JP2017064571A - Water purification cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water purification cartridge in which an adsorbent portion and a hollow fiber membrane bundle are arranged in series in the axial direction, and which has a low-cost and simple configuration preventing hollow fiber membranes from being broken or bent by water flowing into the hollow fiber membrane bundle from the adsorbent portion.SOLUTION: In a water purification cartridge where a cylindrical adsorbent portion and a hollow fiber membrane bundle are arranged in a cylindrical case in series in the axial direction of the cylindrical case, an outer periphery of one end of the adsorbent portion is watertightly engaged with one end of the cylindrical case, the hollow fiber membrane bundle is sealed and fixed to the other end of the cylindrical case, the surface of the other end of the adsorbent portion is closed, the adsorbent portion allows water to pass from its internal space to its external space in a direction from its inner peripheral surface to its outer peripheral surface, and the outer periphery of the adsorbent portion communicates with the hollow fiber membrane bundle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a water purification cartridge.

  The water purification cartridge is composed of an adsorbent in the form of granules, fibers, and compacts such as activated carbon and ion exchangers and a hollow fiber membrane module containing a hollow fiber membrane bundle, and the hollow fiber membrane module on the upstream side. Many of these are known on the downstream side.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a water purification cartridge in which activated carbon and a hollow fiber membrane module formed in a cylindrical shape are arranged in series in the axial direction. The activated carbon is cylindrical and has a water passage inside. The upstream cap that closes the end is fixed on the upstream side of the activated carbon, and the downstream cap that has a discharge port for water that has passed through the activated carbon is fixed on the downstream side. Has been. And the hollow fiber membrane module which accommodated the hollow fiber membrane bundle in the casing is arrange | positioned in the downstream of activated carbon, and it has the structure where the water flow path inside activated carbon and the hollow fiber membrane module connected in series. Water flows inward from the outside in the radial direction of the activated carbon, flows through the water passage inside the activated carbon to the hollow fiber membrane module side, and is discharged to the outside from the outlet at the end of the hollow fiber membrane module.

  However, the cartridge configured as described above is configured such that the water that has passed through the water passage inside the activated carbon directly hits the center of the hollow fiber membrane bundle, and further, the water passage inside the activated carbon is disconnected. Since the area and the cross-sectional area of the discharge port of the downstream cap are small, water flowing into the hollow fiber membrane module through the area is discharged as a jet, so that it hits the central part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle violently. There was concern that would be hurt. In particular, when a water purification cartridge is used by flowing a large amount of water in an area where the tap water pressure is high, there is a concern that the hollow fiber membrane may be cut or bent and the performance of the hollow fiber membrane may not be sufficiently achieved. .

  Therefore, in Patent Document 1, in order to solve such a problem, a baffle plate (dispersion) is provided at the outlet of the downstream cap, the water that has passed through the water passage inside the activated carbon is dispersed, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle An invention is disclosed in which the water pressure hitting the central portion is weakened to prevent the hollow fiber membrane from being cut or bent.

  However, only the baffle plate described in Patent Document 1 cannot sufficiently solve the above-mentioned concern, and Patent Document 2 discloses that the structure of the water purification cartridge described in Patent Document 1 is hollow from water flowing into the hollow fiber membrane bundle. A water purification cartridge to which a net for protecting the yarn membrane is added is disclosed.

JP 2006-015199 A JP 2012-30204 A

  However, even if it is a water purification cartridge of patent document 2, if it presupposes that the size of a water purification cartridge is not changed, the cross-sectional area of the discharge port in the above-mentioned baffle plate remains small, and water becomes a jet and becomes hollow Although it flows into the yarn membrane module and hits the center of the hollow fiber membrane bundle even though it is over the net, it cannot be said to be sufficient to prevent the hollow fiber membrane from being cut or bent. In addition, the shape of the baffle plate is complicated, and its formation requires considerable costs.

  In addition, the provision of a protective net in the hollow fiber membrane bundle has a problem that its material cost and assembly cost are considerably required.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention is a water purification cartridge in which an adsorbent part and a hollow fiber membrane bundle are arranged in series in the axial direction, and the water purification cartridge flows into the hollow fiber membrane bundle from the adsorbent part. An object of the present invention is to provide a water purification cartridge having a simple and inexpensive structure without causing the hollow fiber membrane to be cut or bent because the water does not hit the central portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle.

