Filter element, intelligent water purifier and backwashing method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a filter element, an intelligent water purifier and a backwashing method thereof, the application filter element comprises a shell, a filter membrane assembly and a positioning terminal, the positioning terminal abuts against and prevents the inlet end surface of the filter membrane assembly from being extruded, moved, distorted and damaged by reverse water flow; the intelligent water purifier comprises a controller, a filter element, a purified water pressure tank, an electromagnetic valve and a water pump, the water pump pressurizes raw water or seawater into the filter element for purification, and outputs purified water into the purified water pressure tank; the backwashing method of the filter element further comprises a high-voltage switch, a blowdown throttling valve and a blowdown electromagnetic valve, the high-voltage switch triggers the controller to open the blowdown electromagnetic valve and discharge sewage through the blowdown throttling valve, so that the purified water pressure tank releases purified water and divides the purified water into two appropriate backflow channels to backwash the filter element. The intelligent water purifier, the filter element and the backwashing method of the filter element can achieve the effects of water saving and emission reduction, realize the purpose of long-term filtration of the filter element without replacement, reduce the consumption of multi-stage filter elements and avoid the odor problem of the traditional filter mode of storing dirt.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of water purifier technology, specifically relating to filter cartridges, intelligent water purifiers and their backwashing methods. Background Technology

[0002] A direct drinking water machine or water purifier first filters tap water, well water, river water, or seawater (hereinafter collectively referred to as raw water) through multiple filter cartridges to adsorb dirt and foreign matter, and then inputs it into an RO reverse osmosis filter cartridge to purify and separate concentrated water and produce pure water (hereinafter referred to as purified water). The purified water meets food hygiene standards and can be drunk directly.

[0003] Existing water purifiers suffer from several technical shortcomings: 1. Foreign matter accumulated on various filter elements during the initial filtration and separation processes gradually adheres to the RO reverse osmosis filter, hindering water separation and causing a decrease in the water production ratio. This prolongs the wastewater discharge during forward flushing, wasting water resources. If the filter elements are not replaced in time, the water purifier will become clogged and unusable. 2. Long-term accumulation of dirt and grime in the filter elements can ferment and produce odors. Current technology uses activated carbon filters for adsorption, but the rapid flow of water through the activated carbon does not allow for adequate soaking, resulting in extremely limited adsorption capacity. Furthermore, the post-activated carbon is prone to bacterial growth and secondary pollution. 3. Replacing used filter elements at scheduled intervals wastes resources and harms the environment. 4. The replacement intervals for different filter elements vary depending on the brand, water source, and water consumption, making replacement inconvenient for consumers and potentially leading to hygiene and safety hazards. 5. 1. Existing commercial water purifiers are limited by their simple structure and cannot filter seawater for desalination. 2. Existing RO filter cartridges are limited by the size of water purifiers, making capacity upgrades difficult. Flow rates are generally small and cannot meet the needs of quick water dispensing in daily life. 3. The filter membrane of existing reverse osmosis (RO) filter cartridges will move and deform with the direction of reverse high-pressure water flow. Back pressure will also cause the membrane to expand and squeeze from the inside out, leading to irreversible damage and leakage during backwashing. 4. Existing backwashing technology uses manual or computer-controlled automatic backwashing, which are static mechanical timed backwashing solutions. This cannot fully solve the problem of back pressure damaging the filter cartridge. For backwashing water that is not backwashed according to a fixed schedule or in different scenarios, the timed return of purified water is wasteful, resulting in a decrease in the overall water production efficiency of the water purifier. This prevents seawater purification equipment from being miniaturized and commercialized as a water purifier product. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide an intelligent water purifier, filter element and backwashing method, which improves the RO filter element into a structure that combines pre-filtration and purification into one, and can withstand high-pressure water flow for forward filtration and backwashing. The technical solution adopts a controller to automatically control the raw water filtration and purification process and intelligently control the purified water return backwashing process, so that the purified water produced by the water purifier can be returned to the backwash filter element in a timely manner according to actual needs.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a filter element, including a housing, a central tube, a filter membrane assembly, a sealing ring, and positioning terminals. The housing is bottle-shaped, with a concentrated water outlet and a purified water outlet at one bottom end and a water inlet at the other end. The central tube includes an integrally formed water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe, which are separated and not connected. The inlet pipe's opening abuts against the water inlet of the housing, and the outlet pipe's opening abuts against the purified water outlet of the housing. The inlet pipe has a through-hole in its wall, and the outlet pipe has a plurality of through-holes in its wall. The filter membrane assembly includes a filter membrane bag and a support mesh. The filter membrane bag opening is connected to the water outlet pipe. The support net overlaps with the filter membrane bag and abuts against the outer wall of the central tube to form a cylindrical shape. The sealing ring is disposed between the cylindrical filter membrane assembly and the inner wall of the housing. The positioning terminal includes an outer tube, an inner tube, and several support plates. One side of the support plate is connected to the inner wall of the outer tube, and the other side is connected to the outer wall of the inner tube. The inner tube of the positioning terminal is sleeved with the water inlet pipe. One end of the outer tube is movably abutted against the inner wall of the housing, and the other end is movably abutted against the inlet end face of the filter membrane assembly. The outer diameter of the outer tube is larger than the inner diameter of the sealing ring and smaller than the outer diameter of the sealing ring.

[0006] In conjunction with the first aspect, the raw water entering through the inlet pipe passes through the positioning terminal and, near the inlet end face of the filter membrane assembly and its support mesh, filters out foreign matter in the raw water, forming a dynamic foreign matter filter screen. Then, the water passes through the filter membrane assembly, separating ions, bacteria, and viruses to form concentrated water. Under reverse osmosis pressure, the concentrated water permeates through the filter membrane bag to produce purified water. The purified water enters the filter holes and is pressurized into the purified water pressure tank through the outlet pipe. The separated concentrated water is output through the concentrated water outlet. The purified water returning from the purified water pressure tank backwashes the filter membrane assembly. The outer tube of the positioning terminal abuts against the end face of the filter membrane assembly, preventing the end face of the filter membrane assembly from being squeezed in the reverse water flow direction, thus preventing the inlet end face from twisting, moving, deforming, or being damaged from its normal planar shape towards a concave shape. The outer tube of the positioning terminal also prevents the sealing ring from being squeezed and moved in the reverse water flow direction, preventing the sealing ring from slipping off the inlet end face of the filter membrane assembly.

