Water purifier with ice-maker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12157661-B2
Application number	US-202117999369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2021
Priority date	May 21, 2020
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

An ice-making water purifier includes a water tank unit, an instantaneous heating device, an extraction member, an ice-maker, a supply pump, an ice-making water inlet passage, an ice-making water supply valve, a flow rate sensor, and a controller configured to control driving of the supply pump and the opening and closing of the ice-making water supply valve such that purified water corresponding to a predetermined supply amount of ice-making water is supplied to the ice-maker on the basis of a flow rate value measured by the flow rate sensor. The controller controls the opening and closing of the channel such that purified water is preferentially supplied to the instantaneous heating device among the instantaneous heating device and the ice-maker.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ice-making water purifier, comprising:
a water tank configured to store purified water;
an instantaneous heater having a water inlet through which purified water is supplied from the water tank and a water outlet through which purified water is heated and discharged, the instantaneous heater being configured to heat the purified water flowing into the water inlet, wherein hot water is discharged through the water outlet;
an extraction member located above the instantaneous heater and configured to extract the hot water discharged from the instantaneous heater by opening a hot-water extraction valve;
an ice-maker configured to receive purified water from the water tank and to produce ice;
a supply pump configured to supply purified water from the water tank to the instantaneous heater and the ice-maker;
an ice-maker water inlet passage branched from a passage connecting the supply pump and the instantaneous heater, so as to be connected to the ice-maker;
an ice-making water supply valve provided in the ice-maker water inlet passage and configured to be opened to supply purified water from the water tank to the ice-maker;
a flow rate sensor installed upstream of a point at which the ice-maker water inlet passage is branched to measure a flow rate of the purified water supplied from the water tank to the instantaneous heater and the ice-maker, respectively; and
a controller configured to control driving of the supply pump and opening and closing of the ice-making water supply valve such that purified water corresponding to a predetermined supply amount of ice-making water is supplied to the ice-maker on a basis of a flow rate value measured by the flow rate sensor, wherein
the controller is configured to control opening and closing of the passage such that purified water is supplied to the instantaneous heater among the instantaneous heater and the ice-maker,
when an ice-making signal for producing ice in a state in which purified water is input to the instantaneous heater, the controller is configured such that purified water is not supplied to the ice-maker, and
the controller is configured to open the ice-making water supply valve after the supply of purified water to the instantaneous heater is finished, such that purified water corresponding to the supply amount of the ice-making water is supplied to the ice-maker.

2. The ice-making water purifier of claim 1 , wherein the ice-maker is installed in a horizontal position with at least a portion of the water tank, and is configured such that purified water is introduced to the ice-maker from the water tank by pressurization of the supply pump.

3. The ice-making water purifier of claim 2 , wherein
the water tank comprises a purified water tank configured to accommodate purified water at room temperature,
wherein the ice-maker is installed in a horizontal position with at least a portion of the purified water tank.

4. The ice-making water purifier of claim 1 , wherein, when a hot-water extraction signal is input, the controller is configured to close the ice-making water supply valve and drive the supply pump such that purified water is supplied to the instantaneous heater.

5. The ice-making water purifier of claim 4 , wherein, when the hot-water extraction signal is input, the controller is configured to perform an initial drain process for draining purified water initially supplied to the instantaneous heater according to a predetermined first drain condition, and open the hot-water extraction valve after the initial drain process is performed, such that hot water is extracted through the extraction member.

6. The ice-making water purifier of claim 1 , wherein, when a hot-water extraction signal is input, while purified water is supplied to the ice-maker by opening of the ice-making water supply valve, the controller is configured to:
close the ice-maker water supply valve such that supply of purified water to the ice-maker is blocked and supply of purified water to the instantaneous heater is performed, and
open the ice-maker water supply valve again when the supply of purified water to the instantaneous heater is stopped due to an input of a hot-water extraction end signal such that a remaining amount of purified water, not supplied to the ice-maker, among the supply amount of ice-making water is supplied to the ice-maker.

7. The ice-making water purifier of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to accumulate an amount of purified water supplied to the ice-maker based on a measured value of the flow rate sensor, store the accumulated amount of purified water supplied until the hot-water extraction signal is input and the ice-making water supply valve is closed, and control supply of purified water to the ice-maker based on the stored accumulated supply amount when the supply of purified water to the ice-maker is resumed.

8. The ice-making water purifier of claim 6 , wherein, when the hot-water extraction end signal is input, the controller is configured to perform a final drain process of draining hot water accommodated in the instantaneous heater according to a predetermined second drain condition, stop the supply of purified water to the instantaneous heater after the final drain process is performed, and open the ice- making water supply valve again such that purified water is supplied to the ice-maker.

9. The ice-making water purifier of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a voltage or current applied to the instantaneous heater based on a flow rate value supplied by the flow rate sensor.

10. An ice-making water purifier, comprising:
a filter unit having at least one filter configured to generate purified water;
an instantaneous heater
having a water inlet through which purified water is filtered by the filter unit and a water outlet through which purified water is heated and discharged, and
being configured to heat the purified water flowing into the water inlet, wherein hot water is discharged through the water outlet;

an extraction member located above the instantaneous heater and extracting the hot water discharged from the instantaneous heater by opening a hot-water extraction valve;
an ice-maker configured to receive the purified water filtered by the filter unit and to produce ice;
a supply pump configured to operate the purified water filtered by the filter unit to the instantaneous heater and the ice-maker;
an ice-maker water inlet passage branched from a passage connecting the supply pump and the instantaneous heater to be connected to the ice-maker;
an ice-making water supply valve provided in the ice-maker water inlet passage configured to be opened to supply the purified water filtered by the filter unit to the ice-maker;
a flow rate sensor installed upstream of a point at which the ice-maker water inlet passage is branched configured to measure a flow rate of purified water supplied from the filter unit to the instantaneous heater and the ice maker, respectively; and
a controller configured to control driving of the supply pump and opening and closing of the ice-making water supply valve such that purified water corresponding to a predetermined supply amount of ice-making water is supplied to the ice-maker on a basis of a flow rate value measured by the flow rate sensor, wherein
the controller is configured to control opening and closing of the passage such that purified water is supplied to the instantaneous heater among the instantaneous heater and the ice-maker,
when an ice-making signal for producing ice in a state in which purified water is input to the instantaneous heater, the controller is configured such that purified water is not supplied to the ice-

Assignees

• Coway Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chang Min-Suk
• Noh Yong-Yeon
• Joo Woo-Jin
• Kang Myeong-Hoon
• Min Ki-Hong
• Choi Jin-Woo
• Lee Young-Jae
• Kim Dong-Hui
• Youn Sang-Jin
• Kim Gyeong-Jong

Classifications

• F25C2700/00

  Sensing or detecting of parameters; Sensors therefor · CPC title

• B67D2210/0001

  for liquid · CPC title

• B67D2001/0097

  using a pump · CPC title

• B67D2001/0093

  Valves · CPC title

• B67D1/1206

  Flow detectors · CPC title