JP3670872B2 - Drinking water supply device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a drinking water supply equipment having a bactericidal function in the vending machine, beverage dispenser water cooler ice maker or household water purifier or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a drinking water supply device having a sterilizing function, drinking water such as tap water containing chlorine ions introduced from a water source is electrolyzed to contain active chlorine, and this water is supplied as sterilizing drinking water. Drinking water supply devices are known. In order to perform electrolysis, for example, an active chlorine is generated by providing an electrode in a cis-turn open to the atmosphere and energizing the electrode. However, such a cistern has a problem that the stored water is in contact with the atmosphere, so that the loss of chlorine becomes large and airborne bacteria are mixed to contaminate the stored water.
[0003]
In order to solve the above problems, a drinking water supply apparatus having a sealed chlorine generator that performs electrolysis in the process of passing drinking water flowing through a passage is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-1149. In this drinking water supply device, air is vented in the passage on the upstream side of the chlorine generator to prevent variation in the amount of water supply due to air mixing into the drinking water, and in a state where drinking water and air are mixed. It also prevents a decrease in electrolysis efficiency due to being supplied to the generator.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, according to the drinking water supply device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-1149, since air mixed in drinking water is drawn upstream of the chlorine generator, air is mixed in the passage downstream from this portion. However, this cannot be removed. Moreover, when electrolysis of drinking water with a chlorine generator, oxygen gas and the like are generated from the positive electrode, and hydrogen gas is generated from the negative electrode. The generation of these electrolysis gases is caused by the chlorine generator. There is a problem that the electrolysis efficiency is lowered and the desired chlorine concentration necessary for sterilization cannot be obtained.
[0005]
Now, an electrode is inserted so that 120 mm is submerged in a sealed container supplied with water having an electrical conductivity of 274 μs / cm, a water temperature of 24.8 ° C., and a chlorine ion concentration of 20 ppm, and a constant current of 800 mA is supplied to this electrode for 150 seconds. When the electrolysis is performed, the electrolysis gas generated at this time lowers the liquid level due to the pressure increase in the sealed container. The amount of gas generated and the amount of liquid level drop at this time are shown in the following table.
[Table 1]
And if the contact area of the electrode provided in the electrolytic cell and the stored water fluctuates due to such a decrease in the liquid level, the chlorine generation efficiency decreases. This is illustrated by Equation 1 below.
[Expression 1]
The efficiency η that can generate chlorine shown in Formula 1 is the amount of chlorine generated if the water quality to be electrolyzed is the same when the supply current I, which is a constant current, and the energization time t supplied to the electrodes are constant. ρ is proportional to the amount of drinking water v to be electrolyzed. Therefore, unless the amount of water in contact with the electrode is made constant, the generated chlorine concentration changes, and a beverage having a predetermined chlorine concentration cannot be stably supplied. Furthermore, when the length of the submerged portions of the electrodes 40A and 40B is reduced from 120 mm to 110 mm or less, the current density is increased and the consumption of the electrodes is accelerated. Accordingly, an object is to provide a drinking water supply equipment that can prevent the efficiency reduction of the electrolysis by releasing electrolysis gases such as hydrogen gas and oxygen gas generated during the electrolysis of the present invention.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electrolysis tank to which drinking water containing chlorine ions is supplied, a pair of electrodes for electrolyzing the drinking water stored in the electrolysis tank, and the beverage A discharge part that discharges gas generated during electrolysis of water is connected to a water source, and the electrode is energized during the operation of supplying drinking water based on the supply water pressure from the water source, so that the electrolyzed drinking water is supplied. A chlorine generator to be supplied, an energization time register for measuring the energization time to the electrode and storing the accumulated time, and controlling the opening and closing of the discharge unit based on the accumulated value of the accumulated time in the energization time register And a drinking water supply device including a control unit .
