JP2001179240A - Fine air bubble generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To introduce air into a gas-liquid mixing tank of a fine air bubble generator if necessary. SOLUTION: In such a constitution that bathtub water is taken out of a bathtub 10 by a circulating pump 22 to be allowed to flow through a circulating passage 21 and the air stored in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 arranged on the downstream side of the circulating pump 22 is involved in the bathtub water to be dissolved therein within the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 to circulate the bathtub water to the bathtub 10, the bathtub water in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is allowed to flow out if necessary to introduce air into the gas-liquid mixing tank 23. By this constitution, fine air bubbles can be generated stably over a long period of time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the generation of fine bubbles in a storage tank by taking out a liquid in a storage tank, dissolving air in the liquid, and then returning the liquid to the storage tank. Related to the device. Examples of the above-mentioned storage tank include a water tank such as a pond in addition to a bathtub and a pool.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the above-mentioned fine bubble generating apparatus has been used for removing floating substances in water by adhesion and floating action of fine bubbles, and for enhancing bathing feeling by making bathtub water milky with fine bubbles. Have been.

FIG. 10 shows the configuration of a conventional fine bubble generator. In the figure, reference numeral 80 denotes a fine bubble generator, and 90 denotes a bathtub. The microbubble generator 80 connects a circulation path 81 to a bath water outlet 91 and a return port 92 provided in a bathtub 90, and arranges a circulation pump 82 in the middle of the circulation path 81. The configuration is such that a venturi 83 is disposed upstream of the position of the circulation pump 82, and an ejection nozzle 84 is disposed at a connection portion of the circulation passage 81 with the return port 92.

The venturi 83 is generally known, but the inside of the venturi 83 is brought into a negative pressure state with the passage of the bathtub water, and the outside air at atmospheric pressure is supplied to the air introduction pipe 85.
It comes to be inhaled from. The amount of air suctioned by the venturi 83 is adjusted by the passage speed of bathtub water and the opening of a motor-operated valve 86 provided at the end of the air introduction pipe 85.

Here, the operation of the fine bubble generating device 80 will be described. That is, the bathtub 90 is operated by the circulation pump 82.
Take out the bathtub water inside, and put the Venturi 8 in the bathtub water.
3, the external air is mixed in, the air is dissolved in the bathtub water by the pressure of the circulation pump 82, and then the air is spouted vigorously into the bathtub 90 through the jet nozzle 84 to be returned. Then, fine bubbles 100 are generated. That is, the bathtub water mixed with air by the venturi 83 is pressurized by the circulation pump 82 to dissolve the air,
Thereafter, when the water is returned into the bathtub 90, the pressure applied to the bathtub water is released at a stretch in the bathtub 90, and the air dissolved in the bathtub water precipitates and the fine bubbles 10
It becomes 0.

[0006] Here, the suspended matter 1 in the bathtub water in the bathtub 90.
In the case where 01 is present, the suspended matter 101 adheres to the fine bubbles 100 generated in the bathtub 90 as described above, and floats on the surface of the bathtub water.
The water is discharged through an overflow drain 93 and a drain pipe 94 provided in the bathtub 90.

[0007]

In the above conventional example, since the air is sucked into the bathtub water by the venturi 83 disposed upstream of the circulation pump 82, relatively large air bubbles are generated in the bathtub water. As it becomes easy to mix, each air bubble may combine and grow large,
There is a concern that the circulation pump 82 is likely to be air-locked. For this reason, conventionally, the circulation pump 8
As 2, it was necessary to use an expensive one having excellent air lock resistance.

On the other hand, the present applicant has separately filed an application for a microbubble generator which can be performed without using an expensive circulation pump as described above. (Japanese Patent Application No. 11-3
No. 63031).

This is basically the same as the configuration shown in FIG. 1, except that a gas-liquid mixing tank is arranged downstream of the circulation pump.
The liquid pressurized by the circulation pump is made to flow vigorously into the gas-liquid mixing tank, and the internal storage air is involved to dissolve the liquid. Does not flow, so that it is not necessary to use an expensive circulation pump having excellent air lock resistance.

[0010] In the micro-bubble generating apparatus having such a configuration,
As the stored air in the gas-liquid mixing tank dissolves into the liquid and decreases as the operating time elapses, the amount of liquid stored increases, so it is possible to drain the liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank and store air. Is required.

