JP2001258738A - Water and hot water supply apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water and hot water supply apparatus which can automatically wash the inside of the container for storing water by automatically supplying and draining water. SOLUTION: The water and hot water supply apparatus has a hot water supply section to boil clean water from a water purifying section comprising activated carbon 31 and a filtration film section 32, supplies water by a raw water pipe 26 which guides water outside to the water purifying section, drains water to the outside by a drain 12 connected to the container for storing water 2 in the hot water supply section and automatically washes the inside of the container for storing water by automatically supplying and draining water.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the cleaning of a hot water supply apparatus for supplying drinking water or hot water at home or office.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Electric water heaters are usually washed only with water or with a neutral detergent for kitchen use. In addition, calcium and magnesium in tap water accumulate as scales on the inner wall surface of the water storage container as they are used. This is because citric acid monohydrate is periodically put in the container and boiled. To remove it.

[0003]

However, when cleaning the electric water heater, the water heater has to be lifted to supply and drain water, which is an operation requiring a great deal of power. In addition, in the citric acid washing, rinsing needs to be sufficiently performed to prevent citric acid from remaining, which is very troublesome.

[0004] The present invention solves the problems of such a conventional structure, and provides a hot water supply / hot water supply device capable of automatically cleaning the inside of a container by automatically performing water supply and drainage. The purpose is to:

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention comprises a water purification section comprising activated carbon and a filtration membrane, and a hot water supply section for heating purified water from the water purification section. By supplying water with a raw water pipe leading to the water purification section, draining to the outside with a drain connected to the water storage container of the hot water supply section, by automatically performing these water supply and drainage,
The inside of the water storage container can be automatically cleaned.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 is a water purification section having at least activated carbon and a filtration membrane section, a container for storing water, a heater for heating the water in the container, and an external supply of water in the container. A hot water supply unit having a drain that drains water to the water purification unit, a raw water pipe that guides water from outside to the water purification unit, a purified water discharge pipe that discharges water that has passed through the water purification unit to the outside, and a water supply unit that supplies water that has passed through the water purification unit. Has a treated water pipe leading to the water and a tap hole for tapping the water from the hot water supply unit to the outside, and automatically cleans the inside of the water storage container by automatically supplying and discharging water from the outside. It is a water / hot water supply device characterized by the above-mentioned.
With this configuration, water can be supplied and drained without moving the apparatus, and the inside of the water storage container can be washed with water.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the inside of the water storage container is particularly washed with a citric acid aqueous solution. Among the washings with acids, citric acid has the lowest toxicity to the human body and is harmless at low concentrations. For this reason, by pouring a powder such as an aqueous citric acid solution and citric acid monohydrate into a water storage container, it is possible to solubilize and remove scales and the like deposited on the inner wall of the water storage container.

[0008] The invention according to claim 3 is that, in particular, the washing with the citric acid aqueous solution comprises boiling of the citric acid aqueous solution, drainage of the citric acid aqueous solution, and washing with water, and these are performed automatically. By boiling the citric acid aqueous solution, water scale or the like deposited on the surface of the water storage container is solubilized, and it becomes possible to remove dirt and dirty water from the inside of the container by drainage and washing. With this configuration, the process from the removal of the dirt to the washing with water can be performed without the need for moving the apparatus or requiring manual operation.

The invention according to claim 4 has, in particular, a container for storing an aqueous solution of citric acid and an inlet for charging the aqueous solution of citric acid into a container for storing water, wherein the input of the aqueous solution of citric acid is also performed automatically. As a result, the addition of the citric acid aqueous solution can be performed automatically, and the washing with citric acid can be performed more easily.

The invention according to claim 5 has a circulation pipe for circulating the water in the water storage container to the water purification section, and the water purification section is also washed with an aqueous citric acid solution. The citric acid aqueous solution in the container for water can be passed through the water purification section, so that red rust and the like deposited on the filtration membrane can be solubilized and removed. Thereby, the filtration membrane is regenerated, and the life of the filtration membrane can be extended.

