Fluid addition device and water purifier

Abstract

The present invention discloses a fluid dosing device and a water purifier. The fluid dosing device includes a chamber, a resistor, and an outlet pipe. The chamber has an inlet and an outlet, the outlet of the chamber is connected to the inlet end of the resistor, the outlet pipe is connected to the outlet end of the resistor, a flexible bag is provided within the chamber, the outlet end of the flexible bag is connected to the outlet pipe via an output pipe, and a first check valve is provided in the output pipe. The higher the flow rate of liquid through the resistor, the greater the pressure difference between the upstream and downstream of the resistor. The fluid dosing device can achieve automatic fluid dosing without the need for a separate drive unit, and has advantages such as a simple structure, low manufacturing costs, and more accurate fluid dosing.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority from a Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on November 30, 2023, bearing application number 202311626107.2 and titled "Fluid Addition Device and Water Purifier," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to the technical field of fluid addition, and in particular to a fluid addition device and a water purifier. [Background technology]

[0003] During use, water purifiers require a fluid addition device to add sweeteners or inorganic salt-type nutritional supplements to the water flow in order to improve the texture of the water, bring out minerals, and further enhance the user experience of the water purifier. However, conventional fluid addition devices are driven electrically to add fluids (additives), which not only increases the manufacturing cost of the fluid addition device but also prevents normal operation in the event of a power outage, etc. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In response to the above problems, the present invention proposes a fluid addition device and a water purifier to eliminate or at least partially solve the above problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a fluid addition device, comprising: a storage chamber, a resistive element, and an outflow conduit; an inlet and an outlet are opened in the storage chamber, the outlet of the storage chamber is connected to the inlet end of the resistance element, the outlet conduit is connected to the outlet end of the resistance element, a flexible bag is provided in the storage chamber, the outlet end of the flexible bag is connected to the outlet conduit via an output conduit, and a first check valve is provided in the output conduit; The present invention provides a fluid addition device in which the greater the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the resistance element, the greater the pressure difference between the upstream and downstream sides of the resistance element.

[0007] Furthermore, the resistance element is a pipe containing a throttle valve, a throttle capillary, an ultrafiltration membrane, a reverse osmosis membrane, a ceramic or activated carbon filter element.

[0008] Furthermore, a mixing element for mixing the flowing liquids is provided downstream of the connection point between the liquid outlet line and the output line.

[0009] Furthermore, the mixing element is a venturi mixer or a pipe static mixer.

[0010] Furthermore, the output line is provided with a flow rate monitoring element for monitoring the flow rate of the flowing fluid.

[0011] Furthermore, an input pipe is connected to the flexible bag, and the input pipe protrudes from the storage chamber.

[0012] Furthermore, a second check valve is provided in the input line.

[0013] Furthermore, the first check valve is a spring-type check valve, a ball-type check valve, a diaphragm check valve, or a lift-type check valve.

[0014] Furthermore, the material of the flexible bag is rubber, latex, aluminum film, aluminum foil, PVC, PA or PE.

[0015] Another aspect of the present invention provides a water purifier, the water purifier including the fluid addition device described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The advantages and beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0017] In the fluid addition device of the present invention, a resistance element is provided, thereby creating a liquid pressure difference between the liquid in the storage chamber and the liquid in the outflow pipe. The liquid pressure difference drives the first check valve to open, and then the fluid in the flexible bag is injected into the outflow pipe, thereby realizing automatic fluid addition. There is no need to install a separate drive unit, and the fluid addition device has the advantages of a simple structure, low manufacturing costs, and more accurate fluid addition amount. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] Various other benefits and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. Furthermore, like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout the drawings.

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a fluid addition device according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments of the present invention and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and are not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0021] The technical solutions according to the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings.

[0022] One embodiment of the present invention discloses a fluid addition device, which, as shown in Figure 1, includes a receiving chamber 1, a liquid inlet line 2, a resistance element 3, a connecting line 4, and a liquid outlet line 5. The receiving chamber may be enclosed in a pressure-receiving housing or may be formed inside another structure. For example, the other structure may be the housing of a water purifier.

