JP7281806B2 - Water purification filters, water purification cartridges and pot-type water purifiers - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a water purification filter, a water purification cartridge and a pot type water purifier.

Conventionally, a water purification filter containing a cylindrical activated carbon molded body is known. As the water purification filter, in order to prevent some of the activated carbon molded body from falling off and being mixed into the purified water, there is known one in which non-woven fabric is provided on the outer peripheral side surface and the inner peripheral side surface of the cylindrical shape. .

As the water purification filter, for example, the inner peripheral layer and the outer peripheral layer of the cylindrical body are each made of nonwoven fabric, and the layer between the inner peripheral layer and the outer peripheral layer is made of mixed paper made of activated carbon fiber and heat-fusible fiber. In the water purification filter in which both ends of the cylindrical body are fixed with a thermoplastic resin, the fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric include fibers with a fiber diameter of 10 to 50 μm and fibers with a fiber diameter of 0.5 to 3 μm. There is known a water purification filter characterized by containing fibers having an equilibrium moisture content of 5% or more at %RH and 20°C (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to the water purification filter, the activated carbon fiber is prevented from coming off in the water flow direction, and the water permeability is high from the initial stage of water flow even when used at a low water pressure.

JP-A-9-239214

By the way, as a water purifier equipped with a water purifying cartridge, a so-called pot type is known. This pot-type water purifier has a structure in which a water purification cartridge is interposed between a raw water reservoir positioned on the upper side and a purified water reservoir positioned on the lower side. The raw water stored in the raw water reservoir flows through the water purification cartridge by its own weight into the purified water reservoir and is purified in the water purification cartridge.

In the pot-type water purifier, the raw water passes through the water purification cartridge under its own weight, so the water pressure is much lower than in the automatic ice maker of the refrigerator or the water heater, which are the uses assumed in Patent Document 1. The inventors of the present invention have found that when the water purification cartridge of Patent Document 1 is applied to a pot-type water purifier, the flow rate is not sufficient and water purification may take a long time.

In addition, the pot-type water purifier is provided with the raw water reservoir on the upper side of the water purification cartridge as described above. When the charcoal drops off, the dropped activated carbon floats on the water surface of the raw water reservoir, which makes the user of the pot-type water purifier uncomfortable.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above problems, and contributes to having a sufficient flow rate and reducing the inflow of the fallen activated carbon into the raw water reservoir even when applied to a pot-type water purifier, for example. , to provide technology related to water purification cartridges.

As a result of studies by the present inventors, in order to have a sufficient flow rate when applied to a pot-type water purifier, the pressure loss in the nonwoven fabric arranged on the side surface of the raw water inflow of the activated carbon molded body should be reduced. I learned that it is effective. However, in the water purification cartridge of Patent Document 1, in order to increase the flow rate when used as a pot-type water purifier, the present inventors considered that the density of the nonwoven fabrics arranged as the inner and outer layers of the cylindrical body should be low. As a result, the inventors have found that a large amount of activated carbon tends to leak into the raw water reservoir particularly from the side on which the raw water flows. That is, when applied to a pot-type water purifier, it was found that there is a trade-off relationship between having a sufficient flow rate and reducing the leakage of activated carbon into the raw water reservoir.

Further studies by the inventors of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems resulted in the fact that, among various nonwoven fabrics, a nonwoven fabric made of heat-fusible short fibers was arranged on the side of the activated carbon molded body on the side where the raw water flows in. By doing so, for the first time, even when applied to a pot-type water purifier, for example, it has been found that a sufficient flow rate can be obtained and the inflow of the dropped activated carbon into the raw water reservoir can be reduced. The present invention is an invention completed by further studies based on these findings.

That is, the present invention provides inventions in the following aspects.
Section 1. A water purifying filter comprising a cylindrical activated carbon molded body through which raw water flows in a radial direction of the cylindrical shaped body, wherein the side surface of the activated carbon molded body on the side where the raw water flows in is provided with short heat-fusible fibers A water purification filter comprising a nonwoven fabric containing
Section 2. Item 2. The water purification filter according to Item 1, wherein the heat-fusible component of the heat-fusible short fibers is a polyester-based resin.
Item 3. Item 3. The water purification filter according to Item 1 or 2, wherein the activated carbon molded body contains short heat-fusible fibers.
Section 4. Item 4. The water purification filter according to any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein the nonwoven fabric has an apparent density calculated from the thickness and basis weight of 0.08 to 0.30 g/cm ³ .
Item 5. Item 5. The water purification filter according to any one of Items 1 to 4, wherein the nonwoven fabric contains one or more selected from the group consisting of ion exchange fibers, cellulosic fibers and animal fibers.
Item 6. Item 6. The water purification filter according to any one of Items 1 to 5, wherein the nonwoven fabric contains inorganic fibers.
Item 7. Item 7. The water purification filter according to any one of Items 1 to 6, wherein the activated carbon constituting the activated carbon molded body is fibrous activated carbon.
Item 8. Item 8. A water purification cartridge for a pot-type water purifier, comprising the water purification filter according to any one of items 1 to 7.
Item 9. A cylindrical casing having an inflow portion into which raw water flows in and an outflow portion from which purified water flows out, and a purified water according to any one of Items 1 to 7, which is housed inside the casing and is for filtering the raw water. a filter, wherein the water purification filter has elasticity and is formed in a cylindrical shape having a hollow portion, and has a first surface and a second surface at both ends in the axial direction, and the casing includes: The first The cover portion is formed with a first contact portion that annularly contacts the first surface of the water purification filter so as to surround the outer periphery of the hollow portion, presses the water purification filter in the axial direction and elastically deforms the water purification filter, and the second contact portion is formed in the cover portion. The cover portion is formed with a second contact portion that annularly contacts the second surface of the water purifying filter so as to surround the outer circumference of the hollow portion, presses the water purifying filter in the axial direction, and elastically deforms the water purifying filter. is accommodated inside the casing in a state of being elastically deformed by the pressing force of the first contact portion and the second contact portion, and the raw water flowing in from the inflow portion of the casing flows through the first cover portion , it flows into the hollow portion of the water purification filter, passes through the water purification filter radially outward, flows out into the space between the outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter and the side wall portion of the casing, and exits from the outflow portion to the outside. A water purification cartridge for a pot water purifier configured to be discharged into a water purifier.
Item 10. A pot-type water purifier comprising the water purification filter according to any one of items 1 to 7.

According to the present invention, a technology related to a water purification cartridge that has a sufficient flow rate and contributes to reducing the inflow of fallen activated carbon into the raw water reservoir even when applied to a pot-type water purifier, for example. can provide.

The external perspective view of a water purification filter. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of an in-out type cartridge; The external perspective view of a casing and a water-purifying filter. Front view of the cartridge. Rear view of the cartridge. Top view of the cartridge. Bottom view of the cartridge. Right side view of the cartridge. Left side view of the cartridge. Sectional view of an in-out type cartridge. The right side view of a casing. BB sectional view of FIG. 5A. The right side view of a casing. DD sectional view of FIG. 5C. The right side view of a casing. FF sectional view of FIG. 5E. FF cross-sectional view of FIG. 5E in the stowed state. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the flow of water inside the in-out type cartridge; FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of an out-in type cartridge; Sectional view of an out-in type cartridge. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the flow of water in an out-in type cartridge; Schematic cross-sectional view of a pot-type water purifier using an in-out type cartridge. Schematic cross-sectional view of a pot-type water purifier using an out-in type cartridge.

The water purification filter of the present invention includes a cylindrical shaped activated carbon molded body through which raw water is passed in the radial direction of the cylindrical shaped body, wherein and a nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers.

For example, in FIG. 1, the water purification filter 3 includes a cylindrical activated carbon molded body 35, a non-woven fabric 36 arranged on the inner peripheral side of the activated carbon molded body 35 in the radial direction, and an outer peripheral side of the activated carbon molded body 35 in the radial direction. and a nonwoven fabric 37 arranged thereon. In FIG. 1, the water purification filter 3 has a cavity inside.

In the water purification filter of the present invention, which has a cylindrical shape, there are two possible types of flow direction of raw water and purified water: an in-out type and an out-in type. Referring to FIG. 1, in the in-out type, raw water flows into the hollow portion of the water purification filter 2, and the nonwoven fabric 36, the activated carbon molded body 35, and the nonwoven fabric 37 are formed in this order toward the radially outer peripheral side of the cylindrical shape. Purified water is purified by passing through and discharged to the outer surface side of the nonwoven fabric 37 (the surface side of the nonwoven fabric 37 opposite to the contact surface with the activated carbon compact 35). 1, in the water purification filter of the present invention, the "side surface of the activated carbon molded body on the side where the raw water flows in" means the contact between the activated carbon molded body 35 and the nonwoven fabric 36 in the case of the in-out type. It corresponds to a surface, and the nonwoven fabric 36 must be a nonwoven fabric made of heat-fusible short fibers.

In the out-in type, the direction of water flow is opposite to that of the in-out type, and the raw water flows on the outer surface side of the nonwoven fabric 37 (the side of the nonwoven fabric 37 opposite to the surface in contact with the activated carbon compact 35). The purified water is purified by passing through the nonwoven fabric 37, the activated carbon molded body 35, and the nonwoven fabric 36 in order in the radial center direction of the cylindrical shape, and the purified water is discharged into the cavity. 1, in the water purification filter of the present invention, the "side surface of the activated carbon molded body on the side where the raw water flows in" means the contact between the activated carbon molded body 35 and the nonwoven fabric 37 in the case of the out-in type. It corresponds to a surface, and the nonwoven fabric 37 needs to be a nonwoven fabric made of heat-fusible short fibers.

<Nonwoven Fabric Containing Heat-Sealable Staple Fibers, Provided on the Side of the Activated Carbon Molded Body on the Inflow Side of Raw Water>
The water purification filter of the present invention has a non-woven fabric containing heat-fusible staple fibers on the side surface of the activated carbon molded body on which the raw water flows. Thus, it is possible to provide a technology related to a water purification cartridge that has a sufficient flow rate even when applied to a pot-type water purifier and contributes to reducing the inflow of fallen activated carbon into the raw water reservoir. can.

Specifically, the present inventors have found that the long fiber nonwoven fabric such as spunbond nonwoven fabric, for example, has a large number of long fiber axis directions arranged in the plane direction, so that the pressure loss is relatively large especially when it is arranged on the inflow side of raw water. Therefore, we learned that the flow rate is inferior when it is applied to a pot-type water purifier. The inventors of the present invention have made intensive studies and found that by making a nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers, the short fibers are randomly arranged in three dimensions, and heat treatment is applied to the heat-fusible fibers to heat them. The fusible fibers exist in the nonwoven fabric in a relatively hard state, and the fiber axis direction is partly oriented in the thickness direction. and can reduce the inflow of the dropped activated carbon into the raw water reservoir.

