JP2008104962A - Water purification device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a simple-structured water purification device which can suppress deterioration of water purification efficiency, and can be easily maintained. <P>SOLUTION: In a water purification device 1, a filter 5 is installed on the upstream side of an ozone mixer of a purification device 4 in the flow direction of water, the purification device 4 undergoes no influence of pressure loss due to clogging of a filter 5 to suppress deterioration of efficiency of mixing ozone with water in the ozone mixer, namely, deterioration of efficiency of water purification by the purification device 4. In the filter 5, when its inner case 77 is maintained, its outer case 76 is removed from the inner case to expose the inner case 77, which allows the inner case 77 to be easily accessed with the inner case 77 exposed. Thereby the filter 5 can be easily maintained. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a water purification device for purifying water.

Conventionally, there is a demand to use water and rain water drawn from water sources such as wells and rivers as washing water and bath water, or to spray water for plant cultivation.
However, recently, the quality of well water has been remarkably deteriorated due to changes in the strata itself and the penetration of pollutants into groundwater veins, and it has become difficult to use the well as it is pumped. Similarly, river water often deteriorates in water quality. The deterioration of water quality here means, for example, that the turbidity and chromaticity of water become high, or that an odor is generated from water.

  As such water quality deterioration, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, well water may be so-called “red water”. “Red water” is water in which the well water extracted from the well is changed to red as time passes because iron and manganese components are contained as ions. Therefore, “red water” is not suitable for use as washing water or bath water, and also has a problem of adversely affecting plant cultivation.

In order to improve the quality of contaminated water such as well water and river water as described above, the iron treatment in the water is oxidized and removed by ozone treatment. A water-receiving type well improvement device that can sterilize bacteria, E. coli, viruses, and the like has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In addition, an ozone water generation system that has excellent sterilization and deodorization performance by mixing ozone with tap water has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent No. 2715244 JP 2003-305348 A

  In the apparatus and system for purifying water with ozone described in the above patent document, a configuration is used in which ozone is sucked into the water of the water channel using negative pressure generated in the water channel when the water flows through the water channel in the device. ing. When such a configuration is used, the ozone suction amount varies depending on the state of the water flow in the water channel. For example, if the water channel is clogged in the middle, pressure loss occurs in the flow of water in the water channel, and the amount of ozone sucked decreases. In that case, the malfunction that the purification efficiency of the water by ozone falls arises.

  Also, for example, in Indonesia, there are areas where infrastructure for water supply facilities is not in place. In such areas, well water including red water pumped out by dredging, river water, accumulated rainwater, etc. Is used for domestic use. Therefore, in such an area, there is a high need for a water purification apparatus, and further, the configuration is desired to be as simple as possible so that the owner can easily perform maintenance. However, in the water quality improvement device described in Patent Document 1, a large water receiving tank, a first stage treatment machine, and a second stage treatment machine are combined in a complicated manner, and the above-described demand cannot be satisfied.

The present invention has been made based on such a background, and a main object thereof is to provide a water purification device capable of suppressing a decrease in water purification efficiency.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a water purification device that can be easily maintained.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a water purification device configured simply.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a water purification device with improved safety.
And this invention also aims at providing the water purification apparatus which can maintain water purification performance uniformly.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a pump for drawing water from a storage source of water to be purified, an ozone generator for generating ozone, and a gas-liquid mixture for mixing ozone generated by the ozone generator with water. A purifier for purifying water, an introduction path for introducing water pumped by the pump into the purification apparatus, and water passing through the introduction path. It is a water purification apparatus characterized by including the filter for capturing the foreign material contained in this, and the return path for returning the purified water purified with the said purification apparatus to the said water storage source.

In the invention according to claim 2, the filter includes a sand filter for capturing foreign matter with sand and an activated carbon filter for capturing foreign matter with activated carbon in this order as seen in the direction of water flow. The water purification device according to claim 1, wherein
The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the water storage source includes a water storage tank for storing domestic water, and the water storage tank is provided with a user water supply pipe for taking out water from the water storage tank. When the user water supply pipe is opened, it is disposed at a high place so that water is discharged by gravity, the purification device is disposed at a position lower than the water storage tank, and the filter is disposed below the purification device. The water purification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pump is disposed at a position lower than the filter.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the filter is longitudinal in the vertical direction, and is attached to and detached from above the main body with respect to the main body that captures foreign matter by passing water in the longitudinal direction. The water purification device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: an accommodating portion that is externally fitted to the main body portion and accommodates the main body portion therein when mounted. is there.
The invention according to claim 5 is the water purification device according to claim 4, wherein the filter is disposed on the near side of the purification device.

The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the main body portion is loaded with sand or activated carbon in an amount corresponding to 1/10 to 3/4 of the longitudinal dimension thereof. It is a water purification apparatus of description.
The invention according to claim 7 is a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure of water flowing between the pump and the filter, and when the pressure detected by the pressure sensor reaches a first predetermined value, When the drive is stopped and the elapsed time from when the pump stops driving until the pressure drops to a second predetermined value lower than the first predetermined value exceeds a predetermined time, the filter is clogged. The water purification device according to claim 1, further comprising a control device that determines and stops the operation of the entire water purification device.

In the invention according to claim 8, the control device estimates a circulation flow rate of water circulating between the water storage source and the water purification device according to the elapsed time, and according to the circulation flow rate, the The water purification device according to claim 7, wherein the ozone generation amount or operation time of the ozone generator is changed.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, when the pressure drops to the second predetermined value after the driving of the pump is stopped, the control device has a predetermined value after the pressure reaches the second predetermined value. The water purifier according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the driving of the pump is resumed after a delay time has elapsed.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the control device determines that the filter is clogged when the number of times the driving of the pump is stopped within a predetermined period reaches a predetermined number of times, and the operation of the entire water purification device is determined. The water purification device according to claim 9, wherein the water purification device is stopped.
In the invention described in claim 11, the control device estimates a circulation flow rate of water circulating between the water storage source and the water purification device according to the number of times the driving of the pump is stopped within a predetermined period. The water purification device according to claim 9, wherein an ozone generation amount or an operation time of the ozone generator is changed according to the circulation flow rate.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flow rate sensor for detecting a circulation flow rate of water circulating between the water storage source and the water purification device, and the generation of ozone according to the circulation flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor. The water purification device according to claim 1, further comprising: a control device that changes an ozone generation amount or an operation time of the device.
The invention according to claim 13 is a humidity sensor that detects the humidity around the ozone generator, and a control device that changes the amount of ozone generated or the operation time of the ozone generator according to the humidity detected by the humidity sensor. The water purification device according to claim 1, comprising:

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in this water purification device, the filter is provided on the upstream side of the purification device when viewed in the direction of water flow. In contrast, in a configuration in which a filter is provided downstream of the purification device, when the filter is clogged, pressure loss occurs on the downstream side of the gas-liquid mixer in the purification device, and ozone in the gas-liquid mixer is generated. The amount of suction decreases. Therefore, there is a possibility that the mixing efficiency of ozone into water by the gas-liquid mixer, that is, the purification efficiency of water by the purification device is lowered. However, in the present invention, since the filter is provided on the upstream side of the purification device, the gas-liquid mixer is not affected by pressure loss due to clogging of the filter. Decrease in mixing efficiency of water into water can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to suppress a decrease in water purification efficiency by the purification device.

  According to invention of Claim 2, in this filter, the sand filter and the activated carbon filter are equipped in order seeing in the flow direction of water. Therefore, the water flowing through the filter first captures iron and manganese components solidified by oxidation by the sand of the sand filter. Thereafter, organic matter such as humic acid remaining in the water that has passed through the sand filter is captured by the activated carbon of the activated carbon filter. In general, solidified iron and manganese components are larger foreign matter than organic matter, so in this filter, by looking in the direction of water flow, capture large foreign matters first and then capture small foreign matters, Foreign matter can be effectively captured from water.

