Water purifier also serving as humidifier

Abstract

The utility model provides a water purifier also serving as a humidifier, which comprises a main shell, a water storage tank, a humidification storage tank, a water supply pipe, a water supply pipe, a water supply pipe and a water supply pipe, and is characterized in that the main shell is internally provided with a purified water storage tank and a humidification storage tank; a water purifier module operated by a user in a manner of pumping purified water from the purified water storage tank and discharging the purified water through a water intake; and a humidifier module which is operated by a user in such a manner that water is pumped from the humidification storage tank and atomized, and atomized spray particles are discharged through a discharge port.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a water purifier that also serves as a humidifier. More specifically, it relates to a water purifier that also serves as a humidifier, which integrates the water purifier and the humidifier into one product, enabling integrated management and operation, thereby improving management efficiency and convenience of use. Background Art

[0002] Generally, a humidifier is an appliance that artificially maintains a desired humidity when appropriate humidity is required due to dry seasons or other factors. That is, a humidifier is a device that atomizes water or vaporizes water using electricity or heat and sprays it into the room.

[0003] Such humidifiers include heating-type humidifiers, which use a heater or electrode rod to heat water to generate steam and discharge it into the indoor space, and ultrasonic humidifiers, which use ultrasonic vibrations to atomize water and discharge it into the indoor space. Considering ease of use and power consumption efficiency, ultrasonic humidifiers are more widely used than heating-type humidifiers.

[0004] Humidifiers typically use a water tank that stores water for humidification and then is placed inside the humidifier body to supply water. This is inconvenient because the water tank must be refilled periodically and cleaning the tank interior is difficult.

[0005] Furthermore, in the case of an ultrasonic humidifier, there is a problem that, due to condensation of spray particles generated by ultrasonic vibration while being discharged to the outside through the discharge port, water droplets splash onto the periphery of the discharge port, wetting or contaminating the periphery.

[0006] Recently, with the development of various home appliances, multiple home appliances are installed indoors, and humidifiers are also manufactured and used as independent products, thereby occupying a separate space indoors and causing inconveniences such as needing to be managed separately.

[0007] To solve such problems, it is necessary to combine a humidifier with other home appliances to form a single product. There is a demand for a product that can integrate a humidifier with a water purifier, which is one of the home appliances that utilize water and is widely used recently.

[0008] Prior art literature

[0009] Patent Literature

[0010] Patent Document 0001: Korean Utility Model Publication No. 20-2009-0011523 Utility Model Content

[0011] The present invention is proposed to solve the problems of the prior art. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a water purifier that also serves as a humidifier and integrates a water purifier and a humidifier into one product, so that they can be managed and operated as a whole, thereby improving management efficiency and ease of use.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a water purifier that also serves as a humidifier and can automatically receive water according to the water level without the user's periodic water replacement operation during the operation of the humidifier module, thereby making it more convenient to use.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide a water purifier also serving as a humidifier that further improves safety in use by automatically stopping water supply when disassembling the humidifier module for cleaning or the like.

[0014] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides the following water purifier also serving as a humidifier.

[0015] According to the utility model, a water purifier that also serves as a humidifier is provided, comprising: a main shell, which has a clean water storage tank for storing clean water and a humidification storage tank for storing water for humidification inside; a water purifier module, which operates in a manner such that clean water is pumped from the clean water storage tank and discharged through a water inlet by a user's operation; and a humidifier module, which operates in a manner such that water is pumped from the humidification storage tank and atomized by a user's operation, and the atomized spray particles are discharged through a discharge port.

[0016] Among them, the humidifier module includes: a base body, which is combined with the upper end of the main shell and connected to the water supply pump that pumps water from the humidification storage tank; a water tank body, which is inserted into and placed on the base body and stores water supplied by the water supply pump; a spray generating module, which is placed and combined with the upper part of the water tank body, atomizes the water stored in the water tank body through an ultrasonic vibrator, and forms a discharge channel in a manner of discharging the atomized spray particles to the outside through a blower fan; a water level sensor, which measures the water level of the water stored in the water tank body; and a control unit, which controls the working state of the water supply pump based on the water level measured by the water level sensor.

