JP2003190952A - System for producing electrolytic water - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system for producing electrolytic water capable of miniaturizing and reducing a manufacturing cost, and capable of lengthening the service life of the system and lowering the power consumption. <P>SOLUTION: In an operation mode for conducting electrolysis of water, a set current value and a set voltage value are set in a plurality of steps by a control part 76, and an output voltage value of a power supply part 77 is controlled according to the set value, as a result, an electrolytic condition can be changed. The output voltage which is produced at the power supply part 77 is stepped-down at a control power supply part 78 and the voltage for driving the control part is provided, as a result, it is not necessary for producing a voltage for applying voltage and the voltage for driving the control part separately, therefore another power supply part for producing voltage becomes unnecessary. The amount of step-down of voltage in the control supply part 78 in the standby mode is controlled by making the set voltage value a closest value to the voltage for driving the control part, as a result, the generation of heat of the control power supply part 78 followed by the step-down operation is suppressed, the service life of the system is prolonged and the amount of power consumption in the standby mode can be suppressed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrolyzed water producing apparatus capable of producing electrolyzed water by electrolyzing water.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a device for producing electrolyzed water, after purifying raw water such as tap water in a septic tank, it is supplied to an electrolyte addition section to add an electrolyte such as a calcium salt, and further supplied to the electrolyzer. Some electrolyze to discharge acidic ionized water or alkaline ionized water outside the apparatus.

As a voltage control means in such a conventional electrolyzed water generator, a power supply section for generating an electrolysis voltage and a power supply section for generating a control voltage are separately provided. Also, there are a dual power source type and a single power source type that generates an electrolysis voltage and a control voltage from a single power source. Of these, the dual power supply system has a problem that the power supply unit becomes large and the cost is high, and thus the single power supply system is often adopted.

However, in the single power supply system, the voltage for electrolysis generated in the power supply unit is stepped down to generate the control voltage. At this time, however, the voltage needs to be stepped down significantly, There is also a problem that the amount of heat generated by the circuit element is increased, the life of the device is shortened, and power consumption is increased.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is possible to reduce the size and the manufacturing cost, improve the life of the device, and reduce the power consumption. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrolyzed water generation device that can be designed.

[0006]

In the electrolyzed water producing apparatus according to the present invention, water is introduced into an electrolytic cell 62 and a voltage is applied between electrodes 66 and 67 arranged in the electrolytic cell 62 to generate water. In the electrolyzed water producing apparatus 1 that produces electrolyzed water by disassembling, (a) a command signal of a set voltage value from the outside and an output voltage value of the power supply unit 77 are formed, and these two inputs Voltage value control error amplifier 79 having a function of generating and outputting a voltage value control signal corresponding to a difference in value (b) A command signal of a set current value from the outside and a current value to be applied to the electrolytic cell 62 are input. The error amplifier 80 for current value control having the function of generating and outputting the current value control signal corresponding to the difference between these two input values is output from the error amplifier 79 for voltage value control. Voltage value control signal and current value control Is formed so as to receive the current value control signal output from the error amplifier 80 for generating the output voltage applied between the electrodes 66 and 67, and the output voltage value is changed based on the two control signals. Power supply unit 77 having a function (d) Control power supply unit 78 for stepping down an output voltage generated by the power supply unit 77 to generate a constant voltage for control, and (e) voltage value control of a command signal of a set voltage value For outputting the command signal of the set current value to the error amplifier 79 for controlling the current value, and the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value in the operation mode for energizing the electrolytic cell 62. The function of switching in stages and the electrolytic cell 62
In the standby mode in which no power is supplied to the control power supply unit 78, a function of changing the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value is selected so that the set voltage value that is closest to the control constant voltage generated by the control power supply unit 78 is selected. It is characterized in that it is provided with a control unit 76 which is driven by being supplied with a constant voltage generated by the control power supply unit 78.

This electrolyzed water producing apparatus is provided with a plurality of indicator lamps which are turned on based on a turn-on command output from the controller 76, and the controller 76 controls so as not to turn on a specific indicator lamp in the standby mode. It is preferable to output a command.

Further, a plurality of indicator lamps which are turned on based on a lighting instruction output from the control section 76 are provided, and the control section 76 outputs a control instruction so as to reduce the brightness of a specific indicator lamp in the standby mode. Is also preferable.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below based on the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

As an example of the electrolyzed water producing apparatus 1 according to the present invention, an example in which the electrolyzed water producing apparatus 1 is constructed as an alkaline ion water conditioner will be described below.

On the upper surface of the electrolyzed water generating apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 4, a display operation for the user to input and display commands such as setting of each mode of purified water, generated alkaline ionized water and acidic ionized water. The part 21 is formed. Further, a water discharge pipe 3 from which the generated alkaline ionized water is discharged is drawn out from the upper part of the electrolyzed water generating device 1. Furthermore, an addition cylinder cap 53 that opens and closes the electrolyte addition unit 50 is disposed on the upper surface of the electrolyzed water generator 1 so as to be exposed.

