water purifier

Abstract

The present invention provides a water purifier that can prevent water from entering the sealing material of the control unit, even if the water purifier is installed in the kitchen and is splashed with water from above by the user, and the sealing material is insufficient. [Solution] The water purifier of the present invention is equipped with a liquid crystal display and is supported and fixed to a faucet, and includes a control unit in which a circuit board and sealing material are filled in a substrate holder integrally formed with the liquid crystal display, and the control unit is covered with a waterproof sheet so that water can not enter into the sealing material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a water purifier that is attached to a faucet in a home or the like for use.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a faucet-connected water purifier that is equipped with a replaceable filter cartridge filled with filter materials such as hollow fiber membranes and activated carbon, and is attached to a faucet in a home or the like to filter tap water. Since iron rust and the like contained in tap water clog the hollow fiber membrane and the flow rate decreases, or a large amount of organic substances contained in tap water are adsorbed and the adsorption performance of the activated carbon decreases, the user regularly replaces it with a new filter cartridge and continues to use it. If the replacement timing is appropriate, the user can always drink safe and delicious purified water and is healthy.

[0003] If iron rust or the like clogs the hollow fiber membrane and the flow rate decreases, it is easy for the user to notice. However, even if a large amount of organic substances are adsorbed and the adsorption performance of the activated carbon decreases, there is almost no change in taste or color, so it is difficult for the user to notice. Since the decrease in the adsorption performance of the activated carbon is correlated with the total amount of filtered water passed, it is only necessary to measure and integrate the filtration flow rate. However, since the amount of filtered water used changes every day, the measurement is complicated and troublesome.

[0004] In contrast, Patent Document 1 proposes a faucet-connected water purifier that measures and integrates the flow rate of tap water flowing into the filter cartridge, and when a predetermined total amount of filtered water is reached, displays it so that the user can visually recognize it. Even if there is no change in the taste or color of the purified water, the user can grasp the replacement timing of the filter cartridge by looking at the display without performing troublesome measurement. There is no risk of drinking purified water that has insufficient filtration due to a decrease in adsorption performance.

[0005] Among these, Patent Document 2 proposes a device that can display information regarding the timing of filter cartridge replacement based on flow rate, while being miniaturized, suppressing an increase in assembly man-hours to reduce the burden on workers, and integrating the electronic components, namely the display unit and the control board that performs flow rate detection processing, so that they are waterproof, airtight and prevent condensation, as well as a water purifier having this device. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3731530 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5794144 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, the water purifier proposed above has a waterproof structure that involves welding the LCD cover to the waterproof case and fixing the harness with a rubber gasket, and then filling it with liquid sealant in this fixed state. However, as a structure intended to prevent water ingress from above, it is bulky and has the problem of increasing the number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) The present invention, which solves the above problems, is a water purifier equipped with a liquid crystal display and supported and fixed to a faucet, comprising a control unit in which a circuit board and sealing material are filled in a substrate holder integrally formed with the liquid crystal display, and the control unit is covered with a non-waterproof sheet. (2) In the water purifier of the present invention, it is preferable that the upper surface of the control unit is covered by the upper edge of the non-waterproof sheet, and the lower surface of the control unit is covered by the lower edge of the non-waterproof sheet. (3) In the water purifier of the present invention, it is preferable that the upper end of the non-submersible sheet is positioned in the gap between the upper body forming the water purifier and the upper surface of the control unit, and is installed in a liquid-tight manner. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the water purifier of the present invention, even if the water purifier is installed on a kitchen faucet and is splashed with water by the user, and the sealing material is insufficient, water can be prevented from entering the sealing material.

[0010] Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-impermeable sheet covers the upper end of the sealing case, which prevents water from entering the sealing material due to water splashing onto the water purifier from above, as well as preventing water from entering the sealing material due to water splashing onto the water purifier from below and water vapor such as steam.

