at the cation chamber  4 , the oxygen gas is generated due to the reduction process of hydroxyl ion in the electrolyzed water. During the reduction process, the negative acid ions including chlorine, phosphorus, and sulfur acidifies the water in the cation chamber  4 .  
           [0008]    In the meanwhile, the hydrogen gas is generated due to the reduction process of hydrogen at the anion chamber  5 . Simultaneously, hydrogen ion pairs are produced by the positive ions such as sodium, magnesium, and calcium.  
           [0009]    Consequently, the solution of the anion chamber  5  becomes alkaline. The alkaline ion water produced at the anion chamber can be used for drinking water while the acid ion water can be used for skin care or sterilization.  
           [0010]    Furthermore, the structure of the alkaline ion water becomes hexagonal during the electrolysis, which turns out to be an outstanding feature for sound body.  
           [0011]    However, the prior art has a shortcoming because the cations like calcium and magnesium are solidified at the negative electrodes of the cation chamber  5  during the electrolysis.  
           [0012]    As time passes, the amount of the solidified tartar, as it were, scale at the negative electrodes becomes huge enough to cause the reduction of the electric current during electrolysis. The excessive build-up of scale at the negative electrode will decrease the electric current and thereby prevent the efficient dissociation of water during electrolysis process.  
           [0013]    Since the formation of the scale or tartar, whatever, at the negative electrodes is unavoidable if the electrolyzer is used quite a long period of time without switching the polarity between anion and cation chambers.  
           [0014]    Consequently, the state of the art in the field of ion water generator is that the polarity of voltage applied at the electrodes of each chamber is switched from time to time for preventing the formation of scale at the negative electrode.  
           [0015]    In this approach, the role of each electrode is periodically commutated in an effort to effectively prevent the formation of scale at the electrode of the anion chamber. In other words, the cation and anion chambers are switched with each other periodically.  
           [0016]    Since the role of the cation chamber and the anion chamber is interchanged from time to time in accordance with the prior art, the species of the ion water, namely either alkaline ion water or acid ion water, discharged at the outlets or the faucets, should be alternatively changing accordingly.  
           [0017]    However, it is natural that people expect to take the same kind of ion water, for example, alkaline ion water, from the faucet designating “drinking water”. It will be undesirable and even more dangerous that the opposite species of ion water, for example, acid ion water come out of the same faucet designating “drinking water” just because of the polar conversion inside the apparatus.  
           [0018]    If the same species of ion water need to flow out of an outlet continuously, the waterways from the chambers to the outlet should be re-configured in accordance with the commutation of applied voltage at the electrode of the chambers.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0019]    In view of these problems, there is a need in the art to invent a device for alternating the configuration of waterways in accordance with the polarity of the applied voltage at the electrodes.  
           [0020]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a switching valve, which enables the outlet to discharge the same kind of ion water despite the polar conversion at the electrodes in the electrolyzer for the prevention of the formation of scale at the negative electrodes.  
           [0021]    In accordance with a broad aspect of the present invention, provided is a switching valve commutating the transfer routes of ion water in accordance with the polar switching of the applied voltage at the electrodes.  
           [0022]    The present invention employs the solenoid valve for switching the transfer route for each type of ion water (i.e., alkaline ion water and acid ion water).  
           [0023]    The present invention comprises a valve housing having an inlet connected to the channel of supply and a couple of outflow openings in the opposite directions wherein those outflow openings are interchangeably switched on and off in a complementary manner.  
           [0024]    Each of outflow openings is connected either to a discharging channel for alkaline ion water or to a discharging channel for acid ion water. Further, the species of ion water flowing through each discharging channel to the outlet, or the faucet, is fixed in accordance with the invention.  
           [0025]    The species of ion water flowing through each channel of supply to the inlet of the valve housing is convertible in accordance with the polarity of the applied voltage at the electrodes.  
           [0026]    Therefore, the waterway from the inlet to the outflow openings inside the valve housing should be re-configured in accordance with the polarity of the applied voltage at the electrodes.  
           [0027]    Inside the valve housing, there is provided a valve body with a shape of a double-headed drum pinched in at the middle. In other words, the valve body comprises upper part and lower part wherein each part has a shape of cylindrical disc. The upper and lower disc-shaped parts are connected with a cylindrical shaft whose radius is smaller that that of those cylindrical discs.  
           [0028]    The valve body moves up and down inside the valve housing in order to open and shut off either of the outflow openings. The upward movement of the valve body is propelled with the electromagnetic force exerted on the iron core integrated with the valve body.  
           [0029]    The upward movement of the valve body causes the upper part of the valve body shut off the outflow opening, for instance, to the discharging channel for alkaline ion water, while the lower part opens the outflow opening at the bottom.  
