JP2010131546A - Water treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water treatment apparatus which can accurately determine a time for exchanging parts even when requirement of exchanging is generated in a control part. <P>SOLUTION: A calculation part 24 calculates a life information of a clean water cartridge 7 from a detected value of a flow sensor 9, and calculates the life information of an electrolytic bath 11 from a current-carrying time of the electrolytic bath 11. A memory part 25 stores the life information calculated by the calculation part 24. A panel part 21 comprises a display part 22 and an operation part 23, reads out the life information stored in the memory part 25 onto the display part 22, and is used in order to store the life information input from the operation part 23 into the memory part 25. Then, when the usage start day and the maintenance operation day are input from the operation part 23, the life information of the electrolytic bath 11 is calculated in the calculation part 24 to be stored in the memory part 25. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a water treatment apparatus that purifies or electrolyzes raw water such as tap water and supplies the generated treated water, and more particularly to a water treatment apparatus that improves the life management of components that cause deterioration due to use. .

  As water treatment devices for home use, water purifiers, alkali ion water conditioners, and the like are prevalent. In these water treatment apparatuses, parts such as a water purification cartridge having a filter function and an electrolytic cell for electrolyzing water deteriorate with use and need to be replaced or washed. For this reason, there is known a water treatment device that integrates the flow rate of the water purifier and instructs the replacement of the water purification cartridge when the integrated flow rate exceeds a predetermined integrated flow rate (for example, Patent Document 1).

Also, the amount of accumulated current supplied to the electrolytic cell of the alkaline ionized water device is measured, and the amount of deposit on the electrode surface is estimated based on this accumulated current amount and the ion concentration in the electrolytic cell. There is a water treatment device that determines the start of electrode cleaning when a predetermined value is reached (for example, Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-343962 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-335681

  However, in the above-described conventional water treatment apparatus, when it is necessary to replace the control unit itself including the non-volatile storage unit that stores the life information such as the accumulated flow rate, the accumulated current amount, or the energization time, the life information is taken over. There is a problem that the water treatment apparatus after replacing the control unit cannot accurately determine the part replacement time.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is water treatment that can accurately determine the part replacement time even when the control unit of the water treatment device needs to be replaced. Is to provide a device.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a water treatment apparatus comprising at least one of a water purification unit that purifies raw water to produce purified water and an electrolysis unit that electrolyzes raw water or purified water. A control unit having a calculation unit for calculating lifetime information based on the information and a non-volatile storage unit for storing the lifetime information, and an operation state of the apparatus connected to the control unit and the lifetime information stored in the storage unit are displayed. A display unit, and an operation unit connected to the control unit and capable of inputting operation settings and date information of the device, and the control unit includes date information related to a use start date input from the operation unit. In addition, the gist is to store the life information calculated based on the date information of the maintenance work date in the storage unit.

  Moreover, in this invention, the said memory | storage part can be made removable from the said control part. When the control unit needs to be replaced due to a failure or the like, the storage unit before replacement is removed from the control unit and transferred to the control unit after replacement, so that the life information can be taken over to the control unit after replacement. .

  Moreover, in this invention, the said control part is provided with a communication means, This communication means can transmit the lifetime information memorize | stored in the said memory | storage part to other water treatment apparatuses, and received from other water treatment apparatuses Life information can be stored in the storage unit.

  According to the present invention, when replacing a control unit having a storage unit for storing life information, the life information can be taken over by the control unit after replacement, and in the water treatment apparatus after the control unit is replaced There is an effect that it is possible to accurately determine the part replacement time.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating the overall configuration of Example 1 of an alkaline ionized water device as a water treatment apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, a water switching lever 3 is attached to a faucet 1 that supplies potable raw water such as tap water through a raw water pipe 2. The water switching lever 3 is a lever that switches between a “raw water” side position where raw water is used as it is and a “purified water” side position where raw water is supplied to an alkaline ionized water device and used as purified water. When the water switching lever 3 is on the purified water side, raw water is supplied from the water switching lever 3 to the main body 8 via the water supply pipe 4. A water quality switching lever 5 is provided in the main body 8 to which the water supply pipe 4 is connected.

  The water quality switching lever 5 is a lever for switching the quality of water taken out from the alkaline ionized water device to purified water or alkaline ionized water. When the water quality switching lever 5 is on the “purified water” side, the raw water flows into the purified water cartridge 7 as it is. When the water quality switching lever 5 is on the “alkali” side, the raw water flows from the water quality switching lever 5 through the constant flow valve 6 into the water purification cartridge 7. This is because the flow rate of the raw water flowing into the main body 8 is limited to a flow rate according to the ability to produce antari ion water by the electrolytic cell 11 described later. The water purification cartridge 7 is a water purification unit that includes activated carbon that adsorbs residual chlorine, trihalomethane, mold odor, and the like in raw water, a hollow fiber membrane that removes general bacteria and solid impurities, and the like, and purifies raw water to generate purified water.

