Water inlet detection method, water purifier control method and system and water purifier

Abstract

The invention relates to a water inlet detection method, a water purifier control method and system and a water purifier, and the method comprises the following steps: after receiving a hot water discharge instruction, obtaining an initial water level height and an initial hot water temperature; under the condition that the initial water level height is larger than or equal to the first preset height and the initial hot water temperature is larger than the first preset temperature, a cold water drainage valve and a hot water drainage valve are controlled, and the drainage process is timed to obtain first drainage duration; under the condition that the first drainage duration is longer than the first preset duration and the water level height is smaller than the first preset height, a cold water drainage valve and a hot water drainage valve are controlled to be closed, and a water making program and a water supplementing program are started; and under the condition that the water level height is larger than or equal to the first preset height, the cold water drainage valve and the hot water drainage valve are controlled to be opened, and the water supplementing program is closed. According to the invention, a hot water discharge part is not required to be additionally arranged, the water inlet condition is judged and the hot water discharge is controlled based on the function of the water purifier, the hot water discharge cost can be reduced, and the hot water discharge timeliness is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of water purifiers, and in particular to a water inlet detection method, a water purifier control method, a system and a water purifier. BACKGROUND

[0002] Currently, water purifiers with hot water tanks often encounter situations that require the hot water tank to be emptied, such as long-term non-use of the water purifier, cleaning of the water purifier, and other reasons for replacement of new water. In these cases, the hot water in the hot water tank needs to be emptied. However, directly emptying the hot water in the hot water tank poses a safety problem. There may be several liters or tens of liters of boiling water (hot water up to nearly 100 degrees) in the hot water tank. All of this boiling water will be discharged into the sewer pipe, which will scald the sewer pipe. The sewer pipe is generally made of PVC material and can only withstand hot water below 60 degrees, while some aged PVC pipes can only withstand hot water below 45 degrees.

[0003] To solve the problem of hot water discharge, traditional solutions include manual discharge and machine discharge. The former requires after-sales personnel to carry a high-temperature-resistant container to mix with cold water after receiving hot water, while the latter requires the addition of hot water discharge components (such as low-pressure switches, flow meters, three-way valves, etc.) to the water purifier to detect whether the water inlet of the water purifier is normal. The machine automatically discharges water after meeting certain conditions. In the above-mentioned solutions, the manual discharge solution is not timely, has high labor costs, and affects the user experience. The machine discharge solution requires additional hot water discharge components, which also increases the overall cost of the machine. SUMMARY

[0004] To solve at least one of the technical problems mentioned above, the present disclosure provides a water inlet detection method, a water purifier control method, a system and a water purifier.

[0005] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a water inlet detection method is provided, applied to a water equipment, the water equipment comprising a water storage tank, at least one liquid level detector is arranged in the water storage tank, the liquid level detector is used to feed back liquid level information when detecting that the liquid level is higher than the detection position of the liquid level detector; the water inlet detection method comprises: determining the initial liquid level height of the water storage tank based on the feedback liquid level information of each liquid level detector in the water storage tank; controlling the water equipment to start a water inlet program and timing the water inlet time to obtain the water inlet duration; in the case that the water inlet duration is greater than the preset water inlet duration, obtaining the feedback liquid level information of each detector and determining the current liquid level height of the water storage tank; in the case that the current liquid level height is greater than the initial liquid level height, it is determined that the water inlet is normal; otherwise, it is determined that the water inlet is abnormal.

[0006] Based on the above-mentioned solution, for the water storage tank without continuous liquid level detection, whether the water inlet is normal can be determined by starting the water inlet program and determining the liquid level change.

[0007] In some possible implementation manners, the water storage tank is provided with a high liquid level detector and a low liquid level detector, and before the water equipment is controlled to start the water inlet program, the method further includes: when the initial liquid level is a high liquid level, controlling the water equipment to start a water drainage program, and obtaining feedback liquid level information of the high liquid level detector; and when it is determined, based on the feedback liquid level information of the high liquid level detector, that the liquid level of the water storage tank is lower than the high liquid level, controlling the water equipment to stop the water drainage program.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, when the liquid level in the water storage tank is high, water drainage is first performed to make the liquid level lower than the detection position of the high liquid level detector, and then water inlet testing is performed, so that the water inlet can be correctly identified.

[0009] In some possible implementation manners, the water storage tank is provided with one liquid level detector, and after the water equipment is controlled to start the water inlet program, the method further includes: when the initial liquid level is higher than the detection position of the liquid level detector, controlling the water equipment to start a water drainage program; and when the water drainage duration is greater than a preset water drainage duration and the feedback liquid level information of the high liquid level detector is unchanged, determining that the water inlet is normal.

[0010] Based on the above scheme, when there is only one liquid level detector in the water storage tank, water is first drained to make the liquid level lower than the detection position of the liquid level detector, and then water inlet testing is performed, so that the water inlet can be correctly identified.

[0011] In some possible implementation manners, the method further includes: when it is determined that the water inlet is abnormal, issuing an abnormal water inlet alarm.

[0012] Based on the above scheme, after it is determined that the water inlet is abnormal, a visible alarm can be issued, or a feedback program can be fed back to make the water equipment perform a corresponding action, so that the water equipment is prevented from being damaged.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a water purifier control method is provided, including: after receiving a hot water discharge instruction, obtaining an initial water level height of a hot water tank and an initial hot water temperature; in a case where the initial water level height is greater than or equal to a first preset height and the initial hot water temperature is greater than a first preset temperature, controlling a cold water drain valve and a hot water drain valve to open so that cold water and hot water flow into a water receiving box to mix and then discharge, and timing a first drain time to obtain a first drain duration; in a case where the first drain duration is greater than a first preset duration and the water level height is less than the first preset height, controlling the cold water drain valve and the hot water drain valve to close, controlling the water purifier to start a water making program and a water replenishing program to replenish water to the hot water tank; in a case where the water level height is greater than or equal to the first preset height, determining that the water purifier is normally watered, controlling the cold water drain valve and the hot water drain valve to open, and controlling the water purifier to close the water replenishing program.

