Monitoring system for a drinking water purification system

• US 5,865,991 A
• Filed: 03/11/1996
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CAI, YING LIN, HSU, CHAO FOU
• Original Assignee: Hsu, Chao Fou
• Inventors: Hsu, Chao Fou
• Primary Examiner(s): Drodge, Joseph W.
• Application Number:
  US08/613,715
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 210/85, 210/87, 210/90, 210/93, 210/96.1, 210/96.2, 210/100, 210/103, 210/108, 210/138, 210/143, 210/257.2, 210/258, 210/259, 210/321.69, 210/416.3, 210/636 , 210/652, 210/739, 210/741, 210/746, 210/806, 210/195.2, 364/479.01, 364/479.1, 364/479.14, 364/496, 364/497, 364/499, 364/500, 364/501, 364/502, 364/509, 364/510, 364/550, 340/603, 340/606, 340/609
• US Class Current: 210/87
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/441 by reverse osmosis

Abstract

A monitoring device for a drinking water purification system comprising a microprocessor that controls the overall operations of the monitoring system, a LCD indicating circuit that relates information to maintenance personnel, a detecting means that analyses related data for determining the condition and extents of clogging of the filtration elements, a warning means that produces verbal or musical sound for warning consumers about the clogged condition of the water filtration elements, and a power switching means that cuts off electricity supply to the water pump of the purification system. In operation, the filtration elements will be clogged by impurities after being used for a period of time. If the filtration elements are clogged, the monitoring device will make a sound to warn of such condition of the filtration elements and will eventually cut off the power supply to the pump for stopping water delivery if the clogged filtration elements are not replaced after a certain period of time.

Claims

1. A drinking water purification system having at least a water pressure pump and a plurality of filtration elements including at least an impurity filter device, at least a reverse osmosis filtration element and at least an activated carbon filter connected in series wherein said water pressure pump pressurizes a raw water entering said impurity filter device for pre-purifying said raw water before feeding to said reverse osmosis filtration element, said drinking water purification system further comprising a monitoring device which comprises:

a microprocessor operable for storing a first predetermined reference value which is a water pressure value of a water inlet of said impurity filter device when said impurity filter device becomes ineffective, a second predetermined reference value which is a voltage value of water in a water outlet of said reverse osmosis filtration element when a PPM value of the drinking water discharged from said reverse osmosis filtration element is equal to four PPM, a third predetermined reference value which is a total water making volume value of said activated carbon filter, that is a total volume of the drinking water that said activated carbon filter is manufactured to produce before said activated carbon filter becomes ineffective;

an LCD indicator circuitry which is electrically connected to said microprocessor for notifying a user of a timing to replace each of said filtration elements and indicating a plurality of operational condition data sent from said microprocessor, said operational condition data including a current time, a recorded time showing when a previous replacement of each of said filtration elements was made, a current water making volume value that shows a current total volume of drinking water produced by each of said filtration elements, a total water making volume value, and a mechanical breakdown condition that illustrates whether said drinking water purification system is mechanically out of order;

a warning means, which is electrically connected to said microprocessor, for advancing a warning information signal to notify said user of said timing to replace each of said filtration elements, said warning means comprising a sound generating circuitry which comprises a sound circuit, a speaker driving circuit and a speaker all electrically connected, said sound circuit storing a sound track, said speaker driving circuit broadcasting said stored sound track as said warning information signal via said speaker;

a detecting means, which is electrically connected to said microprocessor for monitoring a functional condition of each of said filtration elements, comprising an impurity filter detecting circuitry, a reverse osmosis detecting circuitry and an activated carbon filter detecting circuitry, wherein

said impurity filter detecting circuitry, which is electrically connected to said microprocessor, comprising a water pressure sensor installed to said water inlet of said impurity filter device, a plurality of operational amplifiers and an analog to digital converter all electrically connected, said water pressure sensor detecting an inlet water pressure of said impurity filter device and generating a pressure condition detecting value which is readable by one of said operational amplifiers, said first predetermined reference value being preset in another of said operational amplifiers, wherein when said pressure condition detecting value regarding said inlet water pressure rising to reach said first predetermined reference value, a first analog signal is sent to said analog to digital converter for converting into a first digital signal which is transmitted to said microprocessor which then activates said warning means to advance a first warning information signal to notify said user to replace said impurity filter device,