[0011] Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-submersible sheet is liquid-tightly attached between the upper body of the water purifier and the upper end of the control unit, thereby preventing water from entering the sealing material due to water splashing onto the water purifier from above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a front view of a water purifier showing an example of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a top view of a water purifier according to an example of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a right side view of a water purifier according to an example of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 2 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the water purifier, AA. [Figure 5] Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the BB of the water purifier shown. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of a water filter cartridge, illustrating an example of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the water purifier shown in the CC section. [Figure 8] This is an exploded perspective view of a power supply unit 101 used in a water purifier according to an example of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the flow rate detection unit 102 of the water purifier. [Figure 10]It is an exploded perspective view of the flow rate detection unit 102 used in the water purifier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is an enlarged view of the control unit 104 in the D-D cross-sectional view of the water purifier shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 12] It is a perspective view of the water wheel indicating member 123 of the water purifier showing an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] It is a perspective view of the control unit 104 of the water purifier showing an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] It is an enlarged view of the control unit 104 of the water purifier showing an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, desirable embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking a water purifier attached to a faucet in a kitchen or the like in a home as an example.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a front view of a water purifier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The water purifier 1 of the present invention is composed of a main body 2 incorporating a flow path switching valve shown in FIG. 4 and a filter cartridge 3 storing filter media shown in FIG. 6. A lever 5 is provided on the main body 2. By operating the lever 5, the raw water flowing in from the raw water inlet 28 through the faucet 4 can be discharged as it is as shower water (raw water shower), discharged as it is as straight water (raw water straight), or supplied to the filter cartridge 3, and can be selected and switched. The raw water supplied to the filter cartridge 3 is filtered by an adsorbent such as activated carbon or a hollow fiber membrane, etc., and is discharged as purified water from the purified water outlet 19 shown in FIG. 5.

[0015] First, the main body 2 will be described. FIG. 2 is a top view of a water purifier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a right side view of a water purifier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-section A-A in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view B-B in FIG. 2.

[0016] As shown in Figures 2-5 and 7, the main body 2 consists of a flow path switching valve body 13 equipped with three valve bodies 11a, 11b, and 11c and a valve shaft 12, a lower body 16 equipped with a raw water shower outlet 14, a raw water straight outlet 15, and a purified water outlet 19, an upper body 17 with an opening through which the flow path switching valve body 13 protrudes upward, a lever 5 for switching operations, a cartridge cap 91 for fixing the filtration cartridge 3, and a control unit 104 that integrates the flow rate and displays the result.

[0017] A ring-shaped packing 36 is fitted to the flow path switching valve body 13, and the main body 2 is attached to the faucet 4 by screwing a mounting nut 38 onto the flow path switching valve body 13 via an adapter 37 attached to the tip of the faucet 4.

[0018] Figure 7 shows a cross-section of the CC in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 7, a raw water supply port 26 for supplying raw water to the filtration cartridge 3 and a purified water inlet 29 for receiving purified water from the filtration cartridge 3 are provided at the rear of the side of the flow path switching valve body 13. The raw water supply port 26 is connected to the flow path 31a via the raw water pipeline 20, and the purified water inlet 29 is connected to the purified water outlet 19 via the purified water pipeline 30. The purified water pipeline 30 is equipped with a water turbine 122 and a water turbine support member 123 of the flow rate detection unit 102, which will be described later, and the water turbine 122 rotates when purified water flows through it.

[0019] Next, we will describe the electrical unit that integrates the flow rate and displays the result. The electrical unit consists of the power supply unit 101 shown in Figure 4, and the flow rate detection unit 102, control unit 104, reset unit 153, etc., shown in Figure 7.

[0020] Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of a power supply unit 101 used in a water purifier according to an example of one embodiment of the present invention. The power supply unit 101 consists of a battery holder 115 sandwiched between an upper body 17 and a lower body 16, a coin-type manganese dioxide lithium battery 111 (hereinafter referred to as battery 111), an anode fitting 113 and a cathode fitting 114, and a detachable battery cover 112 that securely fixes the battery in a watertight manner.

[0021] The battery cover 112 has a cylindrical battery mounting portion 116 and an O-ring 117 on its outer circumference, which prevents water from entering the battery mounting portion 116 when the battery cover 112 is attached to the battery holder 115 by the bayonet mechanism. The cylindrical battery mounting portion 116 has a notch 118 so that the battery can be easily removed by hooking a finger into it. In addition, the surface of the battery cover 112 is provided with a recess 119 for inserting and turning a coin, and letters and illustrations indicating the battery specifications and the direction of rotation for opening and closing are engraved around it. Therefore, the user can check the battery specifications and the direction of rotation of the battery cover 112, and then use a coin to remove the battery cover 112 from the battery holder 115 and replace the battery.

