JP6292393B2 - Sanitized water generator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sterilized water generating device that generates and discharges sterilized water containing hypochlorous acid.

  As a device for maintaining hygienic water around a kitchen or the like, a sterilized water generating device has been developed, and its spread has begun. The sterilized water generation device is a device that sterilizes bacteria attached to the sterilization target and suppresses the propagation thereof by generating sterilization water and discharging it toward the sterilization target.

  The sterilized water generating device generates hypochlorous acid by electrolyzing water containing chloride ions, and discharges the water containing hypochlorous acid as sterilized water. As such a sterilized water generating apparatus, there is an apparatus that generates hypochlorous acid from chloride ions contained in tap water. However, since the concentration of chloride ions contained in tap water is low, the concentration of hypochlorous acid contained in the obtained sterilized water is low even when the tap water is electrolyzed as it is, and its sterilization performance is also low. .

  Therefore, by storing a raw material liquid (for example, salt water) containing a high concentration of chloride ions in a tank and electrolyzing the tap water supplied from the outside with the raw material liquid added, A sterilized water generating device configured to generate and discharge chlorous acid has also been devised (see Patent Document 1 below). The sterilized water generating apparatus having such a configuration needs to regularly replenish the tank with tap water and raw material liquid, but can stably generate and discharge high concentration hypochlorous acid. .

JP 2001-198373 A

  By the way, when using the sterilized water generating apparatus in a home kitchen, for example, in order to ensure the design of the kitchen, the main body of the apparatus that generates the sterilized water by disposing only the outlet of the sterilized water on the sink It is desirable to place it in a kitchen cabinet. Thus, when arrange | positioning the disinfection water production | generation apparatus in a cabinet, since the storage space of a cabinet will be taken, it is necessary to comprise the whole apparatus compactly.

  In order to make the entire sterilized water generating apparatus compact, it is required to make the members constituting the apparatus compact. Therefore, it is conceivable that the member for adding salt water to the water is configured to be small, for example, to be cartridge-type replaceable. However, if the cartridge is made small, the amount of salt water to be stored is reduced and the replacement frequency is increased.

  On the other hand, the amount of sterilized water used for sterilization may be small, and the amount of salt water to be supplied is sufficient. Therefore, if a small amount of salt water can be added to the supplied water, the replacement frequency of the member that supplies the salt water can be lowered. In this regard, there is a technique of supplying salt water by pressurizing it with a pump, but it has been difficult to supply a small amount of salt water with such a pressurizing supply method.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and its purpose is to replace a small amount of salt water by allowing a small amount of salt water to be added even if the amount of salt water to be accommodated is reduced by downsizing the entire apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide a sterilized water generator capable of reducing the frequency.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a sterilized water generating device according to the present invention generates and discharges sterilized water containing hypochlorous acid, and a water supply channel through which water supplied from the outside passes, A tank in which water is supplied from the water supply channel through the water supply port and stores water therein, a water discharge channel for guiding the water stored in the tank to the water discharge port, and water supplied from the water supply port in the tank are in contact with each other. A salt water supply means for adding salt water to the water, and sterilized water is produced by electrolyzing the water added with the salt water by the salt water supply means at any location from the tank to the water outlet A sterilized water generating means, and a gas is left between the water supply port and the water stored in the tank to form a margin cutting space that does not allow the water stored in the tank to flow backward to the water supply channel side, The salt water supply means includes the Characterized in that provided in the cutting space.

  In the sterilized water generating apparatus according to the present invention as described above, by providing the salt water supply means in the edge-cutting space for preventing backflow, the water contacts the salt water supply means only when water is supplied from the water supply port. Become. That is, the salt water supply means is not always in contact with water, and the salt water supply means can function only when it is necessary to generate salt water. Here, although the instantaneous flow rate of salt water leaking from the salt water supply means is extremely small, if this is continuously performed over a long period of time, the total amount cannot be ignored. In this aspect, it is realized without using a pump for supplying salt water or mechanically shielding the leakage of salt water in the salt water supplying means. With such a configuration, wasteful leakage is prevented by timely supply of salt water, and as a result, even when the salt water supply means is downsized, the replacement frequency can be reduced.

  Moreover, in the sterilized water generating apparatus according to the present invention, the salt water supply means is a container storing salt water, and adds salt water to water flowing on the container from a salt water addition unit formed on the container. The flow rate of salt water supplied from the container increases as the flow rate of water flowing over the container increases, and the flow rate of salt water supplied from the container decreases as the flow rate of water flowing over the container decreases. It is also preferable to be configured as follows.

  In such an aspect, when the flow rate of the water flowing through the salt water addition part is high, the effect of concentration gradient diffusion is reduced by shortening the contact time of water with the salt water addition part, so that the salt water flowing out from the container The flow rate was increased. In addition, when the flow rate of the water flowing through the salt water addition part is low, the flow rate of saturated salt water flowing out from the container decreases because the effect of concentration gradient diffusion due to the long contact time of water with the water addition part is great. I did it.

  Thereby, the density | concentration of salt water can be equalized, without depending on the flow velocity of the water which flows through a salt water addition part. In this embodiment, the salt water supply amount can be stabilized and the salt water supply amount can be stabilized in the salt water supply means.

  Moreover, in the disinfected water production | generation apparatus which concerns on this invention, it is also preferable that the said salt water addition part was provided in the position different from the water landing position where the water supplied from the said water supply port lands on the said container.

  In such an aspect, by separating the salt water addition part from the water landing part, water with less turbulence can be caused to flow to the salt water addition part, so that concentration variation due to turbulent flow can be prevented.