In order to solve the above problems, the water purifier of the present invention has the following configuration. That is,
(1) A water purification cartridge in which a cylindrical adsorbent part and a hollow fiber membrane bundle are arranged in series in the axial direction of the cylindrical case inside the cylindrical case, and at one end of the cylindrical case, The outer peripheral part of one end of the adsorbent part is watertightly engaged, the hollow fiber membrane bundle is sealed and fixed to the other end of the cylindrical case, and the other end surface of the adsorbent part is The adsorbent portion is capable of passing water from the inner space to the outer space in the direction from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface, and the outer peripheral portion of the adsorbent portion is the hollow fiber A water purification cartridge communicating with the membrane bundle.
(2) The adsorbent portion includes a cylindrically formed adsorbent, an upper plate disposed at one end of the molded adsorbent, and a lower plate that closes the other end of the molded adsorbent. It is preferable that the upper plate includes an opening communicating with the inner space of the adsorbent.
(3) The adsorbent portion is configured such that a granular or powder adsorbent is accommodated in a cylindrical space formed by an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder, an upper plate, and a lower plate, and the upper plate is formed of the adsorbent. It is preferable to provide an opening communicating with the inner space.

The present invention can achieve the following excellent effects by the above configuration. That is,
According to the configuration of the water purification cartridge of (1) above, water flows from the inner side (inner space) of the adsorbent part to the outer side in the radial direction (outer space), and between the outer peripheral part of the adsorbent part and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical case. Since it flows into the hollow fiber membrane bundle through a wide cross-sectional area flow path, water does not hit the center of the hollow fiber membrane bundle as a violent jet, preventing the hollow fiber membrane from being cut or bent be able to. Moreover, the structure of the water purification cartridge is simple and can be manufactured at low cost.

  Also, with the configuration of (2) above, the adsorbent part can be manufactured in a separate process from the hollow fiber membrane module or the like as an independent adsorbent part unit composed of a molded adsorbent that is easy to handle, and an upper plate and a lower plate. Therefore, it is easy to manufacture a water purification cartridge.

  Moreover, since the adsorbent is granular or powdery due to the configuration of (3) above, it is possible to exhibit inexpensive and excellent adsorption performance.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional schematic diagram of the water purification cartridge which concerns on the example of 1 embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal section schematic diagram of a water purification cartridge according to another embodiment of the present invention. It is a longitudinal section schematic diagram of a water purification cartridge according to another embodiment of the present invention. It is a longitudinal section schematic diagram of a water purification cartridge according to another embodiment of the present invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a water purification cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the water purification cartridge 1 includes a cylindrical adsorbent portion 2 and a hollow fiber membrane bundle formed by collecting hollow fibers 8 inside the cylindrical case 6. The water purification cartridge is arranged in series in the axial direction, and the outer peripheral portion of the upper plate 4 which is one end (upper end) of the adsorbent portion 2 is water-tightly engaged with one end (upper end) of the cylindrical case 6. A hollow fiber membrane bundle is sealed and fixed to the other end (lower end) of the cylindrical case 6. Further, the other end (lower end) surface of the adsorbent part 2 is closed by the lower plate 5, and the adsorbent part 2 extends from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface and from the inner space to the outer space. Water can be passed, and the outer periphery of the adsorbent part 2 communicates with the hollow fiber membrane bundle. By having such a structure, it becomes the flow of water as shown by the arrow of FIG. That is, the water that has flowed into the inner space of the adsorbent part 2 from the opening (described in detail later) provided in the upper plate 4 at one end (upper end) of the adsorbent part 2 flows from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface. In the direction from the inner space to the outer space (that is, from the inner side of the adsorbent part 2 to the outer side in the radial direction) and from the outer peripheral part of the adsorbent part 2 to the hollow fiber membrane bundle. Furthermore, there is little or no inflow of water from the other end (lower end) surface of the adsorbent part 2 to the center part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle by the lower plate 5.