In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to introduce air into a gas-liquid mixing tank as required in a microbubble generator having a gas-liquid mixing tank.

[0012]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a liquid is taken out of a storage tank by a circulation pump into a circulation passage, and air is dissolved in the liquid. By returning to generate fine bubbles in the storage tank, the air dissolution treatment is performed in a gas-liquid mixing tank interposed downstream of a circulation pump in the circulation passage,
When the stored air in the gas-liquid mixing tank decreases due to the air dissolution processing and the liquid storage amount exceeds a required amount, the liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank is caused to flow out by leaving the circulation pump inactive and the liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank is discharged. Perform a replacement process to introduce air into the
It is characterized by:

The second microbubble generator of the present invention takes out the liquid in the storage tank, dissolves the air in the liquid, and returns the liquid to the storage tank to generate fine bubbles in the storage tank. A circulation passage connected to a liquid take-out port and a return port provided in the storage tank, a circulation pump disposed in the middle of the circulation passage to circulate the liquid in the storage tank to take out and return, A gas-liquid mixing tank that is interposed at a position higher than the upper limit water level in the storage tank downstream of the circulation pump in the passage and that incorporates and dissolves the internally stored air into the liquid that is pressurized and introduced by the circulation pump, and then passes the liquid. An air valve attached to the gas-liquid mixing tank and allowing the gas-liquid mixing tank to be open to the atmosphere; and, if necessary, controlling the operation of the circulation pump and storing air in the gas-liquid mixing tank. Is reduced and the liquid storage amount becomes more than required, the circulation pump is not driven, the air valve is opened, the liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank flows out, and the air is discharged into the gas-liquid mixing tank. And control means for executing a replacement process to be introduced.

The third microbubble generator of the present invention takes out the liquid in the storage tank, dissolves the air in the liquid, and then returns the liquid to the storage tank to generate fine bubbles in the storage tank. A circulation passage connected to a liquid take-out port and a return port provided in the storage tank, a circulation pump disposed in the middle of the circulation passage to circulate the liquid in the storage tank to take out and return, When the gas-liquid mixing tank is disposed downstream of the circulation pump in the passage and entrains the internal stored air in the liquid pressurized and introduced by the circulation pump, dissolves and passes the liquid, and the circulation pump is not driven. A replacement path creating means for creating a replacement path for draining the liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank to the outside to introduce air into the gas-liquid mixing tank, and controlling the operation of the circulation pump as necessary Along with When the stored air in the gas-liquid mixing tank decreases and the liquid storage amount exceeds a required amount, the circulating pump is not driven and the replacement path is created by the replacement path creation means. And control means for executing processing.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the air bubble valve according to the third aspect, wherein the replacement path creating means is attached to the gas-liquid mixing tank and the gas-liquid mixing tank can be opened to the atmosphere. An opening / closing valve disposed upstream of the gas-liquid mixing tank in the circulation path; and a first state disposed downstream of the gas-liquid mixing tank in the circulation path and allowing the liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank to pass to the storage tank side. And a switching valve for switching to a second state for discharging to the outside, wherein the control means closes the on-off valve to open the air valve and set the switching valve to the second state during a replacement process. It is characterized by the fact that

The fifth microbubble generator of the present invention takes out the liquid in the storage tank, dissolves the air in the liquid, and then returns the liquid to the storage tank to generate fine bubbles in the storage tank. A circulation passage connected to a liquid take-out port and a return port provided in the storage tank, a circulation pump disposed in the middle of the circulation passage to circulate the liquid in the storage tank to take out and return, A gas-liquid mixing tank, which is interposed downstream of the circulation pump in the passage and entrains the internal stored air into the liquid pressurized and introduced by the circulation pump, dissolves and then passes the liquid, and the liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank. Exchange path creating means for creating an exchange path for allowing air to flow into the gas-liquid mixing tank by flowing out to the storage tank side, and controlling the operation of the circulation pump if necessary, Storage in tank When the gas is reduced and the liquid storage amount becomes more than a required amount, the circulation pump is temporarily deactivated, and the exchange path is created by the exchange path creation means, and then the circulation pump is driven again. And control means for executing the replacement process.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the air bubble valve according to the fifth aspect, wherein the replacement path creating means is attached to the gas-liquid mixing tank and allows the gas-liquid mixing tank to be open to the atmosphere. A first bypass passage connected to the upstream and downstream of the circulation pump in the circulation passage; and a second bypass connected to an upstream connection portion of the circulation pump in the first bypass passage and downstream of the gas-liquid mixing tank. Aisle and
A first switching valve disposed at an upstream connection portion of the circulation pump in the first bypass passage and switching between a first state in which the first bypass passage is not used and a second state in which the first bypass passage is used; A second switching valve disposed at a downstream connection portion of the circulation pump in the first bypass passage and switching between a first state in which the first bypass path is not used and a second state in which the first bypass path is used; A third switching valve, which is disposed at a connection portion of the second bypass passage downstream of the gas-liquid mixing tank and switches between a first state in which the second bypass path is not used and a second state in which the second bypass path is used. Wherein the control means opens the air valve and sets all of the first to third switching valves to the second state during the replacement process.