  A flow rate sensor 9 is provided downstream of the water purification cartridge 7 to measure the flow rate of the purified water. Downstream of the flow sensor 9, a calcium supply unit 10 is provided that increases the conductivity by adding calcium ions from purified calcium glycerophosphate or calcium lactate to purified water. A part of the purified water whose flow rate is measured by the flow sensor 9 passes through the calcium supply unit 10, and then flows into the electrolytic cell 11 with the remaining part as it is.

  The electrolytic cell 11 includes a diaphragm 12 that bisects the electrolytic cell 11 to form two electrode chambers, and electrode plates 13 and 14 disposed in each electrode chamber. During normal operation, the electrolytic cell 11 is an electrolysis unit that electrolyzes water by supplying a negative DC voltage to the electrode plate 13 from a controller 18 described later and supplying a positive DC voltage to the electrode plate 14. As a result, alkaline ionized water is generated in the cathode-side electrode chamber, and acidic ionized water is generated in the anode-side electrode chamber.

  In the electrolytic cell 11, a water discharge pipe 15 that discharges water on the electrode plate 13 side (alkaline ion water when the electrode plate 13 is a cathode) and water on the electrode plate 14 side (in the case where the electrode plate 14 is an anode, acidic ions) A drainage pipe 16 is connected to discharge the washing water from the water) and the accumulated water in the electrolytic cell 11 and the scale elution of calcium, magnesium, etc. during electrode plate washing. The drain pipe 16 is provided with a switching valve 17 that opens and closes in conjunction with the water quality switching lever 5. The switching valve 17 is closed when the water quality switching lever 5 is on the “purified water” side and opened when the water quality switching lever 5 is on the “alkali” side.

  The controller 18 controls the entire alkali-on water conditioner and also controls the electrolysis by the electrolytic cell 11 by controlling the direct current polarity and voltage current applied to the electrode plates 13 and 14. The controller 18 detects the presence / absence of water flow and the flow rate during water flow based on the flow signal detected by the flow sensor 9.

  Furthermore, the controller 18 includes a calculation unit 24 and a storage unit 25. Based on the flow rate value detected by the flow rate sensor 9 that is the operating state of the alkaline ionized water conditioner and the integrated current value that is the integrated value of the current value supplied to the electrode plates 13 and 14, the calculation unit 24 is based on the water purification cartridge 7. Lifetime information and the lifetime information of the electrolytic cell 11 are calculated. The storage unit 25 stores the life information calculated by the calculation unit 24. The storage unit 25 is a storage unit using an EEPROM, a flash memory, or the like, and is a nonvolatile storage unit that does not erase the stored contents even when the power supply from the power supply unit 19 is stopped.

  In the present embodiment, specific life information stored in the storage unit 25 includes life information of the water purification cartridge 7 and life information of the electrolytic cell 11. Further, if there is a part that needs life management in the alkaline ionized water device, the life information of the part can also be stored in the storage unit 25.

  The life information of the water purification cartridge 7 is the integrated flow rate value that has passed through the water purification cartridge 7 and the elapsed time since the water purification cartridge 7 was replaced or started. In this embodiment, when the integrated flow rate value reaches a predetermined water flow limit flow rate value (for example, 12,000 liters) or the elapsed time reaches a predetermined limit value (for example, 1 year), the life of the water purification cartridge 7 is reached. When it is exhausted, a “cartridge replacement” lamp 38, which will be described later, is turned on. The life information of the electrolytic cell 11 is an integrated energization time value that is an integrated value of the energization time of the electrolytic cell 11. For example, when the cumulative energization time of the electrolytic cell 11 reaches 850 hours, the controller 18 determines that the life of the electrolytic cell 11 has expired, lights all the water quality indicator lamps 31 to 34 described later, and sells them to the user. Prompt to contact the shop or construction shop.

  The power supply unit 19 converts the commercial AC power supply AC 100 V supplied from the power plug 20 into a DC voltage for operating the controller 18 and a DC voltage supplied from the controller 18 to the electrode plates 13 and 14. Supply to the controller 18.

  The panel unit 21 includes a display unit 22 and an operation unit 23. The display unit 22 is connected to the controller 18 and can display the operation state of the alkaline ionized water device and the life information stored in the storage unit 25. The operation unit 23 is connected to the controller 18 and can input operation settings for the alkaline ionized water device. In addition, when the controller 18 is replaced, the operation unit 23 may input an operation instruction for reading the life information stored in the storage unit 25, date information related to the use start date, or date information on the maintenance work date. Is possible.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an external appearance example of the panel unit 21. In order to display the water quality produced by the alkaline ionized water device, the panel unit 21 displays a “purified water” lamp 31, a “weakly acidic” lamp 32, a “weakly alkaline” lamp 33, and a “strongly alkaline” lamp 34. With. Moreover, the panel part 21 shows that it is wash | cleaning the "in production" lamp | ramp 35 which shows that it is producing | generating weakly acidic water or alkaline ion water as a state of an alkali ion water adjuster, and the electrolytic cell 11. A “cleaning” lamp 36, a “cleaning notification” lamp 37 indicating that the electrolytic cell 11 needs to be cleaned, and a “cartridge replacement” lamp 38 indicating that the water purification cartridge 7 needs to be replaced are provided. The lamps 31 to 38 described above correspond to the display unit 22 in FIG. 1, and each lamp is not particularly limited, but includes a light emitting diode that consumes less power and has a long life.

