Filter element assembly, water purification equipment and regeneration method of filter element

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of water purification, and discloses a filter element assembly, water purification equipment and a regeneration method of a filter element, the filter element assembly comprises a carbon filter element and a microwave regeneration device, and a microwave transmitting end of the microwave regeneration device extends into the carbon filter element; the microwave transmitting end is used for transmitting microwaves to the carbon filter element, so that substances adsorbed on the carbon filter element are analyzed and desorbed at high temperature, and regeneration of the carbon filter element is realized. The carbon filter element is regenerated by using the microwave regeneration device, and substance molecules adsorbed by the carbon filter element are induced to generate dipole steering polarization in a microwave field by using microwave energy, so that the microwave energy can be quickly converted into heat energy, adsorbate of the carbon filter element is desorbed, the service life of the carbon filter element is effectively prolonged, and the element replacement period is prolonged; the core replacement cost of a user is reduced, the nominal value of the rated water purification amount of the whole machine can be improved, the product competitiveness is improved, and the problems that a carbon filter core in the prior art is short in service life and needs to be frequently replaced are effectively solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of water purification, and in particular to a filter element assembly, water purification equipment and a filter element regeneration method. Background Art

[0002] During the transportation of tap water through the pipeline network, it is inevitable that there will be contamination such as rust, silt, organic matter and microorganisms. As people pay more attention to water quality safety, water purifiers with purification functions are gradually accepted by the market. The water purification equipment of a water purifier usually includes a pre-filter element, a fine filter element and a post-treatment filter element. Among them, the pre-filter element is used to remove organic matter, colloids, heavy metals and silt particles; the fine filter element is extremely accurate, such as the RO membrane filter element, which is the core treatment filter element of the water purification equipment; the post-treatment filter element is used to remove trace elements, adjust pH and drinking taste, etc.

[0003] The carbon filter is an indispensable component of the pre-filter and post-filter of the water purifier because it can effectively adsorb impurities and remove oxidizing substances such as residual chlorine. During long-term operation, bacteria may grow on the surface of the carbon filter and form biofilm, resulting in a decrease in water purification performance and even contaminating the purified water, affecting the service life of the carbon filter. The pre-filter and post-filter in the existing drinking water purification system are mostly disposable consumables, which are directly discarded and replaced when their lifespan expires. This not only causes huge waste and environmental pollution, but also frequent replacement of carbon filters will cause troubles to users and increase the cost of use. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a filter element assembly, a water purification device and a filter element regeneration method to solve the problem that the carbon filter element in the prior art has a short life and needs to be frequently replaced.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a filter element assembly, comprising:

[0006] Carbon filter;

[0007] A microwave regeneration device is detachably mounted on the carbon filter element, and a microwave emitting end of the microwave regeneration device extends into the carbon filter element;

[0008] The microwave transmitting end is used to transmit microwaves to the carbon filter element so that the substances adsorbed on the carbon filter element are analyzed and desorbed at high temperature to achieve regeneration of the carbon filter element.

[0009] Beneficial effects: By using a microwave regeneration device to regenerate the carbon filter element, microwave energy is used to induce dipole steering polarization in the molecules of substances adsorbed by the carbon filter element in the microwave field, which can quickly convert microwave energy into heat energy, desorb the adsorbent of the carbon filter element, restore the adsorption performance of the carbon filter element, and achieve in-situ regeneration of the carbon filter element. This can not only effectively improve the service life of the carbon filter element, extend the core replacement cycle, and reduce the user's core replacement cost, but also increase the nominal value of the rated water purification volume of the whole machine, enhance product competitiveness, and effectively solve the problem of short service life and frequent replacement of carbon filters in the prior art. In addition, the present application uses microwave regeneration technology to achieve the regeneration of the carbon filter element. Compared with conventional physical adsorption, chemical adsorption, and hot water immersion and flushing methods, it has the advantages of no secondary pollution, fast heating speed, good regeneration effect, and high efficiency.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, the carbon filter element is a pre-activated carbon filter element, or a post-activated carbon filter element, or a composite filter element formed by combining a pre-activated carbon filter element and a post-activated carbon filter element.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the carbon filter element includes a filter bottle and a filter element body disposed in the filter bottle, and the filter bottle is made of metal.

[0012] Beneficial effect: The filter bottle of the carbon filter element adopts metal material, which is more resistant to high temperature and more adaptable to high temperature environment than conventional plastic material, thus being more conducive to realizing high temperature analysis of adsorbed substances on the carbon filter element through a microwave regeneration device.

