JP2017148793A - Hydrogen water supply apparatus, and hydrogen water production method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water supply apparatus capable of suppressing propagation of bacteria in a tank.SOLUTION: A water supply apparatus includes a water tank, an electrolytic cell for electrolyzing raw water in the water tank to produce hydrogen at a cathode and oxygen at an anode, a raw water supply unit for supplying water in the water tank to the electrolytic cell, a hydrogen water discharging unit for discharging hydrogen water containing the hydrogen, a returning unit for returning at least a part of the raw water to the water tank as return water, and a bacteria-regulating unit for suppressing propagation of bacteria in the water in the water tank.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a hydrogen water generating apparatus and a hydrogen water generating method for generating hydrogen water used for drinking, for example.

  Conventionally, hydrogen water generating devices suitable for drinking have been widely used (see, for example, Patent Document 1). As such a hydrogen water generator, tap water is filtered to obtain high-purity water, and this high-purity water is used as raw water.

  There is also a hydrogen water generator that uses water contained in a container as raw water as raw water (see, for example, Patent Document 2). For example, as shown in FIG. 1, in such a hydrogen water generating apparatus 1000, water supplied from a container 1001 containing water is once filtered through a filter unit 1003 to obtain high-purity water, and the high-purity water is used as raw water. Supply to the electrolytic cell 1004.

  In the electrolytic cell 1004, hydrogen water containing hydrogen is generated at the cathode and supplied to the storage tank 1006, and the hydrogen water is stored in the storage tank 1006. In the storage tank 1006, the propagation of germs is suppressed by the UV irradiation unit 1007 that irradiates ultraviolet rays.

  Then, the hydrogen water is supplied from the hydrogen water supply port 1010 in accordance with a user operation via the operation unit 1009. On the other hand, oxygen water containing oxygen generated in the anode of the electrolytic cell 1004 contains oxygen gas and ozone gas harmful to the human body as oxygen. Therefore, the oxygen water is supplied to the ozone removing unit 1011 and is discharged to the discharge bottle 1020 after removing the ozone gas. In the hydrogen water generating apparatus 1000, a series of processes is executed under the control of the control unit 1005.

Japanese Patent No. 5361325 Japanese Patent No. 5335741

  By the way, in this hydrogen water generating apparatus, since the water put in the container stays in the container for a certain time or more, there is a problem that bacteria easily propagate.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a water supply device, a hydrogen water supply device, and a hydrogen water generation method capable of suppressing the growth of bacteria in a container.

The water supply device of the present invention comprises:
A container of water,
A pipe for sucking up water contained in the container;
A pump that powers up the water;
A water discharge part for discharging the water;
And a bacteria suppression part that suppresses the growth of bacteria in the water in the container.

Moreover, the hydrogen water supply apparatus of the present invention includes a container containing water,
A first pipe for sucking up water contained in the container;
A pump that powers up the water;
Electrolyzing the raw water with water contained in the vessel as raw water, generating hydrogen from the cathode, and generating oxygen from the anode;
A hydrogen water discharge part for discharging the hydrogen water containing hydrogen;
A second pipe for returning a part of the sucked-up water to the container as return water;
And a bacteria suppression part that suppresses the growth of bacteria in the water in the container.

Furthermore, the method for producing hydrogen water of the present invention comprises:
Water contained in the container is used as raw water, the raw water is electrolyzed, hydrogen is produced from the cathode, and oxygen is produced from the anode.
Discharging the hydrogen water containing hydrogen from the hydrogen water supply unit;
The oxygen is supplied to the container.

Moreover, the water supply device of the present invention comprises:
A container of water,
A pump that powers up the water in the container;
A water discharge part for discharging the water;
A bacteria suppression unit that suppresses bacterial growth in the water in the container;
A control unit for controlling the bacteria suppression unit;
The bacteria suppression part is
It is a UV irradiation unit that irradiates UV (UltraViolet),
The controller is
When draining the water,
After irradiating the sucked water with UV, it is supplied to the water discharge unit,
When the water is not discharged,
After sucking up water in the container and irradiating the UV, the water is returned to the container.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can realize a water supply device, a hydrogen water supply device, and a hydrogen water generation method that can suppress the growth of bacteria in a container.

It is a basic diagram which shows the structure of the conventional hydrogenous water generating apparatus. It is an approximate line figure showing the composition of the hydrogen water generating device by a 1st embodiment. It is a basic diagram which shows the structure of an electrolytic vessel. It is a basic diagram which shows the structure of the hydrogenous water generating apparatus by 2nd Embodiment. It is a basic diagram with which it uses for description of the flow of the return water at the time of hydrogen water supply. It is a basic diagram with which it uses for description of the circulation sterilization of raw | natural water at the time of a hydrogen water supply stop. It is a basic diagram which shows the structure (1) of the hydrogenous water generating apparatus by other embodiment. It is a basic diagram which shows the structure (2) of the hydrogenous water generating apparatus by other embodiment. It is a basic diagram which shows the structure (3) of the hydrogenous water generating apparatus by other embodiment. It is a flowchart with which it uses for description of a water sterilization treatment procedure.