FIG. 3 shows a piping system diagram of the electrolyzed water producing apparatus 1.

First, the structure of the electrolyzed water producing apparatus 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the electrolyzed water producing apparatus 1 is internally provided with a water purification cartridge 4, a flow rate sensor 60, an electrolyte addition section 50, and an electrolysis tank 62.

The water purification cartridge 4 purifies the introduced water, and is arranged in the adsorption purification tank 15 filled with the purification agent 6 such as activated carbon or ion exchange resin, and on the downstream side of the adsorption purification tank 15. It comprises a filtration tank 16 in which a filtration membrane 5 such as a hollow fiber membrane is installed.

At the upstream end (lower end in the figure) of the adsorption purification tank 15 of the water purification cartridge 4, the water purification cartridge 4
An inlet 18 for water supplied to the water is formed, and an outlet 19 for water led out from the water purification cartridge 4 is formed at the downstream end (upper end in the figure) of the filtration tank 16. .

The electrolyte adding portion 50 is a cylindrical outer cylinder 51.
An inner cylinder 52 for holding an electrolyte is disposed inside the inner cylinder 52. The inner cylinder 52 is filled with a calcium salt such as calcium chloride, calcium lactate, calcium glycerophosphate, or an electrolyte such as sodium chloride or potassium chloride. It
An addition cylinder cap 53 is detachably attached to the upper opening of the outer cylinder 51. Here, the outer cylinder 51 and the addition cylinder cap 53 are fitted with each other through an O-ring to have a watertight structure, and the addition of the addition cylinder cap 53 is removed to take out the inner cylinder 52 to remove the electrolyte. It can be replenished.

At the lower end surface of the outer cylinder 51 of the electrolyte adding portion 50, an inlet 54 for water supplied to the electrolyte adding portion 50 is formed. Further, an upper outlet 93 and a lower outlet 92 are formed on the side surface of the outer cylinder 51 of the electrolyte adding portion 50 as outlets for the water led out from the electrolyte adding portion 50. Here, the upper outlet 93 is located on the upper side surface of the outer cylinder 51.
The lower outlets 92 are formed at the lowermost ends of the side surfaces of the outer cylinder 51, respectively, and the opening area of the upper outlets 93 is formed to be larger than the opening area of the lower outlets 92. The ratio of the opening areas of the upper outlet 93 and the lower outlet 92 is appropriately set. For example, the opening area of the lower outlet 92 is 0.1 times the opening area of the upper outlet 93.

The inside of the electrolytic cell 62 is partitioned into an anode chamber 64 and a cathode chamber 65 by an electrolytic diaphragm 63. The anode chamber 64 has an anode 66, and the cathode chamber 65 has a cathode 67.
Are arranged. Here, in the illustrated example, the anode chamber 64
Is formed inside the container, and the cathode chamber 65 is formed in the anode chamber 6.
4, the cathode 67 is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to surround the anode 66 via the electrolytic diaphragm 63. Therefore, the cathode chamber 65 is formed in a space surrounded by the outer shell of the electrolytic cell 62 and the electrolytic diaphragm 63, while the anode chamber 64 is formed in a space surrounded only by the electrolytic diaphragm 63. The cathode 67 and the anode 66 are connected to a power supply unit for applying a voltage between the electrodes 66 and 67.

A drainage port 70 and a drainage port 98 are formed on the exterior of the container of the electrolytic cell 62 as a drainage port for water, and the drainage port 70 is formed by an electrolytic diaphragm 63 on the upper end surface of the container. Is formed so as to communicate with the anode chamber 64 via the communication passage 23, and the drain port 98 is provided at the lowermost end of the side surface of the container.
Is formed so as to directly communicate with each other without a flow path. Further, an outlet 69 of water supplied from the cathode chamber 65 is formed on the exterior of the container so as to directly communicate with the upper end surface of the container with the cathode chamber 65 without a flow path. Are formed to also serve as the air intake port 22. Here, the opening area of the drain port 98 is formed so as to be smaller than the opening area of the outflow port 69. The ratio of the opening areas is appropriately set by the device, but for example, the drainage port 9
The opening area of 8 is about 0.1 times the opening area of the outlet 69.

In addition, an inflow port 68 and a bypass port 97 are formed on the exterior of the container of the electrolytic cell 62 as an inlet for the water supplied to the electrolytic cell 62. As will be described later, the inflow port 68 and the bypass port 97 have not only a function as a water inflow port but also a function as an air flow port. The inflow port 68 is formed in the lower part of the side surface of the container of the electrolytic cell 62 and at a position above the water drain port 98, and the cathode chamber 65
And the anode chamber 64. Where the inflow port 6
8 communicates with the anode chamber 64 via the communication passage 24 constituted by the electrolytic diaphragm 63 above the opening, and directly communicates with the cathode chamber 65 below the opening without passage. On the other hand, the bypass port 97 is formed at a position above the inflow port 68 in the middle of the side surface of the container of the electrolytic cell 62, and thus above the water drain port 98. The bypass port 97 communicates only with the cathode chamber 65 of the electrolytic cell 62.

