JP2010131548A - Apparatus for producing electrolytic water - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for producing electrolytic water, in which hygienic alkaline ionized water can be produced so that the water retained in an electrolytic cell is not used for production of the alkaline ionized water. <P>SOLUTION: After alkaline water is produced, a controller 15 stops a pump 5 and closes a water supply line opening/closing valve 6 and a water discharge line opening/closing valve 9 to stop the supply of raw water to the electrolytic cell 3 and the discharge of the water from a cathode chamber 3a to a water storage part 1, so that the water retained inside the electrolytic cell 3 is kept in a natural discharge state by gravity of of the retained water. Then, the controller 15 applies a reverse voltage to the electrolytic cell 3 in the natural gravity discharge state. As a result, a cathode plate 13 has a positive potential with respect to an anode plate 14 due to the applied reverse voltage and scales which are composed of the calcium or magnesium stuck to the cathode plate 13 when the alkaline water is produced, are dissolved and discharged together with the retained water. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a circulating type electrolyzed water generating apparatus that circulates electrolyzed water obtained by electrolyzing raw water in a water storage unit in an electrolytic cell to the water storage unit again.

  A storage-type electrolyzed water generating device is known in which the installation location is not restricted by supplying water from a water storage tank that can be attached to and detached from the main body (for example, Patent Document 1). According to this electrolyzed water generating apparatus, since it is not necessary to connect to a water tap or the like, if a commercial power source is obtained, electrolyzed water can be generated and used in a free place such as an office or a workplace.

In this conventional water storage type electrolyzed water generating device, a water amount sensor for detecting the amount of water stored is provided, and when the water amount becomes below a certain level, the polarity of the voltage applied to the electrolyzer is reversed to generate electrolyzed water. Occasionally, a washing operation was performed to remove scales (solid matter in which the scales and calcium or magnesium in water were precipitated as calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate) adhering to the electrode plate.
JP 2004-223310 A

  However, in the conventional electrolyzed water generating device, when the electrolyzed water starts to be used, the accumulated water staying inside the electrolyzer is discharged from the water outlet, so that water in which general bacteria have propagated is discharged, and the odor and taste are discharged. There was a problem that water with changed was discharged.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrolyzed water generating apparatus capable of generating sanitary electrolyzed water without using the accumulated water in the electrolyzer to generate electrolyzed water.

  Moreover, the objective of this invention is providing the electrolyzed water generating apparatus which can remove the scale adhering to an electrode plate for every electrolyzed water production | generation, and an electrolyzer has a long lifetime.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention can attach and detach a water storage section for storing raw water to a main body section provided with an electrolytic cell for generating electrolyzed water, and an outlet of the water storage section is connected to a main body water supply port. The inlet of the water storage unit is connected to the main body water outlet, the raw water supplied from the water storage unit to the main body water supply port is introduced into the electrolytic cell, and a voltage of a predetermined polarity is applied to the electrolytic cell to generate electrolytic water, An electrolyzed water generating device that performs water circulation operation for circulating electrolyzed water from a main body discharge port to a water storage unit, and supplying means for supplying raw water supplied from the main body water supply port to the electrolyzer, and raw water supplied from the main body water supply port Water supply channel opening and closing means that switches between supplying the electrolytic cell to the electrolytic cell or discharging the water in the electrolytic cell to the drainage unit, and discharging the water in the electrolytic cell to the main body outlet, or draining the water in the electrolytic cell to the drainage unit A means for opening and closing the water discharge path to switch between discharging and discharging, and supplying and supplying electricity to the electrolytic cell And a control means for controlling the water supply passage opening and closing means and the water discharge path shutter means.

  And the control means controls the supply means and the water supply channel opening / closing means to supply the raw water from the water storage unit to the electrolytic cell, while controlling the water discharge channel opening / closing unit to discharge the water in the electrolytic cell to the discharge unit, The gist of the electrolyzed water generation is to perform a washing operation in which a voltage with the polarity reversed is applied to the electrolytic cell.

  Further, in the present invention, an operation means for inputting an operation is provided, and when an operation for generating electrolyzed water is input from the operation section, the control section controls the supply means and the water supply channel opening and closing means to the electrolytic cell for a predetermined time. While supplying raw | natural water and controlling drainage channel opening-and-closing means and draining from an electrolysis tank to a drainage part, control which starts electrolysis water generation by an electrolysis tank can be performed.

