JP2010069362A - Foam separator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a foam separator which rises and falls automatically according to a change in water level. <P>SOLUTION: The foam separator 1, comprising a bubble generator 2, a foam collecting and discharging device 3 surrounding the bubble generator at a predetermined position, and a foam collector 5 installed at the foam outlet 3a of the foam collecting and discharging device, is equipped with a float member 4 outside of the foam collecting and discharging device and made to float in water. A locking member 6 for locking the float member to a water tank comprises a guide rail portion 6a and a guide groove 6b slidably engaged with the guide rail portion, and locks the foam separator to the side surface of the water tank so that the foam separator can freely rise and fall. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a foam separation device (also referred to as a “protein skimmer”) that is a kind of filtration device used in aquarium fish tanks such as appreciation fish and live fish, and in particular, in a form in which the foam separation device is installed in a water tank, The present invention relates to a so-called internal foam separation device.

  In aquariums for marine fish such as appreciation fish and live fish, foam separators are used to remove organic substances such as proteins that cause water quality deterioration from the water. In this foam separation device, the water in the water tank is filtered by removing the bubbles adsorbed by the organic matter from the water tank by utilizing the fact that the organic matter is adsorbed on the interface between the bubbles while the minute bubbles drift in the water.

  Therefore, as a commercially available foam separation device, particularly a relatively large one, the distance from the bubble generator to the water surface in order to ensure the time for the bubbles to float in the water for the purpose of fully exerting the filtration performance of the foam separation device. In order to stably discharge the foam, there is provided a device in which the water level inside the apparatus can be adjusted so that the distance from the water surface to the foam discharge port can be maintained at an optimum distance.

  Moreover, as a small-sized thing among the commercially available foam separators, in particular, the internal foam separators installed in the water tank, the user can change the distance from the bubble generator to the water surface according to the change in the water level of the water tank. A device for moving the foam separation device is provided so that the distance to the foam discharge port is an optimum distance.

Further, as an internal foam separation device, a device having a foam discharge level automatic elevation control device having a floating member that floats up and down by the buoyancy of water or foam has been proposed. In this foam separation device, the foam discharge level automatic elevation control device automatically raises and lowers the inside of the foam collector according to the change in water level, keeping the distance from the water surface to the foam discharge port constant and stabilizing foam And can be discharged (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2007-319852 (paragraphs 0006, 0031, FIG. 3)

  However, in the commercially available comparatively large foam separating apparatus, the mechanism for adjusting the water level inside the apparatus, for example, the structure for overflow and valve opening / closing is complicated, so it is difficult to reduce the size of the apparatus. Due to the large number of parts, breakdowns such as water leakage are likely to occur.

  In addition, in the commercially available small internal foam separation device, the user has to move the foam separation device so that the optimum distance is obtained according to the change in the water level of the water tank. Is complicated.

  Furthermore, in the foam separating apparatus according to Patent Document 1, although the distance from the water surface to the foam discharge port can be kept constant regardless of the change in the water level, the distance from the bubble generator to the water surface changes, For example, when the water level drops, the distance from the bubble generator to the water surface is shortened, so the time for bubbles to float in the water is shortened, and the time for the bubbles to touch the organic matter is also shortened. The adsorption efficiency is deteriorated and the original filtering ability of the apparatus cannot be exhibited. Therefore, in the foam separator according to Patent Document 1, the foam separator is still moved up and down according to the drop in the water level, specifically, the water level of the foam separator fixed to the inner wall of the water tank by the suction cup is lowered. It has to be lowered by a minute, and the trouble of moving the foam separation device up and down is complicated.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and to provide a foam separation device that automatically moves up and down according to changes in the water level.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in the invention according to claim 1, the foam separation device is provided in a bubble generator, a foam collector that surrounds the bubble generator at a predetermined position, and a foam outlet of the foam collector. And a floating member on the outside of the foam collector.

  In the invention according to claim 2, the floating member has a locking member for locking with the water tank.

  In the invention according to claim 3, the locking member has a guide rail portion and a guide groove that is slidably fitted to the guide rail portion.

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 1, it is provided with a bubble generator, the foam collector which encloses a bubble generator in a predetermined position, and the foam collector provided in the foam discharge port of the foam collector Since the foam separating device provided with the floating member outside the foam collecting / collecting device, the foam separating device can be floated on water. And since the foam separator can move up and down freely with respect to the water tank side according to the change of the water level, the distance from the water surface to the foam outlet and the distance from the bubble generator to the water surface regardless of the change of the water level. In other words, the water level inside the apparatus can be adjusted. Here, when the distance from the water surface to the foam outlet is set to the optimal distance for discharging the foam, and the distance from the bubble generator to the water surface is set to the optimal distance for adsorption to the bubble interface, the water level changes. Regardless of this, the original filtration capacity of the apparatus can be maintained.

