Ultraviolet disinfection mechanism and coffee machine

Abstract

The invention provides an ultraviolet disinfection mechanism and a coffee machine, and belongs to the field of water treatment. The problem that flow efficiency and sterilization efficiency cannot be both considered by a traditional design when water is treated by ultraviolet light is solved. An ultraviolet disinfection mechanism comprises: a housing which is provided with a water flow inlet and a water flow outlet, and is internally provided with an ultraviolet disinfection matrix which divides the housing into an inner cavity and an outer cavity which are communicated with each other; the turbulent flow part is arranged in the inner cavity and / or the outer cavity and is used for enabling water to circulate in the inner cavity and the outer cavity, and the water is discharged from the water flow outlet after repeatedly flowing through the ultraviolet disinfection matrix. The water sterilizer is mainly used for sterilizing water.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of water treatment, and in particular relates to an ultraviolet disinfection mechanism and a coffee machine. Background Technology

[0002] In traditional water treatment systems, ultraviolet sterilization units typically employ a simple straight-through pipe design, where water flows through a quartz tube containing UV lamps in a laminar or turbulent state in a single pass. The sterilization efficiency depends on the water flow velocity, UV lamp power, and the light transmittance of the water.

[0003] The core contradiction of this design lies in the fact that if the processing flow rate is to be guaranteed, the contact time between water and ultraviolet light is extremely limited, and some water flow may only be exposed to edge radiation, resulting in sterilization dead zones; if the contact time is to be extended to improve the sterilization rate, the flow rate must be significantly reduced or the pipe length must be increased. The former reduces system efficiency, and the latter increases equipment size, making it impossible to balance flow efficiency and sterilization efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide an ultraviolet disinfection mechanism and a coffee machine to solve the problem that traditional designs cannot simultaneously achieve both flow efficiency and sterilization efficiency when treating water with ultraviolet light.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: According to a first aspect of the present invention, an ultraviolet disinfection mechanism is provided, comprising: The outer shell is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet, and an ultraviolet disinfection matrix is ​​provided inside, wherein the ultraviolet disinfection matrix divides the outer shell into an inner cavity and an outer cavity that are connected to each other. The turbulence section, located in the inner cavity and / or outer cavity, is used to circulate water within the inner and outer cavities, repeatedly flow through the ultraviolet disinfection matrix, and then discharge it from the water outlet.

[0006] Furthermore, both the outer shell and the ultraviolet disinfection matrix are cylindrical and coaxially arranged, wherein the axial length of the ultraviolet disinfection matrix is ​​less than the internal axial length of the outer shell.

[0007] Furthermore, both the inner and outer walls of the ultraviolet disinfection matrix are equipped with ultraviolet lamp matrices.

[0008] Furthermore, the turbulence-disrupting part includes a rotating shaft and turbulence-disrupting blades. The rotating shaft is coaxially rotatably disposed within the ultraviolet disinfection matrix, and the turbulence-disrupting blades are disposed at the end of the rotating shaft away from the water inlet, for generating a force opposite to the direction of water flow.

[0009] Furthermore, the outer wall of the rotating shaft and / or the inner wall of the housing are provided with reflective parts for reflecting ultraviolet rays.

[0010] Furthermore, the rotating shaft is provided with several filter sections.

[0011] Furthermore, a water flow rate sensor is installed inside the housing.

[0012] Furthermore, an ultraviolet intensity sensor is installed inside the housing.

[0013] Furthermore, the housing is equipped with a transmittance detector.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a coffee machine is provided, comprising an ultraviolet sterilization mechanism as described above.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: This device uses an outer shell and an ultraviolet disinfection matrix to form an inner and outer cavity. Combined with the water flow direction and the placement of the turbulence-inducing element, the water can circulate repeatedly within these cavities. As the water flow increases, it continuously exchanges fluids within the inner and outer cavities, undergoing constant disinfection by the ultraviolet disinfection matrix. This ensures that the water exiting the outlet has undergone multiple rounds of sterilization, guaranteeing both flow efficiency and effective disinfection. Simultaneously, because the thrust generated by the turbulence-inducing element is opposite to the overall water flow direction, it creates a turbulent circulation effect, facilitating high-frequency contact between the water and the ultraviolet light, further enhancing the sterilization and disinfection capabilities.