The heat-fusible short fibers contain a heat-fusible component. The heat-fusible component preferably has a melting point (softening point if it does not have a melting point, hereinafter the same) of 80 to 170°C, more preferably 80 to 140°C. Specific examples of the heat-fusible component include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and polyester resins such as copolymerized polyethylene terephthalate obtained by copolymerizing a copolymer component such as isophthalic acid. Among them, the hydrophilicity is relatively high and the water compatibility is better, so the flow rate when applied to a pot-type water purifier, especially at the start of use as a water purification filter, is improved. The fusible component is preferably polyester-based, and more preferably polyethylene terephthalate copolymerized with isophthalic acid. In the present invention, the melting point is defined as the temperature giving the extreme value of the melting absorption curve measured at a heating rate of 20° C./min using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC7 manufactured by PerkinElmer).

The heat-fusible staple fiber is of a full-fusion type composed of only a single heat-fusible component, or a heat-fusible component in the sheath and a core having a melting point higher than that of the sheath, preferably 20%. C. or more, preferably 30.degree. Among them, from the viewpoint of further increasing the strength of the water purification filter, especially the strength of the water purification filter when the activated carbon molded body described later contains fibrous activated carbon, it is possible to use core-sheath type heat-fusible short fibers. preferable. In the case of core-sheath type heat-fusible short fibers, the core component is not particularly limited, but for example, the melting point is 150 to 300° C., more preferably 200 to 300° C., and the melting point is higher than the melting point of the sheath. 20° C. or more higher than the synthetic resin component. A specific example of the synthetic resin component is polyethylene terephthalate.

Specific examples of the fiber length of the heat-fusible staple fibers include, for example, 1 to 100 mm, preferably 10 to 80 mm. Further, the fiber diameter of the heat-fusible short fibers is, for example, 1 to 30 μm, preferably 10 to 25 μm. Further, the fineness of the heat-fusible short fibers is, for example, 0.1 to 20 dtex, more preferably 1 to 10 dtex.

In the water purification filter of the present invention, the non-woven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers provided on the side surface of the activated carbon molded body on the raw water inflow side can be made only of the heat-fusible short fibers. As a result, the strength of the water purifying filter, particularly the strength of the water purifying filter when the activated carbon molded body to be described later contains fibrous activated carbon, can be further enhanced. On the other hand, a nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers can contain other components than the heat-fusible short fibers. In the nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible staple fibers provided on the side surface of the activated carbon molded body on the raw water inflow side, the content of the heat-fusible staple fibers is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 5 to 100% by mass. , 20 to 100% by mass, and 30 to 100% by mass.

Inorganic fibers can be mentioned as components other than the heat-fusible short fibers. Examples of inorganic fibers include glass fibers, carbon fibers, fibrous activated carbon, chelate fibers, rock wool, alumina fibers, and titania fibers. The above fibers function as aggregates in a nonwoven fabric containing short heat-fusible fibers and contribute to further improving the bulkiness of the nonwoven fabric. Among inorganic fibers, fibrous activated carbon is preferred. When fibrous activated carbon is used, fibrous carbon having a mesoporosity of preferably 10% or less, more preferably 6% or less, and a specific surface area of preferably 1000 m ² /g or less, more preferably 900 m ² /g or less When activated carbon is used, the strength of activated carbon is increased, and the function as an aggregate is further enhanced.

In the present invention, the pore volume refers to the pore volume calculated by the QSDFT method (quenched solid density functional theory). The QSDFT method is an analysis method that can calculate the pore size distribution from about 0.5 nm to about 40 nm for the pore size analysis of geometrically and chemically irregular microporous and mesoporous carbon. . The QSDFT method clearly takes into account the effects of pore surface roughness and non-uniformity, and is therefore a technique that greatly improves the accuracy of pore size distribution analysis. In the present invention, "AUTOSORB-1-MP" manufactured by Quantachrome is used to measure the nitrogen adsorption isotherm and analyze the pore size distribution by the QSDFT method. By applying N2 at 77K on carbon [slit pore, QSDFT equilibrium model] as a calculation model to the desorption isotherm of nitrogen measured at a temperature of 77 K to calculate the pore size distribution, the fineness of a specific pore size range can be obtained. Pore volume can be calculated. Then, the total pore volume (m ² /g) of the activated carbon is measured by the QSDFT method. Specifically, N2 at 77K on carbon [slit pore, QSDFT equilibrium model] to calculate the pore size distribution. Similarly, for the pore volume (m ² /g) with a pore diameter of 2 nm or less and the pore volume with a pore diameter of 50 nm or less, the horizontal axis Pore Width of the pore diameter distribution diagram is 0 by the QSDFT method. Determined from Cumulative Pore Volume (cc/g) reading at 0.65 nm. Then, the mesoporosity is calculated by subtracting the total pore volume with a pore diameter of 2 nm or less from the pore volume with a pore diameter of 50 nm or less to calculate the pore volume with a pore diameter of 2 to 50 nm. The mesoporosity (%) is obtained by dividing the pore volume with a pore diameter of 2 to 50 nm by the total pore volume and multiplying by 100. The specific surface area of the activated carbon is calculated from the measurement point of relative pressure 0.1 by the BET method from the nitrogen adsorption isotherm at 77K using Quantachrome's "AUTOSORB-1-MP".

In addition, as components other than the heat-fusible short fibers, one or more selected from the group consisting of ion-exchange fibers, cellulosic fibers and animal fibers can be used. These fibers contribute to improving the hydrophilicity of the nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers, and contribute to increasing the flow rate when applied to a pot-type water purifier. Cellulosic fibers include cotton, hemp fibers such as linen and ramie, regenerated fibers such as viscose rayon and cuprammonium rayon, and solvent-spun cellulose fibers such as lyocell. Animal fibers include wool, angora, cashmere, silk, alpaca, and the like. Among them, ion exchange fibers are preferred. The ion-exchange fiber is preferably of a weak acid type, and includes polyacrylate-based ion-exchange fiber in which terminal functional groups are substituted with Ca or Na.

The form of the nonwoven fabric containing the heat-fusible short fibers is not particularly limited, but it provides further bulkiness, increases the flow rate even when applied to a pot-type water purifier, and is raw water of the fallen activated carbon. A needle-punched nonwoven fabric is preferable from the viewpoint of further reducing the inflow into the reservoir.

The basis weight of the nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers is selected from the viewpoint of increasing the flow rate and further reducing the inflow of the fallen activated carbon into the raw water reservoir even when it is applied to a pot-type water purifier. , preferably 10 to 100 g/m ² , more preferably 20 to 80 g/m ² . In addition, the thickness of the nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible staple fibers is such that even when applied to a pot-type water purifier, the flow rate is increased and the inflow of the fallen activated carbon into the raw water reservoir is further reduced. From this point of view, 0.05 to 1.0 mm is preferable, and 0.08 to 0.6 mm is more preferable. In addition, the apparent density of the nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers calculated from the basis weight and the thickness is preferably 0.05 to 0.4 g/cm ³ , more preferably 0.08 to 0.3 g/cm. ³ is more preferred. The apparent density is calculated as follows.
Apparent density (g/cm ³ ) = basis weight (g/m ² )/thickness (mm)/1000

<Nonwoven fabric provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body from which purified water is discharged>
The water purification filter of the present invention can have a non-woven fabric on the side of the activated carbon molded body on the side from which purified water is discharged. The nonwoven fabric may be a nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers, similar to the nonwoven fabric provided on the side surface of the activated carbon molding on the raw water inflow side. It can also be a nonwoven fabric made of long fibers or continuous fibers. From the standpoint of relatively high tear strength and superior handling and workability, it is preferable that the nonwoven fabric provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body from which the purified water is discharged is a nonwoven fabric made of long fibers or continuous fibers. .

The nonwoven fabric made of long fibers or continuous fibers is not particularly limited, but a spunbond nonwoven fabric is preferred. As the long fibers or continuous fibers constituting the spunbond nonwoven fabric, the heat-fusible component in the sheath and the synthetic resin in the core whose melting point is preferably 20°C or more, more preferably 30°C or more higher than the melting point of the sheath A core-sheath type heat-fusible fiber in which components are arranged is exemplified. As the core of the core-sheath type heat-fusible fiber, for example, a synthetic resin component having a melting point of 150 to 300° C., more preferably 200 to 300° C., and a melting point higher than that of the sheath by 20° C. or more. and more specifically polyethylene terephthalate. The sheath portion of the core-sheath type heat-fusible fiber preferably has a melting point of 80 to 170°C, more preferably 80 to 140°C. Olefin-based resins or polyester-based resins such as copolymerized polyethylene terephthalate obtained by copolymerizing copolymer components such as isophthalic acid can be used. Among them, polyolefin-based resins are preferable, and polyethylene is more preferable, from the viewpoints of superior flexibility and heat-sealability to the activated carbon molded body, and superior handleability and workability.

The basis weight of the non-woven fabric provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body from which purified water is discharged is preferably 10 to 100 g/m ^{2 , and 20 to 100 g/m 2} from the viewpoint of increasing flow rate and suppressing outflow of fallen activated carbon. 80 g/m ² is more preferred. The thickness of the non-woven fabric provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body on the side where the purified water is discharged is preferably 0.05 to 1.0 mm from the viewpoint of increasing the flow rate and suppressing the outflow of the fallen activated carbon. 0.08 to 0.6 mm is more preferable. The apparent density calculated from the basis weight and the thickness of the nonwoven fabric provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body on the side of the purified water discharge side is preferably 0.05 to 0.4 g/cm ³ , and 0.08 to 0.08 to 0.08. .3 g/cm ³ is more preferred.

<Activated carbon molding>
The water purification filter of the present invention comprises a cylindrical activated carbon molded body. Granular activated carbon and/or fibrous activated carbon are exemplified as activated carbon contained in the activated carbon compact. When applied to a pot-type water purifier, from the viewpoint of further increasing the flow rate and further reducing the inflow of fallen activated carbon into the raw water reservoir, the activated carbon contained in the activated carbon compact is fibrous activated carbon. It is preferable to contain and preferably consist only of fibrous activated carbon.