  Furthermore, according to the invention according to claim 1, since the water level inside the apparatus can be adjusted by a simple structure including a floating member on the outside of the foam collector, a commercially available relatively large-sized foam separator can be used. When applied, the apparatus can be reduced in size, and the failure such as water leakage can be reduced due to the simple structure and the small number of parts.

  Furthermore, according to the invention according to claim 1, by floating the foam separation device in the water by the floating member provided on the outside of the foam collector, from the water surface to the foam outlet regardless of the change in the water level. Since the distance and the distance from the bubble generator to the water surface can be kept constant, the foam separator according to the change in the water level, such as a commercially available small internal foam separator or a foam separator according to Patent Document 1, You can save time and effort to move up and down.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the floating member has the locking member for locking with the water tank, the foam separating device is not conspicuous in a predetermined position, for example, an aquarium for aquarium fish. Can be locked to one corner of the water tank.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, since the locking member includes the guide rail portion and the guide groove that is slidably fitted to the guide rail portion, the foam separating device includes the guide rail portion and the guide rail portion. Even when the foam separating device is guided up by the guide groove and cannot float upright, it can move up and down with respect to the water tank side surface according to the change in the water level.

  First, a basic matter of creation of the present invention will be briefly described. The inventor believes that it is important to keep the distance from the water surface to the foam outlet and the distance from the bubble generator to the water surface constant in order for the foam separation device to exhibit the original filtering ability. In particular, in a small internal type foam separation apparatus suitable for a small water tank, the user cannot move the foam separation apparatus to an optimal position according to a change in the water level because this distance must be adjusted manually. Therefore, it was noticed that the original filtering ability of the apparatus was not exhibited. And since a small aquarium has a small amount of water, the water level is remarkably lowered even with a small amount of evaporation. According to experiments conducted by the inventor assuming the user's usage environment, it takes only one or two days in winter. In summer, the water level drops by about 1 cm from 3 to 7 days, so a small internal foam separation device suitable for a small aquarium has a mechanism that can automatically move the device to the optimal position according to changes in the water level. I thought it was desired.

  Furthermore, although the inventor has a certain result in stably discharging the foam by keeping the distance from the water surface to the foam discharge port constant as in the foam separation apparatus according to Patent Document 1, the original of the apparatus In order to maintain the filtration capacity, it was considered essential to prevent the adsorption efficiency from deteriorating.

  Therefore, the inventor has determined that the distance from the water surface to the foam discharge port is the optimum distance for foam discharge when the foam separator is installed, and the distance from the bubble generator to the water surface is the adsorption to the bubble interface. The invention was created by focusing on the fact that the original filtration capacity can be maintained if these distances can be kept constant regardless of changes in the water level because they are designed to be optimal distances. It has come to be.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. FIG. 1 is a partially broken perspective view of a foam separating apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an image diagram showing a state in which the foam separating apparatus according to the present invention is installed in a water tank. As shown in FIG. 1, the foam separation device 1 according to the present invention includes a bubble generator 2, a foam collector 3, a floating member 4, a foam collector 5, and a locking member 6. ing.

  The bubble generator 2 is an instrument that changes air supplied from the outside into bubbles in water, and is a piece of wood called a woodstone 2 in the embodiment. The woodstone 2 has an infinite number of continuous minute gaps. When air is supplied to the woodstone 2 from the air pump P (see FIG. 2) through the air tube T, the air passes through the minute gaps. As a result, minute bubbles are formed, and bubbles are generated from the surface of the woodstone 2. The bubble generator 2 is not limited to a device that foams by sending air into the water from the air pump P as in the embodiment, a device that blows a strong water flow against the water surface, and a negative pressure of the pump. Any type of device may be used, such as a device that takes in air and foams it using a gas.

  The foam collector 3 is a cylindrical tube. In the embodiment, bubbles generated from the woodstone 2 placed in the tube are collected in the tube, and organic substances such as proteins are adsorbed on the bubble interface. It is an instrument that pushes out foam (hereinafter referred to as foam) from the inside of the tube to a foam collector 5 to be described later. In the foam collector 3, the diameter of a portion near the foam outlet 3 a which is an opening on the side for extruding the foam from the inside of the tube to the foam collector 5 is smaller than the other portion, and the foam is a foam outlet. It becomes easy to discharge | emit to the foam collector 5 from 3a. And the foam collector 3 is equipped with the floating member 4 in the outer side.

  The floating member 4 is a float for floating the foam separating apparatus 1 in water. Here, the floating member 4 is provided so as to surround the outer periphery of the foam collector 3. An outline of the floating member 4 in the embodiment is such that two pipes having different diameters are fitted and a gap between one inner pipe and the outer pipe is sealed. The foam separation device 1 is floated on water by the buoyancy of air accumulated in the gap.

