CN114158923A

CN114158923A - Water dispenser and control method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN114158923A
Application number: CN202110273406.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 韩聪
Original assignee: Midea Group Co Ltd; Foshan Shunde Midea Water Dispenser Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Midea Group Co Ltd; Foshan Shunde Midea Water Dispenser Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-03-12
Filing date: 2021-03-12
Publication date: 2022-03-11

Abstract

The invention discloses a water dispenser and a control method thereof. The refrigerating inner container is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet; wherein the water inlet is positioned at the top of the refrigeration liner and is suitable for being communicated with a water supply source; the water outlet is positioned at the bottom of the refrigeration liner and is suitable for being communicated with a water outlet end. The top of the refrigeration inner container is also provided with an exhaust hole which is suitable for being communicated with the atmospheric environment. The water dispenser can realize that the refrigeration liner discharges water from the bottom of the refrigeration liner, so that the temperature of the discharged water is kept low, and more air is prevented from accumulating in the refrigeration liner.

Description

Water dispenser and control method thereof

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of manufacturing of drinking equipment, in particular to a water dispenser and a control method thereof.

Background

The water dispenser on the market at present is generally provided with a refrigeration inner container so as to prepare cold water through the refrigeration inner container and supply the prepared cold water to a user through a water outlet end. The refrigeration liner of the water dispenser is generally provided with a water inlet and a water outlet at the top, so that when the water dispenser is used for the first time, air at the top of the refrigeration liner can be discharged through the water outlet, the refrigeration liner is filled with water, and air is prevented from accumulating in the refrigeration liner. When the water dispenser is used subsequently, normal-temperature water is pressed into the refrigerating inner container by adopting gravity or a water pump, and then the prepared cold water in the refrigerating inner container is extruded to the water outlet end by the pumped normal-temperature water.

However, since the water inlet and the water outlet of the refrigeration liner are both located at the top of the refrigeration liner, the newly-supplemented normal-temperature water in the refrigeration liner is easy to be directly output from the water outlet, so that the water outlet temperature is increased, and the cold water temperature required by a user is difficult to accurately obtain. And if the bottom of the refrigerating inner container is provided with the water outlet, a part of air is easy to accumulate at the top of the refrigerating inner container when the refrigerator is used, and the part of air is difficult to discharge from the refrigerating inner container, so that the effective volume of the refrigerating inner container is reduced, and the water inflow is correspondingly reduced.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention mainly aims to provide a water dispenser, which aims to realize that a refrigeration liner discharges water from the bottom of the refrigeration liner, so that the temperature of the discharged water is kept low, and more air is prevented from accumulating in the refrigeration liner.

In order to achieve the purpose, the invention provides a water dispenser which comprises a refrigeration liner. The refrigerating inner container is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet; wherein the water inlet is positioned at the top of the refrigeration liner and is suitable for being communicated with a water supply source; the water outlet is positioned at the bottom of the refrigeration liner and is suitable for being communicated with a water outlet end. The top of the refrigeration inner container is also provided with an exhaust hole which is suitable for being communicated with the atmospheric environment.

Optionally, the water dispenser further comprises an exhaust assembly, wherein the exhaust assembly comprises an exhaust pipe and an exhaust valve; wherein the exhaust pipe is adapted to connect the exhaust vent in communication with an atmospheric environment; the exhaust valve is mounted on the exhaust pipe.

Optionally, the water dispenser further comprises a water outlet end communicated with the water outlet of the refrigeration liner; the tail end of the exhaust pipe is connected with the water outlet end so as to be communicated with the atmosphere through the water outlet hole of the water outlet end.

Optionally, the water dispenser further comprises a water outlet assembly, wherein the water outlet assembly comprises a water outlet pipe and a water outlet valve; the water outlet pipe is suitable for connecting the refrigeration liner and the water outlet end; the water outlet valve is arranged on the water outlet pipe.

Optionally, the water dispenser further comprises a water replenishing assembly, and the water replenishing assembly comprises a water replenishing pipe and a water replenishing driver; wherein the water replenishing pipe is suitable for connecting the refrigeration liner and a water supply source; the water replenishing driver is arranged on the water replenishing pipe.

Optionally, the water dispenser further comprises a controller, the controller is connected with the water replenishing driver, and the controller is suitable for controlling the on-off of the water replenishing driver.

Optionally, the water dispenser further comprises a liquid level detector connected with the controller, and the liquid level detector is arranged on the refrigeration liner and is suitable for detecting the liquid level of the refrigeration liner, so that the controller controls the on-off of the water supplement driver according to the current liquid level fed back by the liquid level detector.

Optionally, the water dispenser further comprises a reversing valve mounted on the water replenishing pipe, and the reversing valve has a water inlet end communicated with the water inlet end of the water replenishing pipe, a normally closed end communicated with the water outlet end of the water replenishing pipe, and a normally open end for communicating with the water outlet end; the reversing valve is adapted to switch the normally closed end and the normally open end.

Optionally, the water dispenser further comprises a reversing pipe, one end of the reversing pipe is connected with the normally open end of the reversing valve, and the other end of the reversing pipe is connected with the water outlet pipe.

Optionally, the water dispenser further comprises a water supply tank adapted to supply water to the cooling liner and/or the heating module as the water supply source.

Optionally, the water replenishing driver is a water pump; and/or the water replenishing driver is a water pump.

The invention also provides a control method of the water dispenser, which comprises the following steps:

electrifying the water dispenser;

controlling the water dispenser to operate according to a water supplementing mode so that a refrigeration liner of the water dispenser supplements water from a water inlet at the top of the refrigeration liner and exhausts the air through an air exhaust hole at the top of the refrigeration liner;

and after receiving the working instruction, controlling the water dispenser to operate according to the working mode.

Optionally, the water inlet is communicated with a water supply source through a water replenishing pipe, the water outlet is communicated with a water outlet end through a water outlet pipe, and the air outlet is communicated with the atmospheric environment through an air exhaust pipe; wherein, a water replenishing driver is arranged on the water replenishing pipe; a water outlet valve is arranged on the water outlet pipe; an exhaust valve is arranged on the exhaust pipe; the step of controlling the water dispenser to operate according to a water supplementing mode specifically comprises the following steps:

controlling the water replenishing driver to be started;

controlling the exhaust valve to be opened and controlling the water outlet valve to be closed;

and after the water replenishing driver is started for an operating time, controlling the water replenishing driver and the exhaust valve to be closed.

Optionally, a liquid level detector for detecting the liquid level is arranged on the refrigeration liner;

before the step of controlling the water replenishing driver to be started, the method further comprises the following steps:

controlling a liquid level detector to detect the current liquid level of the refrigeration liner, and comparing the current liquid level with a preset low liquid level;

and when the current liquid level is lower than or equal to a preset low liquid level, the step of controlling the water supplementing driver to be started is executed.

Optionally, after the moisturizing driver opens an operating time, control moisturizing driver and discharge valve and close, specifically include:

controlling a liquid level detector to detect the current liquid level of the refrigeration liner, and comparing the current liquid level with a preset high liquid level;

and controlling the water supplementing driver and the exhaust valve to be closed under the condition that the current liquid level is greater than or equal to the preset high liquid level.

recording the running time of the water replenishing driver;

and controlling the water replenishing driver and the exhaust valve to be closed under the condition that the running time is greater than or equal to the preset running time.