[0014] Based on the above scheme, the water making program is used to filter and disinfect the water in the whole machine to obtain purified water, and the water replenishing program is used to add purified water to the hot water tank. By starting the water making program and the water replenishing program of the water purifier, whether the whole machine is normally watered can be determined according to the change of the water level in the hot water tank and the water replenishing duration, and the cold water drain valve and the hot water drain valve are kept open at the same time when the whole machine is normally watered, so as to realize automatic drainage. The present scheme does not need to additionally set a hot water discharge component, but determines the water inflow and controls the hot water discharge based on the functions of the water purifier itself, which can reduce the cost of hot water discharge and improve the timeliness of hot water discharge.

[0015] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: after the water purifier starts the water making program and the water replenishing program to replenish water to the hot water tank, timing a first water replenishing duration, and in a case where the first water replenishing duration is greater than a second preset duration and a current water level height of the hot water tank is less than the first preset height, determining that the water purifier is not watered, and issuing a water shortage warning.

[0016] Based on the above scheme, when the water in the hot water tank is not replenished after a period of time after the water replenishing program is started, the water purifier has a risk of water interruption, and it is determined that the water purifier is not watered, the water valve is immediately closed, and a water shortage warning is issued, which can avoid scalding or burning the sewer pipe and improve safety.

[0017] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: in a case where the initial water level height is less than the first preset height and the initial hot water temperature is greater than the first preset temperature, controlling the water purifier to start the water making program and the water replenishing program to replenish water to the hot water tank, and timing a second water replenishing duration; in a case where the second water replenishing duration is greater than a third preset duration and the water level height is less than the first preset height, determining that the water purifier is not watered, and issuing a water shortage warning.

[0018] Based on the above scheme, when the water replenishment time is too long and the water level height is not increased, the water purifier has a risk of water interruption, at this time it is determined that the water purifier has no water and a water shortage warning is immediately issued, which can avoid scalding or scalding of the sewer pipe and improve safety.

[0019] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: in the case that the water purifier has normal water inflow, acquiring the temperature of the mixed water in the water receiving box; in the case that the temperature of the mixed water is greater than a second preset temperature, controlling the cold water drain valve to open and controlling the hot water drain valve to open according to a first opening and closing frequency; in the case that the temperature of the mixed water is less than or equal to the second preset temperature, controlling the hot water drain valve to open and controlling the cold water drain valve to open according to a second opening and closing frequency.

[0020] Based on the above scheme, the hot water drain valve or the cold water drain valve is controlled to open and close according to a certain frequency, which can control the temperature of the mixed water in the water receiving box on the one hand, and avoid scalding or scalding of the sewer pipe due to too high mixed water temperature, and on the other hand, can control the amount of mixed water in the water receiving box, and avoid overflow of too much mixed water from the water receiving box.

[0021] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: in the case that the initial water level height is less than a second preset height and the initial hot water temperature is greater than a second preset temperature, controlling the cold water drain valve and the hot water drain valve to open alternately, and controlling the water purifier to open the water replenishment program when the hot water drain valve is open, and to close the water replenishment program when the hot water drain valve is closed; wherein the second preset height is lower than the first preset height.

[0022] Based on the above scheme, when there is a small amount of high-temperature hot water in the hot water tank, the opening and closing frequency of the hot water drain valve and the start and stop frequency of the water replenishment program are controlled respectively, so that the high-temperature hot water in the hot water tank can be discharged a small amount of times, and the mixed water temperature can be accurately controlled.

[0023] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: in the case that the initial water level height is less than the second preset height and the initial hot water temperature is less than or equal to the second preset temperature, controlling the cold water drain valve and the hot water drain valve to open so that the cold water and the hot water flow into the water receiving box to mix and then discharge, and controlling the water purifier to open the water replenishment program; in the case that the current hot water temperature in the hot water tank is less than the first preset temperature, controlling the water purifier to close the water replenishment program, controlling the cold water drain valve to close, and timing a single drainage process of the hot water drain valve to obtain a second drainage time length; in the case that the second drainage time length is greater than a third preset time length, controlling the hot water drain valve to close.

[0024] Based on the above scheme, when a small amount of non-high-temperature hot water exists in the hot water tank, the mixed water is discharged first, and the hot water in the hot water tank is cooled by the water replenishment program. After the temperature of the hot water is reduced to the first preset temperature, the hot water is discharged alone through the hot water drain valve until it is completely discharged.

[0025] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: in a case where the initial water level height is greater than or equal to the second preset height and the initial hot water temperature is less than or equal to the first preset temperature, controlling the hot water drain valve to open.

[0026] Based on the above scheme, when the water level height in the hot water tank is between the first preset height and the second preset height, and the temperature of the hot water in the hot water tank is not high, the discharge is directly controlled.

[0027] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: obtaining the capacity of the mixed water in the water receiving box; in a case where the capacity of the mixed water is greater than a first preset capacity, controlling the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve to close; and in a case where the capacity of the mixed water is less than a second preset capacity, controlling the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve to open.

[0028] Based on the above scheme, according to the intermittent closing of the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve according to the capacity of the mixed water in the water receiving box, it can be ensured that the mixed water does not overflow from the water receiving box.

[0029] According to some other embodiments of the present disclosure, a water purifier control system is provided, which includes: a data acquisition module configured to acquire an initial water level height of a hot water tank and an initial hot water temperature after receiving a hot water discharge instruction; a timing module configured to time a first water discharge duration and a first water replenishment duration; and a program control module configured to, in a case where the initial water level height is greater than or equal to a first preset height and the initial hot water temperature is greater than a first preset temperature, control a cold water drain valve and a hot water drain valve to open, in a case where the first water discharge duration is greater than a first preset duration and the water level height is less than the first preset height, control the water purifier to start a water making program and a water replenishment program, and in a case where the first water replenishment duration is greater than a second preset duration and the water level height is less than the first preset height, determine that the water purifier is normally fed with water, and control the water purifier to close the water replenishment program.