[0007] Secondly, this application provides an intelligent water purifier, including the filter element described in the first aspect, and further comprising: A water purification pressure tank is connected to the outlet pipe of the filter element; A water purification pressure switch is connected between the water outlet pipe and the water purification pressure tank; A water purification check valve, wherein the inlet end of the water purification check valve is connected between the water purification pressure tank and the concentrated water outlet; A concentrate solenoid valve is connected to the concentrate outlet; A concentrate throttling valve is connected between the concentrate solenoid valve and the concentrate outlet; Water supply solenoid valve, connected to the water supply port; A water pump is connected between the water supply solenoid valve and the water inlet pipe; A drain throttle valve is connected to the outlet end of the drain solenoid valve, or to the inlet end of the drain solenoid valve and the inlet pipe of the filter element. A drain solenoid valve, with its inlet end connected to the connecting pipe between the inlet of the filter element and the outlet of the water pump; A pressure reducing valve is connected between the water purification pressure switch and the outlet pipe of the filter element; A backflow check valve, wherein the inlet end of the backflow check valve is connected to the outlet pipe of the filter element, and the outlet end of the backflow check valve is connected to the purified water pressure switch, and the backflow check valve is connected in parallel with the pressure reducing valve; The controller includes controls for the purification and backwashing processes.

[0008] In conjunction with the second aspect, a further solution is provided, wherein the purification process includes: the raw water entering through the water supply solenoid valve is purified by the filter element, producing pure water that flows out from the purified water outlet, passes through the backflow check valve and is pressed into the purified water pressure tank, and the separated concentrated water flows out from the concentrated water outlet, passes through the concentrated water throttling valve and is output through the concentrated water solenoid valve.

[0009] In conjunction with the second aspect, a further solution is provided whereby the backwashing process includes a quantitative automatic backwashing process and a dynamic intelligent backwashing process.

[0010] In conjunction with the second aspect, a further solution also includes a water purification pressure switch, which is connected between the water purification outlet pipe and the water purification pressure tank. The quantitative automatic backwashing process includes: when the purified water produced in the purification process is pressurized into the water purification pressure tank to reach the rated capacity, the water purification pressure switch reaches the rated pressure value and shuts off the water supply solenoid valve and the concentrate solenoid valve, and triggers the controller to energize the drain solenoid valve to open and discharge sewage, so that the water purification pressure tank releases high-pressure purified water and divides it into two streams to backwash the filter element.

[0011] In conjunction with the second aspect, a further solution also includes a pressure regulating valve, which is connected to the connection pipeline between the inlet of the filter element and the outlet of the water pump. A sewage discharge pressure switch is connected to the outlet of the pressure regulating valve. The dynamic intelligent backwashing process includes: raw water is continuously injected into the filter element, causing the concentration of retained ions and the density of foreign matter in the filter membrane assembly to gradually increase, and the resistance to gradually increase. This causes the pressure of the sewage discharge pressure switch to rise to the rated pressure value, thereby activating the circuit, shutting off the water supply solenoid valve and the concentrated water solenoid valve, and triggering the controller to energize the sewage discharge solenoid valve to open and discharge sewage. This causes the purified water pressure tank to release high-pressure purified water, which is then divided into two streams to backwash the filter element.

[0012] In conjunction with the second aspect, a further solution includes a concentrate utilization pipeline, which includes a concentrate pressure switch, a concentrate pressure tank, and a concentrate check valve. The concentrate pressure switch and the concentrate pressure tank are installed on the pipeline at the outlet end of the concentrate solenoid valve. The inlet end of the concentrate check valve is connected to the pipeline at the outlet end of the filter element, and the outlet end of the concentrate check valve is connected to the pipeline at the inlet end of the concentrate solenoid valve. The circuits of various types of pressure switches and solenoid valves are connected to an automatic controller.

[0013] In conjunction with the second aspect, a further solution also includes a repeat filtration pipeline. The components of the repeat filtration pipeline include: a post-stage filter element, a post-stage concentrate solenoid valve, a post-stage concentrate throttle valve, a post-stage purified water check valve, a post-stage return water check valve, a post-stage pressure reducing valve, a post-stage purified water pressure switch, and a post-stage purified water pressure tank. The repeat filtration pipeline components are connected to the primary filtration pipeline components in the same way. The inlet of the post-stage filter element is connected to the output pipeline of the primary purified water outlet pipe.