  Further, in the present invention, after the electrolyzed water generation by the electrolyzer is completed, the control unit remains in the electrolyzer while applying a voltage whose polarity is reversed to that of the electrolyzer when the supply means is stopped. Water can be discharged to the drainage section.

  Further, in the present invention, a display means for displaying the operation status of the apparatus is provided, and the control section can cause the display means to display a display for prompting a cleaning instruction input when the electrolyzed water generation has reached a predetermined number of times.

  Further, in the present invention, an operation means for inputting an operation is provided, and when a cleaning instruction is input from the operation means, the control section introduces raw water supplied from the water storage section to the main body water supply port into the electrolytic cell. By applying a reverse polarity voltage to the electrolytic cell, the electrolytic cell can be cleaned, and a first circulating cleaning process can be performed in which the cleaning water discharged from the electrolytic cell is circulated from the main body outlet to the water storage unit.

  Further, in the present invention, an operation means for inputting an operation is provided, and when a washing instruction is input from the operation means, the control section introduces raw water supplied from the water storage section to the main body water supply port into the electrolytic cell. It is possible to perform the second circulating cleaning process of cleaning the electrolytic cell and circulating the cleaning water discharged from the electrolytic cell from the main body outlet to the water storage unit.

  According to the present invention, there is an effect that it is possible to provide an electrolyzed water generating device capable of generating sanitary electrolyzed water without using the accumulated water in the electrolyzer to generate electrolyzed water.

  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 an embodiment of an electrolyzed water generating apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, the electrolyzed water generating apparatus includes a water storage unit 1 that stores potable raw water such as tap water, and a main body unit 2 that detachably mounts the storage unit 1. The water reservoir 1 includes an outlet 1a and an inlet 1b. The main body unit 2 includes a main body water supply port 2 a connected to the outlet 1 a of the water storage unit 1 and a main body water outlet 2 b connected to the inlet 1 b of the water storage unit 1. The main body water supply port 2 a is connected to an inlet of a pump 5 which is a supply means via a water supply channel 4 a, and raw water in the water storage unit 1 is supplied to the pump 5. The outlet of the pump 5 is connected to the water supply path opening / closing valve 6 through the water supply path 4b. Further, a water supply channel 4 c communicating with the electrolytic cell 3 and a drain channel 7 communicating with the drainage unit 8 are connected to the water supply channel opening / closing valve 6.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the water supply path opening / closing valve 6 is in a state where the water supply path 4b and the water supply path 4c are communicated and the drainage path 7 is closed (hereinafter, the water supply path on / off valve 6 is in an ON state. 2), as shown in FIG. 2B, the water supply channel 4b is closed and the water supply channel 4c and the drainage channel 7 are communicated (hereinafter, this state is referred to as the water supply channel on / off valve 6 being in the off state). And a switching valve for switching between Accordingly, when the pump 5 is activated and the water supply path opening / closing valve 6 is on, the raw water is supplied from the water storage unit 1 to the electrolysis tank 3, and when the water supply path opening / closing valve 6 is off, the water in the electrolysis tank 3 is removed. It is discharged to the drainage part 8 through the drainage channel 7.

  The electrolytic cell 3 is divided into a cathode chamber 3 a and an anode chamber 3 b by a diaphragm 12. The cathode chamber 3 a includes a cathode plate 13, and the anode chamber 3 b includes an anode plate 14. During normal operation, the electrolytic cell 3 is an electrolysis unit that electrolyzes water by supplying a negative DC voltage to the cathode plate 13 and a positive DC voltage to the anode plate 14 from a controller 15 described later. As a result, alkaline ionized water is generated in the cathode chamber 3a and acidic ionized water is generated in the anode chamber 3b as electrolytic water. In the following description, alkaline ionized water is simply referred to as alkaline water, and acidic ionized water is simply referred to as acidic water.

  The water supply pipe 4c is branched into two and connected to the inlets of the cathode chamber 3a and the anode chamber 3b. The outlet of the cathode chamber 3a is connected to a water discharge opening / closing valve 9. The water discharge opening / closing valve 9 is connected to a water discharge path 10 connected to the main body water discharge port 2b and a water discharge path 11 connected to the drainage section 8. .