[0023] Specifically, a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet are opened in the storage chamber 1, a liquid inlet conduit 2 is connected to the liquid inlet of the storage chamber 1, one end of a connecting conduit 4 is connected to the liquid outlet of the storage chamber 1, the other end of the connecting conduit 4 is connected to the liquid inlet end of the resistance element 3, and a liquid outlet conduit 5 is connected to the liquid outlet end of the resistance element 3. In this way, the water flows into the storage chamber 1 through the liquid inlet conduit 2, then flows to the resistance element 3 through the connecting conduit 4, and finally flows out through the liquid outlet conduit 5. Of course, the liquid outlet of the storage chamber may be directly connected to the liquid inlet end of the resistance element. A flexible bag 6 is provided within the storage chamber 1, and an additive can be placed in the flexible bag 6. The outlet end of the flexible bag 6 protrudes from the storage chamber 1 via an output line 7 and communicates with the outlet line 5. A first check valve 8 is provided on the output line 7, so that the fluid (additive) in the flexible bag 6 can only flow through the first check valve 8 to the outlet line 5. The first check valve 8 controls the amount of additive injected into the output line 7. The first check valve is a spring-type check valve, a ball-type check valve, a diaphragm check valve, or a lift-type check valve, and the flexible bag is made of rubber, latex, an aluminum membrane, an aluminum foil, PVC (Polyvinyl chloride), PA (Polyamide), or PE (Polyethylene).

[0024] It is important to note that the greater the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the resistance element 3, the greater the upstream and downstream pressure difference that occurs in the resistance element 3, i.e., the greater the liquid pressure difference between the inlet end and outlet end of the resistance element 3, i.e., the greater the liquid pressure difference between the liquid in the storage chamber 1 and the liquid in the outlet pipeline 5.

[0025] The operating principle of the fluid addition device is as follows.

[0026] When the water flow in the containing chamber 1 flows through the resistance element 3, a liquid pressure difference is generated across the resistance element 3. The liquid pressure difference drives the first check valve 8 to open, and the additive in the flexible bag 6 is injected into the water flow in the output line 7, thereby realizing automatic injection of the additive. The greater the flow rate of water flowing through the resistance element 3, the greater the liquid pressure difference generated across the resistance element 3. The greater the opening of the first check valve 8, the greater the amount of additive in the flexible bag 6 that is injected into the output line 7. That is, the flow rate of water flowing through the resistance element 3 is linearly related to the liquid pressure difference, and the liquid pressure difference is linearly related to the amount of additive injected. Furthermore, it is ensured that the amount of additive injected and the flow rate of water are in a constant ratio, thereby realizing precise control of the amount of additive injected. On the other hand, when the flow of water through the resistance element 3 stops, the liquid pressure difference upstream and downstream of the resistance element 3 becomes zero, and there is no liquid pressure difference between the liquid in the storage chamber 1 and the liquid in the outlet pipe 5.At this time, the first check valve 8 closes, and the additive in the flexible bag 6 cannot be injected into the output pipe 7.

[0027] To summarize, in the fluid addition device of this embodiment, a resistance element is provided, which creates a liquid pressure difference between the liquid in the storage chamber and the liquid in the outflow pipe. The liquid pressure difference drives the first check valve to open, and then the fluid in the flexible bag is injected into the outflow pipe, thereby realizing automatic fluid addition. There is no need to install a separate driving unit, and this fluid addition device has the advantages of a simple structure, low manufacturing costs, and more accurate fluid addition amount.

[0028] In this embodiment, the resistance element is a throttle valve, and the greater the flow rate of water flowing through the throttle valve, the greater the liquid pressure difference occurring upstream and downstream of the throttle valve.

[0029] Of course, the resistance element may be, for example, a restrictor capillary, an ultrafiltration membrane, a reverse osmosis membrane, or a conduit incorporating a ceramic or activated carbon filter element. Among these, a plurality of restrictor capillaries may be connected in parallel.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, downstream of the connection between the outflow pipe 5 and the output pipe 7, a mixing element 9 is provided to mix the flowing liquid, ensuring that the additive is mixed uniformly with the water flow and making it easier to realize the effects of the additive.

[0031] Furthermore, the mixing element can be a Venturi mixer or a pipe static mixer. The mixing element can also be other devices that can achieve uniform mixing of liquids, which are also within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0032] 1, a flow rate monitoring element 10 for monitoring the flow rate of the fluid is provided in the output pipe 7. In this way, the amount of additive used and the amount of additive remaining in the flexible bag 6 can be determined based on the flow rate monitoring element 10.

[0033] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, an input pipe 11 is connected to the flexible bag 6, and the input pipe 11 protrudes from the inside of the storage chamber 1. In this way, different additives can be added to the flexible bag 6 according to the needs of different scenes, and the additives can also be replenished into the flexible bag 6 through the input pipe 11.