  Next, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
2 shown in FIG. 2 indicates a hydrogen water generator as a whole. In the hydrogen water generating apparatus 1, a control unit 2 including an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory) (not shown) controls the entire hydrogen water generating apparatus 1 in an integrated manner. It is made like that.

  The container 3 contains high-purity water that has been filtered through a filter or the like in advance. Although there is no restriction | limiting in particular as high purity water, It is preferable that hardness components, such as organic substance, calcium, and magnesium, are 10 ppm or less. The conductivity is preferably 50 μS / cm or less. By using such high-purity water as raw water, it is possible to prevent calcification (scaling) of electrodes and piping without installing a filter and to provide hydrogen water suitable as drinking water.

  The electrolytic cell 4 is not particularly limited as long as it can generate hydrogen water containing hydrogen by electrolyzing high-purity water. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 showing a cross section of the electrolytic cell 4, an ion-exchange resin is filled as a solid electrolyte between a water-permeable anode 44 and a cathode 43, and an oxygen-permeable diaphragm 46 ( For example, an electrolytic cell 4 having a three-tank configuration provided with a fluorine-based cation exchange membrane can be used.

  The electrolytic cell 4 is provided with a first raw water supply port 41 for supplying raw water to the cathode chamber 51 in the vicinity of the bottom surface of the electrolytic cell 4, and the raw water for the anode chamber 52 in the vicinity of the bottom surface of the electrolytic cell 4. Is provided with a second raw water supply port 42. Further, a hydrogen water discharge port 48 for discharging hydrogen water on the top surface of the electrolytic cell 4 and an oxygen water discharge port 49 for discharging oxygen water on the top surface of the electrolytic cell 4 are provided.

The first raw water supply port 41 and the hydrogen water discharge port 48, and the second raw water supply port 42 and the oxygen water discharge port 49 are provided diagonally, and the raw water supplied from the raw water supply ports 41 and 42 is provided. As the gas is electrolyzed, hydrogen and oxygen, which are gases, move upward and are efficiently discharged from the hydrogen water discharge port 48 and the oxygen water discharge port 49 to be discharged as high-concentration hydrogen water and oxygen water. it can. Note that in this specification, oxygen includes oxygen gas (O ₂ ) and ozone gas (O ₃ ). Details of this electrolytic cell are described in Patent Document 1. In addition, as an electrolytic cell, what is necessary is just to be able to electrolyze high purity water, and the thing of another structure can be used. For example, an electrolytic cell described in Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent No. 4601612) may be used.

  The hydrogen water supplied from the hydrogen water discharge port 48 is supplied to the storage tank 6 through a pipe. A water level sensor (not shown) is installed in the storage tank 6, and the control unit 2 supplies raw water from the container 3 to the electrolytic cell 4 in accordance with the remaining amount of hydrogen water in the storage tank 6 for electrolysis. The tank 4 is operated. A UV (UltraViolet) irradiation unit 6A for irradiating ultraviolet rays is installed inside the storage tank 6, and the storage tank 6 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays periodically or in accordance with the supply amount of hydrogen water. 6 Suppress bacterial growth inside.

  In addition, it is preferable that the storage tank 6 is formed of, for example, aluminum that is difficult for hydrogen to escape. Further, it is possible to recirculate or pressurize the hydrogen released from the hydrogen water so as to be dissolved again in the water. It is also possible to provide a mechanism for containing nanobubbles containing nano-order bubbles in the stored electrolyzed water by mixing the stored hydrogen water and hydrogen gas while rotating at high speed. The configuration of this swirl tank is described in, for example, Patent Document 4 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-100755). In this swirl tank, hydrogen that has not been dissolved in the water after electrolysis out of hydrogen generated by electrolysis is once separated, and again contained and swirled, whereby the hydrogen concentration in the hydrogen water can be increased.

  The operation unit 9 is composed of, for example, a mechanical cock or an electric button. When the operation unit 9 is operated by the user, a valve provided in a pipe (not shown) connecting the storage tank 6 and the hydrogen water providing unit 10 is opened, and hydrogen water is provided from the hydrogen water providing unit 10. The

  By the way, the raw water in the container 3 has a long residence time and is in a state in which bacteria easily propagate. In particular, when high-purity water is used as raw water, unlike tap water, it contains almost no chlorine, so that the growth rate of bacteria is high and may not be suitable for drinking in a short time.

  Therefore, in the hydrogen water generator 1 of the present invention, the oxygen water generated in the anode chamber 52 of the electrolytic cell 4 is returned to the inside of the container containing the raw water.

  As described above, the water inside the container 3 is high-purity water, unlike the tap water, contains almost no chlorine, and bacteria are easy to propagate. On the other hand, in the anode chamber 52, ozone gas is generated simultaneously with oxygen gas. This ozone gas has sterilizing power. Accordingly, oxygen gas and ozone gas are dissolved in the oxygen water generated in the anode chamber 52, and oxygen gas and ozone gas as gases are also generated in the anode chamber 52.

