JP7517889B2 - Electrolyzed water generator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrolytic water generating device.

Conventionally, devices that generate functional water by subjecting water to electrolysis (hereinafter, also referred to as electrolytic water generating devices) are known.

An electrolysis section is provided midway through the water flow path inside the device, and when electricity is passed through the water between the cathode and anode electrodes, for example, hydrogen is generated on the cathode side and the liquid becomes alkaline, producing alkaline water that contains more hydrogen than before electrolysis, known as hydrogen water or alkaline ionized water.

Furthermore, when we look at the anode side, oxygen is produced from the electrode as the water is electrolyzed, and the liquid becomes acidic, so acidic water that contains more oxygen than the state before electrolysis is produced, so-called oxygen water or acidic water.

In this way, the electrolytic water generated by the electrolytic water generator is discharged from the downstream end of the flow path, either separately from each electrode or in a mixed state, and is used in various aspects of our lives.

JP 2017-064693 A

However, in soft water regions where the amount of calcium ions and magnesium ions contained in the water (raw water) supplied to the electrolytic water generating device is low, the conductivity of the water is low and a high voltage is required to pass a certain amount of current, so there is a risk that efficient electrolysis cannot be performed.

In addition, water that has been highly purified through a reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane) or the like can also have extremely low conductivity, and when using such water, there is a risk that electrolysis cannot be carried out efficiently.

Therefore, electrolysis auxiliary agents have been used to facilitate the electrolysis of soft water or highly purified (deionized) water (hereinafter simply referred to as soft water). Electrolysis auxiliary agents are placed upstream of the electrolysis section where water electrolysis takes place, and their components are dissolved in advance into the water to be electrolyzed, thereby increasing the electrical conductivity of the water and achieving efficient electrolysis. Calcium glycerophosphate is the most commonly used.

However, calcium glycerophosphate has a solubility of 2 g/dL in water at a specific temperature within the range of room temperature (e.g., 20°C ± 15°C), making it a relatively water-soluble substance.

Electrolyzed water generators are generally designed to hold around 100g of electrolysis aid, but if we assume that 20L of water is used per day, the calcium glycerophosphate used as an electrolysis aid will dissolve completely within one or two days.

Therefore, in order to perform electrolysis efficiently in soft water areas, the electrolysis auxiliary agent must be replenished frequently, which is a cumbersome process.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides an electrolytic water generating device that can improve the electrolytic efficiency for a longer period of time without requiring an excessive amount of electrolytic auxiliary agent to be contained in the electrolytic water generating device, even when the water to be electrolyzed is soft water.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the electrolytic water generating device according to the present invention provides: (1) an electrolytic water generating device that discharges water electrolyzed in an electrolysis section midway through a flow path from a downstream end of the flow path, the electrolytic water generating device comprising a reforming section located upstream of the electrolysis section for reforming water to be supplied to the electrolysis section, the reforming section containing a mixture of an electrolysis auxiliary having a solubility in water at room temperature of 0.001 to 0.014 g/dL, being ionizable in water , and having a predetermined particle size of 5 mm or less , and a water passage promoter having a different size from the electrolysis auxiliary, the relatively larger average particle size being 20% or more larger than the relatively smaller average particle size, the weight of the water passage promoter being 60 to 140% of the weight of the electrolysis auxiliary, and the ratio of the number of particles of the electrolysis auxiliary to the water passage promoter being 5:6 or more, with the water passage promoter predominating, when the average particle size of the electrolysis auxiliary is larger than that of the water passage promoter, and the ratio of the number of particles of the electrolysis auxiliary to the water passage promoter being 5:4 or less, with the water passage promoter being less, when the average particle size of the electrolysis auxiliary is smaller than that of the water passage promoter .

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the electrolytic water generating device according to the present invention has the following features: (2) An electrolytic water generating device that discharges water electrolyzed in an electrolysis section midway through a flow path from the downstream end of the flow path, the electrolytic water generating device being a shower head consisting of a power storage unit that stores power to be supplied to the electrolysis section and a shower body, the flow path being formed from a connection section of the shower body having a stem section held by a user and a head section that is disposed at the tip of the stem section and has a sprinkler plate on one side thereof to the sprinkler plate, water passes through the inside of the stem section to the water chamber of the head section and is sprayed from the sprinkler plate, and a reforming section that reforms the water to be supplied to the electrolysis section is disposed upstream of the electrolysis section, and the reforming section contains an electrolysis auxiliary having a solubility in water at room temperature of 0.001 to 0.014 g/dL, which is ionizable in water, and has a predetermined particle size of 5 mm or less, and a water flow promoter having a different size from the electrolysis auxiliary, in a rolled mixed state as a sheet-like nonwoven fabric that is the water flow promoter carrying fine particles of the electrolysis auxiliary.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the electrolytic water generating device of the present invention provides: (3) an electrolytic water generating device that discharges water electrolyzed in an electrolysis unit located midway through a flow path from a downstream end of the flow path, the electrolytic water generating device being a shower head comprising a power storage unit that stores electricity to be supplied to the electrolysis unit and a shower body, the flow path being formed from a connection part of the shower body comprising a stem part held by a user and a head part that is located at the tip of the stem part and has a spray plate on one side thereof, the flow path being formed from the connection part of the shower body to the spray plate, water passing through the inside of the stem part to the water chamber of the head part and being sprayed from the spray plate, and further comprising a reforming part located upstream of the electrolysis unit that reforms the water to be supplied to the electrolysis unit, the reforming part comprising The electrolysis auxiliary has a solubility of 0.001 to 0.014 g/dL in water at room temperature, is ionizable in water, and has a predetermined particle size of 5 mm or less. A water passage promoter having a different size from the electrolysis auxiliary is contained in a mixed state, and the average particle size of the relatively larger one is 20% or more larger than the average particle size of the relatively smaller one. The weight of the water passage promoter added is 60 to 140% of the weight of the electrolysis auxiliary. The ratio of the number of particles of the electrolysis auxiliary to the water passage promoter is 5:6 or more, with the water passage promoter predominating, when the average particle size of the electrolysis auxiliary is larger than that of the water passage promoter, and is 5:4 or less, with the water passage promoter being less, when the average particle size of the electrolysis auxiliary is smaller than that of the water passage promoter.