In short, according to the present invention, in a configuration in which air is dissolved in a gas-liquid mixing tank disposed downstream of a circulating pump, the amount of stored air in the gas-liquid mixing tank is reduced and the amount of stored liquid is reduced to a required level. When this is the case, a replacement process of allowing the stored liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank to flow out and introducing air is enabled. This makes it possible to generate fine bubbles stably over a long period of time.

The use of the microbubble generator according to the present invention enables a large amount of microbubbles to be generated at low cost, so that the purification can be performed efficiently and the storage tank can be used as a bathtub. If it is, it will be possible to enhance the feeling of bathing.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the present invention will be described based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

1 to 3 show Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a bathtub system, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the gas-liquid mixing tank in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the gas-liquid mixing tank during operation.

In the figure, 10 is a bathtub, and 20 is a fine bubble generator.

The bathtub 10 is provided with an outlet 11 and a return port 12 for bathwater, and an overflow drain port 1 is provided at a required height on one side wall of the bathtub 10.
3 are provided. A drain pipe 14 is connected to the overflow drain 13, and an electric valve 15 is provided at an end of the drain pipe 14.

The microbubble generator 20 generates microbubbles in the bathtub 10 by once taking out bathtub water in the bathtub 10, dissolving air in the bathtub water, and then returning the bathtub 10 to the bathtub 10. The apparatus includes a circulation passage 21, a circulation pump 22, a gas-liquid mixing tank 23, and a controller 24.

The circulation passage 21 is connected to the outlet 1 of the bathtub 10.
1 and the return port 12, so that the bathtub water can be taken out of the bathtub 10 and then returned. In the circulation passage 21, an ejection nozzle 25 is attached to the return port 12 of the bathtub 10 so as to spout bathtub water that has passed through the circulation passage 21 into the bathtub 10 more vigorously.

The circulation pump 22 is provided in the middle of the circulation passage 21, and circulates bath water between the bath 10 and the circulation passage 21.

The gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is interposed downstream of the circulation pump 22 in the circulation passage 21, so that the stored air in the bathtub, which is pressurized and introduced by the circulation pump 22, is dissolved therein and then passed therethrough. It is to let.

As shown in FIG. 2, the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is connected to the circulation passage 21 so that bath water is introduced from the ceiling surface and the bath water flows out from the bottom surface to the bathtub 10 side. In the circulating passage 21, a jet nozzle 26 having a reduced diameter is attached to a bathtub water introduction portion connected to the gas-liquid mixing tank 23.

The controller 24 controls the operation of each component of the microbubble generator 20 as needed to generate air bubbles in the bathtub 10 or to remove bathtub water in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23. This is to execute at least a replacement process of draining air and introducing air into the gas-liquid mixing tank 23.

The jet nozzle 25 connected to the bathtub 10 is set so that its water flow resistance is greater than the water flow resistance of the injection nozzle 26 in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23. 25 may be provided with a pressure reducing body having a smaller diameter of the water passage than the diameter of the water passage of the injection nozzle 26, or may be provided with an obstruction body which serves as a water flow resistance. By setting the water flow resistance of the jet nozzle 25 to be larger than the water flow resistance of the jet nozzle 26 in this manner, the gas-liquid mixing tank 2
3 can be maintained in a pressurized state.

A feature of the first embodiment is that a replacement path for performing the above-described replacement processing can be created.

Specifically, in order to create the above-mentioned exchange path, an air valve 27 for opening the atmosphere is provided on the ceiling surface of the gas-liquid mixing tank 23, and the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 Is installed at a position higher than the upper limit water level L (two-dot chain line) of the bathtub water in the bathtub 10.