  As described above, oxygen water, oxygen gas and ozone gas generated in the electrolytic cell 4 are efficiently discharged from the oxygen water discharge port 49. One end of the pipe 11 is connected to the oxygen water discharge port 49, and the other end 11 </ b> A of the pipe 11 is installed inside the container 3. The pipe 11 may be made of hard resin or metal, but is preferably made of flexible resin. The other end 11 </ b> A of the pipe 11 is preferably disposed at a position close to the bottom surface of the container 3. Oxygen water is discharged from the other end 11A disposed in the vicinity of the bottom surface, so that ozone gas can be distributed throughout the raw water. By using a flexible material as the pipe 11, the pipe 11 can be easily taken in and out of the container 3.

  In addition, there is no restriction | limiting in particular about the installation position of the container 3, You may install either above or below the electrolytic cell 4. FIG. For example, when the container 3 is installed below the electrolytic cell 4, as shown in FIG. 2, the raw water is pumped up by the pump 19 through the pipe 12 and supplied to the electrolytic cell 4, and the pipe 11 is connected. Then drain the oxygen water into the container 3 by gravity. Moreover, although not shown in figure, when the container 3 is installed above the electrolytic cell 4, raw water is supplied to the electrolytic cell 4 by gravity, and it draws up with a pump and discharges oxygen water to the container 3.

  In this way, by returning the oxygen water to the inside of the container containing the raw water, the oxygen water that has been discarded conventionally can be used as a bacterial growth inhibitor and can also be reused as raw water. As a result, the configuration as the hydrogen water generator 1 can be simplified by omitting the filter unit 1003, the ozone removing unit 1011 and the discharge bottle 1020 (FIG. 1) used in the conventional hydrogen water generator 1000. At the same time, the amount of raw water used can be halved by eliminating waste water.

  Hereinafter, the features of the invention group extracted from the above-described embodiment will be described while showing effects and the like as necessary. In the following, for easy understanding, the corresponding configuration in each of the above embodiments is appropriately shown in parentheses, but is not limited to the specific configuration shown in parentheses. In addition, the meanings and examples of terms described in each feature may be applied as the meanings and examples of terms described in other features described in the same wording.

The hydrogen water generator of the present invention (hydrogen water generator 1)
A container of water (container 3),
An electrolytic cell (electrolytic cell 4) that electrolyzes the raw water using water contained in the container as raw water, generates hydrogen water containing hydrogen from the cathode, and oxygen water containing oxygen from the anode;
A hydrogen water discharge unit (hydrogen water providing unit 10) for discharging the hydrogen water;
It has an oxygen water discharge part (pipe 11) which supplies the oxygen water to the container.

  As a result, the hydrogen water generator can use the oxygen water that was originally discarded for bacterial control and can be reused as raw water, reducing the amount of raw water used while suppressing bacteria inside the container. . In addition, it is not necessary to install a discharge bottle for discarding oxygen water or piping for discharge, and the configuration of the hydrogen water generator can be simplified.

  In general, Japanese tap water contains chlorine (hypochlorous acid), so that bacterial growth is suppressed. However, water that does not contain chlorine is easy for bacteria to propagate, and there is a risk that the bacteria will grow at a stroke when opened and exposed to air. In particular, there is a possibility that the residence time of water will become longer in the container, and there is a risk that bacteria will grow greatly. In order to reduce bacteria that have once proliferated, UV irradiation for a long time is required.

  For this reason, even if the storage tank has a UV irradiation unit, if the consumption of hydrogen water is intense and the residence time of the hydrogen water in the storage tank is short, sufficient UV irradiation time cannot be secured. . Moreover, since it does not have a filter, it cannot remove impurities caused by bacteria. In the present invention, since the growth of bacteria in the container can be directly suppressed, hygiene can be maintained. In addition, if there are few bacteria in the raw water, the risk of bacterial growth in the storage tank is reduced.

  The water is high-purity water having a conductivity of 50 μS / cm or less. Thereby, the adhesion of impurities to the electrode can be prevented, and hydrogen water suitable for drinking that is difficult for bacteria to propagate can be provided.

The hydrogen water generator has a storage tank (storage tank 6) for storing the hydrogen water,
The storage tank includes an ultraviolet irradiation unit (UV irradiation unit 6A) that irradiates ultraviolet rays.

  Thereby, since the hydrogen water stored inside the storage tank can be provided in accordance with the user's operation to the operation unit 9, it is possible to provide the amount of hydrogen water desired by the user in a short time and to store it by irradiating with ultraviolet rays. Bacteria growth in the tank can be suppressed. In addition, even if ozone remains in the hydrogen water, ozone can be inactivated by reaction with hydrogen during the residence period in the storage tank. Can be increased.

In the hydrogen water generator, the electrolytic cell is:
2 or 3 tank type electrolytic cell,
An oxygen permeable film that transmits oxygen is provided between the cathode and the anode.

  Thereby, since oxygen moves to the anode side during electrolysis, the influence of oxygen contained in the raw water on electrolysis can be minimized.

In the hydrogen water generator, the electrolytic cell is:
It is a three tank type electrolytic cell, and has an ion exchange resin tank as a solid electrolyte between the cathode (cathode 43) and the anode (anode 44).

  Thereby, the hydrogen water production | generation apparatus can electrolyze high purity water efficiently.