[0030] According to some other embodiments of the present disclosure, a water purifier is provided, which includes a controller configured to execute a water purifier control method described in some embodiments.

[0031] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising at least one processor, and a memory connected with the at least one processor in communication; wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, and the at least one processor implements the water purifier control method according to some embodiments described above by executing the instructions stored in the memory.

[0032] It should be understood that the general description above and the detailed description below are only exemplary and explanatory, rather than limiting the present disclosure.

[0033] Other features and aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments or prior art in the specification, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or prior art description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the specification, and those skilled in the art can also obtain other drawings according to these drawings without creative labor.

[0035] Figure 1 A step flow chart of a water purifier control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 2 A step flow chart of a water outlet temperature control method of a water receiving box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 3 A step flow chart of a water receiving box anti-overflow control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 4 A system block diagram of a water purifier control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 5 A structure diagram of a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present specification will be described clearly and completely below in combination with the drawings in the embodiments of the present specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present specification, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present specification, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0037] It is to be understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. can be used herein to describe various elements in an example embodiment, and the elements should not be construed as being limited to the description of a particular sequence or order unless otherwise specified herein. It is to be understood that the use of such terms herein is merely for distinguishing between similar elements and should not be construed as a requirement or means for achieving a particular sequence or order. Furthermore, the terms "comprise" (and any grammatical variations thereof, such as "comprising" and "comprises") when used in this document are to be construed as in the sense of "including", rather than other meanings (e.g., "consisting of" or "consisting essentially of").

[0038] Various example embodiments, features, and aspects of the disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings can represent the same or similar elements. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, except if specifically noted.

[0039] The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations.

[0040] The term "and / or" in this document is used to describe any one of the indicated possibilities and also all possible combinations of the possibilities. For example, the phrase "A and / or B" is intended to include A alone, B alone, or A and B together. In addition, the term "at least one of" is used to describe any one of the multiple possibilities or any combination of at least two of the multiple possibilities, for example, including at least one of A, B, and C can mean including any one or more of the elements selected from the set of A, B, and C.

[0041] In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in the following detailed description justifying the disclosure. One skilled in the art will understand, however, that the disclosure can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, mechanisms, elements, and circuits have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure.

[0042] Currently, some water equipment does not be provided with an inlet water detection component (such as a flow meter or a flow valve), so that the water equipment does not have the function of actively detecting inlet water, and the water equipment cannot feed back in time after water is cut off, thereby affecting the user experience. The water equipment can be a water storage equipment, such as a water tank, a water bucket, and the water equipment can also be a direct drinking machine, a water purifier, a water dispenser and the like, and the water equipment can also be other equipment with water storage function. For the above water equipment, the application provides an inlet water detection method, which can realize inlet water detection without relying on a flow meter or a flow valve and the like.

[0043] Specifically, the inlet water detection method of the application is applied to a water equipment, and the water equipment comprises a water storage tank, and at least one liquid level detector is arranged in the water storage tank, and the liquid level detector is used to feed back liquid level information when detecting that the liquid level is higher than the detection position of the liquid level detector. The liquid level detector is single detection rather than continuous detection, that is, the liquid level detector can only feed back the liquid level signal when the liquid level reaches a specified height, and cannot feed back the liquid level height in real time.

[0044] Based on the above-mentioned liquid level detector, the inlet water detection method comprises: Based on the feedback liquid level information of each liquid level detector in the water storage tank, the initial liquid level height of the water storage tank is determined; the water equipment is controlled to start the inlet water program, and the inlet water time is obtained by timing the inlet water process; in the case that the inlet water time is greater than the preset inlet water time, the feedback liquid level information of each detector is obtained, and the current liquid level height of the water storage tank is determined; in the case that the current liquid level height is greater than the initial liquid level height, it is determined that the inlet water is normal; otherwise, it is determined that the inlet water is abnormal, and an inlet water abnormality alarm is issued.

[0045] Based on the above-mentioned scheme, for the water storage tank which is not provided with continuous liquid level detection, whether the inlet water is normal can be determined by starting the inlet water program and according to the liquid level change, and an alarm can be issued when the inlet water is abnormal, which can be applied to the water equipment without inlet water detection and continuous liquid level detection, significantly reduces the cost of inlet water detection, and has wide application compatibility.

[0046] In some possible implementation manners, the water storage tank is provided with a high liquid level detector and a low liquid level detector, and before the water equipment is controlled to start the inlet water program, the method further comprises: in the case that the initial liquid level height is a high liquid level, the water equipment is controlled to start a drainage program, and the feedback liquid level information of the high liquid level detector is obtained; in the case that the liquid level height of the water storage tank is determined to be lower than the high liquid level based on the feedback liquid level information of the high liquid level detector, the water equipment is controlled to stop the drainage program.

[0047] Based on the above-mentioned scheme, when the liquid level in the water storage tank is high, the drainage is performed first to make the liquid level lower than the detection position of the high liquid level detector, and then the inlet water test is performed, so that the inlet water can be correctly identified.

[0048] In some possible implementation manners, the water storage tank is provided with a liquid level detector, and after the water equipment starts the water inlet program, the method further comprises: in the case that the initial liquid level is higher than the position of the liquid level detector, controlling the water equipment to start a water drainage program; and in the case that the water drainage duration is greater than the preset water drainage duration and the feedback liquid level information of the high liquid level detector is unchanged, determining that the water inlet is normal.

[0049] Based on the above scheme, when there is only one liquid level detector in the water storage tank, the water is first drained to make the liquid level lower than the detection position of the liquid level detector, and then the water inlet test is performed, so as to ensure that the water inlet can be correctly identified.

