Water drinking equipment, control method thereof and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses drinking water equipment and a control method thereof and a computer readable storage medium, the drinking water equipment comprises a hot water system, the two ends of the hot water system are connected to a water tank and a water outlet nozzle of the drinking water equipment respectively, and the hot water system comprises a hot water path and a heating body connected to the hot water path in series; the two ends of the ice water system are connected to the water tank and the water outlet nozzle respectively, the ice water system and the hot water system are arranged in parallel, and the hot water system comprises an ice water path and a refrigerating part connected to the ice water path in series; the three-way electromagnetic valve is connected to the hot water way in series and located on the downstream portion of the heating body, a water inlet of the three-way electromagnetic valve is communicated to the hot water way, a first water outlet of the three-way electromagnetic valve is communicated to the water outlet nozzle, and a second water outlet of the three-way electromagnetic valve is communicated to an ice water way, located on the downstream portion of the refrigerating part, in the ice water system. Through the three-way electromagnetic valve, hot water in the hot water system can flow into the ice water system to be sterilized and disinfected, and the influence of the hot water system on the working temperature of the ice water system can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of household appliance technology, specifically to drinking water equipment and its control method, and computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] As people's demand for healthy drinking water increases, water dispensers and other drinking water equipment have received widespread attention due to their efficiency and convenience. However, bacteria can easily grow in the internal piping systems of these devices during long-term use, especially when the hot and cold water systems share pipes or the circulation system is poorly designed.

[0003] Currently, some water dispensers on the market use a reverse flow method: hot water flows through a cold water solenoid valve into the cooling components and water tank, then flows back to the hot water circuit to achieve a circulating sterilization process. However, this solution suffers from cross-temperature issues between the cold and hot water systems, causing the cold water temperature to rise and the hot water temperature to drop, thus affecting the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a drinking water device to solve the technical problem that when the hot water system of the drinking water device performs high-temperature sterilization on the ice water system, it affects the normal operating temperature of the ice water system.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a drinking water device, comprising: a hot water system, the two ends of which are respectively connected to a water tank and a water outlet of the drinking water device, the hot water system including a hot water circuit and a heating element connected in series with the hot water circuit; an ice water system, the two ends of which are respectively connected to a water tank and a water outlet, and are arranged in parallel with the hot water system, the hot water system including an ice water circuit and a cooling element connected in series with the ice water circuit; and a three-way solenoid valve, the three-way solenoid valve being connected in series with the hot water circuit and located downstream of the heating element, the inlet of the three-way solenoid valve being connected to the hot water circuit, the first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve being connected to the water outlet, and the second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve being connected to the ice water circuit in the ice water system located downstream of the cooling element.

[0006] Beneficial effects: The drinking water equipment of this invention proposes a high-temperature hot water circulation sterilization solution. By optimizing the pipeline design of the drinking water equipment through a three-way solenoid valve, and using an independent high-temperature circulation loop to sterilize and disinfect the refrigeration components at high temperature, heat exchange between the cold and hot water systems of the drinking water equipment is avoided. Thus, while achieving efficient sterilization of the drinking water equipment, the temperature stability of the cold and hot water systems of the drinking water equipment is maintained, thereby improving the hygiene performance and user experience of the drinking water equipment.

[0007] In one optional embodiment, the chilled water system further includes a chilled water solenoid valve, which is connected in series in the chilled water path downstream of the refrigerant in the chilled water system. The second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve is connected to the chilled water path between the refrigerant and the chilled water solenoid valve and flows to the refrigerant.

[0008] Beneficial effects: During the high-temperature sterilization and disinfection of the refrigeration components in the water dispenser, the hot water generated by the heating element does not flow through the ice water solenoid valve. On the one hand, this reduces the damage to the ice water solenoid valve caused by the hot water and ice water. On the other hand, it reduces the retention of hot water in the ice water solenoid valve, which can lead to cross-temperature between hot and cold water in the water dispenser, thus improving the independence between the hot and cold water in the water dispenser.

[0009] In one optional embodiment, the water outlet is provided with a hot water inlet and an ice water inlet. The hot water inlet is configured to be connected to the first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve, and the ice water inlet is configured to be connected to the ice water solenoid valve.

[0010] Beneficial effects: The embodiments of this application propose to separate the hot and cold water outlets, thereby reducing the phenomenon of cross-temperature between hot and cold water at the water outlet of the drinking water equipment.

[0011] In one optional embodiment, the drinking water device further includes a water pump disposed between the water tank and the heating element. The water pump is used to pump water from the water tank sequentially to the heating element, the three-way solenoid valve and the water outlet, and / or to circulate the water from the water tank in the hot water system and the ice water system.

[0012] Beneficial effects: On the one hand, the water pump can ensure the normal operation of the hot water circuit, enabling the drinking water equipment to produce and supply hot water normally. On the other hand, the water pump can ensure the normal operation of high-temperature circulation sterilization, enabling the drinking water equipment to perform high-temperature sterilization and disinfection of the refrigeration components.

[0013] In one alternative embodiment, the drinking water device further includes a water tank circuit board, which is integrated into the water tank. Part of the hot water circuit and part of the ice water circuit are formed on the water tank circuit board and connected to the water tank.