[0009]
In the above-described drinking water supply apparatus, the electrolysis tank is an air-blocking container that stores drinking water introduced from a water source, and preferably has a configuration in which a pair of electrodes is immersed in the stored water. The discharge part may be provided in the electrolysis tank. The connecting pipe line may have a cooling coil for cooling the drinking water. As a cooling coil, the structure formed so that several cups of the drinking water after electrolysis may be stored is preferable.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the drinking water supply apparatus of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0011]
FIG. 1 (a) shows a chlorine generator in the first embodiment of the present invention, a cylindrical electrolysis tank 40 having electrodes 40A and 40B for electrolysis therein, and an end of the electrolysis tank 40. Cover members 41A and 41B for sealing the parts, bolts 43 provided through the cover members 41A and 41B, and nuts for screwing the bolts 43 and fixing the cover members 41A and 41B to both ends of the electrolysis tank 40 42, a gas vent pipe 4A for exhausting electrolyzed gas such as hydrogen gas and oxygen gas generated by the electrolysis of tap water to the outside, and a gas vent valve (not shown) provided in the gas vent pipe 4A The electrolysis gas containing water vapor is exhausted through the degassing pipe 4A based on the opening of the degassing valve. As the gas vent valve, a ball type check valve that is opened when the balance between the pressure in the electrolysis tank 40 and the weight of the ball is lost is used. The electrolysis tank 40 has an outer diameter φ1 of 43 mm, an inner diameter φ2 of 40 mm, a height h of 130 mm, a length l of the electrodes 40A and 40B of 120 mm, and a capacity of 152 cc. In the chlorine generator 4, the electrolysis tank 40 and the lid member 41A or 41B may be integrally formed.
[0012]
The lid member 41A has a connection part 41a of the supply pipeline 3 and a connection part 41b of the gas vent pipe 4A. The lid member 41 </ b> B has a connection portion 41 c of the supply pipeline 5.
[0013]
FIG. 1B shows a cross section taken along the line AA of FIG. 1A, and the electrolysis tank 40 has a pair of electrodes 40A and 40B formed of titanium on a platinum-based coating alloy. The electrodes 40A and 40B are formed with a width w of 36 mm and an electrode interval g of 3 mm, and are in contact with the stored water in the electrolysis tank 40 on both the front and back electrode surfaces, that is, immersed in the stored water. It is provided in the electrolysis tank 40 so as to be in a state, and the length of the submerged portion is set to 120 mm. In the figure, the electrode 40A is a positive electrode and the electrode 40B is a negative electrode, and is connected to a constant current device (not shown) as a power supply device. Then, by applying a constant current of 800 mA to the electrodes 40A and 40B for 7 seconds, 0.7 ppm of active chlorine can be generated. In this case, the current density of the electrode is about 1.85 A / dm2.
A large amount of electrolysis gas accumulates in the electrolysis tank 40 due to electrolysis, the gas pressure in the tank becomes high, the balance between the gas pressure and the weight of the ball is lost, and the gas vent valve is opened, so that the electrolysis gas is Exit. At this time, by setting a ball type check valve so that the electrolysis gas is degassed until the water level is lowered by about 5 mm in the electrolysis tank 40, the current density is about 1 at the maximum. .93 A / dm2 or so. Therefore, it does not exceed the current density value of 2.00 A / dm2, which is assumed to place a burden on the electrodes, and the consumption of the electrodes 40A and 40B is small. The gas vent valve is not limited to the ball type check valve, and may be constituted by, for example, an electromagnetic valve. In this case, the pressure in the tank is detected and the electromagnetic valve is opened based on the detected pressure. .
The electrode can also be prevented from being consumed by changing the positive electrode and the negative electrode at predetermined energization time intervals.
[0014]
Even if such a degassing mechanism is provided, about 80% or more of the gas flows out from the chlorine generator container downstream. In order to reduce this, it is also conceivable to provide a separation filter in the gas purge section so as to separate the gas phase and the liquid phase and effectively discharge the gas phase portion. Further, a member that changes the flow in the vicinity of the connection portion between the supply line 5 on the discharge side of the chlorine generator 4 and the electrolysis tank 40, for example, the shape of the chlorine generator 4 is made convex or is introduced into the chlorine generator 4. The supply line 3 and the supply line 5 flowing out from the chlorine generator 4 are alternately positioned so that the water flow is turbulent in the electrolysis tank. Specifically, a structure is adopted in which the gas generated by electrolysis is not directly pulled into the supply line 5 flowing out from the low pressure chlorine generator 4 . Furthermore, you may provide what becomes resistance with respect to sales object in a container.