  In the sterilized water generating apparatus according to the present invention, it is also preferable that the container is provided with a guide portion that guides water from the landing position to the salt water adding portion.

  In such an embodiment, even when the salt water addition part is provided at a position away from the water landing part, water is reliably supplied to the salt water addition part by guiding the water that has landed on the container by the guide part. Can be made.

  In the sterilized water generating apparatus according to the present invention, it is also preferable that the container is provided with a bypass part for allowing water flowing on the container to leave the container without passing through the salt water addition part.

  In such an aspect, by bypassing a portion of the water that has landed in the container so as not to pass through the salt water addition part, it is possible to prevent the water flowing through the salt water addition part from staying and the salt water concentration from becoming too high. Here, when the salt water addition part is formed, for example, by providing a hole in the container, if the hole is made too small, the salt water inside the container may leak due to capillary action. Therefore, it is necessary to enlarge the hole provided as a salt water addition part to some extent. According to this aspect, since a part of the water supplied from the water supply part is not directed to the salt water addition part, the salt water concentration becomes too high even when the holes formed in the salt water addition part are enlarged to some extent. Can be prevented.

  Moreover, in the disinfected water production | generation apparatus which concerns on this invention, it is also preferable that the said salt water addition part was provided in the position different from the position where the water which flows on the said container leaves | separates from the said container.

  In such an aspect, by setting the position where the water flowing on the container is separated from the container, the position where the water is separated from the salt water adding part is that water stays around the salt water adding part and the salt water concentration becomes high. Can be prevented.

  Moreover, in the disinfected water production | generation apparatus which concerns on this invention, it is also preferable that the said salt water addition part was provided below the uppermost part of the said container.

  In such an aspect, for example, when water flows from a salt water addition unit into a container in which saturated salt water is stored, the water has a specific gravity smaller than that of the saturated salt water, and therefore accumulates in an upper portion of the container. For this reason, by not providing a salt water addition part in the container uppermost part, the salt water addition part vicinity in a container can always be filled with saturated salt water.

Moreover, in the disinfected water production | generation apparatus which concerns on this invention, it is also preferable that the said salt water addition part was opened and formed upwards with respect to the gravitational direction.
In such an embodiment, leakage of salt water in the container due to vibration or the like can be suppressed.

  Further, in the sterilized water generating apparatus according to the present invention, the salt water supply means is provided in the tank so as to be exchangeable, and the salt water adding part is arranged at a predetermined position when the salt water supply means is attached to the tank. It is also preferable to have

  In such an embodiment, even when the salt water supply means is replaced, the salt water addition unit can always be positioned at a predetermined position, so that the flow of water flowing through the salt water addition unit can be stabilized, The salt water concentration of water stored in can be made as intended.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a sterilized water generating device capable of reducing the replacement frequency by allowing a small amount of salt water to be added even if the amount of salt water to be accommodated is reduced by downsizing the entire device. Can be provided.

It is a figure which shows the state by which the disinfection water production | generation apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention is installed in the kitchen. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the tank periphery of the disinfection water production | generation apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure and effect | action of the overflow piping of the disinfection water production | generation apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the gas exchange means of the disinfection water production | generation apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the effect | action of the tank periphery of the disinfection water production | generation apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure explaining the salt cartridge of the disinfection water production | generation apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows typically the effect | action of the salt cartridge shown in FIG. It is a graph which shows the relationship between a flow volume and a concentration gradient. It is a graph which shows the example of the electrolysis tank of the disinfection water production | generation apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of control of the disinfection water production | generation apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the tank periphery of the disinfection water production | generation apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the tank periphery of the disinfection water production | generation apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to facilitate the understanding of the description, the same constituent elements in the drawings will be denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and redundant description will be omitted.

[Overall configuration: Fig. 1]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a sterilized water generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to a sink of a system kitchen. 1A is a perspective view of the system kitchen, FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a state in which the drawer of the system kitchen is opened, and FIG. 1C is an internal configuration in a state where the system kitchen is viewed from the front. Each of the figures schematically represents. The sink SK is formed on the upper surface side of the cabinet CB having a plurality of drawers (DR1, DR2).

  As shown to Fig.1 (a), the disinfection water production | generation apparatus WD is equipped with the spout 200 for disinfection standingly installed in the back | inner side part seeing from the user among sink SK. Next to the disinfecting spout 200, a main spout 100 for discharging tap water is erected. The main spout 100 is not a component of the sterilized water generator WD but a faucet device provided in the sink SK from the beginning.

  The sterilized water generation device WD is a device that generates sterilized water and discharges it from the sterilization spout 200. The sterilized water is water that is given sterilization performance by containing a relatively high concentration of hypochlorous acid. When the sterilized water discharged from the sterilization spout 200 is applied to the surface of a kitchen knife, a cutting board, or the like, the surface is sterilized and the growth of the bacterium is suppressed. In the vicinity of the disinfecting spout 200, an infrared sensor (not shown) is attached. When the user's hand approaches the sterilization spout 200, the infrared sensor detects this and discharges sterilized water. In addition, discharge and stop of the sterilizing water in the sterilization spout 200 are not limited to the method using the infrared sensor, but can be configured by other methods such as manually opening and closing the valve.

  The disinfecting water generating device WD generates disinfecting water discharged from the disinfecting spout 200 as shown in FIG. 1 (b) in addition to the disinfecting spout 200 illustrated in FIG. 1 (a). The sterilized water generating mechanism 300 is provided. The sterilized water generating mechanism 300 is stored below the sink SK, that is, inside the cabinet CB, and appears when the drawer DR2 is opened. Since most of the sterilized water generating device WD (portion other than the sterilizing spout 200) is not visible from the outside, the sterilized water generating device WD does not impair the appearance of the kitchen.

