Water purifier faucet device with enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization and control method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a water purifier faucet device and control method for enhancing ultraviolet light sterilization. The device can include a water inlet pipe, a sterilization chamber, a water outlet pipe, a positive electrode line of an ultraviolet lamp, and a negative electrode line of the ultraviolet lamp. The water outlet pipe is a bent pipe. The sterilization chamber is connected to the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe. The sterilization chamber is provided with a light chamber near the water outlet pipe. The light chamber is internally provided with an ultraviolet lamp bead and an ultraviolet lamp circuit board. The ultraviolet lamp bead irradiates and sterilizes the incoming water of the water inlet pipe through the sterilization chamber. The ultraviolet lamp bead is attached to the light chamber for heat dissipation of the ultraviolet lamp. The positive electrode line of the ultraviolet lamp and the negative electrode line of the ultraviolet lamp are placed on the outside of the sterilization chamber to prevent short circuit of the ultraviolet lamp. According to the technical solution provided by the present disclosure, the device can prevent the ultraviolet lamp from being short-circuited and disabled due to water entering the lamp part, and the ultraviolet lamp is heat-dissipated to make the sterilization more uniform and complete.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of water purifier technology, and in particular to a water purifier faucet device and control method that enhances ultraviolet light sterilization. Background Technology

[0002] Water purifiers are currently widely used, but during holidays, they may go unused for days or even weeks. If left unused for an extended period, bacteria and viruses can proliferate in the internal pipes of most water purifiers, posing a significant challenge in their removal. An effective sterilization method uses ultraviolet (UV) lamps to disinfect the water. This avoids the problem of users not being able to drink water promptly and also prevents other potential harms. However, the UV lamps installed in the machine only kill the incoming water; they cannot effectively sterilize the water pipes behind the lamp. Because of the remaining water, a large number of bacteria can grow. A solution is to install the UV lamp on the faucet, thus intercepting bacteria from the incoming water. Current water purifiers with integrated UV lamp faucets still have some problems, primarily uneven and incomplete sterilization and short-circuiting failure after water enters the device. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure provides a water purifier faucet device and control method for enhancing ultraviolet light sterilization, thereby at least solving the problems of how to achieve uniform and thorough sterilization and prevent ultraviolet lamp failure caused by water ingress in related technologies. The technical solution of this disclosure is as follows:

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a water purifier faucet with enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization is provided, comprising: an inlet pipe (1), a sterilization chamber (2), an outlet pipe (3), a positive electrode wire (4) of an ultraviolet lamp, and a negative electrode wire (5) of an ultraviolet lamp. The outlet pipe (3) is a bent pipe, the sterilization chamber (2) connects the inlet pipe (1) and the outlet pipe (3), and a lamp chamber (6) is provided in the sterilization chamber (2) near the outlet pipe (3). The light chamber (6) is equipped with an ultraviolet lamp bead (7) and an ultraviolet lamp circuit board (8). The ultraviolet lamp bead (7) irradiates and sterilizes the water coming into the water inlet pipe (1) through the sterilization chamber (2). The ultraviolet lamp bead (7) is attached to the light chamber (6) to dissipate heat from the ultraviolet lamp. The ultraviolet lamp positive wire (7) and the ultraviolet lamp negative wire (8) are placed on both sides of the outside of the sterilization chamber (2) to prevent the ultraviolet lamp from short-circuiting.

[0005] In one possible implementation, the outer wall of the sterilization chamber (2) is covered with a coating layer (9) for reflecting ultraviolet light entering the sterilization chamber (2).

[0006] In one possible implementation, the ultraviolet lamp beads (7) include four quadrangularly symmetrical beads surrounding the water outlet pipe (3).

[0007] In one possible implementation, the positive line (4) and the negative line (5) of the ultraviolet lamp are connected to the power supply terminal of the power board of the water purifier.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the wall of the sterilization chamber (2) is made of silica glass.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the material of the coating layer (9) is aluminum.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a water purifier faucet with enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization is provided, applied to the water purifier faucet device with enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization as described in any one of claims 1-6, comprising:

[0011] If the user does not collect water within a first preset time, the ultraviolet lamp will be turned on for irradiation.

[0012] Turn off the ultraviolet lamp and monitor the water intake within a second preset time period;

[0013] If the user does not collect water within the second preset time period, the ultraviolet lamp irradiation cycle mode is activated.

