Water filter assembly and refrigerator and water purifier having the same

A water filter assembly, and a refrigerator and a water purifier having the same, including: a manifold having a inflow path through which raw water flows in and an outflow path through which filtered water flows out; a case supporting the manifold; and a filter cartridge coupled to a lower side of the case such that it is separable and connected with the outflow port of the manifold, wherein a fluid flow control unit is installed between the manifold and the filter cartridge and rotates according to a rotation of the filter cartridge, the center of the rotation is the same as the center of an outlet of the filter cartridge, and the fluid flow control unit includes a disk having a connection hole allowing the raw water inflow path and an inlet of the filter cartridge to communicate only at a certain position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0061769 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Jun. 24, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a water filter assembly and a refrigerator and a water purifier having the same, and more particularly, to a water filter assembly in which changing a filter cartridge and preventing water from being leaked when a filter cartridge is changed are easy and simple, and a refrigerator and a water purifier having the same.

(b) Description of the Related Art

In general, as water pollution becomes more severe due to industrial development and people are increasingly interested in their health, water purified by a water purifier is increasingly being used and a lot of marketed spring water is used.

A water purifier removes foreign objects and the like included in raw water by sedimentation, filtering, sterilizing, or the like, and homes, offices, business establishments, and the like generally use water purifiers.

Various types of water purifiers are manufactured and used according to water purification schemes. A general water purifier includes a plurality of filters for removing foreign objects included in raw water supplied through a water supply pipe to thus purify water.

The filters generally include a sediment filter, a pre-processing carbon filter, a membrane filter, a post-processing carbon filter, and the like, and these filters, having a structure in which they are connected in series through a connection pipe conduit, are fixedly installed in the interior of a main body of a water purifier, and raw water, while sequentially passing through the filters, undergoes sedimentation, filtration, and sterilization through which foreign objects or the like contained in raw water are filtered out.

Each of the filters are installed in the interior of a housing and includes an inlet and an outlet formed at upper and lower portions to and from which raw water is introduced and discharged. The inlets and outlets of the filters are connected by a connection pipe conduit so as to be used.

When a water purifier device is used for a certain period of time, water purification capabilities of the filters are degraded, so the filters are required to be periodically replaced with new filters according to a lifespan of the filters.

In order to change a filter in the water purifier device, the inflow of raw water supplied to the water purifier device is cut off, the connection pipe conduit connected to the inlet and outlet of the filter is separated, and the filter fixed to the water purifier device is then separated. After a new filter is mounted, the connection pipe conduit is connected to an inlet and an outlet of the new filter, thus changing the filter.

The lifespan of each of the filters is different. Thus, in most cases, only a corresponding filter is changed, rather than collectively changing all the filters at one time.

However, as for the related art water filters, when a filter is changed, the connection pipe conduit connected to the inlet and the outlet in a press-fit manner is drawn out, and after the filter is changed, the connection pipe conduit is inserted to be press-fit to the new filter, having a disadvantage in that the filter replacing operation is cumbersome and a great amount of time is required.

Meanwhile, in a recently manufactured refrigerator, in order to supply water which is drinkable or to make ice, water is received from a water supply source, filtered, and supplied to a user through a dispenser.

Like the filters installed in the water purifier device, the filter installed in the refrigerator is degraded in its purification capabilities when it is used for a certain period of time. Thus, the filter installed in the refrigerator is periodically required to be changed for a new filter according to its lifespan.

Also, like the filters installed in the water purifier device, when the filter installed in the refrigerator is separated from an assembly so as to be changed, the water supply source must be cut off, having disadvantages in that the changing of the filter is cumbersome and it is not easy to change the filter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a water filter assembly having advantages such that changing a filter cartridge and preventing water from being leaked when a filter cartridge is changed are easy and simple, and a refrigerator and a water purifier having the same.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a water filter assembly including: a manifold having a inflow path through which raw water flows in and an outflow path through which filtered water flows out; a case supporting the manifold; and a filter cartridge coupled to a lower side of the case such that it is separable and connectable with the outflow port of the manifold, wherein a fluid flow control unit is installed between the manifold and the filter cartridge and rotates according to a rotation of the filter cartridge, the center of the rotation is the same as the center of an outlet of the filter cartridge, and the fluid flow control unit includes a disk having a connection hole allowing the raw water inflow path and an inlet of the filter cartridge to communicate only at a certain position.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator including: a supply pipe conduit supplying water to the interior of the refrigerator from a water supply source; a water filter assembly filtering water supplied through the supply pipe conduit; and a dispenser and an ice maker receiving filtered water through the water filter assembly,

wherein the water filter assembly includes: a manifold having an inflow path through which raw water flows in and an outflow path through which filtered water flows out; a case supporting the manifold; and a filter cartridge coupled to a lower side of the case such that it is separable and connectable with the outflow port of the manifold, wherein a fluid flow control unit is installed between the manifold and the filter cartridge and rotates according to a rotation of the filter cartridge, the center of the rotation is the same as the center of an outlet of the filter cartridge, and the fluid flow control unit includes a disk having a connection hole allowing the raw water inflow path and an inlet of the filter cartridge to communicate only at a certain position.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a water purifier including: a supply pipe conduit supplying water to the interior of a water purifier from a water supply source; a water filter assembly filtering water supplied through the supply pipe conduit; and a dispenser receiving filtered water through the water filter assembly, cooling or heating, or cooling and heating, the received water, and discharging the same to the outside,