said reverse osmosis detecting circuitry, which is electrically connected to said microprocessor, comprising a PPM detecting sensor, a plurality of operational amplifiers and an analog to digital converter all electrically connected, said PPM detecting sensor being installed in said water outlet of said reverse osmosis filtration element for detecting a PPM condition detecting value which is readable by one of said operational amplifiers, said second predetermined reference value being preset in another of said operational amplifiers, wherein when said reverse osmosis filtration element does not normally function and a PPM value detected by said PPM detecting sensor is higher than said second predetermined reference value, a second analog signal is sent to said analog to digital converter for converting into a second digital signal which is transmitted to said microprocessor which sends an activating signal to activate said warning means to advance a second warning information signal to notify said user to replace said reverse osmosis filtration element, and

said activated carbon filter detecting circuitry which is electrically connected to said microprocessor for monitoring a functional condition of said activated carbon filter by detecting a quantity of a drinking water produced said activated carbon filter by means of a water flowmeter, wherein said water flowmeter is installed in a water outlet of said activated carbon filter for determining said functional condition of said activated carbon filter by transmitting a series of pulse waves to a calculator to compute an amount of said drinking water flowing out from said activated carbon filter, wherein said calculator receives and accumulates said pulse waves to achieve said current water making volume value that is a current volume of drinking water made by said activated carbon filter as a condition detecting value, wherein when said condition detecting value exceeds said predetermined reference value, a digital signal is sent from said activated carbon filter detecting circuitry to said microprocessor to activate said microprocessor to send out an activating signal to said sound generating circuitry to generate said sound information signal to notify said user to replace said activated carbon filter;

a power switching means, which is electrically connected to said microprocessor, comprising a power cutoff circuitry which comprises a first and a second transistor and a first and a second photoelectric driving power transistor all electrically connected, wherein when said first transistor is continuously activated by said microprocessor to conduct electricity, said first photoelectric driving power transistor activates said water pressure pump to pump water flowing through each of said filtration elements, wherein said microprocessor is programmed to periodically activate said second transistor to conduct electricity and cause said second photoelectric driving power transistor to activate said water pressure pump for backwashing and cleaning said reverse osmosis filtration element automatically, wherein when said warning means generates one of said warning information signals for a predetermined period of time, said microprocessor is programmed to send a ceasing signal to activate said first transistor to stop said water pressure pump for ceasing supply of water from said drinking water purification system;

said first transistor and said photoelectric driving power transistor electrically connected, wherein when said warning means is activated to generate said warning information signal for a predetermined period of time, an activated signal is sent form said microprocessor to said power switching means to activate said transistor to conduct electricity, so that said photoelectric driving power transistor activates said electromagnetic gate to shut off said water passage connecting to said activated carbon filter for ceasing a water supply of said activated carbon filtration system; and

an information input circuitry, which is electrically connected to said microprocessor for keying in said first, second and third predetermined reference values into said microprocessor, comprising an input keyboard which has a plurality of numeral keys from 0 to 9, a "SET" key and a "CLEAR" key, wherein said total water making volume value of said activated carbon filter is keyed in by pressing said numeral keys and saved by pressing said "SET" key and deleted by pressing said "CLEAR" key.

2. A drinking water purification system having at least a water pressure pump and a plurality of filtration elements including at least an impurity filter device, at least a reverse osmosis filtration element and at least an activated carbon filter connected in series wherein said water pressure pump pressurizes a raw water entering said impurity filter device for pre-purifying said raw water before feeding to said reverse osmosis filtration element, said drinking water purification system further comprising a monitoring device which comprises:

a microprocessor operable for storing a first predetermined reference value which is a water pressure difference value between a water inlet and a water outlet of said impurity filter device when said impurity filter device becomes ineffective, a second predetermined reference value which is a voltage value of water in a water outlet of said reverse osmosis filtration element when a PPM value of the drinking water discharged from said reverse osmosis filtration element is equal to four, a third predetermined reference value which is a total water making volume value of said activated carbon filter, that is a total volume of the drinking water that said activated carbon filter is manufactured to produce before said activated carbon filter becomes ineffective;

an LCD indicator circuitry which is electrically connected to said microprocessor for notifying a user of a timing to replace each of said filtration elements and indicating a plurality of operational condition data sent from said microprocessor, said operational condition data including a current time, a recorded time showing when a previous replacement of each of said filtration elements was made, a current water making volume value that shows a current total volume of drinking water produced by each of said filtration elements, a total water making volume value, and a mechanical breakdown condition that illustrates whether said drinking water purification system is mechanically out of order;