[0014] Beneficial Effects: The design concept of the water tank water circuit board proposed in this application is to integrate water circuit function units onto a high-efficiency, compact water circuit board, realizing direct connection of the internal water circuits of multiple water circuit function units. This not only avoids the aging and odor problems of silicone tubes, but also improves the sealing and stability of the entire system. Furthermore, this modular design greatly simplifies the assembly steps of the water circuit system, improves the production efficiency of drinking water equipment, and also facilitates the later maintenance and upgrades of the drinking water equipment.

[0015] In one optional embodiment, the drinking water equipment further includes a water inlet plate and an inlet solenoid valve installed on the water inlet plate. The heating element and a three-way solenoid valve are connected to the water inlet plate, and the hot water circuit includes a heating element outlet water circuit formed on the water inlet plate and connecting the heating element and the three-way solenoid valve.

[0016] Beneficial effects: This application embodiment achieves integrated design of drinking water equipment by installing the inlet solenoid valve to the water supply board and connecting the water supply board to the heating element and the three-way solenoid valve, thus saving the number of parts in the drinking water equipment.

[0017] In one alternative implementation, the inlet of the three-way solenoid valve is connected to the upper water circuit board, and the first and second outlets of the three-way solenoid valve are both connected to the water circuit board of the water tank.

[0018] Beneficial effects: In this embodiment, the three-way solenoid valve is fixed by inserting the upper water circuit board and the water tank water circuit board together. This not only enables the integrated and compact design of various water function components, but also shortens the water connection between the water tank and the heating element, which is beneficial to the compactness of the drinking water equipment and the water output speed of the drinking water equipment.

[0019] In one optional embodiment, the drinking water device further includes a drain plate, on which a cooling element and a heating element are disposed. The drain plate is used to support the cooling element and the heating element and to connect the water tank and the heating element.

[0020] Beneficial effects: This application embodiment integrates the drain panel and component support frame into a single design, enabling the drain panel to function as both a water conveyor and a support component. This integrated design reduces the number of parts in the drinking water equipment, saves on the number of molds required, and lowers development costs.

[0021] Secondly, the present invention provides a control method for a drinking water device, which is implemented using the drinking water device described in the first aspect. The control method includes: acquiring a working instruction from the drinking water device; controlling the hot water system of the drinking water device to start when the working instruction is to produce hot water; controlling the ice water system of the drinking water device to start when the working instruction is to produce ice water; and controlling the second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve to open and the first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve to close when the working instruction is to perform high-temperature sterilization, so that the drinking water device performs a cyclic sterilization operation between the hot water system and the ice water system.

[0022] Beneficial effects: The drinking water equipment of this invention proposes a high-temperature hot water circulation sterilization solution. By optimizing the pipeline design of the drinking water equipment through a three-way solenoid valve, and using an independent high-temperature circulation loop to sterilize and disinfect the refrigeration components at high temperature, heat exchange between the cold and hot water systems of the drinking water equipment is avoided. Thus, while achieving efficient sterilization of the drinking water equipment, the temperature stability of the cold and hot water systems of the drinking water equipment is maintained, thereby improving the hygiene performance and user experience of the drinking water equipment.

[0023] In one optional implementation, the water dispenser performs a circulating sterilization process between the hot water system and the ice water system, specifically including: controlling the water in the water tank to flow through the hot water circuit and the water pump before entering the heating element for heating; controlling the second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve to open and the first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve to close, so that the hot water heated in the heating element flows to the cooling element and performs high-temperature sterilization on the cooling element; and controlling the water in the cooling element to flow back to the water tank.

[0024] Beneficial effects: By controlling the water in the refrigeration components to flow back to the water tank, it can re-enter the hot water system and the chilled water system for circulation and sterilization, which can further improve the sterilization effect of the sterilization circulation water system.

[0025] Thirdly, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, which, when executed, implement the control method of the drinking water device described in the second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pipeline machine in the prior art;

[0028] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the pipeline machine performing high-temperature sterilization;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the system structure of a pipeline machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the pipeline machine in the process of producing hot water;

[0031] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the pipeline machine for making ice water;

[0032] Figure 6 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the pipeline machine performing high-temperature sterilization;

[0033] Figure 7 for Figure 3 The diagram shows the structure of the pipeline machine.

[0034] Figure 8 for Figure 7 The isometric view of the pipeline machine shown.

[0035] Figure 9 for Figure 7 The diagram shows the integrated structure of the water tank and water tank circuit board in the pipeline machine shown.

[0036] Figure 10 for Figure 9 A partial sectional view of the water tank's water circuit board; (direction of hot water flow)

[0037] Figure 11 for Figure 9 A second partial structural cross-sectional view of the water tank's water circuit board; (flow direction of the circulating sterilization water)

[0038] Figure 12 for Figure 9 A third partial structural cross-sectional view of the water tank's water circuit board; (flow direction of ice-making water)

[0039] Figure 13 for Figure 9 A fourth partial structural cross-sectional view of the water tank's water circuit board; (flow direction of ice-making water)

[0040] Figure 14 for Figure 7 The diagram shows the structure of the upper water circuit board in the pipeline machine.

[0041] Figure 15 for Figure 7 The diagram shows the structure of the water supply manifold in the pipeline machine.