According to invention of Claim 3, a water storage tank, a purification apparatus, a filter, and a pump are arrange | positioned in an order from the top in the height direction.
By arranging the water storage tank at a high place, the user can easily take out water from the user water supply pipe by utilizing gravity.
And since a purification apparatus is arrange | positioned in the position nearest to a water storage tank in a water purification apparatus, the water head between a water storage tank and a purification apparatus, ie, a return path, can be restrained small. As a result, the pressure loss due to the water head can be kept small on the downstream side of the gas-liquid mixer in the purifier when viewed in the return path, that is, the water flow direction. Therefore, the fall of the mixing efficiency to the water of ozone by a gas-liquid mixer can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to further suppress the decrease in water purification efficiency by the purification device.

  Moreover, since a purification apparatus is arrange | positioned upwards in a water purification apparatus, the structure which arrange | positions a purification apparatus in the vicinity of a user's eyes | visual_axis position is attained, and the operativity of a purification apparatus can be improved. And by arrange | positioning a filter under the purification | cleaning apparatus in the vicinity of a user's eyes | visual_axis position, access to a filter becomes easy, for example, the operativity which concerns on the maintenance of a filter can be improved.

Furthermore, the posture of the water purification device can be stabilized by disposing a relatively heavy pump at a position lower than the filter, that is, below the water purification device.
Further, the installation area can be reduced by arranging the purification device, the filter and the pump side by side in the height direction.
According to invention of Claim 4, in this filter, the main-body part which capture | acquires a foreign material is long (vertically long) in an up-down direction, and lets water pass in a longitudinal direction. Therefore, in the main body, for example, compared with the case where water is allowed to pass in the horizontal direction, the water passage distance can be increased, and the trapping efficiency of foreign matters can be increased.

  In addition, by making the main body portion vertically long, a trapping member such as sand or activated carbon that actually captures foreign matter in the main body portion can be loaded into the main body portion so as to overlap in the height direction so that a gap is provided above. it can. Thereby, if the whole main-body part is shaken in the maintenance of a main-body part, a capture member will be stirred using the clearance gap mentioned above. Therefore, the foreign material captured by the capture member is removed from the capture member, and the performance of the capture member can be easily recovered. That is, so-called backwashing (removing foreign matter from the capture member by flowing water back in the main body) is not necessary, and the water purification apparatus can be simply constructed without the backwashing configuration.

And in this filter, a storage part is attached or detached from the upper part with respect to a main-body part, and is externally fitted by the main-body part at the time of mounting | wearing. Thereby, in maintenance of a main-body part, since a main-body part is exposed by removing an accommodating part from a main-body part, and a main-body part can be accessed easily, a filter can be maintained easily.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the filter is disposed on the near side of the purifying device, there is no obstacle above the filter, and the housing portion of the filter with respect to the main body portion from above. It can be attached and detached smoothly.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the filter body is loaded with sand or activated carbon (referred to as a capture member) in an amount corresponding to 1/10 to 3/4 of its longitudinal dimension. Appropriate gaps can be formed in portions other than. Thereby, if the whole main-body part is shaken in the maintenance of a main-body part, a capture member will be stirred favorably using the clearance gap mentioned above. Therefore, the foreign material captured by the capture member is effectively removed from the capture member, and the performance of the capture member can be recovered satisfactorily.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the distance from the pump to the filter is located on the upstream side of the filter as viewed in the direction of water flow, it is most susceptible to pressure loss caused by clogging of the filter. It is an area. In other words, in the water purification device, it is possible to accurately determine clogging of the filter by detecting the pressure of water flowing between the pump and the filter, as compared with the case of detecting the pressure of water in other regions. it can.

Further, the control device stops driving the pump when the pressure of the water flowing between the pump and the filter reaches the first predetermined value, so that the water pressure further increases beyond the first predetermined value. Can be prevented, and the safety of the apparatus can be improved.
Then, the control device determines that the filter is clogged when the elapsed time from when the drive of the pump is stopped until the pressure of the water decreases to the second predetermined value exceeds a predetermined time. That is, in this water purification apparatus, the clogging of the filter can be easily determined without using a complicated configuration by monitoring the water pressure and the elapsed time described above.

Further, when the control device determines that the filter is clogged, the operation of the entire water purification device is stopped, so that it is possible to reliably notify the user of the filter clogging while ensuring the safety of the device.
According to invention of Claim 8, a control apparatus estimates the circulation flow volume of the water circulated between a water storage source and a water purification apparatus according to the elapsed time mentioned above. That is, it is possible to easily estimate the circulation flow rate using the above-described elapsed time without using a complicated configuration.

  Further, the control device changes the ozone generation amount or the operation time (ozone generation time) of the ozone generator according to the circulation flow rate. For example, when the circulation flow rate is low, the flow rate of water in the gas-liquid mixer is also low, so that the efficiency of mixing ozone into water by the gas-liquid mixer decreases. Therefore, the control device increases the ozone generation amount or extends the ozone generation time in order to compensate for this decrease in mixing efficiency. In this way, the mixing efficiency of ozone into water by the gas-liquid mixer, that is, the water purification efficiency can be easily suppressed according to the circulation flow rate, and the water purification performance of the water purification device can be maintained constant. Can do.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, when the water pressure decreases to the second predetermined value after stopping the driving of the pump, the control device restarts the driving of the pump after a predetermined delay time has elapsed. Let On the other hand, in the case where the pump is restarted immediately after the water pressure drops to the second predetermined value, chattering occurs in the pump, and thus a buffer tank for preventing chattering must be provided. However, in the present invention, the control device restarts the pump after a predetermined delay time has elapsed since the water pressure dropped to the second predetermined value, so that the restart can be performed without using a buffer tank. The chattering of the pump at the time can be prevented. Therefore, the water purification device can be configured simply.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, when the number of times the drive of the pump is stopped within a predetermined period reaches the predetermined number of times, the control device determines that the filter is clogged and stops the operation of the entire water purification device. . That is, the safety of the apparatus can be improved while the filter can be effectively used without waste that the filter that is still usable can be replaced at an early stage.

Further, by stopping the operation of the entire water purification device, it is possible to reliably notify the user of clogging of the filter.
According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the control device estimates the circulating flow rate of the water that circulates between the water storage source and the water purification device in accordance with the number of stoppages of the pump within the predetermined period. That is, it is possible to easily estimate the circulation flow rate by using the above-described pump drive stop count without using a complicated configuration.

  Further, the control device changes the ozone generation amount or the operation time (ozone generation time) of the ozone generator according to the circulation flow rate. For example, when the circulation flow rate is low, the flow rate of water in the gas-liquid mixer is also low, so that the efficiency of mixing ozone into water by the gas-liquid mixer decreases. Therefore, the control device increases the ozone generation amount or extends the ozone generation time in order to compensate for this decrease in mixing efficiency. In this way, the mixing efficiency of ozone into water by the gas-liquid mixer, that is, the water purification efficiency can be easily suppressed according to the circulation flow rate, and the water purification performance of the water purification device can be maintained constant. Can do.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to accurately detect the circulating flow rate of the water circulating between the water storage source and the water purification device by the flow rate sensor.
Further, the control device changes the ozone generation amount or the operation time (ozone generation time) of the ozone generator according to the circulating flow rate detected by the flow sensor. For example, when the circulation flow rate is low, the flow rate of water in the gas-liquid mixer is also low, so that the efficiency of mixing ozone into water by the gas-liquid mixer decreases. Therefore, the control device increases the ozone generation amount or extends the ozone generation time in order to compensate for this decrease in mixing efficiency. In this way, the mixing efficiency of ozone into the water by the gas-liquid mixer, that is, the purification efficiency of the water is reliably suppressed using the flow sensor, and the water purification performance of the water purification device Can be kept constant.