In the electrolytic cell 62 constructed as described above, the air inlet 22 is provided on the exterior of the container of the electrolytic cell 62.
The (outlet 69) and the water drain port 98 are formed so as to communicate with the cathode chamber 65, and the air intake port 22 and the water drain port 98 formed on the exterior of the container of the electrolytic cell 62 are the electrolytic cell 62.
The electrolyzed water generating apparatus 1 can be simply constructed by directly communicating with the electrolyzer 62 without forming a separate flow path therein.

Here, the electrolyte addition section 50 is composed of an electrolytic cell 62.
Are disposed above the inflow port 68 and the bypass port 97 of the inflow port 68, and therefore, the inflow port 54, the upper outflow port 93, and the lower outflow port 92 formed in the electrolyte addition section 50 are all in the inflow port 68. It is arranged above the bypass port 97.

Next, the piping structure of the electrolyzed water producing apparatus 1 will be described.

A water supply tap 7 such as a tap of a water supply and a water supply port 2 of an electrolyzed water producing apparatus 1 are connected by a water supply hose 8.

In the inside of the electrolyzed water producing apparatus 1, the water intake passage 9 led out from the water supply port 2 is connected to the lower portion of the adsorption purification tank 15 of the water purification cartridge 4 at the inflow port 18.

A flow rate sensor 60 for measuring the flow rate of water in the water supply passage 17 is provided in the middle of the pipe of the water supply passage 17 led out from the outlet 19 of the filtration tank 16 of the water purification cartridge 4. The flow sensor 60 includes a rotatable wing body, which is urged by a rotational force in a direction opposite to the water flow by a spring force, and a spring force generated by the flow pressure of water flowing through the water supply passage 17. It is possible to use a device that is configured by an angle sensor that measures the rotation angle when it is rotated against. The downstream side of the water supply passage 17 is branched into a water supply main passage 14 and a bypass passage 10. Here, the cross-sectional area orthogonal to the flow direction of the bypass flow passage 10 is formed so as to be smaller than the cross-sectional area orthogonal to the flow direction of the main water supply flow passage 14, for example, the bypass flow passage 1
The cross-sectional area orthogonal to the flow direction of 0 is formed to be about 0.1 times the cross-sectional area orthogonal to the flow direction of the main water supply flow path 14.

The electrolyte addition section 5 is provided on the downstream side of the main water supply passage 14.
0, and the downstream side of the bypass passage 10 is connected to the bypass port 97 of the electrolytic cell 62. Here, the main water supply passage 14 is drawn upward from the branch point of the water supply passage 17 and connected to the inflow port 54. On the other hand, the bypass flow path 10 is drawn out substantially horizontally from the branch point of the water supply flow path 17 to be connected to the bypass port 97, and is arranged at a position higher than the inflow port 68 of the electrolytic cell 62.

From the upper outlet 93 of the electrolyte adding portion 50, the main supply passage 13 is led out downward, and from the lower outlet 92 of the electrolyte adding portion 50, the auxiliary supply passage 12 is directed toward the side. It is derived horizontally. The relationship of the cross-sectional areas orthogonal to the flow directions of the main supply path 13 and the auxiliary supply path 12 is the same as the relationship of the opening area between the upper outlet 93 and the lower outlet 92.
The main supply passage 13 is formed to be larger than the sub supply passage 12. The main supply passage 13 and the sub-supply passage 12 merge on the downstream side, and the downstream side of the added water supply passage 11 formed by the merge is led out downward and connected to the inlet 68 of the electrolytic cell 62. There is. This added water supply channel 11
The cross-sectional area orthogonal to the flow direction of
Is formed so as to be larger than the cross-sectional area orthogonal to the flow direction.

The water discharge pipe 3 is led out upward from the outlet 69 of the electrolytic cell 62. The water discharge pipe 3 is led out of the apparatus, and its downstream end is opened to the outside. . A discharge pipe 72 is drawn out from the discharge port 70 of the electrolytic cell 62 from the upper side to the side and further downward. The discharge pipe 72 is further drawn to the outside of the apparatus, and its tip is opened to the outside. ing. Further, the accumulated water discharge flow path 20 is led out laterally from the water discharge port 98 of the electrolytic cell 62, and the downstream end thereof is connected so as to join the middle of the discharge pipe 72. . The cross-sectional area of the accumulated water discharge flow passage 20 orthogonal to the flow direction is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the water discharge pipe 3 orthogonal to the flow direction.