As the activated carbon contained in the activated carbon molded body, volatile organic compounds such as trihalomethane are used even when the thickness of the activated carbon molded body is made as thin as possible in order to increase the flow rate when applied to a pot-type water purifier. From the viewpoint of easily ensuring the removal performance of , the mesoporosity is preferably 5 to 60%, more preferably 10 to 60%, and even more preferably 20 to 60%. From the same point of view, the specific surface area of the activated carbon is preferably 1000 to 1800 m ² /g, more preferably 1000 to 1600 m ² /g. On the other hand, when the activated carbon contained in the activated carbon molded body is activated carbon having the above mesoporosity range, especially fibrous activated carbon having the above mesoporosity range, relatively large pores are increased, The strength of the activated carbon itself tends to be relatively low, and the activated carbon tends to fall off easily. However, in the water purification filter of the present invention, the nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers is provided on the side surface of the activated carbon molded body on the side where the raw water flows in, so the activated carbon molded body is made of activated carbon having the above mesoporosity. When it is applied to a pot-type water purifier, it is possible to reduce the inflow of fallen activated carbon into the raw water reservoir. In other words, in the water purification filter of the present invention, when the activated carbon molded body containing activated carbon having the above mesoporosity is applied to a pot-type water purifier, , it can be said that the provision of a nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible staple fibers has a greater technical significance.

In the water purification filter of the present invention, the activated carbon molded body can contain other components than activated carbon. The other components include heat-fusible short fibers. The nonwoven fabric is provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body on which raw water flows in, and the nonwoven fabric is provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body on the side from which purified water is discharged, by making the activated carbon molded body also contain heat-fusible short fibers. The heat-sealing property with is further improved. The activated carbon molded body containing the heat-fusible short fibers is in a state in which the activated carbons are melt-bonded to each other by the heat-fusible component and the shape is maintained. The heat-fusible component contained in the heat-fusible short fibers preferably has a melting point of 80 to 170°C, more preferably 80 to 140°C. Specific examples of the heat-fusible component include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and polyester resins such as copolymerized polyethylene terephthalate obtained by copolymerizing a copolymer component such as isophthalic acid. In addition, the heat-fusible short fibers that can be included in the activated carbon molded body are all-fusible type consisting of only a single heat-fusible component, or a heat-fusible component in the sheath and a melting point in the core. Core-sheath type heat-fusible staple fibers containing a synthetic resin component having a melting point higher than the melting point of the core, preferably 20° C. or higher, more preferably 30° C. or higher. Among them, from the viewpoint of further increasing the strength of the water purification filter, especially the strength of the water purification filter when the activated carbon molded body contains fibrous activated carbon, it is preferable to use core-sheath type heat-fusible short fibers. In the case of core-sheath type heat-fusible short fibers, the core component is not particularly limited, but for example, the melting point is 150 to 300° C., more preferably 200 to 300° C., and the melting point is higher than the melting point of the sheath. 20° C. or more higher than the synthetic resin component. A specific example of the synthetic resin component is polyethylene terephthalate. In addition, the heat-fusible component of the heat-fusible short fibers contained in the nonwoven fabric provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body on the side of the raw water flowing in, and the heat of the heat-fusible short fibers contained in the activated carbon molded body. It is preferable to use the same kind as the fusible component. Here, the same kind means, for example, that if one is polyester, the other is also polyester.

Pulp is another component other than activated carbon in the activated carbon compact. Pulp contributes to further improving the mechanical strength of the activated carbon compact. The pulp has a freeness of 1-300, preferably 10-200. The fiber length of pulp is 0.1 to 3 mm. Specific examples of pulp include acrylic pulp, polyolefin pulp, aramid pulp, wood pulp, and hemp pulp.

Ion-exchange fibers can also be mentioned as components other than activated carbon in the activated carbon molded body. The ion-exchange fiber is preferably of a weak acid type, and includes polyacrylate-based ion-exchange fiber in which terminal functional groups are substituted with Ca or Na.

The form of the activated carbon molded body is not particularly limited as long as it has a cylindrical shape. For example, the activated carbon molded body is wet-molded, or the activated carbon molded body is molded in a wound state of a dry nonwoven fabric or a wet nonwoven fabric containing activated carbon. body.

Specifically, as a specific example of a wet-molded nonwoven fabric, a slurry containing activated carbon is prepared, the slurry is poured into a molding mold having a large number of small suction holes, and sucked through the small suction holes. Examples include an activated carbon compact produced by a method of filtering to obtain a preform and drying the preform (wet molding method or slurry suction method) (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "slurry suction molded product"). .). In this case, the obtained activated carbon molded body includes, for example, one whose shape is retained by the entanglement of the activated carbon with the aforementioned pulp.

In the activated carbon molded body formed by winding a dry nonwoven fabric or a wet nonwoven fabric containing activated carbon, the dry nonwoven fabric includes a nonwoven fabric made of a short fiber structure obtained by an airlaid or card method (card web method), and a needle-punched nonwoven fabric obtained by subjecting the nonwoven fabric to a needle-punching process and laminating and integrating the nonwoven fabric. In addition, as a wet-laid nonwoven fabric, a solution containing a fibrous carbon material is mixed and sheared using a device such as a pulper, a beater, or a refiner to prepare a uniformly dispersed slurry. , dehydration and drying to obtain a wet papermaking nonwoven fabric.

The density calculated from the mass (g) and volume (=(1/2)×π×{(outer diameter) ² −(inner diameter) ² }×height) of the activated carbon compact is 0.10 to 0.10. 55 (g/cm ³ ), preferably 0.15 to 0.5 (g/cm ³ ).

<Water purification filter>
Referring to FIG. 1, in the water purification filter of the present invention, a non-woven fabric 36 arranged radially inwardly of the activated carbon molded body 35, an activated carbon molded body 35, and an activated carbon molded body 35 disposed radially outwardly of the activated carbon molded body 35. Examples of specific combinations of the nonwoven fabric 37 are as follows.
・In-out type nonwoven fabric 36: nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers/activated carbon molded body 35: activated carbon molded body/nonwoven fabric 37: heat Non-woven fabric containing fusible short fibers Non-woven fabric 36: Non-woven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers/activated carbon molded body 35: Activated carbon molded body/non-woven fabric formed by winding dry non-woven fabric or wet non-woven fabric containing activated carbon. 37: Non-woven fabric made of long fibers or continuous fibers, out-in type non-woven fabric 36: Non-woven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers/activated carbon molded body 35: Dry-type non-woven cloth or wet-type non-woven cloth containing activated carbon is molded in a wound state. Activated carbon molded body/nonwoven fabric 37: nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers Nonwoven fabric 36: nonwoven fabric made of long fibers or continuous fibers/activated carbon molded body 35: dry nonwoven fabric or wet nonwoven fabric containing activated carbon is wound Molded activated carbon molded body/nonwoven fabric 37: nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers

The water purification filter has a cylindrical height (length) of 10 to 250 mm, preferably 20 to 150 mm. Further, the outer diameter of the columnar shape is 20 to 100 mm, preferably 30 to 65 mm. Moreover, the inner diameter of the columnar shape is 5 to 90 mm, preferably 10 to 55 mm.

The method for producing the water purification filter of the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, when the activated carbon molded body is formed by winding a dry nonwoven fabric or a wet nonwoven fabric containing fibrous activated carbon, the molded activated carbon body can be produced as follows. First, a cylindrical core having a mold-releasing treatment on its surface is prepared. Next, the nonwoven fabric 36 arranged radially inwardly of the activated carbon compact 35 is wound around the core once or multiple times so as to have a predetermined thickness. Next, a dry nonwoven fabric or a wet nonwoven fabric containing fibrous activated carbon and heat-fusible short fibers to be the activated carbon molded body 35 is wound once or multiple times on the nonwoven fabric 36 to a predetermined thickness. Then, the non-woven fabric 37 arranged on the outer peripheral side in the radial direction of the activated carbon compact 35 is wound once or multiple times so as to have a predetermined thickness. Then, around the obtained core, a nonwoven fabric 36, a dry or wet nonwoven fabric containing fibrous activated carbon as an activated carbon molded body, and a nonwoven fabric 37 are wound in this order toward the outer diameter side, and then placed in a furnace, Heat treatment is performed to melt the heat-fusible components of the heat-fusible short fibers, cool them, and remove the cores, thereby forming a nonwoven fabric 36, an activated carbon molded body 35, and a nonwoven fabric 37 from the cavity toward the outer periphery. A water purification filter can be obtained.

<Water purification cartridge for pot type water purifier>
A water purification cartridge for a pot-type water purifier of the present invention includes the above-described water purification filter of the present invention.

(A. in-out type)
An in-out type water purification cartridge (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a first embodiment) according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a water purification cartridge (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as cartridge) 1 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 4A is a front view of FIG. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the vertical direction in FIG. 4A will be referred to as "vertical", the horizontal direction in FIG. 4A will be referred to as "left and right" or "horizontal", and the direction in the plane of FIG. 4A will be referred to as "front and back". I do.

<1. Overview of water purification cartridge>
The cartridge 1 is mainly used in pot-type (server-type) water purifiers in which raw water passes through the cartridge 1 by its own weight. An example of a water purifier is shown in FIG. 11A. As shown in the figure, this water purifier 100 includes a housing 101 having an opening S1 at the top. The housing 101 has inside a tank 102 with an open top. The tank 102 is a portion for storing raw water, and the raw water can be poured into the tank 102 from the upper opening S2. An opening S4 is formed in the bottom of the tank 102, and the cartridge 1 is attached together with the packing 104 so as to seal the periphery of the opening S4. Raw water in tank 102 flows into cartridge 1 . Since the opening S2 is formed smaller than the opening S1, the opening S1 is divided into the opening S2 and the opening S3.

After passing through the inside of the cartridge 1 , the raw water flows out as purified water from below the cartridge 1 and is stored in the server space 103 below the tank 102 . The opening S3 functions as an outlet for taking out purified water from the server space 103 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the cartridge 1 according to this embodiment is cylindrical as a whole and typically has a substantially cylindrical appearance. The cartridge 1 includes a casing 2 and a substantially cylindrical water purification filter 3 housed inside the casing 2 . In the cartridge 1 of this embodiment, the raw water that has flowed into the hollow portion of the water purification filter 3 passes radially outward through the water purification filter 3 and enters the space between the outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter 3 and the side wall portion of the casing 2. It is a flowing, in-out type cartridge. 2 to 11B, in the water purification filter 3, the cylindrical activated carbon molded body 35, the non-woven fabric 36 disposed on the inner peripheral side of the activated carbon molded body 35 in the radial direction, and the activated carbon molded body 35 in the radial direction The illustration of the nonwoven fabric 37 arranged on the outer peripheral side is omitted.