According to the electrolytic water generating device of the present invention, the electrolytic water generating device discharges water electrolyzed in an electrolytic section in the middle of a flow path from a downstream end of the flow path, and further includes a reforming section located upstream of the electrolytic section for reforming water to be supplied to the electrolytic section. The reforming section contains a water having a solubility of 0.001 to 0.014 in water at room temperature. The electrolysis auxiliary having a particle size of 5 mm or less and a specific electrolysis auxiliary with a particle size of 5 g/dL and capable of being ionized in water is accommodated in a mixed state with a water passage promoter having a different size from the electrolysis auxiliary, the relatively larger average particle size being 20% or more larger than the relatively smaller average particle size, the added weight of the water passage promoter is 60 to 140% of the weight of the electrolysis auxiliary, and the ratio of the number of particles of the electrolysis auxiliary to the water passage promoter is 5:6 or more, with the water passage promoter predominating, when the average particle size of the electrolysis auxiliary is larger than that of the water passage promoter, and is 5:4 or less, with the water passage promoter predominating, when the average particle size of the electrolysis auxiliary is smaller than that of the water passage promoter. Therefore, even when the water to be electrolyzed is soft water, an electrolysis water generating device can be provided that can improve the electrolysis efficiency over a longer period of time without requiring an excessive amount of electrolysis auxiliary to be accommodated in the electrolysis water generating device.

According to the electrolytic water generating device of the present invention, in the electrolytic water generating device, water electrolyzed in an electrolysis section midway through a flow path is discharged from the downstream end of the flow path, the electrolytic water generating device is a shower head comprising a power storage unit for storing power to be supplied to the electrolysis section and a shower body, the flow path is formed from a connection section of the shower body comprising a stem section held by a user and a head section disposed at the tip of the stem section and having a spray plate on one side, the flow path being formed from the connection section of the shower body to the spray plate, water passes through the inside of the stem section to the water chamber of the head section and is sprayed from the spray plate, and a water supply unit to be supplied to the electrolysis section is provided at a position upstream of the electrolysis section. The water generating apparatus is provided with a reforming section that reforms water, and in the reforming section, an electrolysis auxiliary having a solubility in water at room temperature of 0.001 to 0.014 g/dL, which is capable of being ionized in water, and a predetermined particle size of 5 mm or less, and a water passage promoter having a different size from the electrolysis auxiliary, are contained in a rolled mixed state as a sheet-like nonwoven fabric that is the water passage promoter carrying fine particles of the electrolysis auxiliary.Therefore, even when the water to be electrolyzed is soft water, it is possible to provide an electrolysis water generating apparatus that can improve the electrolysis efficiency over a longer period of time without having to contain an excessive amount of electrolysis auxiliary in the electrolysis water generating apparatus.

According to the electrolytic water generating device of the present invention, in the electrolytic water generating device, water electrolyzed in an electrolysis section midway through a flow path is discharged from a downstream end of the flow path, the electrolytic water generating device is a shower head comprising a power storage unit for storing power to be supplied to the electrolysis section and a shower body, the flow path is formed from a connection section of the shower body comprising a stem section held by a user and a head section disposed at the tip of the stem section and having a spray plate on one side thereof to the spray plate, water passes through the inside of the stem section to reach a water chamber of the head section and is sprayed from the spray plate, the electrolytic water generating device is provided with a reforming section located upstream of the electrolytic section for reforming water to be supplied to the electrolytic section, the reforming section contains a predetermined size of water having a solubility in water at room temperature of 0.001 to 0.014 g/dL, which is ionizable in water and has a particle size of 5 mm or less. an electrolysis auxiliary having a diameter larger than that of the electrolysis auxiliary and a water-passage promoter having a different diameter than that of the electrolysis auxiliary are contained in a mixed state, the average particle diameter of the larger particle being 20% or more larger than the average particle diameter of the smaller particle, the weight of the water-passage promoter added is 60 to 140% of the weight of the electrolysis auxiliary, and the ratio of the number of particles of the electrolysis auxiliary to the water-passage promoter is 5:6 or more, with the water-passage promoter predominating, when the average particle diameter of the electrolysis auxiliary is larger than that of the water-passage promoter, and is 5:4 or less, with the water-passage promoter predominating, when the average particle diameter of the electrolysis auxiliary is smaller than that of the water-passage promoter. Therefore, even when the water to be electrolyzed is soft water, an electrolysis water generating apparatus can be provided that can improve the electrolysis efficiency over a longer period of time without requiring an excessive amount of electrolysis auxiliary to be contained in the electrolysis water generating apparatus.

1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an electrolytic water generating device according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal configuration of a reforming section. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the particle size of the modifying material and the behavior of running water. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an electrolytic water generating device according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the usage state of the electrolytic water generating device according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an electrolytic water generating device according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an electrolytic water generating device according to a fourth embodiment. 1 is a graph showing the change in pH of electrolyzed water versus the electrical conductivity of raw water. 1 is a graph showing the change in pH of electrolyzed water relative to the solubility of an electrolysis auxiliary. 1 is a graph showing the amount of water that can be treated with 100 g of electrolysis auxiliary. 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams showing a process of creating a modified portion. 1 is a graph showing the effect on pH when the amount of running water is changed. 1 is a graph showing the effect on pH when the amount of running water is changed. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the amount of treated water per 100 g of electrolysis auxiliary. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of a shower head type electrolyzed water generator.

The present invention relates to an electrolyzed water generating device that discharges water electrolyzed in an electrolysis section midway through a flow path from the downstream end of the flow path.

As mentioned above, water from soft water areas or highly purified water can be difficult to electrolyze due to the small amount of ions, such as magnesium and calcium ions, dissolved in the water, so electrolysis aids are used to improve conductivity and make this easier.

However, the widely used calcium glycerophosphate has a relatively high solubility, which necessitates frequent replenishment of the electrolytic auxiliary, which is a hassle.

In addition, even when the electrolytic water generator is not in use, water may remain in the piping, and depending on the situation, calcium glycerophosphate may continue to dissolve in this stagnant water, and at the beginning of the next use, water with a high concentration of dissolved calcium glycerophosphate may be discharged. This may not necessarily be a serious problem, but for health-conscious users of electrolytic water generators, it is difficult to say that a situation in which water containing a lot of additives is discharged is desirable, and it is also a waste of electrolytic auxiliary agents.

In view of these circumstances, the present application provides an electrolytic water generating device that can improve the electrolytic efficiency over a longer period of time without requiring an excessive amount of electrolytic auxiliary agent to be contained in the electrolytic water generating device, even when the water to be electrolyzed is soft water.

