JP6641839B2 - Water purification cartridge - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a water purification cartridge.

  The water purification cartridge is composed of a granular, fibrous, or shaped adsorbent such as activated carbon or an ion exchanger, and a hollow fiber membrane module containing a hollow fiber membrane bundle. Many are arranged on the downstream side.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a water purification cartridge in which activated carbon and a hollow fiber membrane module formed into a cylindrical shape are arranged in series in the axial direction. The activated carbon is cylindrical and has a water passage formed inside.The upstream cap that closes the end is fixed on the upstream side of the activated carbon, and the downstream cap that has a discharge port for water that has passed through the activated carbon is fixed on the downstream side. Have been. On the downstream side of the activated carbon, a hollow fiber membrane module in which a hollow fiber membrane bundle is housed in a casing is arranged, and has a structure in which a water passage inside the activated carbon and the hollow fiber membrane module are connected in series and in communication. The water flows from the outside to the inside in the radial direction of the activated carbon, flows to the hollow fiber membrane module side through a water passage inside the activated carbon, and is discharged to the outside from an outlet at an end of the hollow fiber membrane module.

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

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

  However, the above-mentioned concerns cannot be sufficiently solved only by the baffle plate described in Patent Literature 1, and Patent Literature 2 discloses a configuration of the water purification cartridge described in Patent Literature 1 in which the water flowing into the hollow fiber membrane bundle is hollowed out. A water purification cartridge having an additional net for protecting the thread membrane is disclosed.

JP 2006-015199 A JP 2012-30204 A

  However, even in the water purification cartridge described in Patent Document 2, the cross-sectional area of the discharge port in the above-described baffle plate remains small, assuming that the size of the water purification cartridge is not changed. It flows into the fiber membrane module and hits the center of the hollow fiber membrane bundle though it is over the net, and is not enough to prevent the hollow fiber membrane from breaking or bending. In addition, the shape of the baffle plate is complicated, and its molding requires considerable cost.

  Providing a protective net in the hollow fiber membrane bundle also has a problem that the material cost and the assembly cost are considerably required.

In view of the above problems, the present invention is a water purification cartridge in which an adsorbent portion and a hollow fiber membrane bundle are arranged in series in the axial direction, and the water purification cartridge flows into the hollow fiber membrane bundle from the adsorbent portion. particular water is a structure that is shaded in the center of the hollow fiber membrane bundle Accordingly, an object of the invention to provide a water purification cartridge having no, and inexpensive and simple configuration that the hollow fiber membrane is bent or broken.

In order to solve the above problems, a water purifier of the present invention has the following configuration. That is,
(1) A water purification cartridge in which a cylindrical adsorbent portion and a hollow fiber membrane bundle are arranged in series in the axial direction of the cylindrical case inside the cylindrical case. The outer peripheral portion of one end of the adsorbent portion is engaged in a watertight manner, the other end of the cylindrical case is sealed and fixed with the hollow fiber membrane bundle, and the other end surface of the adsorbent portion is Is closed, the adsorbent portion is capable of passing water from its inner space to its outer space in a direction from its inner peripheral surface to its outer peripheral surface, and the outer peripheral portion of the adsorbent portion is formed of the hollow fiber. It is a water purification cartridge communicating with the membrane bundle.
(2) The adsorbent section includes a tubular molded adsorbent, an upper plate disposed at one end of the molded adsorbent, and a lower plate closing the other end of the molded adsorbent. And the upper plate preferably has an opening communicating with the inner space of the adsorbent.
(3) The adsorbent section contains a granular or powdery adsorbent in a cylindrical space formed by an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder, an upper plate, and a lower plate, and the upper plate is formed of the adsorbent. It is preferable to provide an opening communicating with the inner space.

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

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

  Further, according to the configuration (3), since the adsorbent is in the form of particles or powder, it is possible to exhibit low cost and excellent adsorption performance.

It is a longitudinal section schematic diagram of a water purification cartridge concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a vertical cross-section schematic diagram of the water purification cartridge which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical cross-section schematic diagram of the water purification cartridge which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical cross-section schematic diagram of the water purification cartridge which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