[0017] The control unit controls the operation of the water supply pump so that the water level measured by the water level sensor is maintained at a preset reference water level.

[0018] In which, the water tank body can be detachably inserted into and placed on the base body, and a supply port connected to the connecting hose of the water supply pump is formed at the lower end of the base body, and an inflow port connected to the supply port and opened and closed by an opening and closing valve is formed at the lower end of the water tank body. The opening and closing valve works in a manner that as the water tank body is placed on the base body, it is pressurized upward by the water tank body to open the inflow port, and as the water tank body is separated from the base body, it moves downward by elastic force to close the inflow port.

[0019] Among them, the spray generating module includes: a humidifying shell, which is placed and combined on the upper part of the water tank body and has the exhaust channel formed on one side; a vibration guide body, which is formed on one side of the humidifying shell in a manner of being located on the bottom surface of the water tank body and extending downward, and the ultrasonic vibrator is arranged inside; an air duct shell, which is installed inside the humidifying shell and guides the air flow generated by the blower fan to the exhaust channel; and a cover shell, which is placed on the upper part of the humidifying shell and has an exhaust hole formed on one side in a manner of forming the exhaust channel, and the exhaust channel is connected to the internal space of the vibration guide body.

[0020] The cover housing is provided with a humidification operation button operable by a user, and the control unit controls the operation of the ultrasonic vibrator and the air blower fan according to an operation signal from the humidification operation button.

[0021] The humidifying housing is provided with a combination sensing sensor capable of sensing whether the cover housing is placed and combined with the humidifying housing. When a sensing signal of the combination sensing sensor is applied, the control unit performs action control by activating the humidifying operation button.

[0022] The control unit performs operation control so as to operate the water supply pump based on the water level measured by the water level sensor in a state where the sensing signal of the combined sensing sensor is applied.

[0023] The humidification storage box is slidably coupled to the main housing in an insertable and withdrawable manner.

[0024] The effects of the utility model are as follows.

[0025] According to the utility model, the water purifier module and the humidifier module are installed in one housing, so that they can be managed and operated at the same time, thereby improving management efficiency and convenience of use, and also improving the efficiency of the indoor space.

[0026] In addition, during the operation of the humidifier module, the user does not need to perform periodic water changes and can automatically receive water according to the water level, so the user does not need to perform water replenishment operations, thereby further improving the convenience of use.

[0027] In addition, it has the effect of blocking relatively large spray particles among the spray particles atomized by ultrasonic vibration and discharging only fine spray particles to the outside, thereby preventing water from splashing around the discharge port and preventing the surrounding area from getting wet or contaminating, allowing it to be used in a cleaner environment.

[0028] Furthermore, the water supply is automatically stopped during disassembly work for cleaning the humidifier module, thereby further improving safety in use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 This is a perspective view schematically showing the outer appearance of a water purifier for a humidifier according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a conceptual diagram conceptually showing the internal configuration of a water purifier for a humidifier according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 It is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of a humidifier module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 This is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the structure of a humidifier module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 5a and Figure 5b This is a diagram schematically showing a connection structure between a base body and a water tank body of a humidifier module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 6 This is to illustrate the internal structure of the humidifier module of one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line "AA".

[0035] Figure 7 This is to illustrate the internal structure of the humidifier module of one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 Cross-sectional view taken along line "BB".

[0036] Figure 8 The figure schematically shows a rear perspective view of an air duct housing of a humidifier module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 9This is a block diagram showing control-related components of a humidifier module according to an embodiment of the present invention by functionally classifying them.

