Fluid addition device and water purifier

Abstract

Disclosed in the present invention are a fluid addition device and a water purifier. The fluid addition device comprises an accommodation chamber, a resistance element and a liquid discharge line, wherein the accommodation chamber is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, the liquid inlet of the accommodation chamber being connected to a liquid intake end of the resistance element, and the liquid discharge line being connected to a liquid discharge end of the resistance element; a flexible balloon is provided in the accommodation chamber, a liquid discharge end of the flexible balloon is in communication with the liquid discharge line via an output line, and a first one-way valve is provided on the output line; and the greater the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the resistance element, the greater the difference between upstream and downstream pressures generated by the resistance element. The fluid addition device enables automatic addition of fluid without providing an additional drive unit, and has the advantages such as a simple structure, a low manufacturing cost, and more precise fluid addition amount.

Description

Fluid adding device and water purifier

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on November 30, 2023, with application number 202311626107.2 and application name “A fluid adding device and water purifier”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention belongs to the technical field of fluid addition, and in particular relates to a fluid addition device and a water purifier. Background Art

[0004] During use, a water purifier requires a fluid addition device to add sweeteners or inorganic salt-based nutritional supplements to the water flow to improve the water's taste or achieve a mineral-rich water output, thereby enhancing the user experience. However, existing fluid addition devices use an electric drive to add fluid (additives), which not only increases the manufacturing cost of the fluid addition device but also prevents it from functioning properly during power outages.

[0005] Application Contents

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention discloses a fluid adding device and a water purifier to overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] In one aspect, the present invention provides a fluid adding device, comprising a receiving chamber, a resistance element, and a liquid outlet pipeline;

[0009] The accommodating chamber is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, the liquid outlet of the accommodating chamber is connected to the liquid inlet end of the resistance element, and the liquid outlet pipeline is connected to the liquid outlet end of the resistance element; a flexible bag is provided in the accommodating chamber, the liquid outlet end of the flexible bag is connected to the liquid outlet pipeline through an output pipeline, and a first one-way valve is provided on the output pipeline;

[0010] The greater the liquid flow rate flowing through the resistance element, the greater the upstream and downstream pressure difference generated by the resistance element.

[0011] Furthermore, the resistance element is a throttle valve;

[0012] Alternatively, the resistance element is a pipeline with a built-in throttling capillary, an ultrafiltration membrane, a reverse osmosis membrane, a ceramic or activated carbon filter element.

[0013] Furthermore, a mixing element is provided downstream of the connection between the liquid outlet pipeline and the output pipeline, and the mixing element is used to mix the liquid flowing through.

[0014] Furthermore, the mixing element is a Venturi mixer or a pipeline static mixer.

[0015] Furthermore, a flow monitoring element is provided on the output pipeline, and the flow monitoring element is used to monitor the flow of the fluid flowing through.

[0016] Furthermore, the flexible bag is connected to an input pipeline, and the input pipeline passes through the accommodating cavity.

[0017] Furthermore, a second one-way valve is provided on the input pipeline.

[0018] Furthermore, the first one-way valve is a spring-type one-way valve, a ball-type one-way valve, a diaphragm one-way valve or a descending check valve.

[0019] Furthermore, the flexible bag is made of rubber, latex, aluminum film, aluminum foil, PVC, PA or PE.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention provides a water purifier, in which the fluid adding device described above is provided.

[0021] The advantages and beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0022] In the fluid adding device of the present invention, a resistance element is provided to form a liquid pressure difference between the liquid in the accommodating chamber and the liquid in the liquid outlet pipeline. The liquid pressure difference can drive the first one-way valve to open, thereby allowing the fluid in the flexible bag to be injected into the liquid outlet pipeline, thereby realizing automatic addition of fluid without the need for an additional drive unit. The fluid adding device has the advantages of simple structure, low manufacturing cost and more accurate fluid addition amount. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment below. The accompanying drawings are for illustration purposes only and are not to be considered as limiting the present invention. The same reference symbols are used throughout the drawings to represent the same components. In the drawings:

[0024] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a fluid adding device in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] In the figure: 1. accommodating chamber; 2. liquid inlet pipeline; 3. resistance element; 4. connecting pipeline; 5. liquid outlet pipeline; 6. flexible bag; 7. output pipeline; 8. first one-way valve; 9. mixing element; 10. flow monitoring element; 11. input pipeline; 12. second one-way valve. Specific embodiments

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more clear, the following will provide a clear and complete description of the technical solutions of the present invention in conjunction with specific embodiments of the present invention and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] The technical solutions provided by various embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] One embodiment of the present invention discloses a fluid addition device, as shown in Figure 1 , comprising 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 can be formed by enclosing a pressure-bearing housing or formed within another structure; for example, the housing of a water purifier.