  Further, the panel unit 21 is a switch for inputting operation settings for the alkaline ionized water device, and a “weakly acidic” button 39 for instructing the generation of weakly acidic ionic water in order to instruct the quality of water generated by the alkaline ionized water device. And an “alkali” button 40 for instructing generation of weak alkaline ionized water or strong alkaline ionized water.

  When the “weak acid” button 39 is pressed once, the alkali ion water conditioner enters the weak acid water mode, and at the same time, the “weak acid” lamp 32 is lit. When water is passed with the “weakly acidic” lamp 32 lit and stopped after the use of weakly acidic water, the water quality (weak alkali or strong alkali) before the “weakly acidic” button 39 is pressed is returned. The “purified water” lamp 31 is lit when the water quality switching lever 5 is switched to the purified water position.

  When the “alkali” button 40 is pressed once, the alkali ion water conditioner enters the weak alkali mode, and at the same time, the “weak alkali” lamp 33 is lit. When the “alkali” button 40 is pressed again, the alkaline ionized water device is switched from the weak alkali mode to the strong alkali mode. At the same time, the “weak alkali” lamp 33 is turned off and the “strong alkali” lamp 34 is turned on. When the “alkali” button 40 is pressed again, the alkaline ionized water device is in the weak alkali mode. At the same time, the “strong alkali” lamp 34 is turned off and the “weak alkali” lamp 33 is turned on. That is, every time the “alkali” button 40 is pressed, the strength of the alkali is alternately switched.

  Further, the panel unit 21 turns off the “cartridge replacement” lamp 38 after replacement of the water purification cartridge 7, causes the controller 18 to recognize the cartridge replacement, and resets the life information of the water purification cartridge 7. Is provided. The “reset” button 41 becomes effective when it is kept pressed for 3 seconds or more so that the life information of the water purification cartridge 7 is not reset by an erroneous operation. The buttons 39 to 41 correspond to the operation unit 23 of FIG. 1, and each button is not particularly limited, but is configured by a membrane switch excellent in waterproofness.

  Next, the water purification operation and the electrolysis operation in the present embodiment will be described. First, the user uses the “weak acid” button 39 and the “alkali” button 40 of the panel unit 21 to select a mode for generating a desired water quality, and the water quality switching lever 5 of the main body unit 7 is set to a desired water quality. Accordingly, the water switch is switched to the purified water side or the alkali side, the water switching lever 3 is switched to the purified water side, and the faucet 1 is opened.

  Thereby, the raw water supplied from the faucet 1 is supplied to the main body 8 through the raw water pipe 2, the water switching lever 3, and the water supply pipe 4. When the water quality switching lever 5 is on the alkali side, the raw water that has passed through the constant flow valve 6 and is restricted to a constant flow rate is supplied to the water purification cartridge 7, and when the water quality switching lever 5 is on the water purification side, the constant flow rate is maintained. Raw water that bypasses the valve 6 and is not flow-limited is supplied to the water purification cartridge 7. The purified water purified by the purified water cartridge 7 is detected by the flow sensor 9, and the purified water to which the calcium component is added by the calcium supply unit 10 flows into the electrolytic cell 11.

  When the flow rate value detected by the flow rate sensor 9 exceeds a predetermined value, the controller 18 recognizes the start of water flow, and the flow rate sensor 9 starts counting pulse signals generated every fixed amount of passing water, thereby integrating the flow rate value. Start the operation. When the controller 18 recognizes the start of water flow, the controller 18 starts voltage application to the electrolytic cell 11 in accordance with the mode (or water quality) selected by the panel unit 21 and the current energization from the start of energization to the stop of energization. Start measuring time. However, in the water purification mode, the controller 18 does not apply a voltage to the electrode plates 13 and 14 of the electrolytic cell 11 and does not measure the energization time. In the water purification mode, the switching valve 17 is closed in accordance with the switching of the water quality switching lever 5 to the water purification side, the drainage by the drain pipe 16 is stopped, and the water that is not electrolyzed is discharged from the electrolytic cell 11 through the discharge pipe 15. It is discharged and can be used.