  Next, the structure of the sterilized water generating device WD including the sterilizing spout 200 and the sterilized water generating mechanism 300 and the main spout 100 will be described with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. The sterilized water generator WD includes a supply pipe SW (water supply channel) that is a pipe through which water supplied from the outside (water pipe) passes. The supply pipe SW includes a stop cock 400, a solenoid valve 310, a flow rate adjustment valve 320, a tank 330 for storing sterilized water, and a water level attached to the tank 330 in order from the upstream side (the lower side in FIG. 1C). A sensor 340 is arranged. In addition, the stop cock 400 branches piping to the main spout 100 and the disinfection water production | generation apparatus WD.

  The sterilized water generator WD also includes a water discharge pipe WR (water discharge path) that is a pipe through which water discharged from the tank 330 passes. A pump 350 is disposed in the water discharge pipe WR. That is, the water discharged from the tank 330 is sent to the sterilization spout 200 by the pump 350. As described above, the disinfecting spout 200 shown in FIG. 1 is disposed at the downstream end of the supply pipe SW and the water discharge pipe WR.

  The sterilized water generator WD further includes an overflow pipe OF from the tank 330 to the sink SK. The overflow pipe OF is a water channel through which the overflow water of the tank 330 passes. In addition, the sterilized water generating device WD includes a control device (not shown).

  A specific operation of the sterilized water generator WD will be described. The sterilized water generation device WD is a device that stores a certain amount of sterilized water in the tank 330, replenishes the tank 330 with tap water according to the use of the sterilized water by the user, and generates sterilized water again. is there. Therefore, in the sterilized water generator WD, first, tap water is supplied to the tank 330. That is, when the water level in the tank 330 becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined water level, the control device (not shown) opens the electromagnetic valve 310. Water from the water pipe flows into the supply pipe SW, and water is supplied to the tank 330 from the water supply port of the supply pipe SW. The flow rate of water flowing through the supply pipe SW is adjusted by the flow rate adjustment valve 320. For this reason, even if the water pressure in the water pipe fluctuates, a substantially constant flow rate of water is supplied to the tank 330. In the tank 330, sterilized water is sequentially generated from the supplied water. This generation process will be described later.

  Next, an operation in which the sterilized water stored in the tank 330 is discharged from the sterilization spout 200 will be described. First, when the infrared sensor detects that the user's hand has approached the sterilization spout 200, the control device starts driving the pump 350. The pump 350 is a pump that pumps the liquid on the upstream side (tank 330 side) in a pulsed manner toward the downstream side (water discharge pipe WR), that is, intermittently. The period at which the pump 350 intermittently delivers the liquid can be adjusted by the control device. When the pump 350 is driven, the sterilized water in the tank 330 is intermittently sent out and discharged from the sterilization spout 200 through the water discharge pipe WR.

  The overflow pipe OF is drained when the water in the tank 330 exceeds a predetermined water level when water supply from the supply pipe SW to the tank 330 continues without being stopped due to a failure of the electromagnetic valve 310 or the like. It is a waterway. The principle of this overflow will be described later.

[Structure and operational effect around the tank: FIGS. 2 to 5]
Next, the configuration and operation around the tank 330 in the sterilized water generating mechanism 300 will be described with reference to FIGS. As described above, the tank 330 stores the water supplied from the supply pipe SW. As shown in FIG. 2, the tank 330 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and portions other than the supply pipe SW, the water discharge pipe WR, and the overflow pipe OF are formed in an airtight state with respect to the outside air. In particular, the supply pipe SW and the water discharge pipe WR are sealed with water at the time of water supply and at the time of water discharge. Therefore, at the time of water supply and water discharge, the air supply pipe SW and the water discharge pipe WR are airtight except for the overflow pipe OF.

  The tank 330 includes a water supply port 331 to which water W is supplied from the supply pipe SW, and a water discharge port 332 that guides the water W stored in the tank 330 to the water discharge pipe WR.

  The water supply port 331 is formed on the ceiling surface of the tank 330. More specifically, the water supply port 331 is formed immediately above the vicinity of the connection portion with the tank 330 of the salt cartridge 360 described later (upper left in the figure). On the other hand, the water discharge port 332 is the bottom of the tank 330 and is disposed substantially diagonally above the water supply port 331 (lower right in the drawing). As shown in FIG. 2B, the water supply port 331 and the water discharge port 332 are both formed along the center in plan view. This is because the water supply port 331 is provided mainly in accordance with the arrangement of the salt cartridge 360. On the other hand, as long as the water discharge port 332 is provided from the bottom, it may be provided at any location on the plane.

  The tank 330 further includes an overflow port 333 for draining the water overflowed in the tank 330 toward the drain port D via the overflow pipe OF. The overflow port 333 is formed below the water supply port 331 by a predetermined distance.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3A, the full water level of the tank 330 is set below the horizontal position of the overflow port 333. The full water level L1 is detected by the water level sensor 340 shown in FIG. 1C, and the control device notifies the control device that the water level sensor 340 has reached the full water level L1, whereby the control device closes the electromagnetic valve 310. Water supply to the tank 330 is stopped.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B, the overflow port 333 is formed above the full water level L1 and below the water supply port 331, so that the maximum water level stored in the tank 330 is reached. Is the horizontal position L2 of the overflow port 333.