[0038] Reference numerals

[0039] 10: Main housing, 20: Water purifier module, 21: Purified water storage tank, 30: Humidifier module, 31: Humidification storage tank, 33: Water supply pump, 100: Base body, 110: Supply port, 200: Water tank body, 210: Inflow port, 220: Opening and closing valve, 300: Spray generation module, 301: Discharge channel, 310: Humidification housing, 311: Upper housing, 312: Lower housing, 313: Hollow guide portion, 314: Boss portion, 315: Protruding support portion, 316: Discharge flow guide portion, 317: Through hole, 318: Upper end open surface, 319: Combined sensing sensor, 320: Vibration guide body, 330: Air duct housing, 331: Air duct guide part, 332: Air duct part, 333: Vortex guide part, 334: Substrate support part, 335: Air flow guide part, 340: Cover housing, 341: Discharge hole, 342: Placement part, 343: Inclined surface, 345: Humidification operation button, 350: Discharge cap, 351: Discharge outlet, 360: Discharge guide part, 361: Blocking disc, 362: Blocking wing, 363: Fixing clip, 370: Ultrasonic vibrator, 380: Air supply fan, 390: PCB substrate, 400: Water level sensor, 500: Control part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following describes in detail preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, it should be noted that when assigning reference numerals to the components of the various figures, identical components, even if shown in different figures, are assigned the same reference numerals whenever possible. Furthermore, when describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of known components or functions will be omitted if such detailed descriptions would obscure the essence of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of a water purifier for a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a conceptual diagram conceptually showing the internal configuration of a water purifier for a humidifier according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] The water purifier for a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device that integrates components of a water purifier for supplying purified water and a humidifier for performing indoor humidification function into one device, and includes a main housing 10 , a water purifier module 20 , and a humidifier module 30 .

[0043] The main housing 10 is a member that forms the outer shape of the entire device and has a storage space formed therein. The storage space is provided with a purified water storage tank 21 for storing purified water and a humidification storage tank 31 for storing humidification water.

[0044] The humidification storage tank 31 can be coupled to the main housing 10 so that it can be inserted into and withdrawn from the main housing 10 via a slide rail 34. A connection port 26 can be coupled to the rear end of the humidification storage tank 31. One end of a connection hose 32 is connected to the connection port 26, and the other end of the connection hose 32 can be connected to the humidifier module 30. A separate water supply pump can be coupled to the connection hose 32 to supply water from the humidification storage tank 31 to the humidifier module 30.

[0045] The clean water storage tank 21 can also be combined in a manner that it can be inserted into and withdrawn from the main housing 10 via a slide rail 25. The connection port 26 of the clean water storage tank 21 can be connected to the water inlet 23 via a connection line 24. A water supply pump can be connected to the connection line 24 to supply water to the water inlet 23.

[0046] The humidification storage tank 31 and the purified water storage tank 21 are designed to be inserted into and removed from the main housing 10 via slide rails 34 and 25, respectively. This allows water to be added to and used in each tank 21 and 31 as needed. This allows users to directly add purified water and humidification water, eliminating the need for a separate filtration device to filter raw water. Of course, various modifications are possible, such as supplying purified water and humidification water by passing raw water through a filtration device.

[0047] The water purifier module 20 can be configured to pump purified water from the purified water storage tank 21 and discharge it through the water intake 23 based on user operation, and a water purification operation button 22 can be installed on one side of the main shell 10 in a manner that allows the user to operate the water purifier module 20.

[0048] The humidifier module 30 may be configured to pump water from the humidification storage tank 31, atomize the water, and discharge the atomized spray particles through the discharge port 351 of the discharge cap 350. To operate the humidifier module 30 in this manner, a humidification operation button 345 may be provided on one side of the main housing 10. The humidifier module 30 may be operated based on the operation of the humidification operation button 345 to discharge the humidification spray particles through the discharge port 351.

[0049] The water purifier serving as a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention may be constructed by further installing a separate humidifier module 30 in a commonly used water purifier structure. The detailed structure and working mode of the humidifier module 30 will be specifically described below.

[0050] Figure 3This is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of a humidifier module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the structure of a humidifier module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5a and Figure 5b This is a diagram schematically showing the connection structure between the base body and the water tank body of the humidifier module according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 This is to illustrate the internal structure of the humidifier module of one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The cross-sectional view taken along line "AA" of Figure 7 This is to illustrate the internal structure of the humidifier module of one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The cross-sectional view taken along line "BB" of Figure 8 1 is a schematic back perspective view of an air duct housing of a humidifier module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 This is a block diagram showing control-related components of a humidifier module according to an embodiment of the present invention by functionally classifying them.

