Energy storage pressure stabilizing structure of water purifier and reverse osmosis water purifier

Abstract

The application discloses an energy storage pressure stabilizing structure of a water purifier and a reverse osmosis water purifier, and belongs to the technical field of water purifying equipment. The energy storage pressure stabilizing structure comprises a first pipe body, a second pipe body coaxially inserted into the first pipe body and forming an annular gap with the first pipe body, at least two through holes being formed on the pipe wall of the second pipe body and being axially spaced apart, an energy storage driving assembly slidingly fitted into the annular gap and used for energy storage and release, and an end cover valve group connected to the end of the annular gap and used for closing the port of the annular gap and forming a liquid storage cavity together with the energy storage driving assembly and controlling the one-way flow of pure water. The first pipe body and the second pipe body are coaxially arranged to form the annular gap, and the variable-volume liquid storage cavity is formed in the gap by the annular piston and the end cover valve group. The pure mechanical pressure compensation system is formed. When the user takes a small amount of water and causes the pipeline pressure to slightly decrease, the pre-stored pure water in the liquid storage cavity is extruded by the annular piston.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of water purification equipment technology, and in particular to an energy storage and pressure stabilizing structure for a water purifier and a reverse osmosis water purifier. Background Technology

[0002] The core value of reverse osmosis water purifiers in home and commercial settings lies in providing deeply purified drinking water. After municipal water supplies are transported over long distances through pipelines, they often become contaminated with rust particles from pipe wall corrosion, suspended sediment, and colloidal substances introduced during pipeline repairs. These impurities not only affect the appearance and taste of the water but may also carry microorganisms attached to it. Reverse osmosis water purifiers intercept these large particulate impurities through pre-filtration stages, protecting the subsequent core filter from clogging. The reverse osmosis membrane's ability to deeply treat dissolved pollutants in water is also crucial. Heavy metal ions such as lead, mercury, and chromium, as well as hardness components such as calcium and magnesium ions, and organic dissolved substances such as disinfection byproducts and pesticide residues, are all substances that are difficult to separate using conventional physical filtration. However, the reverse osmosis membrane, with its extremely dense micropore structure, can effectively separate these dissolved substances from water molecules at the molecular scale, thereby achieving fundamental purification of water quality. This results in purified water that meets high standards for direct drinking in terms of safety and taste.

[0003] To achieve the aforementioned automatic operation and pressure-stabilized water supply functions, existing water purifiers generally employ a control scheme using a pressure tank and a high-pressure switch. Inside the pressure tank, an air bladder separates the pure water from the compressed gas. The tank is pre-filled with gas at a certain pressure. When the water pump produces water, it forces pure water into the compressed gas inside the tank to store energy. When water is drawn, the gas expands and pushes the pure water out. The high-pressure switch monitors the pressure value in the pure water pipeline in real time. When it detects that the pipeline pressure has dropped to a preset lower threshold due to continuous water intake, it connects the circuit to start the water pump to replenish the water supply. When the pipeline pressure rises back to the set upper threshold, it disconnects the circuit to stop the water pump from working. This operating mode ensures that the water pump only starts when there is a significant drop in pipeline pressure, theoretically enabling on-demand water production and reducing the ineffective operation time of the water pump.

[0004] However, in practical use, this pressure threshold-based start-stop logic has a significant drawback. When a user performs only a very small water intake operation, such as briefly opening the tap to draw a small amount of pure water, the pressure tank will release a very small amount of pure water in response. Because the amount of water released at one time is very small, the pressure in the pipeline will only experience a very slight instantaneous drop. As a pressure-sensitive device, the high-pressure switch cannot distinguish whether this slight pressure drop is caused by a large amount of continuous water use or a small amount of instantaneous water intake. As soon as the pressure momentarily touches the set lower threshold, the high-pressure switch will immediately close and trigger the water pump to start. But by this time, the water intake operation has often already been completed. The pipeline pressure rises rapidly, and the high-pressure switch immediately disconnects, causing the water pump to undergo a complete start-stop cycle in a very short time. In daily household use, such small water intake occurs frequently, directly resulting in dozens of meaningless short-term starts and stops of the water pump within a day. This frequent short-term start-up not only generates intermittent noise that interferes with daily life, but the large current surge at the moment of startup also accelerates the aging of the water pump motor winding insulation and the fatigue wear of the pressure tank air bladder, shortening the service life of core components. At the same time, the water hammer effect caused by each start-stop repeatedly impacts the pipeline joints and seals, significantly increasing the risk of pipeline leakage and structural damage. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art and provides an energy storage and pressure stabilization structure for a water purifier and a reverse osmosis water purifier.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: an energy storage and pressure stabilizing structure for a water purifier, comprising:

[0007] first tube body;

[0008] The second tube is coaxially inserted into the first tube and forms an annular gap therewith, and at least two through holes are spaced apart along the axial direction on its tube wall.