  Here, as described above, the tank 330 is sealed except for the overflow port 333 at the time of water supply and water discharge and is not opened to the atmosphere, so that the air in the tank 330 is filled by filling the overflow port 333 with water. Cannot move outside. Therefore, when water is further supplied from the water supply port 331 in a state where the overflow port 333 is filled with water, the water in the tank 330 is guided into the overflow pipe OF with the gas remaining in the space A. The water is drained from the drainage port D formed above.

  As described above, the overflow port 333 is formed at a predetermined distance away from the water supply port 331 to form a space A. This space A is always a space in which gas remains even if water supply from the supply pipe SW is continued due to failure of the electromagnetic valve 310 (see FIG. 1) or the like. For this reason, since the water surface F stored in the tank 330 can be separated from the water supply port 331 by a predetermined distance, it is possible to form a margin cutting space in which salt water or sterilized water does not flow backward to the supply pipe SW.

  On the other hand, as described above, the upper portion of the tank 330 is airtight from the overflow port 333. Therefore, as shown in the image of FIG. 4A, the gas G volatilized from the sterilized water EW tends to accumulate in the space above the overflow port 333. However, as shown in FIG. 4B, at the time of water supply, the water G flows from the water supply port 331 through the supply pipe SW, whereby the upper gas G is agitated. In this way, a flow is generated in the gas G due to the discharge of the water W from the water supply port 331, and the upper gas G circulates downward, so that the gas G staying upward passes through the overflow port 333 and is a drain port. D is appropriately discharged. Thus, at the time of water supply, the water discharge from supply piping SW plays the role (gas exchange means) which stirs the gas in the tank 330.

  When the electrolytic bath 370 is provided in the tank 330 as described above, hydrogen gas, chlorine gas, or the like (gas G) is generated in the tank 330 from the sterilized water EW generated by electrolysis. In particular, a gas having a low specific gravity such as hydrogen accumulates above the overflow port 333 in the tank 330. In this respect, in the present embodiment, the gas inside the tank 330 can be exchanged with the gas outside the tank 330, so that the residual gas such as hydrogen gas and chlorine gas is prevented from being concentrated in the tank 330. Can do.

  The tank 330 is attached with a salt cartridge 360 (salt water supply means) that adds salt water to water by contact with water supplied from the water supply port 331. Although the specific shape and internal structure of the salt cartridge 360 will be described later, the salt cartridge 360 is detachably attached to the wall surface of the tank 330. The vertical mounting position of the salt cartridge 360 in the tank 330 is arranged above the horizontal position L2 of the overflow port 333, that is, in the edge cutting space. This is so that the salt cartridge 360 can function the salt water supply means only when salt water needs to be generated. That is, the instantaneous flow rate of salt water that leaks out when water contacts the salt cartridge 360 is extremely small, but if this is continuously performed over a long period of time, the total amount cannot be ignored. In this embodiment, it is realized by arranging in the edge cutting space without using a pump for supplying salt water or mechanically shielding the leakage of salt water. With such a configuration, wasteful leakage is prevented by timely supply of salt water, and as a result, even when the salt water supply means is downsized, the replacement frequency can be reduced.

  Further, the salt cartridge 360 is provided with a positioning mechanism (not shown) so that the salt cartridge 360 is always positioned in a fixed direction in the rotation direction. Therefore, even when the salt cartridge 360 is replaced, the salt cartridge 360 can be positioned at an accurate position with respect to the tank 330. Thereby, the flow of the water flowing on the salt cartridge 360 can be stabilized, and the salt water concentration of the water stored in the tank can be made as intended.

  The salt cartridge 360 includes a solid salt and a saturated saline solution therein. The water W has landed immediately below the water supply port 331 indicated by a broken line in FIG. 2B, and the landed water W flows along the surface of the salt cartridge 360 in the right direction in the figure, and the salt cartridge 360 In the hole 361 (salt addition part) that connects the inside and the outside, water and the saturated salt water SSS merge (see FIG. 7 for the salt water SSS), and salt water is added to the water (hereinafter, this water is diluted). Also called water DW). At this time, the water W that has landed is guided to the hole 361 side by the guide 362 formed on the salt cartridge 360, while the excess water W is discharged from the bypass 363 between the guides 362a and 362b. It is like that.

  The tank 330 is also provided with an electrolytic tank 370 (sterilized water generating means) for generating sterilized water by electrolyzing water to which salt water is added in the salt cartridge 360. The bottom surface portion 330 is disposed.

A pair of electrodes (not shown) are arranged inside the electrolytic cell 370. In the electrolytic cell 370, voltage is applied between the pair of electrodes under the control of the control device, and electrolysis of water (diluted water) stored in the tank 330 is started. At this time, the reaction of the following formula (1) occurs in the electrode on the positive electrode side, and the reaction of formula (2) occurs in the electrode on the negative electrode side. As shown in Formula (1) and Formula (2), oxygen is generated from the positive electrode and hydrogen is generated from the negative electrode.
Positive electrode: 2H ₂ O → 4H ⁺ + O ₂ + 4e ⁻ (1)
Negative electrode: 4H ₂ O + 4e ⁻ → 2H ₂ + 4OH ⁻ (2)

Here, platinum / iridium (Pt / IrO ₂ ) is applied to the electrode disposed inside the electrolytic cell 370 as a catalyst. For this reason, the reaction of the following formula (3) occurs in the positive electrode, and chlorine is generated from chloride ions (Cl ⁻ ) contained in water.
Positive electrode: 2Cl ⁻ → Cl ₂ + 2e ⁻ (3)

When chlorine is generated, reactions of the following formulas (4) and (5) further occur in the electrolytic cell 370 to generate hypochlorous acid (HClO) and hypochlorite ions (ClO ⁻ ). These have sterilizing power.
Cl ₂ + H ₂ O → HClO + H ₂ + Cl ⁻ (4)
HClO → ClO ⁻ + H ⁺ (5)

  As described above, inside the electrolytic cell 370, water having sterilizing power, that is, sterilized water, is generated by electrolyzing diluted water that is water containing chloride ions. The electrolytic cell 370 and the internal electrodes correspond to the sterilized water generating means of the present invention.