Next, the structure of the display / operation unit 21 of the electrolyzed water producing apparatus 1 of the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, the display operation section 21 is composed of a display lamp 40 for displaying the selected mode, an electrode cleaning lamp 46 for displaying the electrode cleaning state, and the like.

In the display / operation unit 21 shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of indicator lights 40 for displaying the electrolysis mode are provided in accordance with the plurality of modes. The indicator lights 40a for the weakly acidic ionized water production mode and the alkaline ionized water are used. There is an indicator lamp 40b for the level 1 generation mode, an indicator lamp 40c for the level 2 generation mode of alkaline ionized water, an indicator lamp 40d for the level 3 generation mode of alkaline ionized water, and an indicator lamp 40e for the purified water mode. The indicator light 40 for displaying these electrolysis modes is formed at the position where each switch for switching and selecting the electrolysis mode is formed. When any one of the switches is pressed, that mode is selected and the corresponding display is made. The light 40 is adapted to be turned on.

The display / operation unit 21 also has a level indicator 4 for indicating the replacement time of the water purification cartridge 4 as a level meter.
7 is also provided. As the indicator lamp 47, a plurality of indicator lamps 47a, 47b, 47c for gradually displaying the cumulative amount of the flow rate of the water flowing through the electrolyzed water generator during use of the water purification cartridge 4 before replacement, An indicator lamp 47d is provided which lights up when the cumulative amount of water flow reaches a predetermined value and indicates that the water purification cartridge 4 needs to be replaced.

Next, a method of using the electrolyzed water producing apparatus 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the piping system diagram of FIG. 3, taking the operation at the time of producing alkaline ionized water as an example. In FIG. 3, the flow of water is indicated by a solid arrow.

First, the user selects a mode by pressing a switch provided at the position where the level 1 indicator lamp 40b for alkaline ionized water is formed on the display operation unit 21 on the upper surface of the apparatus. In this state, the faucet 7 is opened to supply raw water such as tap water to the water supply port 2 of the electrolyzed water producing apparatus 1 through the water supply hose 8.

At this time, the raw water sent to the water supply port 2 is sent to the water purification cartridge 4 from the inflow port 18 through the water intake passage 9, and the purification agent 6 in the adsorption purification tank 15 uses residual chlorine, musty odor, trihalomethane, and pesticide. Etc. are removed. Then, it is filtered by passing through the filtration membrane 5 of the filtration tank 16 to remove fine turbidity and bacteria. In this way, by passing the raw water through the water purification cartridge 4 and filtering the raw water, the raw water is treated to produce purified water.

The generated purified water flows out from the outlet 19 to the water supply passage 17, but passes through the flow rate sensor 60 when flowing through the water supply passage 17.

The purified water flowing through the water supply passage 17 is supplied from the inflow port 54 to the electrolyte adding portion 50 through the main water supply passage 14.

In the purified water supplied to the electrolyte adding section 50,
A dissolved electrolyte is applied. The water to which the electrolyte has been added flows from the upper outlet 93 through the main supply passage 13 into the additional water supply passage 11 and is supplied from the inlet 68 to the cathode chamber 65 and the anode chamber 64 of the electrolytic cell 62. . At this time, after water is supplied to the position where the upper outlet 93 is formed in the electrolyte adding portion 50, this water is mainly discharged from the upper outlet 93 and stays in the electrolyte adding portion 50 to some extent. The water to which the electrolyte is sufficiently added is the electrolyte addition portion 5
It is leaked from 0.

At this time, the purified water which has passed through the purified water cartridge 4 is supplied to the electrolytic cell 62 after passing through the electrolyte adding section 50, and the electrolyte concentration in the water supplied to the electrolytic cell 62 is sufficiently secured. It means that the electrolyzer 6
The electrolysis in 2 will be carried out efficiently.

By the electrolysis, alkaline ionized water is produced in the cathode chamber 65 and acidic ionized water is produced in the anode chamber 64. The alkaline ionized water generated in the cathode chamber 65 flows into the water discharge pipe 3 from the outlet 69 and is discharged to the outside of the device. On the other hand, the acidic ionized water generated in the anode chamber 64 is discharged through the discharge port 70 to the discharge pipe 72.
Is discharged from the device to the outside of the device.

In the above operation, if the voltage applied in the electrolytic cell 62 is reversed, the cathode chamber 65
Serves as an anode chamber to generate acidic ionized water, and the anode chamber 64 serves as a cathode chamber to generate alkaline ions. At this time, the acidic water flows into the water discharge pipe 3 from the outlet 69 and is led out to the outside of the apparatus, and the alkaline water is discharged from the discharge pipe 72 to the outside of the ion water generator through the discharge port 70.

The current / voltage control, which is a feature of the present invention, will now be described. The current-voltage control will be described below with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a circuit configuration according to the present invention.