[0029] Specifically, the accommodating chamber 1 is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet. The liquid inlet pipe 2 is connected to the liquid inlet of the accommodating chamber 1, one end of the connecting pipe 4 is connected to the liquid outlet of the accommodating chamber 1, the other end of the connecting pipe 4 is connected to the liquid inlet end of the resistance element 3, and the liquid outlet pipe 5 is connected to the liquid outlet end of the resistance element 3. In this way, water flows into the accommodating chamber 1 through the liquid inlet pipe 2, then flows to the resistance element 3 through the connecting pipe 4, and finally flows out through the liquid outlet pipe 5. Of course, the liquid outlet of the accommodating chamber and the liquid inlet end of the resistance element can also be directly connected. A flexible bladder 6 is provided in the accommodating chamber 1, which can be filled with additives. The liquid outlet end of the flexible bladder 6 passes through the accommodating chamber 1 through the output pipe 7 and is connected to the liquid outlet pipe 5. The output pipe 7 is provided with a first one-way valve 8, so that the fluid (additive) in the flexible bladder 6 can only flow to the liquid outlet pipe 5 through the first one-way valve 8, and the amount of additive injected into the output pipe 7 is controlled by the first one-way valve 8. Among them, the first one-way valve is a spring one-way valve, a ball one-way valve, a diaphragm one-way valve or a drop check valve; the material of the flexible bag is rubber, latex, aluminum film, aluminum foil, PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PA (polyamide) or PE (polyethylene).

[0030] It should be noted that the greater the liquid flow rate flowing through the resistance element 3, the greater the upstream and downstream pressure difference generated by the resistance element 3, that is, the greater the liquid pressure difference between the liquid inlet end and the liquid outlet end of the resistance element 3, that is, the greater the liquid pressure difference between the liquid in the accommodating chamber 1 and the liquid in the liquid outlet pipeline 5.

[0031] The working principle of the fluid adding device is:

[0032] When water in the accommodating chamber 1 flows through the resistance element 3, a pressure differential is generated within the resistance element 3. This pressure differential drives the first one-way valve 8 to open, allowing the additive in the flexible bladder 6 to be injected into the water in the outlet pipe 7, achieving automatic injection of the additive. The greater the water flow through the resistance element 3, the greater the pressure differential generated by the resistance element 3, the greater the opening of the first one-way valve 8, and the greater the amount of additive injected into the outlet pipe 7. In other words, the water flow through the resistance element 3 and the pressure differential are linearly related, and the pressure differential is also linearly related to the amount of additive injected. This ensures that the amount of additive injected is in a fixed ratio with the water flow, achieving precise control of the amount of additive injected. When the water flow through the resistance element 3 stops, the pressure differential upstream and downstream of the resistance element 3 is zero, and there is no pressure differential between the liquid in the accommodating chamber 1 and the liquid in the outlet pipe 5. At this point, the first one-way valve 8 closes, and the additive in the flexible bladder 6 cannot be injected into the outlet pipe 7.

[0033] In summary, in the fluid adding device of this embodiment, a resistance element is provided to form a liquid pressure difference between the liquid in the accommodating chamber and the liquid in the liquid outlet pipeline. The liquid pressure difference can drive the first one-way valve to open, thereby injecting the fluid in the flexible bag into the liquid outlet pipeline, thereby realizing automatic addition of the fluid without the need to provide an additional driving unit. The fluid adding device has the advantages of simple structure, low manufacturing cost and more accurate fluid addition amount.

[0034] In this embodiment, the resistance element is a throttle valve. The greater the water flow rate flowing through the throttle valve, the greater the liquid pressure difference generated upstream and downstream of the throttle valve.

[0035] Of course, the resistance element may also be a pipeline with a built-in throttling capillary tube, an ultrafiltration membrane, a reverse osmosis membrane, a ceramic or activated carbon filter element. The throttling capillary tubes may be multiple and connected in parallel.

[0036] 1 , a mixing element 9 is provided downstream of the connection between the liquid outlet pipe 5 and the output pipe 7 . The mixing element 9 is used to mix the liquid flowing through the mixing element to ensure that the additive can be evenly mixed with the water flow, thereby better achieving the effect of the additive.