  Note that the tank 330 stores the sterilized water EW having the sterilizing power as described above. The tank 330 covers the inside of the tank 330 so that gas stays, and is in an airtight state except for the overflow pipe OF. Thus, in a tank with a sealed structure, the inside of the tank is in a high humidity state, and if an air layer is present in the edge cut space, bacteria are likely to propagate. In this respect, since the sterilized water EW is stored in the tank 330, the inside of the marginal space is sterilized by the hypochlorous acid gas volatilized from the stored sterilized water EW, thereby preventing the growth of the bacteria. It is something that can be done.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 5, a description will be given of the movement from when the sterilized water is generated in the tank 330 from the initial state until the water is discharged. FIG. 5A shows an initial state, and FIG. 5B shows a salt water generation state. Moreover, the figure (c) shows the disinfection water production | generation state, and the figure (d) shows the water discharge state. Note that the overflow pipe OF is not used in the normal operation of the tank 330, and therefore the description and illustration are omitted here.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5A, in the initial state, the tank 330 is empty, and in this state, the electrolytic cell 370 also does not function.

  In FIG. 5B, water W is supplied to the tank 330 from the water supply port 331. The supplied water W lands on the salt cartridge 360 immediately below the water supply port 331 and flows down along the slope on the salt cartridge 360. At this time, a part of the water W flows out from the bypass 363 and drops toward the bottom surface of the tank 330. On the other hand, the remaining water W passes over the hole 361, salt water is added, and the diluted water DW is dripped toward the bottom surface of the tank 330. Thereby, the dilution water DW to which a certain amount of salt water is added is stored in the tank 330. The water supply from the water supply port 331 is determined by the water level sensor 340 shown in FIG. 1 that the water in the tank has reached a predetermined water level, which is input to the control device, and the control device controls the solenoid valve 310. Then it is stopped by shutting off the waterway.

  Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 5C, the control device causes the electrolytic cell 370 to function, so that the diluted water DW stored in the tank 330 is electrolyzed to generate sterilized water EW.

  As described with reference to FIG. 1, in the state where the sterilized water EW is generated and stored in the tank 330 in a predetermined amount, it is detected by the infrared sensor that the user's hand approaches the sterilization spout 200. Then, the control device drives the pump 350. When the pump 350 is driven, as shown in FIG. 5D, the sterilized water EW in the tank 330 is intermittently sent out and discharged from the sterilization spout 200 through the water discharge pipe WR.

[Configuration and operation of salt cartridge: FIGS. 6 to 8]
Next, the detailed configuration and operation of the salt cartridge 360 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the salt cartridge 360, and FIG. 6B is a diagram schematically showing the course of water flowing on the salt cartridge 360. FIG.

  The salt cartridge 360 has a mounting portion 360A for fixing the salt cartridge 360 to the main body of the tank 330 or the cabinet CB, and a positioning portion 360B that houses the solid salt SS (see FIG. 7) and functions as positioning means for the tank 330. The saturated salt water SSS is stored (see FIG. 7), protrudes into the tank 330 when exposed and exposed to the tank 330, and a water flow path is formed to form a salt addition unit for adding salt to the water. The functional unit 360C is formed. Of these, the attachment portion 360 </ b> A and the positioning portion 360 </ b> B are not particularly limited as long as they can be fixed to the tank 330, and are portions that can be appropriately changed in design.

  On the other hand, as described above, the functional part 360C includes a hole 361 (salt addition part) for communicating the inside and the outside, a guide 362 (362a, 362b) for guiding the water that has landed in the direction of the hole 361, a guide And a bypass 363 for discharging excess water at an intermediate portion of 362. The functional part 360C is formed in a planar shape so that the water W that has landed at the landing position S can be guided toward the hole 361, from the base side where the attachment part 360A and the positioning part 360B are formed, An inclined surface is formed toward the hole 361 side.

  The hole 361 is provided near the tip of the functional part 360C, and has a structure in which a part of the water flow directly enters the salt cartridge 360 when water passes through the hole 361. For this reason, when the salt water inside salt cartridge 360 leaks out, water W and saturated salt water SS join.

  The hole 361 is provided at a position different from the landing position S where water supplied from the water supply port 331 reaches the salt cartridge 360. Thus, by separating the hole 361 from the landing position S, water with less turbulence can flow into the hole 361, and concentration variation due to turbulent flow can be prevented.

  The hole 361 is provided at a position different from the position where the water flowing on the salt cartridge 360 is separated from the salt cartridge 360. That is, the hole 361 is provided in the functional part 360C of the salt cartridge 360 at a distance from the tip part (toward the left side in the figure). This means that the water just before leaving the salt cartridge 360 remains in the salt cartridge 360 due to surface tension. If the hole 361 is provided at a position where the water is separated from the salt cartridge 360, the water stays around the hole 361 and the salt water concentration becomes high.