The air valve 27 is of a normally closed type, and is energized and opened when air needs to be introduced into the gas-liquid mixing tank 23.

In the first embodiment, the bath tank water storage amount is detected in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 so that the replacement process can be automatically interrupted during the operation and executed. Is provided with a water level detecting device 28. The water level detection device 28 includes an upper limit water level detection electrode 28A for detecting an upper limit water level of the bathtub water storage amount in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23, and a lower limit water level of the bathtub water storage amount in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23. And a lower limit water level detection electrode 28B for detection.

Next, the operation of the microbubble generator 20 will be described. When the operation switch (not shown) is turned on,
When the circulation pump 22 is driven, bathtub water is drawn out of the bathtub 10 into the circulation passage 21 and introduced into the gas-liquid mixing tank 23.

At this time, the bathtub water is pressurized by the circulation pump 22 and vigorously introduced by the injection nozzle 26 into the gas-liquid mixing tank 23. And violently collide against the bottom surface of the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 and entrain the stored air in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23. As the required time elapses, the gas-liquid mixing tank 2
Although the water flows out from the bottom surface of the bath 3 toward the circulation passage 21, the water is gradually stored in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 due to the balance between the amount of bath water introduced and the amount of flow out. When the bathtub water is stored in this manner, the bathtub water introduced from the injection nozzle 26 collides with the stored bathtub water, and the air in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is entrained. Therefore, a large amount of air is dissolved in the stored bathtub water.

In this manner, a large amount of air is dissolved in the bathtub water in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23, but the bathtub water flowing out of the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is discharged from the jet nozzle 25 into the bathtub 10. And is decompressed. When the bathtub water is returned into the bathtub 10 in this manner, the pressure applied to the bathtub water is released at a stroke in the bathtub 10, so that the air dissolved in the bathtub water is deposited and a large number of fine bubbles 16 are formed. Will occur.

If there is a floating substance 17 in the bathtub water, the floating substance 17 is efficiently placed on the surface side of the bathtub water by the fine bubbles 16 generated in a large amount in the bathtub 10 as described above. Well surfaced. At this time, the bathtub water level rises slightly, so that the bathtub 10
When the electric valve 15 of the drain pipe 14 is opened, the floating matter 17 floated on the surface side of the bathtub water is discharged through the overflow drain 13 and the drain pipe 14 of the bathtub 10.

Incidentally, the air dissolving ability of bath gas in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 of the microbubble generator 20 was examined by experiments, which will be described. First, regarding the experimental conditions, the diameter of the injection nozzle 26 was 6 mmφ, the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 was a cylindrical container, and the diameter was 75 m.
mφ, height 700 mm, flow rate was 8.0 L / min. The water temperature is 37 ° C., and the water quality is ion-exchanged water. As shown in FIG. 4, the result shows that the amount of dissolved oxygen in the ion-exchanged water was 14.3 after about 30 seconds from the start of operation.
mg / L, and maintains a substantially constant value for a certain period of time (about 5 to 7 minutes), and thereafter decreases due to a decrease in the amount of air in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23. Therefore, it is possible to perform the air dissolving operation for the generation of fine bubbles continuously for the above-mentioned certain time, and to perform the same operation again for a certain time by sucking air into the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 after the certain time has elapsed. Become.

By the way, as the operation described above proceeds, the air in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is gradually dissolved in the bathtub water, so that the stored air in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 decreases and the bathtub water storage Although the amount increases, when the upper limit water level detection electrode 28A detects that the bath water in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 has reached the upper limit water level, the following replacement processing is executed.

The replacement process will be described. When a detection signal is input from the upper limit water level detection electrode 28A, the controller 24 executes a replacement process of causing the storage bath water in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 to flow out and introducing air into the gas-liquid mixing tank 23. .

That is, in this replacement process, the circulation pump 2
2 is not driven and the air valve 27 is opened,
A path is created in which the storage bath water in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 can naturally flow out to the bathtub 10.

When the operation of the circulation pump 22 is stopped and the air valve 27 is opened as described above, the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is installed at a position higher than the upper limit water level L of the bathtub water in the bathtub 10 as described above. Therefore, the bath water stored in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 naturally flows out from the circulation passage 21 to the bath tub 10 side. Air is efficiently inhaled from the air.