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

  As shown in FIG. 1, the water purification cartridge 1 includes a cylindrical adsorbent portion 2 and a hollow fiber membrane bundle formed by collecting hollow fibers 8 inside a cylindrical case 6. The water purification cartridges are arranged in series in the axial direction, and the outer peripheral portion of the upper plate 4 as one end (upper end) of the adsorbent portion 2 is water-tightly engaged with one end (upper end) of the cylindrical case 6. A hollow fiber membrane bundle is sealed and fixed to the other end (lower end) of the cylindrical case 6. Further, the other end (lower end) surface of the adsorbent portion 2 is closed by the lower plate 5, and the adsorbent portion 2 extends from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface and from the internal space to the external space. Water is allowed to pass through, and the outer peripheral portion of the adsorbent portion 2 communicates with the hollow fiber membrane bundle. With such a configuration, the water flows as indicated by the arrows in FIG. That is, the water that has flowed into the internal space of the adsorbent portion 2 from an opening (to be described in detail later) provided in the upper plate 4 at one end (upper end) of the adsorbent portion 2 moves from its inner peripheral surface to its outer peripheral surface. In the direction from the internal space to the external space (that is, from the inside of the adsorbent section 2 to the outside in the radial direction), and from the outer periphery of the adsorbent section 2 to the hollow fiber membrane bundle. Further, there is little or no water flowing from the other end (lower end) surface of the adsorbent part 2 to the central part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle by the lower plate 5.

  Each part constituting the water purification cartridge 1 will be described.

  The adsorbent portion 2 includes a tubular shaped adsorbent 3, an annular upper plate 4 disposed at one end (upper end) of the formed adsorbent 3, and the other end of the formed adsorbent 3. And a disc-shaped lower plate 5 for closing the lower end. The upper plate 4 is provided at the center thereof with an opening communicating with the inner space of the formed adsorbent 3.

  With such a configuration, the adsorbent section can be manufactured in a separate process from the hollow fiber membrane module and the like as an independent adsorbent section unit composed of a shaped adsorbent and an upper plate and a lower plate, which are easy to handle. Easy to manufacture.

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

  By changing the mixing ratio of a plurality of fibrous activated carbons with different specific surface areas and pore size distributions, it is possible to balance the filtration capabilities of multiple substances to be removed and create an activated carbon molded product with the highest overall filtration capability. . This can provide a cartridge that can be used for a long time by the user. In addition, by controlling the tension at the time of winding on the shaft, the density of the activated carbon molded body can be changed. It is possible to provide an easy-to-use cartridge in which the pressure loss is not too large and the filtration capacity is not too low.

Here, the molded body composed of the fibrous activated carbon, the lead- removing material, and the heat-fusible fiber may be molded by a wet molding method. Granular activated carbon as well as fibrous activated carbon may be mixed. It is also possible to use only granular activated carbon. A non-fibrous heat-sealed material may be used.

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

  The upper plate 4 and the formed adsorbent 3 and the lower plate 5 and the formed adsorbent 3 are coated with a hot-melt thermoplastic resin and then cooled and solidified. It is preferable that the adhesive be adhered by a one-component silicone rubber adhesive system which is cured by reacting.

  The upper plate 4 and the lower plate 5 may have a ring-shaped groove on the bonding surface of the formed adsorbent 3 for further increasing the bonding force. Further, the upper plate 4 and the lower plate 5 are provided on the bonding surface of the molded adsorbent 3 on the side of the upper surface and the lower end of the molded adsorbent 3 for more accurate positioning. May have a cylindrical rib projecting in the direction of the adsorbent.

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

  As described above, in the water purification cartridge of FIG. 1, the upper plate 4 is used to water-tightly engage one end (upper end) of the cylindrical case and the outer peripheral portion of one end (upper end) of the adsorbent portion. The upper end surface of the molded adsorbent is coated with a silicone rubber adhesive or the like to make it impermeable to water, and is adhered via the silicone rubber adhesive to cover only the outer periphery of one end (upper end) of the molded adsorbent. A configuration may be adopted in which a ring-shaped member is provided, and the outer peripheral portion of the ring-shaped member is water-tightly engaged with one end (upper end) of the cylindrical case. Alternatively, one end (upper end) of the cylindrical case has a plate-like portion projecting inward, and the entire surface of the directly formed adsorbent (upper end) or the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion is provided on the lower surface side of the plate-like portion. As a form of bonding the surfaces, an outer peripheral portion of one end (upper end) of the cylindrical case and one end (upper end) of the adsorbent portion may be watertightly engaged.

  In the water purification cartridge of FIG. 1, the lower plate 5 plays the role of closing the other end (lower end) surface of the adsorbent portion 2. For example, the lower end surface of the formed adsorbent is coated with a silicone rubber adhesive or the like. Even if the other end surface of the adsorbent portion is closed by making the water-impermeable passage and closing only the central opening at the lower end of the molded adsorbent with a synthetic resin or rubber stopper or the like. Good.

