JP2011156462A - Water softener, water treatment apparatus equipped with the same, and beverage producing apparatus equipped with them - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water softener avoiding generation of pulse by gas by smoothly removing scale generated in electrodes and discharging gas generated in the electrodes, a water treatment apparatus equipped with the water softener, and a beverage producing apparatus equipped with them. <P>SOLUTION: The water softener includes at least one pair of water-permeable electrodes 105, 106 disposed in a flow path of water to be treated, a control device C (a control means) for feeding voltage to the electrodes 105, 106, an inflow part 102 and an outflow part 103 of the water to be treated, a gas discharge part 110 located at an upper part on downstream side of the electrode 106 and for discharging gas generated from the electrodes, a scale discharge part 112 located at the lower part on downstream side of the electrode 106 and for discharging the scale occurring in one electrode serving as a cathode, and a partition wall 130 set between the scale discharge part 112 and outflow part 103, in a state where the water to be treated is allowed to flow to the outflow part 103 from the inflow part 102. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a water softening device that removes scale from water, a water treatment device including the water softening device, and a beverage production device including the water treatment device.

  In recent years, there has been proposed a coffee beverage production apparatus including a milk foamer that mixes milk and air and supplies them to a coffee extractor in a foamed state (aeration). In such a coffee beverage production apparatus, the milk used in the milk former is cooled by a cooling device in order to enable the milk to be stored for a long time. Therefore, if milk is supplied to the coffee extractor as it is, the temperature of the coffee liquid in the coffee extractor will be reduced, and the taste and touch will be impaired, so steam will be generated when the cooled milk is supplied to the coffee extractor. Milk from a milk reservoir, such as a milk pack, is mixed with air using the steam generated in a steamer or steam supply, and the mixture of foamed and steamed milk, ie milk foam, is fed to a coffee extractor An apparatus has also been proposed (Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-245498 A

  By the way, in such a beverage production apparatus, when milk foam is extracted to some extent in the milk former, there is a problem that scale is deposited near the inlet of the boiler forming the steam generator. This is caused by repeated evaporation and drying of water remaining in the pipe at the inlet of the boiler after the operation of the pump.When milk scale is continuously extracted in the state where the scale is generated, The scale accumulates in the pipe at the inlet of the boiler, which eventually causes a problem of clogging the pipe.

  In order to solve such a problem, it is necessary to remove hardness components such as calcium and magnesium which cause scale generation, and to use the removed water for steam generation. However, a treatment apparatus using an ion exchange resin is expensive for removing these hardness components, and it is difficult for such an apparatus to directly treat high-temperature water from the viewpoint of heat resistance.

  On the other hand, in recent years, a treatment apparatus for removing scale contained in water by electrolytically treating water has been developed. The electrolytic treatment in the treatment apparatus involves immersing a pair of electrodes in water and applying a voltage between these electrodes to deposit hardness components such as calcium carbonate and magnesium silicate on the surface of the cathode. However, in such a processing apparatus, it has been necessary to change the polarity in order to treat the deposited scale, or to perform maintenance for taking the deposited scale.

  Furthermore, in the case of the conventional treatment apparatus, the gas generated at the electrode by electrolysis was not treated separately, but when applied to a product with a low flow rate of water to be treated, such as the milk former of the beverage production apparatus as described above The generated gas causes pulsation in the flow of water to be treated, which causes a problem that adversely affects the formation of milk foam.

  The present invention was made in order to solve the conventional technical problems, and in a water softening device that removes hardness components in water to be treated by electrolytic treatment, the scale generated in the electrode is smoothly removed, And it is possible to discharge the gas generated from the electrode, avoid the occurrence of pulsation due to the gas, can supply a stable flow rate, and a water treatment device provided with this water softening device, It aims at providing the drink manufacturing apparatus provided with them.

  The water softening device according to the first aspect of the present invention includes at least a pair of water-permeable electrodes disposed in the flow path of the water to be treated, control means for supplying voltage to both electrodes, an inflow portion and an outflow of the water to be treated. And a gas discharge part located at the upper part on the downstream side of the electrode for discharging the gas generated from the electrode, and a scale produced on one electrode serving as the cathode, located at the lower part on the downstream side of the electrode And a partition provided between the scale discharge part and the outflow part in a state in which the flow of the treated water from the inflow part to the outflow part is allowed. .

  The water softening device of the invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the above invention, the outflow portion is formed in the lower portion, and the partition wall is provided upright from the lower portion.

  A water softening device according to a third aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect of the invention, the gas discharge portion is an open system and is formed on the electrode side of the partition wall.

  A water softening device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the water softening device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the electrode is composed of one electrode and the other electrode arranged on the downstream side of the one electrode. And an insulating spacer is interposed between one electrode and the other electrode.

  A water treatment apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present invention includes an open-air tank for storing water to be treated, and the water to be treated in the tank is softened according to any one of claims 1 to 4. While supplying to an apparatus, the gas discharged | emitted from the gas discharge part was connected to the tank, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  The invention of claim 6 is the water softening device or water treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a pump for supplying the water to be treated to the water softening device. It arrange | positioned in the downstream of the water softening apparatus, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  A beverage production apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the invention comprises the water softening device or the water treatment device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the water to be treated is heated to produce steam. A steam boiler for generation is provided, and the water to be treated that has been treated by the water softening device is supplied to the steam boiler.

  The beverage production apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the beverage manufacturing apparatus according to the seventh aspect, wherein the milk is cooled from the milk cold storage for cooling the milk, and the milk is sucked from the milk cold storage by the steam generated by the steam boiler. And a milker for producing milk foam by mixing sucked milk and sucked air.

  According to the water softening device of the first aspect of the present invention, at least a pair of water-permeable electrodes disposed in the flow path of the water to be treated, control means for supplying a voltage to both electrodes, and an inflow portion of the water to be treated And an outflow portion, a gas discharge portion for discharging gas generated from the electrode at an upper portion on the downstream side of the electrode, and a scale generated at one electrode serving as a cathode at the lower portion on the downstream side of the electrode Control device with a scale discharge part for discharging the waste water and a partition wall provided between the scale discharge part and the outflow part in a state allowing the flow of the treated water from the inflow part to the outflow part. By applying a negative potential to one electrode and a positive potential to the other electrode, the hardness component in the water to be treated can be removed.

  In addition, by applying a negative potential to one electrode and a positive potential to the other electrode by the control device, the scale generated in the electrode that becomes the cathode potential is discharged from the scale discharge section, and the gas generated in both electrodes is discharged. It becomes possible to discharge from the part. As a result, the scale can be removed smoothly, and even when the flow rate of the water to be treated is small, generation of pulsation due to gas can be avoided, and a stable flow rate can be supplied.

  In particular, by providing a partition wall between the outflow part and the scale discharge part, the scale outflow from the outflow part can be eliminated or reduced, and the scale discharge part at the lower part can be discharged. Further, the treated water collides with the partition walls, whereby the gas can be smoothly separated from the treated water, and the gas discharge effect from the upper gas discharge section can be further enhanced.