[0009] An energy storage drive component is slidably fitted within the annular gap for storing and releasing energy;

[0010] The end cap valve assembly is connected to the end of the annular gap and is used to close the port of the annular gap. Together with the energy storage drive assembly, it forms a liquid storage chamber and controls the unidirectional flow of pure water.

[0011] The energy storage and pressure stabilizing structure is configured such that pure water enters the storage chamber through the through hole and the end cap valve group, and drives the energy storage drive component to store energy. When water is used, the energy storage drive component releases its elastic force to squeeze the pure water in the storage chamber, and flows back to the second pipe body through the end cap valve group and the through hole to maintain the stability of the pipeline water pressure.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the energy storage drive assembly includes an annular piston slidably disposed within an annular gap. Both the outer and inner rings of the annular piston are provided with sealing rings, which are used to seal against the inner wall of the first tube and the outer wall of the second tube.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the energy storage drive assembly further includes an annular top cover, which is fixed to one end of the annular gap, and a return spring is provided between the annular top cover and the annular piston.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an air spring cavity is formed between the annular top cover and the annular piston, and the return spring is a helical spring disposed in the air spring cavity, with its two ends abutting against the annular top cover and the annular piston respectively; the return spring and the enclosed air in the air spring cavity together provide a nonlinear restoring force.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the end cap valve assembly includes an annular base plate fixed to the other end of the annular gap, and the annular base plate has an inlet and an outlet.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a one-way valve is provided in both the inlet and the outlet. The inlet and the outlet are respectively connected to the corresponding through holes through two independent water passages inside the annular bottom plate to form two mutually isolated pure water flow channels for entering and exiting the liquid storage chamber.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the one-way valve includes a cylindrical valve body, a spring disposed within the valve body, and a spherical valve core, wherein the spherical valve core is configured to open or close under pressure differential to control the direction of water flow.

[0018] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a reverse osmosis water purifier, comprising:

[0019] case;

[0020] A water circuit board, fixed to the inner wall of the housing, is used to install and connect the various filter chambers and pipelines;

[0021] A filter assembly, installed on the water circuit board, is used to filter the raw water.

[0022] A pressurized water storage component is located at the bottom of the housing and is used to pressurize the filter component and store pure water.

[0023] The energy storage and pressure stabilization structure is fluidly connected to the pure water flow channel on the product water side of the reverse osmosis membrane filter element, and is used to smooth out pipeline pressure fluctuations when taking in small amounts of water.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the filtration assembly includes a first filtration chamber and a second filtration chamber, the first filtration chamber and the second filtration chamber being arranged vertically on the same side of the water circuit board, and the second filtration chamber being an RO membrane filtration chamber.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pressurized water storage component includes a water pump and a pressure tank, both of which are located at the bottom of the housing and are connected to the water circuit board via pipelines.

[0026] This invention addresses the shortcomings of the prior art and has the following beneficial effects:

[0027] (1) A ring gap is formed by the first and second pipes arranged coaxially, and a variable volume liquid storage chamber is formed in the gap by the ring piston and the end cap valve group. When the user takes a small amount of water and causes a slight drop in pipeline pressure, the pure water stored in the liquid storage chamber is squeezed by the ring piston and quickly flows back to the pipeline compensation pressure through the one-way valve and through hole, so that the pressure fluctuation is suppressed below the high-pressure switch action threshold. Compared with the passive detection mode that relies on the pressure tank and the high-pressure switch, this process does not involve circuit signal transmission and water pump start-stop response. It eliminates the frequent short-term start-stop of the water pump caused by the high-pressure switch being falsely triggered by a slight voltage drop, thereby eliminating intermittent operating noise, suppressing the accelerated aging of the motor winding insulation caused by the starting current impact, and greatly alleviating the impact damage of the water hammer effect caused by repeated start-stop to the pipeline joints and seals. This energy storage and pressure stabilization structure is responsible for handling small flow water fluctuations. The water pump and pressure tank are only responsible for continuous large flow water use, which effectively reduces the number of working cycles of the components and controls the overall operating noise and loss.