  If the mode selected by the panel unit 21 is the strong antagonism mode or the weak alkali mode, the controller 18 applies a negative voltage to the electrode plate 13 and a positive voltage to the electrode plate 14 to electrolyze the electrolytic cell 11. Make it. In the strong alkaline mode, the value of current flowing through the electrode plates 13 and 14 is larger than that in the weak alkali mode, and the amount of electric charge per unit flow rate of water is increased. As a result, the pH value of the generated alkaline ionized water is relative. Become expensive. Strong alkali ion water or weak alkali ion water generated by this electrolysis is discharged from an electrode chamber provided with an electrode plate 13 serving as a cathode through a discharge pipe 15 and can be used. At the same time, acid water is discharged through the switching valve 17 and the drain pipe 16 from the electrode chamber provided with the electrode plate 14 serving as the anode.

  Conversely, if the mode selected by the panel unit 21 is a weak acid mode, the controller 18 applies a positive voltage to the electrode plate 13 and a negative voltage to the electrode plate 14 to cause the electrolytic cell 11 to perform electrolysis. The weakly acidic ionic water generated by this electrolysis is discharged from the electrode chamber provided with the electrode plate 13 serving as an anode through the discharge pipe 15 and can be used. At the same time, alkaline ionized water is discharged through the switching valve 17 and the drain pipe 16 from the electrode chamber provided with the electrode plate 14 serving as a cathode.

  When the use of the desired water quality is finished, the user closes the faucet 1 and stops the supply of raw water. When the supply of raw water stops, the flow rate value detected by the flow rate sensor 9 becomes less than a predetermined value, and the controller 18 recognizes the water stoppage. When the controller 18 recognizes the water stop, the controller 18 stops energizing the electrolytic cell 11. In addition, the calculation unit 24 of the controller 18 reads the integrated flow rate value stored in the storage unit 25, adds the integrated flow rate value from the current water flow start to the water flow stop to the read value, and sends it to the memory unit 25. By overwriting, the integrated flow rate value stored in the storage unit 25 is updated.

  Further, the calculation unit 24 of the controller 18 reads the accumulated energization time value of the electrolytic cell 11 stored in the storage unit 25, adds the current energization time value to the electrolytic cell 11 to the read value, and sends it to the storage unit 25. By overwriting, the integrated energization time value of the electrolytic cell 11 stored in the storage unit 25 is updated.

  After the electrolysis operation or the water purification operation is completed, the controller 18 compares the updated integrated flow rate value of the storage unit 25 with the preset water flow limit flow value of the water purification cartridge 7, and the integrated flow value is the water flow limit flow rate. When the value reaches 150 liters or less, the “replace cartridge” lamp 38 blinks to notify that the time for replacement is approaching. Thereafter, if the use continues and the water flow limit value is exceeded, the “replace cartridge” lamp 38 is turned on. Further, after the end of the electrolysis operation or the water purification operation, the controller 18 compares the current use date with the use start date or the previous replacement date of the water purification cartridge 7 stored in the storage unit 25 and has passed one year or more. Then, the “replace cartridge” lamp 38 is turned on.

  Next, in this embodiment, the maintenance work when the controller 18 needs to be replaced will be described. FIG. 2 is a block unit for explaining the concept of life information takeover of the storage unit 25 in the present embodiment. The same components as those in the overall configuration diagram shown in FIG.

  Here, depending on the failure state of the controller 18 before replacement, the storage content of the storage unit 25 may be destroyed or the read control of the storage content may be hindered, so that the life information can be read from the storage unit 25. In some cases, the data cannot be read.

  First, a case where the life information can be read from the storage unit 25 will be described. In this case, the maintenance worker reads out the life information from the storage unit 25 of the controller 18 before replacement and writes it down, and inputs the recorded life information to the controller 18a after replacement using the panel unit 21. Thus, life information can be taken over. Hereinafter, a mode for reading the life information from the storage unit 25 of the controller 18 is referred to as a storage data confirmation mode, and a mode for inputting the life information from the panel unit 21 and setting the life information in the storage unit 25a of the controller 18a is referred to as a storage data setting mode.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart for setting the mode of the controller 18. Although not particularly limited, the controller 18 is configured to include a microprocessor including a CPU, a program ROM, a working RAM, and an input / output interface.

  The controller 18 checks the pressed state of the button of the operation unit 23 in the process of initialization (power initialization) of the controller 18 immediately after the power is turned on, and inspects the board of the controller 18 according to the state. It is assumed that the initialization program is described so as to shift to any one of a maintenance mode including an inspection mode, a stored data confirmation mode and a stored data setting mode, and a product mode that operates as a normal product.

  In order to set the controller 18 to the stored data confirmation mode, the power plug 20 is once pulled out of the outlet, and a plurality of buttons (for example, the “alkali” button 40 and the “reset” button 41 in FIG. 9) are simultaneously pressed. In this state, the power supply of the alkaline ionized water device is turned on by connecting the power plug 20 to an outlet (step S100).