Furthermore, in the above invention, if the outflow part is formed in the lower part as in the invention of claim 2 and the partition wall is provided upright from the lower part, the outflow of gas from the outflow part is more effectively eliminated, or
Can be reduced. Thereby, the pulsation preventing effect can be further enhanced. Moreover, the scale outflow from the outflow portion can be effectively eliminated or reduced.

  According to the water softening device of the invention of claim 3, in the invention of claim 1 or claim 2, the gas discharge part is an open system, and is formed on the electrode side from the partition wall, so it is generated at the electrode. The discharged gas can be discharged more smoothly, and the pulsation prevention effect can be further enhanced.

  As in the invention of the fourth aspect, by interposing an insulating spacer between one electrode and the other electrode, the scale can be smoothly removed by the spacer.

  According to a water treatment device of a fifth aspect of the present invention, the water treatment apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects is provided with an open-air tank for storing the water to be treated. Since the gas discharged from the gas discharge unit was communicated with the tank while being supplied to the water softener, the gas can be discharged into the tank, and dust can enter the water softener from the gas discharge unit. It will be possible to avoid.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the water softening device or the water treatment device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects further comprises a pump for supplying water to be treated to the water softening device. Since the pump is disposed on the downstream side of the water softening device, the water to be treated sucked by the pump is supplied to the water softening device. For this reason, compared with the case where to-be-processed water is sent to a water softening apparatus with a pump from an upstream side, to-be-processed water becomes difficult to overflow from a gas discharge part.

  In particular, it is effective that the water softening device or the water treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is applied to the beverage production device according to claim 7 or claim 8.

It is a front view of the coffee drink manufacturing apparatus of one Example to which this invention is applied. It is a side view of the coffee drink manufacturing apparatus of FIG. It is an internal schematic block diagram of the coffee drink manufacturing apparatus of FIG. It is a schematic diagram of the coffee drink manufacturing apparatus of FIG. It is a schematic block diagram of the water softening device of one Example to which this invention is applied. It is explanatory drawing of the water softening apparatus of FIG. It is the figure which showed the to-be-processed water, the scale, and the flow of gas in the water softening apparatus of FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the present invention will be described by applying it to a coffee beverage production apparatus as a beverage production apparatus. 1 is a front view of a coffee beverage production apparatus 1 to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a side view of the coffee beverage production apparatus 1, FIG. 3 is an internal schematic configuration diagram of the coffee beverage production apparatus 1, and FIG. 4 is a coffee beverage production apparatus. 1 is a schematic diagram, respectively.

  The present embodiment is a coffee beverage production apparatus 1 having a milk foamer 61 for producing milk foam, and a coffee liquid nozzle 2 for discharging coffee liquid and a milk foam nozzle 3 for discharging milk foam are integrated on the front surface. It is comprised by the main body 6 provided with the nozzle member 4 with which it equipped. Below the nozzle member 4 is provided a cup support 7 on which a cup for receiving the extracted coffee liquid is placed. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 5 denotes a plurality of beverage selection buttons for selecting the type of beverage to be discharged, and reference numeral 8 accepts the residue used for extracting the coffee liquid and accepts the residue that can be drawn forward. 9 is a bean storage container for storing coffee beans.

  Here, with reference to FIG.3 and FIG.4, the internal structure of the coffee beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 is demonstrated. A coffee beverage production apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a hot water tank 11, a pump (gear pump) 12 attached to the bottom of the hot water tank 11, a coffee extractor 13, and a milk former described in detail later. 61 is provided. The hot water tank 11 is a tank that can store several liters of drinking water. Inside the hot water tank 11, a heater (not shown) that heats and retains the stored drinking water at, for example, + 97 ° C. is provided. In FIG. 3, 30 and 34 are a water supply solenoid valve (30) and a water supply / water supply pipe (34) for supplying water into the hot water tank 11, and 32 and 36 are for discharging hot water in the hot water tank 11. A hot water discharge solenoid valve (32) and a hot water discharge pipe (36).

  The hot water tank 11 is provided with a lid (not shown) at the top surface opening. The lid does not completely block the top opening of the hot water tank 11, and is placed on the top surface of the hot water tank 11 so that air inside and outside the hot water tank 11 can flow. That is, the hot water tank 11 is a tank open to the atmosphere partially opened to the atmosphere.

  A pump 12 provided at the bottom of the hot water tank 11 is a pump that pressurizes and discharges hot water in the hot water tank 11, and a flow meter 14 and a hot water supply side electromagnetic valve 15 are provided at the discharge port of the pump 12. Are connected to a hot water supply side pipe 16, and the other end of the hot water supply side pipe 16 is connected to a coffee extractor 13.

  The hot water supply side pipe 16 is connected with a circulation pipe 18 provided with a circulation electromagnetic valve 17 which is located between the flow meter 14 and the hot water supply side electromagnetic valve 15 and constitutes a circulation path. The other end of the pipe 18 is connected to the hot water tank 11. Further, the circulation pipe 18 is connected to a bypass pipe 19 that is located between the circulation solenoid valve 17 and the hot water tank 11 and connects the pump 12. The bypass pipe 19 is provided with a relief valve 21 for returning the hot water in the pump 12 to the hot water tank 11.

  The hot water supply side pipe 16 is connected with a hot water discharge pipe 26 located between the hot water side solenoid valve 15 and the coffee extractor 13 and having one end opened to the outside. The hot water discharge pipe 26 is provided with a residual liquid relief valve 27 for controlling discharge of residual liquid in the coffee extractor 13 and the extraction side pipe 24 described later.

  On the other hand, the bean storage container 9 is installed above the coffee extractor 13. Below the bean storage container 9, there is provided a coffee mill 22 for pulverizing the coffee beans stored in the bean storage container 9 to a predetermined particle size by a grinding blade (not shown) that rotates at high speed. Below 22, a chute 23 for storing the coffee powder crushed in the coffee mill in the coffee extractor 13 is provided. An extraction side pipe 24 constituting a coffee liquid extraction path is connected to the lower part of the coffee extractor 13, and an extraction electromagnetic valve 25 for controlling the discharge of the extracted coffee liquid is connected to the extraction side pipe 24. Is installed. The coffee liquid nozzle 2 is connected to an extraction side pipe 24 downstream of the extraction electromagnetic valve 25. As a result, the coffee liquid can be poured into a cup (not shown) arranged on the cup support 7.

  In addition, sugar and cream are injected into the cup at the request of the purchaser along with the injection of coffee liquid, but the illustration and description of these supply systems are omitted. Further, when the ground beans are supplied from the coffee mill 22 to the chute 23, weighing is performed by a measuring device, but these are also not shown.

  The coffee beverage production apparatus 1 of the present embodiment also includes a control device C. The control device C is based on a memory that stores programs and data, a timer that generates a clock signal, the clock signal, and the program. CPU which operates. Further, a flow meter 14 and a temperature sensor to be described later are connected to the input side of the control device C, and the pump 12, the hot water supply side electromagnetic valve 15, the circulation electromagnetic valve 17, and the relief are connected to the output side. Valve 21, extraction side electromagnetic valve 25, residual liquid relief valve 27, water supply electromagnetic valve 30, hot water discharge electromagnetic valve 32, various drive motors of coffee extractor 13, coils of electromagnetic valves 15 and 25, electromagnetic pump 63 described later and soft water It is assumed that the control device 100 is connected and controlled based on the output of the control device C.

