CN115135829A

CN115135829A - Device

Info

Publication number: CN115135829A
Application number: CN202180015171.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 大城智史; 糸贺友则; 谷知子; 宇野克彦; 古田勤
Original assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Current assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-02-21
Filing date: 2021-01-29
Publication date: 2022-09-30
Also published as: WO2021166592A1; JPWO2021166592A1

Abstract

The disclosed apparatus includes: a resin composition that emits a water-soluble substance; a support member that supports the resin composition; a tank for storing the support member and the liquid; a supply port for supplying liquid to the tank; and a discharge port which is provided below the supply port in a predetermined state and discharges the liquid from the tank. The resin composition is exposed from an opening provided in the support member, and the distance between the supply port and the resin composition is shorter than the distance between the discharge port and the resin composition. Thus, an apparatus for appropriately discharging a water-soluble substance is provided.

Description

Device

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for utilizing a liquid.

Background

Household electrical appliances are known which utilize a liquid stored in a tank to improve usability. Patent document 1 discloses a steam iron configured to remove wrinkles from clothes using water stored in a tank.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2000 and 51592

Disclosure of Invention

In the case of using the household electrical appliance as described above, calcium and magnesium present in water accumulate as scale on the inner surface of the household electrical appliance. In the steam iron described in patent document 1, a scale inhibitor is put into a water container to prevent scale from accumulating on the inner surface of a household electrical appliance. However, in the structure of patent document 1, since the water in the tank body is always in contact with the scale inhibitor, the release of the scale inhibitor becomes fast, and the duration of the effect of inhibiting the accumulation of scale may become short.

The present disclosure is an invention for solving the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a device for appropriately discharging a water-soluble substance.

The disclosed apparatus includes: a resin composition that emits a water-soluble substance; a support member that supports the resin composition; a tank for storing the support member and the liquid; a supply port for supplying liquid to the tank; and a discharge port which is provided below the supply port in a predetermined state and discharges the liquid from the tank, wherein the resin composition is exposed from an opening provided in the support member, and a distance between the supply port and the resin composition is shorter than a distance between the discharge port and the resin composition.

According to the apparatus of the present disclosure, a water-soluble substance can be appropriately discharged.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side view showing the structure of the apparatus according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view showing the structure of the case of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing the structure of the case of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view of the case of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a partial enlarged view of the apparatus of fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a graph showing test results of the evaluation test.

Fig. 7 is a side view showing the structure of the apparatus according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view showing the relationship between the support member and the resin composition.

Fig. 9 is a side view showing the structure of the apparatus according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 10 is a graph showing the test results of the evaluation test 1.

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a table indicating the test results of the evaluation test 2.

Detailed Description

(example of a mode that can be adopted by the apparatus)

The disclosed apparatus includes: a resin composition that emits a water-soluble substance; a support member that supports the resin composition; a tank for storing the support member and the liquid; a supply port for supplying liquid to the tank; and a discharge port which is provided below the supply port in a predetermined state and discharges the liquid from the tank, wherein the resin composition is exposed from an opening provided in the support member, and a distance between the supply port and the resin composition is shorter than a distance between the discharge port and the resin composition. Here, the predetermined state can be exemplified by a state in which the supply port is disposed at a position higher than the discharge port in the vertical direction. Here, the discharge port is a portion for discharging the liquid from the tank, but when a pipe is disposed in the tank and the pipe penetrates the tank to discharge the liquid to the outside of the tank, the tip of the pipe in the tank can be used as the discharge port. In short, the term "part close to the tank" refers to a part other than the tank through which the liquid passes when the liquid in the tank is discharged from the tank.

According to the above apparatus, the distance between the supply port and the resin composition is shorter than the distance between the discharge port and the resin composition, and therefore the liquid supplied from the supply port to the can body is likely to contact the resin composition. Therefore, the water-soluble substance is appropriately released from the resin composition into the liquid.

According to one example of the apparatus, in the predetermined state, the resin composition is provided below a line connecting the supply port and the discharge port.

According to the above apparatus, the resin composition is provided in a position close to the supply port. Therefore, the liquid supplied from the supply port to the can body is likely to contact the resin composition. Therefore, the water-soluble substance is appropriately released from the resin composition into the liquid.

In one example of the device, the resin composition further includes a water-insoluble resin.

According to the above apparatus, the water-soluble substance can be appropriately retained.