[0051] The humidifier module 30 of one embodiment of the present invention is a device that pumps water stored in a humidification storage tank 31 through a water supply pump 33, receives water, atomizes the received water, and discharges it to an external space. It is configured to automatically receive water through the water supply pump 33 without the user having to personally replace the humidification water.

[0052] Such a humidifier module includes a base body 100 , a water tank body 200 , a mist generating module 300 , a water level sensor 400 , and a control unit 500 .

[0053] The base body 100 is connected to the connection hose 32 of the water supply pump 33 so as to receive water from the water supply pump 33. A water tank accommodating portion 101 is formed on one side of the base body 100, into which the water tank body 200 can be inserted and accommodated. A supply port 110 is formed at the lower end of the water tank accommodating portion 101 so as to receive water from the water supply pump 33.

[0054] The water tank body 200 is formed to be inserted into and placed in the water tank housing 101 of the base body 100, and stores water supplied by the water supply pump 33. An inlet port 210 is formed at the lower end of the water tank body 200, which is communicable with the supply port 110 of the base body 100. An on-off valve 220 is attached to the inlet port 210, which can open and close the inlet port 210.

[0055] If the communication structure between the water tank body 200 and the base body 100 is described in more detail, Figure 5a and Figure 5bAs shown, a supply port 110 is formed at the lower end of the base body 100, and the connection hose 32 of the water supply pump 33 is coupled to the supply port 110. The water tank body 200 is formed so that the inflow port 210 can communicate with the supply port 110 when the water tank body 200 is inserted and placed on the base body 100. Figure 5a As shown, the opening and closing valve 220 of the inflow port 210 is configured to penetrate the inflow port 210 from top to bottom and protrude downward, and close the inflow port 210 in a state of being pressed downward by the elastic spring 221. Figure 5b As shown, the on-off valve 220 is pressurized and moved upward by the base body 100 , and accordingly the inflow port 210 is opened.

[0056] In this manner, when the water tank body 200 is inserted and placed on the base body 100, the inlet port 210 is opened, thereby converting the water supplied from the water supply pump 33 into a water inflow open state, allowing it to flow into the interior of the water tank body 200. Therefore, when the water supply pump 33 is operated to supply water while the water tank body 200 is inserted and placed on the base body 100, water can flow into the water tank body 200 without performing a separate opening and closing operation.

[0057] Furthermore, when the water tank body 200 is separated from the base body 100, the opening and closing valve 220 closes the inlet port 210 by elastic force. Therefore, when the water tank body 200 is separated for cleaning, even if water remains in the water tank body 200, the water will not be discharged to the outside through the inlet port 210, but will be stably maintained inside the water tank body 200.

[0058] The mist generating module 300 is mounted and coupled to the upper portion of the water tank body 200. It is configured to atomize the water stored in the water tank body 200 using an ultrasonic vibrator 370 and discharge the atomized spray particles to the outside via a blower fan 380. A discharge channel 301 is formed within the mist generating module 300 to discharge the spray particles to the outside.

[0059] The water level sensor 400 is disposed inside the mist generating module 300 to measure the water level of the water stored in the water tank body 200 .

[0060] The control unit 500 controls the operation of the water supply pump 33 based on the water level measured by the water level sensor 400. Furthermore, the control unit 500 controls the operation of the mist generation module 300 based on an operation signal from the humidification operation button 345. More specifically, the control unit 500 controls the operation of the ultrasonic transducer 370 and the blower fan 380 of the mist generation module 300.

[0061] With this configuration, when a user operates the humidification operation button 345 to activate the humidifier module 30, the ultrasonic vibrator 370 and the blower fan 380 operate to atomize the water and discharge the spray particles to the outside. This operation reduces the water level in the water tank 200. When the water level falls below a reference water level, the controller 500 operates the water supply pump 33 to supply water from the humidification storage tank 31 to the water tank 200.