In the hydrogen water generator, the electrolytic cell is:
A first raw water supply port (first raw water supply port 41) provided at the bottom surface or near the bottom surface and supplied with raw water to a cathode chamber (cathode chamber 51) having the cathode;
A hydrogen water discharge port (hydrogen water discharge port 48) provided at a position diagonal to the first raw water supply port at the top surface or in the vicinity of the top surface;
A second raw water supply port (second raw water supply port 42) provided at the bottom surface or in the vicinity of the bottom surface and supplied with raw water to an anode chamber (anode chamber 52) having the anode;
It has an oxygen water discharge port (oxygen water discharge port 49) provided at a position diagonal to the second raw water supply port on the top surface or in the vicinity of the top surface, through which the oxygen water is discharged. .

  As a result, water is efficiently circulated inside the electrolytic cell, and hydrogen gas is generated in the hydrogen water and oxygen gas and ozone gas are efficiently discharged in the oxygen water without staying inside. Hydrogen gas and ozone gas can be used without leaving.

In the hydrogen water generating method of the present invention, water contained in a container is used as raw water, the raw water is electrolyzed, hydrogen water containing hydrogen is produced from the cathode, and oxygen water containing oxygen is produced from the anode,
Discharging the hydrogen water from the hydrogen water supply unit;
The oxygen water is returned to the container.

  Thereby, the propagation of bacteria inside the container can be suppressed by the oxygen water, and the oxygen water can be reused as raw water.

  In the first embodiment described above, the case where high-purity water is used as raw water has been described. The present invention is not limited to this. For example, tap water or mineral water contained in a container can be used as raw water. Of course, the raw water may be electrolyzed as it is, but for example, a filter part may be provided between the container and the electrolytic cell to remove impurities and electrolyze high-purity water. Even in this case, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. In addition, in order to remove oxygen concentrated as a result of multiple times of electrolysis, a filter that removes ozone, oxygen (ozone gas and oxygen gas), or the like can be used as the filter portion.

  It is also possible to attach a lid or the like to the container so that the container is almost sealed. By discharging oxygen water in this state, the air inside the container is effectively sterilized, and contamination of new bacteria from the air can be minimized. In this case, it is preferable to provide a pressure adjusting mechanism for releasing a pressure higher than a predetermined value so that the pressure in the container does not become too high.

  Further, in the above-described first embodiment, the case where the storage tank 6 is provided and the UV irradiation unit 6A is provided therein has been described. The present invention is not limited to this, and the storage tank and the UV irradiation unit are not essential. Further, for example, a UV irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays may be provided between the container and the electrolytic cell. The configuration of the container is not particularly limited, but generally a plastic container is often used. A plastic container may be deteriorated by irradiation with ultraviolet rays. For this reason, it is not preferable to irradiate the container with ultraviolet rays. The container is preferably made of a transparent resin material so that the remaining amount of water can be seen. Under such circumstances, it is difficult to suppress the growth of bacteria by irradiating the water inside the container with ultraviolet rays. Ozone gas is separated at the time of electrolysis and decomposed by hydrogen, so it does not remain in hydrogen water, and it is possible to maintain the hygiene of the water in the container while ensuring safety as hydrogen water. It becomes.

  Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the container 3 as a container, the electrolytic tank 4 as an electrolytic cell, the hydrogen water providing unit 10 as a hydrogen water discharge unit, and the oxygen water discharge as the other end 11A The case where the hydrogen water generating device 1 as the hydrogen water generating device is configured by the unit has been described. The present invention is not limited to this, and the hydrogen water generating apparatus of the present invention may be configured by a container having various other configurations, an electrolytic cell, a hydrogen water discharge unit, and an oxygen water discharge unit.

  In the embodiment described above, oxygen water containing oxygen is returned into the container 3, but only oxygen (without water) may be returned to the container 3. Even in this case, propagation of bacteria in the container 3 can be suppressed by the sterilizing effect of ozone gas contained in oxygen.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The first embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 is different from the first embodiment in that the filter unit 120 is provided and the return water to be returned to the container 103 is irradiated with UV. Note that, in the second embodiment, a portion corresponding to that of the first embodiment is indicated by 100, and description of the same part is omitted. Further, the detailed configuration of the electrolytic cell 104 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 102 of the hydrogen water generating apparatus 101 controls the pump 119 to draw up raw water from the container 103 through the suction port 112 </ b> A of the pipe 112 and supplies the raw water to the filter unit 120. Although not shown, the pump 119, the control valve 121, and the UV irradiation unit 122 are driven under the control of the control unit 102.

  The filter unit 120 is a filtration device made of, for example, an RO membrane (Reverse Osmosis Membrane). By filtering, a part of the filter unit 120 is supplied to the electrolytic cell 104 as filter water, and the rest is returned to the container 103 via the pipe 111.

  The electrolytic cell 104 electrolyzes the supplied filter water and supplies hydrogen water supplied from the cathode chamber 51 (FIG. 3) to the storage tank 106. Further, the electrolytic cell 104 supplies oxygen water supplied from the anode chamber 52 to the pipe 111 as return water.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the return water that is returned to the container 103 through the discharge port 111 </ b> A of the pipe 111 includes unfiltered water that has not been filtered by the filter unit 120 and oxygen water. .