[0022] The anode fitting 113 and cathode fitting 114, located within the battery holder 115, are each connected by lead wires to the control unit 104 shown in Figure 7, and power from the battery 111 is supplied to the control unit 104. The lead wires and the battery holder 115 are sealed with silicone rubber to prevent water from entering the anode fitting 113, cathode fitting 114, and further into the battery mounting section 116 via the lead wires. Potting with urethane resin or sealing with rubber caps may be used instead of silicone rubber, as long as the exposed core wires of the anode fitting 113, cathode fitting 114, and lead wires can be waterproofed.

[0023] Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of a flow detection unit 102 used in a water purifier according to an example of one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7 and Figure 9, which is an enlarged view of the flow detection unit 102 in Figure 7, the flow detection unit 102 consists of a water turbine 122 containing a magnet 121, a water turbine support member 123 that rotatably supports the water turbine 122, a magnetic switch 124 that conducts current in accordance with the rotation of the magnet, and a magnetic switch holder 125 that supports and fixes the magnetic switch 124.

[0024] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the water turbine 122 consists of a cylindrical resin section 131 with multiple blades 132 formed on its outer circumference, and a magnet 121 and a metal shaft 126 are fixed coaxially with the section 131. The magnet 121 is integrally molded to be enclosed within the section 131 so as not to come into contact with water. To prevent the magnet 121 from falling out and rusting, it is also preferable to insert the magnet 121 into a magnet mounting hole provided in the molded part of the water turbine, and then weld the opening of the magnet mounting hole with a resin lid or seal it with a curable resin (sealant). As the curable resin, polyurethane is preferred for its higher safety, but epoxy resin, other sealants, or adhesives may also be used. To prevent the magnet 121 from rusting, it is also preferable to coat the magnet itself. In addition, the magnet 121 may be a rare earth magnet with strong magnetic force, or a ferrite magnet.

[0025] As shown in Figure 9, the turbine 122 is pivotally supported from the downstream side by a turbine support member 123 so that it can rotate within the water purification pipeline 30. The metal shaft 126 of the turbine 122 is inserted into a bottomed hole in the turbine support member 123, preventing the turbine 122 from shifting downstream. As shown in Figure 12, the outer circumferential surface of the turbine support member 123 is provided with a plurality of axially extending ribs 127, which deform slightly when inserted into the water purification pipeline 30, thereby ensuring secure fixation. The turbine 122 may be of the axial flow type, with its axis of rotation parallel to the direction of water supply, or it may be perpendicular to it.

[0026] As shown in Figure 9, the magnetic switch 124 is inserted into the magnetic switch holder 125 and sealed and fixed with a curable resin 137 (sealant). The magnetic switch 124 is connected to the control unit 104 by lead wires, and the pulse signal generated by the magnetic switch 124 is transmitted to the control unit 104. The magnetic switch holder 125, which houses the magnetic switch 124, is fixed so as to abut against the upper side of the outer circumference of the water purification pipeline 30 and to be located near the water turbine 122.

[0027] In the flow detection unit 102 configured in this way, the water turbine 122 rotates as purified water flows, causing the magnet 121, which is integrated with the water turbine 122, to rotate, and the magnetic field to change accordingly. When the magnet 121 rotates once, the magnetic switch 124 emits a pulse signal for two cycles, which is transmitted to the control unit 104. A reed switch or a Hall sensor may be used as the magnetic switch.

[0028] Since the flow detection unit 102 is located downstream of the filtration cartridge 3, rust and other debris cannot flow in, and rust will not get caught on the multiple blades 132 of the water turbine 122, preventing it from rotating. As a result, the flow rate of purified water can be accurately measured and accumulated, and the replacement time for the filtration cartridge 3 can be displayed.

[0029] Next, the control unit 104, the liquid crystal display 105, and the watertight sheet 180 will be described. Figure 11 is an enlarged view of the control unit 104 in the DD cross-sectional view of the water purifier shown in Figure 2. Figure 13 is a perspective view of the control unit 104 of the water purifier, showing an example of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] The control unit 104 consists of a circuit board 151 on which a CPU is installed, and a transparent board holder 152 that houses the circuit board 151. The CPU receives power from the power supply unit 101, performs calculations based on the pulse signal from the flow detection unit 102, and sends an output signal to the liquid crystal display 105.

[0031] Although the liquid crystal display 105 can be placed at a distance from the circuit board 151 and connected with lead wires, it is more reliable to support and fix it directly to the circuit board 151 to ensure reliable signal transmission.