[0015]
The above-mentioned chlorine generator can reliably generate a predetermined chlorine concentration by discharging an electrolysis gas such as hydrogen gas and oxygen gas generated in the electrolysis tank during electrolysis. -Works as an effective sterilizing function member by incorporating it into a drinking water supply device such as a water cooler, ice maker or household water purifier.
[0016]
FIG. 2 shows a drinking water supply apparatus according to the present invention, which is connected to a water intake pipe 1 connected to a water tap 1B provided in the water pipe 1A, a water intake valve 1C provided in the water intake pipe 1, and a water intake pipe 1. A water filter 2 that filters tap water to produce filtered water (hereinafter referred to as supply water), and a chlorine generator that is connected to the water filter 2 through a supply line 3 and has positive and negative electrodes for electrolysis of supply water 4, a water supply electromagnetic valve 6 connected to the chlorine generator 4 via the supply line 5, and a water supply electromagnetic valve 6 connected to the supply line 7 via the supply line 7, and drinking water after electrolysis (hereinafter referred to as sales water) A supply pump 8 for pressure-feeding downstream), a cooling coil 10 connected to the supply pump 8 and the supply pipe 9 for cooling the sales water, and a cooling water for cooling the sales water passing through the cooling coil 10 Cooling water tank 10B for storing 10A, cooling coil 10 and supply pipe 11, a flow regulator 12 for controlling the flow rate of sales water, a solenoid valve 14 connected via the flow regulator 12 and the supply line 13, and a connection via the solenoid valve 14 and the supply line 15. And a drip tray 38 through which the cooling water 10A overflowed in the cooling water tank 10B is discharged via the overflow water pipe 38A. In addition to the sales water, syrup from a syrup supply pipe (not shown) and carbonated water from a carbonator are introduced into the valve 17, and these are mixed in the valve 17 and poured into the cup 16 as a carbonated beverage. Therefore, sales water is used as dilution water for diluting syrup and carbonated water.
[0017]
The water filter 2 incorporates an activated carbon filter having an activated carbon packed layer as a filter member, and is provided with a check valve 2 </ b> A that prevents filtered water from flowing backward in the intake pipe 1.
[0018]
The supply pipes 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15 are formed of polyethylene tubes, and the cooling coil 10 is formed of a stainless steel pipe having excellent heat conductivity. The supply pipes 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15 have an inner diameter of 4 mm, and the cooling coil 10 has an inner diameter of 5.5 mm.
[0019]
The chlorine generator 4 has a structure for temporarily storing the supplied water. It has a gas vent pipe 4A for exhausting the electrolyzed gas such as hydrogen gas and oxygen gas generated by the electrolysis of the feed water to the outside, and an electromagnetic gas vent valve 4B provided in the gas vent pipe 4A, and contains water vapor. The electrolysis gas is exhausted into the cooling tank water 10A of the cooling water tank 10B through the gas vent pipe 4A based on the opening of the gas vent valve 4B. In addition to the cooling water tank 10B, for example, the gas-liquid mixture discharged together with the electrolysis gas from the chlorine generator 4 may be discharged into the waste liquid of the waste liquid bucket or the drip tray 38, for example.
[0020]
FIG. 3 shows the drinking water capacity of each part in the beverage dispenser, and the chlorine generator 4 to the valve 17 are formed so as to secure four cups of water for sale with a cup of 150 cc. In particular, the supply line from the chlorine generator 4 to the cooling coil 10 is formed so as to secure 1.5 cups of sales water.
[0021]
FIG. 4 shows a control block of the beverage dispenser shown in FIG. 2. The power supply circuit 18 applies a DC voltage to the electrodes 40A and 40B, and sets the ON / OFF time of the power supply circuit 18 and from the end of water supply. A timer 19 that measures time, a water supply signal generator 20 that generates a water supply signal when the sales switch unit 20A is operated and a water supply command P1 is input, and an energization stop signal in the event of a natural disaster such as an earthquake or an abnormality such as a water outage , An energization time register 22 that measures energization time and stores the accumulated time, a power supply circuit 18, a water supply electromagnetic valve 6, a supply pump 8, a gas vent valve 4B, an electromagnetic valve 14, and water intake It has the control part 23 which controls the valve 1C.