  A UV irradiation unit 122 is installed in the pipe 111, and the return water is sterilized by the UV irradiation unit 122 and returned to the container 103 from the return port 111 </ b> A in a substantially sterile state. Although not shown, it is preferable to use the UV irradiation unit 122 configured to irradiate UV at a short distance from the UV lamp by passing water around the UV lamp so as to surround it.

  In this way, when the operation unit 109 is operated by the user, a valve provided in a pipe (not shown) connecting the storage tank 106 and the hydrogen water providing unit 110 is opened, and the hydrogen water providing unit 110 Hydrogen water is provided and a return water sterilization process is performed.

  In addition to such a configuration, in the hydrogen water generating apparatus 101 of the present embodiment, a circulation sterilization process for sterilizing in the UV irradiation unit 122 while circulating the raw water in the container 103 is performed by changing the path by the control valve 121. Has been made.

  As described above, the pipes 111 and 112 for connecting the hydrogen water are connected to the filter unit 120, and when the hydrogen water is supplied from the hydrogen water providing unit 110, the pump 112 is pumped up from the pipe 112 to the filter unit 120. While the raw water is supplied, the return water returns to the container 103 through the pipe 111.

  A bypass pipe 123 connecting these pipes 111 and 112 is connected, and a control valve 121 is provided at a position where the pipe 112 and the bypass pipe 123 branch. The control valve 121 has a switching valve, and opens one path and closes the other path.

  In other words, the hydrogen water generating apparatus 101 bypasses the raw water supplied from the pipe 112 to the filter unit 120 and returns the return water to the container 103 through the pipe 111 and the raw water pumped up from the pipe 112 as a pipe path. There is a circulation path for circulating the raw water in the container 103 by passing it through the pipe 123 to the pipe 111 and returning it to the container 103 as circulating water. The supply path and the circulation path are upstream of the branch point of the pipe 112 with the bypass pipe 123 and downstream of the branch point of the bypass pipe 123 of the pipe 111. A UV irradiation unit 122 is provided in the common part.

  In the hydrogen water generating apparatus 101, when hydrogen water is being supplied, the pipe 112 is opened by the control valve 121 and the bypass pipe 123 is closed to open the pipe 112 and the filter unit 120, thereby providing raw water. Is supplied to the filter unit 120.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when hydrogen water is not supplied, the hydrogen water generator 101 closes the pipe 112 and opens the bypass pipe 123 with the control valve 121, thereby opening the bypass pipe 123 and the pipe. 111 is opened, and the raw water is returned to the container 103 as circulating water via the pipe 111. Note that a check valve that prevents water from flowing from the pipe 111 to the filter unit 120 may be provided between the bypass pipe 123 and the filter unit 120 in the pipe 111.

  The circulating water is sterilized by the UV irradiation unit 122 provided in the pipe 111 and returns to the container 103. As a result, the hydrogen water generator 101 can circulate and sterilize the raw water stored in the container 103. The hydrogen water generating apparatus 101 is periodically circulated by a timer control of the control unit 102 so as to circulate and sterilize for a predetermined circulation time every predetermined standby time (for example, every 2 hours for 5 minutes). It is preferable to perform sterilization treatment. Of course, the sterilization treatment may be performed all the time while the hydrogen water is not supplied. For example, it may be performed at an arbitrary timing such as when a button is pressed, or may be performed by appropriately selecting a plurality of these. Further, for example, the standby time and the circulation time can be set according to the outside air temperature. Thereby, the interval and processing time of a sterilization process can be set according to the propagation speed of various bacteria, and propagation of various bacteria can be suppressed effectively.

  In the second embodiment, the supply path and the circulation path are switched by switching the control valve 121. However, for example, the pumps 119X and 119Y to be used like the hydrogen water generator 101X in FIG. The supply path and the circulation path may be switched by switching the. In this case, the pump 119X is disposed in the middle of the bypass pipe 123 in the circulation path, and the pump 119Y is disposed after the branch point with the bypass pipe 123 in the pipe 112 and before the branch point with the bypass pipe 123 in the pipe 111. The

  In the second embodiment, the raw water is supplied to the filter unit 120 in the supply path, but may be supplied to the electrolytic cell 104 as shown in FIG. In this case, high-purity water is preferably used as the raw water in the container 103. Even in this case, propagation of miscellaneous bacteria in the raw water in the container 103 can be remarkably suppressed by the W effect of the water sterilization treatment (return water sterilization treatment and circulation sterilization treatment).

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the water sterilization treatment of the present invention is applied to the hydrogen water generating apparatus that generates hydrogen water. However, as shown in FIG. The raw water may be applied to the water server 201 supplied as it is or after adding a specific component (for example, hydrogen or mineral). Even in this case, it is possible to obtain the effect of the present invention that suppresses the propagation of germs in the container 103 by performing the circulation sterilization process when water is not provided from the water providing unit 110. In the configuration of FIG. 9, return water is not generated, but instead of having the UV irradiation unit 122 in the pipe 112 connected to the water providing unit 110, the water in the container 103 sucked up through the pipe 112 is reduced. Then, a sterilization process similar to the return water sterilization process is performed. Thereby, the germs of both the water provided by one UV irradiation part 122 and the water stored in the container 103 can be suppressed.

  Further, the configurations of the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above can be combined as appropriate.