According to one example of the apparatus, a gap is formed between the support member and the resin composition in a state where the support member supports the resin composition.

According to the above apparatus, the liquid supplied from the supply port to the tank penetrates into the gap. Therefore, the resin composition and the liquid are easily contacted.

In one example of the apparatus, the support member further includes a protrusion that contacts the resin composition.

According to the above apparatus, the gap between the support member and the resin composition is reliably formed.

According to one example of the apparatus, the protrusion is provided on an inner surface of the support member, and a height of the protrusion is 0.3 to 0.8 mm.

According to the above apparatus, the height of the protrusion is appropriately set, and thus the water-soluble substance from the resin composition is appropriately discharged.

According to one example of the above-described apparatus, the support member and the resin composition are in close contact with each other without any gap therebetween.

According to the above apparatus, the infiltration of the liquid into between the support member and the resin composition can be controlled. Further, the flowing liquid can come into contact with the resin composition exposed from the opening of the support member.

In one example of the apparatus, the opening is provided in a portion that contacts the liquid, and the size of the opening is configured such that the surface area of the resin composition exposed from the opening is 1 to 50% of the total surface area of the resin composition.

According to the above apparatus, the area of the opening is appropriately set, and therefore the water-soluble substance from the resin composition can be released at an appropriate concentration for a long period of time.

(embodiment mode 1)

Hereinafter, the apparatus 10 of embodiment 1 is explained.

The device 10 of the present embodiment is an electric home appliance that obtains various effects by using liquid. An example of a liquid is water. The appliance 10 is for example a steam iron, a garment steamer, an air conditioner, a washing machine, a dish washer-dryer and an electric kettle. An example of an electric household appliance shown in fig. 1 is a steam iron. In the following, the device 10 will be described as a steam iron. The main elements constituting the apparatus 10 are the housing 11, the base surface 20, and the can 30. In addition, the configuration device 10 includes a state in which the base surface 20 is horizontally arranged in a predetermined state. Further, in the case where the apparatus 10 is arranged in a predetermined state, the base surface 20 side is sometimes indicated as being downward.

The housing 11 forms the external appearance of the device 10 and houses various elements that form the device 10. The various elements housed in the housing 11 are, for example, at least one of a control unit, a storage unit, an operation unit, a power supply unit, a pump, and a heater. The control unit is, for example, a microcomputer, and controls the output amounts of the pump and the heater. The storage unit is, for example, a volatile memory and stores information necessary for controlling the pump and the heater. The operation unit is composed of a button or a switch, and outputs an operation signal for changing the output amounts of the pump and the heater to the control unit. The power supply unit is a battery that supplies electric power. When the device 10 is connected to an external power supply, the configuration of the power supply unit can be omitted. The pump moves the liquid in the tank 30 toward the vaporization chamber, for example. The heater heats the liquid in the vaporization chamber to form a vapor. An example of the heater is a ptc (positive Temperature coefficient) heater. The material constituting the housing 11 can be selected from any material having heat resistance. In one example, the material forming the housing 11 is polycarbonate. The housing 11 also includes a grip portion 12 adapted to be gripped by a user.

The base surface 20 supplies steam to the laundry, for example, in a state of being in contact with or not in contact with the laundry. In one example, the pump is driven to supply the liquid in the tank 30 to the vaporization chamber, and the liquid in the vaporization chamber is heated by the heater to generate steam. The generated steam passes through the steam passage and is discharged to the outside through the opening provided in the base surface 20.

The tank 30 is provided in the housing 11 and stores liquid in the internal space S. An example of a liquid is water. The tank 30 includes a supply port 31 for supplying the liquid into the internal space S of the tank 30 and a discharge port 32 for discharging the liquid existing in the internal space S of the tank 30. The supply port 31 is configured to be openable and closable by a cover not shown. The discharge port 32 is configured to be openable and closable by a valve not shown. The discharge port 32 is connected to the vaporization chamber, for example. The can body 30 is made of any material having water resistance. In one example, the material forming the can body 30 is polycarbonate. The tank 30 may be detachable from the apparatus 10. Preferably, when the apparatus 10 is arranged in a predetermined state, the supply port 31 is provided at a position higher than the discharge port 32 in the vertical direction. The shape of the supply port 31 and the discharge port 32 is arbitrary. In one example, the supply port 31 and the discharge port 32 are circular in shape.