[0014] In conjunction with the second aspect, a further solution includes a repeat filtration pipeline. This repeat filtration pipeline also includes a downstream water pump and a return solenoid valve. The inlet of the return solenoid valve is connected in parallel to the outlet of the downstream water pump. One end of this parallel connection is connected to the inlet pipe of the downstream filter element, and the other end is connected to the outlet pipe of the primary purified water. The repeat filtration pipeline also includes: a downstream filter element, a downstream concentrate solenoid valve, a downstream concentrate throttling valve, a downstream purified water check valve, a downstream pressure reducing valve, and a downstream purified water pressure tank. The repeat filtration pipeline components are connected to the primary filtration pipeline components in the same manner. Thirdly, this application provides a backwashing method applicable to the intelligent water purifier of the second aspect. The backwashing filter cartridge method includes quantitative backwashing and dynamic intelligent backwashing, and further includes the following steps: The controller is triggered by either the purified water pressure switch or the sewage discharge pressure switch to de-energize and shut down the water pump, water supply solenoid valve, and concentrated water solenoid valve, while energizing the sewage discharge solenoid valve to open and discharge sewage. This causes the purified water pressure tank to release purified water, which then flows back in two separate streams. One stream of purified water is blocked by the backflow check valve and directed to the pressure reducing valve. After passing through the purified water outlet of the filter element and the outlet pipe, it flows backward into the inner wall of the filter membrane bag, permeating and dissolving the adsorbed ions and foreign matter. The ions and foreign matter are then carried back to the gaps in the support mesh. Another stream of purified water flows backward through the purified water check valve into the concentrated water outlet, then into the gaps of the support mesh, reaching the outer wall of the filter membrane bag. The two streams of water from the outer and inner walls of the filter membrane bag converge at the gaps in the support mesh. The foreign matter trapped in the filter membrane assembly is dissolved and removed from all directions, and the water output from the inlet of the filter element passes through the drain throttling valve. The drain throttling valve, in conjunction with the pressure reducing valve, controls the internal pressure of the reverse-flowing water on the inner wall of the filter membrane bag and the external pressure of the reverse-flowing water on the outer wall of the filter membrane bag. This maintains a stable pressure balance between the internal and external water flows, preventing the filter membrane bag from expanding outwards and becoming damaged due to the internal pressure exceeding the external pressure. Wastewater is discharged through the solenoid valve. Once the stains are removed, the controller closes the solenoid valve in a timely manner.

[0015] In summary, this application has at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. This application's filter element adopts a technical solution that improves the filter element by using positioning terminals. The positioning terminals are hollow structures that allow water to flow back and forth through the filter element in both forward and reverse directions. The positioning terminals abut against the inlet end face of the filter membrane assembly, preventing the filter membrane assembly from being squeezed, twisted, or moved in the direction of reverse high-pressure water flow. This avoids the filter membrane assembly end face from twisting and deforming from its normal planar shape to a concave shape, thus preventing damage. The outer tube of the positioning terminals can also prevent the sealing ring from moving with the reverse high-pressure water flow and sliding out of the inlet end face of the filter membrane assembly, avoiding backflow and backwashing that could cause leakage and damage to the filter element. This filter element, which integrates filtration and separation, replaces the multiple stages of pre-filtration and fine filtration required by multi-stage filter elements. It avoids the problems of multi-stage filtration methods that trap dirt and grime and the frequent replacement of activated carbon to absorb odors, saving on the consumption of multi-stage filter elements.

[0016] 2. The intelligent water purifier of this application uses a controller to automatically control the forward purification process of raw water. When the water pressure tank is low on water, the water pressure in the pipeline connected to the filter cartridge's purified water outlet will decrease. After the water pressure in the pipeline drops to the rated value through the water pressure switch, the water pressure switch resets and connects the circuit, opening the concentrated water solenoid valve and the water supply solenoid valve. Raw water enters under normal water pressure, and the protection pressure switch starts the water pump, forcing the raw water into the filter cartridge's inlet end and into the cylindrical inlet end face of the filter membrane bag. Larger particles in the raw water are intercepted by the inlet end face. Next, the impurities accumulate near the gaps at the inlet end face, gradually forming a dense foreign matter filter. This filter performs primary filtration on the raw water, producing pre-filtered water. This pre-filtered water enters the gaps between several layers of support mesh in the filter element. Under reverse osmosis pressure, about half of the pre-filtered water permeates into the filter membrane bag, producing purified water that enters the filter holes. The purified water then passes through the outlet pipe of the return water check valve, is pressurized into the purified water pressure tank for storage, and connected to the purified water interface. The purified water interface connects to a water tap, allowing for the output of a large flow of drinking water to meet immediate needs.

[0017] 3. The backwashing method of this application has two backwashing schemes: quantitative automatic control with a purified water pressure switch and dynamic intelligent control with a sewage discharge pressure switch. Either scheme can be selected to trigger the controller and open the sewage discharge solenoid valve, causing the purified water in the purified water pressure tank to flow back in two directions. By controlling the water pressure balance inside and outside the filter membrane bag through the sewage discharge throttling valve and the pressure reducing valve, the backwashing water pressure can be prevented from expanding the filter membrane bag from the inside to the outside, effectively avoiding irreversible damage and leakage problems, and realizing the backwashing process.

[0018] 4. The intelligent water purifier of this application adopts a dynamic intelligent backwashing filter cartridge solution, which can remove filter cartridge dirt in a timely manner, improve the water production ratio, achieve water saving and emission reduction effects, and break through the technical bottleneck of purifying seawater into fresh water through portable water purifiers.

[0019] 5. The intelligent water purifier of this application adopts a repeated filtration pipeline scheme, which can further improve the purity of raw water and the seawater purification effect. The repeated filtration pipeline scheme can further increase the repeated filtration water production.

[0020] 6. The intelligent water purifier of this application improves the structure of the RO reverse osmosis filter element into a filter element that integrates filtration and purification. It adopts a controller to automatically switch the purification process and intelligently switch the backwashing process, so that the water pressure tank can backflow purified water to backwash the filter element in a timely manner. This technology ensures that the filter element is always kept in a clean and hygienic state during purification operation, improves the water production ratio and achieves the goal of not needing to replace the filter element. It can save water and reduce emissions, save the consumption of multiple filter elements, and avoid the odor problem caused by filtration methods that accumulate dirt and grime. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a structural elevation view of the raw water filtration and separation embodiment of the filter element in this application; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A sectional view of the AA position in the plan; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pure water backwashing embodiment of the filter element of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the raw water purification pipeline connection in the first embodiment of the intelligent water purifier of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the backwashing pipeline connection in the second embodiment of the intelligent water purifier of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the backwashing pipeline connection in the third embodiment of the intelligent water purifier of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the backwashing pipeline connection in the fourth embodiment of the intelligent water purifier of this application; Figure 8This is a schematic diagram of the raw water re-filtration pipeline connection in the fifth embodiment of the intelligent water purifier of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another raw water re-filtration pipeline connection in the fifth embodiment of the intelligent water purifier of this application; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the backwashing pipeline connection in the fifth embodiment of the intelligent water purifier of this application.