[0028] (2) By constructing a closed air spring cavity between the annular piston and the annular top cover, and configuring a reset spring to provide nonlinear restoring force, the annular piston displacement compresses the air in the cavity during the water production stage. The stiffness of the air spring gradually increases with the increase of the compression amount, avoiding a surge in pressure in the initial stage of charging. During the water intake stage, the air expansion pushes the annular piston to release energy. Under small displacement conditions, it maintains a low stiffness to sensitively follow changes in pipeline pressure, while under large displacement conditions, it provides a high stiffness to prevent excessive pressure drop. Compared with the near-linear restoring characteristics generated by the pre-filled gas in the existing pressure tank, this nonlinear restoring force design achieves more precise pressure regulation. It can stabilize the pipeline pressure between the upper and lower limits of the high-pressure switch throughout the entire process of micro-water intake, eliminating malfunctions caused by random micro-fluctuations and ensuring that the water purifier's outlet pressure remains stable.

[0029] (3) By separating the inlet and outlet, and installing a one-way valve consisting of a spring and a ball valve core at each outlet, an isolated one-way flow channel for pure water to enter and exit the storage chamber is formed. When making water, the inlet one-way valve is opened by water pressure, and water flows through the through hole to fill the storage chamber. At the same time, the outlet one-way valve is reliably closed. When taking water, the inlet one-way valve is closed, and the outlet one-way valve is opened by the pressure of the storage chamber. Pure water flows back in one direction, isolating the filling and releasing channels. This avoids the flow disturbance and pressure oscillation caused by alternating filling and releasing of a single channel. The storage chamber maintains a stable pressure state during the filling and releasing process. In the case of small flow water intake, the water output speed is uniform and continuous, eliminating the phenomenon of sudden large or small flow or instantaneous interruption, and improving the user's water use experience. Attached Figure Description

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a water purifier's energy storage and pressure stabilizing structure and a preferred embodiment of a reverse osmosis water purifier according to the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the water circuit board of a water purifier according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is an energy storage and pressure stabilizing structure for a water purifier.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the first filter chamber of a preferred embodiment of an energy storage and pressure stabilizing structure for a water purifier and a reverse osmosis water purifier according to the present invention.

[0034] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the annular base plate of a water purifier's energy storage and pressure stabilizing structure and a preferred embodiment of a reverse osmosis water purifier according to the present invention.

[0035] In the diagram: 1. Shell; 2. Water circuit board; 3. First filter chamber; 4. Second filter chamber; 5. Water pump; 6. Pressure tank; 7. First pipe body; 8. Second pipe body; 9. Annular bottom plate; 10. Annular top cover; 11. Annular piston; 12. Return spring; 13. One-way valve; 14. Through hole. Detailed Implementation

[0036] 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, and 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.

[0037] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the invention. However, the invention may also be practiced in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0038] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0039] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0040] like Figure 4 As shown, a water purifier's energy storage and pressure stabilization structure includes:

[0041] first tube body 7;

[0042] The second tube 8 is coaxially inserted inside the first tube 7 and forms an annular gap therewith, and at least two through holes 14 are spaced apart along the axial direction on its tube wall.

[0043] An energy storage drive component is slidably fitted within an annular gap for storing and releasing energy.

[0044] The end cap valve assembly is connected to the end of the annular gap to seal the port of the annular gap and together with the energy storage drive component to form a liquid storage chamber, while controlling the unidirectional flow of pure water.

[0045] The energy storage and pressure stabilization structure is configured such that pure water enters the storage chamber through the through hole 14 and the end cap valve group, and drives the energy storage drive component to store energy. When water is used, the energy storage drive component releases its elastic force to squeeze the pure water in the storage chamber, and flows back to the second pipe body 8 through the end cap valve group and the through hole 14 to maintain the stability of the pipeline water pressure.