[0013] In an optional embodiment, the microwave regeneration device is threadedly mounted on the bottom, top or middle part of the filter bottle;

[0014] When the microwave regeneration device is installed in the middle part of the filter bottle, two microwave regeneration devices are provided, and the two microwave regeneration devices are respectively arranged on both sides of the filter bottle.

[0015] Beneficial effects: The microwave regeneration device can be installed at the top, bottom or middle part of the filter bottle, and the position selection is more flexible and diverse. When the microwave regeneration device is installed in the middle part of the filter bottle, two microwave regeneration devices are set, and the two microwave regeneration devices are arranged on both sides of the filter bottle. The two microwave regeneration devices can produce microwave energy with uniform field strength.

[0016] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides a water purification device, comprising:

[0017] Water pipeline:

[0018] The filter element assembly of any of the above embodiments is arranged in a water production pipeline to filter and purify water flowing through the water production pipeline;

[0019] The water purification equipment has a water production mode and a regeneration mode. When the water purification equipment starts the regeneration mode, the microwave regeneration device of the filter element assembly is in a working state to regenerate the carbon filter element.

[0020] Beneficial effects: A water purification device with a filter element regeneration function is provided. When the carbon filter element needs to be regenerated, the regeneration mode is started, and the start and stop of different components of the system are controlled by a logic control method. A microwave regeneration device is used to regenerate the activated carbon filter element to desorb the activated carbon adsorbent, thereby regenerating the activated carbon filter element, prolonging the service life of the activated carbon filter element, and reducing the user's element replacement cost.

[0021] In an optional embodiment, the water purification device further comprises:

[0022] A water inlet valve is provided on the water production pipeline upstream of the filter element assembly and is used to control whether water is fed into the carbon filter element;

[0023] The pump is arranged on the water production pipeline, and is used to drive the water in the water production pipeline to flow in a set water production direction, or to evacuate the water vapor in the carbon filter element.

[0024] Beneficial effects: By setting a water inlet valve on the water production pipeline upstream of the filter element assembly, it is convenient to control the water inlet to the carbon filter element. Through the set pump, not only can the water be driven to flow in the set water production direction in the normal water production mode, but also in the regeneration mode, the water vapor in the carbon filter element can be extracted to facilitate the microwave regeneration device to perform high-temperature regeneration treatment on the carbon filter element, thereby improving the regeneration effect and reducing related safety hazards.

[0025] In a third aspect, the present invention further provides a method for regenerating a carbon filter element, which is applicable to a water purification device in any of the above embodiments, and the regeneration method comprises:

[0026] receiving a regeneration mode start signal;

[0027] The microwave regeneration device is controlled to start and emit microwaves to the carbon filter element, so that the substances adsorbed on the carbon filter element are analyzed and desorbed at high temperature to achieve the regeneration of the carbon filter element.

[0028] Beneficial effect: When the carbon filter element needs to be regenerated and cleaned, when the regeneration mode is started, the microwave regeneration device is controlled to emit microwaves to the carbon filter element, so that the substances adsorbed on the carbon filter element are analyzed and desorbed at high temperature, thereby realizing automatic regeneration of the activated carbon filter element and improving the life of the carbon filter element. Compared with the existing hot water immersion and flushing regeneration method, the heating temperature of the microwave regeneration method can reach 150°C, and the regeneration effect is significantly improved.

[0029] In an optional embodiment, the following steps are performed before controlling the microwave regeneration device to start:

[0030] Drain the water in the carbon filter element to ensure that the carbon filter element is in a water-free state when the microwave regeneration device is started.

[0031] Beneficial effect: By draining the water in the carbon filter element before starting the microwave regeneration device, it can effectively ensure that there is no water in the carbon filter element when the microwave regeneration device is working, thereby avoiding the generation of a large amount of water vapor when the microwave regeneration device is working, which will not only affect the regeneration effect of the carbon filter element, but also have the risk of explosion and high safety hazards.

[0032] In an optional implementation manner, controlling the microwave regeneration device to start up specifically includes the following steps:

[0033] Control the microwave regeneration device to perform low-temperature drying treatment on the carbon filter element at the working temperature T1;

[0034] When the microwave regeneration device works at the T1 working temperature for the set time, it stops working and controls the pump of the water purification equipment to discharge the water vapor generated during the low-temperature drying process in the carbon filter element;

[0035] The microwave regeneration device is controlled to perform high-temperature regeneration treatment on the carbon filter element at a working temperature of T2, wherein T2>T1.

[0036] Beneficial effect: By adding a low-temperature drying treatment step before the high-temperature regeneration treatment step in the microwave regeneration device, the water vapor in the composite filter element can be dried to ensure that the composite filter element is in a dry state when the microwave regeneration device is in high-temperature treatment, avoiding direct high-temperature treatment, which will cause the air pressure in the filter bottle to increase sharply, resulting in the air pressure being much higher than the external air pressure, which will have the risk of explosion and a high safety hazard.