[0042] Figure 16 for Figure 7 The diagram shows the assembly structure of the water supply board, cooling components, and heating element in the pipeline machine.

[0043] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of a pipeline machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 18 for Figure 17 The diagram shows the structure of the rear housing assembly in the pipeline machine.

[0045] Figure 19 This is a flowchart of a control method for a drinking water device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0047] 100', Water dispenser; 10', Water tank; 20', Heating element; 30', Ice tank assembly; 40', Water outlet; 50', First solenoid valve; 60', Second solenoid valve; 70', Self-priming pump;

[0048] 100. Drinking water equipment; 101. First connecting pipe; 102. Second connecting pipe; 103. Third connecting pipe;

[0049] 10. Water tank; 10a. Water tank cover; 110. Water tank water circuit board; 111. Ice tank inlet water circuit; 112. Ice tank outlet water circuit; 113. Hot water circuit of water tap; 114. Circulating sterilization water circuit; 115. Cold water circuit of water tap;

[0050] 20. Heating element; 210. Water inlet plate; 211. Water outlet for heating element;

[0051] 30. Refrigeration components; 310. Drainage manifold; 311. Water pump outlet; 312. Ice tank inlet; 3121. Cold water drain outlet; 3122. Hot water drain outlet; 313. Third connecting pipe inlet; 314. Water pump inlet; 315. Heating element inlet;

[0052] 40. Three-way solenoid valve;

[0053] 50. Water spout;

[0054] 60. Inlet solenoid valve;

[0055] 70. Water pump;

[0056] 80. Ice water solenoid valve;

[0057] 200. Front shell assembly;

[0058] 300. Rear housing assembly; 301. Rear housing; 302. Power adapter; 303. Controller. Detailed Implementation

[0059] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0060] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "inner," "upper," "outer," "lower," and "below," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0061] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "connected" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integral connection; they can refer to mechanical connection or electrical connection; they can refer to direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to connection within two components; they can refer to wireless connection or wired connection. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0062] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, the water dispenser 100' and other drinking water equipment in the related technology include an inlet water system, a water storage system, a hot water system, a cold water system, and a water outlet 40'. The inlet water system consists of a water pipe connecting to an external water source and an inlet solenoid valve; the water storage system consists of a water tank 10', a mechanical float assembly, and a level switch; the hot water system consists of a self-priming pump 70', a heating element 20', and a first solenoid valve 50'; and the cold water system consists of an ice tank assembly 30' and a second solenoid valve 60'. The hot water system and the cold water system are cross-connected and then connected to the water outlet 40'.

[0063] In the actual use of water dispensers such as the 100' pipeline machine, due to the intersection of hot and cold water lines, if the user takes hot water first and then cold water, the temperature of the first cup of cold water will rise. Conversely, if the user takes cold water first and then hot water, the temperature of the first cup of hot water will drop, affecting the user's experience.

[0064] In the high-temperature hot water sterilization mode, hot water passes through the second solenoid valve 60' (outlet) by closing the first solenoid valve 50' (outlet) and opening the second solenoid valve 60' (outlet), allowing the hot water to flow in reverse through the second solenoid valve 60' (outlet), then into the ice tank assembly 30', and finally back to the water tank 10', thus completing the high-temperature hot water sterilization of the entire water system. This high-temperature hot water sterilization mode will also affect the user's use of ice water.

[0065] To address the technical problem in related technologies where the hot water system of a drinking water device affects the normal operating temperature of the ice water system during high-temperature sterilization, this invention proposes a novel high-temperature hot water circulation sterilization solution. By optimizing the pipeline design through a three-way solenoid valve and employing an independent high-temperature circulation loop, heat exchange between the hot and cold water systems is avoided. This achieves efficient sterilization while maintaining stable temperatures in both the cold and hot water systems, thereby improving the hygiene performance and user experience of the water dispenser.

[0066] The following is combined Figures 3 to 18 The following describes embodiments of the present invention.

[0067] like Figures 3 to 6 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, in one aspect, the present invention provides a drinking water device 100, the drinking water device 100 comprising: a hot water system, the two ends of which are respectively connected to a water tank 10 and a water outlet 50 of the drinking water device 100, the hot water system including a hot water path and a heating element 20 connected in series to the hot water path; an ice water system, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the water tank 10 and the water outlet 50, and are arranged in parallel with the hot water system, the hot water system including an ice water path and a cooling element 30 connected in series to the ice water path; and a three-way solenoid valve 40, the three-way solenoid valve 40 being connected in series to the hot water path and located downstream of the heating element 20, the inlet of the three-way solenoid valve 40 being connected to the hot water path, the first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve 40 being connected to the water outlet 50, and the second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve 40 being connected to the ice water path of the ice water system located downstream of the cooling element 30.

[0068] In this embodiment, the water dispenser 100 of the present invention proposes to optimize the pipeline design of the water dispenser 100 by using a three-way solenoid valve 40, and to use an independent high-temperature circulation loop to sterilize and disinfect the refrigeration component 30 at high temperature, thereby avoiding heat exchange between the hot and cold water systems of the water dispenser 100. This achieves efficient sterilization of the water dispenser 100 while maintaining the temperature stability of the cold and hot water systems of the water dispenser 100, thus improving the hygiene performance and user experience of the water dispenser 100.