When the lower limit water level detecting electrode 28B detects that the amount of bath water stored in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 has fallen below the required level, the replacement process ends. That is, the air valve 27 is closed, and the circulation pump 22 is driven again.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the gas-liquid mixing tank 2 disposed downstream of the circulation pump 22
3 is premised on a configuration in which the air stored in the bath water is dissolved in the bath tub water. When the stored air in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 decreases with the progress of operation and fine bubbles cannot be generated, replacement processing is performed. Is executed automatically.

In particular, when creating a replacement path in the replacement process, the arrangement of the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is specified, and the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is simply provided with an air valve 27. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a large increase in device cost. Also, since the exchange process is automated,
There is no need to put any burden on the operator. In addition, the configuration necessary for automating the replacement process is not limited to the water level detection device 2.
8 and a simple configuration of simply adding a sequence program to the controller 24, it is possible to suppress a significant increase in apparatus cost.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a bathtub system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

In the second embodiment, the first embodiment
Is different from the gas-liquid mixing tank 2 in the exchange process.
That is, the water in the bathtub 3 is drained to the outside instead of flowing out to the bathtub 10 side.

In order to realize such a replacement process, an on-off valve 29 is provided between the circulation pump 22 and the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 in the circulation passage 21, and at a position downstream of the gas-liquid mixing tank 23. A switching valve 30 for switching between a first state in which bathtub water in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is passed to the bathtub 10 and a second state in which the bathtub water is discharged to the outside is provided, and a drain passage 31 is attached to the switching valve 30. I have.

The on / off valve 29, the switching valve 30, and the drain passage 31 plus the air valve 27 in the first embodiment correspond to a replacement path creating means.

When the controller 24 detects that the bathtub water in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 has risen to the upper limit water level with the upper limit water level detection electrode 28A, the controller 24 executes a replacement process.

That is, when the detection signal from the upper limit water level detection electrode 28A is input to the controller 24, the drive of the circulation pump 22 is stopped, and the on-off valve 29 is closed while the air valve 27 is opened. Further, the switching valve 30 is switched to the second state, that is, the drain passage 31 side. As a result, the bathtub water remaining in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is naturally discharged to the outside through the drain passage 31, and the air from the air valve 27 is efficiently supplied from the air valve 27 into the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 as the water level decreases. Will be inhaled.

When the lower limit water level detection electrode 28B detects that the bath water in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 has dropped to a required level, the replacement process ends. That is,
The air valve 27 is closed while the on-off valve 29 is opened, and the switching valve 30 is switched to the first state, that is, the bathtub 10 side, and then the circulation pump 22 is driven again.

In the second embodiment described above, air is introduced into the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 in the replacement process by draining the bathtub water in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 to the outside without flowing out to the bathtub 10 side. Since it has a configuration, the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 can be installed at a position lower than the bathtub 10 without being restricted by the installation position of the bathtub 10, that is, the height, the distance, as in the first embodiment. Workability of the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 does not have to be restricted, for example, air can be introduced into the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 at a distant position. Moreover, in the second embodiment, the on-off valve 29 and the switching valve 30 are different from those of the first embodiment.
Although one drain and one drain passage 31 are added, the addition of these simple components is sufficient, which is advantageous in suppressing a significant increase in apparatus cost.

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of a bathtub system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

In the third embodiment, the first embodiment
The configuration different from that described above is that, in the exchange process, the circulating pump 22 is used to force the bath water in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 to flow out to the bath tub 10 side to force air from the air valve 27 into the gas-liquid mixing tank 23. That is, they are inhaled.

In order to realize such a replacement process, a first bypass passage 40 is provided upstream and downstream of the circulation pump 22 in the circulation passage 21, and a first bypass passage 40 is provided upstream of the circulation pump 22 in the circulation passage 21. The second bypass passages 41 are connected to a position closer to the circulation pump 22 than the connection portion of the bypass passage 40 and to the downstream of the gas-liquid mixing tank 23.

Further, a first state in which the first bypass passage 40 is not used and a second state in which the first bypass passage 40 is used are switched to the first connection position of the first bypass passage 40 on the upstream side of the circulation pump 22. The switching valve 42 has a first state in which the first bypass passage 40 is not used at a connection portion of the first bypass passage 40 downstream of the circulation pump 22, and a first state.
A second switching valve 43 for switching to the second state in which the bypass passage 40 is used is further provided with a first bypass valve 41 in the second bypass passage 41 at a downstream side connection portion of the gas-liquid mixing tank 23. State and second bypass passage 4
Third switching valve 44 for switching to the second state using the first switching valve 44
, Respectively.