[0037] In an optional embodiment, the filter element regeneration method further comprises the following steps:

[0038] Before entering the regeneration mode, control the water inlet valve of the water purification equipment to close;

[0039] After the regeneration mode is finished, the water inlet valve is controlled to open and water is passed to the carbon filter element for a set time.

[0040] Beneficial effects: Before entering the regeneration mode, the water inlet valve of the water purification equipment is controlled to be closed to prevent external water from entering the composite filter element during the regeneration process and affecting the regeneration effect of the carbon filter element. When the regeneration mode is over, the water inlet valve and the wastewater valve are controlled to be opened, and water is passed for a certain period of time to flush out the impurities desorbed during the regeneration process, and then normal use is restored. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the specific implementation methods or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some implementation methods of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0042] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of the first implementation mode of the water purification device in the embodiment of the present invention (the microwave regeneration device is installed at the bottom of the composite filter element);

[0043] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of the second implementation mode of the water purification device in the embodiment of the present invention (the microwave regeneration device is installed in the middle of the composite filter element);

[0044] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of the second implementation mode of the water purification device in the embodiment of the present invention (the microwave regeneration device is installed on the top of the composite filter element);

[0045] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of the composite filter element;

[0046] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified view of the structure where the microwave regeneration device and the filter bottle meet;

[0047] Figure 6 This is a schematic flow chart of a first implementation of a method for regenerating a carbon filter element in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 7 This is a schematic flow chart of a second implementation of a method for regenerating a carbon filter element in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 8 This is a schematic flow chart of a third implementation of a method for regenerating a carbon filter element in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Fig. 9 It is a schematic flow chart of a fourth implementation of the method for regenerating a carbon filter element in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Description of reference numerals:

[0052] 10. Pre-treatment filter element; 20. Composite filter element; 21. Filter bottle; 211. Bottle body; 212. Bottom cover; 30. RO membrane filter element; 40. Microwave regeneration device; 41. Microwave transmitting end; 42. Microwave generator;

[0053] 100. Raw water switch valve; 101. Water inlet valve; 102. Pump; 103. Waste water valve; 104. Flow meter; 105. Check valve; 106. Pure water switch valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0055] At present, the water purifiers on the market use their own water purification equipment to purify tap water to achieve the purpose of water purification. The water purification equipment usually includes four-stage filter elements, namely PP cotton filter element, pre-activated carbon filter element, RO membrane filter element, and post-activated carbon filter element. In order to effectively extend the life of the RO filter element, the industry often uses pretreatment to ensure the quality of its inlet water. The water quality requirements mainly include turbidity ≤ 1NTU, SDI15 < 5, and residual chlorine concentration < 0.1mg / L. The PP cotton and ultrafiltration in the pretreatment filter element of the existing water purifier can effectively reduce the turbidity and SDI15 of the water, but only the carbon filter element can effectively remove the residual chlorine. The carbon filter element has a shorter life than other filter elements, which not only requires frequent core replacement, but also limits the nominal value of the rated water purification volume of the whole machine. In addition, the activated carbon filter elements used in the water purifiers on the market are all disposable consumables, and they are directly discarded when they reach the end of their life, causing huge waste and environmental pollution.

[0056] In order to achieve the goal of long filter life and less replacement of water purifiers, the industry mainly extends the life of carbon filters by improving carbon materials, manufacturing processes and increasing carbon dosage, which can improve water purification performance and life to a certain extent. However, there are always failure points, and it is necessary to find a breakthrough to increase the life of activated carbon filters. According to research, the process of activated carbon adsorbing pollutants mainly includes physical adsorption and chemical adsorption. Physical adsorption is the main adsorption process in activated carbon. Changing conditions can break the adsorption equilibrium and cause the adsorbate to desorb. The chemical adsorption process is irreversible, and it is essentially the formation of a stable complex between the surface functional groups of activated carbon and the pollutant molecules. In the specific process, activated carbon first acts mainly on physical adsorption. When the physical adsorption is close to saturation, chemical adsorption intervenes and it is completely ineffective.