[0016] The turbulence-disrupting element, through continuous rotation, periodically cuts into the water flow, disrupting any potential regular streamlines and breaking up and recombining the water flow to generate numerous random microscale eddies and turbulence. This dynamic turbulence achieves two key benefits: first, extreme mixing, ensuring that water masses from different initial positions and potentially varying radiation doses are thoroughly mixed, resulting in a more uniform radiation dose to the microbial community and eliminating dead zones; second, surface cleaning, as the slow rotation of the turbulence-disrupting element, combined with the water flow, creates slight shearing and scouring on the inner wall of the outer shell and the inner and outer walls of the ultraviolet disinfection matrix, helping to prevent the adhesion and deposition of microbial films or inorganic salts on the surface and maintaining high ultraviolet transmittance.

[0017] This device incorporates reflective elements on both the outer wall of the rotating shaft and the inner wall of the outer shell, forming an "integrating sphere" reflective cavity. Any ultraviolet radiation that is not directly absorbed by the water and reaches the reflective surface is efficiently reflected back into the water inside the chamber, creating a complex multidirectional radiation field. Combined with the highly dispersed water flow generated by the spiral and dynamic turbulence, the propagation path of ultraviolet photons in the water becomes extremely tortuous and lengthy, significantly increasing the probability of absorption by water molecules or microorganisms. This is equivalent to improving the energy density and spatial uniformity of the irradiation field without increasing the lamp power. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ultraviolet disinfection mechanism according to the present invention.

[0019] 1. Outer shell; 2. Ultraviolet disinfection matrix; 3. Fluid turbulence section; 4. Water inlet; 5. Water outlet; 6. Reflector; 7. Water flow velocity sensor; 8. Ultraviolet intensity sensor; 9. Light transmittance detector; 10. Filter section. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, and the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments.

[0021] It should be noted that the descriptions of "left," "right," "left side," "right side," "upper part," "lower part," "top," and "bottom" in this invention are defined based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are merely for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the described structure must be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0022] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances. Specific implementation method one: Referring to the accompanying drawings, this embodiment provides an ultraviolet disinfection mechanism, comprising: The outer shell 1 has a water inlet 4 and a water outlet 5, and an ultraviolet disinfection matrix 2 is installed inside. The ultraviolet disinfection matrix 2 divides the outer shell 1 into an interconnected inner cavity and an outer cavity. Specifically, the outer shell 1 is a cylindrical stainless steel cylinder, generally horizontally oriented. Figure 1As shown, the two sides are sealed by arc-shaped covers. The water inlet 4 is located at the lower part of the outer shell 1, arranged in a tangential flow direction. After the water enters, it gradually rises and is finally discharged from the water outlet 5 located at the top. The disinfection process is completed during the gradual rise of the water. The ultraviolet disinfection matrix 2 is made of quartz glass with high light transmittance and is also cylindrical. It is arranged coaxially with the outer shell 1 inside the outer shell 1. The axial length of the ultraviolet disinfection matrix 2 is less than the internal axial length of the outer shell 1. Specifically, both ends of the ultraviolet disinfection matrix 2 are a certain distance away from the inner walls of both ends of the outer shell 1, thus forming inner and outer cavities and constituting a circulation channel. The ultraviolet lamp matrix inside the ultraviolet disinfection matrix 2 can emit ultraviolet light into the inner and outer cavities simultaneously, so that the water can always be irradiated and disinfected during the circulation process. This achieves efficient sterilization and extends the sterilization path without increasing the overall volume and length of the outer shell 1. The ultraviolet lamp matrix 2 is composed of multiple high-power UV-LEDs distributed along the axial direction. The key is that the outer wall of the UV disinfection matrix 2 is not a smooth cylindrical surface, but rather precision-machined with continuous multi-headed, low-angle spiral guide vanes (not shown in the diagram). These transparent guide vanes, like threads, wrap around the quartz glass, forming a primary turbulence structure. When pressurized water enters tangentially from the bottom or one end of the sterilization chamber, it is immediately captured by these spiral guide vanes and forced to move upstream or downstream along a spiral trajectory around the UV lamp. This design forcibly transforms the linear motion of the water flow into a strong three-dimensional spiral forward motion. Its direct effects are: first, the actual flow path length of the water flow inside the chamber is significantly extended, far exceeding the physical length of the chamber, effectively increasing the UV irradiation time; second, the centrifugal force generated by the spiral motion continuously throws the water fluid towards the inner wall of the outer shell, and then back towards the outer wall of the UV disinfection matrix 2 due to the pressure gradient. During this process, each water molecule repeatedly traverses the area with the highest UV radiation intensity in the radial direction, i.e., close to the lamp surface, achieving a high-frequency "irradiation-mixing-re-irradiation". The ultraviolet lamp matrix 2 can be fixed to the inner wall of the outer casing 1 by the external bracket. The form and method of the support structure can be reasonably arranged according to the actual situation.