  As a result, the controller 18 is initialized immediately after the power is turned on, and a plurality of buttons on the operation unit 23 are simultaneously pressed during the initialization process, and the combination instructs the transition to the maintenance mode. (Step S101 is No, Step S102 is Yes), the process proceeds to the maintenance mode in Step S105.

  After shifting to the maintenance mode in step S105, the controller 18 enters a state of waiting for pressing one of the “reset” button 41, the “alkali” button 40, and the “weak acid” button 39. That is, in step S106, the controller 18 determines whether or not there is an input from the “reset” button 41. If there is an input from the “reset” button 41, the controller 18 proceeds to the stored data reset mode in step S200.

  If there is no input from the “reset” button 41 in step S106, the controller 18 proceeds to step S107 and determines whether or not there is an input from the “alkali” button 40. If there is an input from the “alkali” button 40, the controller 18 proceeds to the stored data setting mode in step S300.

  If there is no input from the “alkali” button 40 in step S107, the controller 18 proceeds to step S108 and determines whether or not there is an input from the “weakly acidic” button 39. If there is an input from the “weakly acidic” button 39, the controller 18 proceeds to the stored data confirmation mode in step S400. If there is no input from the “weakly acidic” button 39 in step S108, the controller 18 returns to step S106.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the controller 18 in the stored data confirmation mode. After shifting to the storage data confirmation mode in step S400, in step S401, the controller 18 displays on the display unit 22 that the storage data confirmation mode has been entered. In order to display this “stored data confirmation mode”, for example, the controller 18 turns on the “weakly acidic” lamp 32, blinks the “weakly alkaline” lamp 33, and blinks the “cartridge replacement” lamp 38. Realized. Next, in step S402, the controller 18 sounds a short sound three times with a buzzer to notify the maintenance worker that the mode has shifted from the maintenance mode to the stored data confirmation mode.

  Next, in step S403, the controller 18 clears the data number count to zero. Next, in step S <b> 404, the controller 18 waits for input from the “reset” button 41. If there is an input from the “reset” button 41 in step S404, the controller 18 proceeds to step S405 and increments the data number by one. Next, in step S406, the controller 18 displays the content of the stored data designated by the data number on the display unit 22. Next, in step S407, the controller 18 determines whether or not the data number is final, and if not, returns to S404. If final, in step S408, the controller 18 returns to the maintenance mode in S105. As described above, by repeating Step S404 to Step S407, a plurality of stored data (lifetime information) stored in the storage unit 25 are sequentially displayed on the display unit 22 in numerical order. The maintenance worker can read a plurality of pieces of life information stored in the storage unit 25 each time the “reset” button 41 is pressed.

  In step S406, when each stored data is displayed on the display unit 22, if the configuration of the panel unit 21 shown in FIG. 9 is used, for example, a “water purification lamp” 31, a “weak acid lamp” 32, a “weak alkali” The four lamps comprising the “lamp 33” and the “strong alkali” lamp 34 display one decimal digit or one hexadecimal digit, and remember each time the “weakly acidic” button 39 or the “alkali” button 40 is pressed. The digits to be displayed in the data are shifted and displayed for each digit. In addition, it is preferable to write a conversion table between the lamp display and the corresponding number in the maintenance manual.

  In addition, the display unit 22 may be provided with one or more digits of a liquid crystal display device that displays one-digit numbers in seven segments, a seven-segment light-emitting diode display, or the like to display stored data. When these 7-segment displays are provided, if the number of digits of the display is smaller than the number of digits of the stored data to be displayed, the stored data is displayed for each displayable number of digits as in the case of lamp display. Can do.

  Next, the stored data setting mode will be described with reference to FIG. The stored data setting mode is a mode in which the life information read from the controller 18 before replacement is set in the storage unit 25a of the controller 18a after replacement. The maintenance worker removes the power plug 20 from the outlet, performs repairs for replacing the controller 18 with a replacement controller 18a (hereinafter simply referred to as the controller 18), and then performs the procedure shown in FIG. 5 again. Thus, the controller 18 is set to the storage data setting mode.

  In the stored data setting mode, in step S301, the controller 18 displays on the display unit 22 that the stored data setting mode has been entered. In order to display the “stored data setting mode”, for example, the controller 18 blinks the “weak acid” lamp 32, lights the “weak alkali” lamp 33, and blinks the “cartridge replacement” lamp 38. Realized. At the same time, the controller 18 sounds a short sound three times with a buzzer to inform the maintenance worker that the storage data setting mode has been shifted from the maintenance mode.

  Next, in step S302 and step S303, the controller 18 determines whether it is the storage data input mode or the storage data calculation mode, and shifts to any of these modes. When the life information has been successfully read from the controller 18 before replacement, the maintenance worker presses the “alkali” button 40 to select the stored data input mode. If the life information reading is unsuccessful, the maintenance worker presses the “weak acid” button 39 to select the stored data calculation setting mode.