[0022] Figure label: 1. Controller; 2. Water purification pressure tank; 3. Water purification pressure switch; 3-1. Protective pressure switch; 4. Concentrate solenoid valve; 4-1. Post-stage concentrate solenoid valve; 5. Concentrate throttle valve; 5-1. Post-stage concentrate throttle valve; 6. Filter element; 6-1. Post-stage filter element; 61. Housing; 62. Central tube; 63. Filter membrane bag; 64. Support mesh; 65. Sealing ring; 66. Foreign matter filter screen; 67. End face; 68. Positioning terminal; 68-1 Outer tube; 68-2 Inner tube; 68-3. Support plate; 69-1 Water inlet; 69-2 Water purification outlet; 69-3. Concentrate outlet; 69-4. Water inlet hole; 69-5. Filter hole; 7. Sewage discharge solenoid valve; 8. Water supply and power supply 9. Solenoid valve; 10. Water pump; 11. Downstream water pump; 12. Clean water check valve; 13. Downstream clean water check valve; 14. Pressure reducing valve; 15. Downstream pressure reducing valve; 16. Backflow check valve; 17. Downstream backflow check valve; 18. Sewage discharge throttle valve; 19. Pressure regulating valve; 20. Concentrate check valve; 21. Downstream backflow solenoid valve. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0025] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0026] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0027] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the features in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. Example 1

[0028] Please see Figure 1 This embodiment discloses a filter element, which includes a bottle shell 61, a central tube 62, a filter membrane bag 63, a support mesh 64, a sealing ring 65, a foreign matter filter screen 67, and an inlet end face 68. The bottle shell 61 includes a bottle bottom and a bottle cap, which is threadedly connected to the bottle mouth. The bottle cap has a water inlet 69-1 at its center, which is the water inlet end of the bottle shell 61. The bottle bottom has a purified water outlet 69-2 at its center, which is the purified water outlet 69-2 of the filter element 6. A concentrated water outlet 69-3 is located on one side of the bottle bottom, which is the concentrated water outlet of the filter element 6.

[0029] The central tube 62 includes an integrally formed inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. The inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are separated and not connected. A sealing ring is provided on the outer wall of the outlet pipe near the purified water outlet 69-2. The sealing ring is sealed to the purified water outlet 69-2 at the bottom of the bottle. The opening of the inlet pipe abuts against the inlet 69-1 of the outer shell 61. The inlet pipe has a through inlet hole 69-4 on its wall. The outlet pipe has several through filter holes 69-5 on its wall. The filter membrane bag 63 is a three-sided closed bag made of two pieces of reverse osmosis fabric with a support mesh sandwiched inside. The openings of several filter membrane bags 63 are all connected to the filter holes 69-5. The edge of the bag opening abuts against the outer wall of the outlet pipe and is sealed.

[0030] Several support nets 64 are respectively arranged between the gaps of each filter membrane bag 63. The support nets 64 and the filter membrane bags 63 are closely attached to the outer wall of the water outlet pipe and wrapped around it several times to form a cylindrical filter membrane assembly 66.

[0031] The sealing ring 65 is disposed between the outer wall of the cylinder of the filter membrane assembly 66 and the inner wall of the bottle shell 61.

[0032] Foreign matter filter 67 is a dynamically formed foreign matter filter that is retained near the inlet end face of the filter membrane assembly 66 for the raw water to be filtered.

[0033] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The filter element 6 includes a positioning terminal 68, which includes an outer tube 68-1, an inner tube 68-2, and several support plates 68-3. One side of the support plate 68-3 is connected to the inner wall of the outer tube 68-1, and the other side of the support plate 68-3 is connected to the outer wall of the inner tube 68-2, forming a hollow cylindrical shape. The inner tube 68-2 of the positioning terminal 68 is fitted onto the water inlet pipe of the central tube 62. One end of the positioning terminal 68 is in movable contact with the inlet end face of the filter membrane assembly 66, and the other end of the positioning terminal 68 is in movable contact with the inner wall of the outer shell 61 of the water inlet 69-1.

[0034] Please see Figure 1 When filter element 6 filters and separates raw water, the raw water enters from the upper inlet 69-1 of filter element 6, passes through the inlet hole 69-4 and the support plate 68-3. The raw water is blocked by the inlet surface of the filter membrane assembly 66 and the nearby filter membrane bag 63 and support net 64, and foreign matter is continuously trapped, forming a foreign matter filter screen 67, which initially filters the raw water into pre-filtered water. On the one hand, the pre-filtered water passes through the filter membrane assembly 66 to separate ions, viruses, bacteria and tiny foreign matter to form concentrated water, which is output through the concentrated water outlet. On the other hand, the pre-filtered water permeates through the filter membrane bag 63 for purification, and the produced purified water flows out through the lower purified water outlet 69-2. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3 When backwashing of filter element 6 is required, the purified water in the water pressure tank is divided into two return streams. One stream of purified water enters the purified water outlet 69-2 through the pressure reducing valve 11, permeates through the filter membrane bag 63, and dissolves ions into the filter membrane assembly 66. The other stream of purified water enters the concentrated water outlet 69-3 through the purified water check valve 10 and enters the filter membrane assembly 66. The two streams of water merge and clean the foreign matter trapped in the filter membrane assembly 66 without dead angles. The wastewater flows out from the inlet pipe 69-4, completing the backwashing of filter element 6. The improved filter element 6 is achieved by setting a positioning terminal 68. The positioning terminal 68 is a hollow structure that allows water to flow back and forth through the filter element 6 in both forward and reverse directions. The positioning terminal 68 fixes the inlet end face of the filter membrane bag 63 and the support net 64, and controls the filter membrane assembly 66 to twist and move in the direction of the reverse high-pressure water flow. This prevents the inlet end face of the filter membrane assembly 66 from deforming from a flat surface to a concave surface, thus preventing damage to the filter membrane bag 63. The positioning terminal 68 can also prevent the sealing ring 65 from moving with the reverse high-pressure water flow, thus preventing the sealing ring 65 from sliding out of the inlet end face 66 and losing its sealing function, and solving the problem of backflow and backwashing damaging the filter element 6. Example 2

