CIRCULATION TYPE WATER PURIFIER

• US 20110120921A1
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Dong Yang Electronics Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Jaekyeong
• Granted Patent: US 8,491,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/97
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0004 the beverage being stored in a container, e.g. bottle, cartridge, bag-in-box, bowl
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0009 the beverage being stored in an intermediate container connected to a supply
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0857 Cooling arrangements cooling systems per se F25B
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0895 Heating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00002 Purifying means
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/0001 for liquid
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/001 Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/44 by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis general membrane separation processes B01D61/00, membrane modules B01D63/00, electrodialysis C02F1/4693, combination of membrane modules and bioreactors C02F3/1268
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/505 by oligodynamic treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/04 for obtaining ultra-pure water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/005 Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/42 Liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/046 Recirculation with an external loop
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2305/10 Photocatalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/10 as part of a potable water dispenser, e.g. for use in homes or offices
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/20 Portable or detachable small-scale multistage treatment devices, e.g. point of use or laboratory water purification systems

Abstract

There is provided a circulation type water purifier which maximally prevents production of bacteria and microbes by periodically circulating water in the water purifier, and improves lifetime and power saving of a pump by varying the number of circulation times depending on an amount of water used. The circulation type water purifier includes a clean water filter; a storage tank in which water purified through the clean water filter is stored; a cold/hot water supply tank cooling and heating the water supplied from the storage tank to drain the cooled and heated water to respective drain outlets; a drain pipe 351 connected to the cold/hot water supply tank to drain the water in the cold/hot water supply tank when cleansing the interior of the cold/hot water supply tank; a pump 400 periodically circulating water at every circulation time under a control of a microcomputer; a circulation pipe connecting the clean water filter, the cold/hot water supply tank, the drain pipe and the pump, the circulation pipe including a first circulation pipe connecting the clean water filter and the storage tank, a first auxiliary circulation pipe connecting the storage tank and the cold/hot water supply tank, a second circulation pipe connecting the storage tank and the clean water filter, and a second auxiliary circulation pipe connecting the cold/hot water supply tank and the second circulation pipe! and a sterilizer installed to the circulation pipe to sterilize water flowed into the circulation pipe.

Claims

1. A circulation type water purifier comprising:

a clean water filter 100;

a storage tank 200 in which water purified through the clean water filter 100 is stored;

a cold/hot water supply tank 300 cooling and heating the water supplied from the storage tank 200 to drain the cooled and heated water to respective drain outlets;

a drain pipe 351 connected to the cold/hot water supply tank 300 to drain the water in the cold/hot water supply tank 300 when cleansing the interior of the cold/hot water supply tank 300;

a pump 400 periodically circulating water at every circulation time under a control of a microcomputer;

a circulation pipe connecting the clean water filter 100, the storage tank 200, the cold/hot water supply tank 300, the drain pipe 351 and the pump 400, the circulation pipe comprising a first circulation pipe 500 connecting the clean water filter 100 and the storage tank 200, a first auxiliary circulation pipe 230 connecting the storage tank 299 and the cold/hot water supply tank 300, a second circulation pipe 600 connecting the storage tank 200 and the clean water filter 100, and a second auxiliary circulation pipe 700 connecting the cold/hot water supply tank 300 and the second circulation pipe 600; and

a sterilizer 900 installed to the circulation pipe to sterilize water flowed into the circulation pipe.

2. The circulation type water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the storage tank 200 further comprises a water level sensor 211, and the water level sensor 211 interrupts the supply of water into the storage tank 200 when the water in the storage tank 200 reaches a predetermined water level.

3. The circulation type water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the cold/hot water supply tank 300 further comprises:

a cold water supply tank 301 cooling the water supplied from the storage tank 200 and then draining the cooled water to a cold water outlet 311;

a hot water supply tank 302 heating the water supplied from the storage tank 200 and then draining the heated water to a hot water outlet 321; and

sensors 331, 341 sensing an amount of water drained through each of the cold and hot water outlets 311, 321 of the cold/hot water supply tank 300.

4. The circulation type water purifier according to claim 3, wherein the cold water supply tank 300 further comprises an auxiliary cold water supply tank 301′

so that the water in the cold water supply tank 301 and the auxiliary cold water supply tank 301′

is alternately circulated.

5. The circulation type water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the pump 400 is operated at least once to 36 times for three hours.

6. The circulation type water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the second auxiliary circulation pipe 700 comprises:

a third auxiliary connection pipe 711 connecting the cold water outlet 311 and the second circulation pipe 600;

a fourth auxiliary connection pipe 721 connecting the hot water outlet 321 and the second circulation pipe 600; and

a fifth auxiliary connection pipe 731 connecting the drain pipe 351 and the second circulation pipe 600.

7. The circulation type water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the sterilizer 900 includes any one of a UV sterilizer, a far-infrared sterilizer, a silver nano sterilizer, an ozone sterilizer and a photocatalytic sterilizer, and at least one or more sterilizers are installed to the circulation pipe and the drain pipe 351 so that water passing through the circulation pipe and the drain pipe 351 is sterilized.

8. The circulation type water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the interiors of the storage tank 200, the cold/hot water supply tank 300, the circulation pipe and the drain pipe 351 are coated with an antibiotic material made of any one of silver, carbon, copper, stainless steel and titanium dioxide or a mixture comprising two or more of them.