  Next, the water sterilization processing procedure RT1 executed according to the water sterilization program will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When the power is turned on, the control unit 102 starts a water sterilization process and proceeds to step SP101. In step SP101, the control unit 102 monitors the operation unit 109 to determine whether or not an instruction to start supplying hydrogen water has been issued. If a positive result is obtained here, this indicates that hydrogen water needs to be supplied. At this time, the control unit 102 proceeds to the next step SP102.

  In step SP102, if the control part 102 switches a piping path as needed so that a piping path may become a supply path, it will transfer to following step SP103.

  In step SP103, the control unit 102 starts the supply of raw water by turning on the UV irradiation unit 122 and the pump 119 to start the return water sterilization process, and then proceeds to the next step SP104.

  In step SP104, the control unit 102 monitors the operation unit 109 to determine whether or not an instruction to end the supply of hydrogen water has been issued. If a negative result is obtained here, the control unit 102 remains in step SP104 and waits for an end instruction for the supply of hydrogen water.

  If an affirmative result is obtained in step SP104, this means that it is necessary to stop the supply of hydrogen water and the return water sterilization process, so the process proceeds to the next step SP105.

  On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP101, this indicates a standby state in which hydrogen water is not supplied. At this time, the control unit 102 proceeds to the next step SP110.

  In step SP110, the control unit 102 determines whether or not the time from the previous circulation sterilization process to the current time has exceeded a preset standby time. When a negative result is obtained here, the control unit 102 returns to step SP101 and continues the water sterilization process.

  On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP110, the control unit 102 proceeds to next step SP111. In step SP111, if the control part 102 switches a piping path as needed so that a piping path may become a circulation path, it will transfer to following step SP113.

  In step SP113, the control unit 102 starts the circulation sterilization process by turning on the UV irradiation unit 122 and the pump 119 and starting the supply of raw water, and then proceeds to the next step SP114.

  In step SP114, the control unit 102 determines whether or not the time from the start of the circulation sterilization process to the present time exceeds a predetermined circulation time set in advance. If a negative result is obtained here, the process stays at step SP114, and the circulation sterilization process is continued until the circulation time ends.

  On the other hand, if an affirmative result is obtained in step SP114, this means that the circulation sterilization process needs to be ended, and at this time, the control unit 102 proceeds to the next step SP105.

  In step SP105, when the control unit 102 turns off the UV irradiation unit 122 and the pump 119 to stop the supply of raw water and the sterilization of return water or circulating water, the control unit 102 proceeds to the next step SP120.

  In step SP120, the control unit 102 confirms whether or not the power is turned off. If a negative result is obtained, the control unit 102 returns to step SP101 and continues the water sterilization process.

  On the other hand, when a positive result is obtained in step SP120, the control unit 102 moves to an end step and ends the process.

  As described above, the control unit 102 of the hydrogen water generation apparatus 101 is configured to periodically sterilize the raw water in the container 103 when hydrogen water is not supplied.

  Hereinafter, the features of the invention group extracted from the above-described embodiment will be described while showing effects and the like as necessary. In the following, for easy understanding, the corresponding configuration in each of the above embodiments is appropriately shown in parentheses, but is not limited to the specific configuration shown in parentheses. In addition, the meanings and examples of terms described in each feature may be applied as the meanings and examples of terms described in other features described in the same wording.

According to the above configuration, the water supply device (hydrogen water generation device 101, water server 201)
A container of water,
A pipe (pipe 112) for sucking up water contained in the container;
A pump (pump 119) that powers up water;
A water discharge unit (hydrogen water providing unit 110) for discharging water;
It has the bacteria suppression part (UV irradiation part 122) which suppresses the proliferation of bacteria in the water in a container, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  Thereby, since the water supply apparatus can suppress the breeding of bacteria in the container, various troubles caused by the breeding of bacteria can be prevented in advance.

Piping is
A supply path (pipe 112) connected to the water discharge part, a circulation path (pipe 112 and bypass pipe 123) for returning the water sucked up from the container to the container, and a switching part (control valve 121) for switching between the supply path and the circulation path Have
Bacteria suppression part
It is provided in the common part of a supply path and a circulation path, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  Thereby, the water supply apparatus can supply water to a discharge part, or can return water to a container after performing a bacteria suppression process by switching by a switching part.

The hydrogen water supply apparatus (hydrogen water generation apparatus 101) of the present invention includes:
A container of water,
A first pipe (pipe 112) for sucking up water contained in the container;
A pump (pump 119) that powers up water;
An electrolytic cell (electrolytic cell 104) that electrolyzes the raw water using water contained in the container as raw water, generates hydrogen from the cathode, and generates oxygen from the anode;
A hydrogen water discharge unit (hydrogen water providing unit 110) for discharging hydrogen water containing hydrogen;
A second pipe (pipe 111) for returning a part of the sucked-up water to the container as return water;
It has the bacteria suppression part (UV irradiation part 122) which suppresses the proliferation of bacteria in the water in a container, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  Thereby, even if it is a case where the return water which a bacteria tends to propagate by having been sucked up once is returned in the container, the hydrogen water supply device can suppress the bacteria from propagating in the water in the container.

