JP7123783B2 - ion elution unit - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an ion elution unit having electrodes in a case for eluting metal ions into water.

Conventionally, in this type of device, a case in which an electrode for eluting silver ions is installed in the middle of a water flow path through which water flows is provided in the middle of a pipe through which water flows, and the case is penetrated and connected to the electrode, which is different from the electrode. In some cases, silver ions, which have an antibacterial effect, are efficiently eluted by applying a voltage to electrodes through terminals made of metal. (For example, Patent Document 1)

Japanese Patent No. 5345038

However, in this conventional device, the connection between the terminal and the electrode is exposed to the water flow path in the case, so if the terminal is made of a metal that has a higher ionization tendency than the electrode, the terminal will be affected by electrolytic corrosion. There is room for improvement because the terminal is worn out faster than the electrode and the volume is reduced, and if the wear due to electrolytic corrosion progresses, the connecting portion between the terminal and the electrode may be broken.

In order to solve the above problems, in claim 1 of the present invention, a case in which a water flow path through which water passes is formed;
an electrode arranged in the water passage of the case and eluting metal ions into water;
a terminal connected to the electrode and applying a voltage to the electrode;
an electrode insertion opening formed in the case and into which the electrode and the terminal are inserted;
A partition wall is installed between the water flow path and the electrode insertion port in the case to prevent water from entering, and the electrode insertion port and the partition wall are located above the water flow path. disposing a connecting portion between the electrode and the terminal in an air chamber formed in the case;
As a water leakage prevention means for preventing water leakage from the electrode insertion opening, a lid having a through hole through which the terminal can pass and attached to the electrode insertion opening, an outer peripheral surface of the lid and an inner circumference of the electrode insertion opening. and an O-ring positioned between the inner peripheral surface of the through hole and the outer peripheral surface of the terminal.

According to this invention, since the partition wall is installed between the water passage and the electrode insertion port so that the connecting portion between the electrode and the terminal in the case becomes an air chamber, the connecting portion between the electrode and the terminal is prevented from being exposed to water. Since the electrode is not exposed, the volume of the terminal decreases faster than that of the electrode due to consumption due to electrolytic corrosion, and it is possible to prevent the connection between the electrode and the terminal from breaking.

In addition, since the air chamber is positioned above the water flow path in the case, it is possible to reduce the risk of water passing over the partition wall and entering the air chamber. can reduce the risk of exposure to water.

In addition, since the electrode insertion port is provided with a water leakage prevention means, even if water enters the air chamber side from the partition wall, it is possible to prevent water leakage from the electrode insertion port to the outside of the case. A decrease in product reliability can be prevented.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of an embodiment of the invention; FIG. It is a schematic block diagram of the same embodiment. It is a control block diagram of the same embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the operation|movement from the operation|movement start to completion|finish of the same embodiment. It is a front view explaining the ion elution unit of the same embodiment. It is an exploded perspective view explaining the ion elution unit of the same embodiment. It is a top view of the state which removed the lid|cover explaining the ion elution unit of the same embodiment. It is front view sectional drawing explaining the ion elution unit of the same embodiment.

Next, a humidifying device using an ion elution unit according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Reference numeral 1 denotes an instrument body; 2, an air blowing port provided with a plurality of louvers 3 formed in the upper portion of the instrument body 1 so as to be parallel to the front surface of the instrument body 1; A top panel, 5 a bottom panel forming the front lower part of the instrument main body 1, 6 an operation unit provided with a plurality of switches and performing various operation commands, 7 a breaker cover for hiding a breaker (not shown), and 8 the bottom surface of the instrument main body 1. and a suction port which is formed in the lower part of the front surface and takes in the room air into the device main body 1 .

Reference numeral 10 denotes a water storage chamber which is located at a substantially middle height position within the apparatus main body 1 and stores a predetermined amount of water. A rotating body 12 having a shape is provided.

The rotating body 12 has a hollow inverted conical shape and its circumference gradually expands upward. The water in the water storage chamber 10 is pumped up by the centrifugal force of the rotation, the water is pushed up through the outer wall and the inner wall of the rotating body 12, and the water pushed up through the outer wall of the rotating body 12 is scattered around. At the same time, the water pushed up along the inner wall of the rotating body 12 is scattered in the outer peripheral direction from a plurality of splash holes (not shown) formed at the upper end of the rotating body 12 .

Reference numeral 14 denotes a cylindrical porous body positioned at a predetermined interval on the outer periphery of the upper portion of the rotating body 12 and rotating together with the rotating body 12. The porous body 14 has a large number of slits, wire mesh, punching metal, etc. on the entire peripheral wall thereof. A perforated portion 15 is provided as an impact body made of.