[0057] In the related art, the methods for extending the life of carbon filter elements through regeneration are mainly achieved through physical high temperature, steam or vibration, chemical reagents, and microbial degradation. For example, patent CN217350956U discloses a self-cleaning purification device, which regenerates activated carbon fibers through high-temperature steam. This method is suitable for large-scale purification treatment devices in the petrochemical and environmental protection industries. It has high process requirements and is not suitable for household water purifiers. Patent CN113788554A discloses a method that uses water vapor, vibration and physical impact to clear the gaps in activated carbon and restore its adsorption capacity. This method can achieve a self-complete regeneration process, but not only is the device complex, but it also requires the addition of flocculants, and cannot guarantee the safety of the use process and drinking water. Patent CN202654783U discloses a high-efficiency activated carbon fiber filter device, which regenerates the filter element by soaking it in chlorine dioxide and adding high-temperature steam. However, according to its patent, the introduction of the chemical substance chlorine dioxide cannot guarantee the safety of water quality; Patent CN101844075A discloses a device and method for regenerating activated carbon, which uses an electrochemical method to decompose and reduce pollutants adsorbed in the activated carbon under electrolysis and then desorb them to achieve activated carbon regeneration. However, the precipitation of metal substances in the solution cannot guarantee the safety of drinking water and increases electricity consumption.

[0058] Through the above analysis, it is necessary to find a more effective general technology to increase the life of the carbon filter element of the water purifier, so as to solve the problems of short carbon filter life and frequent element replacement and improve product competitiveness.

[0059] Combine the following Figures 1 to 9 , describing an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] According to an embodiment of the present invention, on the one hand, the present invention provides a filter element assembly, including a carbon filter element and a microwave regeneration device 40, wherein the microwave regeneration device 40 is detachably installed on the carbon filter element, and a microwave emitting end 41 of the microwave regeneration device 40 extends into the carbon filter element; the microwave emitting end 41 is used to emit microwaves to the carbon filter element, so that the substances adsorbed on the carbon filter element are analyzed and desorbed at high temperature, thereby realizing the regeneration of the carbon filter element.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the carbon filter element is regenerated by using a microwave regeneration device 40, and the microwave energy is used to induce the molecules of the substance adsorbed by the carbon filter element to produce dipole steering polarization in the microwave field, which can quickly convert the microwave energy into heat energy, desorb the adsorbent of the carbon filter element, restore the adsorption performance of the carbon filter element, and realize the in-situ regeneration of the carbon filter element. It can not only effectively improve the service life of the carbon filter element, extend the core replacement cycle, and reduce the user's core replacement cost, but also increase the nominal value of the rated water purification volume of the whole machine, enhance product competitiveness, and effectively solve the problem of short service life and frequent replacement of carbon filter elements in the prior art. In addition, the present application realizes the regeneration of the carbon filter element by adopting microwave regeneration technology, which has the advantages of no secondary pollution, fast heating speed, good regeneration effect, and high efficiency compared with conventional physical adsorption, chemical adsorption, and hot water immersion and flushing.

[0062] Specifically, in this embodiment, the carbon filter element includes a carbon water purification unit, the carbon filter element is an activated carbon filter element, and the microwave regeneration device 40 is detachably mounted on the carbon filter element by means of a snap connection or a threaded connection, so as to facilitate disassembly and maintenance. The microwave regeneration device 40 includes a microwave generator 42, which can generate microwaves. The microwave generator 42 has a microwave emitting end 41 that can extend into the carbon filter element, and the microwave emitting end 41 emits microwaves into the carbon filter element to heat and analyze the adsorbed substances on the carbon filter element, so that the adsorbed substances are desorbed.

[0063] In some embodiments, the carbon filter element is a pre-activated carbon filter element, or a post-activated carbon filter element, or a composite filter element 20 formed by combining a pre-activated carbon filter element and a post-activated carbon filter element. The carbon filter element of this embodiment can be a separate pre-activated carbon filter element or a post-activated carbon filter element, or can be a composite filter element 20 formed by combining the two. The drawings of this embodiment illustrate the carbon filter element as a composite filter element 20.

[0064] In some embodiments, the carbon filter element includes a filter bottle 21 and a filter element body disposed in the filter bottle 21, and the filter bottle 21 is made of metal.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the filter bottle 21 of the carbon filter element is made of metal material, which is more resistant to high temperatures and more adaptable to high temperature environments than conventional plastic materials, and is therefore more conducive to high-temperature analysis of adsorbed substances on the carbon filter element by the microwave regeneration device 40.

[0066] Preferably, the filter bottle 21 is made of stainless steel, which is not only resistant to high temperatures but also a food-grade metal.

[0067] In some embodiments, Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the microwave regeneration device 40 is threadedly assembled on the bottom, top or middle part of the filter bottle 21; Figure 2As shown, when the microwave regeneration device 40 is installed in the middle part of the filter bottle 21 , the number of the microwave regeneration devices 40 is two, and the two microwave regeneration devices 40 are respectively arranged on both sides of the filter bottle 21 .