wherein the water filter assembly includes: a manifold having an inflow path through which raw water flows in and an outflow path through which filtered water flows out; a case supporting the manifold; and a filter cartridge coupled to a lower side of the case such that it is separable and connectable with the outflow port of the manifold, wherein a fluid flow control unit is installed between the manifold and the filter cartridge and rotates according to a rotation of the filter cartridge, the center of the rotation is the same as the center of an outlet of the filter cartridge, and the fluid flow control unit includes a disk having a connection hole allowing the raw water inflow path and an inlet of the filter cartridge to communicate only at a certain position.

According to embodiments of the present invention, in the water filter assembly, when the filter cartridge is completely mounted in the manifold, the fluid flow control unit is changed into an opening array to allow water to flow, and when the filter cartridge is separated from the manifold, the fluid flow control unit is changed into a closed array to prevent water flow. Thus, when the filter cartridge is changed, water can be prevented from flowing to the outside.

Also, when the filter cartridge is changed, even when the filter is separated from the manifold, water does not flow backward.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1is a sectional perspective view of a water filter assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIGS. 2 and 3are a perspective view and a sectional view of a filter cartridge constituting the water filter assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIGS. 4 to 8are views for explaining how the filter cartridge is mounted in a manifold in the water filter assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which reference numeral2denotes a manifold.

The manifold2includes an inflow path6and an outflow path8demarcated by a separation wall4, and an inflow port10and an outflow port12are formed on the inflow path6and the outflow path8, respectively, such that they communicate with a filter cartridge (to be described).

The inflow path6is connected with a supply pipe14supplying water from a water supply source, and the outflow path8is connected with a discharge pipe16discharging clean water which has been filtered through the filter cartridge.

One or a plurality of discharge pipes16may be provided. When a plurality of discharge pipes16are provided, one of the discharge pipes16may be provided to fit a refrigerator and be connected to a dispenser providing drinking water and the other may be connected to an ice maker.

A fluid flow control unit18is assembled to the manifold2, and a filter cartridge20is mounted to be separable through the fluid flow control unit18.

The filter cartridge20includes a housing26including an inlet22and an outlet24which correspond to an inflow port10and an outflow port12formed at the manifold2, and a filter28installed in the interior of the housing26and filtering water introduced through the inlet22.

The inlet22and the outlet24are spaced apart and protruded from the housing26. The outlet24is formed at a central portion of an upper face of the housing26, and a protuberance30is formed at a portion symmetrical to the inlet22based on the outlet24.

The protuberance30serves to operate the fluid flow control unit18when the filter cartridge20is mounted to or detached from the manifold2, and to allow the inflow port10of the manifold2and the inlet24of the filter cartridge20to communicate or close the inflow port10of the manifold2.

A stopping protrusion32is formed at an outer face of an upper portion of the housing26, so that when the filter cartridge20is mounted to the manifold2, the stopping protrusion32is caught by a projection36within a case34in which the manifold2is installed, so as to be fixed.

An O-ring38is provided to an outer circumferential surface of the inlet22and the outlet24, to thereby prevent outflow of water when the filter cartridge20is coupled to the manifold2.

Meanwhile, the housing26may include an upper housing26aand a lower housing26bwhich are assembled such that they can be separated.

The inner diameter of the housing26is greater than the outer diameter of the filter28, forming a space portion40between an outer surface of the filter28and the housing26. Water introduced through the inlet22of the filter cartridge20passes through the space portion38and the interior of the filter28so as to be filtered, and then passes through the outflow port12of the manifold2through the outlet24.

One or more filter cartridges may be mounted to the manifold2, and in this case, the filter28may be configured, for example, as a sediment filter, a carbon filter, a membrane filter, or the like. Respective filter cartridges20, each having such a filter, may be sequentially mounted to the manifold2, and perform a process of sedimentation, filtration, sterilization, or the like, when raw water such as tap water filters through the filters, to thus remove foreign objects or any other harmful materials included in raw water.

When the filter cartridge20is used for a certain period of time, its purification capabilities are degraded. Thus, the filter28is required to be periodically replaced with a new filter according to its usage life span. In the water filter assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the filter cartridge20is mounted to the manifold2or detached therefrom, the fluid flow control unit18is operated to open or close the flow of water.

The fluid flow control unit18includes a disk42, a fixing support portion44formed at an outer circumferential portion of the disk42to rotatably fix the disk42to the manifold2, and a stopper46limiting the rotation of the disk42to a certain angle.

The disk42includes a fixing hole48formed at a central portion thereof, and the outflow port12of the manifold2is inserted into the fixing hole48. The disk42is assembled to the manifold2such that it is rotatable in a circumference direction by using the outflow port12as a rotational shaft.