  Here, the drainage channel 11 is called the drainage channel 11 as a whole from the water discharge channel opening / closing valve 9 to the drainage unit 8, and the unit from the water discharge channel switching valve 9 to the junction with the outlet of the anode chamber 3b is called the drainage channel 11a. The section from the merging portion to the drainage portion 8 will be referred to as a drainage channel 11b.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (c), the water discharge channel opening / closing valve 9 is in a state where the cathode chamber 3a and the water discharge channel 10 are communicated and the drainage channel 11a is closed (hereinafter, the water discharge channel opening / closing valve 9 is in an ON state. 2 (d), as shown in FIG. 2 (d), the state in which the water discharge channel 10 is closed and the cathode chamber 3a and the drainage channel 11a are in communication (hereinafter, the water discharge channel on / off valve 9 is in an off state. And a switching valve for switching between

  When the alkaline water is generated in the electrolytic cell 3, the controller 15 activates the pump 5, turns on the water supply path opening / closing valve 6, turns on the water discharge path opening / closing valve 9, and applies a negative voltage to the cathode plate 13 and the anode plate 14. Apply positive voltage respectively. Thereby, the raw water of the water storage part 1 is supplied to the electrolytic cell 3 through the main body water supply port 2a, the water supply channel 4a, the pump 5, the water supply channel 4b, the water supply channel opening / closing valve 6, and the water supply channel 4c, and is electrolyzed. Alkaline water is generated in the cathode chamber 3a, and acidic water is generated in the anode chamber 3b. In the following description, when a negative voltage is applied to the cathode plate 13 and a positive voltage is applied to the anode plate 14, a positive voltage is supplied to the electrolytic cell 3. Conversely, a positive voltage is applied to the cathode plate 13 and a negative voltage is applied to the anode plate 14. Is applied to the electrolytic cell 3.

  Alkaline water generated in the cathode chamber 3a circulates back from the inlet 1b into the water storage section 1 through the water discharge channel opening / closing valve 9, the water discharge channel 10, and the main body water discharge port 2b. Thereby, the alkalinity of the water of the water storage part 1 increases with time, and pH value rises. The acidic water generated in the anode chamber 3b is discharged to the drainage part 8 through the drainage channel 11b.

  The controller 15 controls the electrolyzed water generation apparatus as a whole, and also controls the polarity and voltage / current of the DC applied to the cathode plate 13 and the anode plate 14 to control electrolysis by the electrolytic cell 3 and cleaning of the electrolytic cell 3. . The controller 15 controls the pump 5, the water supply channel opening / closing valve 6, and the water discharge channel opening / closing valve 9 to control the supply of raw water from the water storage unit 1 to the electrolytic cell 3 and the drainage from the electrolytic cell 3 to the drainage unit 8. . In addition, the controller 15 inputs a user operation from the operation panel 17 and displays the operation state of the electrolyzed water generating device with various display lamps on the operation panel 17. The controller 15 has a built-in power supply unit (not shown). This power supply unit generates a DC voltage for supplying AC 100 V of AC commercial power supplied from the power plug 16 to the electrolytic cell 3 and a DC voltage for operating the controller 15.

  In addition, the controller 15 controls the pump 5 and the water supply path opening / closing valve 6 to supply raw water to the electrolytic cell 3, and also controls the water discharge path open / close valve 9 to discharge water in the electrolytic cell 3 to generate electrolytic water. A cleaning operation is performed in which a voltage with the polarity reversed is applied to the electrolytic cell 3.

  When the controller 15 inputs an operation for generating electrolyzed water from the operation panel 17, the controller 15 controls the pump 5 and the water supply path on / off valve 6 to supply raw water to the electrolyzer 3 for a predetermined time, and at the same time the water discharge path on / off valve 9. Is controlled to cause the drainage section 8 to drain from the electrolytic cell 3, and then control to start generation of electrolytic water by the electrolytic cell 3 is performed. Hereinafter, this wastewater treatment is called pre-drainage treatment.

  Moreover, the controller 15 is the electrolytic cell while applying the voltage (reverse voltage is supplied) which reversed the polarity to the electrolytic cell 3 in the state which stopped the pump 5 after completion | finish of the electrolyzed water generation by the electrolytic cell 3 Control is performed to discharge the water remaining in 3 to the drainage section 8. Hereinafter, this wastewater treatment is called post-drainage washing treatment.