Optionally, the controlling the water dispenser to operate according to the working mode specifically includes:

controlling the exhaust valve to close;

and controlling the water replenishing driver to be started and controlling the water outlet valve to be opened.

Optionally, the water dispenser further comprises a reversing valve mounted on the water replenishing pipe, and the reversing valve has a water inlet end communicated with the water inlet end of the water replenishing pipe, a normally closed end communicated with the water outlet end of the water replenishing pipe, and a normally open end for communicating with the water outlet end; the reversing valve has an initial state for keeping the normally closed end closed and the normally open end open, and an operating state for keeping the normally closed end open and the normally open end closed; when the working mode is a normal-temperature water mode, the step of controlling the water dispenser to run according to the working mode further comprises the step of controlling the reversing valve to be switched to an initial state; when the working mode is a cold water mode, the step of controlling the water dispenser to run according to the working mode specifically comprises the step of controlling the reversing valve to be switched to a working state.

According to the technical scheme, the water inlet and the air outlet are formed in the top of the refrigerating inner container of the water dispenser, the water outlet is formed in the bottom of the refrigerating inner container, so that when the water replenishing mode is operated after the water dispenser is powered on, water of a water supply source is replenished into the refrigerating inner container from the water inlet, and the newly replenished water pushes air in the refrigerating inner container upwards, so that the air in the refrigerating inner container is discharged outwards from the air outlet, the air accumulation in the refrigerating inner container is avoided, the refrigerating inner container can be filled with full water, the effective volume of the refrigerating inner container is effectively increased, and the volume of the refrigerating inner container can be used for preparing a large amount of cold water to the maximum extent. When the cold water mode of the water dispenser is used, the newly supplemented normal-temperature water is located in the upper-layer space of the refrigerating liner, and the prepared cold water is located in the lower-layer space of the refrigerating liner, so that the prepared cold water is not mixed with the newly supplemented normal-temperature water, and is preferentially discharged from the water outlet at the bottom of the refrigerating liner, and the cold water discharged from the water outlet is ensured to keep a lower outlet water temperature.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below, it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to the structures shown in the drawings without creative efforts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a water dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a flow path of the water dispenser in FIG. 1 in a water replenishing mode;

FIG. 3 is a schematic flow path diagram of the water dispenser of FIG. 1 in a cold water mode;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a flow path of the water dispenser in FIG. 1 in a normal temperature water mode;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a water dispenser of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the construction of one embodiment of the refrigeration liner of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a control method of a water dispenser according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a detailed flowchart of step S200 of the control method of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a detailed flowchart of step S210 of the control method of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a detailed flowchart of one embodiment of step S230 of the control method of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a detailed flowchart of another embodiment of step S230 of the control method of FIG. 9;

fig. 12 is a detailed flowchart of step S300 of the control method in fig. 7.

The reference numbers illustrate:

reference numerals	Name (R)	Reference numerals	Name (R)
				10	Refrigeration inner container	50	Water outlet end
11	Water inlet	60	Reversing valve
				12	Water outlet	61	Water inlet end
13	Air vent	62	Normally closed end
				20	Water replenishing assembly	63	Normally open end
21	Water replenishing pipe	64	Reversing tube
				22	Water supplement driver	80	Liquid level detector
30	Water outlet assembly	90	Exhaust assembly
				31	Water outlet pipe	91	Exhaust pipe
32	Water outlet valve	92	Air exhaust valve
				40	Water supply source/tank

The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

It should be noted that, if directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, and back … …) are involved in the embodiment of the present invention, the directional indications are only used to explain the relative positional relationship between the components, the movement situation, and the like in a specific posture (as shown in the drawing), and if the specific posture is changed, the directional indications are changed accordingly.

In addition, if there is a description of "first", "second", etc. in an embodiment of the present invention, the description of "first", "second", etc. is for descriptive purposes only and is not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In addition, technical solutions between various embodiments may be combined with each other, but must be realized by a person skilled in the art, and when the technical solutions are contradictory or cannot be realized, such a combination should not be considered to exist, and is not within the protection scope of the present invention.

The traditional water dispenser generally adopts gravity or a water pump to press normal-temperature water into a refrigeration liner, and then the prepared cold water in the refrigeration liner is extruded to a water outlet end through the pumped normal-temperature water. That is, the water replenishing process of the conventional water dispenser is not performed separately, but is performed simultaneously with the water discharging process. Therefore, when a user uses the water dispenser to take water, the cold water conveyed from the refrigerating inner container can be mixed with newly supplemented normal-temperature water, so that the temperature of the cold water taken by the user is higher, and the temperature of the cold water required by the user is difficult to reach. For example, the temperature of cold water prepared by the refrigeration liner is 15 degrees, the temperature of output water mixed with normal-temperature water is actually 18 degrees, and the temperature of output water is obviously higher. And if the bottom of the refrigerating inner container is provided with the water outlet, a part of air is easy to accumulate at the top of the refrigerating inner container when the refrigerator is used, and the part of air is difficult to discharge from the refrigerating inner container, so that the effective volume of the refrigerating inner container is reduced, and the water inflow is correspondingly reduced.

Therefore, in order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides an embodiment of a water dispenser, which is suitable for preparing normal temperature water into cold water with a relatively low temperature so as to provide cold water for a user. The water dispenser can be used independently, and can also be configured on other equipment with a water supply function (such as a water purifier) for use. The water dispenser can realize that the refrigeration liner discharges water from the bottom of the refrigeration liner so as to keep the temperature of the discharged water lower, and can discharge the air accumulated in the refrigeration liner so as to avoid more air accumulated in the refrigeration liner.

Referring to fig. 1 to 3, in an embodiment of the water dispenser of the present invention, the water dispenser includes a refrigeration liner 10, the refrigeration liner 10 is provided with a water inlet 11 and a water outlet 12; wherein the water inlet 11 is provided at the top of the refrigerating inner container 10 to be adapted to communicate with the water supply source 40; the water outlet 12 is arranged at the bottom of the refrigeration liner 10 and is suitable for being communicated with a water outlet end 50; the top of the refrigeration liner 10 is also provided with an exhaust hole 13, and the exhaust hole 13 is suitable for being communicated with the atmospheric environment.

Specifically, the water supply source 40 may be the water supply tank 40 disposed inside the water dispenser, or may be a tap water pipe or a water storage tank outside the water dispenser. The water supply source 40 may be provided by the user or may be a component provided in the drinking machine before the user leaves the water supply source. Specifically, the water supply source 40 is disposed in the drinking water machine immediately before the water supply source is taken out of the factory.

For the refrigeration liner 10, a refrigeration device is configured inside the refrigeration liner 10, and the refrigeration device is suitable for exchanging heat with water in the refrigeration liner 10 to obtain cold water with a lower temperature and store the cold water in the refrigeration liner 10, so that the cold water prepared by the refrigeration liner 10 can be used at any time when a user needs the cold water. The cold water and the normal-temperature water are relative, and the temperature of the cold water after heat exchange is lower than that of the normal-temperature water.

