R0 water purifier with a provision for dispensing hot or cold water

Abstract

The present invention relates to a RO water purifier (100) with a provision for dispensing hot or cold water. The device has a user interface through which the user can select the temperature of the purified water. The RO water purifier (100) comprises a compartment (9) for storing preheated or pre-cooled purified water. The compartment comprises an inlet for returning any un-dispensed purified hot, cold or room temperature water to backflow from the user interface. The compartment has an outlet for preheated or pre-cooled purified water to flow into a device (8) to further heat or cool the purified water as per the user's requirement. The device for heating or cooling the purified room temperature water is configured to heat the water to 80 to 95 °C or configured to cool it to 15 to 5 °C and wherein in the said compartment, the preheated water is stored at 40 to 75 °C and when it is pre-cooled it is stored at 10 to 20 °C and wherein the temperature of the purified room temperature water is 25 to 40 °C.

Description

Invention Field

[0001] This invention relates to an RO water purifier equipped with a function to dispense hot or cold water. Background of the Invention

[0003] RO-based water purification systems typically include several additional features. One such feature is the ability to dispense hot water. An optional feature is the ability to dispense cold water. Some purifiers have built-in storage for easily dispensed purified hot or cold water. Others are tankless.

[0004] More popular are those equipped with online heating mechanisms, which eliminate the need to store purified hot or cold water.

[0005] However, online or under-tank (UTS) systems typically need to be able to dispense water up to 90°C. In these systems, the inlet flow rate is usually in the range of 600 to 800 ml / min.

[0006] CN208355240 U (Zhejiang Qinyuan) discloses a UTS device including inlet and outlet pipelines and multiple solenoid valves. The pure water outlet pipe is equipped with a pure water solenoid valve; it also includes a heating water pipe connected to the pure water outlet pipe. The heating water pipe is equipped with a hot water solenoid valve and a heating element. The outlet has a pressure reducing valve, and raw water enters the water purifier through the pressure reducing valve to ensure a constant inlet pressure. A control module is provided to regulate the water flow rate to meet diverse user needs. Any excess purified heated water is redirected back to the inlet flow and needs to pass through the entire RO filtration process again before it is suitable for drinking.

[0007] CN113830950 A (Dreame Innovation) discloses an RO water purifier that includes a device for storing preheated hot water, which is preheated by a heating element placed therein. The device includes a water tank (6) and a heating chamber (9). Excess / undistributed hot water is returned to the heating chamber (9) instead of the water tank (6).

[0008] KR20140071834 A (Cuckoo Electronics, 2014) discloses a water treatment device with an RO membrane filter. The device has a first storage tank and a second storage tank for storing water filtered by a filtration unit at different temperatures; a circulation channel connected to circulate water discharged from the first storage tank through the second storage tank back to the first storage tank. The first storage tank includes an upper space for storing room temperature water and a lower space for storing cold water; the circulation channel includes a cold water inlet line connecting the lower space and a cold water inlet valve for supplying cold water to a user, and a hot water inlet line for supplying hot water to the second storage tank and the user. After sequentially passing through the hot water inlet line connected between the valves, hot water can flow into the second storage tank, and water in the second storage tank can be discharged and flow back to the first storage tank.

[0009] If a user wants a cup of hot water, for example, at 85 to 95 degrees Celsius, then the heating element in the device needs to operate at high power. Any such device needs to be safe to use at all times, and the flow rate needs to be reasonably high, for example, 1.5 to 2.5 liters per minute.

[0010] If a user wants very hot water, such as 94°C, or very cold water, such as 5°C, then the flow rate may become a limiting factor, because the heating or cooling components need to operate at very high power to achieve this.

[0011] One object of the present invention is to provide a high-flow-rate RO water purifier in which the flow rate of hot (or cold) water remains constant and high. Another object of the present invention is to better utilize purified hot water. The device can be configured to dispense cold water (e.g., chilled water) instead of hot water.

[0012] We offer a simple solution to this problem by providing a compartment for storing preheated or precooled purified water, which will be further disclosed below. Summary of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, an RO water purifier (100) is disclosed, comprising:

[0014] (i) Raw water inlet, which includes a pressure reducing valve (101);

[0015] (ii) Booster pump (103);

[0016] (iii) An RO membrane (102) configured to operate under operating pressure.