  Next, the configuration of the milk former 61 will be described. The milk former 61 of the present embodiment includes a hot water supply pipe 62, a water softening device 100 of the present invention, an electromagnetic pump 63, a steam boiler 64, and a milker 65. The hot water supply pipe 62 includes a hot water supply pipe 62A that connects the hot water tank 11 and the water softening device 100, which will be described in detail later, a hot water supply pipe 62B that connects the water softening device 100 and the electromagnetic pump 63, an electromagnetic pump 63, and a steam boiler. The hot water supply pipes 62C and 62D for connecting 64 and the hot water supply pipe 62E for connecting the steam boiler 64 and the milker 65 are configured.

  The electromagnetic pump 63 supplies hot water (treated water) in the hot water tank 11 to the water softening device 100 and supplies hot water (treated water) treated by the water softening device 100 to the steam boiler 64. belongs to. The electromagnetic pump 63 is on the downstream side of the treated water channel of the water softening device 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as downstream), and on the upstream side of the treated water channel of the steam boiler 64 (hereinafter simply referred to as upstream). The hot water supply pipe 62 is disposed on a path (not shown).

  The hot water supply pipes 62C and 62D located between the electromagnetic pump 63 and the steam boiler 64 are configured by, for example, silicon tubes, and the hot water supply pipes 62C and 62D are connected via a branch pipe 67. The The branch pipe 67 is provided with a steam electromagnetic valve 68.

  The steam boiler 64 includes a heater (not shown) inside, and supplies hot water supplied from the hot water tank 11 through the hot water supply pipe 62A, the water softening device 100, the hot water supply pipe 62B, the electromagnetic pump 63, and the hot water supply pipes 62C and 62D. For example, it is heated to about + 170 ° C. to generate steam and supply the steam to the milker 65. Further, the steam boiler 64 is provided with a temperature sensor (not shown), and the temperature is controlled by the control device C so that the steam temperature is set based on the detection of the temperature sensor. Furthermore, it is assumed that a hot water supply pipe 62 </ b> E that configures from the downstream side of the steam boiler 64 to the milker 65 is covered with a heat insulating tube (not shown) for suppressing leakage of heat from the steam boiler 64.

  Next, the milker 65 will be described. The milker 65 is for sucking milk from the milk cooler 82 by steam generated by the steam boiler 64 and sucking air to mix sucked milk and sucked air to form a milk foam. . The milker 65 of the present embodiment is constituted by a substantially cylindrical main body, and the side surface of the main body is biased to either the left or right of the center, and a discharge portion protruding into the main body is integrally formed. The milk foam nozzle (discharge unit) 3 for discharging the milk foam generated in the main body is integrally formed on the bottom surface of the main body.

  The discharge portion has a substantially cylindrical shape that opens to the left and right, and an end portion of the hot water supply pipe 62E located on the downstream side of the steam boiler 64 is located on the end portion opposite to the side connected to the main body. It is connected via a steam nozzle. This steam nozzle has a steam passage communicating with the left and right inside, a small hole formed at one end for discharging steam to the discharge section, and a side surface connected to the inner wall of the discharge section and the hot water supply pipe 62E. An O-ring is provided in order to closely adhere to each other.

  A milk suction nozzle that communicates with the inside of the discharge unit is connected to the lower surface of the discharge unit, and an air suction nozzle that also communicates with the inside of the discharge unit is provided on the upper surface of the discharge unit at a location facing the milk suction nozzle. It is connected.

  One end of the milk suction nozzle is connected to a milk suction tube 77 inserted into a milk pack 83 housed in a milk cool box 82 that cools the milk. A weight member 78 is provided at the end (tip) of the milk suction tube 77 on the milk pack 83 side. In this embodiment, the weight member 78 has a mass of about 20 g in order to sink the milk suction tube 77 to the lower part of the milk pack 83. Further, the weight member 78 is formed with a notch from the bottom surface to the side surface, so that the milk remaining on the bottom surface of the milk pack 83 can be sucked easily.

  An air suction tube 79 is connected to the air suction nozzle, and an air suction cap is detachably attached to the other end opening (the upper end opening in FIG. 3) of the air suction tube 79. The air suction cap is a cylindrical member having a small hole formed at the tip. A peripheral wall protruding in the direction facing the tube 79 is formed around the small hole, and an outer side is formed near the tip. A protruding flange is formed. Thereby, the air suction nozzle can suck a small amount of air at a time. In addition, since the air suction cap has a peripheral wall in the vicinity of the small hole, even if the air suction cap is touched with fingers by washing or the like, it is inconvenient to directly touch the small hole and pack small dust etc. Can be avoided. Further, since the flange is formed, it can be easily handled.

  In addition, a milker cap in which a protruding portion protruding inward of the main body is detachably closed at the upper surface opening of the main body of the milker 65. Further, a notch for retracting an air suction nozzle formed in the discharge portion of the main body when attached to the main body is formed on the upper surface of the milker cap.

  On the other hand, the milk cool box 82 is configured by a main body having an opening on the upper surface and capable of accommodating a commercially available milk pack 83 inside, and a lid (not shown) that closes the upper surface opening of the main body so as to be freely opened and closed by a hinge member. ing. A cutout for drawing out the milk suction tube 77 to be inserted into the milk pack 83 in a state where the lid is closed is formed at the upper opening edge of the main body. The main body is provided with a heat insulating material (not shown) on the inner wall, and a cooling device (not shown) is provided in the main body so that the milk pack 83 to be stored can be cooled.

  Next, the water softening device 100 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the water softening device 100 installed in the lower part of the hot water tank 11. The water softening device 100 is provided in a flow path through which hot water sucked from the hot water tank 100 into the electromagnetic pump 63 of the milk former 61 flows. Specifically, the water softening device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a main body of a container 101 including a cylindrical side wall surface 101A having an axis extending in the horizontal direction and end surfaces 101B and 101C respectively provided at both ends thereof. Is configured. The container 101 is made of an insulating member such as glass or a resin material, and an inflow portion 102 is formed integrally with the one end face 101B at the axial center of one end face (left end face in FIG. 5) 101B. The inflow part 102 is for introducing the water to be treated into the container 101. The inflow portion 102 has a through hole that penetrates the center of one end surface 101B in the axial direction (left and right in FIG. 5) as an inflow port 102A, and is opposite to the side wall surface 101A of the container 101 from the inflow port 102A (FIG. In this case, the tube 102B protrudes in the left direction. The hot water supply pipe 62A is connected to the distal end opening 102C of the tube body 102B.

  In addition, an outflow portion 103 is formed integrally with the other end surface 101C below the other end surface (right end surface in FIG. 5) 101C. The outflow portion 103 is for leading out the water to be treated in the container 101. The outflow portion 103A (through hole) that penetrates the lower portion of the other end surface 101C in the axial direction (left-right direction in FIG. 5) and the flow The tube 103B protrudes from the outlet 103A in the direction opposite to the side wall surface 101A of the container 101 (rightward in FIG. 5). That is, in the water softening device 100, the outflow part 103 of the to-be-processed water is formed in the lower part. The hot water supply pipe 62 </ b> B is connected to the distal end opening 103 </ b> C of the pipe body 103 </ b> B of the outflow portion 103.