  Further, the hole 361 is provided below the uppermost part of the functional part 360 </ b> C of the salt cartridge 360. As shown in FIG. 7, the salt cartridge 360 stores saturated salt water therein. However, when water flows in from the hole 361, the specific gravity of the water is smaller than that of the saturated salt water. Accumulate in the upper part. For this reason, by not providing the hole 361 at the top of the salt cartridge 360, the vicinity of the hole 361 of the salt cartridge 360 can be always filled with saturated salt water.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. 7, the hole 361 is formed to open upward with respect to the direction of gravity. This suppresses leakage of salt water in the salt cartridge 360 due to vibration or the like.

  On the other hand, the guide 362 regulates the flow path of the water W from both sides toward the hole 361 from the landing position S, and is formed in a rib shape on the plane of the functional part 360C. The bypass 363 is a portion formed between the guides 362a and 362b, and is a portion that divides the guides 362a and 362b in terms of shape. Bypass 363 can prevent a portion of water that has landed on salt cartridge 360 from passing through hole 361 so that the water flowing through hole 361 is retained and the salt water concentration becomes too high. It is. Note that if the hole 361 is too small, the salt water inside may leak due to capillary action. Therefore, the hole 361 needs to be enlarged to some extent.

  Here, FIGS. 7A and 7C show a state in which concentration diffusion occurs between the saturated brine SSS and the water W when the water W passes through the hole 361. FIGS. 7B and 7D show that when the water W passes through the hole 361, a part of the water W enters the salt cartridge 360, and the saturated salt water SSS leaks accordingly. 7A and 7B show a state where the flow rate of the water W flowing on the functional unit 360C is low, and FIGS. 7C and 7D show the high flow rate of the water W flowing on the functional unit 360C. Represents a state.

  Here, FIG. 8 is a graph (X) summarizing the relationship of the sustained-release salt water concentration according to the concentration of salt water on the vertical axis, the feed water flow rate (L / min) on the horizontal axis, and the concentration gradient diffusion according to the feed water flow rate. It is. According to this, since the concentration (X) due to concentration gradient diffusion increases as the flow rate (L / min) increases, the amount of water stored in the tank 330 is controlled to be constant, so the water discharge time becomes shorter. The salinity of the water stored in the tank 330 decreases. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the flow rate flowing into the tank 330 is adjusted by the flow rate adjustment valve 320, but there are cases where the accuracy to the extent that the supply flow rate is not necessarily maintained can be maintained. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the concentration of salt water added to water constant even when the flow rate changes to some extent.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the hole 361 forming the salt addition portion of the salt cartridge 360 has a structure in which a part of the water W directly enters the hole 361, and thus flows on the functional portion 360C. When the flow rate of the water W increases, the flow rate of the saturated salt water SSS supplied from the hole 361 increases, and when the flow rate of the water W flowing on the functional unit 360C decreases, the flow rate of the saturated salt water SSS supplied from the hole 361 decreases. (Graph Y in FIG. 8).

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, if the flow rate of the water W is low, the effect of concentration gradient diffusion due to the long contact time between the hole 361 and the water is great. The amount of water flowing into the cartridge 360 was reduced, and the flow rate of salt water supplied from the hole 361 was reduced. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 7C and 7D, if the flow rate of the water W is high, the contact time between the hole 361 and the water W is shortened, thereby reducing the effect of concentration gradient diffusion. The amount of water flowing into the salt cartridge 360 is increased so that the flow rate of the salt water supplied from the hole 361 is increased.

  As a result, the concentration of salt water can be made uniform without depending on the flow rate of the water flowing through the hole 361 (salt water addition portion), and the salt water supply amount in the salt cartridge 360 can be reduced and the salt water supply amount can be stabilized. can do.

[Control pattern in control device]
Hereinafter, a control pattern realized by the control device on the premise of the configuration of the sterilized water generation device WD described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

[Refresh mode: Pattern 1]
As described above, in the sterilized water generating device WD of the present embodiment, a space due to an air layer exists on the surface of the diluted water or sterilized water stored in the tank 330. In other words, an upper edge of the tank 330 is provided with an edge cutting space in which gas remains between the water supply port 331 and the water stored in the tank 330 so that the water stored in the tank 330 does not flow backward to the supply pipe SW side. Further, the tank 330 is in an airtight state at the time of water supply or water discharge, except for the overflow pipe OF. Therefore, the inside of the tank 330 is in a high humidity state, and when an air layer such as a marginal space exists in such a high humidity state, an environment in which bacteria are likely to propagate is obtained.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the control device controls the electrolytic cell 370 so that the water stored in the tank 330 is electrolyzed again every predetermined time to generate sterilized water. That is, in FIG. 9 (c), as the time (t) is shown on the horizontal axis and the hypochlorous acid concentration is shown on the vertical axis, the sterile water and air are generally stored by storing the sterile water. The hypochlorous acid concentration P in the contact sterilized water attenuates with time. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), as shown in FIG. 9 (a), as shown in FIG. 9 (b), as shown in FIG. It becomes possible to prevent the hypochlorous acid concentration P ′ from decreasing. Thereby, in the tank 330, hypochlorous acid can be volatilized on the stored sterilized water, so that the growth of bacteria in the marginal space can be prevented.

[Refresh mode: Pattern 2]
Further, in addition to the control of the electrolytic cell 370 every predetermined time as described above, the control device controls the water supply to the tank 330 and the discharge of the water stored in the tank 330 to propagate the bacteria in the margin cutting space. Can be prevented. That is, the control device discharges water stored in the tank 330 every predetermined time and supplies water to the tank 330. Specifically, the pump 350 is driven in FIG. 1 to discharge the sterilized water, and the electromagnetic valve 310 is controlled to supply water to the tank 330. In this manner, the electrolytic cell 370 is controlled while replacing the sterilized water in the tank 330, and the water stored in the tank 330 is again electrolyzed to generate sterilized water.