The top of the refrigeration inner container 10 is provided with a water inlet 11, and the bottom of the refrigeration inner container 10 is provided with a water outlet 12, so that the refrigeration inner container 10 can feed water from the top and discharge water from the bottom, wherein the newly supplemented normal temperature water is located at the upper layer and can not be mixed with the cold water at the lower layer immediately, and the cold water at the lower layer can be output to the water outlet end 50. For example, the refrigerated liner 10 has a bottom wall, side walls and a top wall. The water inlet 11 can be positioned on the top wall of the refrigeration liner 10 or on the side wall near the top edge thereof; the water outlet 12 may be located on the bottom wall of the refrigeration liner 10, and is located at a position of the side wall close to the bottom edge thereof. Specifically, the water inlet 11 is located on the top wall of the refrigeration liner 10, and the water outlet 12 is located on the bottom wall of the refrigeration liner 10. The exhaust holes 13 are formed in the top wall of the refrigeration liner 10, so that air at the top of the refrigeration liner 10 can be completely exhausted, and dead angles of air filling at the tops of the exhaust holes 13 are avoided.

As shown in fig. 2, the straight solid arrows in fig. 2 indicate the water flow direction; the straight dotted arrow indicates the air discharge direction. When the water supplementing mode of the water dispenser is used, water of the water supply source 40 is driven to flow to the refrigerating liner 10, then the water is supplemented into the refrigerating liner 10 from the water inlet 11 of the refrigerating liner 10, the refrigerating liner 10 is gradually filled with the water newly supplemented into the refrigerating liner 10, the amount of water stored in the refrigerating liner 10 is increased, the liquid level in the refrigerating liner 10 is increased, so that air in the refrigerating liner 10 is upwards expelled, the air expelled to the top of the refrigerating liner 10 is outwards expelled from the air outlet 13, and the air in the refrigerating liner 10 is also expelled until the refrigerating liner 10 is fully filled with water, at the moment, the water supplementing of the refrigerating liner 10 is stopped. Therefore, the volume of the refrigeration liner 10 can be used to prepare a large amount of cold water to the maximum extent, the effective volume of the refrigeration liner 10 is effectively increased, and the water quantity filled in the refrigeration liner 10 is further increased.

As shown in fig. 3, in the cold water mode of the water dispenser, water delivered by the water supply source 40 enters the refrigeration liner 10 from the water inlet 11 of the refrigeration liner 10, and the supplemented normal temperature water presses the cold water at the bottom of the refrigeration liner 10 downwards, so that the cold water is discharged through the water outlet 12 at the bottom of the refrigeration liner 10, and is finally delivered to the water outlet end 50, and is supplied to a user through the water outlet end 50. In the process, the newly supplemented normal-temperature water is located in the upper space of the refrigeration liner 10, and the prepared cold water is located in the lower space of the refrigeration liner 10, so that the prepared cold water is not mixed with the newly supplemented normal-temperature water, i.e. the cold water is preferentially discharged from the water outlet 12 at the bottom of the refrigeration liner 10, and therefore the cold water output by the refrigeration liner 10 is ensured not to be mixed with the normal-temperature water, and the cold water discharged from the water outlet 12 keeps a lower outlet water temperature.

As for the position of the vent hole 13 on the refrigeration liner 10, the vent hole 13 is disposed on the top of the refrigeration liner 10, and specifically, may be a portion of the top wall or the side wall of the refrigeration liner 10 near the top. In this embodiment, the vent 13 is disposed on the top wall of the refrigeration liner 10. The exhaust hole 13 may be directly connected to the atmosphere, or may be connected to the atmosphere through the exhaust pipe 91.

It is considered that the air holes 13 allow air in the atmospheric environment to enter the inner cavity of the refrigeration liner 10, and microorganisms such as dust or bacteria may be carried in the air, so that the refrigeration liner 10 is polluted. Therefore, in order to better control the exhaust hole 13 to communicate with the atmosphere, an exhaust valve 92 may be disposed on the exhaust hole 13 to adjust the on-off of the exhaust hole 13 through the exhaust valve 92. Of course, the exhaust valve 92 may be provided in the exhaust pipe 91. As will be described in more detail below.

According to the technical scheme, the water inlet 11 and the air outlet 13 are arranged at the top of the refrigerating inner container 10 of the water dispenser, and the water outlet 12 is arranged at the bottom of the refrigerating inner container 10, so that when the water replenishing mode is operated after the water dispenser is powered on, water of a water supply source is replenished into the refrigerating inner container 10 from the water inlet 11, and newly replenished water pushes air in the refrigerating inner container 10 upwards, so that the air in the refrigerating inner container 10 is discharged outwards from the air outlet 13, air accumulation in the refrigerating inner container 10 is avoided, the refrigerating inner container 10 can be filled with full water, the effective volume of the refrigerating inner container 10 is effectively increased, and further, the volume of the refrigerating inner container 10 can be used for preparing a large amount of cold water to the greatest extent. In the cold water mode of the water dispenser, the newly supplemented normal temperature liquid is located in the upper space of the refrigeration liner 10, and the prepared cold water is located in the lower space of the refrigeration liner 10, so that the prepared cold water is not mixed with the newly supplemented normal temperature water, and is preferentially discharged from the water outlet 12 at the bottom of the refrigeration liner 10, and the cold water discharged from the water outlet 12 is ensured to keep a lower outlet water temperature.

Referring to fig. 1, in an embodiment, the water dispenser further includes a water supplement assembly 20, the water supplement assembly 20 includes a water supplement pipe 21 and a water supplement driver 22, the water supplement pipe 21 is adapted to connect the refrigeration liner 10 and the water supply source 40, and the water supplement driver 22 is disposed on the water supplement pipe 21. Specifically, one end of the water replenishing pipe 21 is connected to the water supply source 40, and the other end of the water replenishing pipe 21 is connected to the water inlet 11 of the refrigeration liner 10; the water replenishing driver 22 is installed on the water replenishing pipe 21 and used for driving water flow to be input into the refrigeration liner 10 from the water replenishing pipe 21. The water replenishing driver 22 can be selected as a water pump; of course, the refill actuator 22 may be other driving structures that can drive the water to flow.

Further, the water dispenser further comprises a water outlet assembly 30, the water outlet assembly 30 comprises a water outlet pipe 31 and a water outlet valve 32, the water outlet pipe 31 is suitable for being connected with the refrigeration liner 10 and the water outlet end 50, and the water outlet valve 32 is arranged on the water outlet pipe 31. Specifically, one end of the water outlet pipe 31 is connected to the water outlet 12 of the refrigeration liner 10, and the other end of the water outlet pipe 31 is connected to the water outlet end 50; the water outlet valve 32 is mounted on the water outlet pipe 31 and used for adjusting the on-off of the water flow from the water outlet pipe 31. The outlet valve 32 may be selected as a solenoid valve. The outlet valve 32 is normally closed, and the outlet valve 32 is switched to an open state only when the water dispenser is used to take water.