  On the other hand, in the container 101, a pair of water permeable electrodes (feed electrodes) 105 and 106, a water permeable porous conductive fiber 107, a spacer 109, and a fixing provided on the outer periphery on the downstream side thereof. A ring 115 is accommodated. The electrodes 105 and 106 are both water-permeable and insoluble electrodes, and have a circular mesh shape (mesh shape). The outer diameters of the electrodes 105 and 106 are substantially the same as the inner diameter of the container 101, and the dimensions are such that the outer peripheral surfaces of the electrodes 105 and 106 can come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the container 101. One electrode 105 is disposed on the inlet 102 side of the container 101, the conductive fiber 107 is disposed on the downstream side of the outlet 103, and the spacer 109 and the fixing ring are disposed on the downstream side of the conductive fiber 107. 115 is provided, and the other electrode 106 is disposed downstream thereof.

  The conductive fiber 107 has an outer diameter that is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the container 101 as in the case of the electrodes 105 and 106, and has a dimensional relationship that allows the outer peripheral surface to contact the inner peripheral surface of the container 101. In this embodiment, carbon fibers are used as the conductive fibers 107. Carbon fiber is suitable as a material for the conductive fiber 107 because it is inexpensive and has excellent adsorption performance. However, the conductive fiber 107 is not limited to the carbon fiber of the present embodiment. For example, activated carbon fiber, platinum fiber, titanium fiber, carbon nanotube, and carbon fiber coated with a catalyst, resin fiber (iodine) Or a polyacetylene resin doped with arsenic pentafluoride or the like, which is a conductive resin fiber or a resin fiber in which a conductive material is blended as a composition), activated carbon fiber, titanium fiber, or 2 You can use more than one type.

  Specifically, the conductive fiber 107 of this embodiment is configured by a laminated structure including a first fiber layer 107A and a second fiber layer 107B having conductivity. 107 A of 1st fiber layers are arrange | positioned in the state closely_contact | adhered to the downstream surface (right surface in FIG. 5) of the electrode 105, and are electrically connected to the electrode 105. FIG. The second fiber layer 107B is provided in contact with the downstream surface of the first fiber layer 107A, and is electrically connected.

  107 A of 1st fiber layers accumulate | store the electroconductive fiber with a small specific surface area (surface area per unit weight) compared with 2nd fiber layer 107B. The first fiber layer 107A has a lower ion adsorption capacity or hardness removal capacity than the second fiber layer 107B. The reason for the low hardness removal capability of the first fiber layer 107A is that the specific surface area is reduced, so that the amount of charge accumulated on the surface of the first fiber layer 107A is reduced, and the chemicals such as calcium ions and magnesium ions are reduced. It is mentioned that the general adsorption performance is lowered.

More specifically, the specific surface area of the first fiber layer 107A is preferably 1/10 or less of the specific surface area of the second fiber layer 107B. For example, the specific surface areas of the first fiber layer 107A and the second fiber layer 107B are, for example, 15 m ² / g and 1250 m ² / g, respectively. In this case, the hardness removal rates of the first fiber layer 107A and the second fiber layer 107B are 8.5% and 61.5%, respectively. Here, the hardness removal rate is a removal rate of hardness before and after the water treatment to the water softening device 100. In this example, 1 L of water having a hardness of 100 mg / L was used, and the hardness removal rate was converted.
Hardness removal rate = (hardness after treatment / hardness before treatment) × 100

  The first fiber layer 107A of this embodiment is a felt-like member (thickness is 2 mm, for example) made of carbon fiber and having compressibility. Here, compressibility refers to the property of reducing the volume when pressed. The second fiber layer 107B is a felt-like member (thickness is 2 mm, for example) made of activated carbon fiber and having compressibility.

  107 A of 1st fiber layers are obtained by heat-processing a raw material, making it non-melting, and then graphitizing. Specifically, first, raw materials such as pitch-based fibers (carbon fibers using coal pitch as a raw material) and polyacrylonitrile-based fibers are oxidized in air at 200 to 300 ° C. to obtain black oxidized fibers. Manufactured as an intermediate material. This process is called a flameproofing process, and the carbon fiber forms a cyclic structure in the molecule as the oxidation progresses, and becomes flame retardant and infusible. The obtained carbon fiber is carbonized at 2500 ° C. and graphitized to obtain a carbon fiber suitable for the first fiber layer 107A.

  On the other hand, the second fiber layer 107B is obtained by heat-treating the raw material and activating it in water vapor, carbon dioxide gas, or inert gas after the infusibility and flameproofing steps. Specifically, first, carbon fibers are manufactured by subjecting similar raw materials to heat treatment, non-melting, and flame resistance processes in the same process as the first fiber layer 232. The carbon fiber suitable for the second fiber layer 107B is obtained by activating the carbon fiber in water vapor, carbon dioxide gas, or inert gas to increase the specific surface area.

  The conductive fiber 107 is disposed in close contact with the downstream surface of the electrode 105 (the right surface in FIG. 5). That is, the conductive fiber 107 is provided on the downstream side of the electrode 105 in a conductive relationship. It is composed. That is, as will be described later, one electrode 108 serving as a cathode is composed of an electrode 105 serving as a supply electrode and a conductive fiber 107.

  Further, a spacer 109 is provided on the surface on the electrode 106 side (the right surface in FIG. 5) which is the downstream side of the conductive fiber 107. That is, the spacer 109 is interposed between the conductive fiber 107 and the electrode 106 located on the downstream side thereof. The spacer 109 is preferably an insulating (non-conductive) porous body having a high porosity. Here, the porosity is a ratio of voids (air portions) existing inside the porous structure. Accordingly, the higher the porosity, the lower the density (bulk density) of the spacer 109 (the coarser), and the lower the porosity, the higher the density of the spacer 109 (fine). For the insulating porous body, insulating (non-conductive) resin (PP resin, acrylic resin, fluorine resin, etc.), chemical fiber (glass fiber, polyester fiber, etc.), non-woven fabric, paper, etc. are used. In this embodiment, a polymer non-woven fabric having water permeability, for example, a polyvinylidene chloride polymer such as polyester or saran (manufactured by Asahi Kasei) and having a porosity greater than 95% is used as the spacer 109. is doing.

  Further, since the spacer 109 is in contact with the downstream surface (right surface) of the conductive fiber 107 and presses the conductive fiber 107, the conductive fiber 107 is pressed by the pressing force of the spacer 109. It is pressed against 105 and is brought into close contact with the downstream surface of the electrode 105. In this manner, the conductive fiber 107 is brought into close contact with the electrode 105, whereby the conductive fiber 107 is electrically connected to the electrode 105, and the contact resistance with respect to the electrode 105 is reduced to form a part of the electrode 105. It will be. That is, when the electrode 105 is energized, the conductive fiber 107 is also energized, and the conductive fiber 107 is charged to the same potential as the electrode 105.

