Patent Publication Number: US-2021163318-A1

Title: Direct water purifier

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a direct water purifier. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     A water purifier is a device for purifying raw water supplied from an external source to provide purified water. In accordance with increasing demand of users for fresher water and a trend of miniaturization of products, a direct water purifier without a storage tank has been widely used. A water purifier which generates and provides cold water and hot water using purified water, in addition to providing purified water, has also been widely used. 
     In the case of instantaneously operating a hot water heater to provide hot water in a direct water manner, however, pressure of a pump disposed in a flow path of the water purifier may increase excessively as a flow rate is adjusted to heat the purified water to a desired temperature, leading to reduced durability of the product. 
     DISCLOSURE 
     Technical Problem 
     Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a method for preventing an excessive increase in pump pressure when a hot water heater is instantaneously operated, with respect to a direct water purifier providing purified water, cold water and hot water in a direct water manner. 
     Technical Solution 
     To solve the technical problem, an embodiment provides a direct water purifier. 
     The direct water purifier includes a first filter for filtering water introduced through a first flow path; a second filter for receiving the water filtered by and supplied from the first filter through a second flow path and filtering the same; a first valve disposed in the second flow path to control water flow; a pump disposed in the second flow path to supply water having a predetermined hydraulic pressure or higher to the second filter; a third filter for receiving the water filtered by and supplied from the second filter through a third flow path and filtering the same; a heating part for receiving the water filtered by and supplied from the third filter and heating the same to a predetermined temperature; and a flushing valve disposed in a flushing flow path through which concentrated water is discharged from the second filter, wherein the flushing valve is open during operation of the heating part. 
     In addition, the means for solving the above-mentioned technical problem are not all enumerating the features of the present disclosure. The various features of the present disclosure and the advantages and effects thereof will be more fully understood by reference to the following specific embodiments. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an excessive increase in pump pressure of a direct water purifier providing purified water, cold water and hot water in a direct water manner can be prevented when a hot water heater is instantaneously operated. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a direct water purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a direct water purifier according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention may, however, be exemplified in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the specific embodiments set forth herein, and those skilled in the art and understanding the present invention can easily accomplish retrogressive inventions or other embodiments included in the scope of the present invention by the addition, modification, and removal of components within the same scope, but those are construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. Like reference numerals will be used to designate like components having similar functions throughout the drawings within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     Throughout the specification, a configuration is referred to as being “connected” to another configuration, including not only when the configurations are directly connected but also when they are indirectly connected with each other. In addition, when a component is referred to as “comprise” or “comprising,” it means that it may include other components as well, rather than excluding other components, unless specifically stated otherwise. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a direct water purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a direct water purifier  100  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be configured to include one or more filters  111  to  113 , a pump  120 , a heating part  130  and a cooling part  140 , flow paths connecting the same L 1  to L 9 , valves disposed in the flow path to control water flow V 1  to V 12 , and a flow rate sensor FS. 
     Raw water provided through the first flow path L 1  can be filtered in the first filter  111 . For example, the first filter  111  may be a pre-treatment filter first filtering the raw water. 
     The water filtered by the first filter  111  may flow to the second flow path L 2  through the first valve V 1 . For example, the first valve V 1  may be implemented as a diaphragm valve allowing the water filtered in the first filter  111  to flow to the second flow path L 2 . 
     The water having flowed through the second flow path L 2  may be provided to and filtered by the second filter  112 . For example, the second filter  112  may be a reverse osmosis filter which filters water by a reverse osmosis (RO) method. 
     Further, the pump  120  is provided in the second flow path L 2  such that water having a predetermined hydraulic pressure or higher can be supplied to the second filter  112 . This enables the water filtration by the RO method to be smoothly carried out in the second filter  112 . 
     The water filtered by the second filter  112  may be provided to the third filter  113  through the third flow path L 3  and filtered therein. For example, the third filter  113  may be a post-treatment filter for removing gas, odor, residual chlorine, and the like. 
     The second valve V 2  for pressure drop in the flow paths and the third valve V 3  for preventing backflow of water may be provided on the third flow path L 3 . 
     Meanwhile, concentrated water discharged from the second filter  112  may be discharged to a drain through the seventh flow path L 7  or may be provided as living water through the eighth flow path L 8 . 