[0022]
FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing the energization operation of the chlorine generator 4, and the operation of the beverage dispenser will be described based on this timing chart.
[0023]
FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing the energization operation of the chlorine generator 4, and the operation of the drinking water supply apparatus of the present invention will be described based on this timing chart.
[0024]
At time t1, when a water supply signal based on the water supply command P1 is input from the water supply signal generation unit 20 to the control unit 23, the intake valve 1C, the water supply electromagnetic valve 6, and the electromagnetic valve 14 are turned on and the supply pump 8 is driven. Tap water is supplied to the water filter 2 from the intake pipe 1 connected to the water tap 1B and filtered. The supply time of tap water is 5 seconds, and the supply amount is 150 cc. The filtered supply water is supplied via the supply line 3 based on the tap water pressure and stored in the chlorine generator 4. The power supply circuit 18 energizes the electrodes 40A and 40B for 7 seconds when the drive signal S1 is input from the controller 23.
[0025]
For example, when 800 mA is supplied to the electrodes 40A and 40B under a current density of 1.85 A / dm 2, by supplying electricity to tap water having a chlorine ion concentration of 25 ppm and conductivity of 250 μs in the Kanto region for 7 seconds, Osaka By supplying electricity for 4 seconds to tap water having a chlorine ion concentration of 45 ppm and an electrical conductivity of 300 μs, sales water containing 0.7 ppm of active chlorine is generated. Here, the Kanto and Osaka areas are explained as an example, but the national water quality is said to be 90% of the national water quality in the range of chloride ion concentration 5-50ppm and conductivity 50-500μs / cm. These ranges are also applicable. In this way, since a predetermined amount is stored in the electrolysis tank 40, the energization can be extended as necessary even after the sales time of 5 seconds has passed depending on a certain time. Decomposition can be performed to obtain a constant chlorine concentration.
[0026]
When the electrodes 40A and 40B are energized, the chlorine generator 4 emits electrons from the positive electrode 40A immersed in tap water, and the chlorine ions Cl− release electrons to generate active chlorine Cl2, which is dissolved in tap water. Sales water containing active chlorine with an effective chlorine concentration of 0.7 ppm is produced. Since the solubility of chlorine in 100 g of water (water temperature: 10 ° C.) is 0.9972 g, most of the generated active chlorine is dissolved in the sales water, and the sales water has bactericidal properties.
[0027]
On the other hand, when electrolysis is performed, oxygen gas is generated in the positive electrode 40A in addition to active chlorine, and hydrogen gas is generated in the negative electrode 40B. Most of these gases are not dissolved in drinking water. It is stored in the chlorine generator 4 while containing a small amount of water vapor. When the residual gas amount is increased by several times of electrolysis and the gas pressure is increased and the liquid level in the electrolysis tank 40 is pushed down, the contact area between the electrodes 40A and 40B and the stored water becomes small. For this reason, there is a problem that the current density increases and exceeds 2.00 A / dm 2, increasing the burden on the electrode.
[0028]
Therefore, the beverage dispenser according to this embodiment stores the cumulative energization time of the electrodes 40A and 40B in the energization time register 22, and the control unit 23 opens the gas vent valve 4B when the cumulative time reaches a predetermined value. Control. When the gas vent valve 4B is opened, the residual gas is discharged into the cooling water 10A stored in the cooling water tank 10B through the gas vent pipe 4A. For example, when the cumulative time reaches 150 seconds, the control unit 23 outputs a gas vent signal Pn. The control unit 23 opens the gas vent valve 4B based on the input of the gas vent signal, so that the electrolyzed gas such as oxygen gas and hydrogen gas generated by electrolysis during this period is supplied to the cooling water tank 10B through the gas vent pipe 4A. In the cooling water 10A.