The addition of the air valve 27 of the first embodiment to the two bypass passages 40 and 41 and the three switching valves 42 to 44 corresponds to a replacement path creating means. .

When the upper limit water level detection electrode 28A detects that the bath water in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 has risen to the upper limit water level, the controller 24 executes a replacement process.

That is, when the detection signal from the upper limit water level detection electrode 28A is input to the controller 24, the circulating pump 22 is temporarily disabled, the air valve 27 is opened, and the first to third switching valves are opened. By setting all of 42 to 44 to the second state, a path as shown by a dashed arrow in the figure is secured, and then the circulation pump 22 is driven again. Thereby, the bath water in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is forcibly taken out by the suction force of the circulation pump 22 and the bathtub 1
As a result, air is sucked from the air valve 27 into the gas-liquid mixing tank 23.

When the lower limit water level detecting electrode 28B detects that the bath water in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 has dropped to the lower limit water level, the replacement process is terminated. That is, after the circulating pump 22 is not driven, the first to third switching valves 42 to 44 are all set to the first state to secure a path indicated by a solid line arrow in FIG. Then, the circulation pump 22 is driven again.

In the third embodiment described above, in the replacement process, the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is
Since the inside of the bathtub water is forcibly discharged into the bathtub 10 so that air is forcibly sucked into the gas-liquid mixing tank 23, the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 as in the first embodiment is used.
Is no longer restricted by the height, distance, and distance from the bathtub 10, and can be installed at a position lower than or distant from the bathtub 10, and the gas-liquid mixing tank 23
This is advantageous in shortening the stop time of the air dissolving process, for example, by allowing the air to be rapidly introduced into the air.

In the third embodiment, two bypass passages 40 and 41 and three switching valves 42 to 44 are added to the configuration of the first embodiment. Since addition is sufficient, it is advantageous in suppressing a large increase in apparatus cost.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to only the above-described embodiment, and various applications and modifications are conceivable.

(1) In the configuration of the first to third embodiments, after completion of the operation, the configuration for creating a replacement path for performing the replacement process is diverted to the gas-liquid mixing tank 23.
A drainage process for draining and emptying bath water in the bath may be performed. In this case, in a case where the operation is left for a long time without restarting the operation, the phenomenon that the bathtub water remains in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 and rots can be reliably avoided. This is advantageous in that the use efficiency of the device can be improved, for example, the time from the start of operation to the time when the air introduction process is performed can be increased. However, if the operation is restarted without performing such a drainage treatment, the bathtub water remaining in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is discharged to the bathtub 10 side by introducing new bathtub water. There is no problem if the operation is stopped for a while.

(2) In the first to third embodiments, the water level detecting device 28 for detecting the amount of bath water stored in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 has a configuration using electrodes.
Pressure sensors and other sensors can be used.

(3) In the first to third embodiments, the water storage amount of the bathtub in the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is
Although an example in which detection is performed directly by the
4 starts the replacement process by measuring the duration of the air dissolution process with a timer and indirectly detecting it,
The replacement process may be terminated by measuring the duration of the replacement process with a timer and indirectly detecting it.

(4) In the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 described in the first to third embodiments, relatively large air bubbles are mixed in the process of the air dissolution treatment, and the bath water containing the air bubbles is mixed with the gas-liquid mixing tank 23. May flow out from bottom outlet. In consideration of such an event, it is desirable to avoid the outflow of relatively large bubbles by adopting a configuration as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, for example.

In FIG. 7, the bottom of the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is
A configuration is disclosed in which a porous plate 50 is attached, which separates the internal space into two parts, a bath tub water introduction space and a bath tub water outflow space. The porous plate 50 here is a gas-liquid mixing tank 2
3 is provided with a plurality of micro holes (not numbered) for passing only bath water in which air is dissolved from the upper space to the lower space to prevent the passage of relatively large bubbles. It is considered to be a binding metal.

In FIG. 8, the bottom of the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is
A partition plate 51 that separates the internal space into upper and lower parts is attached, and a cylindrical or square cylindrical body 5 is provided on the upper surface thereof.
2 is disclosed. As the partition plate 51 here, besides a non-porous synthetic resin plate or a metal plate, the above-described porous plate can be used. A through hole 51a penetrating vertically is provided. In this case, the bath water introduced into the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 is once agitated so that the air is dissolved inside the cylindrical body 52, and detours from the upper opening of the cylindrical body 52 to the outer peripheral space. The bathtub water that has flowed out flows out of the through hole 51a of the partition plate 51 to the outside through the outlet of the gas-liquid mixing tank 23.