[0017] (iv) A device (108) for heating or cooling purified room temperature water;

[0018] (v) A user interface for dispensing hot, cold, or room temperature purified water; and

[0019] (vi) A microcontroller unit (MCU) that controls the functions of the water purifier.

[0020] The water purifier includes a compartment (109) with an inlet (110) and an outlet (111) for storing preheated or precooled purified water.

[0021] in,

[0022] When the water purifier (100) is in use, any undistributed purified hot, cold, or room temperature water returns through the inlet (110) to the compartment (109), where it remains preheated or precooled. When the user dispenses water via the user interface, the preheated or precooled purified water flows out of the compartment through the outlet (111) into the device (108) for further heating or cooling before being dispensed.

[0023] The device (108) for heating or cooling purified room temperature water is configured to heat the water to 80 to 95°C, or alternatively, to cool the water to 15 to 5°C, and wherein the preheated water is stored at 40 to 75°C in the compartment (109), and when precooled, it is stored at 10 to 20°C, and wherein the temperature of the purified room temperature water is 25 to 40°C. Invention Details

[0025] Flux, or water flux, is usually expressed as volume per unit area per unit time. Flux is used to represent the rate at which water permeates through a reverse osmosis membrane. A typical unit of measurement is liters per square meter per hour (L / m²). 2 / hr).

[0026] The RO water purifier of the present invention includes a raw water inlet comprising a pressure reducing valve to reduce pressure when the pressure exceeds the operating pressure of the downstream RO membrane. The inlet water pressure varies by country and region. The valve reduces the inlet water pressure, preferably within the range of 0.5 to 0.2 MPa, and makes the device safer. This pressure can also be suitable and can be within the operating pressure of the RO membrane. The operating pressure can also vary depending on the composition and materials of the membrane construction. Therefore, the range can be wide. In one aspect, the operating pressure is preferably 0.6 to 1.0 MPa, more preferably 0.6 to 0.8 MPa. In this case, the pressure reducing valve preferably reduces the inlet water pressure to 0.2 to 0.3 MPa. When the pressure is thus reduced, it is necessary to increase the pressure again to bring it within the operating pressure. The water purifier includes a booster pump to increase the pressure when the pressure is below the operating pressure. Preferably, the operating pressure is 0.5 to 1.0 MPa.

[0027] The water purifier includes an RO membrane configured to operate at the stated operating pressure. Reverse osmosis (RO) is a membrane filtration method that removes large molecules and ions from a solution by applying pressure to the solution when the solution is on one side of a selective membrane. As a result, the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane, while the pure solvent is allowed to pass through to the other side. To be “selective,” such a membrane should not allow large molecules or ions to pass through its pores (holes), but should allow smaller components in the solution (such as water) to pass freely. In normal osmosis, the solvent naturally moves through the membrane from areas of low solute concentration to areas of high solute concentration. The movement of pure solvent, which equalizes the solute concentration on both sides of the membrane, creates osmotic pressure. Therefore, applying external pressure to reverse the natural flow of pure solvent is reverse osmosis. However, reverse osmosis involves a diffusion mechanism, making the separation efficiency dependent on the solute concentration, pressure, and water flux rate. Reverse osmosis is most commonly used to purify drinking water from seawater, removing salts and other substances from water molecules. RO membranes are commercially available for industrial and domestic applications. RO membranes can be made in various configurations, with the most preferred configuration being TFC (thin-film composite). The preferred RO membrane is FILMTEC from Dow Chemical Company. TM Membranes Product TW30-1812-50.

[0028] Preferably, the apparatus of the present invention includes a total dissolved solids (TDS) measuring tool or a total dissolved solids (TDS) sensor located on the treated water pipeline, adapted to determine total dissolved solids, suitable for measuring the TDS of water flowing out of the treatment unit; and transmitting the measured value to a control circuit.

[0029] Therefore, the TDS sensor is located downstream of the processing unit and is adapted to measure the TDS of the water in the treated water pipeline while the device is running.

[0030] The term "dissolved solids" generally refers to any minerals, salts, metals, cations, or anions dissolved in a water sample. Dissolved solids include many substances that can impair the color, odor, taste, or overall quality of water. Many industries and the food service industry require the water they use to meet stringent standards so that its color, odor, or taste does not adversely affect them.