Referring to fig. 1, in an embodiment, the water dispenser further includes an exhaust assembly 90, where the exhaust assembly 90 includes an exhaust pipe 91 and an exhaust valve 92; wherein, the air inlet end of the exhaust pipe 91 is connected with the exhaust hole 13 of the refrigeration liner 10, and the exhaust end of the exhaust pipe 91 is communicated with the atmosphere environment; the exhaust valve 92 is mounted on the exhaust pipe 91.

Specifically, the exhaust end of the exhaust pipe 91 can be directly connected to the atmosphere, or the exhaust end of the exhaust pipe 91 can be connected to the water outlet end 50 to be connected to the atmosphere through the water outlet hole of the water outlet end 50. Optionally, the exhaust end of the exhaust tube 91 is connected to the water outlet end 50. The vent valve 92 is normally closed, and the vent valve 92 is switched to an open state only when water is replenished to the water dispenser.

That is to say, when the water dispenser is not replenished with water, the exhaust valve 92 is in a closed state, so that the passage of the exhaust pipe 91 can be blocked, air in the atmospheric environment cannot enter the refrigeration liner 10 from the vent pipe 90, the refrigeration liner 10 is isolated from the external environment, and microorganisms such as dust or bacteria are isolated outside, so that the microorganisms such as dust or bacteria are not easy to directly fall into the inner cavity of the refrigeration liner 10, and the pollution of the refrigeration liner 10 is reduced.

The specific position at which the exhaust valve 92 is mounted on the exhaust pipe 91 is not particularly limited. Specifically, the exhaust valve 92 may be installed at one end of the exhaust pipe 91 near the exhaust hole 13 to reduce air accumulated in the exhaust pipe 91; of course, the exhaust valve 92 can be installed at one end of the exhaust pipe 91 close to the water outlet end 50, or at the middle of the exhaust pipe 91. Further, the position of the exhaust valve 92 is lower than the position of the water outlet valve 32, so that when the water replenishing mode is used, after the refrigerating liner 10 is filled in the water replenishing later stage, water flow can be discharged from the exhaust pipe 91 conveniently, air in the exhaust pipe 91 can be discharged only through a small amount of water flow, after the exhaust valve 92 is closed subsequently, the refrigerating liner 10 and the exhaust pipe 91 are both filled with water without air, and the sealing performance of the refrigerating liner 10 is improved.

The exhaust valve 92 may be a solenoid valve to be automatically controlled by a controller. Alternatively, the vent valve 92 may be configured as a manual switch valve for the user to manually adjust at his or her discretion, considering that the vent valve 92 is generally not required to be opened at a later stage after the initial use for water replenishment. In the present embodiment, the exhaust valve 92 is a solenoid valve.

In this embodiment, the air outlet valve 92, the water supplement driver 22 and the water outlet valve 32 are connected to a controller of the water dispenser, so that the controller controls the opening and closing of the water supplement driver 22, the water outlet valve 32 and the air outlet valve 92. After the water dispenser is powered on, the water dispenser can be operated according to a water supplementing mode so as to supplement water to the refrigeration liner 10.

Referring to fig. 2, when the water dispenser operates in the water replenishing mode, the water replenishing driver 22 is turned on, the water outlet valve 32 is closed, and the exhaust valve 92 is opened; at this time, the water of the water supply source 40 is driven by the water replenishing driver 22 and is conveyed into the refrigeration liner 10 through the water replenishing pipe 21, the liquid level of the refrigeration liner 10 is gradually increased, the air in the refrigeration liner 10 is pushed to the top of the refrigeration liner, and the air pushed to the top of the refrigeration liner 10 is discharged from the air exhaust pipe 91 to the water outlet end 50 through the air exhaust valve 92; since the water outlet end 50 does not discharge water at this time, the air in the air discharging tube 91 will be discharged from the water outlet of the water outlet end 50. Until the refrigerating inner container 10 is filled with water, no air is accumulated in the refrigerating inner container 10, and at this time, the water supplement actuator 22 and the exhaust valve 92 are closed.

Referring to fig. 3, after the water is supplemented, the water dispenser may operate according to a working mode, which may be any one of a cold water mode, a hot water mode and a normal temperature water mode. Taking the example of the water dispenser operating in the cold water mode, in this mode, both the refill actuator 22 and the outlet valve 32 are open, while the vent valve 92 is closed; the water replenishing driver 22 drives the water of the water supply source 40 to flow into the refrigeration liner 10, and the newly replenished normal temperature water presses the cold water at the bottom of the refrigeration liner 10, so that the cold water is discharged from the water outlet 12 at the bottom of the refrigeration liner 10 to the water outlet pipe 31, then flows from the water outlet valve 32 to the water outlet end 50, and is supplied to the user by the water outlet end 50.

In the water replenishing mode, the on/off of the water replenishing driver 22 and the operation duration thereof can be regulated and controlled according to the liquid level change condition of the refrigeration liner 10 or the operation duration prestored in the controller.

In one embodiment, the controller has a preset running time T_yAfter the water dispenser is electrified, the water dispenser enters a water supplementing mode, the controller controls the water supplementing driver 22 to be started, and the actual running time T of the water supplementing driver 22 is greater than or equal to the preset running time T_yWhen (i.e. T is more than or equal to T)_yAt that time), the control water replenishment driver 22 is turned off (as shown in fig. 11).

The preset operation time T_yThe time T for filling the refrigeration liner 10 at the refill rate of the refill actuator 22 may be₀(i.e. T)_y＝T₀). (ii) a The preset operation time T_yOr may be T₀1.1 to 1.3 times (i.e., T)_y＞T₀). For example, the time T for the refill actuator 22 to fill the refrigeration liner 10₀Is 20s, then the preset running time T_yCan be designed to be 22 s-26 s.

That is, when the operation time T of the refill actuator 22 is equal to T₀When the refrigerating inner container 10 is filled with water, the water replenishing driver 22 is not closed temporarily; but the water replenishing driver 22 is continuously operated for a period of time, so that the refrigerating liner 10 overflows, a small part of water flow of the refrigerating liner 10 overflows from the exhaust hole 13 at the top of the refrigerating liner 10 through the exhaust pipe 91, and the air in the exhaust pipe 91 can be exhausted until the operation is carried out until T is more than or equal to T_yThen, the exhaust valve 92 is closed. Therefore, after the exhaust valve 92 is closed subsequently, the refrigeration liner 10 and the exhaust pipe 91 are filled with water without air, so that the refrigeration liner 10 and the atmospheric environment are effectively isolated, and the tightness of the refrigeration liner 10 is improved.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, in another embodiment, the water dispenser further includes a liquid level detector 80 connected to the controller, and the liquid level detector 80 is disposed in the refrigeration liner 10 and adapted to detect a liquid level of the refrigeration liner 10; the controller is connected with the liquid level detector 80 and the water replenishing driver 22 so as to control the on-off of the driver according to the current liquid level fed back by the liquid level detector 80.

For the liquid level detector 80, the liquid level detector 80 may include either or both of an upper water level detector and a lower water level detector. Wherein, the lower water level detector can be used for detecting the current liquid level of the refrigeration liner 10 in the water shortage state; the upper water level detector is used for detecting the current liquid level of the refrigeration inner container 10 in a full water state.