  Further, the controller 15 causes the operation panel 17 to display a display prompting the user to input a cleaning instruction when the electrolyzed water generation has reached a predetermined number of times.

  In addition, when a cleaning instruction is input from the operation panel 17, the controller 15 introduces raw water supplied from the water storage unit 1 to the main body water supply port 2 a into the electrolytic cell 3 and applies a reverse polarity voltage to the electrolytic cell 3 ( The electrolytic cell 3 is cleaned by supplying a reverse voltage), and the first circulating cleaning process for circulating the cleaning water discharged from the electrolytic cell 3 from the main body outlet 2b to the water storage unit 1 can be performed.

  Further, when a cleaning instruction is input from the operation panel 17, the controller 15 introduces the raw water supplied from the water storage unit 1 to the main body water supply port 2 a into the electrolytic cell 3 to clean the electrolytic cell 3. The second circulating cleaning process for circulating the cleaning water discharged from the main body water discharge port 2b to the water storage unit 1 can be performed. Unlike the first circulating cleaning process, the second circulating cleaning process does not apply a reverse voltage to the electrolytic cell 3, so that a cleaning agent such as citric acid is dissolved in the raw water to store the water storage unit 1 and the electrolytic cell 3. And the water channel connecting them can be circulated and washed.

  Although not particularly limited, the controller 15 includes a microprocessor including a CPU, a program ROM, a working RAM, and an input / output interface. The main control of the controller 15 is realized by the CPU executing a program stored in the program ROM.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of the operation panel 17. As shown in FIG. 3, the operation panel 17 includes eight display lamps 21 to 28 that indicate the state of the electrolyzed water generating device, and four switches 30 to 33 that input operations for the electrolyzed water generating device. .

  In FIG. 3, a “wash water tank confirmation / full water” lamp 21 lights that the removable wash water tank accommodated in the drainage section 8 is not set correctly or that the wash water tank is full. To display.

  The “clean water pot confirmation” lamp 22 lights up and displays that the water storage section 1 that can be attached to and detached from the main body section 2 is not set correctly.

  The “cleaning notification” lamp 23 lights up and displays that the user needs an operation for the circulating cleaning process when the number of times of alkaline water generation reaches a predetermined number. The “Washing / Completed” lamp 24 indicates that the circulating cleaning process is being performed / cleaning is completed by the lighting color of one lamp or lighting and blinking.

  The “weak” lamp 25 is lit to indicate that it is in the weak alkaline water generation mode. The “strong” lamp 26 lights to indicate that it is in the strong alkaline water generation mode.

  The “generating” lamp 27 lights up and displays that alkaline water is being generated. The “generation complete” lamp 28 lights to indicate that the alkaline water generation is completed.

  In FIG. 3, a “cleaning” switch 30 is a switch that causes the electrolyzed water generating device to start a circulating cleaning process after the user completes a predetermined preparation operation for cleaning.

  The “alkali” switch 31 is a switch for selecting whether to generate weak alkaline water or strong alkaline water. Each time the “alkaline” switch 31 is pressed, the controller 15 turns on the “weak” lamp 25 and the “strong” lamp 26 alternately to indicate which mode is to generate strong or weak alkaline water. To do.

  The “generation start” switch 32 is a switch for starting generation of weak or strong alkaline water. The “cancel” switch 33 is a switch for canceling the operation input by the “cleaning” switch 30 or the “generation start” switch 32.

  Next, the operation of the controller 15 in this embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart for explaining the operation of the controller 15 in the electrolyzed water generating apparatus of this embodiment. When the power plug 16 is connected to an outlet and the supply of AC 100V is started, the controller 15 is initialized and waits for input from the operation panel 17. In this initial state, the value of the “strong flag” that is a control flag used by the controller 15 is 0, and the value of the number of generations N that is a count value of the number of generations of alkaline water is also 0.