The apparatus 10 further includes a support member 40 and a resin composition 50. Referring to fig. 2 to 4, the support member 40 and the resin composition 50 will be described. The support member 40 and the resin composition 50 are provided in the internal space S of the can 30.

The support member 40 is configured to be able to support the resin composition 50. The support member 40 includes a 1 st support member 41 and a 2 nd support member 42. The 1 st support member 41 and the 2 nd support member 42 are configured to be separable. The material constituting the support member 40 can be selected from any materials. In one example, the material comprising support member 40 is an unsaturated polyester. The length of the support member 40 is determined by the size of the resin composition 50. In one example, the support member 40 is formed to be longer than the length of the resin composition 50 by a predetermined length. The predetermined length is, for example, 2 mm.

The 1 st support member 41 supports the lower end of the resin composition 50. The 1 st support member 41 is fixed with respect to the can 30, so that relative movement with respect to the can 30 is suppressed. The fixing means is, for example, embedding with a resin.

The 2 nd support member 42 supports the upper end of the resin composition 50. The 2 nd support member 42 is fixed with respect to the 1 st support member 41, so that relative movement with respect to the 1 st support member 41 is suppressed. For example, the fixing means is provided with a concave portion on one of the 1 st support member 41 and the 2 nd support member 42 and a convex portion on the other, and the 2 nd support member 42 is fitted or rotated.

The 2 nd support member 42 further includes an opening portion 43. The opening 43 is configured as follows: the internal space S2 of the support member 40 is opened, and at least a part of the resin composition 50 protrudes and is exposed with respect to the internal space S of the can body 30. The length of the resin composition 50 protruding from the opening 43 is, for example, in the range of 2 to 5 mm. The opening 43 is formed in an arbitrary shape. In one example, the opening 43 has a circular shape.

The support member 40 further includes a protrusion 44 protruding toward the inner space S2 at the inner surface 40A. The projection 44 is provided on at least one of the 1 st support member 41 and the 2 nd support member 42. Preferably, the protrusion 44 is provided on both the 1 st support member 41 and the 2 nd support member 42. More preferably, a plurality of projections 44 are provided on both the 1 st support member 41 and the 2 nd support member 42. The protrusions 44 form gaps G between the inner surface 40A of the support member 40 and the resin composition 50. The protrusion 44 is configured such that the distance between the support member 40 and the resin composition 50 is 0.3 to 0.8 mm. The protrusion 44 is configured to protrude 0.3 to 0.8mm from the inner surface 40A of the support member 40.

The resin composition 50 includes a water-insoluble resin and a water-soluble substance. The ratio of the water-insoluble resin to the water-soluble substance is arbitrary. In one example, the water-soluble substance is in the range of 20 to 90 wt%. Preferably, the water-soluble substance is in the range of 40 to 70 wt%. The water-insoluble resin is composed of any material insoluble in water. Preferably, the glass transition temperature of the material is in the 1 st predetermined range and the melting point of the material is in the 2 nd predetermined range. The 1 st predetermined range is, for example, at least 130 ℃. The 1 st predetermined range is, for example, 100 ℃ or lower.

The 2 nd predetermined range is, for example, 80 ℃ or higher. The 2 nd predetermined range is, for example, 250 ℃ or lower. Examples of the material constituting the water-insoluble resin include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, and acrylic acid-modified polyethylene.

The water-soluble substance is a substance having a predetermined action by dissolving in water. An example of the predetermined action is suppression of accumulation of metal ions in the can 30. In one example, the water-soluble substance is a chelating agent that forms a complex with a metal ion. Examples of the chelating agent include sodium polyacrylate, sodium acrylate such as acrylic acid/maleic acid copolymer sodium salt and acrylic acid/sulfonic acid monomer copolymer sodium salt, 1-hydroxyethane-1, 1-diphosphonic acid, iminodiacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, citric acid, and cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid.

Referring to fig. 5, the positions of the support member 40 and the resin composition 50 inside the can body 30 will be described.

Preferably, the 1 st support member 41 is fixed to the same surface as the inner surface 30A of the canister 30 on which the discharge port 32 is provided when the equipment 10 is arranged in a predetermined state. The support member 40 and at least a part of the resin composition 50 are provided on the base surface 20 side of a line L1 connecting the center of gravity P1 of the supply port 31 and the center of gravity P2 of the discharge port. Preferably, the support member 40 and the resin composition 50 are all provided on the base surface 20 side of the line L1.