The invention according to claim 6 is that, in particular, the cleaning of the water purification section with the aqueous citric acid solution includes immersion cleaning in which the water purification section is filled with the aqueous citric acid solution and reaction, and quenching between the inside of the water storage container and the water purification section. At least one of circulation cleaning in which the acid aqueous solution is circulated and reacted is performed. According to the immersion washing, a substance firmly adhered to the filtration membrane or a substance adhered to the pores of the filtration membrane can be removed. Therefore,
It is very effective for cleaning microfiltration membranes such as hollow fiber membranes having very small pores. By filling the filtration section with an aqueous citric acid solution and immersing the hollow fiber membrane, red rust and the like attached to the pores of the hollow fiber membrane gradually react with citric acid and become solubilized. In addition, according to the circulating cleaning, a substance adhering to the surface of the filtration membrane can be washed out using a water flow. If only the surface of the filtration membrane is washed, the washing can be performed in a shorter time as compared with the immersion washing. Depending on the degree of contamination of the filtration membrane, immersion cleaning and circulation cleaning may be selected or a combination of both.

[0012] The invention according to claim 7 is particularly for adjusting the pH of the aqueous citric acid solution to 3-4. When the organic deposits aggregated on the filtration membrane are treated at a pH of about 2, the organic deposits are denatured and difficult to remove. Thus, by treating with a citric acid aqueous solution having a pH of 3 to 4 as in this configuration, organic deposits can be removed without denaturation.

The invention according to claim 8 is to clean and neutralize the water purification section with an aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite, particularly after washing with an aqueous solution of citric acid. Can be neutralized to neutrality.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, in particular, the apparatus has a timer function, and automatically performs cleaning when a preset time is reached. With this configuration, it is possible to perform periodic cleaning and always use the water storage. The inside of the container can be kept clean.
Also, by periodically cleaning the filtration membrane in the water purification section, clogging can be prevented, and a longer-life filtration membrane can be obtained. Dirt in the water storage container, dirt on the filtration membrane,
Frequent cleaning with a timer function is very effective, since removal within a small amount allows more efficient removal.

[0015]

(Embodiment 1) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 is a main body of the hot water supply apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as main body 1), and has an inner diameter 150 for storing hot water therein.
It has a water storage container 2 having a depth of 250 mm (hereinafter simply referred to as a container 2). The mouth of the container 2 is provided with an inner stopper 3 attached so as to seal the mouth. Reference numeral 4 denotes an upper lid that covers the upper part of the main body 1 so as to be openable and closable. Reference numeral 5 denotes a check valve, which penetrates the inner stopper 3 and communicates with the inside of the container 2 and also communicates with the atmosphere. 6 is a motor provided at the bottom between the main body 1 and the container 2, 7 is a hot water supply pump driven by the motor 6, and its suction port 8 communicates with the bottom of the container 2. Reference numeral 9 denotes a discharge port of the pump 7, which communicates with a discharge pipe 11 or a drain pipe 12 constituting a pumping path via a switching valve A of 10. The switching valve A 10 switches between flowing water from the pump 7 to the 11 discharge pipes and flowing to the 12 drain pipes. Reference numeral 13 denotes a tap for pouring hot water that has passed through the discharge pipe 11 to the outside.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a heater serving as heating means, which is mounted on the lower side surface of the container 2. Reference numeral 15 denotes a temperature sensor, which is attached to the bottom of the container 2. 1
Reference numeral 6 denotes a start switch and a variable resistor for driving the motor 6, which are operated via a rod 18 by pressing a push button 17. Reference numeral 19 denotes a compression spring which constantly urges the rod 18 upward. Reference numeral 20 denotes a bypass which communicates with the container 2. Numeral 21 denotes a float, which is in a ball shape and floats on water, and floats at a water level when water is added. A sensor 22 detects the position of the float. The container 2 and the heater 14 are referred to as a hot water storage unit. Reference numeral 23 denotes a water tap, and water is guided by a water guide path 24. A tap 25 is disposed on the faucet 23. Reference numeral 26 denotes a raw water pipe for guiding water from the branch tap 25 to the main body 1. Reference numeral 27 denotes a raw water outlet which drains water from the faucet 23 to the outside as it is. Reference numeral 28 denotes a water switching lever for switching between flowing the water flowing into the branch tap 25 to the raw water pipe 26 and the raw water port 27. 29 is a water stop valve, and 30 is a flow regulator. The water shutoff valve B 29 controls whether or not water flows into the flow regulator 30, and the flow regulator 30 regulates the flow rate of the water flowing therethrough.