  Furthermore, by providing the spacer 109, the surface on the electrode 106 side that is the downstream side of the conductive fiber 107 (that is, the left surface in FIG. 5) can be flattened. That is, as described above, since the conductive fiber 107 is provided in close contact with the electrode 105, the entire conductive fiber 105 constitutes a part of the electrode 105, but the upper surface of the conductive fiber 107 is If the surface is not flat, the surface of the conductive fiber is unevenly charged and the adsorption efficiency is lowered. Further, since the distance from the facing electrode 106 is non-uniform, current does not flow uniformly through the conductive fiber 107, and the portion where the distance between the upper surface of the conductive fiber 107 and the lower surface of the electrode 106 is closest (that is, the shortest distance). Inconvenience that a large current flows locally in

  In particular, in the case of the conductive fiber 107 coated with the catalyst, there is a problem that in a portion where a large current flows locally, the catalyst layer easily peels off and is easily deteriorated, and the life of the conductive fiber 107 is shortened. It was happening. Therefore, by arranging the spacer 109 on the downstream surface of the conductive fiber 107 as in this embodiment, the surface on the electrode 106 side can also be flattened. Thereby, the distance between the conductive fiber 107 and the electrode 106 can be made substantially uniform. Thereby, the inconvenience that a large current flows locally through the conductive fiber 107 can be solved. Furthermore, since the spacer 109 has water repellency, it also has an effect that the scale deposited on the conductive fiber 107 is easily peeled off. The scale that has been deposited and enlarged is lowered by its own weight as described above, and accumulates in the scale discharge portion 112 at the lower portion of the container 101. The fixing ring 115 is provided on the outer periphery on the downstream side of the spacer 109 and fixes the spacer 109. Similar to the spacer 109, the fixing ring 115 is made of an insulating porous member.

  The electrodes 105 and 106 are connected to the control device C (that is, control means for supplying a voltage to both electrodes 105 and 106) via a power feeding rod 118, and the control device C connects between the electrodes 105 and 106. The voltage value of the voltage applied to both electrodes 105 and 106 is controlled so that the passing current has a predetermined value (predetermined current). The power feeding rod 118 is attached to one end surface 101B of the container 101 on the inlet 102 side or the other end surface 101C of the container 101 on the container 101 outlet 103 side via a seal member (not shown) such as packing. .

  On the other hand, on the side wall surface 101A on the downstream side of the electrode 106 of the container 101, an open system gas discharge part 110 is provided at the upper part, and a scale discharge part 112 is provided at the lower part. That is, the gas discharge unit 110 is formed on the upper side wall surface 101A on the downstream side of the electrode 106, and the scale discharge unit 112 is formed on the lower side wall surface 101A on the downstream side of the electrode 106.

  The gas discharge part 110 is for discharging the gas generated in the electrodes 108 and 106 to the outside of the container 101 by supply of voltage (energization) from the control device C, and is integrally formed on the side wall surface 101A. ing. The gas discharge part 110 of the present embodiment is provided on the side wall surface 101A between the electrode 106 and the other end surface 101C of the container 101, at a position that is the uppermost side of the side wall surface 101A.

  Specifically, the gas discharge unit 110 includes a hole (gas discharge port 110A) penetrating the side wall surface 101A up and down, and a tube body 110B standing above the gas discharge port 110A. A gas discharge pipe 120 is connected to the tip (upper end) 110C of FIG. The gas discharge pipe 120 is a passage through which the gas discharged from the container 101 to the gas discharge unit 110 is introduced into the hot water tank 11 and discharged into the hot water tank 11, and the gas discharge unit 110 and the hot water tank 11. Are connected in communication. The gas discharge pipe 120 of the embodiment is connected to the wall surface of the tank 11 above the hot water tank 11 and above the water surface (water level) of the hot water (treated water) stored in the hot water tank 11, The tip is open above the water surface in the tank 11.

  On the other hand, the scale discharging unit 112 discharges the scale generated in the electrode 108 serving as the cathode by the supply (energization) of voltage from the control device C. The scale discharge part 112 is also integrally formed on the side wall surface 101A of the container 101 in the same manner as the gas discharge part 110. The scale discharge part 112 of the present embodiment corresponds to the side wall surface 101A between the electrode 106 and the other end face 101C and the lowest side of the side wall face 101A, that is, below the gas discharge part 110. It is provided in the position to do.

  Specifically, the scale discharge unit 112 is configured by a hole (scale discharge port 112A) that vertically penetrates the side wall surface 101A and a tube body 112B that descends downward from the scale discharge port 112A. A scale discharge pipe 122 is connected to the tip (lower end) 112C of FIG. The scale discharge pipe 122 guides the scale discharged from the container 101 to the scale discharge section 112 together with hot water (treated water) into the hot water discharge pipe 36 for discharging hot water in the hot water tank 11. A passage for discharging the hot water in the tank 11 to the outside. The scale discharge pipe 122 of the embodiment is connected to a middle portion of the hot water discharge pipe 36 on the upstream side of the hot water discharge electromagnetic valve 32, and connects the scale discharge section 112 and the hot water discharge pipe 36.

  Here, reference numeral 130 shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 denotes a partition wall according to the present invention. The partition wall 130 is provided in order to positively separate the scale and gas from the water to be treated, and to eliminate or reduce the outflow from the outflow portion 103. The partition wall 130 is provided between the scale discharge part 112 and the outflow part 103 in a state in which the flow of the water to be treated from the inflow part 102 to the outflow part 103 is allowed. Specifically, the partition wall 130 is between the electrode 106 and the other end surface 101 </ b> C and vertically (upward) from the lower portion of the side wall surface 101 </ b> A on the downstream side of the gas discharge unit 110 and the scale discharge unit 112. It is provided upright. That is, the gas discharge unit 110 and the scale discharge unit 112 are formed on the electrode 106 side with respect to the partition wall 130.

  Moreover, the front-end | tip (upper end) of the partition 130 is located below the upper surface of the side wall surface 101A in the container 101, and a sufficient clearance through which the water to be treated can pass is secured above the partition 130. .

  With the above configuration, the operation of the milk former 61 will be described. When the beverage selection button 5 for a beverage requiring milk supply is operated, the electromagnetic pump 63 is operated for a predetermined time, for example, about 10 seconds, by the output of the control device C. Thereby, hot water (water to be treated) in the hot water tank 11 is supplied into the container 101 from the inflow portion 102 of the water softening device 100 via the hot water supply pipe 62A.

  When the water to be treated is supplied from the inflow portion 102 into the container 101, the electrode 105, the conductive fiber 107, the spacer 109, the fixing ring 115, and the electrode 106 are immersed in the water to be treated. Then, the water to be treated supplied into the container 101 sequentially passes through the electrode 105, the conductive fiber 107, the spacer 109, the fixing ring 115 and the electrode 106 as shown by the thick arrow in FIG. Outflow from the outflow portion 103 to the outside of the water softening device 100, that is, flows into the hot water supply pipe 62 </ b> B connected to the tip of the tube body 103 </ b> B of the outflow portion 103.