[0050] The above embodiments have introduced in detail a water inlet detection method of the application, which can be applied to a water equipment with a water storage tank, and the water inlet detection method can be added to the control method of the water equipment as a basic step.

[0051] The following embodiments provide a water purifier control method based on the water inlet detection method of the above embodiments, which is used to solve the problem of hot water discharge of the water purifier.

[0052] The existing water purifier with a hot water tank often encounters the problem of emptying the hot tank. For example, if the user does not use the water purifier for a long time, the water in the hot water tank will produce an odor after being placed for a long time if the hot water is not discharged; or the pipeline system of the water purifier has many water scale stains and needs to be cleaned, and after the water purifier is regularly self-checked and disinfected, the water in the hot water tank needs to be replaced with new water. When the water in the hot water tank is discharged, a problem will be encountered. There may be several liters or dozens of liters of boiling water (hot water up to nearly 100 degrees) in the hot water tank, and all of these boiling water will be discharged into the sewer pipe, which will burn the sewer pipe. The sewer pipe is generally made of PVC material and can only withstand a temperature below 60 degrees. Some aged PVC pipes can only withstand a temperature below 45 degrees.

[0053] At present, the schemes for discharging hot water of the water purifier mainly include manual discharge and machine discharge. The manual discharge scheme needs the after-sales personnel to carry a high-temperature-resistant container to mix the hot water with cold water for discharge, which increases the maintenance cost of the whole machine, the user needs to bear additional labor cost, and the timeliness is poor, resulting in poor user experience. The machine discharge scheme needs to increase hot water discharge components (such as low-pressure switches, flow meters, three-way valves, etc.) on the water purifier, and then discharge the hot water through the three-way valve or a specific drain pipe. Since additional components need to be installed on the whole machine, this will increase the cost of the whole machine, and the automatic hot water discharge function can only be deployed on specific models, and some models cannot additionally install the hot water discharge components and deploy the automatic hot water discharge function.

[0054] In order to solve the technical problem of high cost of draining hot water in the hot water tank in the related art, the embodiment of the present application provides a water purifier control method, which can realize automatic hot water discharge through the program function of the water purifier itself, the water purifier does not need to be additionally equipped with a hot water discharge component, the user can independently operate one-key water discharge, and the temperature of the discharged water will not scald or burn the sewer.

[0055] The water purifier control method of the embodiment of the present application can be applied to a water purifier, please refer to Figure 5 The water purifier includes a water making module, a hot water tank and a water receiving box, the water making module is used for processing (filtering and disinfecting) incoming water into purified water (direct drinking water), the water inlet of the water making module is communicated with an external water pipe (tap water, bottled water or other water source), the water making module includes a first water outlet and a second water outlet, the first water outlet is communicated with the water supplement port of the hot water tank, and is used for supplementing the prepared purified water in the hot water tank, the second water outlet is communicated with the water receiving box through a cold water drain valve, and is used for delivering cold purified water to the water receiving box, and the drain port of the hot water tank is communicated with the water receiving box through a hot water drain valve, and is used for delivering hot purified water to the water receiving box. Wherein, the hot water tank is provided with a sensor for obtaining water level or water volume, such as a water level probe, a gravity float ball, a weight meter, etc., and the water purifier is also provided with a temperature acquisition module for obtaining the temperature of the hot water in the hot water tank.

[0056] It is worth noting that the above-mentioned water purifier has a water making program and a water supplement program, after the water purifier starts the water making program, the water making module obtains external water and processes it into purified water; after the water purifier starts the water supplement program, the water making module delivers the prepared purified water into the hot water tank. In addition, the present application does not limit the heating module in the above-mentioned water purifier, that is, the heating module can be arranged between the water making module and the hot water tank, at this time, the purified water supplemented by the water making module into the hot water tank is hot water; the heating module can also be arranged on the hot water tank alone, and is used for heating the purified water in the hot water tank; or the heating module can also be arranged between the water receiving box and the hot water tank.

[0057] Figure 1 The steps of the water purifier control method according to the embodiment of the present application are shown in a flow chart, please refer to Figure 1 The water purifier control method includes: Step S101, after receiving a hot water discharge instruction, obtaining the initial water level of the hot water tank and the initial hot water temperature.

[0058] In the embodiment, the hot water discharge instruction is issued by the user through the control panel of the water purifier. In response to the hot water discharge instruction, the controller of the water purifier acquires the current water level height of the hot water tank as the initial water level height and acquires the current water temperature of the hot water tank as the initial hot water temperature. The purpose of acquiring the initial water level height is to determine the hot water surplus in the hot water tank. For some water purifiers that cannot acquire water level information but can directly or indirectly acquire the hot water surplus in other ways, the initial hot water amount can be directly acquired.

[0059] In step S102, when the initial water level height is greater than or equal to the first preset height and the initial hot water temperature is greater than the first preset temperature, the cold water drain valve and the hot water drain valve are controlled to be opened to make the cold water and the hot water flow into the water receiving box and then be discharged after mixing, and the first drain time is obtained by timing the drain process.

[0060] In the embodiment, the first preset height corresponds to the maximum recommended capacity of the hot water tank. For the hot water tank with a water level line, the first preset height can be the height corresponding to the highest water level line. When it is detected that the initial water level height is greater than or equal to the first preset height and the initial hot water temperature is greater than the first preset temperature, it indicates that the hot water tank is currently full of hot water. The first preset temperature is a temperature parameter set by a person, which is generally set based on the temperature bearing capacity of the sewer pipe, for example, set to 45 degrees or 60 degrees based on the upper limit of the hot water pipe bearing capacity, or set to a lower temperature. In some specific embodiments, the first preset temperature can be set to 45 degrees to adapt to the aging PVC pipe.