[0062] Therefore, in the humidifier module 30 of one embodiment of the present invention, as long as there is water remaining in the humidification storage tank 31 , there is no need to replace the water in the water tank body 200 at every predetermined period, and water is automatically supplied according to the water level change in the water tank body 200 .

[0063] On the other hand, a discharge cap 350 and a discharge guide member 360 are mounted on the upper end of the mist generating module 300 .

[0064] The discharge cap 350 is placed at the upper end of the discharge channel 301 and has a discharge port 351 formed on one side thereof so as to guide the spray particles discharged through the discharge channel 301 in one direction.

[0065] The discharge guide member 360 is disposed at the lower portion of the discharge cap 350 to prevent large spray particles larger than a reference size from being discharged through the discharge port 351. The discharge guide member 360 may be detachably coupled to the discharge cap 350.

[0066] The structures of the spray generating module 300 , the discharge cap 350 , and the discharge guide member 360 will be described in more detail below.

[0067] like Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the spray generating module 300 may include a humidifying housing 310 , a vibration guide body 320 , an air duct housing 330 , and a cover housing 340 .

[0068] The humidifier housing 310 is placed and coupled to the upper portion of the water tank body 200, and has an exhaust passage 301 formed on one side. The humidifier housing 310 can be formed to be separated into an upper housing 311 and a lower housing 312, forming a storage space within the housing. A blower fan 380 is mounted within the humidifier housing 310. The air flow generated by the blower fan 380 is guided to the exhaust passage 301 through the air duct housing 330. The exhaust passage 301 is connected to the interior of the vibration guide body 320, and the spray particles generated within the vibration guide body 320 are discharged to the outside along the exhaust passage 301.

[0069] A water level sensor 400 may be installed in the humidifier housing 310. The water level sensor 400 can measure the water level H in the water tank body 200, and the amount of water flowing into the water supply pump 33 can be adjusted based on the water level measured by the water level sensor 400. Specifically, when the water level in the water tank body 200 decreases due to the operation of the humidifier module 30, this is sensed by the water level sensor 400, and the control unit 500 activates the water supply pump 33, thereby automatically supplying water to maintain the water level in the water tank body 200 within a reference water level range.

[0070] The vibration guide body 320 is formed on one side of the humidification housing 310, extending downward from the bottom of the water tank body 200. An ultrasonic vibrator 370 is disposed within the body. The vibration guide body 320 may be formed in a hollow, cylindrical shape with an open top, and may have multiple through-holes formed on the bottom and sides to allow water stored in the water tank body 200 to pass freely. The ultrasonic vibrator 370 may be mounted on the bottom of the vibration guide body 320 and receive power to generate ultrasonic vibrations, thereby atomizing the water stored in the water tank body 200.

[0071] The air duct housing 330 is installed inside the humidifying housing 310 and guides the air flow generated by the blower fan 380 to the exhaust passage 301. Figure 4 、 Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, the air duct housing 330 may include: an air duct guide portion 331 disposed within the vibration guide body 320 to form the exhaust passage 301; an air duct portion 332 to guide the airflow generated by the blower fan 380 and supply it to the air duct guide portion 331; and a vortex guide portion 333 protruding from the outer side of the air duct guide portion 331 to convert the airflow guided by the air duct portion 332 into a vortex within the exhaust passage 301. Furthermore, the air duct housing 330 may include a substrate support portion 334 capable of supporting a PCB substrate 390. The PCB substrate 390 may function as the control unit 500 by mounting various electronic components such as a control chip.

[0072] The air flow flowing through the air duct portion 332 flows along the vortex guide portion 333 and is converted into a vortex in the internal space of the air duct guide portion 331. In this way, since the air flow is converted into a vortex inside the exhaust channel 301, the spray particles atomized by ultrasonic vibration move more actively together with the vortex and are discharged to the outside through the exhaust port 351. Therefore, the humidification amount can be prevented from decreasing and the humidification amount can be increased. At this time, a separate air flow guide portion 335 can be formed inside the air duct guide portion 331 in a manner to guide the vortex diffusion of the air. The air flow guide portion 335 can be formed in a disc shape that tilts downward toward the center, and a plurality of air flow holes can be formed in the center portion and the outer contour area of the center portion.