The distance D1 between the center of gravity P1 of the supply port 31 and the point P3 on the resin composition 50 is shorter than the distance D2 between the center of gravity P2 of the discharge port 32 and the point P3 on the resin composition 50. The point P3 on the resin composition 50 is a point having the shortest distance D1. When at least one of the supply port 31, the discharge port 32, and the resin composition 50 is provided in plural, the distance D1 and the distance D2 are defined. Preferably, the distance D1 is shorter than the distance D2 in all cases.

The method for producing the resin composition 50 will be described.

The water-insoluble resin and the water-soluble substance are metered and kneaded under heating to form a strand of the resin composition 50. In one example, the water-insoluble resin and the water-soluble substance are in equal amounts. The heating kneading is carried out at 200 ℃ using, for example, a twin-screw extrusion kneader. The strands are chopped to form granules. The pellets are injection molded to form the resin composition 50 in a predetermined shape. One example of the predetermined shape of the resin composition 50 is an oval sphere. In another example, the predetermined shape is a plate shape, a spherical shape, or a cylindrical shape. The resin composition 50 shown in fig. 1 has an oval sphere shape. The length of the resin composition 50 in the major axis direction and the length of the resin composition in the minor axis direction are arbitrarily formed according to the size of the can 30 of the device 10 to be used. Preferably, the length of the resin composition 50 in the longitudinal direction is within the range of 10 to 40 mm. More preferably, the length of the resin composition 50 in the longitudinal direction is in the range of 20 to 30 mm. Preferably, the length of the resin composition 50 in the short axis direction is in the range of 5 to 20 mm. More preferably, the length of the resin composition 50 in the short axis direction is in the range of 7 to 15 mm.

The inventors of the present application performed an evaluation test for confirming the effects of the support member 40 and the resin composition 50 of the present application. In the evaluation test, a plurality of resin compositions 50 having different residual ratios of the water-soluble substance were prepared, and the resin compositions 50 having different residual ratios were placed one by one into a plurality of support members 40 having different lengths between the support member 40 and the resin composition 50 in the gap G, and the elution concentration was measured.

The resin compositions 50 were put into a beaker one by one, and 350ml of water was added thereto. The weight of the resin composition 50 was 10 g. After 10 minutes of water addition, the water in the beaker was extracted and the concentration of the functional water-soluble substance in the water was measured. The dissolution concentration is determined by measuring the total amount of carbon in the organism. After the water extraction, the resin compositions 50 of the respective comparative examples and examples were dried. The drying time was 24 hours. The weight of the dried resin composition 50 was measured to calculate the residual rate of the water-soluble substance. By repeating this process, a plurality of resin compositions 50 having different residual ratios are produced. Specifically, resin compositions 50 each differing by about 0.1 in the range of the residual ratio of 1.0 to 0.3 are produced. The support members 40 differ by about 0.1mm each in the range of 0.3 to 0.9mm in length of the projection 44.

Water is injected toward the opening 43 where the resin composition 50 is exposed in the support member 40 using a funnel. The water injection was performed for 30 seconds using 350ml of pure water containing no impurities. After 10 minutes water was recovered, the dissolution concentration was measured and the dissolution concentration and the residual rate were plotted on a graph. The above process is performed a plurality of times. The expressed elution concentration and residual rate are average values of the results obtained by performing the above steps several times.

Referring to fig. 6, the results of the evaluation test are explained. The vertical axis of FIG. 6 represents the elution concentration (ppm). The horizontal axis of fig. 6 represents the residual rate. Each point represents the dissolution concentration at the time when the residual ratio is a predetermined value. The straight lines in fig. 6 represent approximate lines. When the resin composition 50 is supported by the support member 40 having the projection 44 with a length of 0.9mm, the elution concentration is maintained at a high level even if the residual ratio is decreased, as in the case where water is in contact with the entire surface of the resin composition 50. On the other hand, when the resin composition 50 is supported by the support member 40 having the length of the projection 44 of 0.3 to 0.8mm, the dissolution concentration is high when the residual rate is around 1.0, while the dissolution concentration decreases as the residual rate becomes around 0.5.

Based on the results of the evaluation test, the following findings were obtained.