  Each part which comprises the water purification cartridge 1 is demonstrated.

  The adsorbent portion 2 includes a cylindrical adsorbent 3, an annular upper plate 4 disposed at one end (upper end) of the adsorbed material 3, and the other end of the formed adsorbent 3. It has a disk-like lower plate 5 that closes the (lower end). The upper plate 4 has an opening communicating with the inner space of the molded adsorbent 3 at the center thereof.

  With such a configuration, the adsorbent part can be manufactured in a separate process from the hollow fiber membrane module or the like as an independent adsorbent part unit comprising a molded adsorbent that is easy to handle, and an upper plate and a lower plate. Easy to manufacture.

  The formed adsorbent 3 is made of, for example, an activated carbon molded body mainly composed of fibrous activated carbon, an inner diameter side nonwoven fabric, and an outer diameter side nonwoven fabric. The activated carbon molded body is obtained by mixing a plurality of fibrous activated carbons having different specific surface areas and pore size distributions at a predetermined ratio, and further adding ion exchange fibers that selectively take in lead ions and heat fusion fibers. These are made into a sheet and wound up at a constant tension around a shaft wound with an inner diameter non-woven fabric. When a predetermined outer diameter is reached, heat treatment is performed. The heat-sealing fiber has a core-sheath structure, the core has a high melting point, the sheath has a low melting point, and only the sheath is melted and welded by this heat treatment. By this welding, a non-woven fabric on the outer diameter side is wound around a cylindrical shape that is maintained, and cut into a predetermined length.

  By changing the mixing ratio of a plurality of fibrous activated carbons with different specific surface areas and pore size distributions, it is possible to balance the filtration capacities of multiple substances to be removed, and to produce an activated carbon molded body with the highest overall filtration ability. . Thus, a cartridge that can be used for a long period of time by the user can be provided. Moreover, if the tension | tensile_strength at the time of winding up to a axis | shaft is controlled, the density of an activated carbon molded object can be changed. It is possible to provide an easy-to-use cartridge in which the pressure loss is not too large and the filtration capacity is not too low.

  Here, the molded body composed of the fibrous activated carbon, the lead adsorbent, and the heat-fusible fiber may be molded by a wet molding method. Granular activated carbon as well as fibrous activated carbon may be mixed. Only granular activated carbon can be used. Moreover, you may use the heat-fusion material which is not fibrous.

If granular or powdery aluminosilicate, titanium silicate, or titanium oxide is used as the lead removal material in addition to the ion exchange fiber, lead ions can be efficiently removed. Among them, ion exchange fibers, aluminosilicates, and titanium silicates have a large amount of lead adsorption per unit volume, and by including these, the amount of filter media in the cartridge can be reduced and the cartridge can be made compact.

  The upper plate 4 and the molded adsorbent 3, and the lower plate 5 and the molded adsorbent 3 are coated with a hot-melted thermoplastic resin and then cooled and solidified. It is preferably bonded by a one-pack type silicone rubber bonding method that is cured by reaction.

  The upper plate 4 and the lower plate 5 may have an annular groove for further increasing the adhesive force on the bonding surface with the molded adsorbent 3. In addition, the upper plate 4 and the lower plate 5 are arranged on the adhesive surface with the molded adsorbent 3 in order to make positioning more accurate. You may have the cylindrical rib which protrudes in the adsorbent direction which covers.

  The outer peripheral portion of the upper plate 4 is water-tightly engaged with the upper end of the cylindrical case 6, but the water-tight engagement method may be welding, bonding, fitting, screwing, etc. as long as it can function. Any method may be used.

  Thus, in the water purification cartridge of FIG. 1, the upper plate 4 is used for watertightly engaging the outer peripheral portion of one end (upper end) of the cylindrical case and one end (upper end) of the adsorbent portion. The upper end surface of the molded adsorbent is coated with a silicone rubber adhesive or the like so that water cannot pass through it, and is bonded through the silicone rubber adhesive to cover only the outer periphery of one end (upper end) of the molded adsorbent. It is good also as a form which provides a ring-shaped member and the outer peripheral part of the ring-shaped member is water-tightly engaged with the end (upper end) of a cylindrical case. Alternatively, one end (upper end) of the cylindrical case has a plate-like portion projecting inward, and on the lower surface side of the plate-like portion, the entire surface of one end (upper end) of the directly formed adsorbent or near the outer peripheral portion As a form of bonding the surfaces, the outer peripheral portion of one end (upper end) of the cylindrical case and one end (upper end) of the adsorbent portion may be watertightly engaged.