[0014] In one possible implementation, after activating the UV lamp irradiation cycle mode when no water is collected within the second preset time period, the method further includes:

[0015] In response to the user's water intake command, the UV lamp irradiation cycle mode is terminated.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a water purifier faucet with enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization is provided, applied to the water purifier faucet device with enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization as described in any one of claims 1-6, comprising:

[0017] If the user does not collect water within the third preset time, the delayed water dispensing mode will be activated.

[0018] In response to the user's water dispensing command, the delayed water dispensing mode is executed.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the delayed water output mode involves closing the water inlet pipe, turning on the ultraviolet lamp to irradiate for the target time, and then turning on the water inlet pipe.

[0020] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of this disclosure brings at least the following beneficial effects: The device may include an inlet pipe, a sterilization chamber, an outlet pipe, a positive electrode wire of an ultraviolet lamp, and a negative electrode wire of an ultraviolet lamp. The outlet pipe is a bent pipe. The sterilization chamber connects the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe. A lamp chamber is provided near the outlet pipe in the sterilization chamber. An ultraviolet lamp bead and an ultraviolet lamp circuit board are provided inside the lamp chamber. The ultraviolet lamp bead irradiates and sterilizes the water coming from the inlet pipe through the sterilization chamber. The ultraviolet lamp bead is attached to the lamp chamber for heat dissipation of the ultraviolet lamp. The positive electrode wire and the negative electrode wire of the ultraviolet lamp are placed on both sides of the outside of the sterilization chamber to prevent short circuit of the ultraviolet lamp. According to the technical solution provided by this disclosure, water ingress into the lamp part of the device can prevent short circuit failure of the ultraviolet lamp, and heat dissipation of the ultraviolet lamp makes sterilization more uniform and thorough.

[0021] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure, and are not intended to unduly limit this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a water purifier faucet device with enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an ultraviolet lamp bead according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a water purifier faucet control method for enhancing ultraviolet light sterilization;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for controlling a water purifier faucet with enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0027] The labels in the attached diagram should be: 1-inlet pipe, 2-sterilization chamber, 3-outlet pipe, 4-positive electrode of UV lamp, 5-negative electrode of UV lamp, 6-lamp chamber, 7-UV lamp bead, 8-UV lamp circuit board, 9-coating layer. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of this disclosure, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this disclosure described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0030] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a water purifier faucet device with enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization according to an exemplary embodiment. The aforementioned water purifier faucet device with enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization includes an inlet pipe (1), a sterilization chamber (2), an outlet pipe (3), a positive electrode wire (4) of an ultraviolet lamp, and a negative electrode wire (5) of an ultraviolet lamp. The outlet pipe (3) is a bent pipe, the sterilization chamber (2) connects the inlet pipe (1) and the outlet pipe (3), and the sterilization chamber (2) is provided near the outlet pipe (3). There is a light chamber (6), inside which are ultraviolet lamp beads (7) and ultraviolet lamp circuit board (8). The ultraviolet lamp beads (7) irradiate and sterilize the water coming into the water inlet pipe (1) through the sterilization chamber (2). The ultraviolet lamp beads (7) are attached to the light chamber (6) for heat dissipation of the ultraviolet lamp. The ultraviolet lamp positive wire (7) and the ultraviolet lamp negative wire (8) are placed on both sides of the outside of the sterilization chamber (2) to prevent the ultraviolet lamp from short-circuiting.

[0031] In the embodiments of this specification, the inlet pipe (1) and the outlet pipe (3) may include valves for controlling them. When the valve is open, water is allowed to flow through, and when the valve is closed, water is not allowed to flow through.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the sterilization chamber (2) is connected to the inlet pipe (1) and the outlet pipe (3). The connection method of the sterilization chamber (2) can be snap-fit ​​or knob, which is not limited in this application.

[0033] In the embodiments of this specification, a plurality of ultraviolet lamp beads (7) constitute an ultraviolet lamp. The ultraviolet lamp beads (7) can be symmetrically distributed, and the number of ultraviolet lamp beads (7) can be 2, 4 or 6. This application does not limit this.

[0034] In the embodiments of this specification, the wall tubes of the sterilization chamber (2) and the light chamber (6) can be made of glass material with good light transmittance.