a warning means, which is electrically connected to said microprocessor, for advancing a warning information signal to notify said user of said timing to replace each of said filtration elements, said warning means comprising a sound generating circuitry which comprises a sound circuit, a speaker driving circuit and a speaker all electrically connected, said sound circuit storing a sound track, said speaker driving circuit broadcasting said stored sound track as said warning information signal via said speaker;

a detecting means, which is electrically connected to said microprocessor for monitoring a functional condition of each of said filtration elements, comprising an impurity filter detecting circuitry, a reverse osmosis detecting circuitry and an activated carbon filter detecting circuitry, wherein

said impurity filter detecting circuitry, which is electrically connected to said microprocessor, comprising two identical impurity filter detecting circuitries each comprising a water pressure sensor and a plurality of operational amplifiers and an analog to digital converter all electrically connected, wherein said two water pressure sensors are respectively installed at a water inlet and a water outlet of said impurity filter for detecting an inlet water pressure and an outlet water pressure of said impurity filter device respectively and generating a pressure condition detecting value which is a differential pressure between said inlet water pressure and said outlet water pressure and are readable by one of said operational amplifiers of each of said impurity filter detecting circuitries, wherein when said pressure condition detecting value rising to reach said first predetermined reference value, a first analog signal is sent to said analog to digital converter for converting into a first digital signal which is transmitted to said microprocessor which then activates said warning means to advance a first warning information signal to notify said user to replace said impurity filter device,

said reverse osmosis detecting circuitry, which is electrically connected to said microprocessor, comprising a PPM detecting sensor, a plurality of operational amplifiers and an analog to digital converter all electrically connected, said PPM detecting sensor being installed in said water outlet of said reverse osmosis filtration element for detecting a PPM condition detecting value which is readable by one of said operational amplifiers, said second predetermined reference value being preset in another of said operational amplifiers, wherein when said reverse osmosis filtration element does not normally function and a PPM value detected by said PPM detecting sensor is higher than said second predetermined reference value, a second analog signal is sent to said analog to digital converter for converting into a second digital signal which is transmitted to said microprocessor which sends an activating signal to activate said warning means to advance a second warning information signal to notify said user to replace said reverse osmosis filtration element, and

said activated carbon filter detecting circuitry which is electrically connected to said microprocessor for monitoring a functional condition of said activated carbon filter by detecting a quantity of a drinking water produced said activated carbon filter by means of a water flowmeter, wherein said water flowmeter is installed in a water outlet of said activated carbon filter for determining said functional condition of said activated carbon filter by transmitting a series of pulse waves to a calculator to compute an amount of said drinking water flowing out from said activated carbon filter, wherein said calculator receives and accumulates said pulse waves to achieve said current water making volume value that is a current volume of drinking water made by said activated carbon filter as a condition detecting value, wherein when said condition detecting value exceeds said predetermined reference value, a digital signal is sent from said activated carbon filter detecting circuitry to said microprocessor to activate said microprocessor to send out an activating signal to said sound generating circuitry to generate said sound information signal to notify said user to replace said activated carbon filter;

a power switching means, which is electrically connected to said microprocessor, comprising a power cutoff circuitry which comprises a first and a second transistor and a first and a second photoelectric driving power transistor all electrically connected, wherein when said first transistor is continuously activated by said microprocessor to conduct electricity, said first photoelectric driving power transistor activates said water pressure pump to pump water flowing through each of said filtration elements, wherein said microprocessor is programmed to periodically activate said second transistor to conduct electricity and cause said second photoelectric driving power transistor to activate said water pressure pump for backwashing and cleaning said reverse osmosis filtration element automatically, wherein when said warning means generates one of said warning information signals for a predetermined period of time, said microprocessor is programmed to send a ceasing signal to activate said first transistor to stop said water pressure pump for ceasing water supply of said drinking water purification system;

said first transistor and said photoelectric driving power transistor electrically connected, wherein when said warning means is activated to generate said warning information signal for a predetermined period of time, an activated signal is sent form said microprocessor to said power switching means to activate said transistor to conduct electricity, so that said photoelectric driving power transistor activates said electromagnetic gate to shut off said water passage connecting to said activated carbon filter for ceasing a water supply of said activated carbon filtration system; and

an information input circuitry, which is electrically connected to said microprocessor for keying in said first, second and third predetermined reference values into said microprocessor, comprising an input keyboard which has a plurality of numeral keys from 0 to 9, a "SET" key and a "CLEAR" key, wherein said total water making volume value of said activated carbon filter is keyed in by pressing said numeral keys and saved by pressing said "SET" key and deleted by pressing said "CLEAR" key.