[0035] Please see Figure 4This embodiment discloses an intelligent water purifier, including a controller 1, a purified water pressure tank 2, a purified water pressure switch 3, a concentrated water solenoid valve 4, a concentrated water throttling valve 5, a filter element 6, a drain solenoid valve 7, a water supply solenoid valve 8, a water pump 9, a purified water check valve 10, a pressure reducing valve 11, a backflow check valve 12, a drain throttling valve 13, and several interface components 14.

[0036] The component connection method is as follows: the controller 1 is connected to the circuit of various types of pressure switches, solenoid valves, and water pumps; the water purification pressure tank 2 is connected to the outlet pipe of filter element 6; the water purification pressure switch 3 is installed on the connecting pipe between the water purification pressure tank 2 and the outlet pipe of filter element 6; the protection pressure switch 3-1 is installed on the pipe at the water supply end of water pump 9; the concentrate solenoid valve 4 is connected to the pipe at the concentrate outlet 69-3 of filter element 6; the concentrate throttle valve 5 is installed on the connecting pipe between the concentrate outlet 69-3 of filter element 6 and the concentrate solenoid valve 4; the inlet pipe of filter element 6 is connected to the outlet pipe of water pump 9; the inlet of the drain solenoid valve 7 is connected to the connecting pipe between the inlet pipe of filter element 6 and the outlet of water pump 9; the water supply solenoid valve 8 is connected to the water supply interface 13; and the water pump 9 is connected to the outlet pipe of the water supply solenoid valve 8. The inlet of the water purification check valve 10 is connected to the pipeline connecting the water purification pressure switch 3 and the pressure reducing valve 11. The outlet of the water purification check valve 10 is connected to the pipeline connecting the concentrate outlet 69-3 of the filter element 6 and the concentrate throttling valve 5. The pressure reducing valve 11 is installed on the pipeline between the water purification outlet of the filter element 6 and the water purification pressure switch 3. The inlet of the backflow check valve 12 is connected in parallel with the outlet of the pressure reducing valve 11 and is connected to the water purification outlet of the filter element 6. The drain throttling valve 13 is installed at the output of the drain solenoid valve 7. The input pipeline of the drain port 14-1 is connected to the output pipeline of the concentrate solenoid valve 7. The controller 1 is connected to the circuits of various types of pressure switches, solenoid valves, and water pumps.

[0037] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5When the water pressure tank 2 is short of water, the water pressure on the water outlet connection pipe of filter element 6 will decrease. After the water pressure in the pipe drops to the rated value through the water pressure switch 3, the water pressure switch 3 will reset and connect the circuit, opening the concentrated water solenoid valve 4 and the water supply solenoid valve 8. Raw water enters the protection pressure switch 3-1 under normal pressure and starts the water pump 9, forcing the raw water into filter element 6. The inlet pipe enters the cylindrical inlet face of the filter membrane assembly 66. Foreign matter in the raw water is intercepted by the inlet face and accumulates near the inlet face and gaps of the filter membrane assembly 66, gradually forming a foreign matter filter screen 67. The foreign matter filter screen 67 filters the raw water to become pre-filtered water. The pre-filtered water enters the gaps of several layers of support mesh 64 in the filter element 6. Under reverse osmosis pressure, about half of the pre-filtered water permeates into the filter membrane bag 63. The purified water enters the filter hole 69-5, passes through the purified water outlet 69-2 of the filter element 6, and enters the inlet pipe of the return water check valve 12. It is then pressed into the purified water pressure tank 2 for storage and connected to the purified water interface 14-2. The purified water interface 14-2 is connected to a water tap to output a large flow of drinking water to meet the demand for quick access.

[0038] The raw water is purified to produce clean water and separated into concentrated water. The concentrated water passes through the filter membrane assembly 66 of the filter element 6 and is output through the concentrated water outlet 69-3. It then enters the concentrated water throttling valve 5 and the concentrated water solenoid valve 4. The concentrated water throttling valve 5 maintains the reverse osmosis pressure while throttling the flow at an appropriate ratio, and outputs the concentrated water through the concentrated water interface 14-2 for external discharge.

[0039] When the water tap connected to the water purification interface 14-2 is closed or the water purification pressure tank 2 reaches its rated water storage capacity, the pressure on the water purification outlet pipeline of the filter element 6 will increase. When the pipeline of the water purification pressure switch 3 reaches the rated high pressure value, the power is cut off and the water pump 9 works. The power is cut off and the pipelines of the concentrated water solenoid valve 4 and the water supply solenoid valve 8 are closed. The linkage controller 1 opens the sewage discharge solenoid valve 7 to discharge sewage, causing the water purification pressure tank 2 to release pure water and divide it into two return streams. One stream is blocked by the return water check valve 12 and is guided to the pressure reducing valve 11 to reduce pressure. Then, through the pipeline of the water purification outlet of the filter element 6, it flows in reverse through the filter holes 69-5 of the central pipe 62 and enters the inner side of the filter membrane bag 63. It permeates through the filter membrane bag 63 and dissolves the ions adsorbed on the filter membrane bag 63 to become concentrated water, which enters the gap of the support mesh 64.