[0069] Specifically, the drinking water device 100 of this embodiment includes an inlet water system, a storage water system, a hot water system, an ice water system, a circulating water system, and a water outlet 50. The inlet water system mainly consists of a first connecting pipe 101 connected to an external water source and an inlet solenoid valve 60; the storage water system mainly consists of a water tank 10, a mechanical float assembly, a level switch, and an ultraviolet lamp assembly; the hot water system mainly consists of a water pump 70 and a heating element 20; and the ice water system mainly consists of a cooling element 30 and an ice water solenoid valve 80. The circulating water system is connected to the ice tank outlet water passage 112 of the cooling element 30 via the second outlet of a three-way solenoid valve 40 (one inlet and two outlets), and the ice tank inlet water passage 111 of the cooling element 30 is connected to the water tank 10; the water outlet 50 has two inlets and one outlet, with the two inlets respectively connected to the hot water system and the ice water system.

[0070] Among them, such as Figure 4 As shown, the workflow of the hot water system in the drinking water equipment 100 is as follows: water tank 10 → water pump 70 → heating element 20 → three-way solenoid valve 40 (first outlet) → water nozzle 50. At this point, the three-way solenoid valve 40 is in its first working state, and the power for the hot water system comes from the water pump 70.

[0071] like Figure 5 As shown, the working process of the ice water system of the drinking water equipment 100 is as follows: water tank 10 → refrigeration component 30 → ice water solenoid valve 80 → water outlet 50. Among them, the water level in the water tank 10 is higher than the height of the refrigeration component 30 and the water outlet 50. When the user takes ice water, the ice water solenoid valve 80 opens, and the water flows out naturally under the action of gravity.

[0072] like Figure 6 As shown, the high-temperature circulating sterilization process of the drinking water equipment 100 is as follows: water tank 10 → water pump 70 → heating element 20 → three-way solenoid valve 40 (second outlet) → circulating sterilization water circuit 114 → cooling component 30 → water tank 10. At this time, the three-way solenoid valve 40 is in its second working state, and the power for the high-temperature circulating sterilization process comes from the water pump 70.

[0073] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application do not limit the specific structure of the hot water system and the ice water system, because the cooling component 30 is sterilized at high temperature through an independent high-temperature circulation loop inside the drinking water device 100 by means of a three-way solenoid valve 40. As for the specific structure of the hot water system and the ice water system, there are multiple embodiments. For example, the hot water system includes electric heating, gas heating, etc., and the cooling component 30 of the ice water system includes electronic ice tank refrigeration and semiconductor refrigeration, etc. These adjustments are all within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0074] like Figures 3 to 6As shown, in some embodiments, the chilled water system further includes a chilled water solenoid valve 80, which is connected in series in the chilled water path located downstream of the refrigeration unit 30 in the chilled water system. The second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve 40 is connected to the chilled water path between the refrigeration unit 30 and the chilled water solenoid valve 80, and flows to the refrigeration unit 30.

[0075] In the above embodiment, during the high-temperature sterilization and disinfection of the cooling component 30 by the water drinking equipment 100, the hot water generated by the heating element 20 does not flow through the ice water solenoid valve 80. On the one hand, this can reduce the damage of hot water to the ice water solenoid valve 80 and reduce the phenomenon of the ice water solenoid valve 80 being damaged by the dual impact of high-temperature water and ice water. On the other hand, it can reduce the retention of hot water in the ice water solenoid valve 80, which would cause the water drinking equipment 100 to experience cross-temperature between hot and cold water, thereby improving the independence between the hot and cold water of the water drinking equipment 100.

[0076] like Figures 3 to 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the water outlet 50 is provided with a hot water inlet and an ice water inlet. The hot water inlet is configured to be connected to the first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve 40, and the ice water inlet is configured to be connected to the ice water solenoid valve 80.

[0077] In this embodiment, the existing water dispenser 100 has cross-flow hot and cold water paths. If the user takes hot water first and then cold water, the temperature of the first cup of cold water will rise; conversely, if the user takes cold water first and then hot water, the temperature of the first cup of hot water will drop, affecting the user experience. This application embodiment proposes separating the hot and cold water channels of the spout 50 into a hot water path 113 and a cold water path 115, thereby reducing the phenomenon of cross-flow temperature between hot and cold water at the spout 50 of the water dispenser 100.

[0078] Furthermore, in order to improve the user's water intake experience and water intake safety, this application embodiment also proposes to set the diameter of the hot water inlet of the water outlet 50 to be larger than the diameter of the ice water inlet of the water outlet 50, so as to achieve rapid cold water intake, thereby improving water intake efficiency, and slow hot water intake, thereby reducing the phenomenon of hot water splashing or overflowing.

[0079] like Figures 3 to 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the drinking water device 100 further includes a water pump 70 disposed between the water tank 10 and the heating element 20. The water pump 70 is used to pump the water in the water tank 10 sequentially to the heating element 20, the three-way solenoid valve 40 and the water outlet 50, and / or to circulate the water in the water tank 10 in the hot water system and the ice water system.