  According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the humidity around the ozone generator can be accurately detected by the humidity sensor. Since an ozone generator generally generates ozone by discharging an electrode, when the surrounding humidity increases, the efficiency of ozone generation decreases due to the electrode becoming damp. That is, the humidity around the ozone generator affects the ozone generation efficiency, that is, the water purification efficiency.

  Then, the control device changes the ozone generation amount or the operation time (ozone generation time) of the ozone generator according to the humidity around the ozone generator detected by the humidity sensor. For example, when the humidity around the ozone generator is high, the ozone generation efficiency is low. Therefore, in order to compensate for the decrease in the generation efficiency, the control device increases the output of the ozone generator or reduces the ozone generation time. Extend. Thus, it is possible to reliably suppress the water purification efficiency from fluctuating according to the ozone generation efficiency of the ozone generator using the humidity sensor, and to maintain the water purification performance of the water purification apparatus constant.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
<Overall configuration>
FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing a configuration example of a water purification device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, when referring to a direction, the illustrated direction arrow is referred to (the same applies to other drawings).

  The water purification apparatus 1 of the present invention is mainly for home use, and when the water purification apparatus 1 is installed in a house 2, the water storage tank 3 is set to be substantially the same height as the roof of the house 2 as shown in FIG. For example, the water purification apparatus 1 is disposed at a position lower than the water storage tank 3 by being installed on a dedicated steel tower. Specifically, in the water purification device 1, the purification device 4, the filter 5, and the pump 6 that are frequently operated by the user are disposed adjacent to the house 2. The components of the water purification device 1 such as the purification device 4, the filter 5, and the pump 6 will be described in detail later.

A water storage pipe 9 including a tank pump 8 for pumping water (purified water) from a water source 7 (for example, a well or a river) is connected to the water storage tank 3. Thus, water is stored in the water storage tank 3 through the water storage pipe 9. Further, the water storage tank 3 may be configured such that rainwater is naturally stored by opening the upper surface thereof.
The water purification apparatus 1 is connected to the water storage tank 3 via a suction pipe 10 extending from the pump 6 and a purified water supply pipe 11 (return path) extending from the purification apparatus 4. Note that the suction pipe 10 and the purified water supply pipe 11 are also constituent members of the water purification apparatus 1.

  Therefore, as will be described later, the water in the water storage tank 3 is pumped into the water purification device 1 through the suction pipe 10 by the driving force of the pump 6, purified by the water purification device 1, and then purified The water is returned to the water storage tank 3 through the water supply pipe 11. That is, the water in the water storage tank 3 is circulated between the water storage tank 3 and the water purification device 1 while being purified. Thus, since the water in the water storage tank 3 is purified and circulated, the water stored in the water storage tank 3 can be stored as purified water.

Further, one end of a user water supply pipe 12 extending downward from the water storage tank 3 and bent in the middle and extending into the house 2 is connected to the water storage tank 3, and a faucet is connected to the other end side of the user water supply pipe 12. 13 is provided. As described above, since the water storage tank 3 is disposed at a relatively high place, when the user opens the faucet 13 and opens the other end of the user water supply pipe 12, the water in the water storage tank 3 is reduced by gravity. To the faucet 13 via the user water supply pipe 12. Therefore, the user can easily take out the water in the water storage tank 3 only by opening the faucet 13 without providing a special device such as a pump.
<Water purification device>
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the water purification device 1 as viewed from the front upper side and the right side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the water purification apparatus 1 as viewed from the front lower side and the right side. FIG. 4 is a front view of the water purification device 1. FIG. 5 is a right side view of the water purification device 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the water purification device 1 includes the purification device 4, the filter 5, the pump 6, the suction pipe 10, the purified water supply pipe 11, the raw water supply pipe 14 (introduction path), the installation table 15, and the installation wall. 16. Among these components in the water purification apparatus 1, the purification apparatus 4, the filter 5, the pump 6, the suction pipe 10, the purified water supply pipe 11 and the raw water supply pipe 14 circulate between the water storage tank 3 and the water purification apparatus 1. It constitutes the circulation channel of the water to be used. Specifically, the suction pipe 10, the pump 6, the raw water supply pipe 14, the purification device 4, and the purified water supply pipe 11 are arranged in series in view of the water circulation (flow direction). The filter 5 is inserted in the middle of the raw water supply pipe 14. On the other hand, the installation stand 15 and the installation wall 16 are for supporting the purification device 4, the filter 5, the pump 6, the suction pipe 10, the purified water supply pipe 11, and the raw water supply pipe 14 at predetermined positions.

Below, each structural member is demonstrated.
The installation base 15 is formed in a vertically long hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape, and legs 17 projecting downward are provided at the four corners of the bottom surface. Since each leg 17 is in contact with the ground, the installation table 15 is stably installed. Note that the length of each leg 17 can be adjusted individually, and the posture of the installation table 15 can be stabilized by adjusting the length of each leg 17 even on uneven ground. The front side wall of the installation table 15 is a door 18 that can be freely opened and closed. When the door 18 is opened, the interior of the installation table 15 is exposed, and internal maintenance can be performed.

The installation wall 16 is formed in a vertically long thin plate shape that extends upward from the rear end portion of the upper side wall of the installation table 15.
The installation base 15 and the installation wall 16 form a substantially chair shape when viewed from the side as a unit, and constitute a skeleton portion of the water purification device 1.
The purification device 4 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the left-right direction, and is disposed at the upper end of the front side surface of the installation wall 16. The purification device 4 is connected to the raw water supply pipe 14 from the left side of the casing 19 that forms the outer shell, and is connected to the purified water supply pipe 11 from the right side of the casing 19. An operation panel 20 is provided on the front side surface of the housing 19, and the operation of the entire water purification device 1 including the purification device 4 can be controlled by operating various buttons on the operation panel 20. it can. Note that the height of the operation panel 20 from the ground is, for example, about 150 cm, and the operation panel 20 is disposed in the vicinity of a general user's line of sight. Therefore, the operability of the entire purification device 4 including the operation panel 20 can be improved. And the power switch 21 is provided in the right side surface of the housing | casing 19, and the position above the connection part of the purified water supply pipe 11 and the purification apparatus 4 in detail. The power switch 21 is used not only to turn on / off the power of the purification device 4 but also to turn on / off the power of all the electrical components of the water purification device 1 including the operation panel 20 and the pump 6. Note that a wiring system such as a wire harness that connects the power switch 21 and the above-described electrical component is housed inside the installation wall 16. The parts disposed inside the purification device 4 will be described in detail later.

  The filter 5 is composed of, for example, a sand filter 22 and an activated carbon filter 23 formed in a vertically long cylindrical shape having a vertical dimension of about 50 cm, and the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon are arranged in order from the right on the upper surface of the upper side wall of the installation base 15. Filters 23 are arranged side by side. The filter 5 is disposed in front of the purification device 4 in a side view (see FIG. 5), and its upper end is located slightly below the bottom surface of the purification device 4. That is, since the filter 5 is located below the purification device 4 in the vicinity of the user's line of sight, access to the filter 5 is facilitated, and, for example, operability related to maintenance of the filter 5 can be improved. . The sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23 will be described in detail later.