[0068] In the above embodiment, the microwave regeneration device 40 can be installed at the top, bottom or middle part of the filter bottle 21, and the position selection is more flexible and diverse. When the microwave regeneration device 40 is installed in the middle part of the filter bottle 21, the microwave regeneration device 40 is set to two, and the two microwave regeneration devices 40 are respectively arranged on both sides of the filter bottle 21. The two microwave regeneration devices 40 can produce microwave energy with uniform field strength.

[0069] Specifically, in this embodiment, Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the filter bottle 21 includes a bottle body 211 and a bottom cover 212, and the microwave regeneration device 40 can be embedded in the bottom cover 212, or can also be embedded in the side wall of the bottle body 211, or can also be embedded in the bottle mouth of the filter bottle 21. Preferably, in this embodiment, the microwave regeneration device 40 is embedded in the bottle body 211, and the number of microwave regeneration devices 40 is increased to two, which is more conducive to achieving uniform microwave energy in the filter bottle 21.

[0070] For example, Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the microwave regeneration device 40 can be embedded in the bottom cover 212, the bottom cover 212 has a threaded interface, the microwave regeneration device 40 has a threaded connection portion, the microwave emitting end 41 is provided in the threaded connection portion, the threaded connection portion is threadedly connected in the threaded interface, and the microwave emitting end 41 extends from the threaded interface of the bottom cover 212 into the filter bottle 21. The microwave emitting end 41 of the microwave regeneration device 40 extends into the bottom cover 212 by about 1 mm to avoid extending too much to affect the volume of the filter element. Compared with the prior art, this embodiment can realize the in-situ regeneration of activated carbon in the water purification equipment and improve the life of the activated carbon filter element by adding a microwave regeneration device 40 to the bottom cover 212 of the composite filter element 20 and combining it with a logic control method.

[0071] According to an embodiment of the present invention, on the other hand, a water purification device is provided, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, it includes a water production pipeline and the filter element assembly described in any of the above-mentioned embodiments, and the filter element assembly is arranged in the water production pipeline to filter and purify the water flowing through the water production pipeline; the water purification equipment has a water production mode and a regeneration mode. When the water purification equipment starts the regeneration mode, the microwave regeneration device 40 of the filter element assembly is in a working state to regenerate the carbon filter element.

[0072] In the above embodiment, a water purification device with a filter element regeneration function is provided. When the carbon filter element needs to be regenerated, the regeneration mode is started, and the different components of the system are controlled by a logic control method. The microwave regeneration device 40 is used to regenerate the activated carbon filter element to desorb the activated carbon adsorbent, thereby regenerating the activated carbon filter element, increasing the service life of the activated carbon filter element, and reducing the user's core replacement cost.

[0073] In this embodiment, the water purification equipment includes a first-stage filter element, a second-stage filter element, a third-stage filter element, and a fourth-stage filter element, wherein the first-stage filter element is a pre-treatment filter element 10, which is generally a composite of PP or origami PP, ultrafiltration, and microfiltration, and removes mud, rust, suspended matter, etc. in the raw water; the second-stage filter element is a pre-activated carbon filter element, etc., which removes organic matter, some heavy metals, residual chlorine, discoloration, odor, etc. in the raw water; the third-stage filter element is an RO membrane filter element 30, which is the core component of the water purifier, has extremely high purification accuracy, and can filter out all impurity molecules except water molecules; the fourth-stage filter element is mostly a post-activated carbon filter element, etc., which is used to adjust the taste of water quality, etc.

[0074] It should be noted that the front activated carbon filter element and the rear activated carbon filter element can be integrated into a composite filter element 20, and in this embodiment, the carbon filter element in the filter element assembly is in the form of a composite filter element 20, and the water production system provided in the drawings of this application is also embodied in the form of a composite filter element 20, and a microwave regeneration device 40 is embedded at the bottom of the bottom cover 212 of the composite filter element 20. In this embodiment, by utilizing the microwave energy generated by the microwave regeneration device 40, the molecules of the substance adsorbed by the activated carbon are induced to generate dipole steering polarization in the microwave field, and the microwave energy is quickly converted into heat energy to restore the adsorption performance of the activated carbon.

[0075] In some embodiments, the water purification equipment also includes a water inlet valve 101 and a pump 102. The water inlet valve 101 is arranged on the water production pipeline upstream of the filter element assembly to control whether water is introduced into the carbon filter element; the pump 102 is arranged on the water production pipeline to drive the water in the water production pipeline to flow in a set water production direction, or to evacuate the water vapor in the carbon filter element.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the water inlet valve 101 is arranged on the water production pipeline upstream of the filter element assembly to facilitate the control of water inlet to the carbon filter element. The arranged pump 102 can not only drive the water to flow in the set water production direction in the normal water production mode, but also can extract the water vapor in the carbon filter element in the regeneration mode, so as to facilitate the microwave regeneration device 40 to perform high-temperature regeneration treatment on the carbon filter element, thereby improving the regeneration effect and reducing related safety hazards.