[0061] In step S102, the purpose of controlling the hot water drain valve to be opened is to discharge a part of the hot water in the hot water tank with full capacity. In the case where the hot water tank is full of hot water, the hot water tank cannot be refilled, so it is necessary to discharge part of the hot water to make the water level height in the hot water tank less than the first preset height. The purpose of controlling the cold water drain valve to be opened is to avoid the direct discharge of high-temperature hot water. It is worth noting that the water purifier stores a small amount of cold purified water. After the cold water drain valve is opened, the cold water can directly flow into the water receiving box, and the hot water and the cold water are mixed in the water receiving box and then discharged. Since the temperature of the mixed water is lower than the initial hot water temperature, the sewer pipe will not be scalded.

[0062] It is worth noting that the water outlet structure of the water receiving box of the water purifier is different for different models. For some models, the water receiving box is provided with a water outlet / outlet faucet, and the mixed water in the water receiving box can flow out through the water outlet / outlet faucet. For another type of model, the water outlet / outlet faucet of the water receiving box is also provided with a separate valve. For this type of model, the valve of the water receiving box is also opened at the same time or after the cold water drain valve and the hot water drain valve are opened to ensure smooth drainage. In addition, the drain timing is also determined or corrected based on the opening time of the water receiving box valve.

[0063] Step S103, in the case that the first drainage duration is greater than the first preset duration and the water level height is less than the first preset height, the cold water drainage valve and the hot water drainage valve are controlled to be closed, the water purifier is controlled to start the water making program and the water replenishing program to replenish water to the hot water tank.

[0064] In this embodiment, when it is detected that the water level height in the hot water tank has been lower than the first preset height, the cold water drainage valve and the hot water drainage valve are closed, and the water purifier is controlled to start the water making program and the water replenishing program at the same time. The water making program can make the water from outside of the water purifier into purified water, and the prepared purified water can flow out directly through the cold water drainage valve. After the water replenishing program is started, the prepared purified water will also flow to the hot water tank to replenish the water amount in the hot water tank. In this embodiment, part of the hot water is drained before replenishing water, which can determine whether the water purifier is replenished with water normally according to the change of the water level height after the water replenishing program is started, so as to ensure that there is new water to replenish after the cold water stored in the water purifier is drained, and to avoid that the hot water in the hot water tank is directly drained to scald the drain pipe.

[0065] The reason why the first preset duration is set in this embodiment is that the water replenishing program is started after a certain amount of hot water is drained from the hot water tank. If the water replenishing program is started immediately when the water level height is just lower than the first preset height, the water level height sampling data is less, and the change of the water level height is not obvious, which leads to inaccurate judgment result. Therefore, the drainage duration is limited to ensure that the water level height before the water replenishing program is started has a certain height difference with the first preset height. It should be understood that the above-mentioned judgment condition that the first drainage duration is greater than the first preset duration can be replaced by that the height difference between the current water level height and the first preset height reaches a preset difference value, or that the current water level height is less than a preset water replenishing height.

[0066] Step S104, in the case that the water level height is greater than or equal to the first preset height, it is determined that the water purifier is replenished with water normally, the cold water drainage valve and the hot water drainage valve are controlled to be opened, and the water purifier is controlled to close the water replenishing program.

[0067] In this embodiment, when it is detected that the water level height is greater than or equal to the first preset height, it means that the purified water in the hot water tank has been replenished, that is, the water purifier can normally obtain the external water source and make purified water. Therefore, the water making program is kept open, the water replenishing program is closed, and the cold water drainage valve and the hot water drainage valve are opened. The water making program can continuously make cold water, and the prepared cold water is mixed with the hot water in the hot water tank and then drained until the hot water in the hot water tank is drained.

[0068] Based on the above steps S101-S104, the method of the embodiment first releases part of the hot water, then replenishes the hot water tank, to determine whether the water inlet of the water purifier is normal, and when the water inlet of the water purifier is normal, to prepare cold water and hot water in the hot water tank for discharge, thereby realizing the function of automatic discharge of hot water. The method of the embodiment is applicable to the case where the hot water tank is full of hot water. Since the embodiment does not need to additionally set components on the water purifier, the one-key hot water discharge function is realized based on the water preparation, water replenishment and water outlet programs of the water purifier itself, which helps to reduce the cost of hot water discharge, improve the timeliness of hot water discharge, and be compatible with most water purifiers, so the method has high compatibility and low cost.

[0069] Based on the above embodiment, in some cases, the water preparation speed of the water purifier may be slow or the water purifier may have no water inlet. At this time, if the hot water tank is waited to be replenished by the water purifier again, a long time is needed. Therefore, in the above step S104, the condition setting can be further increased.

[0070] Specifically, in a further embodiment, the method further comprises: after controlling the water purifier to start the water preparation program and the water replenishment program to replenish the hot water tank, timing the water replenishment process to obtain a first water replenishment time, and in a case where the first water replenishment time is greater than a second preset time and the current water level height of the hot water tank is less than a first preset height, determining that the water purifier has no water inlet and issuing a water shortage warning.

[0071] In the embodiment, in the process of determining whether the water inlet of the water purifier is normal, the water level height is first determined. If the water level height is greater than or equal to the first preset height, it means that the water inlet is normal. If the water level height is less than the first preset height, the first water replenishment time is determined. If the first water replenishment time is less than or equal to the second preset time, the water level height is returned to the determination. If the first water replenishment time is greater than the second preset time, it means that the water replenishment program has been started for a period of time, and the water purifier has a risk of water inlet. At this time, it is determined that the water purifier has no water inlet, and a water shortage warning is immediately issued to remind the user to check the water inlet. The second preset time can be determined based on the time of the water preparation program, for example, the time required by the water purifier to prepare 500 ml of purified water is determined as the second preset time.

[0072] Based on the above scheme, after the water replenishment program is started, the water in the hot water tank is still not full after a period of time. At this time, the water purifier has a risk of water interruption, and it is determined that the water purifier has no water inlet and the water valve is immediately closed and a water shortage warning is issued, which can avoid scalding or burning the sewer pipe and improve safety.