  The pump 6 is disposed at the lower right end inside the installation table 15. Since the pump 6 is relatively heavy, the posture of the water purification device 1 can be stabilized by disposing the pump 6 at a position lower than the filter 5, that is, below the water purification device 1. The pump 6 includes an impeller (not shown), a motor (not shown) for rotating the impeller, a pressure sensor 37, and a buffer tank 38. The pump 6 is connected to the suction pipe 10 as described above, and is also connected to the raw water supply pipe 14 as described later. Therefore, when an impeller (not shown) is rotated by driving a motor (not shown), water on the suction pipe 10 side is sucked into the impeller (not shown) and discharged to the raw water supply pipe 14 side. . The pressure sensor 37 is turned on when the discharge-side flow path pressure, that is, the pressure of water in the raw water supply pipe 14 (in detail, an upstream pipe 24 to be described later) exceeds a predetermined upper limit value (first predetermined value), The sensor is turned OFF when it becomes less than a predetermined lower limit value (second predetermined value). The buffer tank 38 is used to eliminate chattering (driving discontinuity) that occurs at the start of driving of the pump 6 (rotation of the impeller).

The suction pipe 10 extends downward from the water storage tank 3 (see FIG. 1), penetrates the right side wall of the installation base 15 at the front lower end position, extends into the installation base 15, and then bends rearward. Connected to the pump 6.
The raw water supply pipe 14 is disposed inside the installation base 15 and has a plurality of bent portions, and the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23 are sequentially inserted in the middle of the raw water supply pipe 14 when viewed in the water flow direction. Has been. Here, for convenience of explanation, in the raw water supply pipe 14, a part upstream of the sand filter 22 is an upstream pipe 24, and a part between the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23 is a midstream pipe 25. Also, the downstream portion is a downstream pipe 26.

  The upstream pipe 24 extends upward from the pump 6 and branches back and forth before the upper wall of the installation table 15. In the upstream pipe 24, the portion extending from the branch position to the front side is bent in the middle and extends upward as the main flow of the upstream pipe 24, passes through the upper side wall of the installation table 15, and is connected to the sand filter 22. On the other hand, the portion extending to the rear side at the above-described branch position (referred to as the upstream pipe branch portion 28) bends in front of the rear side wall of the installation base 15 and extends to the left side, and then bends again after being bent again. After that, it bends further and extends to the front side, and merges with a midstream pipe branch portion 30 and a downstream pipe branch portion 31 described later. In the upstream pipe tributary portion 28, an upstream switching valve 33 is inserted in the vicinity of the above-described branch position. When the upstream switching valve 33 is opened, the upstream pipe 24 and the upstream pipe branch portion 28 communicate with each other, while when the upstream switching valve 33 is closed, the upstream pipe 24 and the upstream pipe branch portion 28 are blocked. In the normal operation state of the water purification apparatus 1, the upstream switching valve 33 is closed.

  The midstream pipe 25 extends downward from the sand filter 22, passes through the upper side wall of the installation table 15, is bent, and extends to the left side. Thereafter, the midstream pipe 25 branches into a portion that continues to the left as the main flow and a portion that extends downward (referred to as a midstream pipe tributary portion 30). The middle flow pipe 25 is bent in front of the left side wall of the installation table 15 and extends upward, passes through the upper side wall of the installation table 15 and is connected to the activated carbon filter 23. The midstream pipe tributary portion 30 extends downward, then bends and extends to the left side, passes through the left side wall of the installation base 15, and is connected to a drain port (not shown) provided outside the machine. Further, as described above, the upstream pipe tributary part 28 and the downstream pipe tributary part 31 are joined together in the middle of the middle pipe tributary part 30. In the midstream pipe tributary portion 30, a midstream switching valve 34 is inserted in the vicinity of a branch position with the midstream pipe 25. When the middle flow switching valve 34 is opened, the middle flow tube 25 and the middle flow tube tributary portion 30 communicate with each other, while when the middle flow switching valve 34 is closed, the middle flow tube 25 and the middle flow tube tributary portion 30 are blocked. In the normal operation state of the water purification device 1, the midstream switching valve 34 is closed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the downstream pipe 26 extends downward from the activated carbon filter 23, penetrates through the upper wall of the installation table 15, and continues downward (hereinafter referred to as a downstream pipe tributary part 31), and the main stream. Branches to a portion extending to the side. The downstream pipe tributary portion 31 bends in the middle and extends to the rear side, and merges with the upstream pipe tributary portion 28 and the midstream pipe tributary portion 30 as described above. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, the downstream pipe 26 extends rearward and then bends and extends upward. The downstream pipe 26 penetrates the upper wall of the installation table 15 and then extends further up to the front of the bottom surface of the purification device 4. . Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the downstream pipe 26 turns around the left side surface of the purification device 4 while being further bent, and is connected to the purification device 4. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in the downstream pipe tributary portion 31, a downstream switching valve 35 is inserted in the vicinity of the branch position with the downstream pipe 26. When the downstream switching valve 35 is opened, the downstream pipe 26 and the downstream pipe branch portion 31 communicate with each other, while when the downstream switching valve 35 is closed, the downstream pipe 26 and the downstream pipe branch portion 31 are blocked. In the normal operation state of the water purification apparatus 1, the downstream switching valve 35 is closed.

  In such a raw water supply pipe 14, when the upstream switching valve 33, the midstream switching valve 34 and the downstream switching valve 35 are closed, the upstream pipe 24, the midstream pipe 25 and the downstream pipe 26, the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23. And communicate with each other. Therefore, when the pump 6 is driven, the water pumped out by the pump 6 flows into the upstream pipe 24, the middle stream pipe 25 and the downstream pipe 26 (raw water feed pipe 14), and the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23 in the middle. And is introduced into the purification device 4. On the other hand, when the upstream switching valve 33, the middle flow switching valve 34, and the downstream switching valve 35 are opened, the upstream pipe 24, the middle flow pipe 25, and the downstream pipe 26, the corresponding upstream pipe tributary portion 28, the midstream tributary portion 30, and the downstream The pipe tributary portion 31 communicates with each other. Thereby, the water in the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23 and the water in the upstream pipe 24, the midstream pipe 25, and the downstream pipe 26 are passed through the midstream pipe branch portion 30 to the above-described drainage port (not shown). It can be discharged (drained). In addition, in the raw water supply pipe 14, as viewed in the direction of water flow, a position on the upstream side of the branch position in the upstream pipe 24 and a position on the downstream side of the branch position in the downstream pipe 26 (see FIG. 5). ) Are respectively inserted with main valves 36. Therefore, when draining water, each main valve 36 is closed in advance to prevent water from inadvertently entering the raw water supply pipe 14 from the pump 6 and the purification device 4 side.

The purified water supply pipe 11 is bent after extending from the right side surface of the purification device 4 to the right side as described above, and is connected to the upper water storage tank 3.
<Purification device>
FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the inside of the purification device 4. FIG. 7 is a system diagram for explaining the internal configuration of the purification device 4. In FIG. 7, for convenience of explanation, a part is extracted and displayed in an enlarged manner.

As shown in FIG. 6, a horizontal barrier wall 39 is provided in the housing 19, and the internal space of the housing 19 is divided into an upper electrical component region 40 and a lower water channel region by the barrier wall 39. 41.
In the electrical component region 40, an ozone generator 42 and a control unit 43 (control device) are disposed on the back side (that is, the rear side) of the housing 19. In the water channel region 41, an ozone mixer 44 (gas-liquid mixer) and a connecting pipe 45 (collectively referred to as a water channel 46) are disposed on the front side (that is, the front side) of the housing 19.

The ozone generator 42 has a discharge element circuit (not shown) and an electrode plate (not shown) inside, and is electrically connected to the control unit 43.
As shown in FIG. 7, the ozone generator 42 includes an intake pipe 48 for sucking air outside the housing 19 into the ozone generator 42, a filter 49 inserted into the intake pipe 48, an ozone supply pipe 50, and A check valve 51 inserted in the ozone supply pipe 50 is provided. Specifically, the intake pipe 48 is connected to the intake port 52 of the ozone generator 42, and the ozone supply pipe 50 is connected to the exhaust port 53 of the ozone generator 42. When the ozone generator 42 is turned on by the controller 43, the air taken into the ozone generator 42 from the inlet 52 is discharged by an electrode plate (not shown) (for example, creeping discharge, silent discharge, etc.). ) To generate ozone. Since dust contained in the air flowing from the air inlet 52 is captured by the filter 49, the dust is mixed into the ozone generator 42, and the discharge element (not shown) and the electrode plate (not shown) are damaged. This can be prevented. The generated ozone is supplied to the ozone mixer 44 through the ozone supply pipe 50.