Specifically, the liquid level detector 80 includes a lower liquid level detector for detecting a current liquid level of the refrigeration liner 10 in a water shortage state. The lower water level detector may be selected as a liquid level probe. The controller is prestored with a preset low liquid level H_minThe preset low liquid level H_minCorresponding to the minimum water storage capacity allowed by the refrigeration liner 10. After the water dispenser is powered on, the water dispenser enters a water supplementing mode, the upper water level detector detects the current liquid level H of the refrigeration liner 10, and when the current liquid level H fed back by the upper water level detector and received by the controller is lower than or equal to the preset low liquid level H_minWhen (i.e. H is less than or equal to H)_min) Then, the water replenishment driver 22 is controlled to be turned on.

Further, the liquid level detector 80 may further include an upper level detector for detecting a current liquid level of the refrigeration container 10 in a full water state. The upper water level detector can be a liquid level probe, and can also be a liquid level floating ball and other structures with liquid level detection functions. In this case, the upper water level detector can be selected as a float. The controller is also prestored with a preset high liquid level H_maxThe preset high liquid level H_maxCorresponding to the maximum water storage capacity allowed by the refrigeration liner 10. In the water replenishing process, when the current liquid level H fed back by the upper water level detector and received by the controller is higher than or equal to the preset low liquid level H_maxWhen (i.e. H is more than or equal to H)_max) At this time, if it is judged that the refrigerating inner container 10 is filled with water, the water replenishment actuator 22 is controlled to be closed.

Referring to fig. 1, based on any one of the above embodiments, the water dispenser further includes a reversing valve 60 installed on the water replenishing pipe 21, the reversing valve 60 has a water inlet end 61 communicated with the water inlet end 61 of the water replenishing pipe 21, a normally closed end 62 communicated with the water outlet end of the water replenishing pipe 21, and a normally open end 63 for communicating with the water outlet end 50; the diverter valve 60 is adapted to switch between a normally closed end 62 and a normally open end 63. By installing the reversing valve 60 on the water replenishing pipe 21, the water dispenser can have a normal temperature water mode of directly delivering the water of the water supply source 40 to the water outlet end 50.

Specifically, the directional valve 60 may be selected from three-way solenoid valves. The direction valve 60 has an initial state in which the normally closed end 62 is kept closed and the normally open end 63 is opened, and an operating state in which the normally closed end 62 is opened and the normally open end 63 is closed. The direction valve 60 is connected to the controller to be controlled by the controller to switch between an initial state and an operating state. By installing the reversing valve 60 on the water replenishing pipe 21, the water dispenser can have a normal temperature water mode of directly delivering the water of the water supply source 40 to the water outlet end 50.

For example, as shown in fig. 3, when the water dispenser is enabled to be in a water replenishing mode or a cold water mode, the water replenishing driver 22 is controlled to be opened, the reversing valve 60 is controlled to be switched to a working state, and the water in the water supply source 40 is delivered to the refrigerating liner 10 through the normally closed end 62 of the reversing valve 60. As shown in fig. 4, when the normal temperature water mode of the water dispenser is enabled, the water supplement driver 22 is controlled to be opened, and the direction change valve 60 is controlled to be switched to the initial state, and the water in the water supply source 40 is delivered to the water outlet end 50 through the normal opening end 63 of the direction change valve 60.

Further, in order to facilitate the connection between the normally open end 63 of the direction valve 60 and the water outlet end 50, the water dispenser further comprises a direction pipe 64, wherein one end of the direction pipe 64 is connected with the normally open end 63 of the direction valve 60, and the other end of the direction pipe 64 is connected with the pipeline of the water outlet pipe 31, which is positioned on the water inlet side of the water outlet valve 32. Of course, in other embodiments, the two ends of the direction-changing pipe 64 can be connected to the normally open end 63 and the water outlet end 50 of the direction-changing valve 60, respectively.

Referring to fig. 5, according to any of the above embodiments, the water dispenser may further include a heating assembly (not shown), where the heating assembly includes a hot water pipe and a heating module; wherein the hot water pipe is adapted to connect the water supply 40 and the water outlet 50, and a heating module is mounted on the hot water pipe.

Specifically, one end of the hot water pipe is connected to the water supply source 40, and the other end of the hot water pipe may be directly connected to the water outlet end 50, or may be connected to the pipe of the water outlet pipe 31 on the water outlet side of the water outlet driver 32. The heating module is arranged on the hot water pipe and used for heating water flow passing through the hot water pipe. As for the specific structure of the heating module 72, the heating module 72 may be an instant heating module, or may be a device having a heating function, such as an electric heating tube or a heating inner container. Specifically, the heating module 72 is an instant heating module.

By configuring the heating assembly for the water dispenser, the water dispenser can be provided with a hot water mode for heating the water of the water supply source 40 and then conveying the water to the water outlet end 50, so that the water dispenser has a plurality of working modes such as a water supplementing mode, a cold water mode, a normal temperature water mode and a hot water mode. When the heating mode of the water dispenser is used, the water supplementing drivers 22 are all turned off, the heating module is started, and after the heating module heats water to form hot water, the heating module outputs the prepared hot water to the water outlet end 50 so as to supply the hot water to a user through the water outlet end 50. It is worth integrating that the heating component and the reversing valve 60 are not necessary, and can be configured reasonably according to the functions of the water dispenser required to be configured.

Referring to fig. 1, according to any of the above embodiments, the water supply source 40 may be a water supply tank 40 disposed inside the water dispenser, or may be a tap water pipe or a water storage tank outside the water dispenser. Optionally, in this embodiment, the water dispenser further includes a water supply tank 40, and the water supply tank 40 is adapted to supply water to the refrigeration liner 10 and/or the heating module as the water supply source 40. Optionally, the refill actuator 22 is a water pump. Of course, the water replenishing actuator 22 is not limited to a water pump, and the water replenishing actuator 22 may be other driving structure capable of driving water to flow.

The invention also provides a control method of the water dispenser, and the specific structure of the water dispenser refers to the embodiment. Since the control method of the water dispenser adopts all the technical schemes of all the embodiments, all the beneficial effects brought by the technical schemes of the embodiments are also achieved, and are not repeated herein.

Referring to fig. 1 and 7, in an embodiment of the control method of the water dispenser of the present invention, the water dispenser includes a refrigeration liner 10, and the refrigeration liner 10 is provided with a water inlet 11 and a water outlet 12; wherein the water inlet 11 is provided at the top of the refrigerating inner container 10 to be adapted to communicate with the water supply source 40; the water outlet 12 is arranged at the bottom of the refrigeration liner 10 and is suitable for being communicated with a water outlet end 50; the top of the refrigeration liner 10 is also provided with an exhaust hole 13, and the exhaust hole 13 is suitable for being communicated with the atmospheric environment. The control method of the water dispenser comprises the following steps:

s100, powering on the water dispenser.

Specifically, the power of the water dispenser may be switched on by a user through an outlet, or may be switched on through a switch button on the water dispenser, which is not specifically limited herein.

S200, controlling the water dispenser to operate according to a water replenishing mode, so that water is replenished from the water inlet 11 at the top of the refrigerating liner 10, and air is exhausted through the air exhaust hole 13 at the top of the refrigerating liner 10.