The water purification filter 3 is a member for filtering raw water to obtain purified water. As shown in FIG. 3, the water purification filter 3 has a hollow portion 34 in the center which is substantially circular in top view, and has a first surface 31 and a second surface 33 at both ends in the axial direction. A portion of the water purification filter 3 that is continuous with the first surface 31 and the second surface 33 and extends in the axial direction is referred to as a side circumferential portion 32 . The water purification filter 3 is housed in the casing 2 with the first surface 31 facing upward and the second surface 33 facing downward. This state is called a stowed state. The outer diameter of the water purification filter 3 is configured to be smaller than the inner diameter of the side wall portion 21 of the casing 2 . Thereby, as shown in FIG. 5, an annular space 230 is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter 3 and the side wall portion 21 of the casing 2 in the accommodated state.

The first cover portion 20 has a substantially cylindrical side wall portion 200 and an inflow portion 207 surrounded by the side wall portion 200 . The inflow portion 207 is a portion that allows the tank 102 and the inside of the cartridge 1 to communicate with each other. That is, the raw water in the tank 102 flows into the cartridge 1 through the inflow portion 207 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the inflow portion 207 is continuous from the side wall portion 200 , is formed in the shape of a flat-bottomed container recessed downward, and has a surface 203 facing the inner space of the casing 2 . The first cover part 20 in the accommodated state can be in close contact with the first surface 31 of the water purification filter 3 at the surface 203 . In particular, in the water purification cartridge according to the present invention, the water purification filter 3 is elastically deformed by the pressing force of the first contact portion of the first cover portion 20 and the second contact portion of the second cover portion 22 as described later. It is housed inside the casing 2 . With this configuration, the raw water that has flowed into the hollow portion 34 of the water purifying filter 3 without an elastic member interposed between the water purifying filter, the casing, and the lid body flows through the gap between the first surface 31 and the first cover portion 20 and the It is possible to prevent the raw water from passing through the gap between the second surface 33 and the second cover portion 22 and promote the raw water to pass through the water purification filter 3 . A circular through-hole 207 a is formed in the center of the surface 203 for allowing raw water to flow into the cartridge 1 . In the accommodated state, the hollow portion 34 of the water purification filter 3 is positioned substantially directly below the through hole 207a, and the raw water flows into the hollow portion 34 of the water purification filter 3 through the through hole 207a.

The side wall portion 200 is formed to extend vertically from the position where the surface 203 is formed. A flange 204 for attaching the cartridge 1 to the peripheral edge of the opening S4 is formed outside the side wall 200 and above the through hole 207a. A circumferentially extending groove 210 is formed in the vertical center of the flange 204 . The groove 210 is a portion into which the packing 104 that seals the gap between the cartridge 1 and the periphery of the opening S4 is fitted when the cartridge 1 is attached to the periphery of the opening S4.

A vent 205 is formed in the side wall 200 at a position below the flange 204 and above the surface 203 . The vent 205 communicates the server space 103 with the inside of the casing 2 . When the raw water flows into the cartridge 1, the air inside the cartridge 1 (casing 2) is discharged through the vent 205, so that the movement of water passing through the cartridge 1 becomes smoother. The vent 205 is located outside the tank 102 and above the first surface 31 of the water purification filter 3 when the cartridge 1 is attached to the peripheral edge of the opening S4.

As shown in FIG. 3, a thin region R is formed outside the side wall portion 200 and below the air vent 205, where the side wall portion 200 is thinner than other portions. A plurality of substantially rectangular claw portions 206 protruding radially outward are formed on the thin region R at intervals in the circumferential direction. The claw portion 206 enables the first cover portion 20 and the second cover portion 22 to be connected by engaging with a window portion 222 of the second cover portion 22 which will be described later. It should be noted that the connection means by the claw portion 206 and the window portion 222 is merely an example of the connection means between the first cover portion 20 and the second cover portion, and the connection means is not particularly limited to this. Examples include connection by welding or adhesion, connection by screw fitting, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 5 , an annular first projection 208 is formed on the surface 203 of the first cover portion 20 and projects from the surface 203 toward the internal space of the casing 2 . In the accommodated state, the first projection 208 contacts the first surface 31 of the water purification filter 3 in a ring shape so as to surround the hollow portion 34 of the water purification filter 3, presses the water purification filter 3 in the axial direction, and elastically deforms it. In this case, the first protrusion 208 becomes a first contact portion that annularly contacts the first surface 31 of the water purification filter 3 so as to surround the outer periphery of the hollow portion 34, presses the water purification filter 3 in the axial direction, and elastically deforms it. obtain. In the water purification cartridge of the present invention, the surface 203 may not have protrusions. For example, surface 203 can be planar. In this case, the surface 203 can serve as a first contact portion that annularly contacts the first surface 31 of the water purification filter 3 so as to surround the outer circumference of the cavity 34 and axially presses and elastically deforms the water purification filter 3 . The cross-sectional shape of the first protrusion 208 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a substantially triangular shape, a substantially square shape, a substantially semicircular shape, a substantially semielliptical shape, and the like. Corners of the substantially triangular and substantially quadrangular shapes may be rounded.

The second cover portion 22 has a bottom portion 227 and side wall portions 220 continuously rising from the bottom portion 227, and has a substantially cylindrical appearance as a whole. As shown in FIG. 4D , a plurality of through-holes 223 a for discharging purified water to the outside of the cartridge 1 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction in the peripheral portion of the bottom portion 227 . A plurality of through holes 223 a are collectively referred to as an outflow portion 223 . As shown in FIG. 5 , in the accommodated state, the through holes 223 a are formed so as to be positioned substantially directly below the space 230 between the outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter 3 and the side wall portion 21 of the casing 2 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , the second cover part 22 in the housed state can contact the second surface 33 of the water purification filter 3 at the surface 221 . In particular, in the water purification cartridge according to the present invention, the water purification filter 3 is accommodated inside the casing 2 in a state in which the water purification filter 3 is elastically deformed by the pressing force of the first contact portion and the second contact portion, as will be described later. Raw water that has flowed into the hollow portion 34 of the water purification filter 3 without an elastic member interposed between the filter and the casing and the lid body flows into the gap between the first surface 31 and the first cover portion 20 and the second surface 33 and the second surface. It is possible to prevent the raw water from passing through the gap between the second cover portion 22 and promote the raw water to pass through the water purification filter 3 . Here, the surface 221 is the surface of the bottom 227 facing the internal space of the casing 2 . An annular second protrusion 224 is formed on the surface 221 and protrudes from the surface 221 toward the internal space of the casing 2 . In the accommodated state, the second projection 224 contacts the second surface 33 of the water purification filter 3 in a ring shape so as to surround the outer periphery of the hollow portion 34 of the water purification filter 3, presses the water purification filter 3 in the axial direction, and elastically deforms it. . In this case, the second protrusion 224 becomes a second contact portion that annularly contacts the second surface 33 of the water purification filter 3 so as to surround the outer periphery of the hollow portion 34, presses the water purification filter 3 in the axial direction, and elastically deforms it. obtain. Moreover, in the water purification cartridge of the present invention, the surface 221 may not have protrusions. For example, surface 221 can be planar. In this case, the surface 221 can serve as a second contact portion that annularly contacts the second surface 33 of the water purification filter 3 so as to surround the outer periphery of the cavity 34 and presses the water purification filter 3 in the axial direction to elastically deform it. The cross-sectional shape of the second protrusion 224 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a substantially triangular shape, a substantially square shape, a substantially semicircular shape, a substantially semielliptical shape, and the like. Corners of the substantially triangular and substantially quadrangular shapes may be rounded.

The side wall portion 220 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having substantially the same diameter as the side wall portion 200 of the first cover portion 20 . Window portions 222 , which are substantially rectangular openings, are formed in the same number as the claw portions 206 on the upper portion of the side wall portion 220 at positions in the circumferential direction corresponding to the claw portions 206 . As a result, when the thin region R is inserted from the upper side of the second cover portion 22 into the inside of the second cover portion 22 and the claw portions 206 and the window portions 222 are engaged in a one-to-one correspondence, the first cover portion 20 and the second cover portion 22 can be in a connected state. In the connected state, the side wall portion 200 and the side wall portion 220 are generally flush with each other and together form the side wall portion 21 of the casing 2 . The second cover portion 22 can also be removed from the first cover portion 20 by disengaging the window portion 222 and the claw portion 206 . In other words, the first cover part 20 and the second cover part 22 can be detachably connected, or can be non-detachably connected.

A material of the first cover part 20 is plastic. The plastics include ABS resin (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), AS resin (acrylonitrile styrene), PS (polystyrene), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), and PLA (polylactic acid) resin. . More specifically, it is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP) and ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). The hardness of the first cover part 20 is 95 to 100, which is higher than the hardness of the water purification filter 3 described later. The hardness of ABS resin is 95, the hardness of polypropylene is 100, and the hardness of polyethylene terephthalate resin is 97.

A material for the second cover portion 22 is plastic. The plastics include ABS resin (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), AS resin (acrylonitrile styrene), PS (polystyrene), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), and PLA (polylactic acid) resin. . More specifically, it is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP) and ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). The hardness of the second cover portion 22 is 95 to 100, which is higher than the hardness of the water purification filter 3 to be described later. The hardness of ABS resin is 95, the hardness of polypropylene is 100, and the hardness of polyethylene terephthalate resin is 97.

If the hardness of the first cover part 20 is higher than the hardness of the water purification filter 3 and the hardness of the second cover part 22 is higher than the hardness of the water purification filter 3, then the first cover part 20 and the second cover part 22 may be formed from the same material or may be formed from different materials. In addition, the measurement of hardness in this specification was performed using a hardness tester GS701G manufactured by TECLOCK, using the method specified in JIS S 6050 "Plastic Eraser", and the average value at N = 5. shall be the measured value.

As illustrated in FIG. 6 , at least one of the first cover portion 20 and the second cover portion 22 may have ribs 240 and 241 for positioning the water purification filter 3 on the inner wall surface. 6A is a right side view of the casing 2, and FIG. 6B is a sectional view along BB in FIG. 6A. 6C is a right side view of the casing 2, and FIG. 6D is a cross-sectional view along DD of FIG. 6C. As shown in FIG. 6B , the inner wall surface of the first cover portion 20 is formed with ribs 240 that protrude toward the internal space of the casing 2 and extend in the vertical direction (the axial direction of the water purification filter 3). As shown in FIG. 6D, four ribs 240 are formed on the inner wall surface of the first cover portion 20 and are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Note that the ribs 240 shown in FIGS. 6B and 6D are merely examples. The positions where the ribs 240 are formed, the shape of the ribs 240, the number of the ribs 240, and the like are not limited to the modes shown in FIGS. 6B and 6D, and can be changed as appropriate.