The mist motor 13 that constitutes the mist generating section is driven, and the centrifugal force generated by rotating the rotating body 12 draws up the water in the water storage chamber 10 and scatters the air. By crushing water, a large amount of mist with a particle size of nanometers (nm) (hereinafter referred to as fine mist) is generated in a large amount, and water droplets with a relatively large particle size (hereinafter referred to as large water droplets). is generated, and the fine mist is charged with negative ions by the Lenard effect due to the miniaturization of water, and the large water droplets are charged with positive ions.

A blower fan 20 is installed in the lower panel 5 and is driven at a predetermined number of revolutions to suck dry air in the room and blow the air upwards of the apparatus main body 1. A blower fan 21 is located downstream of the blower fan 20 and blows air. Dry air sucked from the lower part of the instrument main body 1 passes through the air blowing path 21 and is guided to the upper part of the instrument main body 1. A mist motor 13 is placed in the upper part of the water storage chamber 10. It flows into the reservoir chamber 10 through the wind tunnel 22 .

The blowing path 21 is not limited to the form of being partitioned from the outside by the housing, and for example, the flow path may be formed by a dedicated partitioning wall such as a hose.

23 is connected to the other upper end of the water storage chamber 10 so that the air path faces vertically upward, and through which humidified air containing fine mist and large-sized water droplets generated in the water storage chamber 10 circulates. is a plurality of baffle plates having inclined surfaces which are installed in the air-water separation air passage 23 and which are inclined vertically upward.

Reference numeral 25 denotes a bypass inlet into which part of the air passing through the wall surface of the air-water separation air passage 23 and circulating in the blowing path 21 can flow. As a result, the air volume of the humidified air rising from the water storage chamber 10 can be increased, and the air volume of the humidified air blown into the room from the air blowing port 2 can be increased.

A heater 30 is installed in the water storage chamber 10 to heat the stored water, and is turned on/off so that the temperature detected by the stored water temperature sensor 31, which is installed on the outer wall of the water storage chamber 10 and detects the temperature of the stored water, becomes a predetermined temperature. The state can be switched as appropriate.

A water level sensor 32 is installed in the water storage chamber 10 and detects the water level as the float moves up and down. When the water level rises to a predetermined level or higher, an ON signal is output, and when the water level further rises and the water storage chamber 10 becomes full, a full water signal is output.

A water supply pipe 40 is connected to the side of the water storage chamber 10 and supplies city water to the water storage chamber 10. In the middle of the water supply pipe 40, a solenoid valve is opened and closed to control the water supply to the water storage chamber 10. A water supply valve 41, a pressure reducing valve 42 for reducing the water supply pressure to a predetermined value, and an ion elution unit 43, which will be described later, are provided.

A drain pipe 50 is connected to the bottom of the water storage chamber 10 and is composed of a rigid vinyl chloride pipe for draining the water in the water storage chamber 10 to the outside of the apparatus main body 1. A drain valve 51 is provided as a drain switching means for controlling the drain of water in the water storage chamber 10 .

A blow temperature sensor 60 is installed on the upper wall surface of the blower port 2 and detects the temperature of the humidified air blown from the blower port 2 into the room. 62 is a humidity sensor installed near the intake air temperature sensor 61 to detect the humidity in the room where the fixture body 1 is installed, and the temperature detected by each sensor The rotational speed of the mist motor 13 and the blower fan 20 is changed based on the temperature and humidity, and the ON/OFF state of the heater 30 is switched.

Reference numeral 70 denotes a control unit composed of a microcomputer for controlling operation contents and opening and closing of valves based on the detection values detected by each sensor and the setting contents of each switch provided on the operation unit 6. A mist motor control means 71 for driving at a predetermined number of revolutions, a blower fan control means 72 for driving the blower fan 20 at a predetermined number of revolutions, and the ON/OFF state of the heater 30 are switched to change the water temperature in the water storage chamber 10. A heater control means 73 for controlling is provided.