[0034] A second check valve 12 is provided in the input pipe 11, so that the additive in the flexible bag 6 cannot flow out through the input pipe 11, and the liquid pressure in the flexible bag 6 is also maintained.

[0035] Further, the additive may be, for example, a liquid scale inhibitor, a membrane cleaner, a flavor enhancing solution, an inorganic salt solution, or a dye solution.

[0036] Specifically, the liquid scale inhibitor may be, for example, one of phosphoric acid, polyphosphoric acid, emulsified phosphate solution, citric acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, sodium sulfate, sodium phosphate solution, ammonium nitrate solution, and chloride solution. The membrane cleaning agent may be, for example, at least one of chelating agent solutions such as EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid), and CDTA (cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid). The flavor enhancing solution may be, for example, at least one of saccharin sodium solution, acesulfame potassium solution, glycyrrhizic acid solution, sucralose solution, neotame solution, citric acid solution, sodium citrate solution, and silica sol. The inorganic salt solution may be, for example, at least one of a soluble strontium salt solution, a soluble calcium salt solution, a soluble zinc salt solution, a soluble magnesium salt solution, a soluble lithium salt solution, a soluble potassium salt solution, a soluble selenium salt solution, a soluble chromium salt solution, and a soluble molybdenum salt solution.The pigment solution may be, for example, one of a capsanthin solution, a beet red solution, a monascus solution, a cochineal solution, a sorghum solution, a copper chlorophine sodium solution, a turmeric solution, a gardenia yellow solution, a carotene solution, a phycocyanin solution, a cocoa pigment solution, and a caramel pigment solution.

[0037] If the resistance element is a reverse osmosis membrane and the additive is a membrane cleaning agent, the membrane cleaning agent will enhance the anti-clogging ability of the reverse osmosis membrane, and when the operation of the fluid addition device stops, the membrane cleaning agent in the outflow pipeline will diffuse into the reverse osmosis membrane, thereby achieving the effect of protecting the reverse osmosis membrane.

[0038] Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a water purifier equipped with the fluid dosing device of the above embodiment, which can automatically add additives to the water flow without requiring external power drive, and effectively reduces the manufacturing cost of the water purifier, where the additives can be flavor-enhancing solution or inorganic salt solution.

[0039] The above-mentioned are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can make other improvements or modifications based on the above examples under the above teachings of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above specific descriptions are for better understanding the purpose of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention is based on the protection scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 storage chamber, 2 inlet line, 3 resistance element, 4 connecting line, 5 outlet line, 6 flexible bag, 7 output line, 8 first check valve, 9 mixing element, 10 flow rate monitoring element, 11 input line, 12 second check valve.

Claims

1. A fluid addition device including a chamber, a resistive element, and an outflow conduit; an inlet and an outlet are opened in the storage chamber, the outlet of the storage chamber is connected to the inlet end of the resistance element, the outlet conduit is connected to the outlet end of the resistance element, a flexible bag is provided in the storage chamber, the outlet end of the flexible bag is connected to the outlet conduit via an output conduit, and a first check valve is provided in the output conduit; The fluid addition device is characterized in that the greater the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the resistance element, the greater the pressure difference between the upstream and downstream sides of the resistance element.

2. 2. The fluid addition device according to claim 1, wherein the resistance element is a pipe incorporating a throttle valve, a throttle capillary, an ultrafiltration membrane, a reverse osmosis membrane, a ceramic or activated carbon filter element.

3. 2. The fluid addition device according to claim 1, further comprising a mixing element for mixing the flowing liquids, provided downstream of the connection between the liquid outflow pipe and the output pipe.

4. 4. The fluid addition device according to claim 3, wherein the mixing element is a Venturi mixer or a pipe static mixer.

5. 2. The fluid addition device according to claim 1, wherein the output line is provided with a flow rate monitoring element for monitoring the flow rate of the fluid.

6. 2. The fluid addition device according to claim 1, wherein an input pipe is connected to the flexible bag, and the input pipe protrudes from the storage chamber.

7. 7. The fluid addition device according to claim 6, wherein a second check valve is provided in the input line.

8. 2. The fluid addition device according to claim 1, wherein the first check valve is a spring-type check valve, a ball-type check valve, a diaphragm check valve, or a lift-type check valve.

9. 9. The fluid addition device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible bag is made of a material selected from the group consisting of rubber, latex, aluminum film, aluminum foil, PVC, PA, and PE.

10. A water purifier, characterized in that the fluid addition device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is provided inside the water purifier.

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