Here, soft water means water with such low hardness that when subjected to electrolysis, the pH of the supplied water cannot be set within the range of 9 to 10 due to its low electrical conductivity, and in some cases the dissolved hydrogen concentration cannot be increased to 50 ppb or more. In other words, water hardness is generally approximated by {calcium concentration (mg/L) x 2.5 + magnesium concentration (mg/L) x 4.1}, and for example, the WHO defines soft water as water with a hardness of 120 or less. Regardless of these definitions, soft water means water in a state where a sufficient current cannot be passed through a specified voltage due to the low concentration of dissolved ions for a specified amount of running water, and alkaline electrolyzed water cannot be generated, for example, water with an electrical conductivity of about 20 μS/cm or less.

Although there is no specific time period that is defined as a long period, it is a period during which the conductivity can be improved longer than the same amount of calcium glycerophosphate, such as one month, three months, six months, or one year.

An electrolytic water generator is a device that electrolyzes supplied water and then discharges it. There are no particular limitations on such devices, but specific examples include water conditioners that generate alkaline ionized water or electrolytic hydrogen water for drinking, and acidic water that is primarily used for cleaning, washing, sterilization, etc.

Another example is an electrolyzed water showerhead, which discharges water that has been subjected to electrolysis as shower water. In this specification, water that has been supplied with water and partially electrolyzed by applying a voltage to it, such as alkaline ionized water, electrolyzed hydrogen water, and acidic water, is collectively referred to as electrolyzed water.

The flow path refers to the water passage formed within the electrolytic water generating device through which the supplied raw water passes before being discharged as electrolytic water. The flow path here includes not only the cylindrical piping components, but also intermediate components, such as an electrolytic cell provided as an electrolytic section that performs electrolysis, and the parts through which water flows.

A feature of the electrolyzed water generating device according to this embodiment is that a substance that has a solubility in water at room temperature of 0.001 to 0.2 g/dL at temperatures ranging from those typically used for drinking to those typically used for bathing, for example, at temperatures of about 5 to 45°C, and that can be ionized in water, is placed upstream of the electrolysis section as an electrolysis auxiliary.

There are various substances that can be used as such electrolysis aids, but among them, it is necessary that the substance has minimal adverse effects on the human body, and it is preferable that the substance is approved as a food additive in Japan or overseas.

Some examples include calcium carbonate (CaCO ₃ ), which has a solubility of about 0.0015 g/dL at 25°C; calcium citrate (C ₁₂ H ₁₀ Ca ₃ O ₁₄ · 4H ₂ O), which has a solubility of about 0.085 g/dL at 18°C; tricalcium phosphate (Ca ₃ (PO ₄ ) ₂ ), which has a solubility of about 0.0025 g/dL at a certain temperature that belongs to room temperature, for example, a temperature of about 20 ± 5°C; calcium stearate, which has a solubility of about 0.000164 g/dL at 26.7°C and is used as a pharmaceutical additive or food additive; calcium sulfite (CaSO ₃ ), which has a solubility of about 0.0043 g/dL at 18°C; and magnesium carbonate (MgCO ₃ ), which has a solubility of about 0.039 g/dL at 20°C. ), magnesium oxide (MgO), which has a solubility of about 0.0086 g/dL at a certain temperature in the normal temperature range, for example, at a temperature of about 20±5° C., is preferred.

More generally, it can be said that the substance has a solubility of 0.001 to 0.2 g/dL and can dissolve in the flowing water at a concentration equivalent to about 1/8 to 1/14 of the solubility value to generate reformed water when 50 to 500 g of the electrolysis auxiliary is stored in a storage unit for the electrolysis auxiliary installed midway through the flow path of the electrolysis water generating device and 10 to 50 L of water is run per day at a flow rate of 1 to 9 L/min. Note that the contact efficiency between the electrolysis auxiliary and water in the storage unit is not an issue in this case, and there are no particular limitations as long as the configuration can satisfy the above conditions.

In other words, it is a substance that dissolves in water flowing at 1-9 L/min, ionizes, and allows the passage of a current of 0.5-5 A to bring the water's pH to within the range of 9-10 and the dissolved hydrogen concentration to 50 ppb or higher. Moreover, the amount required to maintain this for about one month to one year by flowing 10-50 L of water per day is about 50-500 g, which can be accommodated in the electrolysis auxiliary storage compartment installed midway through the flow path of the electrolysis water generator.

By configuring in this way, an electrolysis auxiliary is dissolved in advance in the water to be electrolyzed at a position upstream of the flow path of the electrolysis section, improving the electrical conductivity and allowing smooth electrolysis to be carried out, thereby realizing the stable production of electrolyzed water.

In particular, even if the water to be electrolyzed is soft water, the electrolysis efficiency can be improved for a longer period of time without the need to store an excessive amount of electrolysis auxiliary in the electrolysis water generating device.

In this embodiment, the electrolysis auxiliary may be a granular aggregate having a particle size of 5 mm or less, for example, a particle size of about 0.1 mm≦particle size≦5.0 mm. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to perform stable electrolysis to the extent that electrolyzed water with a pH of 9 to 10 or electrolyzed water with a dissolved hydrogen concentration of 50 ppb or more can be discharged, even while using a substance with a significantly lower solubility than calcium glycerophosphate.

In this application, the particle size of the electrolytic auxiliary is not critical in implementing the present invention, and it is not a problem if a small number of particles (e.g., less than 10 particles (less than 10%) out of 100 particles) exceed 5 mm in diameter.

In addition, the particle size in this application is not strictly limited in terms of the method of measurement, but an electrolysis auxiliary having a particle size of 0.1 to 5.0 mm in diameter equivalent to a circle in terms of projected area, for example, when randomly selected particles are scattered on a plane and observed from above using a microscope, the diameter of a circle having the same area as the planar area occupied by the particles, can be suitably used. Unless otherwise specified in this specification, any description of the diameter or size of particles of electrolysis auxiliary, water flow promoter, water purification material, etc. can be interpreted as a diameter equivalent to a circle in terms of projected area.

The electrolyzed water generating device according to this embodiment may further include a reforming section located upstream of the electrolysis section for reforming the water to be supplied to the electrolysis section, and the reforming section may contain a mixture of the electrolysis auxiliary and a water flow promoter having a particle size different from that of the electrolysis auxiliary.

In addition, when the reforming section and the electrolysis section are arranged from the upstream to the downstream of the flow path and the water reformed in the reforming section is supplied to the electrolysis section, the reforming section may contain a water passage promoter that adjusts the flow so that the water comes into even contact with the electrolysis promoter in the reforming section, in addition to an electrolysis auxiliary that improves the conductivity of the water. In this case, the electrolysis auxiliary with a relatively small particle size may be mixed with a water passage promoter with a relatively large particle size, or conversely, a water passage promoter with a relatively small particle size may be mixed with an electrolysis auxiliary with a relatively large particle size. However, the applicant may not limit the present application to any of the above embodiments when granting a patent.