(Description of driving behavior)
Next, operations from the start to the end of operation in this embodiment will be described based on the flow chart of FIG.
First, when an operation switch (not shown) of the operation unit 6 is operated, the control unit 70 opens the drain valve 51 to drain the water in the water storage chamber 10 . When the water level sensor 32 detects an OFF signal, the water supply valve 41 is opened to perform a cleaning operation to wash the inside of the water storage chamber 10 with water. After the drain valve is closed, silver ions are eluted by applying a voltage to an electrode 90 in the ion elution unit 43 , which will be described later, and water containing silver ions is allowed to flow into the water storage chamber 10 through the water supply pipe 40 . Then, when the ON signal is detected by the water level sensor 32, the water supply valve 41 is closed on the assumption that a predetermined amount of water has been supplied into the water storage chamber 10, and a water replacement mode is performed in which voltage application to the electrode 90 is stopped (step S101).

After the water replacement mode in step S101 is completed, the controller 70 turns on the heater 30 by the heater control means 73 until the temperature of the stored water detected by the stored water temperature sensor 31 becomes equal to the room temperature. Then, a start-up mode is performed in which a start-up operation controlled by the mist motor control means 71 and the blow fan control means 72 is performed so that the blower fan 20 reaches a predetermined rotational speed (step S102).

After the start-up mode of step S102 ends, the control unit 70 controls the mist motor control means 71 so that the mist motor 13 and the blower fan 20 are driven at a predetermined number of revolutions based on the set humidification level and air volume level. The number of rotations is controlled by the blower fan control means 72, and the ON/OFF state of the heater 30 is switched and controlled by the heater control means 73 to keep the temperature within a predetermined temperature range matching the humidification level and the air volume level. A normal operation mode for performing mist operation is performed (step S103).

In this normal operation mode, when the water level in the water storage chamber 10 drops and the water level sensor 32 detects an OFF signal, the control unit 70 opens the water supply valve 41 and applies voltage to the electrode 90 in the ion elution unit 43. The voltage is applied to supply water containing silver ions into the water storage chamber 10 . As a result, the water in the water storage chamber 10 has an antibacterial action, and sliminess around the water storage chamber 10 can be suppressed.

When it is determined that an operation switch (not shown) has been operated during the normal operation mode in step S103 and an instruction to end the operation has been issued, the control unit 70 stops the mist motor 13 and then opens the drain valve 51 to open the water storage chamber 10. After a predetermined period of time has passed, the water supply valve 41 is opened and a voltage is applied to the electrode 90 in the ion elution unit 43 to wash the inside of the water storage chamber 10. A water replacement operation is performed to store a predetermined amount of water in 10 . After that, the heater 30 is turned on to heat the water to perform a sterilization operation for a predetermined period of time. When the temperature drops below a predetermined temperature, a cleaning mode is performed in which the drain valve 51 is opened to drain the water (step S104).

After the cleaning mode in step S104 is completed, the control unit 70 controls the blower fan control means 72 so that the blower fan 20 is driven at a predetermined number of revolutions (800 rpm, for example), and blows air into the water storage chamber 10 and the blower path 21. A drying mode is performed to prevent the growth of bacteria by drying the air blower 20 (step S105). to stop the operation.

(Description of the ion elution unit)
Next, the ion elution unit 43 installed in the middle of the water supply pipe 40 will be described in detail.
Please refer to FIGS. The ion elution unit 43 is composed of a teeth-shaped case 80 . The case 80 has an inlet 81 connected to the water supply pipe 40 on the upstream side through which water flows into the case 80, an outlet 82 connected to the water supply pipe 40 on the downstream side through which water flows out from the case 80, and an electrode. and an electrode insertion opening 83 into which the electrode 90 can be inserted.

Please refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. A water passage 88 is formed in the case 80 to allow water to pass from the inlet 81 to the outlet 82 . The water flow path 88 is an elbow-shaped flow path, and the inlet 81 is positioned downward and the outlet 82 is positioned rightward. An electrode insertion opening 83 is positioned upward.

Please refer to FIG. The electrode 90 inserted into the electrode insertion opening 83 is made of a silver plate whose length in the vertical direction is longer than the length in the horizontal direction. The electrode 90 is formed so that the lateral width of the upper end 90a, which is the connection portion, is shorter than that of the other portions. A terminal 91 made of brass, which is a different metal from the electrode 90 , can be connected to the upper end 90 a of the electrode 90 . The terminal 91 is formed with a recess 91a in which an O-ring 92 can be installed. By inserting a screw 93 into a screw hole 90b formed at the upper end 90a of the electrode 90 and a screw hole 91b formed at the lower end of the terminal 91, the connection between the terminal 91 and the electrode 90 is completed.