[0035] In the embodiments described in this specification, the ultraviolet lamp bead (7) is a lamp bead that is positioned facing the water inlet pipe (1), and the ultraviolet lamp bead (7) can be a light-emitting diode (LED).

[0036] In one possible implementation, the ultraviolet lamp bead (7) irradiates and sterilizes the incoming water in the water inlet pipe (1) through the sterilization chamber (2). When the water inlet pipe (1) is opened and water begins to flow, the ultraviolet lamp bead (7) is turned on, and its ultraviolet light can irradiate and sterilize the incoming water in the water inlet pipe (1) through the sterilization chamber (2).

[0037] The water outlet pipe is a bend to prevent dripping that may occur when the user closes the water purifier faucet after using water. The positive and negative wires of the UV lamp are placed on the outside of the sterilization chamber to prevent short circuits. The UV lamp circuit board and UV lamp beads are placed separately in a chamber located on top of the sterilization chamber to prevent water from entering and causing the UV lamp to malfunction. Furthermore, the UV lamp beads are close to the top chamber to dissipate heat and make sterilization more even and thorough.

[0038] The outer wall of the sterilization chamber (2) is covered with a coating layer (9), which is used to reflect ultraviolet light entering the sterilization chamber (2).

[0039] In the embodiments described in this specification, the outer wall of the sterilization chamber (2) includes the left and right outer walls and the bottom outer wall near the water inlet pipe (1), which is covered with a coating layer (9).

[0040] In one possible implementation, the outer wall of the sterilization chamber is covered with a coating layer (9), and the material of the coating layer can be a substance with good ultraviolet reflectivity, for example, aluminum.

[0041] By coating the outside of the sterilization chamber with a film, the membrane and water can be completely isolated, preventing the membrane from contacting the water and contaminating the purified water. The coating can also reflect the ultraviolet light inside the sterilization chamber, improving the effective utilization of the ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light is constantly reflected in the sterilization chamber, and the entire chamber is equivalent to an oscillator. Since most of the light remains inside the chamber, its light intensity exhibits a process of accumulation with the ultraviolet lamp's on-time. The continuously increasing light intensity can kill bacteria in the water to a great extent, maximizing the utilization of the ultraviolet lamp's power.

[0042] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an ultraviolet lamp bead according to an exemplary embodiment, wherein the ultraviolet lamp bead (7) includes four symmetrically arranged lamp beads surrounding the water outlet pipe (3).

[0043] Four ultraviolet lamp beads are used here, arranged symmetrically on all four sides, with the water outlet pipe in the middle, ensuring that no bacteria are overlooked.

[0044] The positive electrode wire (4) and the negative electrode wire (5) of the ultraviolet lamp are connected to the power supply terminal of the power board of the water purifier.

[0045] The wall of the sterilization chamber (2) is made of silica glass.

[0046] Silica glass has excellent light transmittance, which allows it to better reflect ultraviolet light from the aluminum plating layer on the outside of the sterilization chamber.

[0047] The material of the coating layer (9) is aluminum.

[0048] It should be noted that among metals, aluminum has a relatively low reflectivity for visible light, but its reflectivity for ultraviolet and infrared light is higher than that of most metals. Using aluminum as a coating layer can make better use of ultraviolet light.

[0049] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a water purifier faucet with enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization, according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown, it may include the following steps.

[0050] S301, if the user does not collect water within the first preset time, turn on the ultraviolet lamp for irradiation.

[0051] In the embodiments of this specification, the ultraviolet lamp can be placed in the lamp chamber. The ultraviolet lamp may include four ultraviolet lamp beads arranged symmetrically on four sides, surrounding the water outlet pipe. The ultraviolet lamp beads are attached to the lamp chamber to dissipate heat from the ultraviolet light. An ultraviolet circuit board is also provided inside the lamp chamber. A sterilization chamber is provided below the lamp chamber. The ultraviolet lamp beads irradiate and sterilize the water coming from the inlet pipe through the sterilization chamber. The sterilization chamber is connected to the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe. An ultraviolet positive electrode and an ultraviolet negative electrode are placed outside the sterilization chamber to prevent the ultraviolet lamp from short-circuiting. It is connected to the power supply terminal of the power board of the water purifier. The outer wall of the sterilization chamber is covered with a coating layer. The coating layer can reflect the ultraviolet light entering the sterilization chamber through the wall of the sterilization chamber.

