IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0749787
(2010-03-30)
|
등록번호 |
US-8424554
(2013-04-23)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
2 인용 특허 :
8 |
초록
▼
An improved control valve for a reverse osmosis (RO) water purification system for supplying relatively pure water for on-demand dispensing, wherein the improved control valve positively terminates pure water production and brine outflow to a waste or drain when a pure water reservoir reaches a subs
An improved control valve for a reverse osmosis (RO) water purification system for supplying relatively pure water for on-demand dispensing, wherein the improved control valve positively terminates pure water production and brine outflow to a waste or drain when a pure water reservoir reaches a substantially filled condition. The control valve responds to a predetermined pressure differential between a tap or feed water inflow and produced pure water to close a pure water outflow line when the pure water reservoir reaches a substantially filled condition, thereby positively preventing further production of pure water. Shortly thereafter, the control valve closes a brine outflow line thereby positively preventing further water flow through the system until at least a predetermined volume of the reservoir-stored pure water is dispensed. When this occurs, the control valve re-opens in sequence the brine outflow and the pure water outflow lines.
대표청구항
▼
1. A control valve for a reverse osmosis water purification system, comprising: a multi-part valve housing having first and second ends;a pure water chamber disposed at the first end of the valve housing, wherein the pure water chamber has a pure water inflow port, a pure water outflow port and a pu
1. A control valve for a reverse osmosis water purification system, comprising: a multi-part valve housing having first and second ends;a pure water chamber disposed at the first end of the valve housing, wherein the pure water chamber has a pure water inflow port, a pure water outflow port and a pure water valve head slidably disposed therein;a brine water chamber disposed at the second end of the valve housing, wherein the brine water chamber has a brine water inflow port, a brine water outflow port and a brine water valve head slidably disposed therein, and is coupled to a feed water source;a central cavity disposed between the pure water chamber and the brine water chamber, the central cavity being exposed to atmospheric pressure and hermetically sealed from the pure water chamber by a first resilient diaphragm and from the brine water chamber by a second resilient diaphragm; anda frame disposed in the central cavity and operatively connected to the pure water valve head through the first resilient diaphragm and the brine water valve head through the second resilient diaphragm, wherein the frame, pure water valve head and brine water valve head are slidable as a single structure within the valve housing between an open position and a closed position. 2. The control valve of claim 1, wherein the pure water valve head and the brine water valve head comprise a magnetically attractable material and the frame carries a pair of magnets which operatively connect the frame to the pure water valve head and the brine water valve head. 3. The control valve of claim 2, wherein the pure water valve head and the brine water valve head comprise stainless steel. 4. The control valve of claim 1, wherein the pure water valve head and the brine water valve head are slidable in response to a pressure differential between a back pressure from the pure water outflow port exerted on the first resilient diaphragm and a head pressure from the feed water source exerted on the second resilient diaphragm. 5. The control valve of claim 4, wherein the first and second resilient diaphragms have relative surface areas configured to slide the pure water valve head and the brine water valve head from the open position to the closed position when the ratio of the back pressure from the pure water outflow port to the head pressure from the feed water source is greater than or equal to 2:3. 6. The control valve of claim 1, further comprising an elongated brine valve stem operatively connected to the brine water valve head at a first end and proximate to a brine shut-off valve seat at an opposite second end. 7. The control valve of claim 6, wherein the pure water valve head engages a pure water shut-off valve seat when in the closed position and the elongated brine valve stem engages the brine shut-off valve seat when in the closed position. 8. The control valve of claim 7, wherein the elongated brine valve stem and the brine shut-off valve seat are configured to engage in the closed position a predetermined time period after the pure water valve head engages the pure water shut-off valve seat in the closed position. 9. The control valve of claim 1, further comprising a brine poppet valve between the brine water inflow port and the brine water chamber, the brine poppet valve having a poppet head with a shallow groove therein, the poppet head being biased against a poppet seat by fluid pressure from a brine water inflow. 10. The control valve of claim 9, wherein the shallow groove defines a fixed flow orifice through the brine poppet valve when the poppet head is biased against the poppet seat. 11. The control valve of claim 9, wherein the brine poppet valve is spring biased away from the poppet seat when the brine water valve head is in the closed position. 12. A control valve for a reverse osmosis water purification system, comprising: a multi-part valve housing having first and second ends;a pure water chamber disposed at the first end of the valve housing, wherein the pure water chamber has a pure water inflow port, a pure water outflow port and a pure water valve head slidably disposed therein;a brine water chamber disposed at the second end of the valve housing, wherein the brine water chamber has a brine water inflow port, a brine water outflow port and a brine water valve head slidably disposed therein, and is coupled to a feed water source;a brine poppet valve disposed between the brine water inflow port and the brine water chamber, the brine poppet valve having a poppet head with a shallow groove therein, the poppet head being biased against a poppet seat by fluid pressure from a brine water inflow;a central cavity disposed between the pure water chamber and the brine water chamber, the central cavity being exposed to atmospheric pressure and hermetically sealed from the pure water chamber by a first resilient diaphragm and from the brine water chamber by a second resilient diaphragm; anda frame disposed in the central cavity and operatively connected to the pure water valve head through the first resilient diaphragm and the brine water valve head through the second resilient diaphragm, wherein the frame, pure water valve head and brine water valve head are slidable as a single structure within the valve housing between an open position and a closed position in response to a pressure differential between a back pressure from the pure water outflow port exerted on the first resilient diaphragm and a head pressure from the feed water source exerted on the second resilient diaphragm. 