[0040] Another water flow enters the concentrate outlet 69-3 of filter element 6 through the clean water check valve 10, directly reaching the outer surface of the filter membrane bag and the gaps in the support net 64, providing pressure protection for the outside of the filter membrane bag 63. The two water flows converge in the gaps of the support net 64 and backwash the filter element 6 and filter membrane assembly 66 from all directions, washing away the foreign matter filter screen 67 that was retained in the gaps of the support net 64 and near the inlet end face from the previous filtration. This causes the concentrate and the foreign matter filter screen 67 to dissolve and mix, becoming wastewater, which is then discharged from filter element 6 in the reverse direction. The inlet pipe leads to the drain throttle valve 13. The drain throttle valve 13, in conjunction with the pressure reducing valve 11, limits and stabilizes the flow, maintaining a dynamic balance between the water pressure outside and inside the filter bag 63. The rated flow rate of the drain throttle valve 13 must consider both increasing the flow rate to reduce the dynamic pressure outside the filter bag 63, making the external pressure near the support mesh 64 approximately equal to the internal pressure of the filter bag 63, ensuring that pure water can permeate through the filter bag 63, and reducing the flow rate to prevent the external dynamic pressure from falling below the internal pressure, thus preventing the filter bag 63 from expanding outwards due to back pressure and damaging it. Wastewater is output from the drain solenoid valve 7 and discharged externally through the concentrate interface 14-2. Once the foreign matter filter screen 67 is cleaned, the controller 1 will promptly de-energize and close the drain solenoid valve 7. Example 3

[0041] Please see Figure 6 The difference between this embodiment and embodiment two is that the water purifier also includes a drain pressure switch 15 and a pressure regulating valve 16. The drain pressure switch 15 and the pressure regulating valve 16 are connected in series. The water inlet of the pressure regulating valve 16 is connected to the pipeline connecting the water inlet pipe of the filter element 6 and the water outlet of the water pump 9. The circuit of the drain pressure switch 15 is connected to the controller 1.

[0042] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 6In this embodiment, the water purifier uses a pressure regulating valve 16 to reduce the peak and valley pressure changes of the water pump, which in turn helps the drain pressure switch accurately detect the rated pressure value. During the process of filtering and separating raw water to produce pure water, ions and foreign matter accumulate and remain on the inlet end face 66 of the filter element 6, forming a foreign matter filter screen 67. As the water supply continues, the density of the foreign matter filter screen 67 increases, causing the water pressure in the inlet pipe to gradually increase. When the pressure in the drain pressure switch 15 in the inlet pipe of the filter element 6 increases to the rated value, it will push the drain pressure switch 15 to trigger the controller, shutting off the water pump, the water supply solenoid valve 8, and the concentrated water solenoid valve 4, and opening the drain solenoid valve 7 to release the purified water from the purified water pressure tank and backwash the filter element 6 in two ways. After the foreign matter filter screen 67 is completely removed, the drain solenoid valve 7 is reset and closed, achieving the purpose of dynamically coordinating and timely flushing of the foreign matter filter screen 67. The frequency of backwashing is directly proportional to the ion concentration of the raw water. The intelligent control technology makes it easy to adjust the minimum pure water return flow to flush the filter element and remove foreign matter. It is suitable for filtering and purifying different water sources, solves the problem of scale buildup during long-term operation, and improves the water purification output ratio. It also breaks through the technical bottleneck of seawater desalination through purification. Example 4

[0043] Please see Figure 7 The difference between this embodiment and embodiment four is that the water purifier also includes a concentrated water utilization pipeline. The concentrated water utilization pipeline is set between the water pump 9 inlet pipeline and the filter element 6 concentrated water outlet pipeline. The concentrated water utilization pipeline includes a water supply pressure switch 18, a concentrated water pressure switch 19, a concentrated water pressure tank 20, a concentrated water check valve 17, an outlet check valve 17-1, and a water supply check valve 17-2.

[0044] A water supply pressure switch 18 is installed on the water supply pipeline between the inlet of the water supply check valve 17-2 and the outlet of the water supply solenoid valve 8. A concentrate pressure switch 19 and a concentrate pressure tank 20 are installed on the pipeline at the outlet of the concentrate solenoid valve 4. The inlet of the concentrate check valve 17 is connected to the concentrate outlet pipeline of the filter element 6, and the outlet of the concentrate check valve 17 is connected to the pipeline at the inlet of the concentrate solenoid valve 4. The inlet of the outlet check valve 17-1 is connected to the pipeline at the outlet of the concentrate check valve 17. The outlet of the water supply check valve 17-2 is connected to the pipeline between the outlet of the outlet check valve 17-1 and the washing water interface 14-4. The circuits for all types of pressure switches and solenoid valves are connected to the controller 1.

[0045] In this embodiment, the water purifier is equipped with a concentrated water check valve 17 to prevent concentrated water from the concentrated water pressure tank 20 from flowing back into the filter element 6, an outlet check valve 17-1 to prevent water supply from entering the concentrated water pipeline, and a supply check valve 17-2 to prevent concentrated water from entering the water supply pipeline. Under normal tap water pressure, the water supply pressure switch circuit is in the off state, and the water supply solenoid valve 8 pipeline is in the closed state. For daily washing water needs, the concentrated water from the concentrated water pressure tank 20 is output by opening the faucet connected to the washing water outlet of the concentrated water pipeline. When the concentrated water discharge is nearly complete, the pipeline pressure decreases, and the water supply pressure switch is energized when the pressure is reduced to the rated value, triggering the controller 1 to open the water supply solenoid valve 8, introducing tap water from the water supply port to continue supplying washing water. When the faucet is closed, the tap water pressure returns to normal, the water supply pressure switch 18 circuit resets and de-energizes, closing the water supply solenoid valve 8. The concentrated water is discharged and comprehensively utilized, saving water while maintaining the original normal flow rate and convenient use of domestic water. Example 5

[0046] Please see Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 The difference between this embodiment and the above embodiments is that the water purifier in this embodiment includes a downstream or several stages of repeated filtration pipelines. The downstream repeated filtration pipeline is set on the pipeline at the outlet of the purified water pressure tank. The downstream repeated filtration pipeline includes a downstream filter element 6-1, a downstream concentrated water solenoid valve 4-1, a downstream concentrated water throttling valve 5-1, a downstream purified water check valve 10-1, a downstream pressure reducing valve 11-1, a downstream backflow check valve 12-1, a downstream backflow solenoid valve 21, a downstream water pump 9-1, a downstream purified water pressure tank 2-1, and a purified water pressure switch 3.