FIG. 6E is a right side view of the casing 2, and FIG. 6F is a sectional view taken along line FF of FIG. 6E. As shown in FIG. 6B , the inner wall surface of the second cover portion 22 is formed with ribs 241 that protrude toward the internal space of the casing 2 and extend in the vertical direction (the axial direction of the water purification filter 3). As shown in FIG. 6F, four ribs 241 are formed on the inner wall surface of the second cover portion 22 and are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction. FIG. 6G is a cross-sectional view FF of FIG. 6E in the stowed state. As shown in FIG. 6G, the ribs 241 position the water purification filter 3 so that the center of the water purification filter 3 is generally aligned with the center of the casing 2 in the accommodated state. Note that the ribs 241 shown in FIGS. 6B and 6F are merely examples. The positions where the ribs 241 are formed, the shape of the ribs 241, the number of the ribs 241, and the like are not limited to the modes shown in FIGS. 6B and 6F, and can be changed as appropriate.

The ribs 240 and 241 provide a space 230 between the outer peripheral surface of the water purifying filter 3 and the side wall portion of the casing 2 in the housed state, and the water purifying filter 3 is positioned so that the center of the water purifying filter 3 is generally aligned with the center of the casing 2. position. By positioning the water purification filter 3 at an appropriate position with respect to the casing 2, the relative positions of the hollow portion 34, the inflow portion 207, and the outflow portion 223 are appropriately maintained, and the space 230 for water purification is properly maintained. guaranteed to As a result, the water moves uniformly within the cartridge 1, so that the efficiency of water purification is maintained.

<2. Clean water filter＞
As described above, the water purification filter 3 is a member for filtering the raw water in the hollow portion 34 by allowing the raw water to pass through the side circumferential portion 32 radially outward, thereby purifying the water. The water purification filter 3 has a first surface 31 and a second surface 33 at both ends in the axial direction. The water purification filter 3 is preferably made of a material having elasticity. As a result, the water purification filter 3 can be brought into close contact with harder objects such as the first cover portion 20 and the second cover portion 22 .

The distance L1 (see FIG. 2) between the first surface 31 and the second surface 33 in the state before the water purification filter 3 is accommodated in the casing (that is, the state before the water purification filter 3 is axially pressed and elastically deformed) is , the distance L2 (see FIG. 5) between the surface 203 of the first cover portion 20 and the surface 221 of the second cover portion 22 in the connected state, or is preferably formed to be slightly shorter.

In addition, the distance L1 between the first surface 31 and the second surface 33 in the state before the water purification filter 3 is housed in the casing (that is, the state before the water purification filter 3 is axially pressed and elastically deformed) (see FIG. 2 ) is the distance L3 between the tip 209 of the first protrusion 208 and the tip 225 of the second protrusion 224 in the connected state (that is, the distance L3 , see FIG. 5). As a result, on the first surface 31 of the water purifying filter 3 in the accommodated state, the first protrusion 208 bites into and engages with the radially outer region of the hollow portion 34, and a force compressing the water purifying filter 3 in the axial direction is generated. It joins the water purification filter 3 and isolates between the first surface 31 and the surface 203 of the first cover part 20 . Similarly, on the second surface 33 of the water purification filter 3 in the accommodated state, the second protrusion 224 bites into and engages with the radially outer region of the hollow portion 34, and the force compressing the water purification filter 3 in the axial direction. is added to the water purification filter 3 to block the space between the second surface 33 and the surface 221 of the second cover part 22 . These prevent water from passing through the surfaces at both ends of the water purification filter 3 , and separate the raw water in the cavity 34 from the purified water in the space 230 . That is, the first protrusion 208, which is the first contact portion, contacts the first surface 31 of the water purification filter 3 in a ring shape so as to surround the outer periphery of the hollow portion 34, presses the water purification filter 3 in the axial direction, and elastically deforms it. , the second protrusion 224, which is a second contact portion, contacts the second surface 33 of the water purification filter 3 annularly so as to surround the outer periphery of the hollow portion 34, presses the water purification filter 3 in the axial direction, and elastically deforms it. As a result, the raw water that has flowed into the hollow portion of the water purifying filter can flow into the gap between the first surface 31 and the first cover portion and the second surface 33 without an elastic member interposed between the water purifying filter, the casing, and the lid. and the second cover portion, and the raw water can be promoted to pass through the water purification filter 3.

The compression rate ( L3/L1×100 (%)) is preferably 98% or less, more preferably 96 to 98%, and more preferably 97 to 98%. In addition, in the housed state, from the viewpoint of reducing the area of the contact portion and making it easier to increase the pressure that presses the water purification filter 3 in the axial direction and elastically deforms it, the first contact portion and the second contact portion are formed into annular first protrusions. The compression rate (L3/L1×100 (%)) between the first and second contact portions of the length L1 of the water purification filter 3 in the accommodated state, which is the portion 208 and the second protrusion 224, is within the above range, The surface 203 of the first cover part 20 in the state of being connected to the length L1 of the water purifying filter 3 in the state before the water purifying filter 3 is accommodated in the casing (that is, the state before the water purifying filter 3 is axially pressed and elastically deformed). and the surface 221 of the second cover portion 22 (L2/L1×100(%)) is, for example, 98% or more, preferably 98 to 101%, and 99 to 101%. are more preferred.

From the viewpoint of further reliably blocking the passage of water, it is preferable that at least one of the first surface 31 of the water purification filter and the second surface 33 of the water purification filter is coated with a sealing agent. Moreover, it is more preferable that both the first surface 31 and the second surface 33 of the water purification filter are coated with a sealing agent. In this embodiment, a hot-melt adhesive is applied as a sealing agent to the first surface 31 and the second surface 33 . Main components of hot-melt adhesives include, for example, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), olefins, and rubbers. The coating thickness of the sealing agent may be 10 μm to 1000 μm, and the coating amount may be 1 to 100 (mg/cm ² ). In addition, before the water purification filter 3 is accommodated in the casing 2, the sealing agent can be applied in advance and solidified.

The main flow of water passing through the cartridge 1 is represented by arrows shown in FIG. First, raw water flows into the cartridge 1 through the first cover portion 20 , that is, the inflow portion 207 . The raw water that has flowed into the cartridge 1 flows into the cavity 34 and is temporarily stored. Here, the first protrusion 208 and the second protrusion 224 are engaged with the upper peripheral edge and the lower peripheral edge of the hollow portion 34, respectively, to press the water purification filter 3 in the axial direction and elastically deform it. Therefore, raw water does not flow out to the space 230 through the first surface 31 and the second surface 33 . The raw water stored in the hollow portion 34 passes radially outward through the side peripheral portion 32 and flows out to the space 230 as purified water. Subsequently, the purified water is discharged from the space 230 to the outside of the cartridge 1 through the outflow portion 223 .

The water purification filter 3 is more likely to have elasticity when the activated carbon molded body contains fibrous activated carbon. The hardness of the water purification filter 3 is preferably lower than the hardness of the first cover portion 20 and the hardness of the second cover portion 22 . The hardness of the casing 2 is harder than that of the water purification filter 3, and the hardness of the water purification filter 3 is preferably 86 or less, more preferably about 50-80. The hardness measurement is performed by the method specified in JIS S 6050 "Plastic eraser", and the average value at N=5 is taken as the hardness.

<5. Features>
At the time of manufacturing the cartridge 1, the distance L1 between the first surface 31 and the second surface 33 of the water purification filter 3 (the length of the water purification filter 3) is the surface 203 of the first cover portion 20 and the second cover portion in the connected state. It is preferably formed so as to be equal to or slightly shorter than the distance L2 to the 22 surface 221 . Also, the length L1 of the water purification filter 3 is preferably longer than the distance L3 between the tip 209 of the first protrusion 208 and the tip 225 of the second protrusion 224 in the connected state. As a result, on the first surface 31 of the water purifying filter 3 in the accommodated state, the first protrusion 208 bites into and engages with the radially outer region of the hollow portion 34, and a force compressing the water purifying filter 3 in the axial direction is generated. It joins the water purification filter 3 and isolates between the first surface 31 and the surface 203 of the first cover part 20 . Similarly, on the second surface 33 of the water purification filter 3 in the accommodated state, the second protrusion 224 bites into and engages with the radially outer region of the hollow portion 34, and the force compressing the water purification filter 3 in the axial direction. is added to the water purification filter 3 to block the space between the second surface 33 and the surface 221 of the second cover part 22 . These prevent water from passing through the surfaces at both ends of the water purification filter 3 , and separate the raw water in the cavity 34 from the purified water in the space 230 .

Further, since the first surface 31 and the second surface 33 themselves are sealed with a sealing agent, the raw water flowing into the cartridge 1 bypasses the space 230 through the first surface 31 and the second surface 33 of the water purification filter 3. is more reliably prevented, and the above effects can be further enhanced.

The water purification filter 3 is more likely to have elasticity when the activated carbon molded body contains fibrous activated carbon. As a result, even if a compressive force is applied in the vertical direction via the first cover part 20 and the second cover part 22, the cover is unlikely to collapse, and the possibility of generating fragments is low. In other words, the possibility of contamination of the water in the cartridge 1 is low, and the quality of purified water is maintained. Moreover, since the water purification filter 3 has elasticity, when the projections 208 and 224 of the first cover portion 20 and the second cover portion 22 are engaged with the water purification filter 3, the water purification filter 3 is It can be deformed to follow the shape of H.224. That is, each protrusion 208, 224 and the water purification filter 3 can be brought into close contact with each other. As a result, the effect of blocking the raw water described above can be further improved.

On the other hand, for example, a water purification filter that does not contain fibrous activated carbon and is made only of granular activated carbon is less likely to be elastically deformed by the pressing force of the first contact portion and the second contact portion. Forcibly applying a pressing force to such a water purification filter may cause a part of the granular activated carbon to collapse and stop functioning as a water purification filter. Also, even if a pressing force is applied, no repulsive force is generated, and both end surfaces of the water filter are less likely to come into close contact with the first and second cover portions. For this reason, in order to prevent the raw water that has flowed into the hollow portion of the water purification filter from passing through the gap between the first surface and the first cover portion and the gap between the second surface and the second cover portion, the above-described A separate elastic member is required to seal the gap.

The cartridge 1 has a feature that the water filtration speed is faster than that of an out-in type cartridge having a water purification filter 3 of the same configuration. In addition, since it is not necessary to ensure the liquid tightness of the outer peripheral surface of the casing 2, the first cover portion 20 and the second cover portion 22 can be configured to be detachable, and the water purification filter 3 can be easily replaced. Become.