When the resin composition 50 is supported by the support member 40 having the length of the projection 44 of 0.3 to 0.8mm, the elution concentration is high when the residual rate is high, and the elution concentration is low when the residual rate is low. Therefore, a large amount of water-soluble substance can be discharged in the initial use, and the use period of the resin composition 50 can be set to be long.

The operation of the apparatus 10 of the present embodiment will be described.

The user places the resin composition 50 into the support member 40 provided in the tank 30 of the apparatus 10. The user adds water to the can 30. The resin composition 50 releases the water-soluble substance at least into the can body 30. After the apparatus 10 is used, water is removed from the tank 30, and the resin composition 50 is disposed in a dry state. The user adds water to the inside of the can 30 again at the next use. The resin composition 50 allows a water-soluble substance to be released at least gradually into the can 30.

(embodiment mode 2)

Hereinafter, the device 110 of embodiment 2 is explained. The difference from embodiment 1 is that the support member 40 and the resin composition 50 are closely attached to each other without providing a gap therebetween. The difference is that the area of the resin composition 50 exposed from the opening 43 is 1 to 50% of the total surface area of the resin composition 50. Embodiment 2 will be described focusing on these differences.

The device 110 of the present embodiment is an electric home appliance that obtains various effects by using liquid. An example of a liquid is water. An example of the electric home appliance shown in fig. 7 is a steam generator. Hereinafter, the apparatus 110 will be described as a steam generator.

The main elements constituting the apparatus 110 are the can 30, the housing 60, the hose 70, and the iron 80. As an example, a case where the housing 60 is horizontally arranged when the device 110 is arranged in a predetermined state will be described. In addition, in the case where the device 110 is arranged in a predetermined state, the housing bottom surface side is sometimes indicated as being downward.

The housing 60 forms the external appearance of the device 110, and houses various elements constituting the device 110. The various elements housed in the case 60 are at least one of a control unit, a storage unit, an operation unit, a power supply unit, a pump 61, and a heater 63, for example. The control unit is, for example, a microcomputer, and controls the output amounts of the pump 61 and the heater 63. The storage unit is, for example, a volatile memory, and stores information necessary for controlling the pump 61 and the heater 63. The operation unit is constituted by a button or a switch, and outputs an operation signal for changing the output amounts of the pump 61 and the heater 63 to the control unit, for example.

The power supply unit is a battery that supplies electric power. When the device 110 is connected to an external power supply, the configuration of the power supply unit can be omitted. The pump 61 moves the liquid in the tank 30 to the boiler 62, for example. The heater 63 heats the liquid of the boiler 62 to form steam. An example of the heater 63 is a ptc (positive Temperature coefficient) heater. The material constituting the case can be selected from any material having heat resistance. In one example, the material comprising the housing is polycarbonate.

The hose 70 is coupled to both a steam generating outlet of the boiler 62 and a vaporizing chamber of the iron 80. The steam generated in the boiler 62 of the housing 60 is delivered to the iron 80 through the hose 70. The material constituting the hose 70 can be selected from materials having heat resistance. Examples are nitrile rubbers, silicon, vinyl chloride rubbers. Further, the outer surface of the hose 70 may be covered with a tube woven with glass fibers.

The iron 80 has an external appearance formed by a housing, including a grip portion 12 adapted to be held by a user. The elements constituting the inside of the housing are, for example, at least one of a control unit, a storage unit, an operation unit, and a heater. The control unit is, for example, a microcomputer, and controls the output amount of the heater. The storage unit is, for example, a volatile memory and stores information necessary for controlling the heater. The operation unit is composed of a button or a switch, and outputs an operation signal for changing the output of the heater to the control unit, for example.

In the power supply unit of the iron 80, when the device 110 is connected to an external power supply, the configuration of the power supply unit can be omitted. The heater heats the steam generated in the boiler inside the housing and passing through the hose 70 again. An example of the heater is a ptc (positive Temperature coefficient) heater. The material constituting the case can be selected from any materials having heat resistance. In one example, the material comprising the housing is polycarbonate.

The base 20 of the iron 80 supplies steam to the laundry, for example, in a state of contact or non-contact with the laundry. In one example, the pump 61 is driven to supply the liquid in the tank 30 to the boiler 62 in accordance with the driving of the pump 61, and the liquid in the boiler 62 is heated by the heater 63 to generate steam. The generated steam passes through the hose 70, is reheated in the vaporization chamber of the iron 80, and is discharged to the outside through the opening provided in the base surface 20.