[0077] In this embodiment, along the water flow direction, the pre-treatment filter element 10, the pre-activated carbon filter element of the composite filter element 20, the RO membrane filter element 30, and the post-activated carbon filter element of the composite filter element 20 are sequentially connected in series on the water production pipeline, and the water production pipeline includes a first pipeline connected between the water inlet end of the pre-treatment filter element 10 and the raw water source, and a second pipeline connected between the water outlet end of the pre-treatment filter element 10 and the water inlet end of the pre-activated carbon filter element, and a third pipeline connected between the water outlet end of the pre-activated carbon filter element and the RO membrane filter element 30. A raw water switch valve 100 is provided on the first pipeline, and the raw water switch valve 100 is used to control whether the raw water enters the water production system. The water inlet valve 101 is provided on the second pipeline, and the pump 102 is provided on the third pipeline. The RO membrane filter element 30 has a wastewater outlet and a clean water outlet. The wastewater outlet is connected to a wastewater pipeline. The wastewater pipeline is provided with a wastewater valve 103 and a flow meter 104. The clean water outlet is connected to the water inlet end of the post-activated carbon filter element through a fourth pipeline. A check valve 105 is provided on the fourth pipeline. The outlet end of the post-activated carbon filter element is connected to a pure water pipeline. The pure water pipeline is connected to the water outlet of the water purification equipment. A pure water switch valve 106 is provided on the pure water pipeline.

[0078] In this embodiment, the water purification equipment includes but is not limited to a water purifier, a water purification and heating all-in-one machine, a water cooking machine, etc. Preferably, in this embodiment, the water purification equipment is a reverse osmosis water purifier.

[0079] According to an embodiment of the present invention, on the other hand, a method for regenerating a carbon filter element is provided, which is applicable to a water purification device in any of the above embodiments, Figures 1 to 3 as well as Figure 6 As shown, the regeneration method comprises the following steps:

[0080] Step S10: receiving a regeneration mode start signal;

[0081] Step S20: Control the microwave regeneration device 40 to start, and emit microwaves to the carbon filter element, so that the substances adsorbed on the carbon filter element are analyzed and desorbed at high temperature, thereby achieving the regeneration of the carbon filter element.

[0082] In the above embodiment, when the carbon filter element needs to be regenerated and cleaned, the regeneration mode is started, and the microwave regeneration device 40 is controlled to emit microwaves to the carbon filter element, so that the substances adsorbed on the carbon filter element are analyzed and desorbed at high temperature, thereby realizing automatic regeneration of the activated carbon filter element and improving the life of the carbon filter element. Compared with the existing hot water immersion and flushing regeneration method, the heating temperature of the microwave regeneration method can reach 150°C, and the regeneration effect is significantly improved.

[0083] Specifically, when the regeneration mode start signal is received, the water inlet valve 101 is first closed to prevent external water from entering the composite filter element 20 during the regeneration process, thereby affecting the regeneration effect.

[0084] Furthermore, the water purification device has a control module, which is connected to the microwave regeneration device 40 and is used to control the opening and closing and working parameters of the microwave regeneration device 40, and the working parameters include working time, heating temperature, etc. The regeneration mode start signal is a user trigger signal or a timing signal or a detection signal. Exemplarily, the control system also includes a timing module, which automatically feeds back a timing signal for starting the microwave regeneration device 40 to the control module every one month, and the microwave regeneration device 40 automatically starts to realize automatic regeneration of the carbon filter element of the water purifier.

[0085] In some embodiments, in combination Figures 1 to 3 as well as Figure 7 As shown, the following steps are performed before the microwave regeneration device 40 is started:

[0086] Step S11: drain the water in the carbon filter element to ensure that the carbon filter element is in a water-free state when the microwave regeneration device 40 is started.

[0087] In the above embodiment, by draining the water in the carbon filter element before starting the microwave regeneration device 40, it can effectively ensure that the carbon filter element is free of water when the microwave regeneration device 40 is working, thereby avoiding the generation of a large amount of water vapor when the microwave regeneration device 40 is working, which not only affects the regeneration effect of the carbon filter element, but also has the risk of explosion and high safety hazards.

[0088] Specifically, when the user needs to regenerate the activated carbon after using the water purifier for a certain period of time, the water inlet valve 101 is first closed, and then the pump 102 is started to discharge the water in the composite filter element 20 to ensure that the filter bottle 21 of the composite filter element 20 is in a water-free state when the microwave regeneration device 40 is started.