  Further, in the water purification cartridge of FIG. 1, the lower plate 5 plays a role of closing the other end (lower end) surface of the adsorbent part 2, but for example, a silicone rubber adhesive or the like is applied to the lower end surface of the formed adsorbent. The other end face of the adsorbent portion is closed by making the form in which only the lower end central opening of the formed adsorbent is closed with a synthetic resin or rubber stopper, etc. Good.

  Further, as described above, the lower plate 5 has a disc shape, but may have, for example, a polygonal shape according to the shape of the adsorbent.

A gap is provided between the outer peripheral portion of the adsorbent portion 2 (the outer peripheral surface of the molded adsorbent 3 and the outer peripheral surface of the lower plate 5) and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical case 6. Through the gap, the outer peripheral portion of the adsorbent portion 2 communicates with the hollow fiber membrane bundle so that water can flow from the outer peripheral portion of the adsorbent portion 2 to the hollow fiber membrane bundle. The gap is preferably set so that the flow rate per unit channel cross-sectional area of the water flowing therethrough is 0.02 L / min / mm ² or less. More preferably, it is set to be 0.015 L / min / mm ² or less. According to the inventor's knowledge, when such a numerical value is set, the momentum of the water flow flowing out from the outer peripheral portion of the adsorbent portion 2 to the hollow fiber membrane bundle is considerably relaxed, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle is damaged. The possibility is even smaller.

In a water purification cartridge for a typical household water purifier with a flow rate of about 2 L / min, the outer diameter of the adsorbent part can usually be secured as the outer diameter of the cylindrical adsorbent part used is at least about 30 mm. Even if the gap between the inner surface of the cylindrical case and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical case is set to 1 mm, which is the minimum required in consideration of dimensional accuracy in assembly, the condition of 0.02 L / min / mm ² or less is satisfied. . In other words, in the case of a water purification cartridge for household water purifiers, if the outer periphery of the adsorbent is in communication with the hollow fiber membrane bundle, the momentum of the water flow is naturally alleviated and the hollow fiber membrane bundle can be damaged. It can be said that there is little nature.

On the other hand, the internal space of the adsorbent part is hollow, and its inner diameter is required to be as small as possible for compacting the water purification cartridge. However, even if it is set to 10 mm, which is larger than the practical value, the adsorption The flow rate per unit channel cross-sectional area inside the material part cannot satisfy the condition of 0.02 L / min / mm ² or less. Therefore, in the conventional water purification cartridge in which water is ejected from the inside of the adsorbent part (that is, from the other end (lower end) of the adsorbing member) to the hollow fiber membrane bundle, and the water hits the center part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle, There was a risk of damaging the yarn membrane bundle, and it was necessary to take costly means such as providing a net to suppress it.

  In addition to the viewpoint of the flow rate per unit channel cross-sectional area, in the water purification cartridge 1 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the water flowing out from the outer peripheral portion of the adsorbent portion 2 to the hollow fiber membrane bundle is cylindrical. Since it flows between the inner peripheral surface of the case 6 and the outer peripheral portion of the entire hollow fiber membrane bundle, compared with the conventional water purification cartridge in which the water flow directly collides with the apex of the inverted U-shaped hollow fiber membrane bundle. Thus, the damage of the hollow fiber membrane bundle can be sufficiently suppressed also in the way of inflow of water.

  In addition, within the range which satisfies the conditions regarding the above-mentioned flow path cross-sectional area, a part of the outer peripheral surface of the lower plate 5 has a plurality of protrusions projecting in the radial direction, and the protrusions are the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical case 6. You may contact | abut. If it carries out like this, fixation in the cylindrical case 6 of the adsorbent part 2 will become reliable, and there exists an effect which the fixation strength to the cylindrical case 6 of the adsorbent part 2 increases.