[0032] Furthermore, to prevent water from entering from the outside and causing the circuit board 151 to malfunction, it is preferable to waterproof the circuit board 151 and the liquid crystal display 105 by fixing them to the board holder 152 through the opening and then sealing the opening with a curable resin 156 (sealant). Alternatively, a lid may be used and welded to the board holder 152 for waterproofing. By applying waterproofing in this way, it becomes unnecessary to waterproof each component individually, which simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces manufacturing costs. As the curable resin, a two-component polyurethane or epoxy resin may be used.

[0033] Furthermore, in the event that the waterproofing of the curable resin 156 (sealant) is insufficient, a waterproof sheet 180 is fixed to the control unit 104 to prevent water from entering the sealant from above. The waterproof sheet 180 is U-shaped, and it is preferable that its upper end 181 and lower end 182 are bent to conform to the shape of the control unit 104. An opening 184 is provided at the upper end 181 and is attached to the upper rib 185 of the substrate holder 152. This fixes the position of the waterproof sheet 180 and prevents it from moving in the left-right and front-back directions.

[0034] Furthermore, it is preferable that the upper end 181 is positioned in the gap 183 between the upper body 17 and the upper surface of the substrate holder 152, and the lower end 182 is positioned on the lower surface of the substrate holder 152. Also, as shown in Figure 14, it is preferable to minimize the gap 183 and compress the non-impermeable sheet 180 to maintain liquid tightness so that the upper end 181 is completely protected from water ingress from above, or to seal it with a rubber sheet 186 or a gasket.

[0035] The non-water-impermeable sheet 180, arranged in this manner, prevents water from entering the sealing material due to water splashing from above, and also prevents water from entering the sealing material due to water splashing from below into the water purifier and water vapor such as steam.

[0036] The material of the waterproof sheet 180 should be rigid enough to ensure that its upper end 181 is securely positioned on the upper surface of the substrate holder 152 and its lower end 182 is securely positioned on the lower surface of the substrate holder 152, and preferably made of PET, PP, or PVC to maintain waterproofness.

[0037] The reset unit 153 consists of a reset button 154 and a reset button case 155 to prevent water from entering the reset button. As shown in Figure 7, the tip of the reset button 154 protrudes from the upper rear side of the water purifier 1, allowing the user to reset the cumulative flow rate data by pressing the reset button 154. Furthermore, it is possible to select the cumulative flow rate at which the filter cartridge must be replaced, depending on the type of filter cartridge 3 being used. The reset button case 155 is made of elastomer, but it may also be made of ABS resin or sealed with polyurethane.

[0038] Next, we will explain the operation of water purifier 1, which is configured as described above.

[0039] Figure 4 shows the state in which raw water is discharged from the raw water shower outlet 14. When the tap is opened, raw water flows in from the raw water inlet 28, its force is reduced by the water flow mitigating member 39, and then it passes through the water passage 21c, which is opened by the valve shaft cam portion 27c pushing up the valve body 11c, and is discharged from the raw water shower outlet 14.

[0040] Here, by rotating lever 5, the raw water passes through the water passage 21c and is discharged from the raw water straight outlet 15.

[0041] When lever 5 is rotated in the opposite direction to the raw water straight stream, the raw water flows through the water passage 21a to the raw water supply port 26 shown in Figure 7. Then, it flows in through the raw water inlet 62 of the filtration cartridge 3 shown in Figure 6 and is filtered by the adsorbent layer 70, such as activated carbon, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle 68. The filtered water flows from the purified water supply port 63 to the purified water inlet 29, passes through the purified water pipeline 30, and is discharged from the purified water outlet 19.

[0042] The purified water flowing through the water purification pipeline 30 rotates the water turbine 122, and the flow rate detection unit 102 sends a pulse signal to the control unit 104, which is then integrated as the flow rate of the purified water. The remaining lifespan of the filtration cartridge is displayed on the liquid crystal display 105 according to this integrated flow rate of purified water. [Examples]

[0043] [Example 1] A 0.2 mm thick PET non-impermeable sheet 180, which is U-shaped and has its upper end 181 and lower end 182 bent to conform to the shape of the control unit 104, is attached to the control unit 104, which is mounted in a 0.5 mm gap 183 between the upper body 17 and the substrate holder 152. The control unit 104 is then assembled to the upper body 17, and the water purifier 1 is assembled as shown in Figure 1.