FIG. 9 discloses a configuration in which a notch 52a for draining is provided at at least one place on the circumference at the lower end of the peripheral wall of the cylindrical body 52 in the configuration of FIG. In this case, after the operation is stopped, the bathtub water in the cylindrical body 52 gradually flows out to the through holes 51a of the partition plate 51 via the drainage notches 52a, so that the inside of the cylindrical body 52 can be emptied.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the porous plate 5 is made of foreign matter such as human hair and dirt mixed in bath water.
0 may be clogged with time, and the gas-liquid mixing tank 23 may need to be periodically cleaned. In the example shown in FIG.
The provision of 1a facilitates the flow of foreign substances such as human hair and dirt, which is advantageous in that it is maintenance-free.

However, in the example shown in FIG. 8, when the drainage treatment described in the above (1) is performed, bathtub water remains inside the cylinder 52 of the gas-liquid mixing tank 23.
This is not a problem since the new bathtub water is introduced when the operation is restarted and the bathtub 10 is allowed to flow out to the bathtub 10 side. The bath water remaining inside may rot. In contrast, as in the example shown in FIG.
If the notch 52a for draining is provided in the cylindrical body 52, the bathtub water in the cylindrical body 52 can be drained at the time of drainage treatment.
The disadvantages described above are avoided.

[0075]

The microbubble generator according to the first to sixth aspects of the present invention is necessary in a form in which the air stored inside is mixed with the liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank disposed downstream of the circulation pump to dissolve the air. Accordingly, the liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank is allowed to flow out to perform the exchange process of introducing air into the gas-liquid mixing tank, so that fine bubbles can be stably generated for a long period of time.

In particular, in the invention according to claims 5 and 6, the liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank is forcibly discharged by using a circulating pump for the replacement process, and the air is forcibly sucked into the gas-liquid mixing tank. Therefore, it is advantageous in that the stop time of the air dissolving process can be shortened, for example, the replacement process can be completed quickly.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the replacement path in the replacement process is created without increasing extra parts as much as possible, the configuration is simplified as compared with the fifth and sixth aspects. This is advantageous in that it can be converted

Further, according to the third to sixth aspects of the present invention, even if the gas-liquid mixing tank is not installed at a position higher than the upper limit water level of the storage tank as in the second aspect of the invention, the air is introduced into the gas-liquid mixing tank. Since this is made possible, it is advantageous in that the workability of the gas-liquid mixing tank is not restricted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a bathtub system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a gas-liquid mixing tank in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a gas-liquid mixing tank during operation.

FIG. 4 is a table showing the results of examining the air dissolving capacity of the gas-liquid mixing tank of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a bathtub system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram illustrating a bathtub system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a modification of the gas-liquid mixing tank according to the first to third embodiments and corresponding to FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a modified example of the gas-liquid mixing tank according to the first to third embodiments, and is a view corresponding to FIG.

FIG. 9 is a modified example of the gas-liquid mixing tank according to the first to third embodiments, and is a view corresponding to FIG.

FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional bathtub system.

[Description of Signs] 10 Bath 13 Overflow Drain 16 Fine Bubbles 17 Floating Material 20 Fine Bubbles Generator 21 Circulation Passage 22 Circulation Pump 23 Gas-Liquid Mixing Tank 24 Controller 27 Air Valve