  At the same time as the operation of the electromagnetic pump 63, the control device C applies a negative potential to one electrode 105 located on the upstream side (that is, the inlet 102A side) of the water to be treated of the water softening device 100. Then, a positive potential is applied to the other electrode 106 located on the downstream side (that is, on the outflow port 103A side). At this time, the applied potential is set to a predetermined value determined in consideration of wear of the electrodes 105 and 106.

By applying such a potential, the conductive fiber 107 is charged to the same negative potential as that of the electrode 105. Accordingly, the electrode 108 (that is, the electrode 105 and the conductive fiber 107) on the upstream side of the flow path of the water to be treated becomes a cathode, and the electrode 106 on the downstream side becomes an anode. That is, when the treated water in the container 101 is energized by the electrodes 108 and 106, the porous electrode 108 (electrode 105 and conductive fiber 107) serving as a cathode, particularly the surface of the conductive fiber 107 on the electrode 106 side). Then
4H ⁺ + 4e ⁻ + (4OH ⁻ ) → 2H ₂ + (4OH ⁻ )
In the electrode 106 serving as the anode,
2H ₂ O → 4H ⁺ + O ₂ + 4e ⁻
Reaction occurs.

As described above, hydroxide ions (OH ⁻ ) are generated on the surface of the conductive fiber 107 serving as the cathode on the side of the electrode 106 serving as the anode (the right surface of the conductive fiber 107 in FIGS. 5 to 7). Since hydroxide ions are very strong bases, the periphery of the conductive fiber 107 surface on the electrode 106 side is locally alkaline. Thereby, the hardness component in to-be-processed water reacts with the said hydroxide ion, and turns into a salt. Specifically, ions such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which are contained in the water to be treated and are main scale components, are precipitated as hardly soluble salts such as calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, and magnesium hydroxide. When ions such as phosphorus, sulfur and zinc are contained in the water to be treated, calcium sulfate, calcium sulfite, calcium phosphate, zinc phosphate, zinc hydroxide, basic zinc carbonate and the like may be precipitated as salts.

  Most of these deposited scales adhere to the surface of the conductive fiber 107 on the side of the electrode 106 serving as the anode (the right surface of the conductive fiber 107 in FIGS. 5 to 7). The scale attached to the surface of the conductive fiber 107 on the electrode 106 side becomes a seed crystal. That is, the scale deposited on the surface of the conductive fiber 107 on the electrode 106 side is used as a nucleus, and the scale deposited later adheres and grows. The scale also adheres to the spacer 109 provided on the downstream side of the conductive fiber 107. That is, the generated scale can be effectively removed by the conductive fibers 107 and the spacers 109. The scale peels off from the conductive fibers 107 and the spacers 109 and flows downstream along with the water to be treated, and collides with the partition wall 130. The scale is separated from the water to be treated by the collision with the partition wall 130. The separated water to be treated flows upward along the wall surface of the partition wall 130 (the left wall surface shown in FIG. 5), passes over the partition wall 130, and flows downstream. On the other hand, since the scale is heavy, most of the scale cannot get over the partition wall 130 like the water to be treated and either stays on the wall surface of the partition wall 130 (the left wall surface shown in FIG. 5) or becomes enlarged due to its own weight. Then, it sinks to the bottom of the container 101 and then is discharged into the hot water discharge pipe 36 through the scale discharge part 112 together with the water to be treated in the container 101 by the opening operation of the hot water discharge electromagnetic valve 32 described later (FIG. (Broken arrow shown in FIG. 7).

On the other hand, gas is generated from the electrodes 108 and 106 by electrolysis. That is, as shown in the above chemical formula, hydrogen (H ₂ ) is generated at the cathode side electrode 108, and oxygen (O ₂ ) is generated at the anode side electrode 106. The generated gas (in the form of bubbles) rises upward in the container 101, and the gas formed on the side wall surface 101A of the container 101 on the downstream side of the electrode 106, as shown by the white arrow in FIG. It is discharged to the discharge unit 110. Specifically, the gas generated at each of the electrodes 108 and 106 reaches the gas discharge port 101A on the downstream side of the electrode 106 due to the flow of the water to be treated, and flows into the gas discharge unit 110 from there.

  In particular, in the present invention, since the partition wall 130 described above is provided on the downstream side of the electrode 106, the partition wall 130 can smoothly separate the gas from the water to be treated. That is, the gas generated at each of the electrodes 108 and 106 flows downstream along with the water to be treated and collides with the partition wall 130. The gas is separated from the water to be treated by the collision with the partition wall 130. The separated gas rises, reaches the gas discharge port 101A, and flows into the gas discharge unit 110 from there. Then, as shown by broken line arrows in FIG. 4, the hot water tank 11 is discharged through the gas discharge pipe 101 </ b> B and the gas discharge pipe 120 of the gas discharge unit 110.

  On the other hand, the water to be treated after the scale is removed by the water softening device 100 as described above enters the steam boiler 64 via the hot water discharge pipe 62B, the electromagnetic pump 63, the hot water discharge pipe 62C, and the hot water discharge pipe 62D. . Here, since the temperature of the hot water stored in the hot water tank 11 is set to a temperature suitable for use in the coffee extractor 13, for example, + 97 ° C., the steam boiler 64 is close to about 100 ° C. Temperature hot water is supplied. The hot water supplied into the steam boiler 64 is further heated by the steam boiler 64, and is heated to a temperature suitable for the milk former 61, for example, + 170 ° C. to be steam. The steam is discharged from the steam boiler 64 even after the operation of the electromagnetic pump 63 is completed, for example, for about 7 seconds in which the hot water already supplied into the steam boiler 64 is converted into steam.

  In this embodiment, the control device C stops energization of the electrodes 105 and 106 together with the operation stop of the electromagnetic pump 63. However, when water with high hardness and water with low electrical conductivity are treated water, it is assumed that the control device C performs control to make the electrolysis time longer than the operation time of the pump 63.

  In this case, although not shown in the present embodiment, a detecting means for detecting the hardness of the water to be treated and a detecting means for detecting the conductivity of the water to be treated are provided, and these are connected to the control device C. It shall be. In addition, although the current value varies depending on the conductivity of the water to be treated, when a problem such as exhaustion of the water to be treated in the container 101 occurs and the abnormal current value is recorded, the control device C is an electromagnetic pump. It is assumed that control for stopping energization to the 63 and both electrodes 105 and 106 is executed.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, after the operation of the electromagnetic pump 63 is finished, the control device C is a steam electromagnetic valve 68 connected to the branch pipe 67 after a predetermined time, for example, about 5 seconds, for a certain time, for example, about 2 seconds. The steam solenoid valve 68 is opened. Thereby, the hot water remaining in the pipe at the inlet of the steam boiler 64 can be discharged with the pressure of the steam in the steam boiler 64.

  If the steam solenoid valve 68 is opened immediately after the operation of the electromagnetic pump 63 is finished, the pressure is too high and water vapor is vigorously discharged, which is dangerous. In this embodiment, after the operation of the electromagnetic pump 63 is finished, After a predetermined time has elapsed and the pressure has been reduced to some extent, the steam electromagnetic valve 68 is opened. Thereby, danger can be avoided and water can be discharged.