[0037] Furthermore, the mixing element is a venturi mixer or a pipeline static mixer; the mixing element may also be other devices that can achieve uniform mixing of liquids, which is also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] 1 , a flow monitoring element 10 is provided on the output pipe 7 to monitor the flow rate of the fluid flowing therethrough. Thus, the amount of additive used and the remaining amount of additive in the flexible capsule 6 can be determined based on the flow monitoring element 10 .

[0039] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG1 , the flexible bag 6 is connected to an input line 11 , which passes through the accommodating cavity 1 ; in this way, different additives can be added to the flexible bag 6 according to different scene requirements, and additives can also be replenished into the flexible bag 6 through the input line 11 .

[0040] In addition, a second one-way valve 12 is provided on the input pipe 11 to prevent the additive in the flexible bag 6 from flowing out through the input pipe 11 , thereby ensuring the liquid pressure in the flexible bag 6 .

[0041] Furthermore, the additive may be a liquid antiscalant, a membrane cleaning agent, a flavoring solution, an inorganic salt solution or a pigment solution.

[0042] Specifically, the liquid scale inhibitor can be 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 can be EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) and CDTA (cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid). The flavoring solution may be 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 at least one of soluble strontium salt solution, soluble calcium salt solution, soluble zinc salt solution, soluble magnesium salt solution, soluble lithium salt solution, soluble potassium salt solution, soluble selenium salt solution, soluble chromium salt solution and soluble molybdenum salt solution; the pigment solution may be one of capsanthin solution, beet red solution, red yeast rice solution, cochineal red solution, sorghum red solution, sodium copper chlorophyllin solution, turmeric solution, gardenia yellow solution, carotene solution, phycocyanin solution, cocoa pigment solution and caramel pigment solution.

[0043] When the resistance element is a reverse osmosis membrane and the additive is a membrane cleaning agent, the membrane cleaning agent can enhance the anti-clogging ability of the reverse osmosis membrane. When the fluid adding device stops working, the membrane cleaning agent in the liquid outlet pipeline will diffuse to the reverse osmosis membrane, thereby achieving the effect of protecting the reverse osmosis membrane.

[0044] Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a water purifier equipped with the fluid addition device of the above embodiment. The water purifier can automatically add additives to the water flow without external driving force, effectively reducing the manufacturing cost of the water purifier. The additive can be a flavoring solution or an inorganic salt solution.

[0045] The above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention. Under the above teachings of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make other improvements or modifications based on the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above description is only to better explain the purpose of the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention shall be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A fluid adding device, characterized in that: It includes a containing chamber, a resistance element and a liquid outlet pipeline; The accommodating chamber is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, the liquid outlet of the accommodating chamber is connected to the liquid inlet end of the resistance element, and the liquid outlet pipeline is connected to the liquid outlet end of the resistance element; a flexible bag is provided in the accommodating chamber, the liquid outlet end of the flexible bag is connected to the liquid outlet pipeline through an output pipeline, and a first one-way valve is provided on the output pipeline; The greater the liquid flow rate flowing through the resistance element, the greater the upstream and downstream pressure difference generated by the resistance element.

2. The fluid adding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The resistance element is a throttle valve; Alternatively, the resistance element is a pipeline with a built-in throttling capillary, an ultrafiltration membrane, a reverse osmosis membrane, a ceramic or an activated carbon filter element.

3. The fluid adding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A mixing element is provided downstream of the connection between the liquid outlet pipeline and the output pipeline, and the mixing element is used to mix the liquid flowing through.

4. The fluid adding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The mixing element is a venturi mixer or a pipeline static mixer.

5. The fluid adding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The output pipeline is provided with a flow monitoring element, and the flow monitoring element is used to monitor the flow rate of the fluid flowing through.

6. The fluid adding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible bag is connected with an input pipeline, and the input pipeline passes through the accommodating cavity.

7. The fluid adding device according to claim 6, characterized in that: A second one-way valve is arranged on the input pipeline.

8. The fluid adding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first one-way valve is a spring one-way valve, a ball one-way valve, a diaphragm one-way valve or a descending check valve.

9. The fluid adding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The material of the flexible bag is rubber, latex, aluminum film, aluminum foil, PVC, PA or PE.

10. A water purifier, characterized in that: The water purifier is provided with the fluid adding device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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