The tank 30 is fitted in the housing and stores liquid in the internal space S. An example of a liquid is water. The tank 30 includes a supply port 31 for supplying the liquid into the internal space S of the tank 30 and a pipe 90 for discharging the liquid existing in the internal space S of the tank 30. The pipe 90 passes from the inside of the tank to the outside of the tank. The discharge port 32 is provided at the tip of the tube 90 in the tank. The supply port 31 is configured to be detachable from the housing to supply water. The pipe 90 provided with the discharge port 32 is connected to, for example, a pump path. The can body 30 can be made of any material having water resistance. In one example, the material forming the can 30 is polycarbonate. The tank 30 may be detachable from the apparatus 10. Preferably, when the device 110 is disposed in a predetermined state, the supply port 31 is provided at a position higher than the discharge port 32 in the vertical direction. The shape of the supply port 31 and the discharge port 32 is arbitrary. In one example, the supply port 31 is plate-shaped, and the discharge port 32 is circular at the tip of the tube 90.

The apparatus 110 includes a support member 40 and a resin composition 50. Referring to FIGS. 8 to 11, the support member 40 and the resin composition 50 will be described. The support member 40 and the resin composition 50 are provided in the internal space S of the can 30.

The support member 40 covers the resin composition 50 except for a part of the resin composition 50. The material constituting the support member 40 can be selected from any materials. In one example, the material constituting the support member 40 is a thermoplastic resin. The support member 40 is configured to be in close contact with the resin composition 50. That is, the support member 40 and the resin composition 50 are configured without a gap. The coating of the support member is formed at a constant thickness. The predetermined thickness is, for example, 2 mm.

The support member 40 is fixed relative to the supply port 31, so that relative movement with respect to the supply port 31 of the can 30 is suppressed. The fixing means may be a hook provided on the support member, for example. The hook is hooked on the supply port to fix the hook.

The support member 40 is provided with an opening 43. The opening 43 is provided in the support member 40 at a portion to which the liquid supplied to the tank 30 is supplied. At least a part of the resin composition 50 is exposed to the internal space S of the can body 30 from the opening 43. The resin composition 50 in the opening 43 and the support member 40 other than the opening 43 are configured in the same plane, a convex shape in which the resin composition 50 protrudes from the opening 43, or a concave shape in which the resin composition 50 is recessed from the opening 43. The opening 43 is formed in an arbitrary shape. In one example, the opening 43 has a square shape.

The size of the opening 43 is such that the area of the resin composition 50 exposed from the support member 40 is 1 to 50% of the entire surface area of the resin composition 50.

The resin composition 50 includes a water-insoluble resin and a water-soluble substance. The ratio of the water-insoluble resin to the water-soluble substance is arbitrary. In one example, the water-soluble substance is in the range of 20 to 90 wt%. Preferably, the water-soluble substance is in the range of 40 to 70 wt%. The water-insoluble resin is composed of any material insoluble in water. Preferably, the glass transition temperature of the material is in the 1 st predetermined range and the melting point of the material is in the 2 nd predetermined range. The 1 st predetermined range is, for example, at least 130 ℃. The 1 st predetermined range is, for example, 100 ℃ or lower. The 2 nd predetermined range is, for example, above-80 ℃. The 2 nd predetermined range is, for example, 250 ℃ or lower. Examples of the material constituting the water-insoluble resin include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, and acrylic acid-modified polyethylene.

Referring to fig. 9, the positions of the support member 40 and the resin composition 50 inside the can body 30 will be described.

The method for producing the resin composition 50 will be described.

The water-insoluble resin and the water-soluble substance are metered and kneaded under heating to form a strand of the resin composition 50. In one example, the water-insoluble resin and the water-soluble substance are in equal amounts. The heating kneading is carried out at 200 ℃ using, for example, a twin-screw extrusion kneader. The strands are chopped to form pellets. The pellets are injection molded to form the resin composition 50 in a predetermined shape. An example of the predetermined shape of the resin composition 50 is a plate shape. In another example, the predetermined shape is a spherical shape or a cylindrical shape. The shape of the resin composition 50 shown in fig. 1 is a plate shape. The length of the resin composition 50 in the major axis direction and the length of the resin composition in the minor axis direction are arbitrarily formed according to the size of the can 30 of the device 10 to be used. The length of the resin composition 50 in the longitudinal direction is preferably within a range of 70mm or less. More preferably, the length of the resin composition 50 in the longitudinal direction is 55mm or less. Preferably, the length of the resin composition 50 in the short axis direction is 35mm or less. More preferably, the length of the resin composition 50 in the short axis direction is in the range of 30 to 35 mm. Preferably, the length of the resin composition 50 in the thickness direction is in the range of 15mm or less. More preferably, the length of the resin composition 50 in the thickness direction is within a range of 10mm or less. In addition, the surface of the resin composition 50 may be processed to prevent water from splashing back when water is injected. An example of the surface finish is groove formation.