[0046] The core innovation of this invention lies in the fact that, in the case of micro-water intake, the energy storage and pressure stabilization structure composed of the annular slit energy storage chamber and the annular piston 11 actively compensates for the slight decrease in pipeline pressure, and suppresses the pressure fluctuation below the high-pressure switch action threshold, so that the high-pressure switch will not be falsely triggered due to instantaneous micro-water use, thereby avoiding frequent charging and discharging of the pressure tank 6 and repeated short-term start and stop of the water pump 5.

[0047] Example 1:

[0048] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a reverse osmosis water purifier includes a housing 1, which serves as the frame supporting the entire machine and is made of high-strength engineering plastic to house internal components. A water circuit board 2 is bolted to the inner wall of the housing 1. The water circuit board 2 serves as a reference platform for fluid distribution and component installation, and has water channels formed inside for installing and connecting various filter chambers and pipes.

[0049] Specifically, the filter assembly is bolted to the water circuit board 2 for staged filtration of raw water. The filter assembly consists of a first filter chamber 3 and a second filter chamber 4, which are arranged vertically on the same side of the water circuit board 2. The first filter chamber 3 can be fitted with pre-filters such as PP cotton or activated carbon, while the second filter chamber 4 is an RO membrane filter chamber for installing a reverse osmosis membrane filter to achieve efficient separation of dissolved impurities in the water.

[0050] Furthermore, the pressurized water storage component is located at the bottom of the housing 1, which includes a water pump 5 and a pressure tank 6. The water pump 5 is used to provide the necessary pressurized driving force for reverse osmosis membrane filtration, while the pressure tank 6 is used to store the filtered pure water and provide a stable outlet water pressure for continuous high-flow water intake. Both the water pump 5 and the pressure tank 6 are connected to the water circuit board 2 through pipelines. On the pure water output pipeline of the water purifier, there is also a high-pressure switch for sensing the pipeline pressure and controlling the start and stop of the water pump 5 accordingly.

[0051] Example 2:

[0052] like Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, a water purifier's energy storage and pressure stabilization structure includes: a first tube 7 and a second tube 8 arranged coaxially. The first tube 7 is an outer tube, and the second tube 8 is coaxially inserted into the first tube 7, forming an annular gap with a certain radial width between the two. Several through holes 14 are opened on the tube wall of the second tube 8 to connect its internal flow channel with the external annular gap.

[0053] Specifically, the energy storage drive assembly includes an annular piston 11 that is slidably disposed in the annular gap. To ensure sealing, both the outer and inner rings of the annular piston 11 are provided with sealing rings, which form a sealing fit with the inner wall of the first tube 7 and the outer wall of the second tube 8, respectively.

[0054] Furthermore, the end cap valve assembly includes an annular base plate 9 fixed to one end of the annular gap. The annular base plate 9 has an inlet and an outlet, and both of these outlets are equipped with one-way valves 13 to control the one-way flow of pure water. The annular base plate 9 and the annular piston 11 thus jointly enclose a liquid storage chamber with variable volume.

[0055] Furthermore, two radially penetrating through holes 14 are provided on the wall of the second tube body 8, wherein the axially upward through hole is dedicated to pure water entering the liquid storage chamber, and the axially downward through hole is dedicated to pure water returning to the second tube body 8.

[0056] It should be noted that the annular base plate 9 is fitted onto the outer wall of the second tube 8 with an interference fit, and has two independent, roughly L-shaped internal water channels machined inside. One end of each L-shaped water channel opens into the inner ring surface of the annular base plate 9 and is connected one-to-one with a corresponding through hole 14, while the other end opens into the end face of the annular base plate 9 facing the liquid storage chamber. Thus, the inlet and outlet are isolated from each other and are only connected to the internal flow channel of the second tube 8 at the corresponding through hole 14, thus preventing crossflow during the filling and releasing of water.

[0057] Furthermore, the energy storage drive assembly also includes an annular top cover 10, which is fixed to the other end of the annular gap and opposite to the annular bottom plate 9. A return spring 12 is provided between the annular top cover 10 and the annular piston 11.

[0058] Specifically, an air spring cavity is formed between the annular top cover 10 and the annular piston 11. The return spring 12 cooperates with the closed air in the air spring cavity to provide restoring force. The outer ring and inner ring of the annular top cover 10 are respectively airtightly fixed to the inner wall of the first tube 7 and the outer wall of the second tube 8 through sealing rings or interference fits to ensure that the air in the air spring cavity will not leak.