In other words, the particle size (size) of the electrolysis auxiliary and the particle size (size) of the water passage promoter can be either large or small, but their average particle sizes are different from each other. As a further embodiment, it is desirable that the average particle size of the relatively larger particle is 20% or more larger (120% or more; in the above example, 1.2 mm or more) than the average particle size of the relatively smaller particle (e.g., 1 mm).

Furthermore, with regard to the relationship between the particle size (size) of the electrolysis auxiliary and the particle size (size) of the water passage promoter, the average particle size of the water passage promoter can be outside the range of the average particle size of the electrolysis auxiliary ±20%.

In this way, by making the particle size of the electrolysis auxiliary (water-permeability promoter) relatively small or large compared to the particle size of the water-permeability promoter (electrolysis auxiliary), it is possible to prevent the water flow from concentrating and becoming uneven in the reforming section, and ensure sufficient dissolution of the electrolysis auxiliary. The weight of the water-permeability promoter added is preferably about 60 to 140% of the weight of the electrolysis auxiliary. In addition, when such particle size ratios and weight ratios are used, the ratio of the number of particles of the electrolysis auxiliary to the water-permeability promoter is about 5:6 or more, with the water-permeability promoter in a larger ratio, and when the particle size of the electrolysis auxiliary is smaller than that of the water-permeability promoter, the ratio of the number of particles of the electrolysis auxiliary to the water-permeability promoter is about 5:4 or less, with the water-permeability promoter in a smaller ratio, to improve the water flow.

The material of the water-permeability promoter is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, activated carbon, nonwoven fabric, insoluble ceramic particles (silica, alumina, etc.), or porous material (zeolite, etc.). In particular, the water-permeability promoter may be made of a material that has water purification capabilities.

For example, in the case of a device that generates electrolyzed water for drinking, a water purification section may be provided upstream of the flow path leading to the electrolysis section in order to purify the water to be supplied to the electrolysis section in advance. In the electrolyzed water generation device according to this embodiment, a water purification section may be provided upstream of the electrolysis section, or in some cases upstream of the reforming section, but if the water flow promoter is made of a material that has water purification capabilities, purified water can be supplied to the electrolysis section without providing a separate water purification section. Note that a water purification section may be provided even if the water flow promoter is made of a material that has water purification capabilities.

Materials with water purification capabilities that can be used as water flow promoters include materials that adsorb impurities such as organic matter in the water, such as porous materials such as activated carbon and ceramic balls.

In addition, materials that do not rely on adsorption, for example, materials that can reduce residual chlorine components used for disinfecting tap water to a level below the human olfactory threshold, or, more broadly, materials that can chemically change impurities to a state that is acceptable from a hygienic or sensory perspective, may also be used.

The water passage promoter may also be made of the same material as the electrolysis auxiliary. By configuring it in this way, the water passage promoter can also be given the ability to dissolve the components of the electrolysis auxiliary.

As mentioned above, if the common material of the water flow promoter and the electrolysis aid has water purification ability, further purification action can be expected. One example of such a material is calcium sulfite.

The configuration of the electrolytic water generating device according to this embodiment will be further explained below with reference to the drawings.

I. First embodiment
Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall internal configuration of the electrolytic water generating device A1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the electrolytic water generating device A1 has, as its internal configuration, a series of flow paths 10 through which supplied water is received, subjected to electrolysis, and finally discharged or drained.

The flow path 10 is composed of a raw water supply pipe 17a that runs from the water inlet 17 to the reforming section 11, a reformed water supply pipe 22 that runs from the reforming section 11 to the electrolytic cell 12, an electrolytic water extraction flow path 40 that guides the electrolytic water to be used from the electrolytic cell 12 and discharges it, and a drainage flow path 41 that guides the electrolytic water that is not being used from the electrolytic cell 12 and discharges it. In addition, the reforming section 11 and the electrolytic cell 12 are interposed in the middle of the flow path 10.

In addition, the electrolytic water generating device A1 includes a control unit 13 that controls all parts of the electrolytic water generating device A1 and is housed in a substantially box-shaped housing 14.

The reforming section 11 has a casing 18, which is formed with a raw water inlet 18a for introducing raw water and an outlet 18b for discharging reformed water reformed within the casing 18.

The raw water inlet 18a is connected to the water inlet 17 formed in the housing 14 of the electrolytic water generating device A1 via a raw water supply pipe 17a, allowing raw water supplied from a water supply facility or the like to be introduced into the reforming section 11.

Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal structure and water flow of the reforming section 11. As shown in Figure 2, the reforming section 11 is formed in a hollow, box-shaped casing 18 that is watertight, with a water passage space section 15a and a reforming material storage section 15b formed in a roughly coaxial cylindrical shape (roughly concentric in cross section) centered on a water collection pipe section 15c.

The water collection pipe section 15c is a tubular section provided in the center of the casing 18, and the pipe wall is made of a material that allows water to pass through. This water collection pipe section 15c is connected to the outlet 18b, and discharges the water reformed in the reforming section 11 to the outside of the reforming section 11.

A mesh-shaped water passage case 16 is disposed outside the water collection pipe section 15c, and the area between the water collection pipe section 15c and the water passage case 16 serves as the reforming material storage section 15b, which stores reforming material 19.

The reforming material 19 is composed of an electrolysis aid 19a (shown as a large black circle in the figure) and a water passage promoter 19b (shown as a small white circle). Note that the appearance of the reforming material 19 is shown only diagrammatically and is not limited to a sphere.

The electrolytic auxiliary 19a has the role of dissolving electrolytes into the water flowing into the reforming section 11 to improve the electrical conductivity, and has a particle size of approximately 5 mm.

The water-passage promoter 19b is for regulating the flow of water in the reforming section 11 (particularly in the reforming material storage section 15b). In this embodiment, 60 g of water-passage promoter formed to a particle size of about 2 mm is mixed with 100 g of electrolytic auxiliary agent having a particle size of about 5 mm. The reforming material 19 is prepared so that there are about 87 to 93 pieces of the water-passage promoter 19b per 100 particles of the reforming material. The particle size (about 5 mm) of the relatively large electrolytic auxiliary agent 19a is 250% larger than the particle size (about 2 mm) of the relatively small water-passage promoter 19b, and the average particle size (about 2 mm) of the water-passage promoter 19b is ±20% of the average particle size (about 5 mm) of the electrolytic auxiliary agent 19a, that is, a particle size outside the range of 4 to 6 mm. Additionally, 60g of water-permeability promoter was mixed into 100g of electrolysis auxiliary, and the weight of the water-permeability promoter added to the electrolysis auxiliary was in the range of 60-140%.