Furthermore, the hydrogen water supply apparatus has a control unit (control unit 102) that controls the bacteria suppression unit,
Bacteria suppression part
It is a UV irradiation unit that irradiates UV (UltraViolet),
The control unit
When draining hydrogen water,
Irradiate the return water with UV,
When hydrogen water is not discharged,
The water in the container is sucked up and irradiated with UV.

  Thereby, the hydrogen water supply apparatus can suppress the propagation of bacteria by a simple method of irradiating UV.

The hydrogen water supply device has a filter unit (filter unit 120) for filtering water in the container,
The second pipe is
As the return water, at least concentrated water that has not been filtered by the filter unit is returned to the container.

  As a result, once the hydrogen water supply device has entered the filter section, it can effectively sterilize concentrated water that may be contaminated with germs and return it to the container, so that the raw water in the container can be used without waste. can do.

The hydrogen water supply apparatus includes a supply path that passes through the first pipe, the filter unit, and the second pipe, a bypass pipe that bypasses the first pipe, the first and second pipes, and a circulation path that passes through the second pipe. And a switching unit for switching between
UV is
Provided in the common part of the supply path and the circulation path,
The control unit
When draining hydrogen water,
Irradiate the return water from the supply path with UV,
When hydrogen water is not discharged, UV is irradiated to the circulating water from the circulation path.

  Thereby, the hydrogen water supply device can perform sterilization processing on both the return water and the circulating water with one UV, and can simplify the configuration.

In the hydrogen water supply device, the switching unit is
It is a control valve capable of switching between a supply path and a circulation path by opening a valve for one path and closing a valve for the other path.

  Thereby, the hydrogen water supply apparatus can switch a supply path | route and a circulation path | route reliably by switching of the valve using a control valve.

The hydrogen water supply device has a control unit that controls the bacteria suppression unit,
Bacteria suppression part
It consists of a UV irradiation unit that irradiates UV (UltraViolet) and an oxygen water supply unit that supplies oxygen water containing oxygen to the container.
The control unit
When draining hydrogen water,
While supplying at least oxygen water as return water to the container, the oxygen water is irradiated with UV,
When hydrogen water is not discharged,
The water in the container is sucked up and irradiated with UV.

  As a result, the hydrogen water supply device can return the oxygen water having a sterilizing effect to the container when the hydrogen water is discharged, and can suck and sterilize the water in the container when the hydrogen water is not discharged. The bactericidal effect can be increased.

In the hydrogen water supply device, the electrolytic cell is
A first raw water supply port which is provided at or near the bottom surface and through which raw water is supplied to a cathode chamber having a cathode;
A hydrogen water discharge port provided at a position diagonal to the first raw water supply port at the top surface or near the top surface;
A second raw water supply port that is provided at or near the bottom surface and through which raw water is supplied to an anode chamber having an anode;
In the top surface or in the vicinity of the top surface, the second raw water supply port is provided at a position diagonal to the oxygen water discharge port through which oxygen water is discharged.

  Thereby, the hydrogen water supply device can effectively extract oxygen and return it to the container, and can suppress the growth of bacteria in the container.

The water supply device has a container with water,
A pump that powers up the water in the container;
A water discharge section for discharging water;
A bacteria suppression unit that suppresses the growth of bacteria in the water in the container;
It has a control unit that controls the bacteria suppression unit,
Bacteria suppression part
It is a UV irradiation unit that irradiates UV (UltraViolet),
The control unit
When draining water,
After irradiating the sucked-up water with UV, supply it to the water discharge unit,
When not draining water
After the water in the container is sucked up and irradiated with UV, the water is returned to the container.

  Thereby, since the water supply apparatus can sterilize the water in the container, it is possible to prevent various troubles caused by the growth of bacteria in the container.

  The present invention can be applied to, for example, a hydrogen water generator installed in a home or office.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Hydrogen water production | generation apparatus 2: Control part 3: Container 4: Electrolyzer 6: Storage tank 6A, 122: UV irradiation part 9: Operation part 10: Hydrogen water provision part 11, 12: Piping 11A: The other end 19,119 : Pump 41: first raw water supply port 42: second raw water supply port 43: cathode 44: anode 46: diaphragm 48: hydrogen water discharge port 49: oxygen water discharge port 51: cathode chamber 52: anode chamber 120: filter Part 121: Control valve 123: Bypass pipe

In order to solve such a problem, the hydrogen water supply device of the present invention includes:
A hydrogen water generator for supplying hydrogen water containing hydrogen ,
A container for storing water that is not connected to the water supply ;
Electrolyzing the raw water with water contained in the vessel as raw water, generating hydrogen from the cathode, and generating oxygen from the anode;
A first pipe for supplying water contained in the container to the electrolytic cell ;
A hydrogen water discharge unit for discharging hydrogen water containing hydrogen generated from the cathode ;
A second pipe for returning water containing oxygen generated from the anode to the container as return water ;
A bypass pipe that bypasses the first pipe and the second pipe;
UV irradiation which irradiates UV (UltraViolet) with respect to the water which is provided in the said container side rather than the said bypass pipe in said 1st piping or said 2nd piping, and passes through said 1st piping or said 2nd piping. And
To come and not discharging the hydrogen water, the bypass pipe from the first pipe, said by irradiating the UV water in the container by passing the second pipe, the water after UV irradiation And a control unit that controls to return to the inside of the container .