[0073] The cover housing 340 is placed on the upper portion of the humidifying housing 310 and has a discharge hole 341 formed on one side thereof to form the discharge passage 301. A humidifying operation button 345 for operating the humidifier module 30 may be provided in the cover housing 340.

[0074] The drain cap 350 can be inserted into and placed in the drain hole 341 of the cover housing 340. The drain cap 350 can be formed in a disc shape with a downwardly protruding edge portion, and can be inserted into and placed in the drain hole 341. A receiving portion 342 can be formed on the inner circumference of the drain hole 341, which protrudes toward the center so that the drain cap 350 can be placed.

[0075] The discharge guide member 360 may include: a blocking disc 361, which is detachably coupled to the bottom of the discharge cap 350 in a disc-shaped manner and located at the center of the upper end of the discharge channel 301; and a blocking wing 362, which is protrudingly formed on one side of the outer peripheral surface of the blocking disc 361 and is formed so that a gap G is formed between the protruding end and the inner peripheral surface of the discharge channel 301 (see FIG. Figure 7 ).

[0076] Reference Figure 7 A fixing clip 363 may be formed on the upper portion of the blocking disc 361, and a locking portion 352 may be formed on the lower portion of the discharge cap 350 to allow the fixing clip 363 to engage and couple. The blocking disc 361 may be detachably coupled to the discharge cap 350 via the fixing clip 363.

[0077] Blocking wing 362 is formed protrudingly on one side of the outer circumferential surface of blocking disc 361 and is positioned vertically below discharge port 351 when blocking disc 361 is coupled to discharge cap 350. Blocking wing 362 is formed to have a gap G with the inner circumferential surface of discharge passage 301, more specifically, to have a gap G with the inner end of receiving portion 342 formed in discharge hole 341.

[0078] At this time, the gap G is formed to allow fine spray particles smaller than a reference size to pass through, and to block large spray particles larger than the reference size to guide condensation. For example, the gap G can be formed in the range of 1 to 2 mm.

[0079] Furthermore, the blocking wings 362 are formed to be inclined upward from the blocking disc 361 toward the protruding end, and the protruding end can be formed parallel to the inner peripheral surface of the discharge channel 301 so as to maintain a constant gap therebetween. Since the blocking wings 362 are formed at an angle, the large spray particles condensed around the gap G can be guided downward.

[0080] With this structure, as the spray particles discharged from the discharge channel 301 are discharged to the outside through the discharge port 351, the blocking wings 362 located below the discharge port 351 block the large spray particles, allowing only the fine spray particles to be discharged. Since only the fine spray particles pass through the gap G between the blocking wings 362 and the discharge channel 301, only the fine spray particles are discharged to the outside through the discharge port 351. The large spray particles are guided to condense while passing through the gap G and fall back into the interior of the water tank body 200.

[0081] In this manner, since only fine spray particles are discharged through the discharge port 351 , splashing of water droplets around the discharge port 351 is prevented, thereby preventing the surrounding area from being wetted or contaminated.

[0082] In particular, by positioning the blocking wings 362 vertically below the discharge outlet 351, large spray particles that are discharged directly from the discharge channel 301 into the discharge outlet 351 can be more effectively blocked. Furthermore, by positioning the blocking wings 362 only vertically below the discharge outlet 351, spray particles are not blocked from being discharged into the discharge outlet 351 in other areas, thereby preventing a decrease in the overall humidification rate. In areas other than the vertically below the discharge outlet 351, rising spray particles may collide with the lower surface of the discharge cap 350 and condense, passing through the discharge outlet 351 along a longer path. During this process, some of these particles may evaporate and be discharged as fine spray particles. Therefore, by positioning the blocking wings 362 vertically below the discharge outlet 351, it is possible to prevent the discharge of large spray particles while also preventing a decrease in the humidification rate.