[0047] The downstream filter element 6-1, downstream concentrate solenoid valve 4-1, downstream concentrate throttling valve 5-1, downstream purified water check valve 10-1, downstream pressure reducing valve 11-1, downstream reflux check valve 12-1, and downstream purified water pressure tank 2-1 are connected in the same way as the upstream filter element 6, concentrate solenoid valve 4, concentrate throttling valve 5, purified water check valve 10, pressure reducing valve 11, reflux check valve 12, and purified water pressure tank 2.

[0048] The outlet of the downstream reflux solenoid valve 21 is connected in parallel to the inlet of the downstream water pump 9-1, and is connected to the outlet of the primary water pump 9. The inlet of the downstream reflux solenoid valve 21 is connected in parallel to the outlet of the downstream water pump 9-1, and is connected to the inlet of the downstream filter element 6-1. The water purification pressure switch 3 is positioned on the corresponding pipeline location in the repeat filtration pipeline. The circuits of the various pressure switches, water pumps, and solenoid valves are connected to the controller 1.

[0049] When the raw water is tap water, the outlet pipe of the post-stage concentrate solenoid valve 4-1 is connected to the inlet pipe of the water pump 9, allowing the concentrate output from the post-stage filter element 6-1 to be reused for repeated filtration and purification. For seawater, well water, or other water sources where water conservation is not required, the concentrate output from the post-stage filter element 6-1 does not need to be reused. The outlet pipe of the post-stage concentrate solenoid valve 4-1 is connected to the outlet pipe of the concentrate solenoid valve 4 for discharge. Seawater or other raw water can produce purer drinking water after two or more stages of repeated filtration and separation.

[0050] The beneficial effects of this water purifier are as follows: By improving the structure of filter element 6, reverse flushing is achieved. The controller 1 switches various solenoid valves and pipelines as needed, facilitating the backflow of high-pressure purified water from the water pressure tank 2 to backwash filter element 6, maintaining it in a clean and hygienic state. It filters tap water, well water, river water, and seawater, producing pure water through the separation of concentrated water. This water purifier abandons the existing multi-stage filtration method that traps dirt and grime, innovating a one-in-three-out separation method. It achieves the goal of eliminating the need to replace filter element 6 through intelligent backwashing, solving the problem of multi-stage filter consumption and eliminating the odor problem caused by long-term filtration and dirt accumulation. This ensures safe drinking water, reduces water waste, and meets the actual demand for high-flow-rate pure water output. Example 6

[0051] This embodiment provides a backwashing method for filter cartridges, applicable to the smart water purifiers described in any of the above embodiments. The backwashing method for filter cartridges includes the following steps: Open the sewage discharge solenoid valve to discharge sewage, and release the high-pressure purified water from the water purification pressure tank, which then flows back in two separate streams. One stream of water is blocked by the backflow check valve and directed to the pressure reducing valve. After pressure reduction, it flows back into the filter element through the outlet pipe, permeates through the filter membrane bag, dissolves the attached ions, and enters the filter membrane assembly. The other stream of water flows back into the concentrated water outlet through the purified water check valve and also enters the filter membrane assembly. The two streams converge in the filter membrane assembly, backwashing the retained ions and foreign matter filter screen in all directions, and mixing them into wastewater. The sewage flows backward through the inlet pipe and then through the drain valve. The drain valve regulates the flow pressure of the two water streams in the filter element and discharges the sewage.

[0052] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed.

Claims

1. A smart water purifier, characterized in that, The filter includes a filter element, comprising: a housing, a central tube, a filter membrane assembly, a sealing ring, and positioning terminals. The housing is bottle-shaped with a purified water outlet and a concentrated water outlet at one end of the bottom and a water inlet at the other end. The central tube includes an integrally formed inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, which are separated and not connected. The inlet pipe has through-holes on both sides of its wall, and its opening abuts against the inlet of the housing. The outlet pipe has several through-holes on both sides of its wall, and its opening abuts against the purified water outlet of the housing. The filter membrane assembly includes a support mesh and a filter membrane bag. The opening of the filter membrane bag communicates with the several filter holes. A support mesh overlaps with the filter membrane bag and abuts against the outer wall of the outlet pipe to form a cylindrical filter membrane assembly. The sealing ring is disposed between the cylindrical filter membrane assembly and the inner wall of the housing. The positioning terminal includes an outer tube, an inner tube, and several support plates. The outer diameter of the outer tube is larger than the inner diameter of the sealing ring but smaller than the outer diameter of the sealing ring. One side of the support plate is connected to the inner wall of the outer tube, and the other side is connected to the outer wall of the inner tube. The inner tube of the positioning terminal is fitted onto the outer wall of the inlet pipe. One end of the outer tube is movably abutted against the inner wall of the housing on the inlet side, and the other end is movably abutted against the inlet end face of the filter membrane assembly. The assembly also includes a water purification pressure tank, which is connected to the outlet pipe of the filter element. A water purification pressure switch is connected between the water outlet pipe and the water purification pressure tank; A water purification check valve, wherein the inlet end of the water purification check valve is connected between the water purification pressure tank and the concentrated water outlet; A concentrate solenoid valve is connected to the concentrate outlet; A concentrate throttling valve is connected between the concentrate solenoid valve and the concentrate outlet; Water supply solenoid valve, connected to the water supply port; A water pump is connected between the water supply solenoid valve and the water inlet pipe; A drain solenoid valve, with its inlet end connected to the connecting pipe between the inlet of the filter element and the outlet of the water pump; A drain throttle valve is connected to the outlet end of the drain solenoid valve, or to the inlet end of the drain solenoid valve and the inlet pipe of the filter element. A pressure reducing valve is connected between the water purification pressure switch and the outlet pipe of the filter element; A backflow check valve, wherein the inlet end of the backflow check valve is connected to the outlet pipe of the filter element, and the outlet end of the backflow check valve is connected to the purified water pressure switch, and the backflow check valve is connected in parallel with the pressure reducing valve; The controller includes controls for the purification and backwashing processes. The controller is connected to various types of pressure switches and solenoid valves to automatically control the purification and backwashing processes.