[0031] TDS sensors can be of any type capable of sensing or measuring total dissolved solids. Common TDS meters display TDS in parts per million (ppm). For example, a TDS reading of 1 ppm means there are 1 milligram of dissolved solids in 1 kilogram of water. It is possible to estimate TDS levels by measuring the electrical conductivity (EC) of the water with an instrument and converting it. A TDS meter can be an EC meter that converts EC readings to represent TDS in a sample. Several instruments can be selected to display either value.

[0032] Since the amount of water passing through the reverse osmosis membrane is directly proportional to the water pressure upstream of the membrane, a booster pump is specifically installed upstream of the reverse osmosis membrane in the water purifier. Pure water can only be produced when the pressure of the source water is within the operating pressure range.

[0033] The water purifier of the present invention includes a water inlet, a first outlet for purifying room temperature water, a second outlet for recirculating excess purified room temperature water back to the inlet, and a third outlet leading to a means for heating or cooling the purified room temperature water.

[0034] The apparatus for heating or cooling purified room temperature water is configured to heat the water to 80 to 95°C, or optionally, to cool it to 15 to 5°C. Preferably, the apparatus for heating or cooling purified room temperature water also includes a temperature sensor connected to a control module. The temperature sensor detects the temperature signal of the water in the pipeline and transmits it to the control module. The control module controls the apparatus for heating or cooling the purified room temperature water to adjust the heating or cooling temperature according to the received temperature signal.

[0035] Based on the required outlet water temperature, the built-in flow regulating valve distributes the flow and adjusts the heating power to meet the needs of hot or cold water at different temperatures.

[0036] The device includes a user interface for dispensing hot, cold, or room temperature purified water. Preferably, the user interface includes multiple buttons for providing options to dispense hot, cold, or room temperature purified water with a temperature range from 5 to 95°C.

[0037] A microcontroller unit (MCU) is present to control the functions of the water purifier. The control circuit can be operated manually or automatically. Alternatively, a programmable logic controller (PLC) is present for the same function.

[0038] The MCU is configured to store at least two threshold TDS values ​​X. A and X B , where X A It is more than X B Higher TDS values; and when the sensed TDS value is higher than X A When, or when the sensed TDS value is less than X B At that time, water is discharged from the RO membrane's reject line through the drain line, and then the water is introduced from the reject line into the recirculation line.

[0039] More preferably, the MCU is further configured to be selected from the following options:

[0040] a) When the sensed TDS is higher than X A At that time, water from abandoned pipelines only flows through the drainage pipeline; or

[0041] b) When the sensed TDS is less than X B At that time, water from the abandoned pipeline flows through the first circulation pipeline and the second drainage pipeline; or

[0042] c) When the sensed TDS is higher than X B And less than X A At that time, water from the abandoned pipeline flows through the second recirculation pipeline and the third drainage pipeline; when the equipment is in operation.

[0043] Preferably, the MCU includes memory. Preferably, it includes a simple feedback circuit or a microprocessor. Preferably, the microprocessor control system is a microcontroller unit (MCU) system capable of monitoring the resistance, impedance, or conductance of the electrodes, enabling adjustment of the power output to the electrodes via a connection. Preferably, the microprocessor system is associated with software suitable for driving the microprocessor control system.

[0044] Alternatively, the MCU can be an analog system utilizing a comparator or a digital system without a microprocessor.

[0045] Preferably, a flow rate and / or pressure detection tool is provided, adapted to detect the flow rate or pressure of water entering the device, to open or close the system in the presence or absence of water flow in the device. Preferably, the flow rate and / or pressure detection tool may be associated with a timer, which is also adapted to open and close the device.

[0046] Preferably, a flow control device is provided for controlling the flow rate of liquid through the device. For example, the flow control unit may be connected to one or more pumps and / or one or more valves, which are controllable to change the water flow through the device.

[0047] Preferably, the MCU includes a constant current circuit known to those skilled in the art. Any known constant current circuit can be used to measure and / or store TDS values ​​and compare the stored threshold TDS value with the real-time sensed TDS value.