[0083] On the other hand, Figure 7As shown, since a gap G is formed between the placement portion 342 formed in the discharge hole 341 of the cover shell 340 and the end of the blocking wing 362, huge spray particles may condense in the peripheral area of the gap G. In order to enable such condensed particles to move smoothly along the discharge channel 301 to the lower part of the water tank body 200, an inclined surface 343 that is inclined downward toward the center direction can be formed at the end portion on the inner side of the center direction of the placement portion 342.

[0084] Furthermore, a hollow cylindrical guide portion 313 may be formed on one side of the humidifier housing 310 to form the exhaust passage 301. A boss portion 314 is formed horizontally at the upper end of the hollow guide portion 313 to receive the receiving portion 342 of the cover housing 340. A protruding support portion 315 may be formed on the upper surface of the boss portion 314 to protrude upwardly and support the receiving portion 342.

[0085] Thus, by forming the boss portion 314 and the protruding support portion 315 at the upper end of the hollow guide portion 313 of the humidifier housing 310, condensed particles generated around the gap G are prevented from flowing into the interior space of the humidifier housing 310 and can move smoothly to the lower portion of the water tank body 200. Specifically, condensed particles generated around the gap G move downward along the inclined surface 343 at the distal end of the receiving portion 342, are prevented from flowing into the interior of the humidifier housing 310 by the boss portion 314 and the protruding support portion 315, and then move downward along the inner circumferential surface of the hollow guide portion 313.

[0086] On the other hand, a discharge flow guide portion 316 may be formed in the interior space of the hollow guide portion 313 to guide the discharge flow of the spray particles. The discharge flow guide portion 316 has a hollow columnar shape with open upper and lower ends, and is formed in a shape with a horizontal cross-sectional area that decreases toward the upper portion. A plurality of through holes 317 may be formed on the side surface at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0087] By using such an exhaust flow guide portion 316 , the air flow is diffused in various directions and a more active flow occurs, so the humidification amount can be further increased.

[0088] At this time, the blocking disk 361 can be configured to maintain a gap G at a predetermined distance from the edge of the upper end open surface 318 above the upper end open surface 318 of the exhaust flow guide 316. The gap G can be formed to have the same size as the gap G formed by the blocking wing 362, for example, in the range of 1 mm to 2 mm.

[0089] In this way, by also forming a gap G between the blocking disc 361 and the discharge flow guide portion 316, huge spray particles can be prevented from being discharged again. In this case, since the gap G exists in the entire upper area of the discharge flow guide portion 316, the humidification amount can be prevented from decreasing and the humidification amount can be maintained constantly.

[0090] On the other hand, Figure 4 As shown, the humidifier housing 310 may be provided with a connection sensing sensor 319 capable of sensing whether the cover housing 340 is installed and connected to the humidifier housing 310. The connection sensing sensor 319 may be a variety of sensors and switches. For example, a magnet may be attached to one side of the cover housing 340, and the connection sensing sensor 319 may be a sensor that senses the magnetic force of the magnet. In addition, various sensors such as a contact sensing sensor and a contact switch may be used to sense whether the cover housing 340 is properly connected.

[0091] The control unit 500 can perform operation control so as to activate the humidification operation button 345 when a sensing signal from the coupling sensing sensor 319 is applied. In addition, the control unit 500 can perform operation control so as to operate the water supply pump 33 based on the water level measured by the water level sensor 400 when a sensing signal from the coupling sensing sensor 319 is applied.

[0092] This structure allows humidification and water supply only when the cover housing 340 is properly engaged, thus ensuring safer use. Specifically, when the cover housing 340, water tank body 200, and mist generating module 300 are separated for cleaning the interior of the humidifier module 30, the humidifier is controlled so that it cannot operate. In particular, in this case, water supply by the water supply pump 33 is blocked, thereby preventing damage caused by unexpected water supply during cleaning.