2. The intelligent water purifier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The purification process includes: the raw water entering through the water supply solenoid valve is purified by the filter element, and the produced pure water flows out from the purified water outlet, passes through the backflow check valve and is pressed into the purified water pressure tank; the separated concentrated water flows out from the concentrated water outlet, passes through the concentrated water throttling valve and is output through the concentrated water solenoid valve.

3. The intelligent water purifier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The backwashing process includes a quantitative automatic backwashing process and a dynamic intelligent backwashing process.

4. The intelligent water purifier according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a water pressure switch. The quantitative automatic backwashing process includes: when the purified water produced in the purification process is pressurized into the water pressure tank to reach the rated capacity, the water pressure switch reaches the rated pressure value and triggers the controller to shut down the water supply solenoid valve and the concentrate solenoid valve, and energizes the sewage discharge solenoid valve to open and discharge sewage, so that the water pressure tank releases high-pressure purified water and divides it into two streams to backwash the filter element.

5. The intelligent water purifier according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a pressure regulating valve, which is connected to the connection pipe between the inlet of the filter element and the outlet of the water pump, and a sewage discharge pressure switch, which is connected to the outlet of the pressure regulating valve. The dynamic intelligent backwashing process includes: raw water is continuously injected into the filter element, which causes the concentration of retained ions and the density of foreign matter in the filter membrane component to gradually increase, and the resistance to gradually increase. This causes the pressure of the sewage discharge pressure switch to rise to the rated pressure value, which triggers the controller to shut down the water supply solenoid valve and the concentrate solenoid valve, and energizes the sewage discharge solenoid valve to open and discharge sewage, so that the purified water pressure tank releases high-pressure purified water and divides it into two streams to backwash the filter element.

6. The intelligent water purifier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system includes a concentrate utilization pipeline, which includes a concentrate pressure switch, a concentrate pressure tank, and a concentrate check valve. The concentrate pressure switch and the concentrate pressure tank are installed on the pipeline at the outlet end of the concentrate solenoid valve. The inlet end of the concentrate check valve is connected to the concentrate outlet end of the filter element pipeline, and the outlet end of the concentrate check valve is connected to the pipeline at the inlet end of the concentrate solenoid valve.

7. The intelligent water purifier according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a repeat filtration pipeline, the components of which include: a post-stage filter element, a post-stage concentrate solenoid valve, a post-stage concentrate throttle valve, a post-stage purified water check valve, a post-stage return water check valve, a post-stage pressure reducing valve, a post-stage purified water pressure switch, and a post-stage purified water pressure tank. The repeat filtration pipeline components are connected to the primary filtration pipeline components in the same way, and the inlet of the post-stage filter element is connected to the output pipeline of the primary purified water outlet pipe.

8. The intelligent water purifier according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a repeat filtration pipeline, which further includes a downstream water pump and a return solenoid valve. The inlet of the return solenoid valve is connected in parallel with the outlet of the downstream water pump. One end of the parallel connection is connected to the inlet pipe of the downstream filter element, and the other end of the parallel connection is connected to the outlet pipe of the primary purified water. The components of the repeat filtration pipeline also include: a downstream filter element, a downstream concentrate solenoid valve, a downstream concentrate throttling valve, a downstream purified water check valve, a downstream pressure reducing valve, and a downstream purified water pressure tank. The components of the repeat filtration pipeline are connected to the components of the primary filtration pipeline in the same way.

9. A backwashing method, characterized in that, The backwashing method applicable to the intelligent water purifier of claim 5 includes quantitative backwashing and dynamic intelligent backwashing, and further includes the following steps: The controller is triggered by either the purified water pressure switch or the sewage discharge pressure switch to de-energize and shut down the water pump, water supply solenoid valve, and concentrated water solenoid valve, while energizing the sewage discharge solenoid valve to open and discharge sewage. This causes the purified water pressure tank to release purified water, which then flows back in two separate streams. One stream of purified water is blocked by the backflow check valve and directed to the pressure reducing valve. After passing through the purified water outlet of the filter element and through the outlet pipe, it flows backward into the inner wall of the filter membrane bag, permeating and dissolving the adsorbed ions and foreign matter. The water then carries these ions and foreign matter back to the gaps in the support mesh. Another stream of purified water flows backward through the purified water check valve into the concentrated water outlet, then into the gaps of the support mesh and reaches the outer wall of the filter membrane bag. The two streams of water from the outer and inner walls of the filter membrane bag converge at the gaps in the support mesh, dissolving and removing foreign matter trapped in the filter membrane assembly from all directions. Wastewater is then discharged through the inlet of the filter element and passes through the drain valve. The drain throttling valve, in conjunction with the pressure reducing valve, controls the internal pressure of the reverse-flowing water on the inner wall of the filter membrane bag and the external pressure of the reverse-flowing water on the outer wall of the filter membrane bag. This maintains a stable pressure balance between the internal and external water flows, preventing the filter membrane bag from expanding outwards and becoming damaged due to the internal pressure exceeding the external pressure. Wastewater is discharged through the solenoid valve. Once the stains are removed, the controller closes the solenoid valve in a timely manner.

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