  As described above, the steam generated by the steam boiler 64 is injected into the discharge part of the milker 65 through the hot water supply pipe 62E connected to the downstream side of the steam boiler 64 and the steam nozzle. Here, when steam passes in the vicinity of the milk suction nozzle and the air suction nozzle in the discharge part, a negative pressure is generated in the discharge part, and the milk in the milk pack 83 passes through the milk suction tube 77 from the milk suction nozzle. Then, the air is sucked into the discharge part, and external air is sucked into the discharge part through the air suction cap and the air suction tube 79 from the air suction nozzle.

  The milk (suction milk) and air (suction air) sucked into the discharge part by the steam passing through the discharge part are discharged into the main body of the milker 65 along the inner wall of the discharge part. At this time, the steam passing through the discharge unit is energized to the steam electromagnetic valve 68 for a predetermined time after the operation of the electromagnetic pump 63 is finished by the control device C, and then opened. Since the pressure in the steam boiler 64 can be discharged as described above, the milk supply to the milker 65 can be improved. And the milk and air discharged in the main body swirl along the inner wall of the main body by the pressure of the steam. By this swirling, milk and air are mixed and foamed, discharged from a milk foam nozzle 3 formed on the bottom surface of the main body, and supplied to a cup or the like placed below the nozzle 3.

  Next, operation | movement of the coffee beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 of a present Example is demonstrated. In addition, before operation of the drink selection button 5 is performed, it is assumed that all the solenoid valves are not energized and are closed or allowed to flow hot water above a certain pressure. First, when the operator operates one of the beverage selection buttons 5 provided on the main body 6, an extraction start input is performed to the control device C. As a result, the control device C opens the circulation electromagnetic valve 17 and executes a pipe temperature raising step for performing the low speed operation of the pump 12 for a predetermined time, in this embodiment, for 4 seconds. As a result, the hot water in the hot water tank 11 is sent out by the pump 12 to the circulation solenoid valve 17 and the circulation pipe 18 constituting the circulation path via the hot water supply side pipe 16. The hot water accumulated in the hot water supply side pipe 16 positioned between the pump 12 and the hot water supply side electromagnetic valve 15 is pumped to the circulation pipe 18 via the circulation electromagnetic valve 17 and returned to the hot water tank 11. Thereby, the hot water supply side piping 16 positioned between the pump 12 and the hot water supply side electromagnetic valve 15 can be heated with hot water of about + 90 ° C. to + 95 ° C. supplied from the hot water tank 11.

  After the predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the pipe temperature raising step, the control device C stops the operation of the pump 12, then closes the circulation electromagnetic valve 17, and ends the pipe temperature raising step. In this case, in this embodiment, the hot water supply side solenoid valve 15 interposed in the hot water supply side pipe 16 adjacent to the circulation solenoid valve 17 is not energized as described above, and hot water is supplied at a pressure higher than a certain pressure. Therefore, the hot water supply side solenoid valve 15 is provided with a shock due to a pressure change in the pipe 16 that occurs when the circulation solenoid valve 17 shifts from the open / closed state to the closed state. It can be buffered by the spring. As a result, damage to the hot water supply side electromagnetic valve 15 can be avoided and the durability of the electromagnetic valve 15 can be improved. In the coffee extractor 13 of the present embodiment, the control device C uses the coffee mill 22 to pulverize the coffee beans in the bean storage container 9 in advance after the previous coffee liquid supply process is completed. , A process of making ground beans P) is performed, but the description of the extraction preparation process is omitted.

  Next, the coffee liquid extraction process will be described. In the coffee liquid extraction step, the control device C opens the supply-side electromagnetic valve 15 and drives the pump 12. As a result, hot and pressurized hot water heated to about + 90 ° C. to + 95 ° C. at a pressure of 0.3 MPa is supplied to a cylinder (not shown) of the coffee extractor 13 through the hot water supply side pipe 16 and compressed. Coffee liquid is extracted from the beans P. At this time, since high-temperature and high-pressure hot water is supplied into the cylinder, it becomes possible to extract a dark coffee liquid from which coffee components are sufficiently eluted from the initial extraction stage.

  Then, the coffee liquid extracted by the cylinder of the coffee extractor 13 is discharged to the coffee liquid nozzle 2 through the extraction side pipe 24 and the extraction side electromagnetic valve 25. Here, the extraction-side solenoid valve 25 is set to a state where the coffee liquid is allowed to flow at a constant pressure, for example, 0.3 MPa or more, by the control device. Since the pressure of 0.3 MPa is applied by the pump 12 and the pressure is further applied by the ground beans P swollen in the cylinder, the pressure of 0.4 MPa or more can actually be applied. As a result, fine high-quality foam can be generated on the liquid surface of the coffee liquid, and a coffee liquid with a rich and mellow taste and aroma can be obtained, so that the quality of the coffee liquid can be improved. Become.

  When the coffee liquid is being extracted from the cup or the like, the milk former 61 can be operated in detail as described above by energizing the electromagnetic pump 63 by the control device C. Milk can be poured into the top of the coffee liquor.

  The hot water stored in the hot water tank 11 is periodically discharged due to sanitary problems. In the coffee beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, description will be made assuming that the hot water discharge operation in the hot water tank 11 is performed once a day, for example, after the end of the sales of the coffee beverage. This discharge operation is performed by the operator operating the hot water discharge electromagnetic valve 32 provided in the hot water discharge pipe 36. That is, when the operator opens the hot water discharge electromagnetic valve 32, the hot water in the hot water tank 11 is discharged to the outside through the hot water discharge pipe 36.

  Here, as described above, the scale discharge pipe 122 connected to the scale discharge unit 120 of the water softening device 100 is connected to the hot water discharge pipe 36 on the upstream side of the hot water discharge solenoid valve 32, so that the hot water discharge is performed. By opening the electromagnetic valve 32, the water to be treated stored in the container 101 of the water softening device 100 is also discharged to the hot water discharge pipe 36 through the scale discharge unit 120 and the scale discharge pipe 122. At this time, it is deposited by the electrolytic treatment and adheres to the conductive fiber 107 or adheres to the spacer 109, the scale that has enlarged and sinks to the bottom of the container 101, and the wall 130 (FIG. 5, the scale that has stagnated in the left wall surface or enlarged and sinks to the bottom of the wall surface, as indicated by the broken arrow in FIG. Then, it is discharged to the hot water discharge pipe 36 through the scale discharge pipe 122, where it merges with the hot water discharged from the hot water tank 11 and is discharged to the outside.

  As described above in detail, according to the water softening device 100 of the present invention, the control device C applies a negative potential to the one electrode 105 and applies a positive potential to the other electrode 106, thereby subjecting the water to be treated to electrolytic treatment. Thus, the hardness component in the water to be treated can be removed. In particular, in the present invention, the scale generated in the electrode 108 having the cathode potential due to the electrolytic treatment can be discharged from the scale discharge unit 112, so that the scale generated in the electrode 108 can be smoothly removed. Thereby, it is not necessary to change the polarity in order to treat the deposited scale, or to perform maintenance for taking the deposited scale, and the maintenance work is facilitated.