  In step S <b> 302, the controller 18 determines whether or not there is an input from the “weakly acidic” button 39. If there is an input, the controller 18 proceeds to the stored data calculation setting mode in step S313.

  If there is no input from the “weakly acidic” button 39 in step S302, the controller 18 proceeds to step S303 and determines whether or not there is an input from the “alkali” button 40. If there is an input from the “alkali” button 40, the controller 18 proceeds to the stored data input mode in step S 304. If there is no input from the “alkali” button 40, the controller 18 returns to step S302.

  Thereafter, the maintenance worker selects the data number to be set with the “weak acid” button 39 and selects the numerical value to be stored in the data number with the “reset” button 41 by the number of data.

  In step S304, the controller 18 enters the stored data input mode. Next, in step S305, the controller 18 assigns 0 to the data number count n and clears it. Next, in step S306, the controller 18 increases the data number n by 1. Next, in step S <b> 307, the controller 18 determines whether or not there is an input from the “weakly acidic” button 39. If there is an input from the “weakly acidic” button 39, the controller 18 returns to step S306 to increase the data number. If there is no input from the “weakly acidic” button 39 in step S307, the controller 18 proceeds to step S308 and determines whether or not there is an input from the “reset” button 41. If there is no input from the “reset” button 41, the process returns to step S307. If there is an input from the “reset” button 41, the controller 18 proceeds to step S309, counts up the content of the data number n, and displays the content of the data number n on the display unit 22 in step S310. The content display of the data number n is the same as the display when reading the data number of the controller 18 before replacement.

  Next, the controller 18 determines in step S311 whether or not the data number is final, and if not, returns to step S307.

  If the data number is final, the controller 18 proceeds to step S312 and waits for input by the “alkali” button 40. If there is an input from the “alkali” button 40, the data input of all data numbers is confirmed. Next, in step S318, the controller 18 performs processing for storing the determined input data in the storage unit 25. Next, in step S319, the controller 18 shifts to the maintenance mode. Finally, the maintenance worker removes the power plug 20 from the outlet, and connects the power plug 20 to the outlet again, so that the controller 18 enters the product mode and is delivered to the user.

  As described above, in the stored data setting mode, the life information read from the storage unit 25 of the controller 18 before replacement is input from the operation unit 23, and the storage unit 25 (FIG. 2A) of the controller 18 after replacement (FIG. 2). 2 can take over to 25a).

  In addition, the count-up of the contents of the data number and the contents display in the above-described steps S306 to S311 can input a decimal number from 0 to 9 or a hexadecimal number from 0 to F for each digit. . Each digit is composed of four lamps comprising a “water purification lamp” 31, a “weak acid lamp” 32, a “weak alkali” lamp 33, and a “strong alkali” lamp 34, one decimal digit or one hexadecimal digit. Digits can be displayed.

  In addition, the display unit 22 may be provided with one or more digits of a liquid crystal display device that displays one-digit numbers in seven segments, a seven-segment light-emitting diode display, or the like to display stored data. When these 7-segment displays are provided, if the number of digits of the display is smaller than the number of digits of the stored data to be displayed, the stored data is displayed for each displayable number of digits as in the case of the lamp display. Can do.

  Next, a case where life information cannot be read from the storage unit 25 of the controller 18 before replacement will be described. In this case, since the life information read from the storage unit 25 before replacement cannot be used, date information related to the use start date of the product and date information of the maintenance work date are input from the operation unit 23, The calculation unit 24 of the controller 18 calculates the lifetime information, and stores the calculated lifetime information in the storage unit 25. Thereby, even if it is a case where lifetime information cannot be read from the memory | storage part 25 of the controller 18 before replacement | exchange, even if it is not perfect, the lifetime information can be succeeded to the memory | storage part 25 of the controller 18 after replacement | exchange.

  The date information related to the start date of use of the product is found from the date of receipt or product warranty, the date of registration of the customer registration card in the database of the manufacturer or distributor, the production lot number or the production number. The date of manufacture of the product to be used, the date of start of use heard from the user by the maintenance worker, and the like can be used.

  Setting the controller 18 after the replacement to the maintenance mode and further setting the storage data setting mode is the same as when the life information reading is successful.

  In step S302 and step S303 in FIG. 7, the controller 18 determines whether it is the storage data input mode or the storage data calculation mode, and shifts to any one of these modes. When the life information reading from the controller 18 before replacement is unsuccessful, the maintenance worker presses the “weak acid” button 39 to select the stored data calculation setting mode.