           [0030]    When the disc-shaped upper part closes an outflow opening located at the upper side of the valve housing, the other disc-shaped lower part of the valve body opens the opposite outflow opening at the bottom of the valve housing, and vice versa.  
           [0031]    Consequently, each of disc-shaped parts of the valve body alternatively switches the outflow openings to the discharging channels for alkaline ion water and acid ion water, respectively.  
           [0032]    When the voltage applied to the solenoid housing is removed, the valve body moves downward and thereby converts the transfer route of waterways to the outflow opening at the top, namely, to the discharging channel for alkaline ion water.  
           [0033]    As a result, it becomes possible to maintain the species of ion water consistently through a designated outlet/faucet even if the polarity of the ion water flowing in through the channel of supply has been changed over due to the polar switching of the chambers of the electrolyzer. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0034]    Further features of the present invention will become apparent from a description of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiment of the invention, which, however, should not be taken to be limitative to the invention, but are for explanation and understanding only.  
         [0035]    In the drawings:  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an ion water generator in accordance with the prior art.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the constitution of the switching valve in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the functional block of the ion water generator in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram illustrating the transfer route for alkaline ion water through the switching valve in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram illustrating the transfer route for acid ion water through the switching valve when the polarity of ion water has been changes over in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0041]    A detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0042]    In FIG. 2  is shown a schematic diagram illustrating the constitution of the switching valve in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0043]    Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the electrolyzer comprises a cation chamber  4  and an anion chamber. The electrolyzer  2  further comprises a couple of valve housing  10  of circular cylindrical shape.  
         [0044]    The valve housing  10  has an inlet  12  that is connected to the channel of supply  6  or  7 . At the top of the valve housing  10 , there is provided an outflow opening connected to the discharging channel  14 , for instance, for the alkaline ion water.  
         [0045]    At the bottom of the valve housing  10 , there is provided an outflow opening connected to the discharging channel  16 , for instance, for the acid ion water in the opposite manner.  
         [0046]    Preferably, the discharging channel  16  for the acid ion water passes through beneath the solenoid housing  18 .  
         [0047]    An iron core  20  with a lower spacer  32  on it is then implemented in such a manner that it is inserted in the orifice of the outflow opening toward the discharging channel  16 . The iron core  20  moves up and down in a translational motion by electromagnetic force in accordance with time sequence of the applied voltage at the solenoid housing  18 .  
         [0048]    Next to the lower spacer  32  there is provided a lower part  24  of the valve body  22  wherein the lower part  24  has a shape of cylindrical disc.  
         [0049]    The valve body  22  comprises an upper part  23  and a lower part  24  and has a shape of a double-headed drum pinched in at the middle.  
         [0050]    The valve body  22  has symmetry and therefore the upper part  24  also has a shape of cylindrical disc.  
         [0051]    The disc-shaped upper part  24  is supposed to switch on and off the outflow opening toward the discharging channel for alkaline ion water, while the lower part  24  is supposed to be responsible for switching the outflow opening toward the discharging channel for acid ion water.  
         [0052]    On top of the upper part  23 , there is provided an upper spacer  30  that is inserted into the orifice of the outflow opening through to the discharging channel  14  for the alkaline ion water.  
         [0053]    As a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention, a couple of packing, for instance, rubber packing,  26  can be implemented for the prevention of leakage.  
         [0054]    More preferably, the valve seat  28  can be prepared for tightly sealing up the packing  26  to the outflow openings.  
         [0055]    If one of the disc-shaped parts  23  or  24  shuts off either of the outflow openings of the valve housing  10 , the other part  24  or  23  will open the corresponding outflow opening due to the motion of the valve body  22 .  
         [0056]    The valve body  22  moves upward and downward when the voltage is applied at the solenoid housing  18  and electromagnetic force is exerted on the iron core  20 .  
         [0057]    Furthermore, the upper spacer  30  is installed such that it can be inserted into the orifice of the discharging channel  14  for guiding the motion of the upper part  23  when the valve body  22  is forced to move upward to block the outflow opening for alkaline ion water.  
         [0058]    Consequently, a couple solenoid valves  18  are installed for each channel of supply  6  and  7 , respectively. Further, each solenoid valve  18  has a couple of discharging channels  14  and  16 , one for alkaline ion water and the other for acid ion water.  
         [0059]    Therefore, even when the species of the incoming ion water through the inlet  12  is switched from one to the other (i.e., alkaline to acid), the outflow openings inside the valve housing  10  are changed over correspondingly for reconfiguring the waterways to the faucet.  