[0089] In some embodiments, in combination Figures 1 to 3 as well as Figure 8 As shown, the control of starting the microwave regeneration device 40 specifically includes the following steps:

[0090] Step S201: controlling the microwave regeneration device 40 to perform low-temperature drying treatment on the carbon filter element at a working temperature of T1;

[0091] Step S202: After the microwave regeneration device 40 has been operating at the operating temperature T1 for a set time, the operation is suspended, and the pump 102 of the water purification device is controlled to operate to discharge the water vapor generated during the low-temperature drying process in the carbon filter element;

[0092] Step S203: Control the microwave regeneration device 40 to perform high-temperature regeneration treatment on the carbon filter element at an operating temperature of T2, wherein T2>T1.

[0093] In the above embodiment, by adding a low-temperature drying treatment step before the high-temperature regeneration treatment step in the microwave regeneration device 40, the water vapor in the composite filter element 20 can be dried to ensure that the composite filter element 20 is in a dry state when the microwave regeneration device 40 is performing high-temperature treatment, thereby avoiding direct high-temperature treatment, which may cause the air pressure in the filter bottle 21 to increase sharply, resulting in the air pressure being much higher than the external air pressure, and there will be a risk of explosion, resulting in a high safety hazard.

[0094] Specifically, in step S201, the microwave regeneration device 40 is started to perform low temperature treatment, the working temperature of the microwave regeneration device 40 is 50°-100°, the working time is 30min-60min, and other components of the water purification equipment do not work. In step S202, the microwave regeneration device 40 enters the standby state after working for 30min-60min, and the pump 102 starts to work to discharge the water vapor generated during the low temperature treatment. In step S203, the microwave regeneration device 40 performs high temperature treatment, the working temperature of the microwave regeneration device 40 reaches 100°-150°, the working time is 60min-120min, and other components in the water purification equipment do not work.

[0095] Preferably, in this embodiment, after step S203 , the pump 102 is controlled to start and perform an exhaust step to exhaust the steam generated during the high-temperature regeneration process in the composite filter element 20 .

[0096] In some embodiments, in combination Figures 1 to 3 as well as Fig. 9 As shown, the filter element regeneration method also includes the following steps:

[0097] Step S301: before entering the regeneration mode, controlling the water inlet valve 101 of the water purification device to close;

[0098] Step S302: After the regeneration mode ends, the water inlet valve 101 is controlled to open, and water is passed to the carbon filter element for a set time.

[0099] In the above embodiment, before entering the regeneration mode, the water inlet valve 101 of the water purification equipment is controlled to be closed to prevent external water from entering the composite filter element 20 during the regeneration process and affecting the regeneration effect of the carbon filter element. When the regeneration mode is over, the water inlet valve 101 and the waste water valve 103 are controlled to be opened, and water is passed for a certain period of time to flush out the impurities desorbed during the regeneration process, and then the normal use state is restored.

[0100] Preferably, in step S302, the water flow time of the carbon filter element is 5-10 minutes.

[0101] The present embodiment provides a fully automatic regeneration method of the cycle of "closing the water inlet valve 101 - starting the water purification equipment to drain the water in the carbon filter element - starting the microwave regeneration device 40 for low-temperature treatment - starting the pump 102 for exhaust - starting the microwave regeneration device 40 for high-temperature treatment - starting the pump 102 for exhaust - opening the water inlet valve 101 for normal use", which can realize the regeneration of the activated carbon filter element after the water purifier has been used for a certain period of time, extend the service life of the activated carbon, and thus reduce the user's core replacement cost.

[0102] The following provides the steps of a preferred embodiment of the carbon filter element regeneration method in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0103] (1) The water inlet valve 101 and the microwave regeneration device 40 are closed, and the pump 102 and the wastewater valve 103 are opened for a minute;

[0104] (2) The water inlet valve 101, the pump 102, and the wastewater valve 103 are closed, and the microwave regeneration device 40 is started to work for b minutes;

[0105] (3) The water inlet valve 101 and the microwave regeneration device 40 are closed, and the pump 102 and the wastewater valve 103 are opened for c minutes;

[0106] (4) The water inlet valve 101, the pump 102, and the wastewater valve 103 are closed, and the microwave regeneration device 40 is started to work for d minutes;

[0107] (5) The water inlet valve 101 and the microwave regeneration device 40 are closed, and the pump 102 and the wastewater valve 103 are opened for e minutes;

[0108] (6) Open the tap water inlet valve 101 for normal use.