  First, in step S <b> 10 of FIG. 4, the controller 15 determines whether or not there is an input from the “alkali” switch 31. If there is no input, the controller 15 proceeds to step S22 and determines whether or not there is an input from the “generation start” switch 32. If there is no input, the controller 15 proceeds to step S 36, and determines whether or not there is an input from the “cleaning” switch 30. If there is no input, the controller 15 returns to step S10. The circulation of steps S10, S22, and S36 is in an input waiting state.

  If it is determined in step S10 that there is an input from the “alkali” switch 31, the controller 15 proceeds to step S12 and determines whether or not the value of the “strong flag” is 1. If the value of the “strong flag” is 1, the controller 15 sets the value of the “strong flag” to 0 in step S14, turns off the “strong” lamp 26 and turns on the “weak” lamp 25 in step S16. And return to step S10.

  If the value of the “strong flag” is not 1 in the determination in step S12, the controller 15 proceeds to step S18, sets the value of the “strong flag” to 1, turns off the “weak” lamp 25 in step S20, and “ The “strong” lamp 26 is turned on, and the process returns to step S10.

  Through the processes in steps S <b> 10 to S <b> 20, each time the user operates the “alkali” switch 31, the “weak” lamp 25 and the “strong” lamp 26 are alternately lit.

  If it is determined in step S22 that there is an input from the “generation start” switch 32, the controller 15 proceeds to step S24, turns on the “generating” lamp 27, and then in step S26, the value of the “strong flag” is set. It is determined whether or not 1. If the value of the “strong flag” is 1, the controller 15 performs pre-drainage processing in step S100a, then performs strong alkaline water generation processing in step S200, and proceeds to step S28.

  If it is determined in step S26 that the value of the “strong flag” is not 1 (when 0), the controller 15 performs preliminary drainage processing in step S100b, then performs weak alkaline water generation processing in step S300, and proceeds to step S28. move on.

  In step S28, the “generating” lamp 27 is turned off, and the “generation completed” lamp 28 is turned on instead. Next, in step S400, the controller 15 performs a post drainage cleaning process. Next, in step S30, the controller 15 counts up the number N of alkaline water generation. In step S32, the controller 15 determines whether or not the generation number N is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. Return. If it is determined in step S32 that the number of generations N is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, the controller 15 proceeds to step S34, turns on the “cleaning notification” lamp 23, and returns to step S10.

  If it is determined in step S36 that there is an input from the “cleaning” switch 30, the controller 15 proceeds to step S38, turns off the “cleaning notification” lamp 23, and is performing cleaning with the “cleaning / complete” lamp 24. Display. Next, in step S500, the controller 15 performs a circulation cleaning process. Next, in step S40, the controller 15 resets the number of generations N to 0. In step S42, the “cleaning / completed” lamp 24 displays the completion of cleaning, and the process returns to step S10.

  Next, referring to the detailed flowchart of FIG. 5, the preliminary drainage process of steps S100a and S100b of FIG. 4 will be described. In FIG. 4, step S100a is a preliminary drainage process at the time of generating strong alkaline water, and step S100b is a preliminary drainage process at the time of generating weakly alkaline water, but these processing contents are the same, and the controller shown in FIG. This is executed by calling 15 identical subroutines S100.

  In FIG. 5, when the preliminary drainage process in step S100 is started, first, in step S102, the controller 15 turns on the water supply path opening / closing valve 6. At this time, the OFF state of the water discharge opening / closing valve 9 is maintained. Next, in step S <b> 104, the controller 15 drives (turns on) the pump 5 to supply raw water from the water storage unit 1 to the electrolytic cell 3. Here, since the water discharge opening / closing valve 9 is off, the water is discharged from the cathode chamber 3a of the electrolytic cell 3 to the drainage section 8 through the water discharge opening / closing valve 9 and the drainage paths 11a, 11b. From the anode chamber 3 b of the electrolytic cell 3, the water is drained to the drainage section 8 through the drainage channel 11.

  Next, the controller 15 stands by until a predetermined time elapses in step S106. When the predetermined time has elapsed, the controller 15 proceeds to step S108, stops driving the pump 5 (OFF), turns off the water supply path opening / closing valve 6, ends the preliminary drainage process, and returns to the main routine. At this time, the OFF state of the water discharge opening / closing valve 9 is continued.