(B. out-in type)
An out-in type water purification cartridge (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a second embodiment) according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 is an external perspective view of a water purification cartridge (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as cartridge) 1 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view. In the following, for convenience of explanation, the vertical direction in FIG. 9 is referred to as "vertical", the horizontal direction in FIG. I do.

The water purification cartridge according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the casing 2 . More specifically, in the cartridge 1 of the present embodiment, the raw water that has flowed into the gap between the side wall portion of the casing 2 and the outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter 3 passes through the water purification filter 3 from the radially outer side to the inner side. , is an out-in type cartridge in which purified water flows out from the cavity of the water purification filter 3. Below, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same configurations, and the description thereof is omitted.

<1. Casing>
The casing 2 includes a first cover portion covering the first surface 31 of the water purification filter 3, a second cover portion covering the second surface 33 of the water purification filter 3, and a side wall portion covering the outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter 3. Prepare. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the casing 2 includes a first cover portion 20 that covers the first surface 31 of the water purification filter 3 and a second cover portion 22 that covers the second surface 33 of the water purification filter 3. The side wall portion is composed of the side wall portion of the first cover portion 20 and the side wall portion of the second cover portion 22, which will be described later. Hereinafter, the state in which the second cover portion 22 is connected to the first cover portion 20 is referred to as a connected state. In the connected state, a space for accommodating the water purification filter 3 is formed inside the casing 2 .

The first cover portion 20 is composed of an upper cover portion 20a and a lower cover portion 20b integrally connected to the lower end of the upper cover portion 20a. As shown in FIG. 9 , the upper cover portion 20 a has a substantially cylindrical side wall portion 231 and a substantially circular upper surface portion 232 that is continuous with the side wall portion 231 . A plurality of through-holes 207a for allowing the raw water to flow into the cartridge 1 are formed in the peripheral portion of the upper surface portion 232 at intervals in the circumferential direction. is formed. A flange 204 is formed on the outer upper portion of the side wall portion 231 to attach the cartridge 1 to the peripheral portion of the opening S4 of the water purifier. A groove 210 for fitting the packing 104 is formed in the vertical center of the flange 204 . An example of a water purifier is shown in FIG. 11B. Since the water purifier 100 shown in FIG. 11B is the same as that shown in FIG. 11A except for the configuration of the cartridge 1, the description thereof is omitted.

The lower cover portion 20 b has a substantially cylindrical side wall portion 233 and a substantially circular surface portion 203 ′ formed inside the side wall portion 233 . As shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of through-holes 234a are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction at positions corresponding to the through-holes 207a forming the inflow portion 207 on the peripheral portion of the surface portion 203', so that the inside and outside of the casing 2 are separated. communicate. A surface of the surface portion 203 ′ facing the inner space of the casing 2 is referred to as a surface 203 . An annular first protrusion 208 is formed on the surface 203 so as to be surrounded by a plurality of through holes 234a. That is, the first protrusion 208 is formed radially inward of the inflow portion 207a. In the accommodated state, the first protrusion 208 is in annular contact with the first surface 31 of the water purification filter 3 so as to surround the hollow portion 34 of the water purification filter 3 on the first surface 31 of the water purification filter 3 . is pressed in the axial direction and elastically deformed. In this case, the first protrusion 208 becomes a first contact portion that contacts the first surface 31 of the water purification filter 3 in a ring shape so as to surround the outer circumference of the hollow portion 34, presses the water purification filter 3 in the axial direction, and elastically deforms the water purification filter 3. obtain. In the water purification cartridge of the present invention, the surface 203 may not have protrusions. For example, surface 203 can be planar. In this case, the surface 203 can serve as a first contact portion that annularly contacts the first surface 31 of the water purification filter 3 so as to surround the outer circumference of the cavity 34 and axially presses and elastically deforms the water purification filter 3 . The cross-sectional shape of the first protrusion 208 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a substantially triangular shape, a substantially square shape, a substantially semicircular shape, a substantially semielliptical shape, and the like. Corners of the substantially triangular and substantially quadrangular shapes may be rounded.

A ventilation passage 235 extending in the front-rear direction and having a rectangular cross section is formed on the side of the surface portion 203 ′ facing the upper surface portion 232 . The ventilation passage 235 communicates with the ventilation opening 205 having a square cross section formed in the side wall portion 233 . Since the ventilation passage 235 is defined by two substantially parallel side surfaces rising from the lower surface 203 ′ and an upper surface continuous with the two side surfaces, it is isolated from the flow path of water passing through the inside of the cartridge 1 .

The second cover portion 22 has a bottom portion 227 and side wall portions 220 continuously rising from the bottom portion 227, and has a substantially cylindrical appearance as a whole. The side wall portion 220 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having substantially the same diameter as the side wall portions 231 and 233 . An outflow portion 223 is formed in the central portion of the bottom portion 227 to allow purified water to flow out of the cartridge 1 . The outflow part 223 has a circular through hole 223a. A surface of the bottom portion 227 facing the inner space of the casing 2 is referred to as a surface 221 . An annular second protrusion 224 is formed on the surface 221 at a radially outer position of the outflow portion 223 so as to surround the outflow portion 223 .

In this embodiment, the upper cover portion 20a and the lower cover portion 20b, and the first cover portion 20 and the second cover portion 22 are connected so that the connecting portions thereof are liquid-tight. As shown in FIG. 8, in the connected state where the first cover portion 20 and the second cover portion 22 are connected, the side wall portion 231, the side wall portion 233 and the side wall portion 220 are substantially flush with each other, and both of the side wall portions of the casing 2 are aligned. 21 is formed. The upper cover portion 20a and the lower cover portion 20b, and the first cover portion 20 and the second cover portion 22 are connected by ultrasonic bonding, for example.

In the housed state, the outer diameter of the water purification filter 3 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the side wall portion 21 of the casing 2 . As a result, similarly to the first embodiment, an annular space 230 is formed between the side peripheral portion 32 and the side wall of the casing 2 in the housed state.

Below, the flow path of water passing through the cartridge 1 will be described more specifically. Main flows of water in the cartridge 1 are represented by arrows shown in FIG. First, raw water flows into the cartridge 1 from the tank 102 through the inflow portion 207 , that is, the first cover portion 20 . The raw water that has flowed in from the inflow portion 207 passes through the through holes 234 a and is temporarily stored in the space 230 . The raw water stored in the space 230 passes through the side peripheral portion 32 of the water purification filter 3 from the outside in the radial direction to the inside, and flows into the hollow portion 34 as purified water. Purified water is discharged to the outside of the cartridge 1 from the hollow portion 34 and the outflow portion 223 .

<2. Features>
The configurations of the water purification filter 3, the surface 203, the surface 221, the first protrusion 208, and the second protrusion 224 of the second embodiment are common to those of the first embodiment. Therefore, the features of these configurations are as described in the description of the first embodiment. In the following, features specific to the second embodiment are described.

In the cartridge 1 , water is filtered from the radially outer side to the inner side of the side peripheral portion 32 of the water purification filter 3 . For this reason, another type of filter, such as a hollow fiber membrane, can be additionally placed in the cavity 34, which is the area where purified water is present. By arranging another type of filter in the cavity 34 , it is possible to provide a compact water purification cartridge with higher filtration performance without increasing the volume of the cartridge 1 .

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples. However, the invention is not limited to the examples.

(Example 1)
(1) Production of Water Purification Filter A water purification filter was produced in the following manner so as to be an in-out type as the type in which raw water and purified water flow.

(1-1) Preparation of a nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers, which is provided on the side surface of the activated carbon molded body on the side where raw water flows in. First, as a heat-fusible component, polyethylene terephthalate copolymerized with isophthalic acid is used as a sheath. Heat-fusible short fibers were prepared in which polyethylene terephthalate was arranged in the core. The heat-fusible short fibers had a sheath melting point of 110° C., a core melting point of 260° C., a fiber length of 51 mm, a fiber diameter of 12 μm, and a fineness of 2.2 dtex. The short fibers are carded to form a thin web, the web is needle-punched, heat-treated at a temperature of 175° C., and cooled, whereby the short fibers are arranged randomly in three dimensions and the fibers are entangled with each other. A non-woven fabric A containing heat-fusible short fibers was obtained, which was heat-fused and provided on the side surface of the raw water inflow side of the activated carbon molded body. The nonwoven fabric had a basis weight of 50 g/m ² , a thickness of 0.18 mm, and an apparent density of 0.28 g/cm ³ .

(1-2) Preparation of Nonwoven Fabric for Activated Carbon Molding (1-2-1) Preparation of Raw Materials In manufacturing the nonwoven fabric for activated carbon molding, the following raw materials were prepared.
・Fibrous activated carbon (trade name “W-10” manufactured by Ador Co., Ltd., mesoporosity 27%, specific surface area 1100 m ² /g)
・ Weak acid type polyacrylate ion exchange fiber (Ca-substituted polyacrylate ion exchange fiber manufactured by Unitika Ltd.: trade name A-02CAU)
・Heat-fusible short fibers (polyethylene terephthalate copolymerized with isophthalic acid as a heat-fusible component is placed in the sheath and polyethylene terephthalate is placed in the core. The melting point of the sheath is 110°C, core melting point 260°C, fiber length 51 mm, fiber diameter 12 μm, fineness 2.2 dtex)

(1-2-2) Manufacture of wet-laid nonwoven fabric containing activated carbon 78 parts by mass of the fibrous activated carbon, 10 parts by mass of ion-exchange fiber, 12 parts by mass of heat-fusible staple fiber, totaling 100 parts by mass, pulper was used to prepare a uniformly dispersed slurry. The obtained slurry was poured onto a wire at a predetermined flow rate and dehydrated to adjust the basis weight. Thereafter, the sheet was passed through a press part, dried in a dryer part, smoothed in a calender part, and wound up on a reel. After that, the sheet was hot-pressed at 110° C. with a hot press roller to obtain a wet-laid nonwoven fabric B.

(1-3) Preparation of nonwoven fabric provided on the side of the activated carbon molding on the side where purified water is discharged Spunbond nonwoven fabric C (trade name Elves (registered trademark) S0303WTO manufactured by Unitika Ltd., the core is made of polyester resin, A spunbonded nonwoven fabric made of continuous fibers whose sheath is a core-sheath type composite fiber made of polyolefin resin, and the stacked continuous fibers are partially pressed together by heat embossing to be integrated. , the nonwoven fabric having a basis weight of 30 g/m ² , a thickness of 0.23 mm, and an apparent density of 0.13 g/cm ³ ).