[0073] In some embodiments, if the amount of hot water in the hot water tank is not full, the first water discharge step of the hot water tank can be cancelled. At this time, the water purifier control method comprises: In a case that the initial water level height is less than the first preset height and the initial hot water temperature is greater than the first preset temperature, the water purifier is controlled to start a water making program and a water supplement program to supplement water to the hot water tank, and a second water supplement time length is obtained by timing the water supplement process; in a case that the second water supplement time length is greater than a third preset time length and the water level height is less than the first preset height, it is determined that the water purifier has no water inflow, and a water shortage alarm is issued; in a case that the water level height is greater than or equal to the first preset height, it is determined that the water purifier has normal water inflow, the cold water drain valve and the hot water drain valve are controlled to be opened, and the water purifier is controlled to close the water supplement program.

[0074] In the embodiment, since the water amount in the hot water tank is not initially full, the water making program and the water supplement program can be directly started, and whether the water purifier has normal water inflow is determined according to the change of the water level height after the water supplement program is started. The third preset time length can also be determined based on the time length of the water making program, and in some possible implementation manners, the third preset time length can be configured to be equal to the second preset time length.

[0075] Based on the above scheme, when the water supplement time length is too long and the water level height does not increase, the water purifier has a risk of water cut-off, and in this case, it is determined that the water purifier has no water inflow and a water shortage alarm is immediately issued, so that scalding or burning of the sewer pipeline can be avoided, and safety is improved.

[0076] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 2 The water purifier control method also includes a water outlet temperature control method of the water receiving box, which includes the following steps. Step S201: In a case that the water purifier has normal water inflow, the temperature of mixed water in the water receiving box is obtained.

[0077] Step S2021: In a case that the temperature of the mixed water is greater than a second preset temperature, the cold water drain valve is controlled to be opened, and the hot water drain valve is controlled to be opened at a first opening and closing frequency.

[0078] Step S2022: In a case that the temperature of the mixed water is less than or equal to the second preset temperature, the hot water drain valve is controlled to be opened, and the cold water drain valve is controlled to be opened at a second opening and closing frequency.

[0079] In the embodiment, in a case that the water purifier has normal water inflow, the water purifier starts normal water drainage, and in this case, the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve are synchronously opened, the hot water in the hot water tank and the prepared cold water flow into the water receiving box, mix, and then are drained, in order to accurately control the water outlet temperature of the water receiving box, the temperature of the mixed water is detected in real time, and the opening and closing frequencies of the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve are adjusted by negative feedback, so that the water outlet temperature of the water receiving box is ensured to be less than the temperature upper limit of the sewer pipeline.

[0080] The second preset temperature is set based on a temperature upper limit of the drain pipe, and specifically, the second preset temperature can be set to 45 degrees, 40 degrees or 35 degrees. The first opening and closing frequency and / or the second opening and closing frequency can be a fixed frequency or a variable frequency determined according to the initial water level or the initial hot water temperature, and the first opening and closing frequency and the second opening and closing frequency can be equal or unequal. In a specific embodiment, the first opening and closing frequency and the second opening and closing frequency are equal, both being 30 seconds of opening and 20 seconds of closing.

[0081] In the embodiment, based on the steps S201, S2021 and S2022, the hot water drain valve or the cold water drain valve can be controlled to open and close at a certain frequency, which can control the temperature of the mixed water in the water receiving box and prevent the mixed water from being too hot to scald or burn the drain pipe, and can also control the amount of mixed water in the water receiving box and prevent the mixed water from overflowing from the water receiving box.

[0082] In further embodiments, referring to Figure 3 The water purifier control method also includes a water receiving box overflow prevention control method, which includes: S301, obtaining the mixed water capacity in the water receiving box.

[0083] S3021, in the case that the mixed water capacity is greater than a first preset capacity, controlling the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve to close.

[0084] S3022, in the case that the mixed water capacity is less than a second preset capacity, controlling the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve to open.

[0085] In the embodiment, the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve are controlled by obtaining the mixed water capacity in the water receiving box, and when the mixed water capacity is greater than the first preset capacity, the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve are controlled to close to prevent the water receiving box from overflowing. After most of the mixed water is discharged from the water receiving box, when the mixed water capacity is detected to be less than the second preset capacity, the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve are controlled to reopen. It should be understood that the control of the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve in step S3021 is interrupt control, and the purpose of this control is only to prevent the water receiving box from overflowing, that is, after the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve are controlled to reopen in step S3022, the controller of the water purifier still controls the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve to open and close according to the program before step S3021.

[0086] Based on the above scheme, the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve are intermittently closed according to the mixed water capacity in the water receiving box, which can ensure that the mixed water does not overflow from the water receiving box.

[0087] In some embodiments, the water purifier control method further comprises a small amount of hot water discharge method, comprising: in the case that the initial water level is less than a second preset height and the initial hot water temperature is greater than a second preset temperature, controlling the cold water discharge valve and the hot water discharge valve to be opened alternately, and controlling the water purifier to open the water replenishment program when the hot water discharge valve is opened, and to close the water replenishment program when the hot water discharge valve is closed; wherein the second preset height is lower than the first preset height. Based on the above steps, when there is a small amount of high-temperature hot water in the hot water tank, the opening and closing frequency of the hot water discharge valve and the start and stop frequency of the water replenishment program are controlled respectively, so that the high-temperature hot water in the hot water tank can be discharged a small amount of times, which facilitates precise control of the water outlet temperature of the water receiving box. In addition, since the hot water tank is replenished with newly prepared cold purified water while discharging hot water, the temperature of the hot water in the hot water tank will also gradually decrease, which helps to improve the hot water discharge speed. It is worth noting that the water purifier stores a certain amount of cold purified water inside without starting the water preparation program, and this part of cold water can be discharged through the cold water discharge valve or flow into the hot water tank to achieve water replenishment.