Activated carbon 31 removes defective components such as free chlorine dissolved in water. Reference numeral 32 denotes a filtration unit. In this embodiment, a filtration unit in which 33 hollow fiber membranes are sealed with 34 sealing units is used. Components that are not dissolved in water, such as germs and dirt, are filtered by the hollow fiber membrane 33. The activated carbon 31 and the filtration unit 32 are referred to as a water purification unit. Reference numeral 35 denotes a purified water outlet pipe, and reference numeral 36 denotes a water outlet for discharging purified water to the outside of the apparatus 1. Three
7 is a treated water pipe, and 38 is a switching valve B.
The treated water pipe 37 guides the water flowing from the switching valve C of 38 to the container 2. The switching valve B 38 switches between flowing the water that has passed through the water purification section to the purified water outlet pipe 35 and the treated water pipe 37. Reference numeral 39 denotes a control device which receives signals from the temperature sensor 15, the variable resistor 16, the water level sensor 22, etc., a switching valve A of 10, a water shutoff valve of the heaters 14, 29, a flow regulator 30, and a switching valve of the heaters 14, 38. B and the like are controlled.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below. First one
The switching valve A of 0 discharges water from the pump 7 to the discharge pipe 11
The water stop valve of 29 is closed,
The switching valve B 38 allows water to flow to the purified water discharge pipe 35. First, the faucet 23, the branch tap 25 and the raw water pipe 26 are connected, the opening / closing lever 28 is set to the raw water pipe 26 side, and the faucet is opened. Here, the power of the device 1 is turned on. When there is no water in the container 2, the position of the float 21 is
2 detects. In response to this signal, 29 water stop valves open,
The switching valve B 38 switches to the treated water pipe 37 side. As a result, water flows through the raw water pipe 26 through the water stop valve 29, the flow controller 30, the activated carbon 31, and the hollow fiber membrane 32 to the switching valve B 38. The water that has reached the switching valve C of 38 is guided to the container 2 via the treated water pipe 37.

When hot water flows into the container 2, the float 21 floats, and when the water level sensor 22 detects it, the valves B, 3
The switching valve B of No. 8 returns to the initial state. The water stored in the container 2 is maintained at a constant temperature by the heater 14. When using purified water, a switch (not shown) is operated. Then, the valve B of 29 is opened. Water passes through the water purification section and
8, through the purified water discharge pipe 35 via the switching valve B,
Purified water is discharged from the water purification port 36. When using hot water, push button 17 is pressed. As a result, the motor 6 is operated, and hot water is pumped from the pump 7 through the discharge pipe 11 via the switching valve A of the container 2 to 10 and discharged from the tap hole 13. When hot water is used, the position of the float 21 is lowered and detected by the sensor 22. Then, the water shutoff valve 29 is opened, the switching valve B 38 is switched to the treated water pipe 37, and water is added to the container 2. When the amount of water in the container 2 reaches a predetermined amount, the water shutoff valve 29 and the switching valve B of 38 return to the initial state.

When the water in the container 2 is discharged, the switching valve A is opened to the drain pipe 12 by a drain switch (not shown). Then, the water in the container 2 is drained out of the apparatus via the drain pipe 12. When it is confirmed by the water level sensor 22 that all the water in the container 2 has been drained, the switching valve A returns to the initial state.

When the inside of the container 2 is to be washed with water, if a washing switch (not shown) is pressed, drainage is first performed in the same manner as described above. Thereafter, the switching valve B at 38 switches to the treated water pipe 37 side, the water shutoff valve at 29 opens, and water is supplied into the container 2. When fullness is confirmed by the water level sensor 22, the switching valve A 10 is switched to the drain pipe 12 side and drained. When the drainage is completed, the switching valve A returns to the processing state as described above.

When it is desired to wash the inside of the container with a citric acid solution, the upper lid 4 is opened, and a previously prepared aqueous solution of citric acid or a powder of citric acid monohydrate is added. Thereafter, when a citric acid cleaning switch (not shown) is pressed, the heater 14 is energized, and the citric acid aqueous solution in the container 2 is heated. After boiling for a certain period of time after reaching the boiling state, the power supply to the heater is stopped. Thereafter, the switching valve A is switched to the drain pipe side to drain water. The washing step is the same as described above, but if the washing step is performed a plurality of times, the residual citric acid may be prevented.