[0052] In the embodiments of this specification, the first preset time may refer to the longest non-sterilization time of the water purifier, which may be a time preset by the user, such as 1 hour, 2 hours or 3 hours. This application does not limit this.

[0053] In one possible implementation, an ultraviolet lamp is turned on for irradiation. The duration of ultraviolet lamp irradiation can be a duration that is effective in killing bacteria, and can be customized by the user. Specifically, it can be 1 minute, 2 minutes, or 3 minutes, and this application does not limit it in this regard.

[0054] In one possible implementation, a sensor can detect that the user has not taken water within a first preset time, and the control terminal can turn on the ultraviolet lamp for irradiation.

[0055] S303, turn off the ultraviolet lamp and monitor the water intake within a second preset time period.

[0056] In the embodiments of this specification, water intake status can refer to water intake and no water intake.

[0057] In the embodiments of this specification, the second preset time may refer to the time required for the UV lamp to cycle and sterilize, and may be a time preset by the user, such as 1 hour, 2 hours or 3 hours. This application does not limit this.

[0058] It should be noted that the second preset time can be the total duration accumulated from the first preset time.

[0059] In one possible implementation, the ultraviolet lamp is turned off, and the water intake is monitored by the control terminal within a second preset time period.

[0060] S305, if the user does not collect water within the second preset time period, the ultraviolet lamp irradiation cycle mode is activated.

[0061] In the embodiments of this specification, the ultraviolet lamp irradiation cycle mode can refer to intermittent fixed-time ultraviolet irradiation. Specifically, it can be ultraviolet lamp irradiation for 15 seconds every 3 hours, ultraviolet lamp irradiation for 30 seconds every 3 hours, or ultraviolet lamp irradiation for 15 seconds every 4 hours. This application does not limit this.

[0062] In one possible implementation, if the water collection status within the second preset time period indicates that the user has not collected water, the ultraviolet lamp irradiation cycle mode is activated.

[0063] In one possible implementation, after activating the UV lamp irradiation cycle mode when no water is collected within the second preset time period, the method further includes:

[0064] In response to the user's water intake command, the UV lamp irradiation cycle mode is terminated.

[0065] In the embodiments of this specification, the user's water-taking instruction can be the user's action of collecting water.

[0066] In one possible implementation, the sensor can respond to the user's water-taking command to terminate the UV lamp irradiation cycle mode at the control terminal.

[0067] Normally, the UV lamp turns on whenever the user takes water and turns off when the user doesn't take water. This control method is mainly for situations where the water purifier is not used for a long time. Because water remains inside the faucet chamber, under suitable conditions, the longer the time, the more bacteria accumulate. When the user takes water again, the UV lamp hasn't been turned on yet, and the water has already been dispensed, resulting in the user drinking unsterilized water. Therefore, the system is set to activate UV sterilization when it detects that the user hasn't taken water for a long time. If no water is taken within a certain period, the UV lamp will circulate until a user requests water, ending the UV lamp circulation mode. This ensures that the user can drink sterilized and filtered water even if they haven't taken water for a long time.

[0068] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for controlling a water purifier faucet with enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization, according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown, it may include the following steps.

[0069] S401, the system detects that the user has not taken water within the third preset time and activates the delayed water dispensing mode.

[0070] In the embodiments of this specification, the third preset time may refer to the longest non-sterilization time of the water purifier, which may be a time preset by the user, such as 1 hour, 2 hours or 3 hours. This application does not limit this.

[0071] In the embodiments of this specification, the delayed water dispensing mode can refer to a mode in which no water is dispensed for a period of time after the user takes water. For example, it can be that the water inlet pipe is closed, the ultraviolet lamp is turned on to irradiate for a target time, and then the water inlet pipe is turned on.

[0072] It should be noted that in the delayed water output mode, the target time for turning on the ultraviolet lamp for irradiation can be 1 minute, 2 minutes or 5 minutes, and this application does not limit it.

[0073] In one possible implementation, if the user does not collect water within a third preset time, a delayed water dispensing mode is activated.

[0074] S403, in response to the user's water intake command, execute the delayed water dispensing mode.