At this time, the accumulated time of the energization time register 22 is set so that degassing is performed when a water level drop of about 5 mm occurs in the electrolysis tank 40 due to generation of electrolysis gas by electrolysis. When the water level drop in the electrolysis tank 40 is about 5 mm, the current density of the electrode is also about 1.93 A / dm2 at the maximum and does not exceed the upper limit of 2.00 A / dm2, and the electrodes 40A and 40B are consumed. Less is.
The control unit 23 then controls the degassing valve 4B to close after degassing and clears the accumulated time stored in the energization time register 22.
[0029]
Thus, the sales water containing the active chlorine in an amount sufficient for sterilization is supplied to the cooling coil 10 via the supply pipe 7, the supply pump 8, and the supply pipe 9, and passes through the cooling coil 10. To be cooled. Sales water cooled by the cooling coil 10 is poured from the valve 17 to the cup 16 via the supply pipe 11, the flow regulator 12, the supply pipe 13, the electromagnetic valve 14, and the supply pipe 15.
[0030]
The timer 19 starts measuring time from the end of supplying water for sale water t1 ′, and when there is a new water supply command P2 at time t2 during the time measurement, the timer 19 stops the time measuring operation and resets time data. Based on this water supply command, the control unit 23 outputs a drive signal S2 to the power supply circuit 18, whereby the electrodes 40A and 40B are energized for 7 seconds to perform electrolysis of the supplied water. On the other hand, the timer 19 outputs a time-up signal to the control unit 23 at time tn when there is no water supply command for a predetermined time, for example, 4 hours from the end of water supply t2 ′. When the time-up signal is input from the timer 19, the control unit 23 outputs a drive signal Sn to the power supply circuit 18, whereby the electrodes 40A and 40B are energized for 7 seconds to perform electrolysis of the supplied water.
[0031]
This beverage dispenser opens the electromagnetic degassing valve 4B based on the accumulated value stored in the energization time register 22, but instead of the electromagnetic degassing valve 4B, the pressure rise in the electrolysis tank 40 is increased. It may be a ball type check valve that opens when the balance between the ball and its own weight is lost. Thus, the electrolysis gas such as oxygen gas and hydrogen gas generated during electrolysis is discharged into the cooling water 10A of the cooling water tank 10B through the gas vent pipe 4A based on the opening of the gas vent valve 4B. In addition to preventing the internal pressure of the chlorine generator 4 from increasing, the gas-liquid mixture discharged from the chlorine generator 4 can be accurately treated together with the electrolysis gas such as oxygen gas and hydrogen gas. As a result, the water level in the chlorine generator 4 is kept constant even without a water level sensor, and a decrease in electrolysis efficiency due to electrolysis gas generated during electrolysis is also prevented.
[0032]
By the way, in such a sealed beverage dispenser, the entire supply pipeline including the chlorine generator 4 is shut off from the atmosphere, so that the electrolysis gas generated by electrolysis does not escape reliably from the gas vent valve 4B. There is a risk of swelling. Therefore, as a fail safe to improve safety, a diaphragm or degassing that vents when the electrolysis gas remaining in any place in the supply pipe reaches the predetermined pressure or higher without remaining. It is preferable to provide a safety valve provided with a piece.
[0033]
Further, when the gas vent valve 4B is opened, control is performed so that the internal pressure does not decrease to atmospheric pressure so that outside air does not enter the electrolysis tank 40 and airborne bacteria do not enter. Even if airborne bacteria are temporarily mixed in the sales water at the time of extraction, sterilization or sterilization is performed by acting on the airborne bacteria mixed with active chlorine in the electrolysis tank 40. Further, the gas vent valve 4B may be opened once a day for 10 seconds irrespective of the energization accumulated time. Furthermore, as a discharge destination of the gas-liquid mixture discharged from the chlorine generator 4 together with the electrolysis gas, for example, in the waste liquid in the waste bucket or in the drip tray 38 in addition to the cooling water tank 10B.
[0034]
The beverage dispenser described above is provided with a degassing mechanism in the electrolysis tank 40 of the chlorine generator, but is not limited to this, and an electromagnetic valve for degassing the supply line downstream of the chlorine generator or It is also possible to provide a ball check valve.