According to the present invention, the drainage of water in the container and the cleaning of the container can be automatically performed by the switch operation. In addition, since the water purifier is provided, space saving can be realized as compared with a case where a water purifier and a water heater are separately arranged.

(Embodiment 2) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Steps 1 to 39 are the same as in the first embodiment. Reference numeral 40 denotes a switching valve C, which can switch between flowing the tap water having passed through the water stop valve 29 to the flow controller 30 and drain 41 to the drain B side. The switching valve A 10 can switch between flowing the water in the hot water storage container 2 to the drain side 12 and flowing the water to the circulation pipe side 43. The water flowing to the circulation pipe side of 43 passes through the switching valve D of 45 by the pump B of 44 and is supplied to the filtration membrane part.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. The operation is the same as that of the first embodiment, but in the initial state, the switching valve A of 10 is connected to the circulation pipe side of 43 by 40
The switching valve C is connected to the flow control valve 30 and the switching valve D 45 is connected to the switching valve B 38.

After the citric acid aqueous solution or the citric acid monohydrate powder is added to the container 2 and the citric acid is washed,
When the filter cleaning switch (not shown) is pressed, 4
The switching valve D of 5 is switched to the water purification pipe 43 side,
The pump B operates and the citric acid aqueous solution in the water storage container 2 is supplied from the upper part of the filtration membrane part 32. The drive of the pump is stopped by detecting that the citric acid aqueous solution in the water purification section has reached the full level by a flow rate sensor (not shown) provided near the switching valve D of 45 and the filtration membrane section of 32. In the case of immersion cleaning, after leaving in this state for a certain period of time, the switching valve C of 40 is switched to the drain side of 41, and 32 filtration membrane sections and 3
(1) The aqueous citric acid solution in the activated carbon is drained from the drain (41).

In the case of circulating washing, the switching valve C is switched to the drain side of 41 immediately after detecting that the water purification section is full, and the supply is continued until the water in the hot water storage tank 2 is exhausted.
Any of these immersion cleaning and circulation cleaning may be made selectable or may be combined. After draining the aqueous citric acid solution, it returns to the initial state once, and then
The water shutoff valve 9 is opened, and the switching valve B 38 is switched to the treated water pipe 37 to supply water into the water reservoir 2. After the water in the container 2 becomes full, the switching valve D of 45 is switched to the circulation pipe side of 43, the switching valve C of 40 is switched to the drain side of 41, and the pump B is operated to operate the pump B. Water is passed through the water purification section and washed. When the water in the water storage container 2 runs out, water is supplied again and the same washing is performed. This is repeated a plurality of times to clean the water purifier and the water reservoir.

By washing the filtration membrane with an aqueous citric acid solution, substances such as red rust attached to the filtration membrane can be solubilized and removed. Thereby, clogging of the filtration membrane can be prevented, and the life can be further extended.

Embodiment 3 Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 to 45 are the same as in the second embodiment. Reference numeral 46 denotes a citric acid container for storing a previously prepared aqueous citric acid solution. The citric acid container 46 is supplied into the water storage container 2 through an inlet 49 provided in the hot water storage container 2 through a citric acid supply pipe 47 and a valve 48. Reference numeral 50 denotes a pump C, which is driven when citric acid is supplied.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. The operation is the same as that of the first embodiment, but in the initial state, 48 valves are closed. When a citric acid washing switch (not shown) is pressed, a valve 48 is opened and a pump is operated, and a citric acid aqueous solution is supplied from a citric acid container 46 to an inlet 4.
9. After the predetermined amount is supplied, the valve 48 closes and the pump stops. For the subsequent cleaning method,
This is the same as in the first embodiment. The aqueous citric acid solution in the water purification section is the same as in Example 2. By having the citric acid aqueous solution in the hot and cold water supply device 1, the labor for opening and adding the lid can be omitted. The concentration of the aqueous citric acid solution at the time of washing with citric acid is preferably 3 to 4 in terms of pH. The reason is that the aggregated organic matter among the substances adhering to the filtration part is p
This is because H is denatured near 2 and removal becomes difficult. Therefore, the container 46 is adjusted in advance to a high concentration.
When it is put into the container 2 and put into the container 2, it is preferable to set so that a volume that is diluted in the container 2 to have a pH of 3 to 4 is put. In addition, it is also possible to set a time or the like in advance and periodically perform the citric acid cleaning.