[0093] Furthermore, a separate human body detection sensor (not shown) may be installed in the cover housing 340, which can detect whether a person or an animal is within a reference distance from the humidifier module 30. In this case, when a detection signal from the human body detection sensor is generated, the control unit 500 can perform an operation control to stop the operation of the humidifier module 30.

[0094] Thus, when a person or an animal approaches a position within the reference distance near the humidifier module 30 , the spray particles sprayed by the humidifier module 30 are prevented from being directly supplied to the human body, thereby further improving the safety of the human body.

[0095] The above description is merely an illustrative description of the technical concept of the present invention, and those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical concept of the present invention, but are for illustrative purposes, and the scope of the technical concept of the present invention is not limited by such embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be interpreted by the claims, and all technical concepts within the scope of their equivalents shall be interpreted as falling within the scope of the rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water purifier also serving as a humidifier, characterized in that: include: A main housing having a clean water storage tank for storing clean water and a humidification storage tank for storing humidification water; A water purifier module, which operates in a manner of pumping clean water from the clean water storage tank and discharging it through a water inlet through a user's operation; as well as The humidifier module operates in such a manner that water is pumped from the humidification storage tank and atomized by a user, and the atomized spray particles are discharged through an outlet.

2. The water purifier serving as a humidifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The humidifier module comprises: a base body coupled to an upper end of the main housing and connected to a water supply pump for pumping water from the humidification storage tank; a water tank body, which is inserted into and placed on the base body and stores water supplied by the water supply pump; a spray generating module, which is placed and combined with the upper part of the water tank body, atomizes the water stored in the water tank body through an ultrasonic vibrator, and forms a discharge channel in a manner such that the atomized spray particles are discharged to the outside through a blower fan; a water level sensor that measures a water level of water stored in the water tank body; and A control unit controls the operation state of the water supply pump based on the water level measured by the water level sensor.

3. The water purifier serving as a humidifier according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control unit controls the operation of the water supply pump so that the water level measured by the water level sensor is maintained at a preset reference water level.

4. The water purifier serving as a humidifier according to claim 2, characterized in that: The water tank body can be detachably inserted into and placed on the base body. A supply port connected to a connecting hose of the water supply pump is formed at the lower end of the base body. An inflow port is formed at the lower end of the water tank body and is communicated with the supply port and opened and closed by an on-off valve. The on-off valve operates so as to be pressurized upward by the water tank body to open the inflow port when the water tank body is placed on the base body, and to be moved downward by elastic force to close the inflow port when the water tank body is separated from the base body.

5. The water purifier serving as a humidifier according to claim 2, characterized in that: The spray generating module comprises: a humidifying housing, which is placed and combined with the upper part of the water tank body and has the discharge channel formed on one side; a vibration guide body, which is formed on one side of the humidifying housing in a manner extending downwardly so as to be located at the bottom surface portion of the water tank body and has the ultrasonic vibrator disposed therein; an air duct housing installed inside the humidifying housing and guiding the air flow generated by the blower fan to the exhaust passage; and The cover housing is placed on the upper portion of the humidifying housing and has a discharge hole formed on one side in a manner of forming the discharge channel. The exhaust passage is connected to the inner space of the vibration guide body.

6. The water purifier serving as a humidifier according to claim 5, characterized in that: A humidification operation button operable by a user is installed on the cover housing. The control unit controls the operations of the ultrasonic transducer and the blower fan according to an operation signal from the humidification operation button.

7. The water purifier serving as a humidifier according to claim 6, characterized in that: The humidifying housing is provided with a combination sensing sensor capable of sensing whether the cover housing is placed and combined with the humidifying housing. The control unit performs operation control so as to activate the humidification operation button when a sensing signal from the coupling sensing sensor is applied.

8. The water purifier serving as a humidifier according to claim 7, characterized in that: The control unit performs operation control so as to operate the water supply pump based on the water level measured by the water level sensor in a state where the sensing signal of the coupling sensing sensor is applied.

9. The water purifier serving as a humidifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The humidification storage tank is slidably coupled to the main housing in an insertable and withdrawable manner.

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