A hydrogen water generation method for supplying hydrogen water containing hydrogen,
Water supplied from a container not connected to the water supply is used as raw water, and the raw water is electrolyzed to produce hydrogen from the cathode and oxygen from the anode.
While discharging the hydrogen water containing hydrogen from the hydrogen water discharge unit, supplying the oxygen-containing water as return water to the container,
When discharging the hydrogen water, the return water is irradiated with the UV,
To come and not discharging the hydrogen water, is irradiated with the UV to water in the container, the hydrogen water producing method characterized by returning the water after UV irradiation in the container.

The present invention can realize a hydrogen water supply device and water Motomi generating method capable of suppressing bacterial growth in the container.

Claims (15)

A container of water,
A pipe for sucking up water contained in the container;
A pump that powers up the water;
A water discharge part for discharging the water;
A water supply apparatus, comprising: a bacteria suppression unit that suppresses bacterial growth in water in the container. The piping is
A supply path connected to the water discharge section, a circulation path for returning water sucked up from the container to the container, and a switching section for switching between the supply path and the circulation path,
The bacteria suppression part is
The water supply device according to claim 1, wherein the water supply device is provided in a common part of the supply path and the circulation path. A container of water,
A first pipe for sucking up water contained in the container;
A pump that powers up the water;
Electrolyzing the raw water with water contained in the vessel as raw water, generating hydrogen from the cathode, and generating oxygen from the anode;
A hydrogen water discharge part for discharging the hydrogen water containing hydrogen;
A second pipe for returning a part of the sucked-up water to the container as return water;
A hydrogen water supply apparatus, comprising: a bacteria suppression unit that suppresses bacterial growth in water in the container. A control unit for controlling the bacteria suppression unit;
The bacteria suppression part is
It is a UV irradiation unit that irradiates UV (UltraViolet),
The controller is
When discharging the hydrogen water,
Irradiating the return water with the UV;
When the hydrogen water is not discharged,
The hydrogen water supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein water in the container is sucked up and irradiated with the UV. Having a filter part for filtering water in the container;
The second pipe is
5. The hydrogen water supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least concentrated water that has not been filtered by the filter unit is returned to the container as the return water. A supply path that passes through the first pipe, the filter unit, and the second pipe, a bypass pipe that bypasses the first pipe, the first and second pipes, and a circulation path that passes through the second pipe And a switching unit for switching between
The UV is
Provided in a common part of the supply path and the circulation path;
The controller is
When discharging the hydrogen water,
Irradiating the return water from the supply path with the UV;
The hydrogen water supply apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the hydrogen water is not discharged, the UV is irradiated to the circulating water from the circulation path. The switching unit is
The hydrogen water supply device according to claim 6, wherein the control valve is a control valve capable of switching between the supply path and the circulation path by opening a valve for one path and closing a valve for the other path. . The bacteria suppression part is
The hydrogen water supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the oxygen is supplied to the container. The second pipe is
The hydrogen water supply device according to claim 3, further comprising: returning water discharged from the anode to the container as the return water. The bacteria suppression part is
The hydrogen water supply apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a UV irradiation unit that sucks up water in the container and irradiates UV (UltraViolet). The water is
The hydrogen water supply device according to claim 8, wherein the water is high-purity water having a conductivity of 50 μS / cm or less. The bacteria suppression part is
A UV irradiation unit that irradiates UV (UltraViolet), and an oxygen water supply unit that supplies oxygen water containing oxygen to the container,
The controller is
When discharging the hydrogen water,
While supplying at least oxygen water as the return water to the container, the oxygen water is irradiated with the UV,
When the hydrogen water is not discharged,
The hydrogen water supply apparatus according to claim 6, wherein water in the container is sucked up and irradiated with the UV. The electrolytic cell is
A first raw water supply port provided near the bottom surface or near the bottom surface, to which the raw water is supplied to a cathode chamber having the cathode;
A hydrogen water discharge port provided at a position diagonal to the first raw water supply port at the top surface or near the top surface;
A second raw water supply port provided near the bottom surface or near the bottom surface, to which the raw water is supplied to an anode chamber having the anode;
12. The oxygen water discharge port provided at a position diagonal to the second raw water supply port at or near the top surface, wherein oxygen water is discharged. 12. The hydrogen water supply device described in 1. Water contained in the container is used as raw water, the raw water is electrolyzed, hydrogen is produced from the cathode, and oxygen is produced from the anode.
Discharging the hydrogen water containing hydrogen from the hydrogen water supply unit;
The hydrogen water generating method, wherein the oxygen is supplied to the container. A container of water,
A pump that powers up the water in the container;
A water discharge part for discharging the water;
A bacteria suppression unit that suppresses bacterial growth in the water in the container;
A control unit for controlling the bacteria suppression unit;
The bacteria suppression part is
It is a UV irradiation unit that irradiates UV (UltraViolet),
The controller is
When draining the water,
After irradiating the sucked water with UV, it is supplied to the water discharge unit,
When the water is not discharged,
The water supply device, wherein water in the container is sucked up and irradiated with the UV, and then returned to the container.

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