The controller 43 is electrically connected not only to the ozone generator 42 described above but also to the power switch 21 and the operation panel 20 (see FIG. 2) (electrical components electrically connected to the controller 43). Will be described in detail later.)
As shown in FIG. 6, the connecting pipe 45 is a circular pipe extending substantially horizontally in the left-right direction, and its left end is exposed to the outside from the left side surface of the housing 19 and connected to the raw water supply pipe 14. . The right end of the connecting pipe 45 is connected to an inlet 47 described later of the ozone mixer 44.

The ozone mixer 44 includes a water channel 55 having a water inlet 47 at the left end and a water outlet 54 at the right end.
As shown in FIG. 7, the water channel 55 has a constricted portion 56 that is constricted in the middle and narrowed in inner diameter. A gas passage 57 is connected to the throttle portion 56. The gas passage 57 has a check valve 58 in the middle thereof and a three-way branch 59 below the gas passage 57. An ozone supply pipe 50 extending from the ozone generator 42 is connected to an inlet 60 (see an enlarged view) opened to the side of the three-way branch 59. Specifically, the ozone supply pipe 50 extends downward from the ozone generator 42, passes through a through hole 71 formed in the blocking wall 39, and then extends diagonally downward to the right to enter the inlet 60 of the ozone mixer 44. Are connected (see FIG. 6). Therefore, ozone from the ozone generator 42 flows into the gas passage 57 through the inlet 60. In addition, an outlet 61 is opened at the upper end of the gas passage 57, and the gas passage 57 communicates with the throttle portion 56 in a T shape via the outlet 61 (see an enlarged view).

  Similarly to the connecting pipe 45, the water channel 55 is also formed to extend substantially horizontally in the left-right direction. Therefore, the water channel 46 is formed so as to extend substantially horizontally in the left-right direction as a whole, and water flows from the left side toward the right side. Then, the flow rate of the water flowing into the water channel 55 from the inlet 47 increases at the throttle portion 56. Due to the flow of water with the increased flow velocity, the inside of the throttle portion 56 becomes a negative pressure. Due to this negative pressure, the ozone flowing into the gas passage 57 is sucked into the water flow channel 55 from the outlet 61, for example, the diameter. Are mixed in water as ultrafine bubbles (so-called microbubbles) of 50 μm or less. Thus, if the throttle part 56 is provided in the water flow path 55 to make the venturi structure, for example, a device such as a blower is not provided, and the water flow path 55 is utilized by using the negative pressure generated by the flow of water in the throttle part 56. Ozone can be efficiently taken into the inside.

  Then, in the purification device 4, ozone is mixed in the ozone mixer 44, and water (purified water) purified by sterilization and sterilization by ozone flows through the purified water supply pipe 11 and is returned to the water storage tank 3. In addition, you may decompose | disassemble residual ozone in purified water with an ozone deodorizing column (not shown), for example. Thereby, ozone does not exist in purified water, and a user can use purified water in comfort. Of course, even if an ozone deodorizing column is not used, the residual ozone in the purified water is naturally decomposed in the state stored in the water storage tank 3, so that ozone does not exist in the purified water when the user uses it.

  A check valve 58 is inserted in the gas passage 57 connected to the water passage 55. The check valve 58 allows a flow (especially ozone flow) flowing from the bottom to the top in the gas passage 57 but prevents a flow flowing from top to bottom (especially water flow). This prevents water from the water channel 55 from entering the ozone generator 42 via the three-way branch 59 and the ozone supply pipe 50. That is, the ozone generation efficiency of the ozone generator 42 is prevented from being reduced due to water intrusion.

In addition to the inlet 60 described above, the three-way branch 59 is provided with a drain port 62 that opens downward. The drain port 62 drains water that has entered the gas passage 57. A tube 63 is connected (see enlarged view).
The drain pipe 63 extends downward from the three-way branch 59, and a drain valve 64 for suppressing air from flowing through the drain pipe 63 during ozone supply is provided in the middle of the drain pipe 63. . Further, a water receiving tray 65 for receiving water flowing out from the outlet is provided at the outlet at the lower end of the drain pipe 63.

  The drain pipe 63 is for draining the water that has entered the gas passage 57 to the outside. As described above, since the check valve 58 is inserted in the gas passage 57, the water that has entered the gas passage 57 is normally blocked by the check valve 51. Water leaking from the stop valve 51 may flow down to the drain pipe 63 via the three-way branch 59. Even in such a case, since the drain pipe 63 is provided, the water that could not be blocked by the check valve 51 can be drained to the outside.

The drain valve 64 is a valve for suppressing the inflow of air in the direction opposite to the water flow direction of the drain pipe 63 during ozone supply. This prevents outside air from entering the gas passage 57 via the drain pipe 63 and reducing the ozone concentration during ozone supply.
The interior of the water tray 65 is divided into two rooms by a partition wall 66 that is lower than the height of the peripheral wall of the water tray 65, and one of the two rooms is drained from the outlet of the drain pipe 63. The other chamber is an overflow chamber 68 into which the water that has overflowed beyond the partition wall 66 enters. The water drained from the outlet of the drain pipe 63 is once received in the water receiving chamber 67, and when the water level is below the height of the partition wall 66, it does not overflow into the overflow chamber 68 and evaporates over time. . On the other hand, when the water level exceeds the height of the partition wall 66, the excess amount overflows into the overflow chamber 68. The overflowing water is discharged from the housing 19 to the outside through a discharge pipe 69 provided in the overflow chamber 68.

  A water leak sensor 70 is provided at a position slightly lower than the upper end of the partition wall 66 on the peripheral wall of the water tray 65. The water leak sensor 70 is a sensor that is turned on when it is detected that the water level stored in the water receiving chamber 67 is equal to or higher than a predetermined water level, and is turned off otherwise. The ON / OFF signal of the water leak sensor 70 is given to the control unit 43. When the water leak sensor 70 is turned ON and a predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 43 turns on the pump 6 and the ozone generator 42. It is turned OFF and the amount of water discharged from the drain pipe 63 to the water receiving chamber 67 is adjusted.

  As described above, in the water purification device 1, the filter 5 is provided on the upstream side of the purification device 4 in the water flow direction. On the other hand, in the configuration in which the filter 5 is provided on the downstream side of the purification device 4, when the filter 5 is clogged, pressure loss occurs on the downstream side of the ozone mixer 44 in the purification device 4, and the ozone mixer The amount of ozone absorbed at 44 decreases. Therefore, there is a possibility that the mixing efficiency of ozone into water by the ozone mixer 44, that is, the purification efficiency of water by the purification device 4 may be reduced. However, in the present invention, since the filter 5 is provided upstream of the purification device 4, the ozone mixer 44 is not affected by pressure loss due to clogging of the filter 5, and the ozone mixer The decrease in the mixing efficiency of ozone into water due to 44 can be suppressed. That is, a decrease in water purification efficiency by the purification device 4 can be suppressed.

Moreover, in this water purification apparatus 1, since the water storage tank 3, the purification apparatus 4, the filter 5, and the pump 6 are arrange | positioned in an order from the top in the height direction, the purification apparatus 4 stores water in the water purification apparatus 1. It is arranged at a position closest to the tank 3. Therefore, the water head between the water storage tank 3 and the purification device 4, that is, the purified water supply pipe 11 can be kept small. Thereby, the pressure loss resulting from a water head can be suppressed small in the purified water supply pipe 11, ie, the downstream side of the ozone mixer 44 in the purification apparatus 4, seeing in the water flow direction. Therefore, a decrease in the mixing efficiency of ozone into water by the ozone mixer 44 can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to further suppress a decrease in water purification efficiency by the purification device 4. In addition, the installation area can be reduced by arranging the purification device 4, the filter 5 and the pump 6 side by side in the height direction.
<Filter>
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view for explaining a common configuration of the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23 of the filter 5. FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23.