[0059] It should be noted that during the water purification process, high-pressure pure water is supplied to the pipeline. A portion of the high-pressure pure water flows out through the through hole 14 on the wall of the second pipe body 8 and further enters the storage chamber through the inlet check valve 13 on the annular bottom plate 9, which is in the open state. As pure water is continuously filled in, the pressure in the storage chamber gradually increases, pushing the annular piston 11 to overcome the elastic force of the return spring 12 and compress the air in the air spring chamber, sliding towards the annular top cover 10, thereby achieving energy storage. At this time, the check valve 13 at the outlet is reliably closed.

[0060] When a user draws water at a low flow rate, the pipeline pressure drops slightly. At this time, the pressure of the pre-stored pure water in the storage chamber is relatively higher than the pipeline pressure. Under the action of the water pressure difference, the one-way valve 13 at the inlet closes, while the one-way valve 13 at the outlet opens. At the same time, the compressed return spring 12 and the compressed air in the air spring chamber release their elastic force together, pushing the annular piston 11 to slide rapidly towards the annular base plate 9, squeezing the pure water in the storage chamber. This pure water flows back through the open one-way valve 13 at the outlet and through the through hole 14 on the second pipe body 8 to the internal flow channel of the second pipe body 8, and merges into the pure water pipeline, thereby instantly compensating for the pressure drop caused by water draw and maintaining the stability of the pipeline water pressure.

[0061] Understandably, because the pressure fluctuations are effectively suppressed by this structure, the fluctuation amplitude will always be controlled below the high-pressure switch action threshold. Therefore, the high-pressure switch will not close and the water purifier will not start. Only when the user uses water continuously at a high flow rate, the pressure compensation capacity in the storage chamber is exhausted, and the pipeline pressure continues to drop to the lower limit threshold, will the high-pressure switch be triggered to start water production.

[0062] It should be noted that the first tube 7 of the energy storage and pressure stabilization structure is fixed to the inner wall of the interface hole on the water circuit plate 2 for inserting the RO membrane central tube, and the second tube 8 is an integral pipe section connected to the RO membrane central tube; the pure water flowing out from the RO membrane permeate side enters the internal flow channel of the second tube 8, and part of it enters the storage chamber through the through hole 14 and the inlet one-way valve 13 to achieve energy storage; when water is used, the pure water in the storage chamber flows back to the pure water flow channel inside the second tube 8 through the outlet one-way valve 13 and another through hole 14 to compensate for the pipeline pressure drop.

[0063] Example 3:

[0064] Based on the water purifier and energy storage and pressure stabilization structure disclosed in Example 2, this example further optimizes the performance of the energy storage drive component to provide more precise pressure regulation.

[0065] Specifically, the design of the fit between the return spring 12 and the air spring cavity was further refined.

[0066] In embodiment 2, the air spring cavity formed between the annular top cover 10 and the annular piston 11 contains a certain amount of air in addition to the return spring 12.

[0067] It should be noted that the core improvement of this embodiment lies in the fact that by reasonably configuring the initial volume of the air spring cavity and the stiffness parameters of the return spring 12, the component can provide a non-linear restoring force.

[0068] Specifically, during the water production and charging stage, the displacement of the annular piston 11 compresses the closed air in the air spring cavity and the return spring 12. As the compression increases, the reaction force of the closed air increases non-linearly, which means that the overall stiffness of the air spring will gradually increase with the increase of the displacement of the annular piston 11. This characteristic avoids the annular piston 11 moving too fast due to the instantaneous excessive pressure of pure water in the early stage of charging, which would cause a surge in pipeline pressure.

[0069] Furthermore, during the user's water release phase, the enclosed air expands and, together with the return spring 12, pushes the annular piston 11. Under conditions of small displacement and slight pressure drop, the piston displacement is small and the stiffness is low, which can sensitively follow changes in pipeline pressure and achieve smooth compensation. Under conditions of large displacement and large pressure drop, the piston displacement increases and the stiffness increases, which can provide stronger thrust and prevent excessive pressure drop in the pipeline.