  The foam collector 5 is a container with a lid for storing foam provided in the foam discharge port 3a, and here, from a position lower than the foam discharge port 3a so as to receive the foam overflowing from the foam discharge port 3a. Specifically, the foam outlet 3a is surrounded from a position closer to the water surface than the foam outlet 3a.

  The locking member 6 is a member for locking the floating member 4 to the water tank A (see FIG. 2), in other words, for locking the foam separation device 1 to the water tank A via the floating member 4. Has a guide rail portion 6a and a guide groove 6b slidably fitted to the guide rail portion 6a.

  The guide rail portion 6a is a bar-shaped protrusion having a T-shaped cross section formed on the outer peripheral surface of the floating member 4, and is provided in parallel to the direction in which the floating member 4 is raised and lowered.

  The guide groove 6b is a groove having a T-shaped cross section formed in a bowl-shaped elongate plate member, and the guide rail portion 6a is slidably fitted in this groove.

  In the foam separating apparatus 1 configured as described above, the foam separating apparatus 1 is configured to float on water by the floating member 4, and is locked to the water tank A by the locking member 6 so as to float and sink. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the rising / lowering state of the foam separating apparatus 1 according to the present invention, where (a) shows a normal water level state, and (b) shows a state where water has evaporated and the water level has dropped. . Here, for convenience of explanation, the space from the water surface to the foam discharge port 3a is referred to as a foam separation layer X, and the space from the bubble generator 2 to the water surface is referred to as a pollution adsorption layer Y.

  As shown to (a) of FIG. 3, in the normal water level, it is installed so that it may become the optimal ratio of the foam separation layer X and the pollution adsorption layer Y. FIG. In general, the foam separating apparatus 1 is provided with a mark so that it can be installed at an optimum ratio so that the user can easily install it.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (b), when the water level is lowered from the normal water level, the foam separation device 1 is lowered as the water level is lowered. Also in this case, since the foam separation apparatus 1 is floating in water, the ratio of the foam separation layer X and the pollutant adsorption layer Y does not change, and the optimum ratio is maintained.

  Thus, in the foam separation apparatus 1, the ratio of the foam separation layer X and the pollutant adsorption layer Y changes depending on the drop in the water level, as in a commercially available small internal foam separation apparatus or a foam separation apparatus according to Patent Document 1. In the case of a commercially available small internal foam separation device, the foam separation layer X expands and the pollutant adsorption layer Y narrows due to a decrease in water level, or the water level decreases as in the foam separation device according to Patent Document 1. Since the adsorption layer Y does not become narrow, the original filtering ability of the apparatus can be maintained.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. For example, the foam separation device 1 according to the present invention is suitable for a small water tank because it has a simple structure and can be downsized, but can also be used for a medium-sized water tank or a large water tank. Moreover, you may install the foam separation apparatus 1 which concerns on this invention in the water tank for filtration besides installing in the water tank for breeding.

  In the present invention, the bubble generator 2 is an instrument or pump of a system in which a strong water flow is struck against the water surface and foamed in addition to the apparatus of foaming by sending air into the water from the air pump as in the above embodiment. A device using a negative pressure to take in air and foaming may be used, or any device may be used.

  In the present invention, surrounding the bubble generator 2 at a predetermined position means that the bubble generator 2 is held at a predetermined position in the foam collector 3, and the bubble generator 2 in this case Indicates a part or part in which bubbles are generated.

  In this invention, the buoyant member 4 may be a member that generates buoyancy, and may be a buoyancy material such as polystyrene foam.

  In this invention, the locking member 6 may be a member that can lock the floating member 4 to the water tank, and may be a string, for example.

It is a partially broken perspective view of the foam separator which concerns on this invention. It is an image figure which shows the state which installed the foam separation apparatus which concerns on this invention in the water tank. (A) is a figure which shows the state of a normal water level among sectional drawings which show the raising / lowering state of the foam separator which concerns on this invention, (b) is a figure which shows the state which the water evaporated and the water level fell. is there.

Explanation of symbols

1 Foam Separator 2 Bubble Generator (Woodstone)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Foam collector 3a Foam discharge port 4 Floating member 5 Foam collector 6 Locking member 6a Guide rail part 6b Guide groove

Claims (3)

A foam separator comprising: a bubble generator; a foam collector that surrounds the bubble generator at a predetermined position; and a foam collector provided at a foam outlet of the foam collector,
The foam separator is characterized in that the foam collector includes a floating member on the outside thereof.   The foam separation device according to claim 1, wherein the floating member includes a locking member for locking the floating member to the water tank.   The foam separating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the locking member includes a guide rail portion and a guide groove that is slidably fitted to the guide rail portion.

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