Specifically, before the water dispenser operates according to the working mode, the water dispenser is controlled to operate according to the water supplementing mode, so that the refrigerating inner container 10 of the water dispenser is filled with water. Along with the operation of the water replenishing mode, the water in the refrigeration liner 10 is gradually increased, the water level is gradually increased, so that the air in the refrigeration liner 10 is upwards squeezed, the air squeezed to the top of the refrigeration liner 10 is outwards discharged from the exhaust hole 13, the air in the refrigeration liner 10 is also completely discharged until the refrigeration liner 10 is fully filled with water, and at the moment, the water replenishing for the refrigeration liner 10 is stopped. Thus, the volume of the refrigeration liner 10 can be used to the maximum extent to prepare a large amount of cold water, and the effective volume of the refrigeration liner 10 can be effectively increased.

And S300, after receiving the working instruction, controlling the water dispenser to operate according to the working mode.

Specifically, the working instruction may be sent by a working mode button on the water dispenser, or sent by a remote controller, or triggered by the user opening the water outlet 50. The working mode can be at least one of a cold water mode, a normal temperature water mode and a hot water mode.

When the water dispenser operates in the cold water mode, the water dispenser outputs the cold water prepared by the refrigeration liner 10 to the water outlet end 50. Since the water inlet 11 of the refrigeration liner 10 is disposed at the top thereof and the water outlet 12 is disposed at the bottom thereof, after the water delivered by the water supply source 40 enters the refrigeration liner 10 from the water inlet 11 of the refrigeration liner 10, the newly supplemented normal temperature water downwardly extrudes the cold water at the bottom of the refrigeration liner 10, so that the cold water is discharged through the water outlet 12 at the bottom of the refrigeration liner 10, and finally delivered to the water outlet 50, and is supplied to the user through the water outlet 50. In the process, the newly supplemented normal temperature liquid is located in the upper space of the refrigeration liner 10, and the prepared cold liquid is located in the lower space of the refrigeration liner 10, so that the prepared cold water is not mixed with the newly supplemented normal temperature water, and is preferentially discharged from the water outlet 12 at the bottom of the refrigeration liner 10, and the cold water discharged from the water outlet 12 is ensured to keep a lower outlet water temperature.

According to the technical scheme, after the water dispenser is powered on, the water dispenser is controlled to operate according to a water supplementing mode to supplement water for the refrigerating inner container 10 of the water dispenser, and air is exhausted through the exhaust hole 13 of the refrigerating inner container 10, so that the volume of the refrigerating inner container 10 is used to the maximum extent to prepare a large amount of cold water, and the effective volume of the refrigerating inner container 10 is effectively increased; and then after receiving the working instruction, controlling the water dispenser to operate according to the working mode to discharge water from the water outlet 12 at the bottom of the refrigeration liner 10, so that the refrigeration liner 10 can discharge water from the bottom of the refrigeration liner to keep the water outlet temperature lower, and more air can be effectively prevented from accumulating in the refrigeration liner 10.

Referring to fig. 1, in an embodiment, the water dispenser further includes a water replenishing assembly 20, a water outlet assembly 30 and an air exhausting assembly 90. The water supplementing assembly 20 comprises a water supplementing pipe 21 and a water supplementing driver 22, the water supplementing pipe 21 is suitable for being connected with the refrigeration liner 10 and the water supply source 40, and the water supplementing driver 22 is arranged on the water supplementing pipe 21. Specifically, one end of the water replenishing pipe 21 is connected to the water supply source 40, and the other end of the water replenishing pipe 21 is connected to the water inlet 11 of the refrigeration liner 10; the water replenishing driver 22 is installed on the water replenishing pipe 21 and used for driving water flow to be input into the refrigeration liner 10 from the water replenishing pipe 21. The water replenishing driver 22 can be selected as a water pump; of course, the refill actuator 22 may be other driving structures that can drive the water to flow.

Further, the water outlet assembly 30 includes a water outlet pipe 31 and a water outlet valve 32, the water outlet pipe 31 is adapted to connect the refrigeration liner 10 and the water outlet end 50, and the water outlet valve 32 is disposed on the water outlet pipe 31. The outlet valve 32 may be selected as a solenoid valve. Specifically, one end of the water outlet pipe 31 is connected to the water outlet 12 of the refrigeration liner 10, and the other end of the water outlet pipe 31 is connected to the water outlet end 50; the water outlet valve 32 is mounted on the water outlet pipe 31 and used for adjusting the on-off of the water flow from the water outlet pipe 31. The outlet valve 32 may be selected as a solenoid valve. The outlet valve 32 is normally closed, and the outlet valve 32 is switched to an open state only when the water dispenser is used to take water.

Optionally, the exhaust assembly 90 includes an exhaust pipe 91 and an exhaust valve 92; wherein, the air inlet end of the exhaust pipe 91 is connected with the exhaust hole 13 of the refrigeration liner 10, and the exhaust end of the exhaust pipe 91 is communicated with the atmosphere; the exhaust valve 92 is mounted on the exhaust pipe 91.

Referring to fig. 1, 7 and 8, based on this, the controlling the water dispenser to operate according to the water replenishing mode specifically includes:

s210, controlling the water replenishing driver 22 to be started;

s220, controlling the exhaust valve 92 to be opened and controlling the water outlet valve 32 to be closed;

and S230, after the water replenishing driver 22 is started for a running time, controlling the water replenishing driver 22 and the exhaust valve 92 to be closed.

Specifically, step S210 and step S220 are not limited in sequence, that is, step S210 and step S220 may be executed simultaneously, or step S210 and step S220 may be executed sequentially. In step S210, the water supplement driver 22 may be turned on immediately after the water dispenser is powered on, may be turned on after a delay after the water dispenser is powered on, or may be turned on after receiving a water supplement instruction, where the water supplement instruction may be triggered by a user, or may be automatically triggered when detecting that the refrigeration liner 10 lacks water, which is described later.

After steps S210 and S220 are performed, water from the water supply source 40 is driven by the water replenishing driver 22 to be delivered into the refrigeration liner 10 through the water replenishing pipe 21, the liquid level of the refrigeration liner 10 gradually rises, air in the refrigeration liner 10 is pushed to the top of the refrigeration liner, and the air pushed to the top of the refrigeration liner 10 is discharged from the air outlet pipe 91 to the water outlet end 50 through the air outlet valve 92; at this time, the outlet end 50 does not discharge water, and the air in the exhaust pipe 91 is discharged from the water outlet hole of the outlet end 50. After the water replenishing driver 22 operates for a certain time, the refrigeration liner 10 is filled with water, and the air at the top of the refrigeration liner 10 is exhausted, so that no air is accumulated in the refrigeration liner 10, at this time, the water replenishing driver 22 and the exhaust valve 92 can be closed, so that the passage of the exhaust pipe 91 is blocked. Therefore, the refrigeration liner 10 forms a closed structure, the inner cavity of the refrigeration liner 10 is isolated from the atmospheric environment, and dust, bacteria or microorganisms and the like in the atmospheric environment cannot enter the refrigeration liner 10 from the exhaust pipe 91, so that the refrigeration liner 10 is prevented from being polluted.