  A hollow fiber membrane bundle in which a predetermined number of hollow fiber membranes 8 are bundled and bent into an inverted U shape is accommodated inside the cylindrical case 6 on the other end (lower end) side, and the other end (lower end) of the cylindrical case 6 is accommodated. ) Portion inner surface and the lower end side of the hollow fiber membrane bundle (the side where the opening of the hollow fiber membrane is disposed) and the lower end sides of the hollow fiber membrane are sealed and fixed with a potting agent such as polyurethane. The sealed part is the sealing part 9. The lower end surface of the hollow fiber membrane bundle has an opening of the hollow fiber membrane, and purified water is discharged from the opening. As the material of the hollow fiber membrane 8, polysulfone, polyethylene or the like is used. In FIG. 1, the hollow fiber membrane bundle is bent in an inverted U shape, but may be a hollow fiber membrane bundle that is straight and whose upper end opening is sealed with an adhesive or heat fusion. .

  The flow of water in the water purification cartridge 1 configured as described above will be described.

  Assume that the water purification cartridge 1 is used as a water purification cartridge for a water purifier with a built-in faucet. In the case of a water purifier with a built-in faucet, a flow path switching valve is built in the head so that it can be switched between a purified water state for purifying tap water and a raw water state for discharging tap water as it is. . And when using as a purified water state, it has the structure where the outer peripheral surface of the purified water cartridge 1 and the inner surface of a faucet are sealed watertight somewhere. Therefore, in the purified water state, the raw water does not flow on the outer peripheral surface of the purified water cartridge 1.

  The raw water supplied from the faucet inlet side is guided to the central opening of the upper plate 4 as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1, passes through the internal space of the adsorbent 3, and further moves the adsorbent 3 from the radially inner side to the outer side. Pass to (external space). And it passes through the gap between the outer peripheral part of the adsorbent part 2 and the cylindrical case 6 and reaches the hollow fiber membrane bundle. When the raw water comes into contact with the molded adsorbent 3 and passes through it, the free residual chlorine, the salty odor, the mold odor, the trihalomethane, the heavy metal ions such as lead, and the like in the raw water are removed. Next, the water passes through the hollow fiber membrane 8 to remove turbid components, bacteria, and the like to become purified water, and is discharged to the outside of the water purifier as purified water through the opening at the lower end surface of the hollow fiber membrane bundle.

  As described above, in the water purification cartridge 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, water flows from the inner side of the adsorbent part to the outer side in the radial direction, and is wide between the outer peripheral part of the adsorbent part and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical case. Since it flows into the hollow fiber membrane bundle through the cross-sectional area flow path, water does not hit the hollow fiber membrane bundle as a violent jet, and the hollow fiber membrane can be prevented from being cut or bent. Moreover, it is not necessary to provide a baffle plate or a hollow fiber membrane bundle protection net in the conventional flow path, and the configuration of the water purification cartridge is simple and can be manufactured at low cost.

  The water purification cartridge of FIG. 2 which is another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 2, only the structure of the adsorbent part is different from that of FIG. In the adsorbent part of this embodiment, the adsorbent is a granular or powdery adsorbent 17, and is a substantially cylindrical accommodation space formed by the inner cylinder 12, the outer cylinder 11, the upper plate 4 and the lower plate 5. It is stored in. The upper plate 4 has an opening communicating with the inner space of the adsorbent at the center. Since the adsorbent is granular or powdery, it is possible to exhibit inexpensive and excellent adsorption performance.

  Also in the water purification cartridge 1 of the embodiment of FIG. 2, the cylindrical adsorbent part and the hollow fiber membrane bundle are arranged in series in the axial direction of the cylindrical case inside the cylindrical case, and one end of the cylindrical case ( The outer periphery of one end (upper end) of the adsorbent part is watertightly engaged with the upper end), and the hollow fiber membrane bundle is sealed and fixed to the other end (lower end) of the cylindrical case. The other end (lower end) surface of the material portion is closed, and the adsorbent portion can pass water from the inner space to the outer space in the direction from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface. The outer peripheral part of this communicates with the hollow fiber membrane bundle.