As shown in FIG. 8, the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23 include a base portion 75, an outer case 76, and an inner case 77, respectively.
The base portion 75 supports the outer case 76 and the inner case 77 on the upper side wall of the installation table 15. The base portion 75 is integrally provided with an attachment portion 78, an inner case support portion 79, and an outer case support portion 80. The attachment portion 78 is formed in a thin plate shape having a square shape in plan view. An extraction hole 81 that penetrates the attachment portion 78 in the thickness direction is formed at the center position of the attachment portion 78 in plan view, and the attachment portion 78 is arranged in the thickness direction at a position that is a predetermined distance away from the extraction hole 81. A penetrating intake hole 82 (see FIG. 9) is formed. Further, screw holes are respectively formed at the four corners of the attachment portion 78 in plan view. The inner case support portion 79 is formed in an annular shape that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the attachment portion 78 with the extraction hole 81 as the center of the circle. The intake hole 82 is located outside the diameter of the inner case support portion 79 (see FIG. 9). The outer case support portion 80 is formed in an annular shape that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the attachment portion 78 with the extraction hole 81 as the center of the circle. The outer case support 80 has a larger diameter than the inner case support 79, and the intake hole 82 is located within the diameter of the outer case support 80 (see FIG. 9). A screw portion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer case support portion 80. Each base part 75 of the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23 is fixed to a corresponding position on the upper side wall of the installation table 15 by a screw inserted through a screw hole of the attachment part 78 (see FIG. 2).

  The outer case 76 forms an outer shell of each of the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23, has an outer diameter substantially equal to that of the outer case support portion 80, is open at both ends in the vertical direction, and is a hollow that is long in the vertical direction. It is formed in a cylindrical shape. A large cap 84 is fitted on the upper end portion of the outer case 76 by bonding or the like, and the opening at the upper end of the outer case 76 described above is closed by the large cap 84. Here, the outer case 76 and the large cap 84 function as an accommodating portion. Most of the outer case 76 is formed of a transparent or translucent resin or the like, and other parts, specifically, the lower end portion of the outer case 76 has a threaded portion formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof. By engaging this threaded portion with the threaded portion of the outer case support portion 80 described above, the outer case 76 is assembled to the base portion 75 in a vertically long posture (see FIG. 9).

  The inner case 77 has an outer diameter substantially equal to that of the inner case support portion 79, is substantially equal in length to the outer case 76 in the vertical direction, and is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape having both ends in the vertical direction opened. The inner case 77 is formed of an opaque resin or the like, and caps 83 are externally fitted to both ends in the vertical direction by adhesion. Here, the inner case 77 and the two caps 83 fitted on both ends of the inner case 77 in the vertical direction function as a main body. In the cap 83, nets are stretched at portions of the cap 83 facing the openings at both ends in the vertical direction, and the inside of the inner case 77 communicates with the outside through the mesh. By fitting the cap 83 on the lower end side of the inner case 77 into the inner case support portion 79, the inner case 77 is assembled to the base portion 75 in a vertically long posture (see FIG. 9).

  As described above, since the outer case 76 has a larger diameter than the inner case 77, the outer case 76 is externally fitted to the inner case 77 while being attached to the base portion 75 as shown in FIG. In other words, the inner case 77 is housed inside. In this state, an equal interval is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the outer case 76 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner case 77 in the radial direction. That is, an annular gap is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the outer case 76 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner case 77. In addition, in the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23, the assembly part of each component is sealed, and the inside is kept liquid-tight.

In a state where the outer case 76 is externally fitted to the inner case 77, the large cap 84 does not abut against the upper end edge of the inner case 77, that is, is spaced upward. Therefore, the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the outer case 76 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner case 77 and the upper end surface of the inner case 77 communicate with each other.
In the sand filter 22, the upstream pipe 24 of the raw water supply pipe 14 is connected to the intake hole 82, and one end of the midstream pipe 25 is connected to the extraction hole 81. In the activated carbon filter 23, the other end of the midstream pipe 25 is connected to the intake hole 82, and the downstream pipe 26 is connected to the extraction hole 81. Therefore, in each of the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23, the water flowing in from the intake hole 82 passes through the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the outer case 76 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner case 77 and passes through the outer case 76. To rise. Then, the water that has risen in the outer case 76 is opposed to the large cap 84 so that the course of the water is changed to the inside in the radial direction. It enters the inner case 77 and descends in the inner case 77. The water that descends in the inner case 77 and reaches the cap 83 on the lower end side of the inner case 77 further descends through the above-described mesh of the cap 83, and the raw water supply pipe 14 (sand filter 22) from the outlet hole 81. In the middle stream pipe 25 and the activated carbon filter 23 flows into the downstream pipe 26).

  In the sand filter 22, the inner case 77 is filled with sand (for example, manganese sand). In the activated carbon filter 23, the inner case 77 is loaded with activated carbon. The loading amount of sand and activated carbon (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as a capturing member) is an amount corresponding to 1/10 to 3/4 of the vertical dimension of the inner case 77. That is, in the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23, a gap is formed in the upper portion of the inner case 77 (see the broken arrow in the figure). Note that the above-described mesh of the cap 83 fitted on each inner case 77 is set to be finer than sand and activated carbon. Therefore, the sand and activated carbon loaded in each inner case 77 will not leak from the inner case 77.

  In the sand filter 22, the water passing through the inner case 77 loaded with sand captures iron and manganese components solidified by oxidation by the sand. In addition, when this sand is manganese sand, the capture | acquisition of the iron component and manganese component which are not solidified is also possible. Further, in the activated carbon filter 23, the water passing through the inner case 77 loaded with activated carbon captures organic substances such as humic acid remaining in the water that has passed through the sand filter 22 by the activated carbon. Generally, the solidified iron and manganese components are larger foreign matter than organic matter, so this filter 5 captures large foreign matter first and then captures small foreign matter as seen in the direction of water flow. , Can effectively capture foreign matter from water. And since the water from which these foreign materials were removed is sent to the purification apparatus 4, the purification efficiency of the water in the purification apparatus 4 can be improved. Further, each inner case 77 that captures foreign matters is vertically long (longitudinal) and allows water to pass through in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, in the inner case 77, for example, compared with a case where water is passed in the horizontal direction, Can be made longer and the trapping efficiency of foreign matter can be increased. Then, by making the inner case 77 vertically long, the above-described capturing member can be loaded in the inner case 77 so as to overlap in the height direction so that a gap is provided above.

  When water passes through the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23 for a long time, the above-mentioned foreign substances adhere to the sand and activated carbon loaded in each. In particular, foreign matter accumulates in the gaps described above in the inner case 77. When a predetermined amount or more of foreign matter adheres, the foreign matter capturing performance of sand and activated carbon deteriorates. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically maintain each of the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23. In that case, as shown in FIG. 3, with the operation of the water purification apparatus 1 stopped, first, each main valve 36 (see also FIG. 5) of the raw water supply pipe 14 is closed. And the upstream switching valve 33, the middle flow switching valve 34, and the downstream switching valve 35 are opened, and the water in the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23 is drained. Thereby, both the water in the inner case 77 and the water in the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the outer case 76 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner case 77 are discharged outside the apparatus. Then, the engagement between the screw portion of the lower end portion of the outer case 76 and the screw portion of the outer case support portion 80 is released, and the outer case 76 is moved upward in a vertically long posture integrally with the large cap 84 (see FIG. 3). See sand filter 22). When the outer case 76 is detached from the inner case 77, the inner case 77 is exposed to the outside (see the activated carbon filter 23 in FIG. 3). The inner case 77 exposed to the outside is grasped and removed from the inner case support portion 79 (see FIG. 8), and the inner case 77 is shaken while being immersed in water, for example. Thereby, the capture member in each inner case 77 is agitated using a gap (see the broken line arrow in FIG. 9) provided in the loaded state, and the adhered foreign matter is removed.