[0080] In the above embodiments, the water pump 70 can, on the one hand, enable the hot water system to operate normally, so that the drinking water equipment 100 can produce and supply hot water normally; on the other hand, the water pump 70 can, on the other hand, enable the high-temperature circulating sterilization to operate normally, so that the drinking water equipment 100 can perform high-temperature sterilization and disinfection on the refrigeration component 30 normally.

[0081] Specifically, by controlling the three-way solenoid valve 40 to switch between the first water outlet and the second water outlet, the drinking water equipment 100 can be controlled to start either the hot water mode or the circulating sterilization mode.

[0082] like Figures 3 to 6 As shown, in one embodiment, the drinking water device 100 further includes a water tank cover 10a, which is detachably installed to the water tank 10, and the water tank cover 10a is provided with a level switch and / or a mechanical float assembly.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the water tank circuit board 110 is integrated into the water tank body, while the water tank cover 10a is detachably installed onto the water tank body. If the level switch and mechanical float assembly of the water tank 10 malfunction, the user can directly remove the water tank cover 10a from the water tank 10 to inspect and maintain the level switch and mechanical float assembly, making it convenient for the user to disassemble and maintain these components. Furthermore, by integrating the water tank circuit board 110 into the water tank body, the water path connecting the water tank 10 to components such as the heating element 20 and the cooling element 30 is shortened, which benefits the compactness of the drinking water equipment and the water dispensing speed.

[0084] Furthermore, the water tank 10 is equipped with a water storage chamber, a water tank water circuit board 110, a water tank cover 10a, an ice water solenoid valve 80, and an ultraviolet lamp. By integrating the water tank 10 and the water tank water circuit board 110 into a single structure, the technical effect of having both water storage and water flow functions in one component is achieved.

[0085] like Figures 7-13 As shown, in some embodiments, the drinking water device 100 also includes a water tank water circuit board 110, which is integrated into the water tank 10. Part of the hot water circuit and part of the ice water circuit are formed on the water tank water circuit board 110 and connected to the water tank 10.

[0086] In the above embodiments, the water tank 10 mentioned in this application refers to the water tank body. The water in the water tank 10 flows into the refrigeration unit 30 through the ice chamber inlet water passage 111 on the water tank water circuit board 110, and then flows out into the water tank water circuit board 110 through the ice chamber outlet water passage 112. It then flows through the ice water solenoid valve 80 provided on the water tank water circuit board 110 to the water outlet 50. Because the water tank 10 is above and the refrigeration unit 30 is below, and the height of the water outlet 50 is lower than the water level in the water tank 10, when the ice water solenoid valve 80 is opened, under the action of the water level difference between the water tank 10 and the refrigeration unit 30, the cold water in the electronic ice tank flows out to the water outlet 50 after passing through the ice water solenoid valve 80 for the user to drink.

[0087] like Figure 10 The arrows in the diagram indicate the direction of the hot water flow in the water tank circuit board 110. Part of the hot water circuit includes the hot water faucet circuit 113. Hot water flows from the inlet of the hot water faucet circuit 113 to the water tank circuit board 110, and then from the outlet of the hot water faucet circuit 113 to the outlet 50 before flowing out.

[0088] like Figure 11 The arrows in the diagram indicate the direction of the circulating sterilization water flow in the water tank circuit board 110. Hot water flows from the inlet of the circulating sterilization water passage 114 to the water tank circuit board 110, then flows through the ice tank outlet water passage 112 to the ice tank inlet water passage 111, and finally flows from the ice tank inlet water passage 111 to the water tank 10. This allows for repeated circulating sterilization of the refrigeration components.

[0089] like Figure 12 , 13 The arrows in the diagram indicate the direction of the ice-making water flow in the water tank circuit board 110. The water in the water tank 10 flows out from the ice chamber inlet water passage 111, and then from the ice chamber outlet water passage 112 to the ice water solenoid valve 80. The cold water flowing out from the ice water solenoid valve 80 flows to the water tap cold water passage 115 and then flows out from the water outlet 50.

[0090] like Figures 7 to 13 As shown, in some embodiments, the drinking water device 100 further includes a water inlet plate 210 and a water inlet solenoid valve 60 installed on the water inlet plate 210. The heating element 20 and the three-way solenoid valve 40 are connected to the water inlet plate 210. The hot water circuit includes a heating element outlet water circuit 211 formed on the water inlet plate 210 and connecting the heating element 20 and the three-way solenoid valve 40.

[0091] In this embodiment, the water supply board 210 is connected to the heating element 20 and the three-way solenoid valve 40. This embodiment of the application realizes the integrated design of the parts of the drinking water equipment 100 by connecting the heating element 20 and the three-way solenoid valve 40 through the water supply board 210, thus saving the number of parts of the drinking water equipment 100.

[0092] like Figures 7 to 13 As shown, in one optional embodiment, the inlet of the three-way solenoid valve 40 is connected to the upper water circuit board 210, and the first outlet and the second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve 40 are both connected to the water tank circuit board 110.

[0093] In this embodiment, the three-way solenoid valve 40 is fixed by jointly inserting the water supply board 210 and the water tank water supply board 110. This not only enables the integrated and compact design of various water function components, but also shortens the water connection between the water tank 10 and the heating element 20, which is beneficial to the compactness of the drinking water device 100 and the water output speed of the drinking water device 100.