The inventors of the present application performed an evaluation test for confirming the effects of the support member 40 and the resin composition 50 of the present application. In a first evaluation test (referred to as evaluation test 1), a plurality of resin compositions 50 having different residual ratios of the water-soluble substance were prepared, and the support member 40 was coated on each of the resin compositions 50 so that the area of the opening was different, and the elution concentration was measured.

The resin compositions 50 were put into the water feed port of the pot one by one, and 1700ml of water was added. The weight of the resin composition 50 was 20 g. After 10 minutes of water addition, the water in the beaker was extracted and the concentration of the functional water-soluble substance in the water was measured. The dissolution concentration is determined by measuring the total amount of carbon in the organism. After the water extraction, the resin compositions 50 of the respective comparative examples and examples were dried. The drying time was 24 hours. The weight of the dried resin composition 50 was measured to calculate the residual rate of the water-soluble substance. By repeating this process, a plurality of resin compositions 50 having different residual ratios are produced. Specifically, resin compositions 50 each differing by about 0.25 in the residual ratio in the range of 1.0 to 0.25 are produced. The support member 40 is covered so as to form openings 43 of 2 to 20% of the total surface area of each of the resin compositions 50 having different residual ratios.

Water is injected from the support member 40 toward the opening 43 where the resin composition 50 is exposed using a funnel. The water injection was performed for 30 seconds using 1700ml of pure water containing no impurities. After 10 minutes water was recovered, the dissolution concentration was measured and the dissolution concentration and the residual rate were plotted on a graph. The above process is performed a plurality of times. The expressed dissolution concentration and the residual ratio are average values of the results obtained by carrying out the above-described processes a plurality of times.

Referring to fig. 10, the results of evaluation test 1 are explained. The vertical axis of FIG. 10 represents the elution concentration (ppm). The horizontal axis of fig. 10 represents the residual rate. Each point represents the dissolution concentration at the time when the residual ratio is a predetermined value. The straight lines in fig. 10 represent approximate lines.

When the ratio of the elution area of the resin composition 50 from the opening 43 provided in the support member 40 is 20%, the area of contact between water and the surface of the resin composition 50 is large. Therefore, even if the residual ratio is decreased, the elution concentration is maintained at a high level. On the other hand, as the proportion of the area of the resin composition 50 exposed from the opening 43 provided in the support member 40 decreases, the elution concentration decreases at any residual ratio.

From the results of evaluation test 1, the following findings were obtained. A proportional relationship is observed between the elution area ratio and the elution concentration of the resin composition 50 eluted from the openings 43 of the support member 40. Thus, by setting the ratio of the elution area eluted from the openings 43 provided in the support member 40, a predetermined elution concentration can be controlled. Further, by controlling the elution concentration, the water-soluble substance can be eluted over a long period of time, and the period of use of the resin composition 50 can be set to be long.

In the second evaluation test, a plurality of resin compositions 50 having different water-soluble substance contents contained in the resin compositions 50 were prepared, and the support member 40 was coated on each of the resin compositions 50 so that the area of the opening portion was different. Then, the dissolution concentration was measured. The measurement of the dissolution concentration was performed in the same manner as in the first evaluation test.

The results of the second evaluation test (referred to as evaluation test 2) are explained with reference to fig. 11. The horizontal axis of fig. 11 represents the elution area ratio (%) of the resin composition 50 eluted from the openings 43 provided in the support member 40. The vertical axis of fig. 11 represents the content (%) of the water-soluble substance in the resin composition 50. The data in the table show the initial elution concentration (ppm) of the resin composition 50 under each condition. The initial elution concentration is proportional to the elution area ratio eluted from the opening 43 and the content of the water-soluble substance.