(1-4) Production of water purification filter A cylindrical pipe made of iron with an outer diameter of 23.7 mm is prepared as a core, and the nonwoven fabric A is wound around the core so as to have a predetermined thickness. On top of this, a wet-laid nonwoven fabric B containing activated carbon as an activated carbon molded body is wound on the nonwoven fabric A so as to have a predetermined thickness. It was wound so as to have a thickness of Then, the nonwoven fabric A, the wet-laid nonwoven fabric B containing activated carbon, and the spunbonded nonwoven fabric C in a wound state were placed in a furnace, subjected to heat treatment at an ambient temperature of 150° C. for 2 hours, and then naturally cooled. Then, after removing the core, it was cut to a length of 92 mm with a cutting machine to obtain the water purification filter of the present invention. The water purification filter had a height (length) L1 of 92 mm, an outer diameter of 40 mm, and an inner diameter of 22.4 mm. Further, the water purification filter had a hardness of 62 as measured by a JIS S 6050 compliant durometer hardness tester (manufactured by Teclock Co., Ltd.) and had elasticity. The activated carbon molded body in the water purification filter has an outer diameter of 39.5 mm, an inner diameter of 22.8 mm, and a mass of 18.2 g. , the heat-fusible components of the heat-fusible short fibers of the nonwoven fabric A and the polyolefin resin of the composite fibers constituting the spunbonded nonwoven fabric C are melted to form the nonwoven fabric A and the activated carbon molded body, and the spunbonded nonwoven fabric C and the activated carbon molded body. It was fused with the body.

(2) Production of Water Purification Cartridge A water purification cartridge of the present invention including the obtained water purification filter was produced. The water purification cartridge was manufactured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the casing material was ABS resin, and the hardness was 95. Moreover, L2 of the casing was 92.0 mm, and L3 was 89.2 mm. That is, it comprises a cylindrical casing having an inflow portion into which raw water flows in and an outflow portion into which purified water flows out, and a water purification filter housed inside the casing for filtering the raw water, wherein , which has elasticity and is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and has a first surface and a second surface at both ends in the axial direction, and the casing covers the first surface of the water purification filter. A first cover portion, a second cover portion covering a second surface of the water purification filter, and a side wall portion covering an outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter, wherein the first cover portion includes an outer circumference of the hollow portion A first contact portion is formed to annularly contact the first surface of the water purification filter so as to surround the water purification filter, press the water purification filter in the axial direction and elastically deform the water purification filter, and the second cover portion includes the outer periphery of the hollow portion A second contact portion is formed to annularly contact the second surface of the water purification filter so as to surround the water purification filter, press the water purification filter in the axial direction and elastically deform the water purification filter, and the water purification filter includes the first contact portion and the second The raw water that is stored in the casing in a state of being elastically deformed by the pressing force of the contact portion and that has flowed in from the inflow portion of the casing flows into the hollow portion of the water purification filter via the first cover portion. Then, it passes through the water purification filter radially outward, flows out into the space between the outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter and the side wall portion of the casing, and is discharged to the outside from the outflow portion. , a water purification cartridge for a pot-type water purifier was obtained.

(3) Production of water purifier The water purifier cartridge was attached to a water purifier as shown in FIG. 11A to obtain a pot-type water purifier of the present invention.

(Example 2)
(1) Production of Water Purification Filter A water purification filter was produced in the following manner so as to be an in-out type as the type in which raw water and purified water flow.
(1-1) Preparation of nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers, which is provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body on the side where raw water flows in (1-1-1) Preparation of raw materials In manufacturing the above nonwoven fabric, the following Prepared raw materials.
- Heat-fusible short fibers (Prepare the heat-fusible short fibers used in the non-woven fabric containing the heat-fusible short fibers, which is provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body on the side where the raw water flows in, prepared in Example 1. bottom.)
・Fibrous activated carbon (trade name “A-7” manufactured by Ador Co., Ltd., mesoporosity 4%, specific surface area 850 m ² /g)
・ Weak acid type polyacrylate ion exchange fiber (Ca-substituted polyacrylate ion exchange fiber manufactured by Unitika Ltd.: trade name A-02CAU)
(1-1-2) Manufacture of nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers 35 parts by weight of the heat-fusible short fibers, 20 parts by weight of fibrous activated carbon, and 45 parts by weight of ion-exchange fibers, totaling 100 parts by weight, are mixed. Then, carding is performed to form a thin web, and the web is subjected to needle punching, heat treatment at a temperature of 110 ° C., and cooling, so that the short fibers are randomly arranged in three dimensions and the fibers are entangled with each other and heated. A nonwoven fabric D containing heat-fusible short fibers was obtained, which was provided on the side surface of the fused activated carbon molded body on the raw water inflow side. The nonwoven fabric had a basis weight of 70 g/m ² , a thickness of 0.42 mm, and an apparent density of 0.17 g/cm ³ .

(1-2) Preparation of Nonwoven Fabric as Activated Carbon Molding The same nonwoven fabric B as in Example 1 was prepared as an activated carbon molding.

(1-3) Preparation of nonwoven fabric provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body from which purified water is discharged The same nonwoven fabric C (spunbond) provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body from which purified water is discharged Non-woven fabric) was prepared.

(1-4) Production of water purification filter A cylindrical pipe made of iron with an outer diameter of 23.7 mm is prepared as a core, and a nonwoven fabric D is wound around the core so as to have a predetermined thickness. On top of this, a wet-laid nonwoven fabric B containing activated carbon as an activated carbon molded body is wound on the nonwoven fabric D so as to have a predetermined thickness. It was wound so as to have a thickness of Then, the nonwoven fabric D, the wet-laid nonwoven fabric B containing activated carbon, and the spunbond nonwoven fabric C, which were wound, were placed in a furnace, subjected to heat treatment at an ambient temperature of 150° C. for 2 hours, and then naturally cooled. Then, after removing the core, it was cut to a length of 92.0 mm with a cutting machine to obtain the water purification filter of the present invention. The water purification filter had a height (length) L1 of 92.0 mm, an outer diameter of 40.0 mm, and an inner diameter of 22.4 mm. Further, the water purification filter had a hardness of 62 as measured by a JIS S 6050 compliant durometer hardness tester (manufactured by Teclock Co., Ltd.) and had elasticity. The activated carbon molded body in the water purification filter has an outer diameter of 39.5 mm, an inner diameter of 23.2 mm, and a mass of 17.2 g. , the heat-fusible components of the heat-fusible short fibers of the nonwoven fabric D and the polyolefin resin of the composite fibers constituting the spunbond nonwoven fabric C are melted to form the nonwoven fabric D and the activated carbon molded body, and the spunbond nonwoven fabric C and the activated carbon molded body. It was fused with the body.

(2) Production of Water Purification Cartridge A water purification cartridge of the present invention including the obtained water purification filter was produced. The water purification cartridge was manufactured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the casing material was ABS resin, and the hardness was 95. Moreover, L2 of the casing was 92.0 mm, and L3 was 89.2 mm. That is, it comprises a cylindrical casing having an inflow portion into which raw water flows in and an outflow portion into which purified water flows out, and a water purification filter housed inside the casing for filtering the raw water, wherein , which has elasticity and is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and has a first surface and a second surface at both ends in the axial direction, and the casing covers the first surface of the water purification filter. A first cover portion, a second cover portion covering a second surface of the water purification filter, and a side wall portion covering an outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter, wherein the first cover portion includes an outer circumference of the hollow portion A first contact portion is formed to annularly contact the first surface of the water purification filter so as to surround the water purification filter, press the water purification filter in the axial direction and elastically deform the water purification filter, and the second cover portion includes the outer periphery of the hollow portion A second contact portion is formed to annularly contact the second surface of the water purification filter so as to surround the water purification filter, press the water purification filter in the axial direction and elastically deform the water purification filter, and the water purification filter includes the first contact portion and the second The raw water that is stored in the casing in a state of being elastically deformed by the pressing force of the contact portion and that has flowed in from the inflow portion of the casing flows into the hollow portion of the water purification filter via the first cover portion. Then, it passes through the water purification filter radially outward, flows out into the space between the outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter and the side wall portion of the casing, and is discharged to the outside from the outflow portion. , a water purification cartridge for a pot-type water purifier was obtained.

(3) Manufacture of water purifier The water purifier cartridge was attached to a water purifier in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain a pot-type water purifier of the present invention.

(Comparative example 1)
(1) Production of Water Purification Filter A water purification filter was produced in the following manner so as to be an in-out type as the type in which raw water and purified water flow.
(1-1) Preparation of nonwoven fabric provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body on the raw water inflow side Same as the nonwoven fabric prepared as the nonwoven fabric provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body on the purified water discharge side in Example 1. Nonwoven fabric C (spunbond nonwoven fabric) was prepared.

(1-2) Preparation of Nonwoven Fabric as Activated Carbon Molding The same nonwoven fabric B as in Example 1 was prepared as an activated carbon molding.

(1-3) Preparation of nonwoven fabric provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body from which purified water is discharged The same nonwoven fabric C (spunbond) provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body from which purified water is discharged Non-woven fabric) was prepared.

(1-4) Manufacture of water purification filter A cylindrical iron pipe with an outer diameter of 23.7 mm is prepared as a core, and a nonwoven fabric C is wound around the core to a predetermined thickness, and then the nonwoven fabric C is wound. On top of this, a wet-laid nonwoven fabric B containing activated carbon as an activated carbon molded body is wound on the nonwoven fabric C so as to have a predetermined thickness. was wound to a predetermined thickness. Then, the nonwoven fabric C, the wet-laid nonwoven fabric B containing activated carbon, and the spunbond nonwoven fabric C in a wound state were placed in a furnace, subjected to heat treatment at an ambient temperature of 150° C. for 2 hours, and then naturally cooled. Then, after removing the core, it was cut to a length of 92.0 mm with a cutting machine to obtain a water purification filter of Comparative Example. The water purification filter had a height (length) L1 of 92.0 mm, an outer diameter of 40.0 mm, and an inner diameter of 22.4 mm. Further, the water purification filter had a hardness of 62 as measured by a JIS S 6050 compliant durometer hardness tester (manufactured by Teclock Co., Ltd.) and had elasticity. The activated carbon molded body in the water purification filter has an outer diameter of 39.5 mm, an inner diameter of 22.9 mm, and a mass of 18.3 g. , the spunbond nonwoven fabric C on the inner layer side and the activated carbon molded body, and the spunbond nonwoven fabric C on the outer layer side and the activated carbon molded body were fused due to the melting of the polyolefin resin of the composite fiber constituting the spunbond nonwoven fabric C. .