[0094] like Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, in some embodiments, the drinking water device 100 further includes a drain plate 310, on which the cooling component 30 and the heating element 20 are disposed. The drain plate 310 is used to support the cooling component 30 and the heating element 20, and to connect the water tank 10 and the heating element 20.

[0095] In this embodiment, the drain panel 310 and the component support frame are integrated into a single design, so that the drain panel 310 not only has the function of water flow but also serves as a support component. Through the above integrated design, the number of parts in the drinking water equipment 100 can be reduced, the number of molds required for the drinking water equipment 100 can be saved, and the development cost of the drinking water equipment 100 can be reduced.

[0096] Specifically, when the refrigeration component 30 is configured as an electronic ice chamber, the drain circuit board 310 is provided with an ice chamber interface 312 for supporting the installation of the electronic ice chamber. The third connecting pipe interface 313 of the drain circuit board 310 enables communication between the water tank circuit board 110 and the drain circuit board 310; the water pump inlet interface 314 of the drain circuit board 310 enables communication between the drain circuit board 310 and the water pump 70; the water pump outlet interface 311 of the drain circuit board 310 enables communication between the water pump 70 and the heating element 20; and the heating element interface 315 of the drain circuit board 310 enables the installation of the heating element 20.

[0097] Furthermore, the drain panel 310 is provided with a cold water drain outlet 3121 and a hot water drain outlet 3122, which are used to manually drain residual cold water and residual hot water from the drain panel 310 when the machine is being maintained.

[0098] Specifically, such as Figure 16As shown, the drain outlet of water tank 10 is connected to the upper end of the third connecting pipe 103 via an L-shaped plug connector, and the lower end of the third connecting pipe 103 is connected to the drain manifold 310 via a quick connector, thus establishing a water passage from water tank 10 to drain manifold 310. Water from water tank 10 to drain manifold 310 is pumped by water pump 70 to the inlet of heating element 20 in drain manifold 310, thus supplying water from water tank 10 to heating element 20. Water flows out from the outlet of heating element 20 and into upper drain manifold 210, and from upper drain manifold 210... The water flows out through the three-way solenoid valve 40 (one inlet, two outlets) and then flows out of the first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve 40 to the direct outlet nozzle 50 for user use. The water flowing out from the second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve 40 enters the water circuit board 110 of the water tank, and then flows into the refrigeration unit 30 from the ice chamber outlet water passage 112. It then flows into the water tank 10 from the ice chamber inlet water passage 111 of the electronic refrigeration unit, realizing the circulation of water flowing out of the water tank 10 and back to the water tank 10. After multiple cycles, the effect of high-temperature circulation sterilization is achieved.

[0099] In modern life, water dispensers and other drinking water equipment have become an indispensable part of homes and offices. However, in the traditional design of water dispensers, the use of silicone tubing as the connection structure between water lines has led to some obvious defects: First, silicone tubing is prone to aging after prolonged use, producing odors and affecting the quality of drinking water; second, this connection structure using silicone tubing increases the assembly complexity of the water dispenser, reduces production efficiency, and is prone to leakage at the connection points, affecting the product reliability and service life of the water dispenser.

[0100] To address the aforementioned problems in existing technologies, this invention proposes a novel overall structural layout scheme for the drinking water device 100. By employing an integrated water circuit board module instead of the traditional silicone tubing connection method, these problems are fundamentally solved. The design concept of the integrated water circuit board module is to integrate all water circuit functional units onto a single, efficient, and compact water circuit board. This enables direct connection of the internal water circuits of multiple functional units, avoiding not only the aging and odor problems of silicone tubing but also improving the sealing and stability of the entire system. Furthermore, this modular design greatly simplifies the assembly steps of the water circuit system, improves the production efficiency of the drinking water device 100, and also facilitates the later maintenance and upgrades of the drinking water device 100.

[0101] The specific embodiments of the present invention are as follows:

[0102] The drinking water device 100 of this embodiment mainly consists of a front shell assembly 200, a water system module, and a rear shell assembly 300. The front shell assembly 200 consists of a water receiving tray, a water outlet decorative piece, a display control panel, and a front shell. The rear shell assembly 300 consists of a controller 303, a power adapter 302, a power cord, and a rear shell 301.

[0103] The water system module mainly consists of a water tank 10, a water tank water circuit board 110, a cooling component 30, a lower water circuit board 310, an upper water circuit board 210, a heating element 20, a water outlet 50, a first connecting pipe 101, a second connecting pipe 102, and a third connecting pipe 103. The lower water circuit board 310 is equipped with a cold water drain outlet 3121 and a hot water drain outlet 3122, which are used to manually drain residual cold water and hot water from the lower water circuit board 310 during machine maintenance, respectively. The upper water circuit board 210 is connected to an inlet solenoid valve 60 and a three-way solenoid valve 40. The three connecting pipes are made of odorless PE pipes or Teflon rigid pipes (not silicone flexible hoses).

[0104] The water tank 10 is equipped with a water storage chamber, a water tank circuit board 110, a water tank cover 10a, an ice water solenoid valve 80, and an ultraviolet lamp. The water tank cover 10a is equipped with a liquid level switch and a mechanical float assembly.