In this embodiment, the reforming material 19, i.e., the electrolysis auxiliary 19a and the water flow promoter 19b, are both made of calcium sulfite ( _CaSO3 ) and are configured to perform a purification function by reducing the residual chlorine component to below the human olfactory threshold, so that the purification of the water to be supplied to the electrolysis unit is performed in the reforming unit 11 without providing a separate water purification unit. Note that, in this embodiment, the electrolysis auxiliary 19a and the water flow promoter 19b are mixed as reforming materials in the reforming material storage unit 15b, but a water purification material such as activated carbon may also be further mixed in.

As shown in FIG. 1, the base end of the reforming water supply pipe 22 is connected to the outlet 18b. The reforming water supply pipe 22 is a pipe that supplies the reformed water reformed in the reforming section 11 to the electrolytic cell 12, and its tip is bifurcated at the branch point 22a into a cathode chamber supply pipe 20 and an anode chamber supply pipe 21.

The tip of the cathode chamber supply pipe 20 further branches into two branches, 20a and 20b. The branches 20a and 20b are each connected to the cathode chamber of the electrolytic cell 12 and supply reformed water to the cathode chamber. The tip of the anode chamber supply pipe 21 also branches into branch pipes 21a and 21b, each connected to the anode chamber of the electrolytic cell 12, making it possible to supply reformed water to the anode chamber.

The electrolytic cell 12 is equipped with a first electrode plate 31 located in the center, and a second electrode plate 32 and a third electrode plate 33 located so as to sandwich the first electrode plate 31. Diaphragms 34 are disposed between the first electrode plate 31 and the second electrode plate 32, and between the first electrode plate 31 and the third electrode plate 33, respectively, and these electrode plates 31, 32, 33 and diaphragms 34 form a first electrolytic chamber 35 functioning as a water intake electrode chamber, a second electrolytic chamber 36 functioning as a by-product water electrode chamber, a third electrolytic chamber 37 functioning as a by-product water electrode chamber, and a fourth electrolytic chamber 38 functioning as a water intake electrode chamber.

The second electrode plate 32 and the third electrode plate 33 receive power from a power circuit (not shown) provided in the control unit 13 arranged in the housing 14, and become electrode plates of the same polarity, either cathode or anode, as the water intake electrode plate, while the first electrode plate 31 becomes the by-product water electrode plate and has the opposite polarity to the second electrode plate 32 and the third electrode plate 33. Here, the second electrode plate 32 and the third electrode plate 33 are cathodes and the first electrode plate 31 is an anode, and the first electrolysis chamber 35 and the fourth electrolysis chamber 38 correspond to the cathode chambers, and the second electrolysis chamber 36 and the third electrolysis chamber 37 correspond to the anode chambers. In addition, when the electrolytic water generating device A1 has an acidic water generating mode under the control of the control unit 13, etc., the second electrode plate 32 and the third electrode plate 33 become anodes, the first electrode plate 31 becomes a cathode, the first electrolytic chamber 35 and the fourth electrolytic chamber 38 correspond to the anode chambers, and the second electrolytic chamber 36 and the third electrolytic chamber 37 correspond to the cathode chambers.

The electrolyzed water (also called alkaline ionized water or electrolyzed hydrogen water) produced by electrolysis in the first electrolysis chamber 35 and the fourth electrolysis chamber 38 flows from the branch pipes 40a and 40b of the electrolyzed water extraction flow path 40 to the junction 40c, and is taken in through the electrolyzed water extraction flow path 40.

The electrolytic water, so-called acid water or oxygen water, generated by electrolysis in the second electrolytic chamber 36 or the third electrolytic chamber 37 flows from the branch pipes 41a and 41b to the junction 41c and is discharged through the drainage flow path 41 and the outlet 42. As mentioned above, if the polarity of each electrode plate 31, 32, and 33 is reversed, acid water will naturally be taken from the flow path that serves as the electrolytic water extraction flow path 40, and alkaline water will be discharged from the drainage flow path 41.

And with the electrolytic water generating device A1 having such a configuration, raw water, which is soft water supplied from the water supply 45, passes through the water inlet 17, the raw water supply pipe 17a, and reaches the inside of the reforming section 11 through the raw water inlet 18a, filling the water passage space 15a and entering the reforming material storage section 15b through the water passage case 16.

The raw water that has entered the reforming material storage section 15b comes into contact with the electrolytic auxiliary 19a that constitutes the reforming material 19, and is reformed to improve its electrical conductivity by dissolving electrolytes. If the electrolytic auxiliary 19a that constitutes the reforming material 19 or the mixture of the electrolytic auxiliary 19a and the water flow promoter 19b is almost all particles of the same size, with a particle size of 5 mm or less, as shown in the reforming section 11' in Figure 3 (a), the raw water will preferentially flow through areas where it is easy to flow, as shown by the black arrows, and the flow rate in areas where it is difficult to flow will be extremely reduced, resulting in an imbalance.

Also, if the particle size is larger, as shown in the modified portion 11'' in Figure 3(b), the problem of flow bias is less likely to occur, but the contact area of the modified material 19 with the raw water is reduced, making it difficult to dissolve the electrolyte in the raw water.

In this regard, in the electrolytic water generating device according to this embodiment, as an example of an electrolytic auxiliary and a water-passage promoter having different sizes, an electrolytic auxiliary 19a having a relatively large particle size and a water-passage promoter 19b having a relatively small particle size are mixed and stored in the reforming material storage section 15b of the reforming section 11, so that the electrolytic auxiliary 19a can be stably dissolved while preventing uneven flow of the raw water.

In addition, since the electrolytic auxiliary 19a and the water-passage promoter 19b are made of the same material, both the electrolytic auxiliary 19a and the water-passage promoter 19b can be manufactured using a single type of material, which reduces manufacturing costs.

In addition, in this embodiment, both the electrolysis auxiliary 19a and the water flow promoter 19b are made of calcium sulfite, which has water purification capabilities. Therefore, raw water can be purified in the reforming section 11 without the need for a separate water purification section.

The reformed water reformed by contact with the reforming material 19 is supplied to the electrolytic cell 12 from the water collection pipe section 15c through the outlet 18b and the reformed water supply pipe 22. The raw water, which is soft water and therefore has low conductivity and is unsuitable for electrolysis, has passed through the reforming section 11 to become reformed water, so a sufficient amount of current can be passed through it at a specified voltage. For example, the electrolytic water generated in the first electrolytic chamber 35 or the fourth electrolytic chamber 38 and taken from the electrolytic water extraction passage 40 can be alkaline ionized water with a pH of 9 to 10.

