Liquid dispenser having sterilizer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10918080-B2
Application number	US-201916574259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2019
Priority date	Sep 19, 2018
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A liquid dispenser may include a container having an upper opening, a pump provided in the container, a pipe through which liquid discharged from the pump is transferred, a top plate having an upper surface over which liquid flows, a filter assembly provided below the top plate, a base provided below the container, and a thermoelectric element provided in the base to cool the liquid in the container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid dispenser, comprising:
a container configured to store liquid and having an upper rim defining an upper opening;
a base to support the container;
a pump having an inlet to suction liquid stored in the container and an outlet to discharge liquid;
a lid configured to close the upper opening of the container, the lid having a hole through which liquid discharged from the pump flows;
a light that emits ultraviolet radiation toward the liquid of the container, the light being provided at a bottom of the container; and
a light housing formed in the bottom of the container to guide light emitted by the light to liquid in the container, wherein an inner surface of the light housing that surrounds the light is coated with a reflective material.

2. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein a bottom end of the light is provided in the base, and the bottom of the container is transparent.

3. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the light and the pump are electrically coupled to a printed circuit board provided in the base, the printed circuit board is electrically coupled to at least one of a battery or an external power source, wherein the light is mounted on a plate provided in the base, and a plurality of plates are provided between the plate on which the light is mounted and the bottom of the container to isolate the printed circuit board from the liquid in the container.

4. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the light is mounted on a heat sink provided in the base and is positioned to shine light to liquid flowing into the inlet of the pump.

5. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , further including a pump cover provided on top of the pump and the light, wherein the pump cover has sidewalls formed of a plurality of ribs spaced apart from each other and a flat upper surface, the upper surface having a hole through which one of an outlet of the pump or a pipe connected to an outlet of the pump is inserted, and an opening provided above the light.

6. The liquid dispenser of claim 5 , wherein the pump cover includes the light housing, which extends downward from the opening.

7. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the light is configured to shine ultraviolet radiation on liquid entering the pump.

8. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the light includes at least one ultraviolet light emitting diode.

9. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , further including a controller provided in the base to control an operation of the light, wherein the controller stops an operation of the light after a predetermined time period has passed.

10. The liquid dispenser of claim 9 , further including a communication module configured to retrieve location data on a pet and an owner, wherein, when the pet and owner are outside of a predetermined distance range from the liquid dispenser, the controller operates the light, and when the pet or the owner are within the predetermined distance range from the liquid dispenser, the controller stops an operation of the light.

11. A liquid dispenser, including:
a wall surrounding a transparent bottom surface and defining a space to store liquid;
a base provided below the transparent bottom surface;
a pump having an inlet to suction liquid stored in the space and an outlet to discharge liquid;
an ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV LED) mounted in the base and exposed through a hole provided in a top surface of the base to emit ultraviolet radiation toward liquid stored within the wall above the transparent bottom surface;
a printed circuit board (PCB) provided in the base and electrically connected to the UV LED; and
a light housing surrounding a top of the UV LED, wherein the UV LED is positioned to be adjacent to an inlet of the pump, wherein the transparent bottom surface has a circular recess inserted into the hole of the base, the UV LED is mounted on a plate provided below the circular recess, and the PCB is provided below an outer portion of the transparent bottom surface outside of the circular recess.

12. The liquid dispenser of claim 11 , further including a cover configured to cover the circular recess, wherein the light housing extends from one of the cover or the circular recess to surround the UV LED.

13. The liquid dispenser of claim 12 , wherein the cover includes a hole through which light emitted by the UV LED is guided by the light housing.

14. The liquid dispenser of claim 13 , wherein sides of the cover include openings.

15. A liquid dispenser, comprising:
a first strainer formed of a cylindrical shell having a plurality of through holes configured to filter foreign matter having a particle size larger than a size of the through holes from the liquid;
a pump provided inside the first strainer to suction liquid through the first strainer;
an ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV LED) configured to emit ultraviolet radiation toward liquid stored in a container that has passed through the first strainer, the ultraviolet light being provided inside the first strainer; and
a first filter provided in an upper portion of the container to filter liquid entering the container.

16. The liquid dispenser of claim 15 , wherein a second strainer is seated on top of the container, and the first filter is provided below the second strainer.

17. The liquid dispenser of claim 16 , further including a ramp under the second strainer configured to guide liquid falling through the second strainer toward the first filter.

18. A liquid dispenser, comprising:
a container configured to store liquid and having an upper rim defining an upper opening;
a base to support the container;
a pump having an inlet to suction liquid stored in the container and an outlet to discharge liquid;
a lid configured to close the upper opening of the container, the lid having a hole through which liquid discharged from the pump flows; and
a light that emits ultraviolet radiation toward the liquid of the container, the light being provided at a bottom of the container, wherein:
the light and the pump are electrically coupled to a printed circuit board provided in the base,
the printed circuit board is electrically coupled to at least one of a battery or an external power source,
the light is mounted on a plate provided in the base, and
a plurality of plates are provided between the plate on which the light is mounted and the bottom of the container to isolate the printed circuit board from the liquid in the container.

19. A liquid dispenser, comprising:
a container configured to store liquid and having an upper rim defining an upper opening;
a base to support the container;
a pump having an inlet to suction liquid stored in the container and an outlet to discharge liquid;
a lid configured to close the upper opening of the container, the lid having a hole through which liquid discharged from the pump flows;
a light that emits ultraviolet radiation toward the liquid of the container, the light being provided at a bottom of the container; and
a controller provided in the base to control an operation of the light, wherein, when a pet or an owner is within the predetermined distance range from the liquid dispenser, the controller is configured to stop an operation of the light.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Youn Jekwang
• Kim Youngdon
• Yoo Hyunsun
• Chun Jaehung
• Eun Yousook
• Kim Joogyeom
• Kim Sungkyung
• KIM Myongsun

Classifications

• A01K7/06

  actuated by the animal {(for poultry A01K39/0213)} · CPC title

• A01K7/022 Primary

  Pumps actuated by the drinking animal · CPC title

• A01K7/02 Primary

  Automatic devices · CPC title

• C02F2103/20

  from animal husbandry · CPC title

• B67D1/0878

  Safety, warning or controlling devices (B67D1/12 takes precedence) · CPC title