[0105] This application embodiment solves the problems of odor, complex assembly, and low reliability of traditional drinking water equipment 100 by adopting an integrated water circuit board module and a modular design concept. The integrated water circuit board module not only improves the system sealing and stability of the drinking water equipment 100, but also simplifies the assembly process and increases the production efficiency of the drinking water equipment 100. The modular design of the drinking water equipment 100 makes maintenance and upgrades more convenient, greatly improving the overall performance and user experience of the drinking water equipment 100, enhancing product quality, reducing production costs, and strengthening the product's market competitiveness.

[0106] Furthermore, the core of the modular design concept of the drinking water equipment 100 lies in standardization and universality. This allows different functional modules to be flexibly combined as needed, meeting diverse requirements while reducing development costs and shortening product launch time. For consumers, this means a higher quality and more reliable drinking water experience; for manufacturers, it means higher production efficiency and lower manufacturing costs.

[0107] For example, such as Figure 13 and Figure 14As shown, the water dispenser 100 also includes a front housing assembly 200 and a rear housing assembly 300, which enclose the installation space of the water dispenser 100. The rear housing assembly 300 also includes a rear housing 301, a power adapter 302, and a controller 303. By replacing the rear housing assembly 300 of the water dispenser 100, the installation space of the water dispenser 100 can be expanded. The refrigeration component 30 can also be replaced with an ice-making module with an integrated heat exchanger, enabling the cooling of boiling water to immediately drinkable warm water (cooled boiled water). Furthermore, by removing the refrigeration component 30, a lower-cost warm water dispenser can be derived; by replacing the refrigeration component 30 with a heat exchanger module, a dispenser with boiled water (cooled boiled water) function can be derived.

[0108] In summary, this invention, through the innovative design of an integrated water circuit board module, effectively solves the technical problems of odor, complex assembly, and low reliability of traditional drinking water equipment 100, and provides new inventive ideas and technical solutions for the design of drinking water equipment 100, especially hot and cold water dispensers.

[0109] Specifically, by setting up an integrated water circuit board module, the present invention can integrate all water circuit functional units onto a high-efficiency and compact water circuit board module, achieving the technical effect that all water circuit functional units can be directly connected through the internal water circuit of the water circuit board module.

[0110] In addition, the integrated water circuit board module can eliminate the need for silicone tube connections between various water circuit functional units, thus solving the technical problems of traditional silicone tubes aging, producing odors, and affecting drinking water quality after prolonged use.

[0111] Furthermore, by directly connecting all water circuit functional units through the internal water circuit of the water circuit board module, the system sealing and stability of the drinking water equipment 100 can be improved, the possibility of water leakage in the drinking water equipment 100 can be reduced, the system stability of the drinking water equipment 100 can be enhanced, and the product service life of the drinking water equipment 100 can be extended.

[0112] The standardized and universal modular design of the drinking water equipment 100 allows for flexible combination of its different functional modules. This modular design also simplifies assembly steps, reduces assembly complexity, improves production efficiency, facilitates rapid assembly and debugging on the production line, and lowers manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the modular design makes subsequent maintenance of the drinking water equipment 100 more convenient, allowing for quick replacement of damaged functional modules.

[0113] The modular design of the water dispenser 100 can also reduce the development cost of the water dispenser 100, shorten the product launch time, help the water dispenser 100 respond quickly to market demands, enhance the market competitiveness of the water dispenser 100, improve the user experience, provide a higher quality and more reliable drinking water experience, enhance user satisfaction, ensure the long-term stable water supply performance of the water dispenser 100, and reduce the failure rate of the water dispenser 100.

[0114] like Figure 19 As shown, in a second aspect, the present invention provides a control method for a drinking water device 100. The control method for the drinking water device 100 is implemented using the drinking water device 100 described in the first aspect. The control method for the drinking water device 100 includes: acquiring a working instruction for the drinking water device 100; controlling the hot water system of the drinking water device 100 to start when the working instruction is to produce hot water; controlling the ice water system of the drinking water device 100 to start when the working instruction is to produce ice water; and controlling the second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve 40 to open and the first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve 40 to close when the working instruction is to perform high-temperature sterilization. The drinking water device 100 performs a cyclic sterilization operation between the hot water system and the ice water system.

[0115] In this embodiment, the drinking water device 100 of the present invention proposes a high-temperature hot water circulation sterilization scheme. By optimizing the pipeline design of the drinking water device 100 through a three-way solenoid valve 40, an independent high-temperature circulation loop is used to sterilize and disinfect the refrigeration component 30 at high temperature, avoiding heat exchange between the cold and hot water systems of the drinking water device 100. This achieves efficient sterilization of the drinking water device 100 while maintaining the temperature stability of the cold and hot water systems, thereby improving the hygiene performance and user experience of the drinking water device 100.

[0116] In some embodiments, the water dispenser 100 performs the circulation sterilization of the hot water system and the ice water system, specifically including: controlling the water in the water tank 10 to flow through the hot water circuit and the water pump 70 and then enter the heating element 20 for heating; controlling the second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve 40 to open and the first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve 40 to close, so that the hot water heated in the heating element 20 flows to the cooling element 30 and performs high-temperature sterilization on the cooling element 30; and controlling the water in the cooling element 30 to flow back into the water tank 10.