II. Second embodiment
Next, an electrolytic water generator A2 according to a second embodiment will be described. Although illustrations of this second embodiment are omitted, the electrolytic water generator A2 has a configuration similar to that of the electrolytic water generator A1 described above, but differs in that the reforming material 19 contained inside the reforming section 11 is composed of an electrolysis auxiliary 19a, which is calcium carbonate ( _CaCO3 ) with a particle size of about 0.1 mm, and a water flow promoter 19b, which is activated carbon with a particle size of about 0.3 mm.

The electrolytic water generating device A2 having such a configuration can improve the electrolysis efficiency for a longer period of time, even when the water to be electrolyzed is soft water, without requiring an excessive amount of electrolysis auxiliary to be contained in the electrolytic water generating device. In addition, since the water flow promoter is activated carbon and has the ability to purify water by adsorption, the water to be supplied to the electrolysis section can be purified in the reforming section without the need for a separate water purification section.

III. Third embodiment
Next, an electrolytic water generator A3 according to a third embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a simplified configuration of the electrolytic water generator A3 according to the third embodiment. The electrolytic water generator A3 has a configuration similar to that of the electrolytic water generator A1 and the electrolytic water generator A2 described above, but differs in the configuration of the reforming material 19 of the reforming unit 11 and in the inclusion of a water purification unit 25.

Specifically, _in the electrolytic water generating device A3 _, the reforming material 19 is composed of an electrolytic auxiliary 19a, which is calcium citrate ( _Ca3 ( _C6H5O7 ) ₂ ) with a particle size of approximately 0.5 mm, and a water flow promoter 19b, also calcium citrate with a particle size of approximately 2 mm, and the reforming section 11 does not have any significant water purification ability.

However, in this electrolyzed water generating device A3, a water purification section 25 is provided upstream of the reforming section 11, and activated carbon is contained inside.

And with the electrolytic water generating device A3 having such a configuration, even if the water to be electrolyzed is soft water, it is possible to improve the electrolysis efficiency for a longer period of time without having to store an excessive amount of electrolysis auxiliary in the electrolytic water generating device.

[IV. Fourth embodiment]
Next, an electrolytic water generating device according to a fourth embodiment will be described. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a shower facility 52 disposed on a wall 51 of a bathroom 50.

The shower equipment 52 is a so-called wall-mounted shower equipment, and is equipped with a hose 53 that supplies hot and cold water, and a shower head A4 as an electrolytic water generating device according to the fourth embodiment attached to the end of the hose 53. When a user U operates a water faucet (not shown), electrolytic hot and cold water can be discharged from the shower head A4.

The shower head A4 comprises a shower body 55 that discharges hot and cold water supplied through a hose 53, and a power storage body 56 that stores electricity, which are generally integrated in appearance.

As shown in FIG. 6, the power storage unit 56 is detachable from the shower body 55, and can be removed from the shower body 55 when charging the power storage unit 56 or when discharging normal hot water without electrolysis.

The shower body 55 also has a stem portion 57 that is held by the user and a head portion 58 that is disposed at the tip of the stem portion 57. A water spray plate 59 is disposed on one side of the head portion 58 to enable water to be sprayed, and a mounting portion 60 for mounting the power storage unit 56 is formed on the other side of the head portion 58 facing the water spray plate 59, i.e., on the back side of the page in FIG. 6.

In addition, inside the shower body 55, a flow path is formed for passing the supplied water (raw water) from the connection part 53a with the hose 53 to the spray plate 59 of the head part 58.

That is, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 7, the shower body 55 has a flow path from the water inlet 57 to the water spray plate 59, and water introduced from the connection part 53a passes through the inside of the stem part 57 to the water chamber 61 of the head part 58, and is sprayed from the water spray plate 59.

In addition, an electrolysis section 62 is provided in the flow path within the stem section 57, and a modification section 63 is disposed upstream of the electrolysis section 62 in the flow path.

The electrolysis unit 62 is a section for electrolyzing water that has been reformed through the reforming unit 63 described below, and supplies power from the power storage unit 56 to multiple pairs of electrolysis electrode plates arranged inside the electrolysis unit 62 via a control unit (not shown).

The reforming unit 63 has a configuration similar to that of the reforming unit 11 of the aforementioned electrolytic water generating devices A1 to A3, and serves to improve the electrolysis efficiency by dissolving an electrolyte in the water supplied to the electrolysis unit 62. The reforming material 19 contained therein is composed of an electrolysis auxiliary agent 19a, which is calcium sulfite ( _CaSO3 ) with a particle size of approximately 2 mm, and a water flow promoter 19b, which is activated carbon with a particle size of approximately 0.3 mm, and enables water purification in the reforming unit 11.

The shower head A4, which is an electrolytic water generating device according to this embodiment and has such a configuration, can improve the electrolytic efficiency for a longer period of time, even when the water supplied is soft water, without requiring an excessive amount of electrolytic auxiliary agent to be contained in the electrolytic water generating device.

[V. Various Tests]
Next, various tests will be described.

(1. Conductivity and pH verification)
In electrolytic water generators, when highly deionized water or extremely soft water is supplied as raw water, if there is no electrolysis aid, the raw water has low electrical conductivity and sufficient electrolysis cannot be performed, making it difficult to obtain the desired pH. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable when the flow rate (the amount of water flowing per unit time) is large.

As an example, we investigated how the pH of the discharged water would behave according to the conductivity of the raw water (3 μS/cm) when a voltage of 5 to 50 V was applied between electrolysis electrodes with an opposing area of ³⁰⁰ cm2 and an interelectrode distance of 2 to 8 mm under conditions of a flow rate of 2 L/min, which is a typical flow rate for a home water purifier, and in particular, what level of conductivity was required to achieve a pH of 9 or higher.

As a result, as shown in Figure 8, the pH of the discharged electrolyzed water was stable at pH 9 or higher, approximately pH 9.4 to 9.6, if the conductivity was 50 μS/cm or higher, but a significant drop in pH was observed below 50 μS/cm, and the pH of the electrolyzed water fell below pH 9 at approximately 20 μS/cm. In addition, in the case of a typical household electrolyzed water generator with similar specifications to those described above, it was shown to be difficult to raise the pH to 9 when the conductivity was less than 20 μS/cm.