Thus, by combining the content of the water-soluble substance and the ratio of the elution area eluted from the opening, a predetermined elution concentration can be set. For example, when the initial elution concentration is set to 15 to 20ppm or less, the elution area ratio of the opening 43 may be set to 10% and the content of the water-soluble substance may be set to 70 to 50%. Further, if the dissolution area ratio of the opening 43 is 3 to 4% and the content of the water-soluble substance is 40%, the initial dissolution concentration can be set low. By setting the initial elution concentration low, the water-soluble substance in the resin composition 50 can be eluted over a long period of time, and the period of use of the resin composition 50 can be set long.

The operation of the apparatus 110 of the present embodiment will be described.

The user inserts the support member 40 coated with the resin composition 50 into the can 30 provided in the device 110 through a predetermined opening. The user adds water to the can 30. The resin composition 50 releases the water-soluble substance at least into the can body 30. Since the water injected from the water supply port of the can 30 is accumulated in the lower can space, the resin composition 50 is disposed in a dry state without being immersed in the water. The user adds water to the inside of the can 30 again at the next use. The resin composition 50 allows a water-soluble substance to be released at least gradually into the can 30.

(modification example)

The description of the embodiments is illustrative of the manner in which the devices of the present disclosure can be employed and is not intended to be limiting. The present disclosure can adopt, for example, a combination of a modification of the embodiment shown below and at least two modifications that are not mutually inconsistent, in addition to the embodiment.

The resin composition 50 may further include a porous material. The porous material holds at least a part of the water-insoluble resin and the water-soluble material inside the pores, for example. The porous material is composed of at least one of porous glass, activated carbon, zeolite, and porous concrete. Preferably, the porous material is porous glass. More preferably, the porous glass is amorphous silica. The porous material is formed in a granular form, for example. The particle diameter, specific surface area, pore diameter, and oil absorption of the porous material can be arbitrarily set to values suitable for providing the slow release property. In one example, the particle size of the porous material is 5 μm on average. In one example, the specific surface area of the porous material is 700m ² (ii) in terms of/g. In one example, the pore diameter of the porous material is 11 nm. Porous materialThe oil absorption of (2) was 400ml/100 g.

The water-soluble substance can be changed according to a predetermined action. The water-soluble substance may be an antioxidant having an antioxidant effect, a surfactant for improving wettability, an antibacterial agent, or the like. Antioxidants are, for example, erythorbic acid, kojic acid, ascorbic acid. The surfactant is, for example, an ionic surfactant or a nonionic surfactant. Examples of antibacterial agents are copper bromide, copper chromate, silver nitrate, aluminium sulphate, iodine.

The apparatus of the present disclosure can be used in household and commercial household appliances using liquid, such as a steam iron, a garment steamer, an air conditioner, a washing machine, a dish washer-dryer, and an electric kettle.

Description of the reference numerals

10. 110, equipment; 20. a base surface; 30. a tank body; 31. a supply port; 32. a discharge port; 40. a support member; 41. a 1 st support member; 42. a 2 nd support member; 44. a protrusion; 50. a resin composition; 60. a housing; 61. a pump; 62. a boiler; 70. a hose; 80. an iron; d1, distance; d2, distance; G. a gap; l1, line.

Claims

1. An apparatus, wherein,

the apparatus includes:

a resin composition that emits a water-soluble substance;

a support member that supports the resin composition;

a tank for storing the support member and the liquid;

a supply port for supplying liquid to the tank; and

a discharge port provided at a position lower than the supply port in a predetermined state, the discharge port discharging the liquid from the tank,

the resin composition is exposed from an opening provided in the support member, and the distance between the supply port and the resin composition is shorter than the distance between the discharge port and the resin composition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein,

in the predetermined state, the resin composition is provided below a line connecting the supply port and the discharge port.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2,

the resin composition further comprises a water-insoluble resin.

4. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3,

in a state where the support member supports the resin composition,

a gap is formed between the support member and the resin composition.

5. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4,

the support member further includes a protrusion in contact with the resin composition.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein,

the protrusion is provided on an inner surface of the support member,

the height of the protrusions is 0.3-0.8 mm.

7. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3,

in a state where the support member supports the resin composition,

there is no gap between the support member and the resin composition, and the support member is in close contact with the resin composition.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein,

the opening is provided at a portion which is in contact with the liquid,

the opening is configured such that the surface area of the resin composition exposed from the opening is 1 to 50% of the entire surface area of the resin composition.