[0024] A flow-dispersing section 3, disposed within the inner cavity and / or outer cavity, is used to circulate water within the inner and outer cavities, allowing it to repeatedly flow through the ultraviolet disinfection matrix 2 before being discharged from the water outlet 5. Specifically, the flow-dispersing section 3 includes a rotating shaft and flow-dispersing blades. The rotating shaft is coaxially rotatable within the ultraviolet disinfection matrix 2, and the flow-dispersing blades are disposed at the end of the rotating shaft away from the water inlet 4, used to generate a force opposing the direction of water flow.

[0025] The two ends of the rotating shaft are connected to the two side walls of the outer casing 1 through the cooperation of bearing seats and bearings. A matching drive device is set at either end of the rotating shaft. The drive device is connected to the rotating shaft through a reducer and a coupling. The drive device ultimately drives the rotating shaft to rotate, so that during the rotation, the turbulence is generated by the turbulence blades to form a counter-current flow and a circulating flow pattern between the inner and outer cavities. As for the setting position of the turbulence blades, they can be set inside the ultraviolet lamp matrix 2 or in the gap between the ultraviolet lamp matrix 2 and the outer casing 1, and can be reasonably adjusted according to actual needs.

[0026] In this embodiment, the outer wall of the rotating shaft and / or the inner wall of the outer shell 1 are provided with a reflective part 6 for reflecting ultraviolet rays. The reflective part 6 is specifically made of mirror-polished high-purity aluminum or a material coated with a high-reflectivity UV-enhancing film, forming an "integrating sphere" type reflective cavity. Any ultraviolet rays that are not directly absorbed by the water and irradiate the inner wall of the outer shell will be efficiently reflected back into the water inside the chamber, forming a complex multidirectional radiation field. Combined with the highly dispersed water flow generated by the spiral and dynamic turbulence, the propagation path of ultraviolet photons in the water becomes extremely tortuous and lengthy, significantly increasing the probability of them being absorbed by water molecules or microorganisms. This is equivalent to improving the energy density and spatial uniformity of the irradiation field without increasing the lamp power.

[0027] In this embodiment, a plurality of filter sections 10 are provided on the rotating shaft. The filter section 10 can be a long cylindrical filter cage, which is evenly distributed around the circumference of the rotating shaft. It can filter the water flow through interaction with the water flow as the rotating shaft rotates. The number and specific shape can be reasonably modified according to actual conditions. Any structure that helps to reduce water resistance and complete water filtration can be used in this invention and is within the spirit of this invention.

[0028] In this embodiment, a water flow velocity sensor 7 is installed inside the housing 1. The water flow velocity sensor 7 works in conjunction with the filter unit 10. A decrease in water flow velocity indicates that the filter unit 10 has become clogged, thus increasing water resistance and slowing the flow. Furthermore, it allows for overall monitoring of water flow velocity, providing a monitoring indicator for the dynamic process of water efficiency. Based on the flow rate feedback from the water flow velocity sensor 7, the intelligent control unit precisely starts and controls the drive device of the rotating shaft, causing it to operate at a preset optimized speed.

[0029] In this embodiment, an ultraviolet intensity sensor 8 is installed inside the housing 1. The built-in ultraviolet intensity sensor 8 and transmittance detector 9 provide real-time data feedback. If insufficient radiation dose is detected due to decreased lamp efficiency or quartz sleeve contamination, the control system can automatically adjust the water pump pressure to fine-tune the water flow residence time, or increase the UV-LED power for compensation, and provide maintenance prompts via alarm. This enhances the system's intelligence.

[0030] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a coffee machine is provided, including an ultraviolet sterilization mechanism as described above. The ultraviolet sterilization mechanism is used as a sterilization component for the water in the coffee machine, and can be connected to the coffee machine according to the actual structure of the coffee machine.