(2. Solubility and pH verification)
Next, several electrolysis auxiliary agents with different solubilities were used to confirm the pH of the electrolytic water produced, and an investigation was conducted into the solubility in raw water (3 μS/cm) that substances used as electrolysis auxiliary agents should have.

(2-1. Lower limit)
Since the electrolysis auxiliary needs to be soluble to such an extent that electrolysis can be performed stably, the solubility must be above a certain level. Therefore, here, we investigated the lower limit of the solubility that a substance used as an electrolysis auxiliary should have.

Specifically, under the same conditions as those described above in (1. Verification of conductivity and pH), barium sulfate (solubility 0.00024 g/dL), calcium carbonate (solubility 0.0015 g/dL), calcium sulfite (solubility 0.0043 g/dL), magnesium oxide (solubility 0.0086 g/dL), calcium citrate (solubility 0.085 g/dL), and calcium glycerophosphate (solubility 2 g/dL) were used as electrolysis auxiliary agents to investigate the degree of solubility of substances that can achieve a pH of 9 or higher in electrolyzed water. The results are shown in Figure 9.

As can be seen from Figure 9, when barium sulfate, which has a solubility of 0.00024 g/dL, was used as the electrolysis auxiliary, the pH value was extremely low at 8 or less, but for all other substances, the pH of the electrolyzed water was 9 or higher.

Considering the graph shown in Figure 9, it is suggested that if the solubility of the substance used in the electrolysis auxiliary is 0.001 g/dL or higher, the pH value of the generated electrolyzed water can reach a value within the range of 9 to 10.

(2-2. Upper limit)
The upper limit of solubility is limited by the frequency of replenishing the electrolysis auxiliary. Taking into account weight, volume, etc., it is preferable that the practical amount of electrolysis auxiliary to be filled is approximately 100 g or less. Here, the six substances used in the above-mentioned lower limit study and calcium hydroxide (solubility 0.185 g/dL) were used to study the amount of raw water required to dissolve 100 g of electrolysis auxiliary under the same conditions as those described above (1. Verification of conductivity and pH), and the upper limit of solubility of the substance used as the electrolysis auxiliary was studied. The results are shown in Figure 10.

Assuming that the typical daily usage of a household water purifier is 20L, a treated water volume of at least 600L is required for one month of use. Furthermore, to use the device for about one year without refilling, a treated water volume of 7,300L or more is more suitable. Also, if the solubility is low and there is room for the treated water volume, the amount of electrolysis auxiliary agent can be reduced to make the device smaller and lighter.

On the other hand, if the solubility is high, the electrolytic auxiliary will dissolve quickly, requiring frequent replenishment. In addition, when water flow is stopped, the electrolytic auxiliary will dissolve at a very high concentration in the stagnant water. This not only results in more electrolytic auxiliary being consumed and wasted than necessary, but also means that the water contains many unnecessary additives, which is undesirable for drinking water quality.

With these circumstances in mind, and referring to Figure 10, in order to ensure that the amount of treated water that can be used with monthly replenishment of the electrolysis auxiliary is approximately 600 L or more, the solubility of the electrolysis auxiliary must be 0.2 g/dL or less, more preferably 0.163 g/dL or less, and in order to ensure that the amount is 7,300 L or more, it is preferable that the solubility be approximately 0.02 g/dL or less, and even more preferably 0.014 g/dL or less.

(3. Study on achieving both water permeability and solubility)
Next, the reforming materials contained in the reforming section were examined from the viewpoints of water permeability and solubility of the electrolysis auxiliary.

Conventional electrolysis aids have the problem that the pH and amount of dissolved hydrogen in the electrolytic water produced vary greatly depending on the amount of flowing water, and the pH and amount of dissolved hydrogen become significantly lower when the amount of flowing water is particularly high.

To prevent excessive dissolution of the electrolytic auxiliary, it is preferable to use an electrolytic auxiliary with as low a solubility as possible. On the other hand, in order to increase the conductivity of the raw water to a specified value, it is necessary to dissolve the electrolytic auxiliary to a certain extent. In order to dissolve the minimum amount required, the size of the particles of the electrolytic auxiliary is controlled. In order to increase the contact area with the raw water, it is necessary to make the particles finer. However, if the electrolytic auxiliary is made finer, the particles of the electrolytic auxiliary will be subjected to water pressure when water is passed through, and will become dense, aggregate, and solidify. As mentioned above, the water will create a water channel in the part where it is easy to pass through, and will not flow inside the aggregated particles, and the electrolytic auxiliary will not be able to dissolve sufficiently. This is more noticeable the greater the flow rate of the water, and as a result, the change in dissolution relative to the flow rate of the water will be greater, and the conductivity, as well as the pH and dissolved hydrogen amount after electrolysis, will also change significantly depending on the flow rate of the water.

In addition, when the particles of the electrolytic auxiliary are small, the total surface area is large, so it is expected that even substances with relatively low solubility will be efficiently dissolved. However, in reality, the particles become dense and aggregated under water pressure, and the water creates channels through the parts where it is easier to pass through, and does not flow inside the aggregates, so the electrolytic auxiliary cannot be sufficiently dissolved. Also, if the particle filling amount is increased, the pressure loss increases and the water permeability decreases.

In contrast, if the particles of the electrolytic auxiliary are large, the water permeability is good and the pressure loss is low, but the total surface area of the particles is small and the contact area with the raw water is small, so the electrolytic auxiliary cannot be sufficiently dissolved.

In this embodiment, as described above, one aspect of the configuration of the modifying material is to ensure water permeability and reduce pressure loss by filling the water permeability promoter that forms appropriate gaps, while mixing this water permeability promoter with electrolysis auxiliary agents of different particle sizes. In addition, by limiting the particle diameter of the electrolysis auxiliary agent to 5 mm or less, the total surface area of the electrolysis auxiliary agent is increased, increasing the contact area with water, and making it easier to fully dissolve the electrolysis auxiliary agent.

In this section, in order to verify these effects, a reforming unit of the purification filter type with added electrolytic auxiliary was constructed. Specifically, the reforming material was composed of a mixture of 100g of electrolytic auxiliary, which is calcium sulfite (CaSO ₃ ) with a particle size of about 2 mm, and 90g of water flow promoter, which is activated carbon with a particle size of about 0.3 mm, to form a configuration that combines water purification function and water flow promotion function, and this was used for testing as the reforming unit B1 of the electrolytic water generating device A1.