Referring to fig. 5, 8 and 9, in one embodiment, the refrigeration container 10 is provided with a liquid level detector 80 for detecting a liquid level therein; before the step of controlling the water replenishing driver 22 to start, the following steps are also executed:

s201, controlling the liquid level detector 80 to detect the current liquid level H of the refrigeration liner 10; and the current liquid level H and a preset low liquid level H are compared_minComparing;

when the current liquid level H is lower than or equal to a preset low liquid level H_minIn the case of (1), a step of controlling the water replenishment driver 22 to turn on is performed (i.e., step S210).

Specifically, a liquid level detector 80 is provided at the refrigerating inner container 10, so as to be adapted to detect a liquid level of the refrigerating inner container 10; the controller is connected with the liquid level detector 80 and the water supplementing driver 22 so as to control the on-off of the driver according to the current liquid level fed back by the liquid level detector 80. Specifically, the liquid level detector 80 includes a lower water level detector for detecting a current liquid level of the refrigeration liner 10 in a water shortage state; the controller is prestored with a preset low liquid level H_minThe preset low liquid level corresponds to the minimum water storage capacity allowed by the refrigeration liner 10. After the water dispenser is powered on, the water dispenser enters a water supplementing mode, a lower water level detector of the liquid level detector 80 detects the current liquid level H of the refrigeration liner 10, and when the current liquid level H fed back by the liquid level detector 80 and received by the controller is lower than the preset low liquid level H_minWhen (i.e. H is less than or equal to H)_min) That is, the amount of water in the refrigeration liner 10 is small, at this time, the water supplement actuator 22 is controlled to be turned on.

Referring to fig. 5, 8 and 10, based on the previous embodiment, after the water supplement actuator 22 is opened for a running time T in step 230, the controlling of the closing of the water supplement actuator 22 and the exhaust valve 92 includes:

s231, controlling the liquid level detector 80 to detect the current liquid level H of the refrigeration liner 10, and comparing the current liquid level with a preset high liquid level H_maxComparing;

s232, when the current liquid level H is more than or equal to the preset high liquid level H_maxThe refill actuator 22 and the exhaust valve 92 are controlled to be closed.

Specifically, the liquid level detector 80 further includes an upper water level detector, and the upper water level detector is configured to detect a current liquid level H of the refrigeration liner 10 in a full water state; the controller is also pre-stored with a preset high liquid level H_maxWhen the current liquid level H fed back by the upper level detector of the liquid level detector 80 received by the controller is greater than or equal to the preset low liquid level H_maxWhen (i.e. H is more than or equal to H)_max) At this time, if it is judged that the refrigerating inner container 10 is filled with water, the water replenishment actuator 22 is controlled to be closed.

Referring to fig. 1, 8 and 11, in another embodiment, the difference between the above embodiments is that after the water replenishing driver 22 is opened for a running time T in step 230, the controlling of the closing of the water replenishing driver 22 and the air vent valve 92 includes:

s231', recording the running time T of the water replenishing driver 22;

s232', when the running time T is more than or equal to the preset running time T_yThe refill actuator 22 and the exhaust valve 92 are controlled to be closed.

Specifically, the controller has a preset operation time T_yThe controller controls the water replenishing driver 22 to start and records the running time T of the water replenishing driver 22, and the running time T of the water replenishing driver 22 is greater than or equal to the preset running time T_yWhen (i.e. T is more than or equal to T)_yAt time), the control will control the water replenishment driver 22 to turn off. Assuming that the time for normally filling the refrigerating inner container 10 according to the water replenishing rate of the water replenishing actuator 22 is T₀That is, the water refill driver 22 has the operation time T equal to T₀And when the temperature is higher than the preset temperature, controlling the water replenishing driver 22 to close, and filling the refrigerating inner container 10. However, in this case, a part of air remains in the exhaust duct 91, and the air comes into contact with water in the refrigeration liner 10, so that microorganisms such as bacteria are likely to grow, and the refrigeration liner 10 may be contaminated.

In view of this, the preset operation time may be optionally designed as the time T for the water replenishing driver 22 to normally fill the refrigeration liner 10₀1.1 to 1.3 times of the total amount of the active ingredient. That is, when the operation time T of the refill actuator 22 is equal to T₀When the refrigerating inner container 10 is filled with water, the water replenishing driver 22 is not closed temporarily; instead, the water supplement actuator 22 is allowed to continue to operate for a period of time, so that the refrigeration liner 10 overflows, a small part of water flow of the refrigeration liner 10 overflows from the exhaust hole 13 at the top of the refrigeration liner 10 through the exhaust pipe 91, so that air in the exhaust pipe 91 can be exhausted, and then the exhaust valve 92 is closed. Therefore, after the exhaust valve 92 is closed, the refrigeration liner 10 and the exhaust pipe 91 are filled with water without air, so that the refrigeration liner and the exhaust pipe 91 are effectively ensured to be filled with water without air, and further, the refrigeration liner and the exhaust pipe are effectively closedThe refrigeration liner 10 is isolated from the atmospheric environment, and the tightness of the refrigeration liner 10 is improved.

Referring to fig. 1, fig. 7 and fig. 12, based on any of the above embodiments, in step S300, after receiving the working instruction, the controlling the water dispenser to operate according to the working mode specifically includes:

and S310, controlling the exhaust valve 92 to be closed.

Specifically, when the exhaust valve 92 is closed, the passage of the exhaust pipe 91 is blocked, and air in the atmospheric environment cannot pass through the exhaust pipe 91, and thus cannot enter the refrigeration liner 10. The water flow of the refrigeration liner 10 does not overflow from the exhaust pipe 91, and the sealing performance of the refrigeration liner 10 is ensured.

And S320, controlling the water replenishing driver 22 and the water outlet valve 32 to be opened.

Specifically, the working mode of the water dispenser can be any one of a cold water mode, a normal temperature water mode and a hot water mode. Wherein, the cold water mode, the normal temperature water mode and the hot water mode of the water dispenser are switched by the reversing valve 60. Taking the cold water mode as an example, in the cold water mode of the water dispenser, the water replenishing driver 22 and the water outlet valve 32 are both opened, and the exhaust valve 92 is closed; the water replenishing driver 22 drives the water of the water supply source 40 to flow into the refrigeration liner 10, and the newly replenished normal temperature water presses the cold water at the bottom of the refrigeration liner 10, so that the cold water is discharged from the water outlet 12 at the bottom of the refrigeration liner 10 to the water outlet pipe 31, then flows from the water outlet valve 32 to the water outlet end 50, and is supplied to the user by the water outlet end 50.

In one embodiment, in order to make the water dispenser obtain a normal temperature water mode, the water dispenser further comprises a reversing valve 60 mounted on the water replenishing pipe 21, wherein the reversing valve 60 has a water inlet end 61 communicated with the water inlet end of the water replenishing pipe 21, a normally closed end 62 communicated with the water outlet end of the water replenishing pipe 21, and a normally open end 63 communicated with the water outlet end 50; the direction valve 60 has an initial state in which the normally closed end 62 is kept closed and the normally open end 63 is opened, and an operating state in which the normally closed end 62 is opened and the normally open end 63 is closed. The existence of the reversing valve 60 can enable the water dispenser to have at least two working modes, namely a normal-temperature water mode and a cold-water mode.