The control unit 76, which is composed of an IC chip or the like, stores a plurality of combinations of set voltage values and set current values, and the set voltage values and set current values are combined in accordance with the operation described later. A selected voltage command signal and a set current value command signal are output. Further, an output signal based on the detection result from the flow rate sensor 60 is input to the control unit 76, and based on the detection result, the switch 87 including a field effect transistor or the like that opens and closes energization in the electrolytic cell 62. It outputs a control signal for controlling opening and closing. Further, the control unit 76 selects the standby mode or the operation mode based on the output signal input from the flow rate sensor 60. When the flow rate sensor 60 does not detect the flow of water, the control unit 76 determines When the standby mode is selected and the flow sensor 60 detects the flow of water, the control unit 76 selects the operation mode. Further, it also outputs a control signal for controlling lighting of various indicator lights provided in the display operation unit 21.

The power supply unit 77 is composed of a switching power supply circuit or the like, transforms and rectifies an AC voltage supplied from a household AC power supply or the like, and generates a DC output voltage according to an operation described later. This output voltage is applied to the electrodes 66 of the electrolytic cell 62,
Is connected to the path of the current that flows between 67,
This current path is grounded from the power supply unit 77 through the electrolytic cell 62 and the switch 87 in series and the detection resistor 82.

Further, there is provided a control power supply section 78 for stepping down the output voltage generated by the power supply section 77 to generate a voltage for driving the control section 76 and for lighting the indicator lamp. The control power supply unit 78 is composed of a series control type stabilized power supply circuit, and has a circuit configuration as shown in FIG. 2, for example. Here, in the transistor 90 (power transistor), a resistor is connected between the collector and the base, and a Zener diode 91 is connected to the base.
The output voltage from the power supply unit 77 is connected to the collector of the transistor 90, the voltage between the base and the emitter is connected to the voltage across the smoothing capacitor 95, and a voltage of 12 V is applied from the connection point between the emitter and the smoothing capacitor 95. It is supposed to be output. The base-emitter of the transistor 90 is connected to the voltage across the other smoothing capacitor 96 via the three-terminal regulator 94, and a voltage of 5 V is output from the connection point between the three-terminal regulator 94 and the other smoothing capacitor 96. It is supposed to be done.

The command signal of the set voltage value output from the control unit 76 is input to the inverting input terminal of the voltage value control error amplifier 79. Also, the output voltage of the power supply unit 77 and the electrolytic cell 6
The branch path branched from the path connected to 2 is grounded via two series resistors 83 and 84, and the connection point between these two resistors 83 and 84 is the non-inverting input of the voltage value control error amplifier 79. It is connected to the terminal and the control unit 76, whereby the output voltage of the power supply unit 77 is distributed in a predetermined ratio,
This distribution voltage is input to the non-inverting input terminal and the control unit 76.

The voltage value control error amplifier 79 has a difference between the above two input values, that is, an output voltage value (applied voltage value between the electrodes 66 and 67 of the electrolytic cell 62) in the power supply section 77 and a set voltage value. A voltage value control signal corresponding to the difference is generated and output to the power supply unit 77 via the diode 88. At this time, the output polarity of the voltage value control error amplifier 79 is set so that the voltage value control signal passes through the diode 88 and is input to the power supply unit 77 only when the output voltage value is larger than the set voltage value. The voltage value control signal corresponding to the difference is input to the control unit 76 only when the output voltage value is larger than the set voltage value. Further, the control unit 76 monitors the output voltage value based on the input distribution voltage.

The command signal of the set current value output from the control unit 76 is input to the inverting input terminal of the current value control error amplifier 80. In addition, the electrodes 66, 6 of the electrolytic cell 62
The path of the current flowing between 7 is between the switch 87 and the detection resistor 82 and the control unit 76 via the amplifier 81.
And the non-inverting input terminal of the current value control error amplifier 80, and the control unit 76 and the current value control error amplifier 80,
An input signal corresponding to the value of current flowing through the electrolytic cell 62 is input. At this time, in the amplifier 81, the inverting input terminal and the output terminal are connected by the resistor 85, and the non-inverting input terminal is grounded through the resistor 86, and the connection point between the switch 87 and the detection resistor 82. Is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the amplifier 81. The output from the amplifier 81 is
Input is made to the control unit 76 and the non-inverting input terminal of the current value control error amplifier 80. This amplifier 8
1 and the error amplifier 80 for controlling the current value, the electrolytic cell 6
2 so that the current value to be applied to 2 becomes the set current value.
A constant current controller for controlling the output voltage value in 7 is configured.

The current value control error amplifier 80 generates a current value control signal corresponding to the difference between the above-mentioned two input values, that is, the difference between the current value for passing through the electrolytic cell 62 and the set current value, and the diode for diode control. It is output to the power supply unit 77 via 89. At this time, the output polarity of the current value control error amplifier 80 is such that the current value control signal passes through the diode 89 and is input to the power supply unit 77 only when the current value passing through the electrolytic cell 62 is larger than the set current value. Is set as follows,
The current value control signal corresponding to the difference is input to the control unit 76 only when the current value flowing through the electrolytic cell 62 is larger than the set current value. Further, the control unit 76, based on the input signal corresponding to the input current value,
The value of current flowing through the electrolytic cell 62 is monitored.