  It is preferable that the inner cylinder 12, the outer cylinder 11, and the lower plate 5 are formed as one piece. Of course, it is possible to form three or two members separately and assemble or connect them into the shape shown in FIG. 2 by fitting, welding, bonding, or the like. Convenient.

  Then, after the powder adsorbent 17 is filled into the substantially cylindrical accommodation space, the upper plate 4 is placed so that the entrance of the accommodation space is covered and sealed against water and the powder adsorbent 17. The adsorbent part is completed by fitting to the cylinder 12 and the outer cylinder 11 by fitting, welding, adhesion or the like. When filling the powder adsorbent 17, it is preferable to increase the packing density by vibrating or sucking the powder adsorbent 17 in order to increase the filtration capacity of the adsorbent portion.

  A plurality of lattice-shaped openings 14 are provided on the peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 12, and a mesh 16 made of polyethylene terephthalate or synthetic fiber such as polypropylene or polyethylene is attached to the inner surface so as to cover the openings of the openings 14. It has been. The mesh 16 does not leak the powder adsorbing material 17 facing it, and has a filter function that allows water to be treated to pass through. Therefore, the mesh 16 has an opening smaller than the particle size of the powder adsorbing material 17. It has become. Moreover, in order to reduce the pressure loss at the time of water flow, it is preferable that the opening ratio of the mesh 16 is as large as the strength allows. Similarly, it is preferable that the aperture ratio of the lattice-like opening 14 is as large as the strength allows. In order to effectively utilize the entire powder adsorbent 17, it is preferable that the region where the opening 14 exists is substantially coincident with the region of the powder adsorbent 17 that is facing. The member covering the opening of the opening 14 is not limited to the mesh 16 but is a thin sheet such as a synthetic resin nonwoven fabric, and has a filter function that allows water to be processed without allowing the powder adsorbent 17 to pass through. That's fine.

  As a method of attaching the mesh 16 to the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 12, a method of integrally forming with the mesh 16 at the time of molding the inner cylinder 12 is preferable in that the mesh 16 is firmly attached. Further, it can be attached with an adhesive or heat-sealed. Since the mesh 16 is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 12, the amount of the powder adsorbent 17 filled and accommodated on the outer side in the radial direction of the inner cylinder 12 can be increased by the thickness of the inner cylinder 12. Of course, the mesh 16 may be attached to the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 12 for easy manufacture.

  Similar to the inner cylinder 12, the outer cylinder 11 is provided with a plurality of lattice-shaped openings 13 on its peripheral surface, and polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyethylene, etc. are provided on the outer surface so as to cover the openings of the openings 13. A mesh 15 made of synthetic fiber is attached. The mesh 15 does not leak the powder adsorbing material 17 facing it, and has a filter function that allows water to be processed to pass through. Therefore, the mesh 15 has an opening smaller than the particle size of the powder adsorbing material 17. It has become. Moreover, in order to reduce the pressure loss at the time of water flow, it is preferable that the opening ratio of the mesh 15 is as large as the strength allows. Similarly, it is preferable that the aperture ratio of the lattice-like opening 13 is as large as the strength allows. In order to effectively utilize the entire powder adsorbent 17, it is preferable that the region where the opening 13 exists is substantially coincident with the region of the powder adsorbent 17 that is facing. The member that covers the opening of the opening 13 is not limited to the mesh 15 but is a thin sheet such as a synthetic resin nonwoven fabric, and the powder adsorbent 17 does not leak and has a filter function that allows water to be processed to pass therethrough. That's fine.

  As a method of attaching the mesh 15 to the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 11, a method of integrally forming with the mesh 15 when the outer cylinder 11 is formed is preferable in that the mesh 15 is firmly attached. Further, it can be attached with an adhesive or heat-sealed. Since the mesh 15 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 11, the amount of the powder adsorbent 17 filled and accommodated inside the outer cylinder 11 in the radial direction can be increased by the thickness of the outer cylinder 11.

  Next, the powder adsorbent 17 will be described.