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

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

In a typical water purifying cartridge for a household water purifier having a flow rate of about 2 L / min, the outer diameter of the cylindrical adsorbent portion used can usually secure at least about 30 mm. Even if the gap between the inner case and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical case is set to the minimum required 1 mm in consideration of the dimensional accuracy in assembly, the condition of 0.02 L / min / mm ² or less is satisfied. . In other words, practically in household water purifier water purification cartridge, if only to take a configuration in which the outer peripheral portion of the adsorbent portion is communicated with the hollow fiber membrane bundle, naturally water flow momentum is sufficiently relaxed, scratches Me hollow fiber membrane bundle It can be said that the possibility is low.

On the other hand, the internal space of the adsorbent portion is hollow, and its inner diameter is required to be as small as possible for compactness of the water purification cartridge. The flow rate per unit channel cross-sectional area inside the material part cannot satisfy the condition of 0.02 L / min / mm ² or less. Therefore, in the conventional water purification cartridge in which water spouts from the inside of the adsorbent portion (that is, from the other end (lower end) of the adsorbing member) to the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the water hits the center of the hollow fiber membrane bundle. There the scratches Mel fear Itomakutaba, had to be taken means that costly, such as providing a net in order to suppress it.

  In addition to the flow rate per unit flow path cross-sectional area, in the water purification cartridge 1 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. Since it flows between the inner peripheral surface of the case 6 and the outer peripheral portion of the entire hollow fiber membrane bundle, compared with a conventional water purification cartridge in which the water stream directly collides with the top portion of the inverted U-shaped hollow fiber membrane bundle. As a result, damage to the hollow fiber membrane bundle can be sufficiently suppressed in terms of how water flows in.

  Note that, within a range that satisfies the above-described condition regarding the cross-sectional area of the flow path, there are a plurality of radially extending protrusions on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the lower plate 5, and the protrusions are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical case 6. May be in contact with. In this case, the adsorbent portion 2 can be securely fixed in the cylindrical case 6, and the effect of increasing the fixing strength of the adsorbent portion 2 to the cylindrical case 6 can be increased.

  A hollow fiber membrane bundle formed by bundling a predetermined number of hollow fiber membranes 8 and bending the same into an inverted U-shape is accommodated inside the other end (lower end) of the cylindrical case 6. ) Section, the lower end side of the hollow fiber membrane bundle (the side where the opening of the hollow fiber membrane is arranged), and the lower end side of the hollow fiber membrane are sealed and fixed with a potting agent such as polyurethane. The sealed portion is the sealing portion 9. The lower end surface of the hollow fiber membrane bundle has an opening of the hollow fiber membrane, and the purified water is discharged from the opening. Polysulfone or polyethylene is used as the material of the hollow fiber membrane 8. In FIG. 1, the hollow fiber membrane bundle is bent in an inverted U-shape, but may be a straight hollow fiber membrane bundle whose upper end opening is sealed with an adhesive or heat fusion. .

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

It is assumed that the water purification cartridge 1 is inserted into a water faucet and used as a water purification cartridge of a water purifier built-in water purifier. In the case of a water tap with a built-in faucet, a flow path switching valve is incorporated in the head, so that it can be switched between a purified water state for purifying tap water and a raw water state for discharging tap water as it is. . When used in a water-purified state, the outer peripheral surface of the water purification cartridge 1 and the inner surface of the faucet are sealed in a water-tight manner somewhere. Thus, the water purification conditions, the outer peripheral surface of the purification cartridge 1 is raw water not go flowing.

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

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

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

  2 differs from FIG. 1 only in the configuration of the adsorbent portion. In the adsorbent portion of this embodiment, the adsorbent is a granular or powdery adsorbent 17, and is a substantially cylindrical housing space formed by the inner cylinder 12, the outer cylinder 11, the upper plate 4, and the lower plate 5. It is stored in. The upper plate 4 is provided at the center thereof with an opening communicating with the inner space of the adsorbent. Since the adsorbent is in the form of particles or powder, it can exhibit low cost and excellent adsorption performance.

  In the water purification cartridge 1 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, also in the cylindrical case, the cylindrical adsorbent portion and the hollow fiber membrane bundle are arranged in series in the axial direction of the cylindrical case, and one end of the cylindrical case ( The outer periphery of one end (upper end) of the adsorbent section is water-tightly engaged with the upper end, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle is sealed and fixed to the other end (lower end) of the cylindrical case. The other end (lower end) surface of the material portion is closed, and the adsorbent portion is capable of flowing water from its inner space to its outer space in the direction from its inner peripheral surface to its outer peripheral surface. Is in communication with the hollow fiber membrane bundle.