13. The control valve of claim 12, wherein the first and second resilient diaphragms have relative surface areas configured to slide the pure water valve head and the brine water valve head from the open position to the closed position when the ratio of the back pressure from the pure water outflow port to the head pressure from the feed water source is greater than or equal to 2:3. 14. The control valve of claim 12, wherein the shallow groove defines a fixed flow orifice through the brine poppet valve when the poppet head is biased against the poppet seat. 15. The control valve of claim 12, wherein the brine poppet valve is spring biased away from the poppet seat when the brine water valve head is in the closed position. 16. The control valve of claim 12, wherein the pure water valve head and the brine water valve head comprise a magnetically attractable material and the frame carries a pair of magnets which operatively connect the frame to the pure water valve head and the brine water valve head. 17. The control valve of claim 16, wherein the pure water valve head and the brine water valve head comprise stainless steel. 18. The control valve of claim 12, further comprising an elongated brine valve stem operatively connected to the brine water valve head at a first end and proximate to a brine shut-off valve seat at an opposite second end. 19. The control valve of claim 18, wherein the pure water valve head engages a pure water shut-off valve seat when in the closed position and the elongated brine valve stem engages the brine shut-off valve seat when in the closed position. 20. The control valve of claim 19, wherein the elongated brine valve stem and the brine shut-off valve seat are configured to engage in the closed position a predetermined time period after the pure water valve head engages the pure water shut-off valve seat in the closed position. 21. A control valve for a reverse osmosis water purification system, comprising: a multi-part valve housing having first and second ends;a pure water chamber disposed at the first end of the valve housing, wherein the pure water chamber has a pure water inflow port, a pure water outflow port and a pure water valve head slidably disposed therein, wherein the pure water valve head comprises a magnetically attractable material;a brine water chamber disposed at the second end of the valve housing, wherein the brine water chamber has a brine water inflow port, a brine water outflow port and a brine water valve head slidably disposed therein, and is coupled to a feed water source, wherein the brine water valve head comprises a magnetically attractable material;a brine poppet valve disposed between the brine water inflow port and the brine water chamber, the brine poppet valve having a poppet head with a shallow groove therein, the poppet head being biased against a poppet seat by fluid pressure from a brine water inflow, wherein the shallow groove defines a fixed flow orifice through the brine poppet valve when the poppet head is biased against the poppet seat;a central cavity disposed between the pure water chamber and the brine water chamber, the central cavity being exposed to atmospheric pressure and hermetically sealed from the pure water chamber by a first resilient diaphragm and from the brine water chamber by a second resilient diaphragm; anda frame disposed in the central cavity and carrying a pair of magnets, wherein one of the pair of magnets is operatively connected to the pure water valve head through the first resilient diaphragm and the other of the pair of magnets is operatively connected to the brine water valve head through the second resilient diaphragm, wherein the frame, pure water valve head and brine water valve head are slidable as a single structure within the valve housing between an open position and a closed position in response to a pressure differential between a back pressure from the pure water outflow port exerted on the first resilient diaphragm and a head pressure from the feed water source exerted on the second resilient diaphragm. 22. The control valve of claim 21, wherein the pure water valve head and the brine water valve head comprise stainless steel. 23. The control valve of claim 21, wherein the first and second resilient diaphragms have relative surface areas configured to slide the pure water valve head and the brine water valve head from the open position to the closed position when the ratio of the back pressure from the pure water outflow port to the head pressure from the feed water source is greater than or equal to 2:3. 24. The control valve of claim 21, wherein the brine poppet valve is spring biased away from the poppet seat when the brine water valve head is in the closed position. 25. The control valve of claim 21, further comprising an elongated brine valve stem operatively connected to the brine water valve head at a first end and proximate to a brine shut-off valve seat at an opposite second end. 26. The control valve of claim 25, wherein the pure water valve head engages a pure water shut-off valve seat when in the closed position and the elongated brine valve stem engages the brine shut-off valve seat when in the closed position. 27. The control valve of claim 26, wherein the elongated brine valve stem and the brine shut-off valve seat are configured to engage in the closed position a predetermined time period after the pure water valve head engages the pure water shut-off valve seat in the closed position. 28. A control valve for a reverse osmosis water purification system having a reverse osmosis membrane, comprising: housing means including a pure water chamber and a brine water chamber defined therein;a pure water valve head movable within said pure water chamber between a normal open position permitting pure water production, and a closed position preventing pure water production;a brine valve head movable within said brine water chamber between an open position permitting brine water outflow to a drain, and a closed position preventing brine water outflow to a drain; andmeans for displacing said pure water valve head and said brine water valve head as a unit between said open and closed positions;said displacing means moving said brine valve head to said closed position a predetermined time period after said pure water valve head is moved to said closed position, to permit water flush flow across an upstream side of the reverse osmosis membrane for the duration of said predetermined time period to flush contaminants therefrom to the drain. 29. The control valve of claim 28 wherein said predetermined time period is from about 1 minute to about 3 minutes. 30. The control valve of claim 28 further comprising a brine poppet valve having a poppet head with a groove formed therein, said poppet head being urged against a poppet seat by brine water inflow into said brine water chamber and spring-biased away from said poppet seat, said brine valve head in said closed position halting brine water inflow into said brine water chamber to permit spring biased displacement of said poppet head away from said poppet seat, said brine valve head being movable to said open position upon resumed pure water production whereupon brine water inflow into said brine water chamber causes movement of said poppet head back toward engagement with said poppet seat with said groove defining a fixed flow orifice for brine water inflow into said brine water chamber.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.