  Examples of the powder adsorbent 17 include granular or powdered activated carbon made of coconut shell, wood, coal, or the like, or granular or powder ion exchanger suitable for removing heavy metals such as lead in raw water, such as titanium silica. Zeolite such as acid salt and aluminosilicate, ion exchange resin, or the like can be used by being appropriately combined.

  The powder adsorbent 17 having an average particle diameter in the range of about 30 to 900 μm can be used, and is selected and used according to the type, application, and performance of the water purification cartridge. Since the surface area increases when the particle size is reduced, the adsorption capacity and ion exchange capacity of the powder adsorbent 17 can be increased, and the packing density of the powder adsorbent 17 is also improved. Therefore, it is very preferable to use a powder adsorbent 17 having an average particle size as small as about 30 to 150 μm because the filtration capacity of the adsorbent part can be greatly increased and the packing density can be further increased. . In the case of activated carbon, the particle size of the powder adsorbent may be measured according to the method defined in JIS K 1474: 2014 activated carbon test method 7.3 particle size, or may be measured by a laser diffraction / scattering method. . In any case, the range in which the integrated value by mass or volume particle size distribution occupies 90% is defined as the particle size.

  In conventional adsorbents such as activated carbon in the molded body, the mass proportion of the binder for molding accounts for about 3 to 20%, and that portion does not contribute to filtration, but by using a powder adsorbent, the binder The volume occupied by can be filled with activated carbon or ion exchangers, and the increased adsorbent contributes to filtration, so the filtration capacity can be greatly improved. In particular, in the case of a powder adsorbent having a small average particle size of about 30 to 150 μm, the packing density can be increased. For example, when coconut shell activated carbon is used as granular or powdery activated carbon, 0.50 to 0.75 g Since it can be increased to about / mL, it is possible to configure the water purification cartridge compactly with high filtration capacity.

  On the other hand, when the particle size is generally reduced, the pressure loss due to water passing through the adsorbent part increases, and a predetermined filtration flow rate may not be ensured. However, in the present invention, the shape of the above-described substantially cylindrical accommodation space and the powder adsorbent 17 accommodated therein is long in the axial direction as shown in FIG. It has a longer cylindrical shape than (thickness). And since water flow is performed in the radial direction from the inner side to the outer side of the cylindrical adsorbent part, the flow passage cross-sectional area passes the powder adsorbent of the adsorbent part in the axial direction. The flow rate of water flow is reduced because it is larger than the flow passage cross-sectional area of the case, and even if the powder adsorbent with a small particle size is packed with high density, the pressure loss in water flow can be sufficiently reduced, A predetermined filtration flow rate can be achieved.

  The absolute value of the length in the radial direction of the cylindrical adsorbent part is the minimum due to the prevention of water flow shortcuts at the interface between the powder adsorbent and the upper and lower plates and the filtration principle of the powder adsorbent. Although it is determined in consideration of the required value and the like, it is preferably 5 mm or more in actual design.

It is preferable that an elastic member is disposed between the powder adsorbent 17 and the upper plate 4. In this way, the elastic member presses the powder adsorbent 17 and the upper plate 4 and comes into close contact therewith, so that no gap is formed between the filled powder adsorbent 17 and the upper plate 4, and the raw water is passed through. When this occurs, there is no possibility of shortcuting the powder adsorbent 17. As the elastic member, rubber such as silicone rubber having a low hardness, sponge or nonwoven fabric of synthetic resin, felt, or the like can be used.
The water purification cartridge of FIG. 3 which is another embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The water purification cartridge 21 of the embodiment of FIG. 3 has the raw water inlet 24 in the water purification cartridge of FIGS. 1 and 2 described above, and one end (upper end) of the cylindrical case 6 and / or one end (upper end) of the adsorbent part. The water purification cartridge is provided with an inlet cap 22 that covers watertightly and an outlet cap 23 that has a purified water outlet 25 and covers the other end (lower end) of the cylindrical case 6 in a watertight manner. This water purification cartridge 21 can be applied as a water purification cartridge of an independent unit, for example, inserted and installed in the middle of a water pipe flow path for water purification.