  It is preferable that the inner cylinder 12, the outer cylinder 11, and the lower plate 5 are formed as an integral body. Of course, it is also possible to form the three or two members as separate bodies and to assemble, weld, bond, or the like to assemble or connect them into the shape shown in FIG. 2, but it is more inexpensive to form them integrally. It is simple.

  Then, after the powder adsorbent 17 is filled in the substantially cylindrical housing space, the entrance of the housing space is covered, and the upper plate 4 is placed inside so that water and the powder adsorbent 17 are sealed. The adsorbent part is completed by fitting, welding, bonding or the like to the tube 12 and the outer tube 11. When filling the powder adsorbent 17, increasing the packing density by vibrating or suctioning the powder adsorbent 17 is a preferable method for increasing the filtration capacity of the adsorbent portion.

  A plurality of lattice-shaped openings 14 are provided on the peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 12, and a mesh 16 made of polyethylene terephthalate or a synthetic fiber such as polypropylene or polyethylene is attached to the inner surface so as to cover the openings of the openings 14. Have been. Since the mesh 16 has a filter function of allowing the water to be treated to pass without leaking the facing powder adsorbent 17, the mesh 16 has an aperture smaller than the particle size of the powder adsorbent 17. It has become. Further, in order to reduce the pressure loss during water flow, the opening ratio of the mesh 16 is preferably as large as the strength allows. Similarly, the aperture ratio of the lattice-shaped openings 14 is preferably as large as the strength allows. In order that the entire powder adsorbent 17 can be effectively utilized, it is preferable that the region where the opening 14 exists substantially coincides with the region of the powder adsorbent 17 that faces. The member covering the opening of the opening 14 is not limited to the mesh 16 but may be a thin sheet such as a nonwoven fabric of a synthetic resin, and may have a filter function of allowing the water to be treated to pass without leaking the powder adsorbent 17. I just need.

  As a method of attaching the mesh 16 to the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 12, a method of integrally forming the mesh 16 with the mesh 16 at the time of molding the inner cylinder 12 is preferable because it is firmly attached. It is also possible to apply an adhesive or to perform heat fusion. Since the mesh 16 is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 12, the amount of the powder adsorbent 17 that is filled and accommodated radially outside the inner cylinder 12 can be increased by the thickness of the inner cylinder 12. Of course, the mesh 16 may be attached to the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 12 in order to facilitate manufacture.

  Similar to the inner cylinder 12, the outer cylinder 11 is provided with a plurality of lattice-shaped openings 13 on its peripheral surface, and the outer surface thereof is formed of polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyethylene, or the like so as to cover the openings of the openings 13. Is attached. Since the mesh 15 has a filter function of allowing the water to be treated to pass without leaking the powder adsorbent 17 facing the mesh 15, the aperture of the mesh 15 is smaller than the particle size of the powder adsorbent 17. It has become. In addition, in order to reduce the pressure loss in passing water, the opening ratio of the mesh 15 is preferably as large as the strength allows. Similarly, the aperture ratio of the lattice-shaped openings 13 is preferably as large as the strength allows. In order that the entire powder adsorbent 17 can be effectively used, it is preferable that the region where the opening 13 is present substantially coincides with the region of the powder adsorbent 17 that faces. The member that covers the opening of the opening 13 is not limited to the mesh 15 and may be a thin sheet such as a synthetic resin nonwoven fabric, and may have a filter function of passing the water to be treated without leaking the powder adsorbent 17. I just need.

  As a method of attaching the mesh 15 to the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 11, a method of integrally forming the mesh 15 with the mesh 15 at the time of molding the outer cylinder 11 is preferable because it is firmly attached. It is also possible to apply an adhesive or to perform heat fusion. Since the mesh 15 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 11, the amount of the powder adsorbent 17 filled and accommodated inside the outer cylinder 11 in the radial direction can be increased by the thickness of the outer cylinder 11.

  Next, the powder adsorbent 17 will be described.

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

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

  In a conventional adsorbent such as activated carbon of a molded body, the mass ratio of the binder for molding occupies about 3 to 20%, and that portion does not contribute to filtration. Can be filled with activated carbon or an ion exchanger, and the increased adsorbent contributes to the filtration, so that the filtration capacity can be greatly improved. In particular, in the case of a powder adsorbent having a small average particle size of about 30 to 150 μm, the packing density can be increased. For example, when coconut shell activated carbon is used as granular or powdered activated carbon, 0.50 to 0.75 g / ML, so that a water purification cartridge having a high filtration capacity and a compact size can be formed.