[0031] In operation, water enters the outer casing 1 through the inlet 4 and gradually rises within the casing 1 as the water level increases. The water enters tangentially and, under the influence of the low-angle spiral guide vanes formed on the outer wall of the ultraviolet disinfection matrix 2, moves in a swirling motion. At this stage, a complete swirling flow is not formed; it only forms when the water level inside the casing 1 reaches a certain level. The water then moves towards the outlet 5 in a swirling motion. Simultaneously, as the water level gradually rises, the rotating shaft drives the turbulence-inducing blades to rotate. These blades periodically cut into the water flow during continuous rotation, disrupting any possible regular streamlines, breaking up and reorganizing the water flow, and generating numerous random microscale vortices and turbulence. This dynamic turbulence achieves two key benefits: First, it ensures thorough mixing, guaranteeing that water masses from different initial positions with potentially varying radiation doses are fully mixed, resulting in a more uniform radiation dose to the microbial community and eliminating dead zones. Second, it cleans surfaces; the slow rotation of the turbulence section, combined with the water flow, creates slight shearing and scouring on the inner wall of the outer shell 1 and the inner and outer walls of the ultraviolet disinfection matrix 2, helping to prevent the adhesion and deposition of microbial films or inorganic salts on the surface and maintaining high ultraviolet transmittance. When the water rises to a certain level, the turbulence blades fully enter the water, creating a counter-current flow. This completes the turbulence process and simultaneously forms a circulating flow field between the inner and outer cavities. Depending on the placement of the turbulence blades, a circulating flow field can be formed from the inner cavity to the outer cavity or from the outer cavity to the inner cavity. The water in the circulating flow field is discharged from the water outlet 5 at a fixed speed.

[0032] During the aforementioned dynamic process, whether the water level is rising or the system is fully loaded, the water will efficiently come into high-frequency contact with the ultraviolet disinfection matrix 2, which emits ultraviolet light both inside and outside, achieving efficient disinfection within a limited transmission path. This achieves better disinfection results without extending the disinfection path or increasing the volume of the outer casing 1. Specific Implementation Method Two: The difference between this specific implementation method and the specific implementation method lies only in that... Figure 1 The horizontally positioned outer casing 1 is changed to a vertically positioned one, i.e. Figure 1 The mechanism can be obtained by rotating it 90 degrees clockwise.

[0034] In this state, the shaft can be started after the outer casing 1 is filled with water. Other operating methods are exactly the same as in Specific Implementation Method 1.

[0035] The sensors, controllers, and algorithms mentioned above are all existing technologies and will not be elaborated upon.

[0036] The embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are merely illustrative of the invention. These embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the invention to the specific implementations described. Many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of the invention, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize the invention.

Claims

1. An ultraviolet disinfection mechanism, characterized in that, include: The outer shell (1) is provided with a water inlet (4) and a water outlet (5), and an ultraviolet disinfection matrix (2) is provided inside, wherein the ultraviolet disinfection matrix (2) divides the outer shell (1) into an inner cavity and an outer cavity that are connected to each other; The turbulence section (3) is located in the inner cavity and / or outer cavity, and is used to make water circulate in the inner cavity and outer cavity, repeatedly flow through the ultraviolet disinfection matrix (2), and then be discharged from the water outlet (5).

2. The ultraviolet disinfection mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer shell (1) and the ultraviolet disinfection matrix (2) are both cylindrical and coaxially arranged, wherein the axial length of the ultraviolet disinfection matrix (2) is less than the internal axial length of the outer shell (1).

3. The ultraviolet disinfection mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ultraviolet disinfection matrix (2) is equipped with ultraviolet lamp matrices on both its inner and outer walls.

4. The ultraviolet disinfection mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The turbulence section (3) includes a rotating shaft and turbulence blades. The rotating shaft is coaxially rotatably disposed within the ultraviolet disinfection matrix (2). The turbulence blades are disposed at the end of the rotating shaft away from the water inlet (4) and are used to generate a force opposite to the direction of water flow.

5. The ultraviolet disinfection mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outer wall of the rotating shaft and / or the inner wall of the outer casing (1) are provided with a reflective part (6) for reflecting ultraviolet rays.

6. The ultraviolet disinfection mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rotating shaft is provided with several filter sections (10).

7. The ultraviolet disinfection mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: A water flow velocity sensor (7) is installed inside the outer casing (1).

8. An ultraviolet disinfection mechanism according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that: An ultraviolet intensity sensor (8) is installed inside the outer casing (1).

9. The ultraviolet disinfection mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that: The outer casing (1) is equipped with a transmittance detector (9).

10. A coffee machine comprising an ultraviolet sterilization mechanism as described in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 9.

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