(2) Production of Water Purification Cartridge A comparative water purification cartridge including the obtained water purification filter was produced. The water purification cartridge was manufactured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the casing material was ABS resin, and the hardness was 95. Moreover, L2 of the casing was 92.0 mm, and L3 was 89.2 mm. That is, it comprises a cylindrical casing having an inflow portion into which raw water flows in and an outflow portion into which purified water flows out, and a water purification filter housed inside the casing for filtering the raw water, wherein , which has elasticity and is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and has a first surface and a second surface at both ends in the axial direction, and the casing covers the first surface of the water purification filter. A first cover portion, a second cover portion covering a second surface of the water purification filter, and a side wall portion covering an outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter, wherein the first cover portion includes an outer circumference of the hollow portion A first contact portion is formed to annularly contact the first surface of the water purification filter so as to surround the water purification filter, press the water purification filter in the axial direction and elastically deform the water purification filter, and the second cover portion includes the outer periphery of the hollow portion A second contact portion is formed to annularly contact the second surface of the water purification filter so as to surround the water purification filter, press the water purification filter in the axial direction and elastically deform the water purification filter, and the water purification filter includes the first contact portion and the second The raw water that is stored in the casing in a state of being elastically deformed by the pressing force of the contact portion and that has flowed in from the inflow portion of the casing flows into the hollow portion of the water purification filter via the first cover portion. Then, it passes through the water purification filter radially outward, flows out into the space between the outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter and the side wall portion of the casing, and is discharged to the outside from the outflow portion. , a water purification cartridge for a pot-type water purifier was obtained.

(Comparative example 2)
(1) Production of Water Purification Filter A water purification filter was produced in the following manner so as to be an in-out type as the type in which raw water and purified water flow.

(1-1) Preparation of Nonwoven Fabric as Activated Carbon Molding The same nonwoven fabric B as in Example 1 was prepared as an activated carbon molding.

(1-2) Preparation of nonwoven fabric provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body from which purified water is discharged The same nonwoven fabric C (spunbond) provided on the side of the activated carbon molded body from which purified water is discharged Non-woven fabric) was prepared.

(1-3) Manufacture of water purification filter A steel cylindrical pipe with an outer diameter of 23.7 mm is prepared as a core, and a wet-laid nonwoven fabric B containing activated carbon as an activated carbon molded body is applied to the core so as to have a predetermined thickness. Further, on the wet-laid nonwoven fabric B containing activated carbon, the spunbond nonwoven fabric C was wound to a predetermined thickness. Then, the wet-laid nonwoven fabric B containing activated carbon and the spunbonded nonwoven fabric C in a wound state were placed in a furnace, subjected to heat treatment at an atmospheric temperature of 150° C. for 2 hours, and then naturally cooled. Then, after removing the core, it was cut to a length of 92.0 mm with a cutting machine to obtain a water purification filter of Comparative Example. The water purification filter had a height (length) L1 of 92.0 mm, an outer diameter of 40.0 mm, and an inner diameter of 22.5 mm. Further, the water purification filter had a hardness of 62 as measured by a JIS S 6050 compliant durometer hardness tester (manufactured by Teclock Co., Ltd.) and had elasticity. The activated carbon molded body in the water purification filter has an outer diameter of 39.5 mm, an inner diameter of 22.4 mm, and a mass of 18.3 g. The spunbond nonwoven fabric C on the outer layer side and the activated carbon molded body were fused due to the melting of the polyolefin resin of the composite fibers constituting the spunbond nonwoven fabric C.

(2) Production of Water Purification Cartridge A comparative water purification cartridge including the obtained water purification filter was produced. The water purification cartridge was manufactured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the casing material was ABS resin, and the hardness was 95. Moreover, L2 of the casing was 92.0 mm, and L3 was 89.2 mm. That is, it comprises a cylindrical casing having an inflow portion into which raw water flows in and an outflow portion into which purified water flows out, and a water purification filter housed inside the casing for filtering the raw water, wherein , which has elasticity and is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and has a first surface and a second surface at both ends in the axial direction, and the casing covers the first surface of the water purification filter. A first cover portion, a second cover portion covering a second surface of the water purification filter, and a side wall portion covering an outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter, wherein the first cover portion includes an outer circumference of the hollow portion A first contact portion is formed to annularly contact the first surface of the water purification filter so as to surround the water purification filter, press the water purification filter in the axial direction and elastically deform the water purification filter, and the second cover portion includes the outer periphery of the hollow portion A second contact portion is formed to annularly contact the second surface of the water purification filter so as to surround the water purification filter, press the water purification filter in the axial direction and elastically deform the water purification filter, and the water purification filter includes the first contact portion and the second The raw water that is stored in the casing in a state of being elastically deformed by the pressing force of the contact portion and that has flowed in from the inflow portion of the casing flows into the hollow portion of the water purification filter via the first cover portion. Then, it passes through the water purification filter radially outward, flows out into the space between the outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter and the side wall portion of the casing, and is discharged to the outside from the outflow portion. , a water purification cartridge for a pot-type water purifier was obtained.

(3) Manufacture of water purifier The water purifier cartridge was attached to a water purifier in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain a pot-type water purifier as a comparative example.

(4) Evaluation (4-1) Flow rate JIS S 3201 2017 6.1 Filtration flow rate test c) Filtration flow rate was measured and calculated according to 1).
(4-2) Evaluation of Inflow of Fallen Activated Carbon into Raw Water Reservoir With water remaining in the raw water reservoir, presence or absence of fallen activated carbon was visually checked.
(4-3) Presence or Absence of Leak Water having an initial concentration of 2 mg/L of free residual chlorine was passed through each of the water purification cartridges according to Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, and the presence or absence of leakage was confirmed. Further, regarding the water purification cartridges according to Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the water purification filter was removed from the casing after water flow, and the portion that was in contact with the first contact portion (first protrusion) of the casing and the second The distance L4 between the two contact portions (second projection) and the contact portion was measured, and the degree of elastic recovery of the water purification filter was evaluated from the ratio W (%) of the distance L4 to the length L1.

Table 1 shows the evaluation results.

As shown in Table 1, the water purification filters of Examples 1 and 2 are equipped with a cylindrical activated carbon molded body, and the raw water is passed in the radial direction of the cylindrical shaped body. Since the nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers is provided on the side surface of the raw water inflow side, it has a sufficient flow rate even when applied to a pot-type water purifier, and the raw water storage of the dropped activated carbon. It was intended to reduce the inflow to the part.

On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, a spunbond nonwoven fabric made of continuous fibers was provided on the side surface of the activated carbon molded body on the side where the raw water flows in, instead of the nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers. The flow rate was not sufficient and it took a long time to purify the water.

In addition, in Comparative Example 2, since the nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible short fibers was not provided on the side surface of the activated carbon molded body on the side where the raw water flows in, the dropped activated carbon flowed into the raw water reservoir. was accepted.

1 Cartridge 2 Casing 3 Water Purification Filter 20 First Cover Part 21 Side Wall Part 22 Second Cover Part 31 First Surface 32 Side Peripheral Part 33 Second Surface 34 Cavity Part 35 Activated Carbon Molded Body 36 Inner Peripheral Side of Activated Carbon Molded Body in the Radial Direction 37 Nonwoven fabric arranged on the outer peripheral side in the radial direction of the activated carbon molded body 203 Surface 207 Inflow portion 208 First protrusion (first contact portion)
221 surface 223 outflow part 224 second protrusion (second contact part)
230 spaces 300 seats

Claims (11)

A water purification filter comprising a cylindrical activated carbon molded body, through which raw water is passed in the radial direction of the cylindrical shape,
A nonwoven fabric A containing heat-fusible short fibers is provided on the side surface of the activated carbon molded body on the side where the raw water flows ,
A water purifying filter comprising a non-woven fabric B made of long fibers or continuous fibers on the side surface of the activated carbon molded body on the side where the purified water purified by passing the raw water in the radial direction of the cylindrical shape is discharged. The water purification filter according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven fabric A contains inorganic fibers. A water purification filter comprising a cylindrical activated carbon molded body, through which raw water is passed in the radial direction of the cylindrical shape,
A water purification filter comprising a non-woven fabric A containing heat-fusible short fibers and inorganic fibers on the side surface of the activated carbon molded body on which the raw water flows. The water purification filter according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the heat-fusible component of the heat-fusible short fibers is a polyester-based resin. The water purification filter according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the activated carbon molded body contains heat-fusible short fibers. The water purification filter according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the nonwoven fabric A has an apparent density calculated from the thickness and basis weight of 0.08 to 0.30 g/ ^cm3 . The water purification filter according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the nonwoven fabric A contains one or more selected from the group consisting of ion exchange fibers, cellulosic fibers and animal fibers. The water purification filter according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the activated carbon forming the activated carbon molded body is fibrous activated carbon. A water purification cartridge for a pot-type water purifier, comprising the water purification filter according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . A cylindrical casing having an inflow part into which raw water flows and an outflow part from which purified water flows out; and a water purification filter housed inside the casing for filtering the raw water,
The water purification filter is a water purification filter that includes a cylindrical activated carbon molded body, and through which raw water is passed in the radial direction of the cylindrical shape,
A water purification filter comprising a non-woven fabric containing heat-fusible staple fibers on the side surface of the activated carbon molded body on the side where the raw water flows in,
The water purification filter has elasticity and is formed in a cylindrical shape having a hollow portion, and has a first surface and a second surface at both ends in the axial direction, and the casing is the first surface of the water purification filter. A first cover portion covering a surface, a second cover portion covering a second surface of the water purification filter, and a side wall portion covering an outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter, wherein the first cover portion includes the A first contact portion is formed to annularly contact the first surface of the water purification filter so as to surround the outer periphery of the hollow portion, press the water purification filter in the axial direction and elastically deform the water purification filter, and the second cover portion includes the A second contact portion is formed to annularly contact the second surface of the water purifying filter so as to surround the outer circumference of the hollow portion, press the water purifying filter in the axial direction and elastically deform the water purifying filter, and the water purifying filter is formed with the first contact portion. and the raw water stored inside the casing in a state of being elastically deformed by the pressing force of the second contact portion and flowing in from the inflow portion of the casing passes through the first cover portion to the water purification filter. It flows into the hollow portion, passes through the water purification filter radially outward, flows out into the space between the outer peripheral surface of the water purification filter and the side wall portion of the casing, and is discharged to the outside from the outflow portion. A water purification cartridge for a pot type water purifier. A pot-type water purifier comprising the water purifying filter according to any one of claims 1 to 8 .

Images