  The predetermined time in step S106 is calculated from the discharge capacity per unit time of the pump 5 and the total volume of the path from the main body water supply port 2a to the drainage channel 11 through the pump 5, the water supply channel on / off valve 6, and the electrolytic cell 3. The time for which the accumulated water is newly replaced with the raw water supplied from the water storage unit 1 to the main body unit 2 is obtained, and this time is set with some margin.

  Thereby, when the operation for generating alkaline water is input, the accumulated water in the main body 2 can be discharged to the drainage section 8 before starting the generation of alkaline water, so that the passage is kept hygienic and continues. In the alkaline water generation treatment, there is an effect that it is possible to provide an electrolyzed water generating apparatus capable of generating sanitary alkaline water without the accumulated water in the electrolytic cell being contained in the alkaline water.

  Next, the strong alkaline water generation process in step S200 and the weak alkaline water generation process in S300 will be described with reference to the detailed flowchart of FIG. In step S200 and step S300, the control of the pump 5, the voltage polarity control of the electrolytic cell 3, the on / off control of the water supply channel open / close valve 6 and the water discharge channel open / close valve 9 are equal, the strength of the current supplied to the electrolytic cell 3, or the electrolysis time In FIG. 6, S200 and S300 are combined and described as an alkaline water generation process.

  In FIG. 6, when the alkaline water generation process is started, first, in step S <b> 202, the controller 15 turns on the water supply path opening / closing valve 6, turns on the water discharge path opening / closing valve 9, and supplies a positive voltage to the electrolytic cell 3. Then, the pump 5 is turned on. Thereby, raw water is supplied from the water storage unit 1 to the electrolytic cell 3, and the alkaline water generated in the cathode chamber 3 a is circulated to the water storage unit 1 through the water discharge channel 10. At the same time, the acidic water generated in the anode chamber 3 b is discharged to the drainage part 8 through the drainage channel 11.

  Next, in step S204, the controller 15 waits until a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined time in step S204 is determined by the amount of raw water stored in the water storage unit 1 and the electrolysis capability in the electrolytic cell 3, in other words, the energization capability from the controller 15 to the electrolytic cell 3. If the predetermined time is lengthened, the electrolysis of water proceeds and the degree of ants (pH value) increases. Therefore, the predetermined time is set longer when generating strong alkaline water than when generating weak alkaline water.

  When a predetermined time elapses in step S204, the controller 15 proceeds to step S206, turns off the water supply path opening / closing valve 6, turns off the water discharge path opening / closing valve 9, and stops the supply of positive voltage to the electrolytic cell 3, The pump 5 is turned off. As a result, the electrolysis by the electrolytic cell 3 is stopped, the circulation of water between the water storage unit 1 and the electrolytic cell 3 is stopped, the alkaline water (electrolyzed water) generation process is completed, and the process returns to the main routine. .

  Next, the post-drainage cleaning process in step S400 of FIG. 4 will be described with reference to the detailed flowchart of FIG. Step S400 is a process commonly used after the strong alkaline water generation process and the weak alkaline water generation process.

  In FIG. 7, when the post drainage cleaning process is started, first, in step S <b> 402, the controller 15 turns off the pump 5, turns off the water supply path opening / closing valve 6, and turns off the water discharge path opening / closing valve 9. Thereby, the controller 15 stops supply of raw water to the electrolytic cell 3 and stops water discharge from the cathode chamber 3 a to the water storage unit 1. Thereby, the natural drainage by the gravity of the staying water remaining inside the electrolytic cell 3 is started.

  Next, in step S404, the controller 15 supplies a reverse voltage from the electrolytic cell 3 to the electrolytic cell 3 in a state of natural drainage. The reverse voltage causes the cathode plate 13 to have a positive potential with respect to the anode plate 14, and the calcium and magnesium scales adhering to the cathode plate 13 during the generation of alkaline water dissolve and are discharged together with the accumulated water.

  Next, in step S406, the controller 15 waits until a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined time of step S406 includes a route from the electrolytic cell 3 to the drainage part 8 through the water supply channel 4c, the water supply channel opening / closing valve 6, and the drainage channel 7, and the water discharge channel switching valve 9, the drainage channel 11a, It is the time that can be regarded as the completion of drainage, which is determined by the respective volumes of the paths leading to the drainage section 8 through the drainage channel 11b and the natural drainage capacity by these passage resistances.