[0035]
In order to effectively retain the active chlorine generated by the chlorine generator, the water in the connecting pipe to the valve and the chlorine generator that sells the sales water is retained, and the sales water for at least one supply beverage is retained. It is preferable to adopt a configuration in which By adopting such a configuration, since sales water containing active chlorine by electrolysis remains in the connection pipe line, when the electrolysis is stopped for a long time with a sales interval of sales water, Since it is contaminated from the upstream side near the water source, it is possible to supply sales water having a relatively high chlorine concentration, that is, uncontaminated in the next sales operation. In consideration of the fact that the active chlorine contained in the sales water is less likely to disappear as the water temperature becomes lower, it is preferable to provide a cooling coil for cooling the sales water in this connecting pipe.
[0036]
In the above-described embodiment, the beverage dispenser is described as a drinking water supply device. However, in addition to the beverage dispenser, a water cooler, an ice maker, a vending machine, or a domestic water purifier having a water circuit for feeding drinking water. It can also be provided in the vessel.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the drinking water supply apparatus of the present invention, the chlorine generator is provided with a discharge portion for releasing gas such as hydrogen gas and oxygen gas generated by electrolysis of drinking water, and the energization time to the pair of electrodes When the cumulative time reaches a predetermined cumulative value, the opening and closing of the discharge part is controlled, so that the liquid level of the electrolyzed water is prevented from lowering, so that the current density to the electrode can be prevented from increasing. , Electrode consumption can be reduced. Furthermore, since by performing the energization to the electrode during operation of supplying drinking water based on the supply water pressure from the water source for supplying drinking water after electrolysis, the water having a predetermined chlorine concentration can be stably supplied to .
[Brief description of the drawings]
1A is a side view of a chlorine generator according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2A, and FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing the drinking water capacity of each part of the beverage dispenser shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of the beverage dispenser shown in FIG. Timing chart showing energization operation of a chlorine generator in one embodiment [Explanation of symbols]
1, intake pipe 1A, water pipe 1B, water tap 1C, intake valve 2, water filter 2A, check valve 3, supply pipe 4, chlorine generator 4A, gas vent pipe 4B, gas vent valve 5, supply pipe 6, water supply electromagnetic valve 7, supply line 8, supply pump 9, supply line 10, cooling coil 10A, cooling water 10B, cooling water tank 11, supply line 12, flow regulator 13, supply line 14, electromagnetic valve 15 , Supply line 16, cup 17, valve 18, power supply circuit 19, timer 20, water supply signal generation unit 20A, sales switch unit 21, abnormality detection unit 22, energization time register 23, control unit 40, sealed container 40A, electrode 40B , Electrode 41A, lid member 41B, lid member 41a, connecting portion 41b, connecting portion 41c, connecting portion 42, nut 43, bolt 44, check valve 44A, valve body 44B, spring

Claims (5)

An electrolysis tank to which drinking water containing chlorine ions is supplied;
A pair of electrodes for electrolyzing the drinking water stored in the electrolysis tank;
A beverage after electrolysis, comprising a discharge portion for releasing gas generated during electrolysis of the drinking water, connected to a water source, and energizing the electrode during a drinking water supply operation based on a supply water pressure from the water source. A chlorine generator for supplying water ;
An energization time register for measuring the energization time to the electrode and storing the accumulated time;
A control unit for controlling opening and closing of the discharge unit based on a cumulative value of the cumulative time in the energization time register;
A drinking water supply device comprising: The electrolytic cell is a container of atmosphere shutoff type for storing drinking water introduced from the water source, water supply apparatus constructed as in claim 1 wherein immersing the pair of electrodes in the stored water. Said discharge portion, the water supply device as in claim 1 wherein the electrolysis tank provided configuration. The connecting conduit, drinking water supply apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the structure having a cooling coil for cooling the drinking water. The electrolysis tank is connected to a connection pipe arranged in the cooling water tank, and the connection pipe is formed to cool drinking water and store several cups of the drinking water after electrolysis. The drinking water supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling coil to be operated.