[0044] Assuming water was to fall from above the water purifier 1, a total of 5 liters of water were poured onto the water purifier 1 from above the upper body 17 using a 1-liter container. After disassembling the water purifier 1, it was found that although the surface of the non-impermeable sheet 180 was wet, the surface of the curable resin 156 (sealing material) of the control unit 104 on its back was not wet, thus preventing water from entering the sealing material.

[0045] [Example 2] A 0.2mm thick PET non-impermeable sheet 180, which is U-shaped and has its upper and lower ends 181 and 182 bent to conform to the shape of the control unit 104, has a 0.5mm thick silicone rubber sheet 186 attached to the upper end 181, creating a two-layer structure only at the upper end. The control unit 104, which is attached to the 0.5mm gap 183 between the upper body 17 and the substrate holder 152, is assembled to the upper body 17 as the water purifier 1 as shown in Figure 1. As mentioned above, the 0.5mm thick silicone rubber sheet 186 was compressed to a thickness of 0.3mm in order to be attached to the 0.5mm gap 183.

[0046] Similar to Example 1, assuming water was to fall from above the water purifier 1, a total of 5 liters of water were poured onto the water purifier 1 from above the upper body 17 using a 1-liter container. After disassembling the water purifier 1, it was found that although the surface of the non-impermeable sheet 180 was wet, the surface of the curable resin 156 (sealing material) of the control unit 104 on its back was not wet, thus preventing water from entering the sealing material. [Industrial applicability]

[0047] The present invention relates to a water purifier for purifying tap water, and more specifically to a faucet-mounted water purifier installed on a faucet. However, it is not limited to faucet-mounted water purifiers and can be applied to all types of water purifiers, including countertop water purifiers equipped with liquid crystal displays. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 1: Water purifier 2: Main body 3: Filtration cartridge 4: Faucet 5: Lever 8: Lever connection part 11a: Valve body 11b: Valve body 11c: Valve body 12 : Valve stem 13: Flow path switching valve body 14: Raw water shower nozzle 15: Straight tap of raw water 16: Lower body 17: Upper body 18: Valve operating section 19: Water purification outlet 20: Raw water pipeline 21a: Canal 21b: Canal 21c: Canal 22: Partition board 23 : Upper chamber 24: Lower chamber 26: Raw water supply port 27a: Valve shaft cam section 27b: Valve shaft cam section 27c: Valve shaft cam section 28: Raw water inlet 29: Water purification inlet 30: Water treatment pipeline 31a: Flow channel 31b: Flow channel 31c: Flow channel 36: Packing 37: Adapter 38: Mounting nut 39: Water flow mitigation member 61 : Container 61a: Cylindrical projection 62: Raw water inlet 63: Water purification outlet 64: Cylindrical body 65: O-ring 66: Ring-shaped filter 67: Ring-shaped filter 68 : Hollow fiber membrane bundle 69: Curing resin 70: Adsorbent layer 71: Lid 73: O-ring 74: O-ring 91: Cartridge cap 101: Power supply section 102: Flow detection unit 104: Control Unit 105: LCD display 111: Battery 112: Battery cover 113: Anode fitting 114: Cathode fitting 115: Battery holder 116: Battery compartment 117: O-ring 118: Notch 119: Recess 121: Magnet 122: Waterwheel 123: Water turbine support member 124: Magnetic switch 125: Magnetic switch holder 126: Axis 127: Rib 131: Cylinder part 132: Feather 133: Rib 137: Curing resin 151: Circuit board 152: PCB holder 153: Reset section 154: Reset button 155: Reset button case 156: Curing resin 180: Non-floodproof sheet 181: Top edge 182: Bottom edge 183: Gap 184: Aperture 185: Upper rib 186: Rubber sheet

Claims

1. A water purifier equipped with a liquid crystal display and supported and fixed to a faucet, comprising a control unit in which a circuit board and sealing material are filled in a substrate holder integrally formed with the liquid crystal display, and the control unit being covered with a non-waterproof sheet.

2. The water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the control unit is covered by the upper edge of the non-waterproof sheet, and the lower surface of the control unit is covered by the lower edge of the non-waterproof sheet.

3. The water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the upper end of the non-waterproof sheet is positioned in the gap between the upper body forming the water purifier and the upper surface of the control unit, and is installed in a liquid-tight manner.

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