[0109] Among them, the purpose of step (1) is to discharge the water in the composite filter element to ensure that the composite filter element is in a water-free state when the microwave regeneration device is working; step (2) is a low-temperature drying step; the purpose of step (3) is to discharge the water vapor generated during the low-temperature drying process; step (4) is a high-temperature regeneration step; the purpose of step (5) is to discharge the water vapor generated during the high-temperature regeneration process; the purpose of step (6) is to pass water to flush away the impurities peeled off from the activated carbon filter element during the regeneration process.

[0110] Preferably, a, c, and e are 1-5 minutes, b is 30-60 minutes, d is 60-120 minutes, c is 1-10 minutes, and e is 1-10 minutes.

[0111] It should be noted that the time in the above embodiments can be changed according to actual conditions, and the above preferred time is a specific example listed for better understanding.

[0112] The present invention adopts the method of adding a microwave generating device in a water purifier and combining it with a logic control method to achieve the technical effect of automatic regeneration of an activated carbon filter element and increased life span, effectively solving the problems in the prior art of high requirements for filter element regeneration, being unsuitable for household water purifiers, being unable to guarantee the safety of drinking water, and being difficult to operate for water purifier users.

[0113] It should be noted that the structure of the water purification equipment and the filter element regeneration method provided in this embodiment are improvements based on the composite filter element of the reverse osmosis water purifier. In addition to being applied to this product, they can also be applied to other product series that are common to this principle, such as desktop water purifiers, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0114] Although the embodiments of the present invention are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications and variations shall all fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A filter element assembly, characterized in that: include: Carbon filter; A microwave regeneration device is detachably mounted on the carbon filter element, and a microwave emitting end of the microwave regeneration device extends into the carbon filter element; The microwave emitting end is used to emit microwaves to the carbon filter element, so that the substances adsorbed on the carbon filter element are analyzed and desorbed at high temperature, thereby achieving the regeneration of the carbon filter element.

2. The filter element assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carbon filter element is a pre-activated carbon filter element, or a post-activated carbon filter element, or a composite filter element formed by combining a pre-activated carbon filter element and a post-activated carbon filter element.

3. The filter element assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carbon filter element comprises a filter bottle and a filter element main body arranged in the filter bottle, and the filter bottle is made of metal.

4. The filter element assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The microwave regeneration device is threadedly mounted on the bottom, top or middle part of the filter bottle; When the microwave regeneration device is installed in the middle part of the filter bottle, the number of the microwave regeneration devices is two, and the two microwave regeneration devices are respectively arranged on both sides of the filter bottle.

5. A water purification device, characterized in that: include: Water pipeline: The filter element assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4 above is arranged in the water production pipeline and is used to filter and purify water flowing through the water production pipeline; The water purification device has a water production mode and a regeneration mode. When the water purification device starts the regeneration mode, the microwave regeneration device of the filter element assembly is in a working state to regenerate the carbon filter element.

6. The water purification device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The water purification equipment also includes: A water inlet valve, arranged on a water production pipeline located upstream of the filter element assembly, for controlling whether water is fed into the carbon filter element; The pump is arranged on the water production pipeline, and is used to drive the water in the water production pipeline to flow in a set water production direction, or to evacuate the water vapor in the carbon filter element.

7. A method for regenerating a carbon filter element, applicable to the water purification device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The regeneration method comprises: receiving a regeneration mode start signal; The microwave regeneration device is controlled to start and emit microwaves to the carbon filter element, so that the substances adsorbed on the carbon filter element are analyzed and desorbed at high temperature, thereby achieving the regeneration of the carbon filter element.

8. The method for regenerating a carbon filter element according to claim 7, characterized in that: Before starting the microwave regeneration device, perform the following steps: The water in the carbon filter element is drained to ensure that the carbon filter element is in a water-free state when the microwave regeneration device is started.

9. The method for regenerating a carbon filter element according to claim 7, characterized in that: The control of starting the microwave regeneration device specifically comprises the following steps: Controlling the microwave regeneration device to perform low-temperature drying treatment on the carbon filter element at a working temperature of T1; When the microwave regeneration device works at the T1 working temperature for a set time, it stops working and controls the pump of the water purification equipment to discharge the water vapor generated during the low-temperature drying process in the carbon filter element; The microwave regeneration device is controlled to perform high-temperature regeneration treatment on the carbon filter element at an operating temperature of T2, wherein T2>T1.

10. The method for regenerating a carbon filter element according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The filter element regeneration method further comprises the following steps: Before entering the regeneration mode, control the water inlet valve of the water purification equipment to close; After the regeneration mode ends, the water inlet valve is controlled to open, and water is passed to the carbon filter element for a set time.

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