  When a predetermined time elapses in step S406, the controller 15 proceeds to step S408, stops supplying the reverse voltage to the electrolytic cell 3, ends the post-drainage cleaning process, and returns to the main routine.

  This post-drainage washing process has the effect that the inside of the water passage can be kept clean and the scale adhesion of the electrode plate can be reduced to extend the life of the electrolytic cell.

  Next, the circulation cleaning process in step S500 of FIG. 4 will be described with reference to the detailed flowchart of FIG. FIG. 8 illustrates the first circulating cleaning process for supplying a reverse voltage to the electrolytic cell 3 during the circulating cleaning, but the second circulating cleaning process is performed except for the reverse voltage supply to the electrolytic cell 3. It becomes.

  In FIG. 8, when the circulation cleaning process is started, first, in step S502, the controller 15 turns on the water supply path opening / closing valve 6, turns on the water discharge path opening / closing valve 9, and supplies a reverse voltage to the electrolytic cell 3. The pump 5 is turned on. Thereby, in the cathode chamber 3a in which raw water is supplied from the water storage unit 1 to the electrolytic cell 3 and a positive voltage is supplied to the cathode plate 13, acidic water is generated, and the scale attached to the cathode plate 13 is eluted into this acidic water. Then, the acidic water is circulated to the water storage unit 1 through the water discharge channel 10. At the same time, the alkaline water generated in the anode chamber 3 b supplied with the negative voltage is discharged to the drainage part 8 through the drainage channel 11.

  Next, in step S504, the controller 15 waits until a predetermined time has elapsed. The longer the predetermined time in step S504, the higher the scale removal effect. However, if the predetermined time is too long, the scale may adhere to the anode plate 14 on the contrary. Also, if the predetermined time is long, the user feels inconvenient. Therefore, the predetermined time is the maximum time for generating alkaline water in the electrolytic cell 3 until the “cleaning notification” lamp 23 is turned on after the previous circulating cleaning process to inform the user that the circulating cleaning is necessary. Set as. This maximum time is a time obtained by multiplying the predetermined time in step S204 of FIG. 6 which is one alkaline water generation time by the predetermined number of times in step S32 of FIG.

  When a predetermined time elapses in step S504, the controller 15 proceeds to step S506, turns off the water supply path opening / closing valve 6, turns off the water discharge path opening / closing valve 9, and stops the supply of the reverse voltage to the electrolytic cell 3. The pump 5 is turned off. Thereby, the reverse voltage supply to the electrolytic cell 3 is stopped, the circulation of water between the water storage unit 1 and the electrolytic cell 3 is stopped, the circulation cleaning process is completed, and the process returns to the main routine.

  In step S502, if the reverse voltage supply to the electrolytic cell 3 is not performed, the second circulation cleaning process is performed. The second circulating cleaning process is performed by dissolving a cleaning agent such as citric acid in the raw water of the water storage unit 1 and circulating the raw water between the water storage unit 1 and the electrolytic cell 3 so that all circulation including the electrolytic cell is performed. It is expected to remove the scale in the passage chemically.

  When the second circulating cleaning process is provided in addition to the first circulating cleaning process, the first circulating cleaning process and the second circulating cleaning process are selected by the user by providing a selection switch on the operation panel 17. You may let them. Alternatively, for example, a “citric acid cleaning notification” lamp is provided as a second cleaning notification lamp on the operation panel 17, and the “cleaning notification” after informing the first circulating cleaning processing several times is “citric acid cleaning”. As a notice, the user may be encouraged to wash the citric acid.

  By the first or second circulating cleaning process described above, there is an effect that the scale attached to the electrode plate of the electrolytic cell can be removed and the life of the electrolytic cell can be extended. Furthermore, there is an effect that the second circulating cleaning process can cope with cleaning of an electrolytic cell and a water passage using a cleaning agent such as citric acid.