[0070] Compared with the near-linear recovery characteristics generated by the pre-filled gas in the pressure tank 6 of the prior art, the non-linear recovery force design of this embodiment achieves more precise pressure regulation. This design ensures that the pipeline pressure can be stabilized between the upper and lower thresholds of the high-pressure switch throughout the entire process from a small amount of water intake to a near-large flow rate, minimizing the possibility of malfunctions caused by pressure fluctuations of various amplitudes, and making the water purifier's output pressure continuously stable, further improving the user experience.

[0071] In this embodiment, the return spring 12 is a standard metal helical spring, whose main function is to provide initial support force and guide the annular piston 11 to slide smoothly, preventing deflection and jamming.

[0072] Specifically, the core source of the nonlinear restoring force is that, due to the enclosed air in the air spring cavity, when the annular piston 11 slides towards the annular top cover 10 and compresses the air in the cavity, the air pressure rises rapidly and nonlinearly as the compression increases, forming a mechanical property that becomes harder the more it is compressed.

[0073] It is worth noting that, based on the above characteristics, this natural law of gradually increasing stiffness precisely meets the needs of water purifiers for stabilizing pressure at low flow rates: under the small pressure drop of a small amount of water intake, the piston displacement is small, the stiffness is low, and the response is sensitive; under the large pressure drop of a large flow rate, the piston displacement is large, the stiffness is high, providing stronger compensating thrust and preventing excessive pressure drop in the pipeline.

[0074] Furthermore, the return spring 12 works in parallel with the enclosed air, with the former ensuring structural stability and initial restoring force, and the latter dominating nonlinear fine control; the two work together to enable the entire energy storage and pressure stabilization structure to achieve a pressure stabilization effect superior to that of traditional pressure tanks without the need for complex mechanisms.

[0075] It should be noted that, for example, the rated working pressure of the water purifier is set to 0.6 MPa, and the effective pressure-bearing area of ​​the annular piston is 300 mm. 2 The initial spring force of the return spring is set to 36 N, which is 0.2 times the product of the working pressure and the pressure-bearing area. The maximum volume of the liquid storage chamber is set to 200 mL, and the initial volume of the air spring chamber is set to 200 mL, i.e., the ratio between the two is 1:1. The initial inflation pressure is 0.15 MPa. Under this configuration, when the liquid storage chamber is filled with water, the air spring chamber is compressed to 100 mL, the air pressure inside the chamber rises to about 0.396 MPa, and the total restoring force is about 190.8 N, exhibiting an ideal nonlinear, increasingly stiffer characteristic under pressure.

[0076] For example, when a user takes about 100ml of pure water, the pipeline pressure will experience an instantaneous pressure drop of about 0.05MPa. At this time, due to the nonlinear characteristics of the air spring chamber, the annular piston has low stiffness under small displacement, which can respond sensitively and release the corresponding amount of water, suppressing the pipeline pressure fluctuation within ±0.02MPa, which is far from reaching the action threshold of the high-pressure switch, thereby ensuring that the water pump will not start.

[0077] It should be noted that the realization of the aforementioned nonlinear restoring force depends on the reasonable matching of the initial volume of the air spring cavity and the maximum volume of the liquid storage cavity, as well as the coordinated design of the return spring stiffness and the pressure-bearing area of ​​the annular piston.

[0078] Specifically, the initial volume of the air spring chamber when the annular piston is in its initial position, i.e., when the liquid storage chamber is emptied, is set to 0.5-2 times the maximum volume of the liquid storage chamber. If the ratio is too small, the enclosed air will pressurize rapidly in the initial stage of compression, resulting in excessive charging resistance; if the ratio is too large, the stiffness change of the air spring will approach linearity, losing the advantage of nonlinear pressure regulation.

[0079] It should be noted that the stiffness of the return spring is selected based on the effective pressure-bearing area of ​​the annular piston and the rated working pressure of the pipeline, so that the initial support force provided by the return spring can match the pre-pressure of the air spring chamber in the initial state.

[0080] For example, when the pressure-bearing area of ​​the annular piston is A and the rated pressure of the pipeline is P, the elastic force of the return spring in the initial compression state can be designed to be (0.1-0.3)PA. This ensures that the annular piston can start smoothly in the early stage of charging and that there is enough residual thrust to completely squeeze out the pure water in the storage chamber at the end of the energy release.