Further, the voltage value control signal and the current value control signal are merged after being passed through the diodes 88 and 89, respectively, and are input to the power source section 77.
7 generates the highest output voltage in a state in which neither the voltage value control signal nor the current value control signal is input to the power supply unit 77. Further, when the voltage value control signal is input to the power supply unit 77 due to the output voltage value exceeding the set voltage value,
When the output voltage value is reduced on the basis of this voltage value control signal and the current value to be applied to the electrolytic cell 62 exceeds the set current value, and the current value control signal is input to the power supply unit 77,
The output voltage value is reduced based on this current value control signal.

The current / voltage control operation by the controller 76 will be described below.

As described above, when the flow sensor 60 detects the flow of water, the control unit 76 selects the operation mode and controls the switch 87 to be closed to control the electrolytic cell 62.
Electricity is generated between the electrodes 66 and 67 of the. At this time, the control unit 76 monitors the output voltage value, and when the output voltage value is less than the set voltage value, maintains the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value without changing.

When the output voltage value has reached the set voltage value, the controller 76 changes the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value. Here, the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value stored in the control unit 76 is set in a plurality of stages, and the set voltage value in the combination in the next stage is higher than the set voltage value in the combination in a certain stage. The power supply unit 7 is set so that the set current value becomes higher and the set current value in the combination of a certain step is equal to or larger than the set current value in the combination of the next step.
It is set so that it does not exceed the maximum rating of the 7 transformer. When changing the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value, the control unit 76 changes the step to the step next to the step selected at that time, and the change of the set value is performed in the final step. The combination is limited.

As a specific example, the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value is, for example, 15 V and 2.5 A (first step), 23 V and 2.5 A (second step), 33 V and 2. 1A (3rd stage), 40V and 1.8A (4th stage)
That is, in the case of the four-stage combination, in the operation mode, the control unit 76 first selects the first-stage combination to control the output voltage value of the power supply unit 77.

When the combination of the first stage is selected, if the electric conductivity is about 1000 μS / cm, such as the water in the electrolytic cell 62 in the coastal area, the output voltage value is set. When the voltage becomes less than the voltage value, the current value for passing through the electrolytic cell 62 becomes the same as the set current value,
The control unit 76 maintains the first stage combination without switching.

If the current value to be applied is less than the set current value even when the same voltage as the set voltage in the first stage is applied, such as general tap water having an electric conductivity of 150 μS / cm, The output voltage value becomes the same as the set voltage value, and at this time, the control unit 76 switches the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value to the second stage.

When the combination of the second stage is selected, the electric conductivity is 600 μS / c, for example, the water in the electrolytic cell 62 is water such as the area of the soil rich in minerals.
If it is about m, the output voltage value will be less than the set voltage value, and the current value for energizing the electrolytic cell 62 will be the same as the set current value. Keep switching.

If the current value to be applied is less than the set current value even when the same voltage as the set voltage in the second stage is applied, such as general tap water having an electric conductivity of 150 μS / cm, the power source The output voltage value from the unit 77 becomes the same as the set voltage value, and the control unit 76 switches the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value to the third stage.

When the combination of the third stage is selected, if the electric conductivity is about 300 μS / cm, such as the water in the electrolytic cell 62 in the area where ground water is used as the water source, the output voltage is The value (applied voltage value between the electrodes 66 and 67 of the electrolytic cell 62) becomes less than the set voltage value, and the current value for passing through the electrolytic cell 62 becomes the same as the set current value. Keep the combination unchanged.

When the current value to be applied is less than the set current value even when the same voltage as the set voltage of the third stage is applied, such as general tap water having an electric conductivity of 150 μS / cm, the output is output. The voltage value becomes the same as the set voltage value, and the control unit 76
Switches the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value to the fourth stage.

When the combination of the fourth stage is selected, for example, in general tap water having an electric conductivity of 150 μS / cm, the output voltage value is less than the set voltage value, and the current value for energizing the electrolytic cell 62 is also set. Becomes the same as the set current value, and the control unit 76 maintains the combination of the fourth stage without switching.

When the output voltage value is controlled in the power supply unit 77 as described above, the relationship between the electric conductivity of water and the output voltage value to the electrolytic cell 62 and the current value to be conducted is shown in FIG. While maintaining the output voltage value below the set voltage value,
A current having the same value as the set current value can be supplied to the electrolytic cell 62.

The switching operation of the set voltage value and the set current value in the control unit 76 as described above takes a certain time (for example, 0.1 seconds) until the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value is maintained. ) Each step.