Specifically, in order to facilitate the connection between the normally open end 63 of the direction valve 60 and the water outlet end 50, the water dispenser further comprises a direction pipe 64, one end of the direction pipe 64 is connected with the normally open end 63 of the direction valve 60, and the other end of the direction pipe 64 is connected with the pipeline of the water outlet pipe 31 on the water inlet side of the water outlet valve 32. Of course, in other embodiments, the two ends of the direction-changing pipe 64 can be connected to the normally open end 63 and the water outlet end 50 of the direction-changing valve 60, respectively. By switching the state of the reversing valve 60, the water dispenser can have a normal temperature water mode of directly delivering the water of the water supply source 40 to the water outlet end 50.

The directional valve 60 may be selected as a three-way solenoid valve. The direction valve 60 has an initial state in which the normally closed end 62 is kept closed and the normally open end 63 is opened, and an operating state in which the normally closed end 62 is opened and the normally open end 63 is closed. The direction valve 60 is connected to the controller to be controlled by the controller to switch between an initial state and an operating state. By installing the reversing valve 60 on the water replenishing pipe 21, the water dispenser can have a normal temperature water mode of directly delivering the water of the water supply source 40 to the water outlet end 50.

When the working mode is the normal-temperature water mode, the step of controlling the water dispenser to run according to the working mode further comprises the step of controlling the reversing valve 60 to be switched to the initial state. In this manner, water from the water supply 40 will be delivered through the normally open end 63 of the diverter valve 60 to the outlet tube 31 and then through the outlet tube 31 to the outlet end 50.

When the working mode is the cold water mode, the step of controlling the water dispenser to run according to the working mode specifically comprises the step of controlling the reversing valve 60 to be switched to the working state. The water from the water supply source 40 is delivered to the refrigeration liner 10 through the normally closed end 62 of the reversing valve 60, and then forms cold water after the refrigeration liner 10 is refrigerated, and is delivered to the water outlet end 50 through the water outlet pipe 31.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and all modifications and equivalents of the present invention, which are made by the contents of the present specification and the accompanying drawings, or directly/indirectly applied to other related technical fields, are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water dispenser, characterized in that the water dispenser comprises:

the refrigeration liner is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet; wherein the water inlet is positioned at the top of the refrigeration liner and is suitable for being communicated with a water supply source; the water outlet is positioned at the bottom of the refrigeration liner and is suitable for being communicated with a water outlet end; and,

the top of the refrigeration inner container is also provided with an exhaust hole which is suitable for being communicated with the atmospheric environment.

2. The water dispenser of claim 1, further comprising an exhaust assembly, the exhaust assembly comprising an exhaust pipe and an exhaust valve; wherein,

the exhaust pipe is suitable for connecting the exhaust hole to communicate with the atmospheric environment;

the exhaust valve is mounted on the exhaust pipe.

3. The water dispenser of claim 2, further comprising a water outlet end communicated with the water outlet of the refrigeration liner;

the tail end of the exhaust pipe is connected with the water outlet end so as to be communicated with the atmosphere through the water outlet hole of the water outlet end.

4. The water dispenser of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the water dispenser further comprises a water outlet assembly, the water outlet assembly comprising a water outlet pipe and a water outlet valve; the water outlet pipe is suitable for connecting a water outlet of the refrigeration liner with the water outlet end; the water outlet valve is arranged on the water outlet pipe.

5. The water dispenser of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the water dispenser further comprises a refill assembly comprising a refill tube and a refill actuator; the water replenishing pipe is suitable for connecting a water inlet of the refrigeration liner with the water supply source; the water replenishing driver is installed on the water replenishing pipe.

6. The water dispenser of claim 5, further comprising a controller connected to the refill actuator to control the on/off of the refill actuator.

7. The water dispenser of claim 6 further comprising a liquid level detector connected to the controller, the liquid level detector being disposed on the refrigeration liner for detecting a liquid level of the refrigeration liner.

8. The water dispenser of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a reversing valve mounted on the water replenishing pipe, the reversing valve having a water inlet end in communication with the water inlet end of the water replenishing pipe, a normally closed end in communication with the water outlet end of the water replenishing pipe, and a normally open end for communication with the water outlet end; the reversing valve is adapted to switch the normally closed end and the normally open end.

9. The water dispenser of claim 8 further comprising a reversing tube, one end of the reversing tube being connected to the normally open end of the reversing valve, the other end of the reversing tube being connected to the water outlet tube.

10. The water dispenser of any one of claims 1 to 3 further comprising a water supply tank adapted to supply water to the refrigeration liner and/or the heating module as the water supply source.

11. The water dispenser of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the refill actuator is a water pump.

12. A control method of a water dispenser, which is applied to the water dispenser corresponding to any one of claims 1 to 11, and is characterized in that the control method of the water dispenser comprises the following steps:

electrifying the water dispenser;

13. The control method of the water dispenser according to claim 12, wherein the water inlet is communicated with a water supply source through a water replenishing pipe, the water outlet is communicated with a water outlet end through a water outlet pipe, and the air outlet is communicated with the atmosphere through an air exhaust pipe; wherein, a water replenishing driver is arranged on the water replenishing pipe; a water outlet valve is arranged on the water outlet pipe; an exhaust valve is arranged on the exhaust pipe;

the step of controlling the water dispenser to operate according to a water supplementing mode specifically comprises the following steps:

controlling the water replenishing driver to be started;

14. The control method of the water dispenser as claimed in claim 13, wherein the refrigeration liner is provided with a liquid level detector for detecting the liquid level;

15. The method for controlling the water dispenser according to claim 14, wherein after the water replenishing driver is started for an operating time, the method for controlling the closing of the water replenishing driver and the exhaust valve specifically comprises the following steps:

16. The method for controlling the water dispenser according to claim 13, wherein after the water replenishing driver is started for an operating time, the method for controlling the closing of the water replenishing driver and the exhaust valve specifically comprises the following steps:

recording the running time of the water replenishing driver;

17. The method for controlling the water dispenser according to claim 13, wherein the preset running time is T time when the water replenishing driver fills the refrigerating inner container completely₀1.1 to 1.3 times of the total amount of the active ingredient.

18. The method for controlling the water dispenser according to any one of the claims 13 to 17, wherein the step of controlling the water dispenser to operate according to the working mode specifically comprises the following steps:

controlling the exhaust valve to close;

19. The control method of the water dispenser as claimed in claim 18, the water dispenser further comprises a reversing valve mounted on the water replenishing pipe, the reversing valve having a water inlet end communicated with the water inlet end of the water replenishing pipe, a normally closed end communicated with the water outlet end of the water replenishing pipe, and a normally open end for communicating with the water outlet end; the reversing valve has an initial state for keeping the normally closed end closed and the normally open end open, and an operating state for keeping the normally closed end open and the normally open end closed;

when the working mode is a normal-temperature water mode, the step of controlling the water dispenser to run according to the working mode further comprises the step of controlling the reversing valve to be switched to an initial state;

when the working mode is a cold water mode, the step of controlling the water dispenser to run according to the working mode specifically comprises the step of controlling the reversing valve to be switched to a working state.