  In step S <b> 302, the controller 18 determines whether or not there is an input from the “weakly acidic” button 39. If there is an input from the “weakly acidic” button 39, the controller 18 proceeds to step S 313 and enters the stored data calculation setting mode, and at the same time, the buzzer sounds a short sound once to the maintenance worker to store the stored data calculation setting mode. Notify that

  Next, in step S <b> 314, the controller 18 inputs date information data from the “reset” button 41 and the “weak acid” button 32 from the operation unit 23 of the panel unit 21. The date information input here is date information related to the use start date of the product and date information of the maintenance work date when the controller is replaced. In this embodiment, these pieces of date information are each in the form of an 8-digit number indicating the year, month, and day arranged in the order of yyyymmdd (for example, 200081121 for November 21, 2008), and a total of 16 Enter digits. In addition, each date information can also be made into 6 digits, omitting the first 2 digits of the year. Furthermore, dd indicating the day may be omitted.

  In step S314, the “weak acid” button 39 is assigned to select a digit among the 16 digits to be input, and the number of times the “reset” button 41 is pressed is used to select a number to be input to the digit. To do. At this time, the numbers input by the display lamps 31 to 34 are displayed on the display unit 22 in binary numbers.

  Immediately after moving to step S314, the first one of the 16 digits is entered. At this time, since the input number candidate is 0 in the initial state, all the lamps 31 to 34 of the panel unit 21 are in the off state. Next, when the “reset” button 41 is pressed once, the input number candidate is 1, and the lamps 31 to 34 of the panel unit 21 display “0001”, so that the lamps 31 to 33 are turned off. The lamp 34 is turned on. Hereinafter, every time the “reset” button 41 is pressed, the input number candidates increase by one, and the binary-coded decimal number indicated by the lighting states of the lamps 31 to 34 of the panel unit 21 increases by one. When the maintenance worker presses the “reset” button 41 as many times as the number he wants to input and confirms the input number candidates with the lighting of the lamps 31 to 34 of the panel unit 21, the “weak acid” button 32 is pressed once. To do. In step S <b> 314, when there is an input from the “weakly acidic” button 32, the controller 18 proceeds to input of the next digit.

  In step S314, the first eight digits indicating the date are input as date information related to the use start date in step S314a, and then the date is displayed as date information of the maintenance work day when the controller is replaced in step S314b. The last 8 digits are entered. If there is an input from the “alkali” button 40 after the input of the 16-digit number, the input data is confirmed, and the controller 18 proceeds to step S317.

  In step S317, the controller 18 calculates the usage elapsed days that are the period between the two dates using the input two year / month / day information, and then calculates the life information from the usage elapsed days. .

  In order to calculate the life information from the elapsed days in use, the life information is calculated using the standard amount of water used per day (for example, 30 liters) and the passage flow rate (for example, 2 liters / minute) of the constant flow valve 6 in FIG. .

  For example, the integrated energization time value of the electrolytic cell 11 can be calculated by the equation (1).

Integrated energization time value = elapsed use days × 30 × (1/2) × (1/60) (1)
Next, in step S318, the controller 18 sets the calculated lifetime information in the storage unit 25 of the controller after replacement. Next, in step S319, the controller 18 shifts to the maintenance mode. Finally, the maintenance worker removes the power plug 20 from the outlet and connects the power plug 20 to the outlet again, whereby the controller 18 enters the product mode and is delivered to the user.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the processing contents when the stored data reset mode is selected in FIG. The stored data reset mode is a process used to reset the life information of the electrolytic cell 11 stored in the storage unit 25 when the maintenance worker replaces the electrolytic cell 11, but from the gist of the present invention. Since it deviates, further description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when life information can be read from the storage unit only by adding a controller program without complicating the structure of the alkaline ionized water apparatus, the controller after replacement is replaced. When the life information read out can be input to the storage unit and the life information cannot be read from the storage unit, the date information related to the use start date of the product and the date information of the maintenance work date are input and calculated. A result can be memorize | stored in a memory | storage part as lifetime information.

  Therefore, when replacing the control unit having the storage unit for storing the life information, the life information can be taken over by the control unit after replacement, and the parts replacement time can be set in the water treatment apparatus after the control unit is replaced. There is an effect that it can be accurately determined.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 3, Example 2 of the alkaline ionized water apparatus as a water treatment apparatus according to the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the concept of life information takeover of the storage unit 25 in this embodiment. The second embodiment is characterized in that the storage unit 25 is detachable from the socket 26 of the controller 18 that is a control unit. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description is omitted.