Further, in order to cope with the fluctuation of the electric conductivity due to the progress of electrolysis of water in the electrolytic cell 62, after the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value is maintained, a certain time (for example, 5 After a lapse of a second, the control unit 76 performs the switching operation between the set voltage value and the set current value again. At this time, the control unit 76 may switch the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value to the first stage and then perform the switching operation. However, in order to avoid a sudden change in the output voltage value, the set voltage value may be changed. It is preferable to perform the switching operation after switching the combination of the value and the set current value to the state one step before.

On the other hand, as described above, when the flow sensor 60 does not detect the flow of water, the controller 76 selects the standby mode and controls the switch 87 to open to control the electrode 66 of the electrolytic cell 62. , 67 so that there is no energization.

In this standby mode, the control unit 76 sets the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value to a value that is the closest to the set voltage value in the range higher than the output voltage value of the control power supply unit 78. The combination of the set voltage value and the set current value is maintained while switching and the standby mode is selected. Since the set voltage values stored in the control unit 76 are usually all higher than the output voltage value in the control power supply unit 78, the control unit 76 selects the combination of the set values in the first stage in which the set voltage value is the smallest. .

At this time, the value of the current flowing through the electrolytic cell 62 is 0. However, if the current value flowing through the electrolytic cell 62 is smaller than the set current value, the current value control signal is not input to the controller 76. The output voltage value of the power supply unit 77 becomes the same as the set voltage value.

If the output voltage value from the power supply unit 77 is controlled as described above, the amount of voltage drop in the control power supply unit 78 that steps down the output voltage to generate the control voltage is minimized, and the standby state is reached. The amount of heat generated by the step-down operation of the control power supply unit 78 in the mode can be reduced to prolong the life of the apparatus, and the power consumption in the standby mode can also be reduced. Here, if the set voltage value in the standby mode is a larger value, the difference between the output voltage value from the power supply unit 77 and the output voltage value from the control power supply unit 78 becomes large, and the control power supply unit becomes large. The amount of step-down at 78 increases, the amount of heat generated by the step-down operation increases, and the life of the device is shortened, and the output voltage value from the power supply 77 is high, resulting in an increase in power consumption.

Here, the electrolyzed water producing apparatus 1 normally produces electrolyzed water for a very short time of about several minutes per day, and the control section 76 selects the operation mode. The time when the standby mode is selected is much longer than the time when it is on. Therefore, in the standby mode, which takes a longer time in this way, the heat generation of the control power supply unit 78 and the power consumption are suppressed as described above, thereby prolonging the life of the device and saving energy. , A remarkable effect can be obtained.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the stepwise change of the set voltage value in the control unit 76 when the output voltage value in the power supply unit 77 is controlled as described above. Here, first, the combination of the set values in the first stage is selected in the standby mode, and the set voltage value is the lowest value. From this state, when the flow sensor 60 detects the flow of water, the mode is switched to the operation mode, and the electrolysis of water is started, the set values of the first stage are first set, and then the fourth stage. It is possible to sequentially switch to the combination of the set values of. Then, the flow sensor 60
When the flow of water is no longer detected at, the mode is switched to the standby mode again, and the combination of set values in the first stage is selected.

As described above, the control unit 76 controls the lighting of the indicator lamp in the display operation unit 21,
In the standby mode, it is preferable to output a control command to the display operation unit 21 so as not to turn on the specific indicator lamp so that the indicator lamp not required in the standby mode is not turned on.

For example, among the indicator lights of the display operation unit 21,
The indicator lamps 47a, 47b, 47c for displaying the cumulative amount of the flow rate of the water flowing through the electrolyzed water generator in stages do not need to be turned on in the standby mode. Indicator lights 47a, 47b,
A control command is output to turn off all 47c to suppress the power consumption in the standby mode.

In the standby mode, the control unit 76
A control command is output to reduce the brightness of a specific indicator lamp. With this configuration, even in the case of the indicator lamp that needs to be turned on in the standby mode, it is possible to suppress the power consumption by reducing the brightness. For example, the indicator lamp 40 for displaying the electrolysis mode is formed at a position where each switch for switching and selecting the electrolysis mode is formed, and has a large display area and a large power consumption at the time of lighting, but in the standby mode. The control unit 76 suppresses the power consumption in the standby mode by reducing the brightness of one of the indicator lights 40 that is lit.