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A liquid in a storage tank is taken out to a circulation passage by a circulation pump, and air is dissolved in the liquid.
A fine bubble generation device that generates fine bubbles in the storage tank by returning to the storage tank, wherein the air dissolving process is performed in a gas-liquid mixing tank interposed downstream of a circulation pump in the circulation passage, When the stored air in the gas-liquid mixing tank decreases due to the air dissolution processing and the liquid storage amount exceeds a required amount, the liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank is caused to flow out by leaving the circulation pump inactive and the liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank is discharged. Perform a replacement process to introduce air into the
A microbubble generator characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. A microbubble generating device for taking out a liquid in a storage tank, dissolving air in the liquid, and returning the liquid to the storage tank to generate fine bubbles in the storage tank. A circulation passage connected to the liquid take-out port and the return port provided in the tank; a circulation pump arranged in the middle of the circulation passage for taking out and returning the liquid in the storage tank; and a circulation pump in the circulation passage. A gas-liquid mixing tank that is interposed at a position higher than the upper limit water level in the storage tank downstream of the air and that allows the internal stored air to be drawn into the liquid pressurized and introduced by the circulating pump, dissolved therein, and then passed therethrough; An air valve attached to the liquid mixing tank and allowing the gas-liquid mixing tank to open to the atmosphere, and, if necessary, controlling the operation of the circulation pump, and reducing the stored air in the gas-liquid mixing tank. When the liquid storage amount becomes more than a required amount, the circulating pump is not driven, the air valve is opened, the liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank flows out, and the air is introduced into the gas-liquid mixing tank. Control means for executing processing. 3. A microbubble generating device for taking out a liquid in a storage tank, dissolving air in the liquid, and returning the liquid into the storage tank to generate fine bubbles in the storage tank. A circulation passage connected to the liquid take-out port and the return port provided in the tank; a circulation pump arranged in the middle of the circulation passage for taking out and returning the liquid in the storage tank; and a circulation pump in the circulation passage. A liquid-liquid mixing tank that is interposed downstream of the liquid and is pressurized and introduced by the circulating pump so as to entrain the stored air therein to melt and pass the liquid, and a gas-liquid mixing tank when the circulating pump is not driven. A replacement path creating means for creating a replacement path that allows the liquid in the tank to drain to the outside and allow air to be introduced into the gas-liquid mixing tank; and, if necessary, controlling the operation of the circulation pump. Gas-liquid mixture When the stored air in the tank decreases and the liquid storage amount becomes more than a required amount, the replacement pump is not driven, and the replacement process is executed by creating a replacement route by the replacement route creating means. A microbubble generator, comprising: a control unit. 4. The microbubble generating device according to claim 3, wherein the replacement path creating means is provided in a gas-liquid mixing tank and allows the gas-liquid mixing tank to open to the atmosphere.
An on-off valve disposed upstream of the gas-liquid mixing tank in the circulation path, and a first state disposed outside the gas-liquid mixing tank in the circulation path and allowing the liquid in the gas-liquid mixing tank to pass to the storage tank side. A switching valve for switching to a second state in which the switching valve is discharged to the second state, wherein the control means closes the on-off valve and opens the air valve during the replacement process, and sets the switching valve to the second state. , A microbubble generator. 5. A microbubble generator for taking out a liquid in a storage tank, dissolving air in the liquid, and returning the liquid to the storage tank to generate fine bubbles in the storage tank. A circulation passage connected to the liquid take-out port and the return port provided in the tank; a circulation pump arranged in the middle of the circulation passage for taking out and returning the liquid in the storage tank; and a circulation pump in the circulation passage. A gas-liquid mixing tank that entrains the internal stored air in the liquid interposed downstream of the liquid and that is pressurized and introduced by the circulating pump, and then dissolves and passes the liquid. Exchange path creating means for creating an exchange path for allowing air to be introduced into the gas-liquid mixing tank by flowing out; and controlling the operation of the circulating pump as necessary and storing the gas in the gas-liquid mixing tank. Air decreases When the liquid storage amount exceeds a required amount, the circulation pump is temporarily deactivated, the exchange path is created by the exchange path creation means, and then the circulation pump is driven again to perform the exchange process. And a control means for performing the following. 6. The microbubble generating device according to claim 5, wherein the replacement path creating means is provided in a gas-liquid mixing tank and allows the gas-liquid mixing tank to be open to the atmosphere. A first bypass passage connected upstream and downstream of the pump, a second bypass passage connected to an upstream connection portion of the circulation pump in the first bypass passage and a downstream of the gas-liquid mixing tank, A first switching valve disposed at an upstream connection portion of the circulation pump in the bypass passage and switching between a first state in which the first bypass passage is not used and a second state in which the first bypass passage is used; A second disconnection disposed at a downstream side connection portion of the circulation pump in the bypass passage and switching between a first state in which the first bypass passage is not used and a second state in which the first bypass passage is used. A valve disposed at a connection portion of the second bypass passage downstream of the gas-liquid mixing tank and switching between a first state in which the second bypass path is not used and a second state in which the second bypass path is used. Wherein the control means opens the air valve and sets all of the first to third switching valves to the second state at the time of a replacement process. apparatus.