  In the tank 330, the concentration of the sterilized water cannot be measured, and if the electrolysis is performed again without knowing the exact concentration of the sterilized water whose hypochlorous acid or the like has been attenuated, There is a possibility that the concentration of chloric acid will increase too much. Therefore, according to this control pattern, the sterilized water having a desired concentration of hypochlorous acid or the like is discharged by discharging the sterilized water whose concentration of hypochlorous acid or the like is unknown and generating the sterilized water again. The sterilization space and the sterilized water can be discharged according to a desired concentration of hypochlorous acid or the like.

[Disinfection water replacement treatment-minimum water level and supplementary water level]
As described above, in the sterilized water generating apparatus WD of the present embodiment, the sterilized water is stored in the tank 330 in advance, and the stored sterilized water is discharged. Accordingly, continuous water discharge exceeding the capacity of the tank 330 cannot be performed, and after using the sterilized water once generated, a time lag occurs until new sterilized water is generated. Water may not be available.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the control device performs the sterilized water replacement process in which the timing for replacing the sterilized water is devised as follows. That is, for the water level sensor 340 shown in FIG. 1, not only the full water level L1, but also the sanitized water replenishment water level L3 and the lowest water level L4 are set as shown in FIG.

  Here, the minimum water level L4 is a water level that immediately replenishes the sterilized water EW, and the sanitized water supplementary water level L3 is a water level that is higher than the minimum water level L4. During this time, the water level is such that the discharge of the sterilized water EW can be continued.

  Using such sterilized water replenishment water level L3 and minimum water level L4, the control device performs control as follows. That is, when the water level in the tank 330 falls below the sterilized water replenishment water level L3 by the input from the water level sensor 340, the water supply is not executed if the water discharge from the water discharge port 332 continues. On the other hand, when the water discharge from the water discharge port 332 stops when it falls below the sanitized water replenishment water level L3, water is supplied.

  According to such control by the control device, the sanitized water replenishment water level L3 is provided at a position higher than the lowest water level L4 of the tank 330, and is removed when the water level in the tank 330 falls below the sanitized water replenishment water level L3. The generation of the sterilized water EW is started in the electrolytic cell 370 only when the use of the sterilized water is finished without starting the generation of the sterilized water EW. Further, when the sanitized water replenishment water level L3 is lowered while the sanitized water EW is discharged, the discharge of the sanitized water EW is continued, and the sanitized water EW is stopped when the sanitized water EW is stopped. Configured to replenish. As a result, even when the sanitized water spouting water drops below the sanitized water replenishment water level, disinfecting water that can be discharged is stored in the tank 330, so that the water can be discharged. It is possible to prevent the user from having to wait for a long time by replenishing the sterilized water after the discharge of the microbial water is completed.

  In addition to the control of the control device as described above, it is also possible to control the replacement of the sterilized water by supplying water to the tank 330 after the water stored in the tank 330 is once discharged. According to this, by disinfecting the tank sterilized water periodically and generating the sterilized water again, the sterilized water is increased when the sterilized water is continuously generated in a short period of time. It is possible to prevent the concentration from becoming too high.

  Further, the sanitizing water replacement process in the control device is executed when a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous sanitizing water replacement or when the sanitized water replenishment water level has fallen a predetermined number of times. In addition to this, the control device determines that the sterilized water is replaced when the water level in the tank 330 reaches the minimum water level L4 and the water is supplied. According to such a process, the control device performs the removal of the sterilized water at a more accurate timing by using the lower period of the sterilized water supplemented water for a predetermined time or a predetermined number of times as a reference from the previous process. Bacteria water replacement processing becomes possible. In addition, by adding the history of replacement processing due to being below the minimum water level to this standard, it is possible to execute disinfection water replacement processing at a more accurate timing.

  Further, as the sanitizing water replacement process in the control device, when the water level in the tank 330 falls below the sanitizing water replenishing water level L3, when the water discharge from the water outlet 332 is stopped, the water supply is started and the sanitizing water is started. The generation process is performed. In this process, even when the discharge of the sterilized water is stopped, the water supply can be processed so as not to start for a predetermined period.

  In such treatment, the water is stopped at a position lower than the sterilized water replenishment water level, and salt water is supplied after a certain period of time after the water is stopped. For example, it is often considered that the user temporarily stops water discharge and restarts again while having the intention of continuing to use the sterilized water. In such a case, the generation process of the sterilized water is not started when the water discharge is stopped, but the sterilized water can be generated at a timing according to the actual situation of the user by placing it for a predetermined time. .

  Further, as a control in the control device, when the water level in the tank 330 falls below the sterilized water replenishment water level L3, the fact that the water level in the tank 330 falls below a part of the spout for sterilization is that the sterilized water remains little. You may provide the alerting | reporting means to tell. According to this, when the water level in the tank 330 is lower than the sanitized water replenishment water level L3, the user can grasp that the remaining amount of the sanitized water is small by notifying explicitly. .

[Other Embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and includes, for example, the following aspects. In the above embodiment, with reference to FIG. 2, the tank 330 is assumed to be formed in an airtight state with respect to the outside air at the time of water supply and water discharge, and the supply pipe SW is not supplied with water. Is not mentioned. In this regard, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 11, a vent valve vent valve 380 can be provided as a gas exchange means on the downstream side of the solenoid valve 310 of the supply pipe SW. That is, FIG. 11A shows that the supply valve SW is in an airtight state by flowing water from the solenoid valve 310 side when the ventilation valve 380 supplies water, and FIG. It shows that the gas G in the tank 330 is discharged through the supply pipe SW by opening the vent valve 380 to the atmosphere during water supply.

