Water purifier and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12528037-B2
Application number	US-202217946550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2022
Priority date	Mar 17, 2020
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

A water purifier includes: a raw water flow path; a purified water flow path connected to the raw water flow path; at least one filter provided in the purified water flow path and to filter raw water flowing along the purified water flow path; a washing water flow path connected to the raw water flow path; a washing water generator configured to electrolyze the raw water to generate washing water; an optical sensor to output a value according to a degree of generation of bubbles included in the washing water; and a controller to control the washing water generator and at least one valve provided in at least one of the raw water flow path, the purified water flow path, and the washing water flow path to perform a washing operation, and identify whether an error has occurred in the washing operation based on an output from the optical sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A water purifier comprising:
a raw water flow path along which raw is flowable; a purified water flow path connectable to the raw water flow path and, with the purified water flow path connected to the raw water flow path, along which the raw water from the raw water flow path is flowable; at least one filter provided in the purified water flow path and configured to filter the raw water that is flowable along the purified water flow path and to discharge purified water to the purified water flow path downstream of the at least one filter; a washing water flow path connectable to:
the raw water flow path and, with the washing water flow path connected to the raw water flow path, along which the raw water from the raw water flow path is flowable, or
the purified water flow path and,
with the washing water flow path connected to the purified water flow path,
along which the raw water from the purified water flow path is flowable, or
along which the purified water from the purified water flow path is flowable;

a washing water generator in the washing water flow path and configured to electrolyze the raw water or the purified water that is flowable along the washing water flow path to generate washing water including hypochlorous acid and to discharge the generated washing water to the washing water flow path; a valve in at least one of the raw water flow path, the purified water flow path, and the washing water flow path; an optical sensor at a discharging end of the washing water generator, the optical sensor configured to sense a degree of generation of bubbles included in the generated washing water and output a value corresponding to the sensed degree of generation of bubbles; and a controller configured to:
selectively connect the raw water flow path to the washing water flow path or the purified water flow path based on a washing operation,
control the washing water generator and the valve to perform the washing operation, and
identify whether an error has occurred in the washing operation based on the value output from the optical sensor.

2 . The water purifier of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display provided on an outer side of the water purifier, wherein the controller is further configured to:
control, in response to identifying that the error has occurred in the washing operation, the display to display information related to the error.

3 . The water purifier of claim 1 , further comprising:
a speaker, wherein the controller is further configured to:
control, in response to identifying that the error has occurred in the washing operation, the speaker to output information related to the error.

4 . The water purifier of claim 1 , further comprising:
a communicator, wherein the controller is further configured to:
control, in response to identifying that the error has occurred in the washing operation, the communicator to transmit information related to the error to an external server or an external device that manages the water purifier.

5 . The water purifier of claim 1 , further comprising:
a current sensor configured to detect current flowing through the washing water generator, wherein the controller is further configured to:
identify whether the error has occurred in the washing operation based on the value output from the optical sensor and the current detected by the current sensor.

6 . The water purifier of claim 5 , wherein
the controller is further configured to:
identify that the washing water generator has not operated normally, in response to identifying that the value output from the optical sensor does not correspond to the current detected by the current sensor.

7 . The water purifier of claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to:
perform a rinsing operation by controlling the valve in at least one of the raw water flow path, the purified water flow path, and the washing water flow path, when a preset time has elapsed after the washing operation is performed.

8 . The water purifier of claim 7 , wherein
the controller is further configured to:
identify whether the rinsing operation has been normally performed based on the value output from the optical sensor after the rinsing operation is performed.

9 . The water purifier of claim 7 , further comprising:
a microorganism sensor, wherein the controller is further configured to:
identify whether an additional washing operation needs to be performed based on an output from the microorganism sensor.

10 . The water purifier of claim 9 , further comprising:
a discharge flow path connected to the washing water flow path and the purified water flow path; and a drain flow path connected to the discharge flow path, wherein the optical sensor is in at least one of the washing water flow path, the discharge flow path, and the drain flow path.

11 . The water purifier of claim 9 , further comprising:
a discharge flow path connected to the washing water flow path and the purified water flow path; and a drain flow path connected to the discharge flow path, wherein the microorganism sensor is in at least one of the discharge flow path and the drain flow path.

12 . The water purifier of claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to:
gradually increase a voltage that is applied to the washing water generator to adjust the value output from the optical sensor to reach a target value, according to an identification that an error has occurred in the washing operation.

13 . A method for controlling a water purifier, comprising:
opening a valve used to perform a washing operation of the water purifier; turning on a washing water generator configured to generate washing water including hypochlorous acid; sensing, by an optical sensor, a degree of generation of bubbles included in the generated washing water; and identifying whether an error has occurred in the washing operation based on a value output from the optical sensor.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
outputting information related to the error through a display on an outer side of the water purifier, in response to identifying that the error has occurred in the washing operation.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
transmitting, through a communicator, information related to the error to an external server or an external device that manages the water purifier in response to identifying that the error has occurred in the washing operation.

16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
sensing a current flowing through the washing water generator with a current sensor; and identifying whether an error has occurred in the washing operation based on the value output from the optical sensor and the current sensed by the current sensor.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein
the identifying of whether the error has occurred in the washing operation includes:
identifying that the washing water generator has not operated normally, in response to identifying that the value output from the optical sensor does not correspond to the current sensed by the current sensor.

18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
performing a rinsing operation by controlling the valve, when a preset time has elapsed after the washing operation is performed; identifying whether to finish the rinsing operation based on the value output from the optical sensor after the rinsing operation is performed; and identifying whether an additional was

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Jungha
• Lee Junggeun
• Lee Jongho

Classifications

• C02F2209/40

  Liquid flow rate · CPC title

• C02F2201/005

  Valves · CPC title

• C02F9/00

  Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage · CPC title

• C02F1/467

  by electrochemical disinfection; {by electrooxydation or by electroreduction} · CPC title

• C02F1/008

  Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F · CPC title