[0088] In the present embodiment, the second preset height can be set differently according to different water purifier models. For example, if the hot water tank of the water purifier is equipped with a warning water level line, the second preset height can correspond to the height of the low water level line. If the hot water tank of the water purifier is not equipped with a warning water level line, the second preset height can be set according to the capacity / height of the hot water tank or according to the cold water storage amount in the water purifier.

[0089] In the present embodiment, the second preset temperature is a temperature parameter set by a person, which is generally set based on the bearing temperature of the sewer pipe. The second preset temperature can be equal to or different from the first preset temperature. In some cases, the second preset temperature can be configured to be greater than the first preset temperature. For example, the first preset temperature is 45 degrees, and the second preset temperature is 60 degrees.

[0090] Based on the above scheme, when there is a small amount of high-temperature hot water in the hot water tank, the opening and closing frequency of the hot water discharge valve and the start and stop frequency of the water replenishment program are controlled respectively, so that the high-temperature hot water in the hot water tank can be discharged a small amount of times, which facilitates precise control of the mixed water temperature.

[0091] Based on the above embodiment, the small amount of hot water discharge method further comprises: in the case that the initial water level is less than a second preset height and the initial hot water temperature is less than or equal to a second preset temperature, controlling the cold water discharge valve and the hot water discharge valve to be opened so that the cold water and the hot water flow into the water receiving box and are discharged after being mixed, and controlling the water purifier to open the water replenishment program; in the case that the current hot water temperature in the hot water tank is less than a first preset temperature, controlling the water purifier to close the water replenishment program, controlling the cold water discharge valve to be closed, and timing a single water discharge process of the hot water discharge valve to obtain a second water discharge duration; in the case that the second water discharge duration is greater than a third preset duration, controlling the hot water discharge valve to be closed.

[0092] Based on the above steps, when there is a small amount of non-high-temperature hot water (between the first preset temperature and the second preset temperature) in the hot water tank, the cold water drain valve and the hot water drain valve are first controlled to open the mixed drainage, and the hot water in the hot water tank is cooled using the water replenishment program. After the hot water temperature in the hot water tank is reduced to the first preset temperature, the cold water drain valve is closed, and drainage is performed through the hot water drain valve alone. When the second drainage duration is greater than the third preset duration, it can be considered that the hot water is completely drained, and at this time the hot water drain valve is closed.

[0093] Based on the above scheme, when there is a small amount of non-high-temperature hot water in the hot water tank, mixed drainage is first performed, and the hot water in the hot water tank is cooled using the water replenishment program. After the hot water temperature is reduced to the first preset temperature, drainage is performed through the hot water drain valve alone until it is completely drained. The drainage strategy can be adjusted when the hot water volume is small to achieve fast drainage and reduce the time required for drainage.

[0094] In further embodiments, the small amount of hot water discharge method further comprises: in the case that the initial water level height is greater than or equal to the second preset height and the initial hot water temperature is less than or equal to the first preset temperature, controlling the hot water drain valve to open. Based on the above steps, when there is a small amount of low-temperature hot water (less than or equal to the first preset temperature) in the hot water tank, it can be directly discharged through the hot water drain valve, without the need for additional water replenishment actions, thereby saving electric energy and water resources.

[0095] In some embodiments, the water purifier has the function of automatic water replacement. Specifically, the water purifier can detect the water discharge duration and the water volume change in the hot water tank. When it is detected that the water purifier has not discharged water for a long time or the water consumption is small, that is, the water in the hot water tank has been stored for too long, there is a risk of bacterial growth. At this time, the water purifier can automatically perform a water replacement program, that is, the hot water in the hot water tank is first drained, and then water is re-made. In some cases, when it is detected that the water purifier has not discharged water for a long time or the water consumption is small, the water purifier can also issue a water replacement prompt to remind the user to drain or replace the water in time, thereby ensuring the user's water health and good water experience. In some cases, the water purifier can also determine whether the water in the hot water tank is overnight water according to the water making time and the water discharge interval duration. For example, if the time period from the last water discharge time to the current time contains a night period (22:00-6:00), or if the time period from the last water making time to the current time contains a night period (22:00-6:00), it is determined that the water in the hot water tank is overnight water, and automatic drainage or water replacement is performed.

[0096] The above embodiments introduce a water purifier control method of the present application, aiming at different hot water states in the hot water tank, including different hot water discharge methods, wherein the feature schemes in different embodiments can be combined to form new schemes.

[0097] Please refer to Figure 4 The present application also provides a water purifier control system, comprising: The data acquisition module 100 is configured to acquire the initial water level and the initial hot water temperature of the hot water tank after receiving the hot water discharge instruction. The timing module 200 is configured to time the first water discharge duration and the first water replenishment duration. The program control module 300 is configured to, in the case that the initial water level is greater than or equal to the first preset height and the initial hot water temperature is greater than the first preset temperature, control the cold water discharge valve and the hot water discharge valve to open, in the case that the first water discharge duration is greater than the first preset duration and the water level is less than the first preset height, control the water purifier to start the water making program and the water replenishment program, and in the case that the first water replenishment duration is greater than the second preset duration and the water level is less than the first preset height, determine that the water purifier is replenishing water normally, and control the water purifier to close the water replenishment program.

[0098] The present application also provides a water purifier, comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to execute any one of the water purifier control methods described in the above embodiments.