[0075] In one possible implementation, the sensor can respond to the user's water intake command, causing the control terminal to shut off the water inlet pipe and turn on the ultraviolet lamp to irradiate for the target time before opening the water inlet pipe.

[0076] Normally, the UV lamp turns on whenever the user takes water and turns off when the user doesn't take water. This control method is primarily designed for situations where the water purifier is not used for extended periods. Because water remains inside the faucet chamber, under suitable conditions, the longer the time, the more bacteria accumulate. When the user takes water again, the UV lamp hasn't turned on yet, and the water has already been dispensed, resulting in the user drinking unsterilized water. Therefore, a delayed water dispensing mode is activated when the system detects that the user hasn't taken water for a long time. When the system receives a water dispensing command, the inlet pipe closes, the UV lamp irradiates the stored water for a certain period to sterilize it, and then the inlet pipe opens to dispense water. This ensures that the user can drink sterilized and filtered water even after a long period of inactivity.

[0077] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiments, the specific manner in which each module performs its operation has been described in detail in the embodiments related to the method, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0078] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0079] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

[0080] It should be noted that the embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical applications, or technological improvements to the embodiments in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0081] It should be noted that the order of the embodiments described above is merely for descriptive purposes and does not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments. Furthermore, specific embodiments have been described above. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps described in the claims can be performed in a different order than that shown in the embodiments and still achieve the desired result. Additionally, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require a specific or sequential order to achieve the desired result. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0082] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a water purifier faucet that enhances ultraviolet light sterilization, applied to a water purifier faucet device that enhances ultraviolet light sterilization, characterized in that, The device includes: an inlet pipe (1), a sterilization chamber (2), an outlet pipe (3), a positive electrode wire (4) of an ultraviolet lamp, and a negative electrode wire (5) of an ultraviolet lamp. The outlet pipe (3) is a bent pipe, and the vertical distance between the end of the bent pipe near the outlet and the outlet is less than the vertical distance between the end of the bent pipe away from the outlet and the outlet. The sterilization chamber (2) connects the inlet pipe (1) and the outlet pipe (3). A lamp chamber (6) is provided in the sterilization chamber (2) near the outlet pipe (3). The lamp chamber (6) contains ultraviolet lamp beads (7) and an ultraviolet lamp circuit board (8). The number of ultraviolet lamp beads (7) is even. Several ultraviolet lamp beads (7) are symmetrically distributed and are positioned facing the water inlet pipe (1). The ultraviolet lamp beads (7) irradiate and sterilize the water coming into the water inlet pipe (1) through the sterilization chamber (2). The ultraviolet lamp beads (7) are attached to the lamp chamber (6) for heat dissipation of the ultraviolet lamp. The positive electrode wire (4) and the negative electrode wire (5) of the ultraviolet lamp are placed on both sides outside the sterilization chamber (2) to prevent the ultraviolet lamp from short-circuiting. The outer wall of the sterilization chamber (2) is covered with a coating layer (9). The coating layer (9) is used to reflect the ultraviolet light entering the sterilization chamber (2). The material of the coating layer (9) is aluminum. The method includes: If the user does not collect water within a first preset time, the ultraviolet lamp will be turned on for irradiation. The first preset time represents the longest non-sterilization time set by the user for the water purifier. If the user does not take water within a second preset time after the last time the UV lamp is turned off, the UV lamp irradiation cycle mode is activated. In response to the user's water take command, the UV lamp irradiation cycle mode is terminated. The second preset time represents the user-set time to meet the UV lamp cycle sterilization activation time. If the user does not take water within a third preset time, the delayed water output mode is activated. In response to the user's water intake command, the delayed water output mode is executed. The delayed water output mode is to close the water inlet pipe, turn on the ultraviolet lamp to irradiate for a target time, and then turn on the water inlet pipe. The third preset time represents the longest time that the water purifier will not sterilize when the user has not taken water for a long time.

2. The method for controlling the faucet of a water purifier with enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ultraviolet lamp beads (7) include four symmetrical beads surrounding the water outlet pipe (3).

3. The water purifier faucet control method for enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positive electrode wire (4) and the negative electrode wire (5) of the ultraviolet lamp are connected to the power supply terminal of the power board of the water purifier.

4. The water purifier faucet control method for enhanced ultraviolet light sterilization according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wall of the sterilization chamber (2) is made of silica glass.

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