(Embodiment 4) Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 to 50 are the same as in the third embodiment. Reference numeral 51 denotes a hypochlorous acid container for storing a previously prepared aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite;
Is connected to a circulation pipe 43 through a valve B 53. Reference numeral 54 denotes a pump D, which is driven when the aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite is supplied. Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. The operation is the same as that of the third embodiment, but in the initial state, the valve B 53 is closed. The cleaning of citric acid in the hot water storage container is the same as in Example 3. The cleaning of the citric acid in the water purification section is performed in the same manner as in Example 3 up to the drainage of the aqueous citric acid solution. After draining of the citric acid aqueous solution, it returns to the initial state once, and then switches the switching valve D of 45 to the side of the clean water pipe of 43, opens the valve of 52, drives the pump of 54, and discharges the aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite to 32. From the top of the filtration membrane to neutralize the inside of the water purification section. Thereafter, the switching valve C at 40 is switched to the drain B side at 41 to drain water, and the inside of the hot water storage container 2 and the inside of the water purifying section are washed by the same method as in the third embodiment. By neutralizing with an aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite, the number of times of water washing may be smaller than in Example 3.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, water can be supplied from the outside of the apparatus without moving the apparatus, and the inside of the container can be automatically cleaned. In addition, even when an aqueous citric acid solution is used, washing with citric acid and subsequent rinsing can be easily performed. In this case, the aqueous citric acid solution can also be used for washing the water purification section at the same time, and the clogging of the water purification section can be prevented. It is possible to make the water purification section with longer life.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a water / water supply apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a water / water supply apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a water / water supply apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a water / water supply apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Vessel 12 Drain 13 Hot water outlet 14 Heater 26 Raw water pipe 31 Activated carbon 32 Filtration membrane 35 Purified water outflow pipe 37 Treated water pipe 35 Purified water outflow pipe 37 Treated water pipe 43 Circulation pipe 46 Citric acid vessel 49 Input port 51 Hypochlorous acid vessel

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Shinji Kondo 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoji Uetani 1006 Odakadoma Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. 72) Inventor Masaharu Ohashi 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takayuki Inoue 1006 Odaka Kazuma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Kenji Takenaka Osaka 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yusuke Mochizuki 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. F term (reference) in Denki Sangyo Co., Ltd. 4B055 AA32 BA14 BA36 BA56 CA13 CA75 CB04 CC28 DA08 DB0 2 EA03 FA17 FC20 FD10 GA14 GB01 GB15 GB20 GC31

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A water purification unit having at least activated carbon and a filtration membrane unit, a water storage container connected to the water purification unit, a heater for heating water in the container, and a drain for draining water in the container to the outside. A raw water pipe that guides water from outside to the water purification section, a purified water discharge pipe that discharges water that has passed through the water purification section to the outside, and treated water that guides water that has passed through the water purification section to the hot water supply section. A hot water supply apparatus comprising a pipe and a tap for discharging water from the hot water supply unit to the outside, and automatically cleaning the inside of the container by automatically supplying and discharging water to and from the outside. 2. The water / water supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water / water supply apparatus is washed with a citric acid aqueous solution. 3. The hot water supply apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a washing step of boiling the aqueous citric acid solution, draining the aqueous citric acid solution, and washing with water. 4. The hot water supply system according to claim 2, further comprising a container for storing the citric acid aqueous solution, and an inlet for charging the citric acid aqueous solution into a water storage container, wherein the citric acid aqueous solution is automatically charged. 5. The hot water supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a circulation pipe for circulating water in the water storage container to the water purification section, wherein the water purification section is washed with an aqueous citric acid solution. 6. Cleaning using at least one of immersion cleaning in which a water purification section is filled with a citric acid aqueous solution and reacting, and circulation cleaning in which a citric acid aqueous solution is circulated and reacted between a water storage container and the water purification section. The water / water supply apparatus according to claim 5, wherein 7. The water / water supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pH of the aqueous citric acid solution is 3 to 4. 8. The water / water supply apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a step of washing and neutralizing the water purification section with an aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite after washing with the aqueous citric acid solution. 9. The hot water supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water is automatically cleaned at a preset time.