[0081] Example 4:

[0082] Based on Example 2 or Example 3, this example optimizes the flow control mechanism for pure water entering and exiting the storage chamber, aiming to provide a more stable and undisturbed pressure compensation output.

[0083] As mentioned above, the end cap valve assembly includes an annular base plate 9 fixed to the end of the annular gap. In this embodiment, the internal structure of the annular base plate 9 is defined in detail.

[0084] Specifically, the inlet and outlet of the annular base plate 9 are independent channels that are separate from each other. More specifically, the inlet and outlet are staggered in the circumferential direction of the annular base plate 9 and correspond precisely to different through holes 14 on the outer wall of the second tube 8, thus forming two physically isolated flow channels for pure water to enter and exit the storage chamber.

[0085] Furthermore, each inlet and outlet is independently equipped with a one-way valve 13.

[0086] For example, the one-way valve 13 may include a cylindrical valve body, in which a pre-compressed spring and a spherical valve core are provided. The spherical valve core is configured to open against the spring force or close by relying on the spring force under the action of the pressure difference on both sides of the valve body, thereby precisely controlling the one-way flow of water.

[0087] During operation, the synergistic effect is significantly enhanced. In the water production stage, pure water flows out from the inside of the second pipe body 8 through a specific through hole 14, pushes open the ball valve core of the inlet check valve 13, and independently fills the storage chamber. At this time, the outlet check valve 13 remains closed due to the reverse pressure on its ball valve core. In the water use stage, the high-pressure pure water in the storage chamber cannot push open the inlet check valve 13 in the reverse direction, but can only push open the ball valve core of the outlet check valve 13 and flow back to the second pipe body 8 through another set of independent through holes 14.

[0088] Understandably, this design, which completely isolates the inlet and outlet channels, avoids the flow disturbances and pressure oscillations that are easily caused by alternating filling and discharging of water in a single channel in existing technologies. The storage chamber maintains a stable pressure state during both charging and releasing. Especially in low-flow water intake scenarios, the pure water return speed is uniform and continuous, eliminating the phenomenon of sudden changes in water flow or momentary interruptions, which significantly improves the user's water intake experience. At the same time, the independent one-way valve 13 design also improves the redundancy and reliability of the system. Even if one of the one-way valves 13 fails slightly, it will not immediately lead to the loss of the entire structure's function.

[0089] When the reverse osmosis water purifier is in the water production stage, the water pump 5 starts to deliver high-pressure pure water into the pipeline, and a portion of the high-pressure pure water flows out through the through hole 14 on the wall of the second pipe body 8.

[0090] It enters the liquid storage chamber formed by the annular piston 11 and the end cap valve assembly through the one-way valve 13 at the inlet located in the annular bottom plate 9 of the end cap valve assembly;

[0091] As pure water is continuously added, the pressure inside the storage chamber increases, pushing the annular piston 11 to overcome the elastic force of the return spring 12 and compressing the closed air in the air spring cavity between the annular top cover 10 and the annular piston 11.

[0092] The annular piston 11 slides along the annular gap between the first tube 7 and the second tube 8 toward the annular top cover 10, thereby converting the pressure energy of the water into mechanical energy and the internal energy of the air for storage. At this time, the one-way valve 13 located at the water outlet in the annular bottom plate 9 remains reliably closed.

[0093] When a user draws a small amount of water, such as a cup of water, the pipeline pressure drops slightly. The pressure of the pure water stored in the storage chamber is relatively higher than the pipeline pressure. Under the action of the water pressure difference, the one-way valve 13 at the inlet closes while the one-way valve 13 at the outlet opens.

[0094] At the same time, the compressed return spring 12 and the closed air in the air spring cavity release the elastic force together, pushing the annular piston 11 to slide in the opposite direction, squeezing the pure water in the liquid storage cavity to flow back quickly through the one-way valve 13 and through hole 14 at the outlet to the internal flow channel of the second pipe body 8 and merge into the pure water pipeline.

[0095] This allows for immediate compensation for pressure drops caused by water intake, keeping pipeline pressure fluctuations below the operating threshold of the high-pressure switch.