  Thus, the vent valve 380 is provided on the supply pipe SW above the overflow port 333, and is not opened to the atmosphere when water is supplied, and is opened to the atmosphere when water is not supplied. That is, in the present embodiment, the overflow port 333 is provided below the water supply port 331 in order to secure the margin cutting space, and the upper portion of the tank 330 is in an airtight state even when the water is not supplied. The gas G tends to accumulate above the port 333. In the vent valve 380 of this aspect, the tank 330 is kept in an airtight state when water is supplied above the overflow port 333 to secure a margin cutting space, and the tank 330 is communicated with the atmosphere when water is not supplied. It is possible to prevent the gas G such as hydrogen gas or chlorine gas generated by the above from remaining in the tank 330.

  Thus, in the present invention, by providing gas exchange means for exchanging the gas inside the tank and the gas outside the tank by a vent valve or the like, residual gas such as hydrogen gas or chlorine gas is concentrated in the tank. This can be prevented.

  Further, in the above embodiment, since the sterilized water is stored in the tank 330, the marginal space is sterilized by the gas of hypochlorous acid volatilized from the stored sterilized water EW, and the bacteria propagate. Showed that can be prevented. In the present invention, it is also possible to further adopt the following configuration for sterilization of the margin cutting space. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, a circulation pipe WC that circulates part of the sterilized water EW pumped from the pump 350 and ejects the sterilized water EW from the jet outlet 334 at the top of the tank 330 is provided. It is preferable to spray the sterilized water EW from the jet port 334. In this way, in addition to sterilizing the marginal space with hypochlorous acid volatilized from the sterilized water, the sterilized water EW is recirculated to the tank 330 and discharged by spraying or the like. Thereby, disinfection power can be improved more because disinfectant water makes a wall surface of border space directly contact.

  In the above-described embodiment, the salt cartridge 360 and the electrolytic cell 370 are disposed in the tank 330. However, in the present invention, they are not necessarily disposed in the tank 330. That is, as long as the effects of the invention are achieved, salt water may be supplied from the outside, and also in the electrolytic cell 370, unless the sterilization in the tank 330 is required, the downstream water discharge pipe WR It can also be realized by providing at any location.

  In addition, the present invention includes the specific examples disclosed in the embodiment described above, which are appropriately modified by those skilled in the art, as long as they have the characteristics of the present invention. For example, the elements included in each of the specific examples described above and their arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, and the like are not limited to those illustrated, but can be changed as appropriate. Moreover, each element with which each embodiment mentioned above is provided can be combined as long as technically possible, and the combination of these is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as it includes the features of the present invention.

100: Main spout 200: Disinfection spout 300: Disinfection water generation mechanism 310: Solenoid valve 320: Flow rate adjustment valve 330: Tank 331: Water supply port 332: Water discharge port 332: Water discharge port 333: Overflow port 334: Spout port 340 : Water level sensor 350: Pump 360: Salt cartridge 360A: Mounting portion 360B: Fixing portion 360C: Functional portion 361: Holes 362, 362a, 362b: Guide 363: Bypass 370: Electrolyzer 380: Ventilation valve 400: Stopcock CB: Cabinet D: Drain port DW: Dilution water EW: Disinfection water G: Gas OF: Overflow pipe S: Landing position SK: Sink SS: Solid salt SSS: Saturated salt water SW: Supply pipe W: Water WC: Circulation pipe WD: Bacteria-free water generator WR: Water discharge piping

Claims (9)

A sterilizing water generating device that generates and discharges sterilizing water containing hypochlorous acid,
A water supply channel through which water supplied from outside passes,
A tank in which water is supplied from the water supply channel through the water supply port and stores water therein;
A water discharge channel for guiding water stored in the tank to a water discharge port;
Salt water supply means for adding salt water to the water by contact with water supplied from the water supply port in the tank;
Sterilized water generating means for generating sterilized water by electrolyzing water to which salt water has been added by the salt water supplying means at any location from the tank to the water outlet, and
An edge cutting space is formed in which a gas remains between the water supply port and the water stored in the tank so that the water stored in the tank does not flow backward to the water supply channel side.
The sterilized water generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the salt water supply means is provided in the margin cutting space. The salt water supply means is a container in which salt water is stored, and salt water is added to water flowing on the container from a salt water addition unit formed on the container,
The flow rate of salt water supplied from the vessel increases when the flow rate of water flowing over the vessel increases, and the flow rate of salt water supplied from the vessel decreases when the flow rate of water flowing over the vessel decreases. The disinfected water production | generation apparatus of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The sterilized water generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the salt water adding unit is provided at a position different from a landing position where water supplied from the water supply port reaches the container.   The sterilized water generating device according to claim 3, wherein the container is provided with a guide portion for guiding water from the landing position to the salt water adding portion.   The sterilized water generating device according to claim 3, wherein the container is provided with a bypass part for allowing water flowing on the container to leave the container without passing through the salt water addition part.   The sterilized water generating device according to claim 2, wherein the salt water adding unit is provided at a position different from a position where water flowing on the container is separated from the container.   The sterilized water generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the salt water adding section is provided below the uppermost portion of the container.   The sterilized water generating device according to claim 2, wherein the salt water adding portion is formed to open upward with respect to the direction of gravity.   The said salt water supply means is provided in the said tank so that replacement | exchange is possible, and when it attaches to the said tank, it has the positioning means by which the said salt water addition part is arrange | positioned in a predetermined position, The feature of Claim 2 Sanitized water generator.

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