[0076]

As described above, in the electrolyzed water producing apparatus according to the present invention, water is introduced into the electrolytic cell, and a voltage is applied between the electrodes arranged in the electrolytic cell to electrolyze the water for electrolysis. In an electrolyzed water production apparatus for producing water, (a) a command signal of a set voltage value from the outside and an output voltage value of a power supply unit are formed to be input, and a voltage corresponding to a difference between these two input values. A voltage value control error amplifier (b) having a function of generating and outputting a value control signal is formed so that a command signal of a set current value from the outside and a current value for energizing the electrolytic cell are input. Current value control error amplifier (c) having a function of generating and outputting a current value control signal corresponding to the difference between two input values. A voltage value control signal output from the voltage value control error amplifier and a current value control signal. With the current value control signal output from the error amplifier A power supply unit (d) having a function of generating an output voltage to be applied between the electrodes and changing an output voltage value based on the two control signals. A control power supply unit for stepping down the voltage to generate a constant voltage for control, and (e) a command signal of a set voltage value to an error amplifier for voltage value control and a command signal of a set current value to an error amplifier for current value control. , The function to output each, the function to switch the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value stepwise in the operation mode of energizing the electrolytic cell, and the control power supply unit in the standby mode in which the electrolytic cell is not energized Supplying the constant voltage generated by the control power supply unit, with the function of changing the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value so that the set voltage value that is closest to the generated constant voltage for control is selected. In order to have a control unit for receiving and driving, in the operation mode in which water is electrolyzed, the set current value and the set voltage value are set in multiple stages, and the output voltage value of the power supply unit is controlled based on these set values. It is possible to change the electrolysis conditions, and the output voltage generated by the power supply unit is stepped down by the control power supply unit to obtain the voltage for driving the control unit. It is not necessary to separately generate the voltage and the power supply voltage, and a separate power supply unit for generating the voltage is not required. Therefore, the device can be downsized and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. By setting the set voltage value to the value that is closest to the voltage value for driving the control unit in the standby mode that does not perform the operation, the amount of voltage drop in the control power supply unit in the standby mode is suppressed, and the control power supply unit accompanying the step-down operation is suppressed. Suppresses the heat generation of There is ensured a prolonged, it is possible to suppress the power consumption in the standby mode. Here, since the standby mode is usually selected for a longer time than the operation mode, a remarkable effect can be obtained.

Further, the control section is provided with a plurality of indicator lights which are turned on based on the turn-on instruction output from the control section, and the control section outputs the control instruction so as not to turn on the specific indicator lamp in the standby mode. Therefore, in the standby mode, it is possible to prevent lighting of an unnecessary indicator lamp or the like, and further reduce power consumption in the standby mode.

Further, a plurality of indicator lamps which are turned on based on a lighting instruction output from the control section are provided, and the control section outputs a control instruction so as to reduce the brightness of a specific indicator lamp in the standby mode. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of power consumption when the particular indicator lamp is turned on, and further suppress the power consumption in the standby mode.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic control block diagram showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of the control power supply unit of the above.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a piping system of an electrolyzed water generator.

FIG. 4 is an overall perspective view showing an example of the above electrolyzed water generator.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the display unit of the above.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between water used for electrolysis, the output voltage and the energization current in the power supply unit.

FIG. 7 is a time chart showing an example of a stepwise switching operation of set voltage values in the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Electrolyzed water generator 62 Electrolyzer 66,67 electrodes 76 Control unit 77 Power supply 78 Control power supply 79 Voltage value control error amplifier 80 Current value control error amplifier

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An electrolyzed water producing apparatus for producing electrolyzed water by causing water to flow into an electrolyzer and applying a voltage between electrodes arranged in the electrolyzer to electrolyze the water, wherein: A voltage value that is formed so that the command signal of the set voltage value from the power supply unit and the output voltage value of the power supply unit are input, and that generates and outputs the voltage value control signal corresponding to the difference between these two input values. The control error amplifier (b) is formed so that a command signal of a set current value from the outside and a current value to be applied to the electrolytic cell are input, and a current value control signal corresponding to a difference between these two input values is generated. A current value control error amplifier (c) having a function of outputting a voltage value control signal output from the voltage value control error amplifier and a current value control signal output from the current value control error amplifier are input. So that it is applied between the electrodes. Power supply unit having a function of generating an output voltage and changing an output voltage value based on the two control signals (d) Control for reducing an output voltage generated by the power supply unit to generate a constant voltage for control Power supply unit and (e) Function to output command signal of set voltage value to error amplifier for voltage value control, command signal of set current value to error amplifier for current value control, and operation to energize electrolytic cell The function to switch the combination of the set voltage value and the set current value stepwise in the mode, and the set voltage that is the closest to the constant voltage for control generated in the control power supply section in the standby mode where the electrolytic cell is not energized. It has a function of changing a combination of a set voltage value and a set current value so that a value is selected, and is provided with a control unit that receives and supplies a constant voltage generated by a control power supply unit. Special Electrolyzed water generator to collect. 2. A plurality of indicator lights that are turned on based on a turn-on command output from the control unit are provided, and the control unit outputs a control command so as not to turn on a specific indicator light in the standby mode. The electrolyzed water generator according to claim 1, wherein 3. A plurality of indicator lights that are turned on based on a turn-on command output from the control unit are provided, and the control unit outputs a control command so as to reduce the brightness of a specific indicator light in the standby mode. The electrolyzed water generator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.