[0096] Since the pressure fluctuation does not reach the lower limit threshold, the high-pressure switch will not close, and the water pump 5 does not need to be started. Only when the user uses a large amount of water continuously, causing the pressure compensation capacity in the liquid storage chamber to be exhausted and the pipeline pressure to drop continuously to the lower limit threshold, will the high-pressure switch trigger the water pump 5 to start producing water. This achieves the effect of zero start and stop of the water pump 5 and instantaneous response by a purely mechanical structure in the micro-water intake scenario.

[0097] Based on the preferred embodiments of the present invention described above, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the inventive concept. The technical scope of this invention is not limited to the contents of the specification, but must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A water purifier's energy storage and pressure stabilization structure, characterized in that, include: first tube body (7); The second tube (8) is coaxially inserted inside the first tube (7) and forms an annular gap with it. At least two through holes (14) are spaced apart along the axial direction on its tube wall. An energy storage drive component is slidably fitted within the annular gap for storing and releasing energy; The end cap valve assembly is connected to the end of the annular gap and is used to close the port of the annular gap. Together with the energy storage drive assembly, it forms a liquid storage chamber and controls the unidirectional flow of pure water. The energy storage and pressure stabilization structure is configured such that pure water enters the storage chamber through the through hole (14) and the end cap valve group, and drives the energy storage drive component to store energy. When water is used, the energy storage drive component releases its elastic force to squeeze the pure water in the storage chamber, and flows back to the second pipe body (8) through the end cap valve group and the through hole (14) to maintain the stability of the pipeline water pressure.

2. The energy storage and pressure stabilizing structure for a water purifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The energy storage drive assembly includes an annular piston (11) that is slidably disposed in an annular gap. Both the outer and inner rings of the annular piston (11) are provided with sealing rings, which are used to seal the inner wall of the first tube (7) and the outer wall of the second tube (8).

3. The energy storage and pressure stabilizing structure for a water purifier according to claim 2, characterized in that: The energy storage drive assembly also includes an annular top cover (10), which is fixed to one end of the annular gap, and a return spring (12) is provided between the annular top cover (10) and the annular piston (11).

4. The energy storage and pressure stabilizing structure for a water purifier according to claim 3, characterized in that: An air spring cavity is formed between the annular top cover (10) and the annular piston (11). The reset spring (12) is a helical spring, which is disposed in the air spring cavity, with its two ends abutting against the annular top cover (10) and the annular piston (11) respectively. The reset spring (12) and the closed air in the air spring cavity together provide nonlinear restoring force.

5. The energy storage and pressure stabilizing structure for a water purifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end cap valve assembly includes an annular base plate (9) fixed to the other end of the annular gap, and the annular base plate (9) has an inlet and an outlet.

6. The energy storage and pressure stabilizing structure for a water purifier according to claim 5, characterized in that: Both the inlet and outlet are equipped with one-way valves (13). The inlet and outlet are connected to the corresponding through holes (14) through two independent water passages inside the annular bottom plate (9) to form two mutually isolated pure water flow channels to enter and exit the storage chamber.

7. The energy storage and pressure stabilizing structure for a water purifier according to claim 6, characterized in that: The one-way valve (13) includes a cylindrical valve body, a spring disposed within the valve body, and a spherical valve core, the spherical valve core being configured to open or close under pressure differential to control the direction of water flow.

8. A reverse osmosis water purifier, characterized in that, include: Shell (1); Water circuit board (2), fixed to the inner wall of the housing (1), is used to install and connect each filter chamber and pipeline; A filter assembly is installed on the water circuit board (2) for filtering raw water; A pressurized water storage component is disposed at the bottom of the housing (1) and is used to pressurize the filter component and store pure water; The energy storage and pressure stabilization structure is fluidly connected to the pure water flow channel on the product water side of the reverse osmosis membrane filter element, and is used to smooth out pipeline pressure fluctuations when taking in small amounts of water.

9. A reverse osmosis water purifier according to claim 8, characterized in that: The filtration assembly includes a first filtration chamber (3) and a second filtration chamber (4). The first filtration chamber (3) and the second filtration chamber (4) are arranged vertically on the same side of the water circuit board (2). The second filtration chamber (4) is an RO membrane filtration chamber.

10. A reverse osmosis water purifier according to claim 8, characterized in that: The pressurized water storage assembly includes a water pump (5) and a pressure tank (6). The water pump (5) and the pressure tank (6) are both located at the bottom of the housing (1) and are connected to the water circuit board (2) through pipelines.

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