A connection hole50is formed to be spaced apart from the fixing hole48of the disk42. The connection hole50serves to connect the inflow port10of the manifold2and the inlet22of the filter cartridge20when the filter cartridge20is mounted. A lower portion of the connection hole50is formed to allow the inlet22of the filter cartridge20to be tightly inserted thereto.

A prominence52is formed at a portion on an upper face of the disk42such that it is symmetrical to the connection hole50based on the fixing hole48. The prominence52serves to press a sealing member54assembled to the inflow port10of the manifold2to completely close the inflow port10as the disk42constituting the fluid flow control unit18is rotated in a circumference direction when the filter cartridge20is detached from the manifold2.

A recess56is formed on a lower face of the disk42to allow the protuberance30of the filter cartridge20to be inserted therein. The protuberance30is formed at a lower portion of the prominence52.

When the filter cartridge20is mounted to or detached from the manifold2, the fluid flow control unit18including the disk42is rotated or reversely rotated by a certain angle in the circumference direction based on the fixing hole48to allow water to flow to the filter cartridge20or prevent flow of water.

A sealing member58is provided at a lower portion of the disk42to maintain sealing force in a state in which the filter cartridge20is mounted.

Also, in order to prevent water from flowing backward to be leaked when the mounted filter cartridge20is replaced, a backflow preventing valve60for closing the outlet24of the filter cartridge20at the end portion is installed in the manifold2.

The backflow preventing valve60includes a valve main body62for opening and closing the outflow port12of the filter cartridge20and a fixed portion64extending from the valve main body62and fixed to the manifold2.

When water flows from the filter cartridge20to the manifold2, the valve main body62opens the final outflow port12of the manifold2by water pressure as shown inFIG. 9, and when the flow of water is stopped, the valve main body62closes the final outflow port12by self-load as shown inFIG. 10.

Thus, although the filter cartridge20is detached from the manifold2in order to replace the corresponding filter cartridge20, water in the discharge pipe16and the pipe conduit connected thereto is maintained in its state, rather than flowing back.

The water filter assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention as described above may be provided to be used in a refrigerator or a water purifier such that clean drinking water and ice can be obtained, and a supply pipe conduit supplying water from a water supply source may be connected to the supply pipe14of the water filter assembly mounted in the refrigerator or the water purifier and a certain pipe conduit may be connected to the discharge pipe16discharging purified water so as to be connected to a dispenser or an ice maker to allow the user to use filtered water.

The water filter assembly may be mounted on the ceiling in the interior of a refrigerator or on an inner side wall of the refrigerator so as to be used, or may be mounted in the interior of a water purifier so as to be used.

Here, in a state in which the filter cartridge20is not mounted to the manifold2, the inflow port10of the manifold2is maintained in a closed state as the prominence52formed at an upper portion of the disk42of the fluid flow control unit18presses the sealing member54.

In this state, when the filter cartridge20is to be mounted, as shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, the protuberance30is inserted into the recess56of the manifold2, and the outlet24and the inlet22are inserted into the outflow port12and the connection hole50of the disk42.

When the filter cartridge20is rotated while being pushed up toward the fluid flow control unit18, the disk42is rotated in the circumference direction based on the outflow port12, and in this state, when the filter cartridge20is continuously rotated by a certain angle (about 120 degrees), the stopper46is caught by a projection (not shown) formed on the manifold2, whereby the filter cartridge20is completely mounted and is not rotated any further.

When the filter cartridge20is mounted, the spiral stopping protrusion32formed on the housing26moves along the projection36formed in the case34and then is caught to firmly maintain the mounted state.

In this manner, when the mounting of the filter cartridge20is completed, as shown inFIGS. 7 and 8, the outlet24of the filter cartridge20is consistent with the outflow port12of the manifold2, and the inlet22of the filter cartridge20is consistent with the inflow port10formed in the manifold2, allowing water to flow toward the filter cartridge20.

When the filter cartridges20are all mounted to the manifold2, the inlet22and the outlet24of the filter cartridge are maintained to be connected with the inflow path6and the outflow path8of the manifold2, allowing water introduced through the supply pipe14to sequentially pass through the filter cartridges20, during which foreign objects are filtered out, and as the backflow preventing valve60is open by water pressure, water is discharged through the discharge pipe16.

A pipe conduit (not shown) is connected to the discharge pipe16to supply clean water to a dispenser, an ice maker, or the like, of a refrigerator, or to a dispenser of a water purifier.

When the filter cartridges20are to be changed with new ones after having been used for a certain period of time, the filter cartridges20are removed in reverse order to that when the filter cartridges20were mounted, and new filter cartridges are mounted. Here, when the filter cartridges20are rotated in a direction opposite to that when the filter cartridges20were mounted at the manifold2, the disk42constituting the fluid flow control unit18is rotated in the opposite direction to that when the filter cartridges20were mounted and the inflow port10of the manifold2is maintained in a closed state as the prominence52formed at the upper portion of the disk42of the fluid flow control unit18presses the sealing member54.

Accordingly, although the filter cartridges20are separated, water cannot flow out to the outside of the water filter assembly, and at this time, the backflow preventing valve60closes the outlet24of the final filter cartridge20, preventing water from flowing backward.