  The water purification cartridge of FIG. 4 which is another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  The water purification cartridge 31 of the embodiment of FIG. 4 is a water purification cartridge in which the above-described water purification cartridge 1 of FIGS. 1 and 2 is accommodated in a casing 37 having a raw water inlet 34 and a purified water outlet 35. The casing 37 is obtained by attaching a lid 33 to the upper opening of a cylindrical container 32 by ultrasonic welding or screwing and sealing the opening.

In FIG. 4, the raw water inlet and the purified water outlet are both provided in the lower part of the container, but the raw water inlet may be provided in the lid and the purified water outlet may be provided in the lower part of the container. Further, the lid may have a cylindrical portion that hangs down from the top surface and the periphery of the top surface.
In the water purification cartridge 31, the water purification cartridge 1 as an element manufactured in a separate process shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is mounted in the mounting recess 36 inside the container 32, and then the upper opening of the container 32 is sealed with the lid 33. And completed. The surface in contact with the water purification cartridge 1 and the mounting recess 36 is sealed watertight so that raw water and purified water are not mixed.

  The water purification cartridge 31 can be applied to various water purifiers such as a faucet direct-coupled water purifier and a stationary water purifier as a water purifying cartridge of an independent unit.

  Between the inner peripheral surface of the container 32 and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical case 6, a cylindrical gap is formed as a flow path of raw water entering from the raw water inlet 34. And as shown by the arrow of FIG. 4, after the raw | natural water which entered from the raw | natural water inlet 34 was guide | induced to the center opening part of the upper board 4 through the clearance gap, it passed through the internal space of an adsorbent part, and adsorbent The portion passes from the inside in the radial direction to the outside, passes through the hollow fiber membrane to become purified water, and is discharged from the purified water outlet 35 to the outside.

  In the above description, when two members are brought into contact with each other and a space between the members is brought into a sealed (watertight seal) state, the sealing (watertight seal) can be ensured by interposing a seal member. However, in order to design a compact water purification cartridge, it is preferable to realize sealing (watertight seal) without interposing a seal member.

  The materials of the cylindrical case, upper plate, lower plate, inner cylinder, outer cylinder, inlet cap, outlet cap, container, lid are ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) resin, AS (acrylonitrile styrene). Resins, PP (polypropylene) resins, polystyrene resins and the like are preferably resins with high dimensional accuracy during molding.

  Although the water purification cartridge for purifying tap water in a general household has been described as an embodiment, the present invention can also be used as a relatively large water purification cartridge for purifying water for other purposes.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Water purification cartridge 2 Adsorbent part 3 Adsorbent material 4 Upper board 5 Lower board 6 Cylindrical case 8 Hollow fiber membrane 9 Sealing part 11 Outer cylinder 12 Inner cylinder 13 Opening part 14 Opening part 15 Mesh 16 Mesh 17 Powder adsorbing material 21 Purified cartridge 22 Inlet cap 23 Outlet cap 24 Raw water inlet 25 Purified water outlet 31 Purified water cartridge 31 Container 33 Lid 34 Raw water inlet 35 Purified water outlet 36 Mounting recess 37 Housing

Claims (3)

A water purification cartridge in which a cylindrical adsorbent part and a hollow fiber membrane bundle are arranged in series in the axial direction of the cylindrical case inside the cylindrical case,
One end of the cylindrical case is water-tightly engaged with the outer periphery of one end of the adsorbent part,
The hollow fiber membrane bundle is sealed and fixed to the other end of the cylindrical case,
The other end surface of the adsorbent part is closed,
The adsorbent part can pass water from the inner space to the outer space in the direction from the inner surface to the outer surface,
The outer peripheral part of the adsorbent part is a water purification cartridge communicating with the hollow fiber membrane bundle. The adsorbent portion has a cylindrically shaped adsorbent, an upper plate disposed at one end of the molded adsorbent, and a lower plate that closes the other end of the molded adsorbent. And
The water purification cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the upper plate includes an opening communicating with the inner space of the adsorbent. The adsorbent part is formed by storing a granular or powdery adsorbent in a cylindrical space formed by an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder, an upper plate and a lower plate,
The water purification cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the upper plate includes an opening communicating with the inner space of the adsorbent.

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