[0048] The MCU stores the TDS threshold and compares it with the real-time TDS data sensed by the TDS sensor and the stored threshold TDS value. If the TDS value sensed at a given time is higher than the threshold TDS value X... A Water from the wastewater pipeline is then discharged into the drainage pipeline, and optionally, when the sensed TDS value is less than X... B At this time, water is directed from the waste pipeline to the first circulation pipeline, more preferably when a second circulation pipeline exists and the sensed TDS value is less than X. A and higher than X B At that time, the water will be directed to the second circulation pipeline.

[0049] Also preferred is that the MCU controls mechanical units such as pumps. The control module intelligently controls the water discharge of the entire system to meet diverse user needs. The MCU controls an electric regulating valve to adjust the flow rate based on the received flow rate signal.

[0050] The water purifier of the present invention includes a compartment having an inlet and an outlet for storing preheated or precooled purified water.

[0051] The preheated water is stored at 40 to 75°C, and the precooled water is stored at 10 to 20°C. More preferably, the temperature of the preheated water is 65 to 80°C. The temperature of the purified room-temperature water is 25 to 40°C. Further preferably, the compartment includes another inlet for the inflow of purified room-temperature water from the RO membrane. The compartment can be any suitable size and shape, as long as it is suitable for the purpose. Preferably, the compartment is equipped to hold 1.5 to 3 liters of water. Preferably, it is made of stainless steel, but it can also be made of any other suitable material.

[0052] The compartment includes an inlet for unassigned purified hot, cold, or room temperature water to flow back or return from the user interface; and an outlet for the preheated or precooled purified water to flow into the device for further heating or cooling.

[0053] In the water purifier of the present invention, the preferred embodiment is:

[0054] (a) The first outlet is equipped with a room temperature water solenoid valve (113);

[0055] (b) The second outlet is equipped with a recirculation solenoid valve (114);

[0056] (c) The third outlet is equipped with another solenoid valve (115); and

[0057] (d) The other inlet is equipped with a room temperature water solenoid valve (116).

[0058] Preferably, the water purifier of the present invention includes a dual-outlet faucet, one of which is connected to a purified water outlet pipe and the other is connected to a heating or cooling water pipe. Through the dual faucet, hot, cold, and room temperature water are discharged through independent water channels without affecting each other.

[0059] Attached Figure Brief description of the attached diagram

[0061] The accompanying drawing shows a flowchart of one embodiment of the water purifier of the present invention.

[0062] Detailed description of the attached diagram

[0063] This is a flowchart of an embodiment of the RO water purifier (100) of the present invention. The water purifier includes an inlet (inlet) for raw water (meaning tap water) to enter. If the pressure exceeds or is greater than the operating pressure of the downstream RO membrane (102), a pressure reducing valve (101) reduces the pressure. The water purifier has a booster pump (103) to increase the pressure when the pressure is below the operating pressure. The RO membrane (102) is configured to operate at the operating pressure. The inlet (104) for water enters the membrane; this means pressurized water. The membrane is provided with a first outlet (105) for purified room temperature water, a second outlet (106) for recirculating excess purified room temperature water back to the raw water inlet, and a third outlet (107). The third outlet (107) leads to a device (108) for heating or cooling the purified room temperature water. The first outlet (105) is provided with a room temperature water solenoid valve (113). The second outlet (106) is provided with a recirculation solenoid valve (114). The third outlet (107) is equipped with another solenoid valve (115); and the other inlet (112) is equipped with a room temperature water solenoid valve (116).

[0064] The water purifier has a user interface (UI) for dispensing purified water at hot, cold, or room temperature. The UI is not shown in the figure. The water purifier (100) also has a microcontroller unit (MCU) for controlling its functions. The MCU is also not shown in the figure.

[0065] This is a compartment (109) for storing preheated or precooled purified water. The compartment includes an inlet (110) through which purified hot, cold, or room temperature water flows back or returns from the user interface, where it remains preheated or precooled. The compartment (100) also has an outlet (111) through which the preheated or precooled purified water flows into a device (108) for further heating or cooling. The device (108) for heating or cooling the purified room temperature water is configured to preferably heat the water to 80 to 95°C. Alternatively, it can be configured to preferably cool it to 15 to 5°C. The compartment also has another inlet (112) for the inflow of purified room temperature water from the RO membrane (102). This room temperature water does not flow back from the user interface. When preheated hot water is supplied through the compartment (109), high-flux hot water in the range of, for example, 80°C to 94°C can be dispensed, and high-flux treated room temperature water can be obtained directly from the RO membrane (102).