Please refer to FIG. A lid 84 is attached to the electrode insertion port 83 . After the electrode 90 to which the terminal 91 is connected is inserted into the case 80 , the lid 84 is attached to the electrode insertion opening 83 with the O-ring 85 sandwiched between it and the inner peripheral surface of the electrode insertion opening 83 . After attaching the lid 84, screws 86 are attached to the screw holes 83a formed in the electrode insertion opening 83 and the screw holes 84a formed in the lid 84, thereby completing the attachment of the lid 84 to the electrode insertion opening 83. do. Also, when the lid 84 is attached to the electrode insertion port 83 , the upper ends of the terminals 91 protrude from the through holes 84 b formed in the lid 84 .

When the attachment of the lid 84 to the electrode insertion port 83 is completed, the space between the case 80 and the electrode insertion port 83 is made watertight and airtight by the lid 84 and the O-ring 85, and the space between the through hole 84b and the terminal 91 is sealed by the O-ring. 92 to make it watertight and airtight. Therefore, water leakage to the outside of the case 80 can be prevented by the lid 84, the O-ring 85, and the O-ring 92 functioning as water leakage prevention means.

Please refer to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. A partition wall 87 is located near the electrode insertion opening 83 inside the case 80 . The partition wall 87 is formed with two parallel slits 87 a each having an opening area slightly larger than the left-right width and the front-rear width of the electrode 90 . By inserting and fitting the electrodes 90 into the slits 87 a , the partition wall 87 partitions a water passage 88 that is a water flow path from the inlet 81 to the outlet 82 in the case 80 .

Please refer to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. A vertical electrode 90 whose vertical direction is longer than its horizontal direction is inserted into the slit 87a of the partition wall 87 from the electrode insertion port 83 so as to match the axial direction of the inlet 81, so that the electrode 90 is brought into close contact with the slit 87a. Installation is complete. Therefore, compared to the case where the horizontal electrode 90 is longer than the vertical direction and is inserted through the electrode insertion opening 83, the opening areas of the electrode insertion opening 83 and the slit 87a are not increased, and the electrode 90 is inserted into the slit 87a of the partition wall 87. Since it can be attached to the case 80, an increase in size of the case 80 can be prevented.

In addition, since the water flow path 88 is elbow-shaped and the vertically long electrode 90 is inserted from the electrode insertion opening 83 so as to match the axial direction of the inlet 81, a straight water flow path 88 is formed. The electrode 90 having a larger area can be arranged in the water flow path 88 as compared with the case where the electrode insertion port 83 having the same opening area as in the present embodiment is arranged in the water passage 80 . Therefore, even if the electrode 90 is worn out due to the influence of electrolytic corrosion, the electrode 90 can be used continuously for a long period of time, so that the replacement frequency of the electrode 90 can be reduced.

Please refer to FIG. When the electrode 90 is fitted into the slit 87a of the partition wall 87, the upper portion of the electrode 90 and the narrow upper end 90a, which is the connecting portion between the electrode 90 and the terminal 91, protrude above the partition wall 87, and the electrode 90 and the slit 87a protrude. Since they are in close contact, the partition wall 87 prevents water from entering the electrode insertion port 83 side. As a result, an air chamber 89, which is an air layer into which water does not enter, is formed between the partition wall 87 and the lid 84 inside the case 80, and the upper portion of the electrode 90 and the connection between the electrode 90 and the terminal 91 are formed in the air chamber 89. A narrow upper end 90a, which is a connecting portion, is arranged. Therefore, the connecting portion between the electrode 90 and the terminal 91 is prevented from getting wet by the partition wall 87 simply by fitting the electrode 90 into the slit 87a.

Please refer to FIG. The air chamber 89 is located above the water passage 88, and the entire upper end 90a of the electrode 90, the upper portion of the electrode 90 near the upper end 90a, and the terminal 91 are arranged. Therefore, compared to the case where the air chamber 89 is positioned below the water passage 88, the risk of water passing through the water passage 88 leaking from the partition wall 87 to the air chamber 89 side is small, and the upper end 90a of the electrode 90 The whole and the electrode 90 near the upper end 90a and the terminal 91 do not get wet with water.

Even if water should enter the air chamber 89, the lid 84, the O-rings 85 and the O-rings 92 as water leakage prevention means prevent water leakage to the outside of the case 80. FIG. Therefore, even if water enters the air chamber 89, it is possible to prevent water from leaking out of the case 80, thereby preventing deterioration in reliability of the product.

Please refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. A lead wire 94 connects the upper end of the terminal 91 to one end thereof. The other end of the lead wire is connected to a power source (not shown), and energization from the power source energizes the terminal 91 and applies a voltage to the electrode 90 . A voltage is applied to the electrode 90 at the timing of water supply to the water storage chamber 10, silver ions are eluted, the water in the water storage chamber 10 is purified, and the sliminess in the vicinity of the water storage chamber 10 can be prevented. .