  On the other hand, in general, when the particle size is reduced, the pressure loss in the passage of water in the adsorbent portion increases, and a predetermined filtration flow rate may not be secured. However, in the present invention, the shape of the above-described substantially cylindrical housing space and the shape of the powder adsorbent 17 housed therein are such that the axial length is long as shown in FIG. It has a cylindrical shape longer than (thickness). Then, since the water flow is performed in the radial direction from the inside to the outside of the cylindrical adsorbent portion, the flow passage cross-sectional area of the water adsorbs the powder adsorbent of the adsorbent portion in the axial direction. In this case, the flow velocity of the water flow is reduced because it is larger than the flow passage cross-sectional area, and even if the powder adsorbent with a small particle size is densely packed, the pressure loss in the water flow can be sufficiently reduced, A predetermined filtration flow rate can be achieved.

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

It is preferable that an elastic member is provided between the powder adsorbent 17 and the upper plate 4. In this case, the elastic member presses the powder adsorbent 17 and the upper plate 4 and comes into close contact therewith, so that no gap is formed between the filled powder adsorbent 17 and the upper plate 4, and In this case, there is no possibility that the powder adsorbent 17 is short-cut. As the elastic member, rubber such as silicone rubber having low hardness, sponge, non-woven fabric, felt or the like of synthetic resin can be used.
A water purification cartridge of FIG. 3, which is another embodiment of the present invention, will be described.
The water purification cartridge 21 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 has the raw water inlet 24 in the water purification cartridge of FIGS. 1 and 2 described above, and has one end (upper end) of the cylindrical case 6 and / or one end (upper end) of the adsorbent portion. ) Is provided with an inlet cap 22 for covering water-tightly, and an outlet cap 23 having a water purification outlet 25 and covering the other end (lower end) of the cylindrical case 6 in a water-tight manner. This water purification cartridge 21 can be applied as a water purification cartridge of an independent unit, for example, inserted and installed in the middle of a water pipe flow path to purify water.

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

  The water purification cartridge 31 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is a water purification cartridge in which the water purification cartridge 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is housed in a housing 37 having a raw water inlet 34 and a water purification outlet 35. The housing 37 has a lid 33 attached to the upper opening of the cylindrical container 32 by ultrasonic welding or screwing, and the opening is sealed.

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

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

  A cylindrical gap is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the container 32 and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical case 6 as a flow path of raw water entered from the raw water inlet 34. Then, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 4, the raw water entering from the raw water inlet 34 passes through the gap, is led to the central opening of the upper plate 4, and then passes through the internal space of the adsorbent section, thereby adsorbing the adsorbent. The water passes through the portion from the radially inner side to the outer side, passes through the hollow fiber membrane, becomes purified water, and is discharged from the purified water outlet 35 to the outside.

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

  The material of the cylindrical case, upper plate, lower plate, inner tube, outer tube, inlet cap, outlet cap, container, and lid is ABS (acrylonitrile / butadiene / styrene) resin, AS (acrylonitrile / styrene) It is preferable that the resin has high dimensional accuracy at the time of molding, such as resin, PP (polypropylene) resin, and polystyrene resin.

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

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Water purification cartridge 2 Adsorbent part 3 Adsorbent 4 Upper plate 5 Lower plate 6 Cylindrical case 8 Hollow fiber membrane 9 Sealing part 11 Outer tube 12 Inner tube 13 Opening 14 Opening 15 Mesh 16 Mesh 17 Powder adsorbent 21 Water purifying cartridge 22 Inlet cap 23 Outlet cap 24 Raw water inlet 25 Purified water outlet 31 Water purifying cartridge 32 Container 33 Lid 34 Raw water inlet 35 Purified water outlet 36 Mounting recess 37 Housing

Claims (3)

A water purification cartridge in which a cylindrical adsorbent part and a hollow fiber membrane bundle are arranged in series in the axial direction of the cylindrical case inside the cylindrical case,
At one end of the cylindrical case, an outer peripheral portion of one end of the adsorbent portion is engaged in a watertight manner,
At the other end of the cylindrical case, the hollow fiber membrane bundle is sealed and fixed,
The other end surface of the adsorbent portion is closed,
The adsorbent portion is capable of flowing water from its internal space to its external space in a direction from its inner peripheral surface to its outer peripheral surface,
A water purification cartridge in which an outer peripheral portion of the adsorbent section communicates with the hollow fiber membrane bundle. The adsorbent section has a tubular shaped adsorbent, an upper plate disposed at one end of the formed adsorbent, and a lower plate closing the other end of the formed adsorbent. And
The water purification cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the upper plate includes an opening communicating with an inner space of the adsorbent. The adsorbent portion, granular or powdery adsorbent is stored in a cylindrical space formed by an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder, an upper plate and a lower plate,
The water purification cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the upper plate includes an opening communicating with an inner space of the adsorbent.

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