It is a block diagram explaining the whole structure of the Example of the electrolyzed water generating apparatus which concerns on this invention. (A) The figure explaining ON of a water supply path on-off valve, (b) The figure explaining OFF of a water supply path on-off valve, (c) The figure explaining ON of a water discharge path on-off valve, (d) Of the water discharge path on-off valve It is a figure explaining off. It is a figure explaining the external appearance of an operation panel. It is a schematic flowchart explaining operation | movement of the controller 15 in the electrolyzed water generating apparatus of a present Example. It is a flowchart explaining the detail of the prior waste water treatment in an Example. It is a flowchart explaining the detail of the alkaline water production | generation process in an Example. It is a flowchart explaining the detail of the post drainage washing process in an Example. It is a flowchart explaining the detail of the circulation washing process in an Example.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Water storage part, 1a ... Outlet, 1b ... Inlet, 2 ... Main body part, 2a ... Main body water supply port, 2b ... Main body water outlet, 3 ... Electrolytic tank, 3a ... Cathode chamber, 3b ... Anode chamber, 4a, 4b, 4c DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Supply channel, 5 ... Pump (supply means), 6 ... Supply channel open / close valve, 7 ... Drain channel, 8 ... Drain part, 9 ... Discharge channel open / close valve, 10 ... Discharge channel, 11 ... Drain channel, 12 ... Separator, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 ... Cathode plate, 14 ... Anode plate, 15 ... Controller (control means), 16 ... Power plug, 17 ... Operation panel (operation means, display means).

Claims (6)

A water storage section for storing raw water is detachable with respect to a main body section provided with an electrolytic cell for generating electrolyzed water, an outlet of the water storage section is connected to a main body water supply port, and an inlet of the water storage section is a main body water outlet. The raw water supplied from the water storage unit to the main body water supply port is introduced into the electrolytic cell, and a voltage having a predetermined polarity is applied to the electrolytic cell to generate electrolytic water. The electrolytic water is discharged from the main body water outlet. An electrolyzed water generating device that performs water circulation operation to circulate to a water reservoir,
Supply means for supplying raw water supplied from a main body water supply port to the electrolytic cell;
A water supply channel opening / closing means for switching whether to supply raw water supplied from a main body water supply port to the electrolysis tank or to discharge water in the electrolysis tank to a drainage section;
A water discharge path opening / closing means for switching whether the water in the electrolytic cell is discharged to the main body outlet or whether the water in the electrolytic cell is discharged to a drainage part,
Control means for controlling energization to the electrolyzer and the supply means, the water supply channel opening and closing means and the water discharge channel opening and closing means,
The control unit controls the supply unit and the water supply channel opening / closing unit to supply raw water from the water storage unit to the electrolytic cell, and controls the water discharge channel switching unit to discharge water in the electrolytic cell to the discharge unit. An electrolyzed water generating apparatus characterized by performing a cleaning operation in which a voltage whose polarity is reversed from that during electrolyzed water generation is applied to the electrolyzer while discharging. An operation means for inputting an operation is provided.
When the control unit inputs an operation of generating electrolyzed water from the operation unit, the control unit controls the supply unit and the water supply channel opening / closing unit to supply raw water to the electrolyzer for a predetermined time and to open / close the water discharge channel 2. The electrolyzed water generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control is performed to start electrolyzed water generation by the electrolyzer after controlling the means to drain water from the electrolyzer to the drainage unit.   After the electrolyzed water generation by the electrolyzer is completed, the controller is configured to supply water remaining in the electrolyzer while applying a voltage whose polarity is reversed from that during electrolysis while the supply unit is stopped. The electrolyzed water generating device according to claim 1, wherein the electrolyzed water generating device is discharged to a drainage section. Comprising display means for displaying the operating status of the device;
2. The electrolyzed water generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the electrolyzed water generation reaches a predetermined number of times, the control unit causes the display unit to display a display prompting a cleaning instruction input. An operation means for inputting an operation is provided.
When a cleaning instruction is input from the operation means,
The control unit introduces the raw water supplied from the water storage unit to the main body water supply port into the electrolytic cell, applies a reverse polarity voltage to the electrolytic cell, cleans the electrolytic cell, and discharges the electrolytic cell. 5. The electrolyzed water generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first circulation cleaning process is performed to circulate water from the main body outlet to the water storage unit. An operation means for inputting an operation is provided.
When a cleaning instruction is input from the operation means,
The control unit introduces the raw water supplied from the water storage unit to the main body water supply port into the electrolytic tank, cleans the electrolytic cell, and circulates the cleaning water discharged from the electrolytic cell from the main body water discharge port to the water storage unit. The electrolyzed water generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second circulating cleaning process is performed.

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