[0066] Here you can also see a dual-outlet faucet (116), which is internally connected to purified room temperature water and hot or cold (if applicable) purified water.

[0067] The water purifier can be installed under the kitchen sink. The raw water inlet is connected to the municipal tap water supply.

[0068] After connection, the tap water supply is activated, thus connecting the water purifier to the power source and starting operation. If the user operates the hot water button on the user interface, the device (108) is activated and begins heating water according to the settings. A temperature signal is sent to the MCU, and module 115 controls all necessary functions of the water purifier to ensure water flow according to water flow requirements, and controls device (108) to adjust the temperature to the desired value. The required hot water is supplied to the user through a dual-outlet faucet (117).

[0069] The invention will now be explained in detail through the following non-limiting embodiments. Example

[0070] Example 1

[0071] Table 1 contains information on various technical and functional parameters of the RO water purifier of the present invention (see figures). First, the water purifier is operated without water being supplied from the container. Its effect on flow rate can be seen in Table 2.

[0072] Table 1

[0073] Power: P 2100 watts Voltage: U 220V Target temperature 94℃ hot water flux 2000 ml / min

[0074] Table 2

[0075]

[0076]

[0077] The data in Table 2 show that the flow rate of purified water remains high until approximately 50°C, at which point the flow rate begins to decrease sharply (until 75°C). Above this point, water preheated to 70°C is supplied from the compartment (109) used to store preheated water. Therefore, the flow rate reaches a minimum at 75°C and then increases again.

Claims

1. An RO water purifier (100), comprising: (i) Raw water inlet, which includes a pressure reducing valve (101); (ii) Booster pump (103); (iii) An RO membrane (102) configured to operate under operating pressure. (iv) A device (108) for heating or cooling purified room temperature water; (v) A user interface for dispensing hot, cold, or room temperature purified water; and (vi) A microcontroller unit (MCU) that controls the functions of the water purifier. The water purifier includes a compartment (109) for storing preheated or precooled purified water, the compartment including an inlet (110) and an outlet (111). in, When the water purifier (100) is in use, any undistributed purified hot, cold, or room temperature water returns through the inlet (110) to the compartment (109), where it remains preheated or precooled. When the user dispenses water through the user interface, the preheated or precooled purified water flows out of the compartment through the outlet (111) into the device (108) for further heating or cooling before being dispensed. The device (108) for heating or cooling purified room temperature water is configured to heat the water to 80 to 95°C, or to cool the water to 15 to 5°C, and wherein the preheated water is stored at 40 to 75°C in the compartment (109), and when precooled, it is stored at 10 to 20°C, and wherein the temperature of the purified room temperature water is 25 to 40°C.

2. The water purifier (100) of claim 1, wherein the RO membrane (102) includes an inlet (104) for water, a first outlet (105) for purified room temperature water, a second outlet (106) for recirculating excess purified room temperature water back to the inlet for raw water, and a third outlet (107) leading to means (108) for heating or cooling the purified room temperature water.

3. The water purifier as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein if the pressure exceeds the operating pressure of the RO membrane (102), the pressure reducing valve (101) reduces the pressure.

4. The water purifier of claim 1, wherein if the pressure is lower than the operating pressure, the booster pump (103) increases the pressure.

5. The water purifier of claim 2, wherein the compartment (109) includes another inlet (112) for the inflow of purified room temperature water from the RO membrane (102).

6. The water purifier as described in claim 5, wherein: (a) The first outlet (105) is equipped with a room temperature water solenoid valve (113). (b) The second outlet (106) is equipped with a recirculation solenoid valve (114). (c) The third outlet (107) is equipped with another solenoid valve (115); and (d) The other inlet (112) is equipped with a room temperature water solenoid valve (116).

7. The water purifier of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of buttons for providing options to dispense purified water at temperatures ranging from 5 to 95°C, either hot, cold, or at room temperature.

Images