Thus, by removing the outer case 76 from the inner case 77, the inner case 77 is exposed, and the inner case 77 can be easily accessed, so that the filter 5 can be easily maintained.
Further, as described above, each inner case 77 of the filter 5 is loaded with sand or activated carbon in an amount corresponding to 1/10 to 3/4 of the longitudinal dimension thereof, so that the above-described gap is captured by the capture member. It can be formed in a size suitable for good stirring. Therefore, when the entire inner case 77 is shaken during maintenance, the foreign matter captured by the capture member is effectively removed from the capture member, and the performance of the capture member can be easily and satisfactorily recovered. Further, by restoring the performance of the capture member by shaking the entire inner case 77, so-called backwashing (removing foreign matter from the capture member by causing water to flow backward in the inner case 77) becomes unnecessary. Therefore, the water purification apparatus 1 can be simply configured without the configuration for the above.

When the maintenance is completed, the inner case 77 and the outer case 76 are attached to the base portion 75 in the reverse procedure of the above-described removal. The outer case 76 is attached to the inner case 77 attached to the base portion 75 from above. As described above, since the filter 5 is disposed on the near side of the purification device 4, there is no obstacle above the filter 5, and the outer case 76 is smoothly connected to the inner case 77 from above. It can be attached and detached.
<Control of water purification device>
In the water purification apparatus 1, the operation is controlled by the control unit 43 described above. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the water purification apparatus 1, and shows a portion related to the present invention.

  The control unit 43 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer, and includes a CPU 90, a ROM 91, a RAM 92, and a timer 93. Here, the timer 93 measures each operation time in the water purification apparatus 1. The control unit 43 is electrically connected to the operation panel 20, the ozone generator 42, the pump 6, the water leak sensor 70, the pressure sensor 37, and the power switch 21.

The operation panel 20 is provided with a power LED 95, an ozone LED 96, an abnormality LED 97, various buttons described above, and the like for performing various displays for the user.
In the operation control of the water purification device 1, the ozone generator 42 is operated to generate ozone and the pump 6 is driven by the control of the control unit 43 according to the operation of various buttons on the operation panel 20 by the user. Water flows through the water purification apparatus 1. Thereby, ozone is mixed with the water flowing through the water purification apparatus 1, and the water purification operation is performed. At the same time, the power LED 95 and the ozone LED 96 are turned on to notify the user that the purification operation is being performed. Further, when the filter 5 is clogged, the abnormal LED 97 is turned on to notify the user that maintenance of the filter 5 is urged.

Next, control related to clogging of the filter 5 will be described.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart of control related to detection of clogging of the filter 5. As described above, when water passes through the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23 for a long time, the foreign substance capturing performance is deteriorated due to the adhesion of foreign substances to the sand and activated carbon loaded in each of them. Furthermore, clogging occurs in the sand filter 22 and the activated carbon filter 23 due to adhered foreign matter. When clogging occurs in the filter 5, the flow rate (circulation flow rate) of the water circulating between the water purification device 1 and the water storage tank 3 decreases. When the degree of clogging of the filter 5 becomes severe, the water does not circulate, and further, locally on the upstream side of the filter 5, specifically, on the upstream pipe 24 (see FIG. 2) of the purified water supply pipe 11. There is a possibility that the water pressure rises and the upstream pipe 24 bursts.

In order to prevent such a problem, the control unit 43 performs the clogging detection control described below (refer to FIG. 10 together with FIG. 11).
The clogging detection control is performed in synchronization with the operation control of the water purification device 1. In the clogging detection control, the control unit 43 first resets the measurement data of the timer 93 (step S1). And the control part 43 drives the pump 6 (ON), and operates the ozone generator 42 (ON), and implements the water purification driving | operation (step S2). If the water pressure in the upstream pipe 24 (between the pump 6 and the filter 5) detected by the pressure sensor 37 is less than a predetermined upper limit value (YES in step S3), the control unit 43 continues the purification operation. On the other hand, when the above-described water pressure increases and reaches the upper limit value (NO in step S3), the control unit 43 performs time measurement by the timer 93 (step S4). Further, the control unit 43 stops the purification operation by stopping (OFF) the driving of the pump 6 and the operation of the ozone generator 42 (step S5). Since water stops flowing in the water purification apparatus 1 due to the stop of the purification operation, the water pressure that has risen in the upstream pipe 24 gradually decreases. When the water pressure does not decrease to the predetermined lower limit (NO in step S6), the control unit 43 continues to monitor the water pressure with the purification operation stopped. On the other hand, when the water pressure reaches the lower limit value (YES in step S6), the control unit 43 stops time measurement by the timer 93 at the time of arrival (step S7). Then, when the elapsed time from the time measured by the timer 93, that is, when the water pressure reaches the upper limit value and the purification operation is stopped to the time when the water pressure decreases and then reaches the lower limit value, exceeds a predetermined time (step) The control unit 43 determines that the filter 5 is clogged, turns on the abnormal LED 97, and turns off the power switch 21 (step S9). Thereby, the operation | movement of the water purification apparatus 1 whole is stopped. Even in this state, the abnormal LED 97 is continuously lit. On the other hand, if the above-described elapsed time does not exceed the predetermined time (NO in step S8), the control unit 43 stores information in the RAM 92 that the purification operation has been stopped once (step S10). Then, the control unit 43 refers to the RAM 92, and determines that the filter 5 is clogged if the cumulative number of purification operation cancellations reaches a predetermined number within a predetermined period (NO in step S11), and step S9. Perform the process. The cumulative number is reset when the filter 5 is maintained. On the other hand, if the cumulative number does not reach the predetermined number (YES in step S11), the control unit 43 determines that the filter 5 is not clogged, and uses the time point when the water pressure reaches the lower limit as a reference. And wait for a predetermined delay time, and maintain the purification operation stop state (step S12). And after delay time passes, the control part 43 returns to step S1, and continues clogging detection control. Thereby, the purification operation is resumed.

  In such clogging detection of the filter 5, by detecting the pressure of the water flowing in the upstream pipe 24, which is the area most susceptible to the pressure loss caused by the clogging of the filter 5, water in other areas is detected. As compared with the case of detecting the pressure, it is possible to accurately determine clogging of the filter 5. Then, by monitoring the water pressure and the elapsed time described above, it is possible to easily determine whether the filter 5 is clogged without using a complicated configuration.

  Moreover, since the control part 43 stops the drive of the pump 6 when the pressure mentioned above reaches an upper limit, it can prevent that the pressure of water exceeds the upper limit and raises further, and improves the safety | security of an apparatus. Can do. Furthermore, since the control part 43 will stop operation | movement of the whole water purification apparatus 1 if the clogging of the filter 5 is judged, it will alert | report the clogging of the filter 5 reliably to a user, ensuring the safety | security of an apparatus. Can do.

  Further, when the purification operation is restarted, the control unit 43 restarts the driving of the pump 6 after a predetermined delay time has elapsed since the pressure of the water has decreased to the lower limit value, so that the buffer tank 38 described above is used. Even if not, chattering of the pump 6 at the time of resumption can be prevented only by such microcomputer control. Therefore, the water purification apparatus 1 can be configured simply.