Next, effects of the present invention will be described.

A partition wall 87 is provided between the water flow path 88 and the electrode insertion port 83 so that the vicinity of the upper end 90a of the electrode 90 and the entire terminal 91 in the case 80 are arranged in an air chamber 89 that prevents water from entering. Install. Therefore, since the terminal 91 is not exposed to the water in the water passage 88 by installing the partition wall 87, electrolytic corrosion of the terminal 91 made of brass, which has a higher ionization tendency than the electrode 90 made of silver, can be prevented. can be done. As a result, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the terminal 91 is exposed to water, is consumed faster than the electrode 90 due to electrolytic corrosion, the volume is reduced, and the connection portion with the electrode 90 is broken. Therefore, product reliability is improved.

Also, the air chamber 89 is formed at a position above the water passage 88 inside the case 80 . As a result, the risk of water leaking from the partition wall 87 and entering the air chamber 89 can be reduced compared to the case where the air chamber 89 is formed at a position below the water passage 88 in the case 80. It is possible to reduce the risk that the upper end 90a, which is the connecting portion between the electrode 90 and the terminal 91, is exposed to water.

In addition, since the electrode insertion port 83 is provided with the lid 84, the O-ring 85 and the O-ring 92 as water leakage prevention means, even if the water in the water flow path 88 enters the air chamber 89 side, the electrode insertion port 83 will still be closed. is ensured, and water leakage to the outside of the case 80 can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the reliability of the product from being lowered due to water leakage to the outside of the case 80 .

In addition, since the water flow path 88 is elbow-shaped and the vertically long electrode 90 is inserted from the electrode insertion port 83 so as to match the axial direction of the inlet 81, the electrode 90 can be used continuously for a long period of time. Therefore, the replacement frequency of the electrode 90 can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the narrow upper end 90a, which is the connecting portion between the electrode 90 and the terminal 91, and the upper part of the electrode 90 near the upper end 90a are arranged in the air chamber 89. The object of the present invention can be achieved if the connecting portion is arranged in the air chamber 89 . Therefore, only the upper end 90 a of the electrode 90 and the terminal 91 may be arranged in the air chamber 89 . In this case, the opening area of the slit 87a of the partition wall 87 is not adjusted to the insertion width of the terminal 91, but is adjusted to the insertion width of the electrode 90 as it is. As a result, the electrode 90 can be inserted through the electrode insertion opening 83, so that the workability of installing the electrode 90 can be prevented from deteriorating.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the case 80 has an inlet 81 on the lower side and an outlet 82 on the right side. may be the outflow port 82 and the right side may be the inflow port 81 .

Also, in the present embodiment, silver is used for the electrode 90, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any metal capable of eluting metal ions may be used. For example, by using copper, zinc, or the like as the electrode 90 and releasing copper ions or zinc ions into the water to purify the water in the water storage chamber 10, it is possible to suppress the generation of sliminess in the water. Moreover, the terminal 91 is not limited to brass, and a material different from that of the electrode 90, such as copper or iron, which has electrical conductivity and is easy to process, may be used.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the ion elution unit 43 is installed in the middle of the water supply pipe 40 of the humidifier, but the ion elution unit 43 is not limited to this, and the ion elution unit 43 is arranged in the middle of the pipe of other electrical equipment such as a water heater. Any change may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

43 ion elution unit 80 case 83 electrode insertion port 84 lid (water leakage prevention means)
87 partition wall 88 water passage 89 air chamber 90 electrode 90a upper end (connecting portion)
91 terminal

Claims (1)

a case in which a water flow path is formed through which water passes;
an electrode arranged in the water passage of the case and eluting metal ions into water;
a terminal connected to the electrode and applying a voltage to the electrode;
an electrode insertion opening formed in the case and into which the electrode and the terminal are inserted;
A partition wall is installed between the water flow path and the electrode insertion port in the case to prevent water from entering, and the electrode insertion port and the partition wall are located above the water flow path. disposing a connecting portion between the electrode and the terminal in an air chamber formed in the case;
As a water leakage prevention means for preventing water leakage from the electrode insertion opening, a lid having a through hole through which the terminal can pass and attached to the electrode insertion opening, an outer peripheral surface of the lid and an inner circumference of the electrode insertion opening. and an O-ring positioned between the inner peripheral surface of the through hole and the outer peripheral surface of the terminal.

Images