[0099] The above has described the embodiments of the present application, and the above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and changes are obvious to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The selection of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvement in the market of the embodiments, or to enable other ordinary skilled persons in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A water inflow detection method characterized by comprising: The application is applied to a water device, the water device comprises a water storage tank, at least one liquid level detector is arranged in the water storage tank, the liquid level detector is used for feeding back liquid level information when detecting that the liquid level is higher than the detection position of the liquid level detector; the water inlet detection method comprises: Based on the feedback liquid level information of each liquid level detector in the water storage tank, the initial liquid level height of the water storage tank is determined; The water device is controlled to start the water inlet program, and the water inlet time is counted to obtain the water inlet time length; In the case where the water inlet time length is greater than the preset water inlet time length, the feedback liquid level information of each detector is obtained, and the current liquid level height of the water storage tank is determined; In the case where the current liquid level height is greater than the initial liquid level height, it is determined that the water inlet is normal; otherwise, it is determined that the water inlet is abnormal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The water storage tank is provided with a high liquid level detector and a low liquid level detector, before the water device is controlled to start the water inlet program, the method further comprises: In the case where the initial liquid level height is a high liquid level, the water device is controlled to start the water drainage program, and the feedback liquid level information of the high liquid level detector is obtained; In the case where the liquid level height of the water storage tank is determined to be lower than the high liquid level based on the feedback liquid level information of the high liquid level detector, the water device is controlled to stop the water drainage program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The water storage tank is provided with one liquid level detector, after the water device is controlled to start the water inlet program, the method further comprises: In the case where the initial liquid level height is higher than the position of the liquid level detector, the water device is controlled to start the water drainage program; In the case where the water drainage time length is greater than the preset water drainage time length and the feedback liquid level information of the high liquid level detector is unchanged, it is determined that the water inlet is normal.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further comprises: in the case where it is determined that the water inlet is abnormal, issuing a water inlet abnormality alarm.

5. A water purifier control method, characterized by, Comprise: After receiving the hot water discharge instruction, the initial water level height of the hot water tank and the initial hot water temperature are obtained; In the case where the initial water level height is greater than or equal to the first preset height and the initial hot water temperature is greater than the first preset temperature, the cold water drainage valve and the hot water drainage valve are controlled to be opened to make the cold water and the hot water flow into the water receiving box to be mixed and then discharged, and the drainage process is timed to obtain a first drainage time length; In the case where the first drainage time length is greater than the first preset time length and the water level height is less than the first preset height, the cold water drainage valve and the hot water drainage valve are controlled to be closed, the water purifier is controlled to start the water making program and the water supplement program to supplement water to the hot water tank; In the case where the water level height is greater than or equal to the first preset height, it is determined that the water purifier is normal, the cold water drainage valve and the hot water drainage valve are controlled to be opened, and the water purifier is controlled to stop the water supplement program.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The method further comprises: After the water purifier is controlled to start the water making program and the water supplement program to supplement water to the hot water tank, the first water supplement time length is counted, in the case where the first water supplement time length is greater than the second preset time length and the current water level height of the hot water tank is less than the first preset height, it is determined that the water purifier does not have water, and a water shortage alarm is issued.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The method further comprises: In a case that the initial water level height is less than the first preset height and the initial hot water temperature is greater than a first preset temperature, the water purifier is controlled to start a water making program and a water supplementing program to supplement water to the hot water tank, and a second water supplementing time length is obtained by timing the water supplementing process; In a case that the second water supplementing time length is greater than a third preset time length and the water level height is less than the first preset height, it is determined that the water purifier has no water inflow, and a water shortage warning is issued.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The method further comprises: In a case that the water inflow of the water purifier is normal, the mixed water temperature in the water receiving box is obtained; In a case that the mixed water temperature is greater than a second preset temperature, the cold water drain valve is controlled to open, and the hot water drain valve is controlled to open according to a first opening and closing frequency; In a case that the mixed water temperature is less than or equal to the second preset temperature, the hot water drain valve is controlled to open, and the cold water drain valve is controlled to open according to a second opening and closing frequency.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The method further comprises: In a case that the initial water level height is less than a second preset height and the initial hot water temperature is greater than a second preset temperature, the cold water drain valve and the hot water drain valve are controlled to open alternately, and the water purifier is controlled to open the water supplementing program when the hot water drain valve is open and to close the water supplementing program when the hot water drain valve is closed; wherein the second preset height is lower than the first preset height.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The method further comprises: In a case that the initial water level height is less than the second preset height and the initial hot water temperature is less than or equal to the second preset temperature, the cold water drain valve and the hot water drain valve are controlled to open to make the cold water and the hot water flow into the water receiving box to mix and then be discharged, and the water purifier is controlled to start the water supplementing program; In a case that the current hot water temperature in the hot water tank is less than the first preset temperature, the water purifier is controlled to close the water supplementing program, the cold water drain valve is controlled to close, and a second drain time length is obtained by timing the separate drain process of the hot water drain valve; In a case that the second drain time length is greater than a third preset time length, the hot water drain valve is controlled to close.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The method further comprises: In a case that the initial water level height is greater than or equal to the second preset height and the initial hot water temperature is less than or equal to the first preset temperature, the hot water drain valve is controlled to open.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein, The method further comprises: The mixed water capacity in the water receiving box is obtained; In a case that the mixed water capacity is greater than a first preset capacity, the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve are controlled to close; In a case that the mixed water capacity is less than a second preset capacity, the hot water drain valve and the cold water drain valve are controlled to open.

13. A water purifier control system, characterized by, The method further comprises: The data acquisition module is configured to obtain the initial water level height and the initial hot water temperature of the hot water tank after receiving a hot water discharge instruction; The timing module is configured to obtain a first drain time length by timing a drain process, and to obtain a first water supplementing time length by timing a water supplementing process; The program control module is configured to control the cold water drain valve and the hot water drain valve to open in a case that the initial water level height is greater than or equal to a first preset height and the initial hot water temperature is greater than a first preset temperature, In a case where the first draining duration is greater than a first preset duration and the water level height is less than the first preset height, the water purifier is controlled to start a water making procedure and a water supplement procedure, and in a case where the first water supplement duration is greater than a second preset duration and the water level height is less than the first preset height, it is determined that the water purifier is normally fed with water, and the water purifier is controlled to stop the water supplement procedure.

14. A water purifier characterized by comprising: The water purifier comprises a controller configured to perform the water purifier control method according to any one of claims 5-12.

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