  In addition, when the number of purification operation stop times (the number of drive stops of the pump 6) reaches a predetermined number within a predetermined period, the control unit 43 determines that the filter 5 is clogged and stops the operation of the entire water purification device 1. The safety of the apparatus can be improved while the filter 5 can be effectively used without waste such that the filter 5 that is still usable can be replaced at an early stage.

  And the control part 43 estimates the circulation flow rate of the water which flows between the water purification apparatus 1 and the water storage tank 3 according to the elapsed time, and when resuming the purification operation, according to the estimated circulation flow rate, The ozone generation amount of the ozone generator 42 is changed. Specifically, when the circulation flow rate is low, the flow rate of water in the ozone mixer 44 is also low, so the mixing efficiency of ozone into water by the ozone mixer 44 is reduced. Therefore, the control unit 43 increases the ozone generation amount or extends the operation time (ozone generation time) of the ozone generator 42 in order to compensate for the decrease in mixing efficiency. As a means for increasing the ozone generation amount or extending the ozone generation time, for example, by increasing the duty ratio applied to the electrode plate (not shown) of the ozone generator 42 described above, Increase discharge.

  In this way, the circulation flow rate can be easily estimated using the above-described elapsed time without using a complicated configuration, and when the circulation flow rate is low, the ozone generation amount is increased or the ozone generation is increased. By extending the time, the mixing efficiency of ozone into the water by the ozone mixer 44, that is, the purification efficiency of the water is easily suppressed according to the circulation flow rate, and the water purification performance of the water purification device 1 is kept constant. Can be maintained.

  In addition, instead of the above-described elapsed time, the circulation flow rate may be estimated according to the cumulative number of purification operation suspensions within the predetermined period. Thus, similarly to the elapsed time, the circulation flow rate can be easily estimated using the above-described number of drive stops of the pump 6 without using a complicated configuration, and the water purification efficiency varies depending on the circulation flow rate. It can suppress simply and can maintain the water purification performance of the water purification apparatus 1 constant.

Of course, instead of estimation, the actual circulating flow rate may be detected using a flow rate sensor (not shown). As a result, the circulation flow rate can be accurately acquired, and the water purification efficiency of the water purification device 1 can be kept constant by reliably suppressing the fluctuation of the water purification efficiency according to the circulation flow rate.
In addition, as described above, the ozone generator 42 generates ozone by discharging an electrode plate (not shown). Therefore, when the humidity around the ozone generator 42 becomes high, the electrode plate gets wet. This reduces the ozone generation efficiency. That is, it can be said that the humidity around the ozone generator 42 affects the ozone generation efficiency, that is, the water purification efficiency. Therefore, the water purification apparatus 1 includes a humidity sensor (not shown) that detects the humidity around the ozone generator 42, and the control unit 43 is around the ozone generator 42 detected by the humidity sensor (not shown). The ozone generation amount or the operation time (ozone generation time) of the ozone generator 42 is changed according to the humidity of the ozone generator 42. For example, when the humidity around the ozone generator 42 is high, the ozone generation efficiency is low. Therefore, in order to compensate for the decrease in the generation efficiency, the control unit 43 generates ozone by means such as increasing the duty ratio described above. Increase the output of the device 42 or extend the ozone generation time. Thus, it is possible to reliably suppress the water purification efficiency from fluctuating according to the ozone generation efficiency of the ozone generator 42 using the humidity sensor and to maintain the water purification performance of the water purification apparatus 1 constant. it can.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. For example, the configuration of the water purification apparatus 1 according to the present invention can be used for purification of bath water in a washing machine that performs washing using bath water.

1 is a system diagram illustrating a configuration example of a water purification device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the water purification apparatus 1 from front upper direction and the right side. It is the perspective view which looked at the water purification apparatus 1 from the front lower side and the right side. 1 is a front view of a water purification device 1. FIG. It is a right view of the water purification apparatus 1. 3 is a front perspective view of the inside of the purification device 4. FIG. 2 is a system diagram for explaining an internal configuration of a purification device 4. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view for explaining a common configuration of a sand filter 22 and an activated carbon filter 23 of the filter 5. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a sand filter 22 and an activated carbon filter 23. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the water purification apparatus 1, Comprising: It is the figure which showed the part relevant to this invention. 6 is a flowchart of control related to detection of clogging of the filter 5;

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Water purification apparatus 3 Water storage tank 4 Purification apparatus 5 Filter 6 Pump 11 Purified water supply pipe 12 Water supply pipe for users 14 Raw water supply pipe 22 Sand filter 23 Activated carbon filter 37 Pressure sensor 42 Ozone generator 43 Control part 44 Ozone mixer 76 Outer case 77 Inner case 83 Cap 84 Large cap

Claims (13)

A pump for drawing water from the source of the purified water;
An ozone generator for generating ozone, a gas-liquid mixer for mixing ozone generated by the ozone generator with water, and a purification device for purifying water;
An introduction path for introducing water pumped by the pump into the purification device;
A filter provided in the middle of the introduction path for capturing foreign matter contained in water passing through the introduction path;
A water purification apparatus comprising: a return path for returning the purified water purified by the purification apparatus to the water storage source.   The said filter is equipped with the sand filter for catching a foreign material with sand seeing in the flow direction of water, and the activated carbon filter for capturing a foreign material with activated carbon in order. The water purification apparatus as described. The water storage source includes a water storage tank for storing domestic water,
The water storage tank is provided with a user water supply pipe for taking out water from the water storage tank,
The water storage tank is arranged at a high place so that water is discharged by gravity when the user water supply pipe is opened,
The purification device is disposed at a position lower than the water storage tank,
The filter is disposed below the purification device;
The water purification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pump is disposed at a position lower than the filter. The filter is
A main body part that is longitudinal in the vertical direction and captures foreign matter by passing water in the longitudinal direction;
A housing part that is attached to and detached from the upper part of the main body part and is externally fitted to the main body part at the time of mounting, and accommodates the main body part therein.
The water purification apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the water purification apparatus is provided.   The water purification device according to claim 4, wherein the filter is disposed on the near side of the purification device.   The water purifier according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the main body is loaded with sand or activated carbon in an amount corresponding to 1/10 to 3/4 of a longitudinal dimension thereof. A pressure sensor for detecting the pressure of water flowing between the pump and the filter;
When the pressure detected by the pressure sensor reaches a first predetermined value, the driving of the pump is stopped, and the pressure is lowered to a second predetermined value lower than the first predetermined value from the time of stopping the driving of the pump. 2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a control device that determines that the filter is clogged when an elapsed time until the reduction exceeds a predetermined time, and stops the operation of the entire water purification device. Water purification device.   The control device estimates a circulation flow rate of water circulating between the water storage source and the water purification device according to the elapsed time, and according to the circulation flow rate, an ozone generation amount of the ozone generation device or The water purifier according to claim 7, wherein the operation time is changed.   When the pressure drops to the second predetermined value after stopping the driving of the pump, the control device causes the pump to pass after a predetermined delay time has elapsed since the pressure reached the second predetermined value. The water purification apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the driving of the water is resumed.   The control device determines that the filter is clogged and stops the operation of the entire water purification device when the number of times the driving of the pump is stopped within a predetermined period reaches a predetermined number of times. The water purification apparatus according to claim 9.   The control device estimates a circulation flow rate of water circulating between the water storage source and the water purification device according to the number of times the driving of the pump is stopped within a predetermined period, and according to the circulation flow rate. The water purification apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the ozone generation amount or operation time of the ozone generator is changed. A flow rate sensor for detecting a circulating flow rate of water circulating between the water storage source and the water purification device;
The water purification apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a controller that changes an ozone generation amount or an operation time of the ozone generator according to a circulating flow rate detected by the flow sensor. A humidity sensor for detecting the humidity around the ozone generator;
The water purification apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a control device that changes an ozone generation amount or an operation time of the ozone generator according to the humidity detected by the humidity sensor.