  In addition, since the gas generated at both electrodes 108 and 106 can be separated from the water to be treated and discharged from the gas discharge unit 110 at any time, the inconvenience of gas accumulation in the container 101 can be eliminated. Thereby, even when the flow rate of the water to be treated is small, generation of pulsation due to gas can be avoided, and a stable flow rate can be supplied.

  In particular, in the present invention, by providing the partition wall 130 between the outflow portion 103 and the scale discharge portion 112, the scale outflow from the outflow portion 103 can be eliminated or reduced, and the scale discharge portion 112 can be discharged from the lower scale discharge portion 112. become. Further, the treated water collides with the partition wall 130, whereby the gas can be smoothly separated from the treated water, and the gas discharge effect from the upper gas discharge unit 110 can be further enhanced. Become.

  Furthermore, the outflow part 103 is formed in the lower part, the partition wall 130 is provided upright from the lower part, and the outflow of gas from the outflow part 103 can be more effectively eliminated or reduced. Thereby, the pulsation preventing effect can be further enhanced. In addition, scale outflow from the outflow portion 103 can be effectively eliminated or reduced. Furthermore, since the gas discharge part 110 is formed closer to the electrode 106 than the partition wall 130, the gas generated at the electrode can be discharged more smoothly. Thereby, the pulsation preventing effect can be further enhanced.

  Further, in the water softening device 100 of the present embodiment, the gas discharge unit 110 and the scale discharge unit 112 have the inflow portion 102 and the outflow portion 103 of the water to be treated, and are integrated with the container 101 in which the electrodes 108 and 106 are stored. Therefore, the apparatus can be made compact.

  Further, the gas discharge pipe 120 is provided, and the gas discharged from the gas discharge unit 110 is communicated with the open air hot water tank 11 through the gas discharge pipe 120, so that the gas passes through the hot water tank 11. Can be discharged to the outside. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid the intrusion of dust into the water softening device 100 as compared with a case where the gas is discharged directly from the gas discharge unit 110.

  Furthermore, the water 63 to be treated sucked by the pump 63 is supplied to the water softening device 100 by disposing a pump 63 for supplying the water to be treated to the water softening device 100 on the downstream side of the water softening device 100. It will be. For this reason, compared with the case where to-be-processed water is sent to the water softening apparatus 100 with a pump from an upstream side, to-be-processed water does not overflow from the gas discharge part 110 easily.

  In particular, when the water softening device 100 of the present invention is incorporated in a milk former 61 having a low flow rate of water to be treated as in this embodiment, the present invention is particularly effective, inexpensive and reliable for the coffee beverage production apparatus 1. It is possible to improve the performance and performance.

  In this embodiment, the scale discharge pipe 122 is connected to the middle part of the hot water discharge pipe 36 on the upstream side of the hot water discharge electromagnetic valve 32. In this case, the scale in the container 101 of the water softening device 100 (and the water to be treated in the container 101) is discharged to the hot water discharge pipe 36 and discharged from the hot water tank 11 only by the opening operation of the hot water discharge electromagnetic valve 32. Can be made outside with hot water. For this reason, since it is not necessary to perform the special operation | movement for discharging | emitting the scale deposited in the container 101 of the water softening apparatus 100, the inconvenience which forgets discharge | emission operation can be prevented. However, the scale discharge pipe 122 is not connected to the middle portion of the hot water discharge pipe 36 as in this embodiment, and a valve device is installed on the scale discharge pipe 122 so that the hot water in the hot water tank 11 is not discharged. The scale can be discharged.

  Moreover, in the present Example, the water softening apparatus 100 of this invention was applied to the milk former 61 of the coffee beverage manufacturing apparatus 1. In such a milk former 61, since the amount of hot water used at one time is small and the flow rate is small, the influence of the pulsation of the gas generated at the electrodes 108 and 106 is great, so that the water softening device 100 of the present invention is particularly effective. It is. However, the water softening device 100 of the present invention is not limited to the application to the beverage production apparatus as in this embodiment. For example, the present invention may be applied to a water treatment apparatus that simply treats water to be treated stored in a tank, or may be applied to various other apparatuses.

1 Coffee beverage production equipment (beverage production equipment)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Coffee liquid nozzle 3 Milk foam nozzle 4 Nozzle member 5 Beverage selection button 6 Main body 7 Cup support stand 8 Residue receiving part 9 Bean storage container 11 Hot water tank 12 Pump 13 Coffee extractor 14 Flow meter 15 Hot water supply side solenoid valve 16 Hot water supply side piping 17 Solenoid valve for circulation 30 Water supply solenoid valve 32 Hot water discharge solenoid valve 34 Water supply piping 36 Hot water discharge piping 61 Milk former 62 Hot water supply piping 63 Electromagnetic pump 64 Steam boiler 100 Water softening device 101 Container 101A Side wall surface 101B One end surface (left end surface) )
101C The other end (right end)
102 Inlet 103 Outlet 105, 106 Electrode, Electrode 107 Conductive Fiber 107A First Fiber Layer 107B Second Fiber Layer 108 Electrode 109 Spacer 110 Gas Discharge Portion 112 Scale Discharge Portion 115 Fixing Ring 120 Gas Discharge Piping (Gas Discharge Piping) Part)
122 Scale discharge piping (scale discharge section)
130 Bulkhead

Claims (8)

At least a pair of water-permeable electrodes disposed in the flow path of the water to be treated;
Control means for supplying voltage to both electrodes;
An inflow portion and an outflow portion of the treated water;
A gas discharge part for discharging gas generated from the electrode located at the upper part on the downstream side of the electrode;
A scale discharging unit for discharging scale generated in one of the electrodes, which is located at the lower part on the downstream side of the electrode, and serves as a cathode;
A water softening device comprising a partition wall provided between the scale discharge part and the outflow part in a state in which the water to be treated is allowed to flow from the inflow part to the outflow part.   The water softening device according to claim 1, wherein the outflow portion is formed in a lower portion, and the partition wall is provided upright from the lower portion.   3. The water softening device according to claim 1, wherein the gas discharge unit is an open system, and is formed closer to the electrode than the partition wall.     The electrode is composed of the one electrode and the other electrode arranged on the downstream side of the one electrode, and an insulating spacer is interposed between the one electrode and the other electrode. The water softening device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein   An open-air tank for storing the treated water, supplying the treated water in the tank to the water softening device, and communicating the gas discharged from the gas discharge unit to the tank; The water treatment apparatus provided with the water softening apparatus in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 4 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The pump for supplying the said to-be-processed water to the said water softening apparatus is provided, This pump is arrange | positioned in the downstream of the said water softening apparatus, The Claim 1 thru | or 5 characterized by the above-mentioned. Water softener or water treatment device.   The steam boiler for heating the said to-be-processed water and producing | generating a vapor | steam is supplied, The said to-be-processed water processed with the said water softening apparatus is supplied to the said steam boiler. 6. A beverage production apparatus comprising the water softening device or water treatment device according to claim 6.   A milk cool box that cools milk and a milk that is generated by the steam boiler sucks milk from the milk cool box, sucks air, and mixes the sucked milk and sucked air to produce a milk foam. The beverage manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a milker.

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