         [0060]    The present invention therefore comprises a couple of valve housing  10  connected to the channels of supply  6  and  7  and a valve body  22  which opens and closes the outflow openings toward the discharging channels. The present invention further comprises an iron core  20  moving the valve body  22  upward and downward; and a solenoid housing  18  exerting an electromagnetic force on the iron core  20 .  
         [0061]    Each valve housing  10  has an inlet  12 , which is connected to each channel of supply  6  or  7 . The species of the ion water entering the inlet  12  of the valve housing  10  is dependent on the polarity of the voltage applied at each electrode of the electrolyzer.  
         [0062]    The waterways to the faucets/outlets  34  and  36  are discharging channels  14  for alkaline ion water and  16  for acid ion water, respectively.  
         [0063]    Consequently, the selective switching on/off of the discharging channels is performed by the rise and fall of the valve body  22  with the iron core  20  under the control of the solenoid housing  18 .  
         [0064]    Preferably, the iron core  20  is installed into the orifice of the discharging channel  16  for acid ion water. This is because it is less probable that tartar or scale is contained in the acid ion water and the acid water is usually used for sterilization rather than for drinking.  
         [0065]    The iron core  20  in accordance with the present invention is prolonged by the lower spacer  32  and is inserted into the outflow opening toward the discharging channel  16  for the acid ion water.  
         [0066]    When the voltage is applied at the solenoid housing  18 , the iron core  20  is elevated beneath the solenoid housing  18 . As a consequence, the valve body  22  together with the iron core  20  moves upward to open the outflow opening at the bottom.  
         [0067]    The valve body  22  in accordance with the present invention comprises a couple of disc-shaped parts, i.e., the upper part  23  and the lower parts  24 . The distance between the upper part  23  and the lower part is adjusted in such a manner that if one of the disc-shaped parts shuts off an outflow opening then the other part opens the other outflow opening.  
         [0068]    Preferably, a packing rubber  26  can be implemented on each of the upper part  23  and the lower part  24  for tightly sealing up the outflow opening.  
         [0069]    More preferably, a valve seat can be prepared at the outflow opening in order to launch the valve body  22  with the packing  26  at the openings.  
         [0070]    As a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention, an upper spacer  30  is formed on the upper part  23  of the valve body  22 . The upper spacer  30  is well designed such that the upper spacer  30  is still inside the orifice of the discharging channel  14  when the outflow opening is wide open due to the fall of the valve body  22 .  
         [0071]    Furthermore, the upper spacer  30  guides the elevation of the valve body  22  such that the upper part  23  of the valve body  22  is safely launched at the valve seat  28  for shutting off the outflow opening.  
         [0072]    As a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention, the ascent of the iron core  20  is performed by the electromagnetic force of the solenoid while the descent of the iron core  20  is induced by the gravitational force of the iron core  20  and the valve body  22 .  
         [0073]    However, the mechanism for moving the iron core  20  does not have to be limited only to the above-mentioned embodiment.  
         [0074]    Preferably, a spring can be implemented at the valve body  22  such that the urging force of the spring counteracts the gravitational force. As a consequence, it is possible to arrange the solenoid valve in a transversal manner as well as in a longitudinal way.  
         [0075]    [0075]FIGS.4A and 4B are schematic diagrams illustrating transfer routes through the switching valve for alkaline ion water and for acid ion water, respectively.  
         [0076]    Referring to FIGS.4A and 4B, the discharging channel  14  is connected to an outlet  34 , i.e. faucet, for alkaline ion water, while the discharging channel  16  is connected to the outlet  36  for acid ion water.  
         [0077]    Referring to FIG. 4 A, when the alkaline ion water is supplied through the inlet  12  to the valve housing  10 , the outflow opening to the discharging channel  16  for the acid ion water is shut off because the voltage is not applied at the solenoid housing  18 .  
         [0078]    In this case, the alkaline ion water flows out through the discharging channel  14  since the lower part  24  of the valve body  22  shuts off the outflow opening at the bottom. Now, when the polarity of the chambers has been reversed, the voltage is applied at the solenoid housing  18 . As a consequence, the iron core  20  moves  20  upward due to the electromagnetic force.  
         [0079]    Then the outflow opening to the alkaline discharging channel  14  is shut off and the incoming ion water is routed to the acid discharging channel  16  due to the elevation of the iron core  20 .  
         [0080]    Preferably, the switching valves in accordance with the present invention are installed for each channel of supply  6  and  7  in order to maintain the species of ion water through a specific faucet.  
         [0081]    Although the invention has been illustrated and described with respect to exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes, omissions and additions may be made therein and thereto, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
         [0082]    Therefore, the present invention should not be understood as limited to the specific embodiment set forth above but to include all possible embodiments which can be embodies within a scope encompassed and equivalents thereof with respect to the feature set forth in the appended claims.