  A socket 26 is mounted on the controller 18 by soldering or the like, and a storage unit 25 is detachably attached to the socket 26. Thereby, the storage unit 25 is detachable from the controller 18. The maintenance worker removes the storage unit 25 from the controller 18 before replacement, and attaches the removed storage unit 25 to the socket 26a of the replacement controller 18a. Thereafter, by replacing the controller 18 with the replacement controller 18a, if the life information stored in the storage unit 25 has not disappeared, the life information stored in the storage unit 25 can be taken over by the replacement controller 18a. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 25 may be an IC that can be mounted in a socket, or may be an SD memory card including a miniSD memory card and a microSD memory card, or an IC memory card such as a memory stick. Further, as a configuration for making the storage unit 25 detachable from the controller 18, a connector or a card slot may be used in addition to the socket.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the storage unit that stores the life information is detachable from the control unit. As a result, if there is no problem in the storage contents of the storage unit before replacement, the storage unit is moved to the control unit after replacement, so that it is not necessary to perform troublesome data setting for taking over the life information. The life information can be transferred to the control unit. Therefore, there is an effect that the part replacement time can be accurately determined even in the water treatment apparatus after the control unit is replaced.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 4, Example 3 of the alkaline ionized water apparatus as a water treatment apparatus according to the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the concept of life information takeover of the storage unit 25 in the present embodiment. The third embodiment is characterized in that the controller 18 includes a communication unit 27, and the communication unit 27 can transmit and receive the life information stored in the storage unit 25. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description is omitted.

  In FIG. 4, the controller 18 includes a calculation unit 24, a storage unit 25, and a communication unit 27. Similarly, a replacement controller 18a having the same configuration as that of the controller 18 includes a calculation unit 24a, a storage unit 25a, and a communication unit 27a. Each of the communication unit 27 and the communication unit 27a has a connection cable 28 connected to a socket (not shown). The communication unit 27 of the controller 18 reads the life information stored in the storage unit 25 and transmits it to the communication unit 27a of the replacement controller 18a via the connection cable 28. When the communication unit 27a of the replacement controller 18a receives the life information from the communication unit 27, the communication unit 27a stores the received life information in the storage unit 25a of the replacement controller 18a. Thereby, the life information of the memory | storage part 25 can be taken over from the controller 18 before replacement | exchange to the controller 18a after replacement | exchange, without inputting troublesome life information.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the communication unit 27 (27a) may be a wired communication unit using a connection cable 28, or a non-contact wireless communication unit using light or radio waves. . By using a non-contact communication unit, it is possible to save the trouble of connecting with a cable, and to form a substrate constituting the controller 18 (18a) including the calculation unit 24 (24a), the storage unit 25 (25a), and the communication unit 27 (27a). It can be coated with a waterproofing agent, and the water resistance of the control unit can be increased.

  According to the present embodiment described above, since the control unit is provided with the communication unit capable of transmitting and receiving the life information stored in the storage unit, the control before replacement is performed without inputting troublesome life information. The life information stored in the storage unit can be taken over from the storage unit to the control unit after replacement.

It is a block diagram explaining the whole structure of Example 1 of the alkali ion water adjuster as a water treatment apparatus which concerns on this invention. 3 is a block diagram illustrating movement of life information of a storage unit in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram explaining the movement of the lifetime information by the memory | storage part which can be attached or detached in Example 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a block diagram for explaining movement of life information of a storage unit by a communication unit according to a third embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a transition to a maintenance mode in the first embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the stored data reset mode. It is a flowchart of the memory | storage data setting mode which sets the lifetime information of the electrolytic cell in Example 1. FIG. It is a flowchart of the memory | storage data confirmation mode which confirms the lifetime information of the electrolytic cell in Example 1. FIG. 3 is an external view of a panel unit including a display unit and an operation unit in Embodiment 1. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Water tap, 2 ... Raw water pipe, 3 ... Water switching lever, 4 ... Water supply pipe, 5 ... Water quality switching lever, 6 ... Constant flow valve, 7 ... Water purification cartridge, 8 ... Main-body part, 9 ... Flow sensor, 10 ... Calcium supply part 11 ... electrolytic cell, 12 ... diaphragm, 13, 14 ... electrode plate, 15 ... water discharge pipe, 16 ... drainage pipe, 17 ... switching valve, 18 ... controller (control part), 19 ... power supply part, 20 ... power supply Plug, 21 ... Panel part, 22 ... Display part, 23 ... Operation part, 24 ... Calculation part, 25 ... Memory | storage part, 26 ... Socket, 27 ... Communication part, 28 ... Connection cable.

Claims (3)

In a water treatment apparatus comprising at least one of a water purification unit that purifies raw water to produce purified water and an electrolysis unit that electrolyzes raw water or purified water,
A control unit including a calculation unit that calculates lifetime information based on the operating state of the apparatus, and a nonvolatile storage unit that stores the lifetime information;
A display unit that is connected to the control unit and displays an operating state of the apparatus and life information stored in the storage unit;
An operation unit connected to the control unit and capable of inputting operation settings and date information of the device;
With
The control unit causes the storage unit to store life information calculated based on date information related to a use start date and maintenance work date date respectively input from the operation unit. .   The water treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is detachable from the control unit. The control unit includes a communication means,
The communication means can transmit the life information stored in the storage unit to another water treatment apparatus and can store the life information received from the other water treatment apparatus in the storage unit. The water treatment apparatus according to claim 1.

Images