     The seventh valve V 7  and the eighth valve V 8  for performing a flushing may be provided on the seventh flow path L 7 , and the ninth valve V 9  may be provided on the eighth flow path L 8 . The seventh flow path L 7  and the seventh valve V 7  are provided for performing the flushing and may be referred to as a flushing flow path and a flushing valve, respectively. In addition, when the heating part  130  to be described later is being operated, the seventh valve V 7  may be open to prevent an excessive increase in rear end pressure of the pump  120  or a front end of the second filter  112  when an extraction amount of purified water filtered through the second filter  112  is limited. When the second filter  112  is completely open, however, pressure is not formed in the second filter  112 , and thus, a water purification function may be lost. Accordingly, in order to solve the problem of a complete opening of the second filter  112 , the eighth valve V 8  and the ninth valve V 9  formed as resistors on the eighth flow path L 8  and on a rear end of the seventh valve V 7  on the seventh flow path L 7 , respectively, are installed to form driving pressure required for the second filter  112 . 
     Further, the seventh valve V 7  may be open the seventh flow path L 7  while the heating part  130  to be described later is being operated. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent an excessive increase in pressure of the pump  120  when the heating part  130  is being operated. 
     The purified water filtered by the third filter  113  is supplied to a user through the fourth flow path L 4 , heated while passing through the fifth flow path L 5  branched from the fourth flow path L 4 , or supplied to the user after being cooled while passing through the sixth flow path L 6  branched from the fourth flow path L 4 . 
     The flow rate sensor FS is provided on the fourth flow path L 4  to detect a flow rate of the purified water flowing through the fourth flow path L 4 . In addition, the fourth valve V 4  is provided on the fourth flow path L 4  to control purified water supply through the fourth flow path L 4 . 
     The fifth valve V 5  and the heating part  130  may be provided on the fifth flow path L 5 . The heating part  130  may be an instantaneous hot water heater, which instantaneously heats inflowing purified water to a predetermined temperature. The fifth valve V 5  is provided at a front end of the heating part  130  to control supply of hot water supply through the fifth flow path L 5  and may be referred to as a hot water valve. For example, the fifth valve V 5  may be implemented as a stepping motor to adjust a flow rate of the purified water supplied to the heating part  130  such that the purified water supplied to the heating part  130  is heated to be hot water having a predetermined temperature. 
     The sixth valve V 6  and the cooling part  140  may be provided on the sixth flow path L 6 . The cooling part  140  may provide cold water by cooling purified water introduced in an ice-storing manner. For example, the cooling part  140  may include an ice storage tank and a cooling coil and can instantaneously cool the purified water introduced by heat exchange after cooling non-drinking water in the ice storage tank by the cooling coil. The sixth valve V 6  may be provided at a front end of the cooling part  140  to control cold water supply through the sixth flow path L 6 . 
     In addition, the eleventh valve V 11  may be provided at a water outlet in which the fourth flow path L 4 , the fifth flow path L 5  and the sixth flow path L 6  are combined. For example, the eleventh valve V 11  is implemented as a two-way valve such that water discharged through the fourth flow path L 4 , the fifth flow path L 5  or the sixth flow path L 6  is supplied to the user or is discharged to the drain. 
     Meanwhile, the water filtered by the first filter  111  may flow through the ninth flow path L 9  and be supplied to the ice storage tank provided in the cooling part  140  or discharged externally. The tenth valve V 10  and the twelfth valve V 12  may be provided on the ninth flow path L 9  branched from a rear end of the first filter  111 . For example, the tenth valve V 10  may be implemented as a check valve for preventing backflow of water, while the twelfth valve V 12  may be implemented as a diaphragm valve. 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a direct water purifier according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a direct water purifier  200  according to another embodiment may be configured to include one or more filters  211  to  213 , a pump  220 , a heating part  230  and a cooling part  240 , flow paths L 1  to L 10  connecting the same, valves disposed in the flow paths to control water flow V 1  to V 13  and a flow rate sensor FS. 
     The direct water purifier  200  illustrated in  FIG. 2  are the same as the direct water purifier  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1  except that a tenth flow path L 10  connecting a front end and a rear end of the pump  220  to bypass the pump  220  and a thirteenth valve  13  disposed in the tenth flow path L 10  are further included. 
     Descriptions of the same elements will be omitted. 
     The tenth flow path L 10  and the thirteenth valve V 13  are for bypassing the front and rear ends of the pump  220  and may be referred as a bypass flow path and a bypass valve, respectively. 
     The thirteenth valve V 13  may open the tenth flow path L 10  while the heating part  230  is being operated. In this regard, it is possible to prevent an excessive increase in pressure of the pump  220  when the heating part  230  is being operated. In addition, the thirteenth valve V 13  may prevent an increase in the pressure of the pump  220  by opening the tenth flow path L 10  when an overload in the pump  220  is detected by an additionally provided sensor, or the like. 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, but various modifications may be made within the technical ideas of the present disclosure.