[0117] In this embodiment, by controlling the water in the refrigeration component 30 to flow back to the water tank 10, it can re-enter the hot water system and the ice water system for circulating sterilization, which can further improve the sterilization effect of the sterilization circulating water system.

[0118] In some embodiments, the control method of the water drinking device 100 further includes: obtaining the working instruction of the water drinking device 100; and controlling the water pump 70 of the water drinking device 100 to turn on and the heating element 20 of the water drinking device 100 to turn off, according to the working instruction being to produce warm water.

[0119] In this embodiment, the drinking water device 100 of the present invention proposes to use the residual heat of the hot water system to heat drinking water, thereby meeting the user's demand for warm water, which not only improves the energy utilization rate of the drinking water device 100, but also enhances the user's drinking experience.

[0120] Thirdly, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, which, when executed, implement the control method of the drinking water device 100 described in the second aspect.

[0121] In this embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium provided in this embodiment, by adopting the control method of the drinking water device 100 of the above-described embodiments, has all the technical effects of the control method of the drinking water device 100 described above. The specific technical effects of the computer-readable storage medium will not be elaborated here.

[0122] Although embodiments of the invention have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and such modifications and variations all fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A drinking water device, characterized in that, The drinking water equipment (100) includes: A hot water system, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the water tank (10) and the water outlet (50) of the drinking water device (100), the hot water system includes a hot water circuit and a heating element (20) connected in series to the hot water circuit; The chilled water system is connected at both ends to the water tank (10) and the water outlet (50) respectively, and is set in parallel with the hot water system. The hot water system includes a chilled water circuit and a refrigeration component (30) connected in series to the chilled water circuit. A three-way solenoid valve (40) is connected in series to the hot water circuit and located downstream of the heating element (20). The inlet of the three-way solenoid valve (40) is connected to the hot water circuit. The first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve (40) is connected to the water outlet (50). The second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve (40) is connected to the ice water circuit located downstream of the refrigeration component (30) in the ice water system.

2. The drinking water equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The chilled water system also includes a chilled water solenoid valve (80), which is connected in series in the chilled water path downstream of the refrigeration unit (30) in the chilled water system. The second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve (40) is connected to the chilled water path between the refrigeration unit (30) and the chilled water solenoid valve (80) and flows to the refrigeration unit (30).

3. The drinking water equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The water outlet (50) is provided with a hot water inlet and an ice water inlet. The hot water inlet is configured to be connected to the first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve (40), and the ice water inlet is configured to be connected to the ice water solenoid valve (80).

4. The drinking water equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drinking water device (100) further includes a water pump (70) disposed between the water tank (10) and the heating element (20). The water pump (70) is used to pump the water in the water tank (10) sequentially to the heating element (20), the three-way solenoid valve (40) and the water outlet (50), and / or to circulate the water in the water tank (10) in the hot water system and the ice water system.

5. The drinking water equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The drinking water equipment (100) also includes a water tank water circuit board (110), which is integrated into the water tank (10). Part of the hot water circuit and part of the ice water circuit are formed on the water tank water circuit board (110) and connected to the water tank (10).

6. The drinking water equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drinking water equipment (100) also includes a water inlet plate (210) and an inlet solenoid valve (60) installed on the water inlet plate (210). The heating element (20) and the three-way solenoid valve (40) are connected to the water inlet plate (210). The hot water circuit includes a heating element outlet water circuit (211) formed on the water inlet plate (210) and connecting the heating element (20) and the three-way solenoid valve (40).

7. The drinking water equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inlet of the three-way solenoid valve (40) is connected to the upper water circuit board (210), and the first outlet and the second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve (40) are both connected to the water tank water circuit board (110).

8. The drinking water equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The drinking water equipment (100) also includes a drain plate (310), the cooling component (30) and the heating element (20) are disposed on the drain plate (310), the drain plate (310) is used to support the cooling component (30) and the heating element (20), and is used to connect the water tank (10) and the heating element (20).

9. A control method for a drinking water device, characterized in that, The control method for the drinking water equipment (100) is implemented using the drinking water equipment (100) as described in claim 4, and the control method for the drinking water equipment (100) includes: Obtain the operating instructions of the drinking water device (100); According to the work instruction to produce hot water, the hot water system of the drinking water equipment (100) is turned on; According to the work instruction to make ice water, the ice water system of the drinking water equipment (100) is turned on; According to the working instruction of high temperature sterilization, the second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve (40) is opened and the first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve (40) is closed, and the drinking water equipment (100) performs the circulating sterilization work of the hot water system and the ice water system.

10. The control method for the drinking water equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that, The water supply equipment (100) performs the circulating sterilization work of the hot water system and the ice water system, specifically including: The water in the water tank (10) is controlled to flow through the hot water circuit and the water pump (70) before entering the heating element (20) for heating; The second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve (40) is opened and the first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve (40) is closed. The hot water heated in the heating element (20) flows to the cooling element (30) and the cooling element (30) is sterilized at high temperature. The water in the refrigeration unit (30) is controlled to flow back into the water tank (10).

11. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, which, when executed, implement the control method of the drinking water device (100) as described in claim 9 or 10.

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