For comparison, modified section B2 containing only 100 g of electrolytic auxiliary agent, calcium sulfite ( _CaSO3 ) with a particle size of approximately 2 mm, as the modifying material, and modified section B3 containing only 100 g of electrolytic auxiliary agent, calcium sulfite ( _CaSO3 ) with a particle size of 5 mm, as the modifying material, were also created and subjected to testing.

The test was carried out by measuring the pH value when electrolyzing raw water with a density of 3 μS/cm at a flow rate of 1 to 3 L/min. The results are shown in Figure 12.

As can be seen from Figure 12, in reforming section B3, where the reforming material is only an electrolysis auxiliary made of calcium sulfite with relatively large particles of 5 mm in diameter, it is possible to keep the pH of the electrolysis water in the range of 9 to 10 when the flow rate is about 1 L/min, but when the flow rate exceeds approximately 1.2 L/min, the pH value of the electrolysis water falls below 9. This is thought to be because, although the particles of the reforming material (electrolysis auxiliary) are large and therefore good in terms of water permeability, the contact area between the electrolysis auxiliary and the raw water is small, making solubility difficult, and the electrolysis auxiliary cannot be sufficiently dissolved in areas with a large flow rate.

In addition, reforming section B2, which uses only an electrolysis auxiliary consisting of fine granular calcium sulfite as the reforming material, was able to keep the pH of the electrolysis water in the range of 9 to 10 when the flow rate was about 1.7 L/min, and was shown to be able to handle higher flow rates than reforming section B3. However, when the flow rate exceeded approximately 1.7 L/min, the pH value of the electrolysis water fell below 9. This was thought to be because, since the particles of the reforming material (electrolysis auxiliary) were granular, it was thought that the contact area with the raw water for dissolving the electrolysis auxiliary was sufficient, but in areas with a high flow rate, the high water pressure made it difficult to pass the electrolysis auxiliary, and as a result, the electrolysis auxiliary could not be sufficiently dissolved.

In contrast to these reforming sections B2 and B3, reforming section B1, which is composed of reforming materials consisting of a granular electrolytic auxiliary and a water flow promoter made of activated carbon, showed a slight tendency for the pH of the discharged electrolytic water to decrease even when the flow rate changed from 1 L/min to 3 L/min, but no significant decrease was observed.

This shows that the modified material, which is a mixture of an electrolytic auxiliary and a water-permeability promoter with different particle sizes, can reduce the effect of flow rate changes on pH fluctuations, aid in the elution of the electrolytic auxiliary, and enable stable electrolysis of soft water, etc., compared to modified materials such as those contained in modified sections B2 and B3. Note that the electrolytic auxiliary contained in modified sections B2 and B3 can also generate electrolyzed water with a pH of 9 or higher from soft water, etc., if used at a low flow rate of 1.7 L/min or less or 1.2 L/min or less, and can be said to be an embodiment included in the present invention. However, this does not prevent the applicant from excluding this embodiment from the present invention when granting a patent for this application.

(4. Examination of pH and replenishment frequency of electrolytic water depending on electrolytic auxiliary agent)
Next, a study was conducted on the pH of electrolytic water and the frequency of replenishment when the reforming section B1 had the same structure as described above but used a different substance as the electrolysis auxiliary.

The electrolytic auxiliary agents used in the test were calcium sulfite (solubility 0.0043 g/dL), calcium carbonate (solubility 0.0015 g/dL), calcium citrate (solubility 0.085 g/dL), calcium glycerophosphate (solubility 2 g/dL), and barium sulfate (solubility 0.00024 g/dL). In the following explanation, the modified part using calcium carbonate as the electrolytic auxiliary agent is referred to as modified part B4, the modified part using calcium citrate as modified part B5, the modified part using calcium glycerophosphate as modified part B6, and the modified part using barium sulfate as modified part B7.

(4-1. pH of electrolyzed water)
First, we tested the effect of electrolytic water on pH. Specifically, we measured the pH value when electrolyzed by flowing 3μS/cm raw water at a flow rate of 1-3L/min. The results are shown in Figure 13.

As can be seen from Figure 13, the modification section B7 using barium sulfate was unable to produce electrolyzed water with a pH of 9 or higher within the range of 1 to 3 L/min of water flow rate, but it was confirmed that the pH value of electrolyzed water was within the range of 9 to 10 for all other substances within the above range of water flow rate.

(4-2. Replenishment frequency)
Next, we considered the frequency of replenishment. Specifically, we considered how many liters of water would be consumed if raw water with 3 μS/cm was flowing at a flow rate of 3 L/min. The results are shown in Figure 14.

As can be seen from Figure 14, modified section B6 using calcium glycerophosphate was consumed after about 40 L of water was passed through, and it was thought that no more modified water could be produced. On the other hand, all of the other substances were able to withstand the passage of more than 700 L of water, and calcium citrate remained in a solid state for at least one month, while calcium sulfite, calcium carbonate, and barium sulfate remained in a solid state for more than a year, and it was thought that no replenishment was necessary.

Taking into consideration the results of (5-1. pH of electrolyzed water) mentioned above, it was shown that calcium sulfite (solubility 0.0043g/dL), calcium carbonate (solubility 0.0015g/dL), and calcium citrate (solubility 0.085g/dL) are suitable as electrolysis auxiliary agents, and that substances with a solubility of approximately 0.001 to 0.2g/dL are suitable.

(5. Study on shower head type electrolytic water generator)
So far, various tests and studies have been explained mainly on water purifier-type electrolyzed water generating devices, but here, as in the previous study, we will look at shower head-type electrolyzed water generating devices, and examine the dissolved hydrogen concentration of the generated electrolyzed water, i.e., the electrolyzed hydrogen water discharged for bath use, and the frequency of refilling the electrolysis auxiliary.

The test was carried out using the same device as the showerhead A4 described above with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Under conditions of a typical water flow rate of 7 L/min for a showerhead, a voltage of about 4 to 20 V was applied between electrolysis electrodes with an opposing area of ⁸⁰ cm2 and an opposing electrode distance of about 0.4 to 3.0 mm, and verification was carried out to see how the dissolved hydrogen concentration in the discharged water would behave according to the conductivity of the raw water (3 μS/cm), and in particular whether it was possible to maintain a dissolved hydrogen concentration of 50 ppb or more.

The test was performed by attaching the reforming section C1 or C2 to the shower head. The reforming material contained in the reforming material storage section of the reforming section C1 is composed of magnesium oxide (MgO) as the electrolytic auxiliary 19a with a particle size of about 0.3 mm, and a piece of nonwoven fabric as the water passage promoter 19b. The nonwoven fabric piece used as the water passage promoter 19b here is not granular. Specifically, the nonwoven fabric is made of polypropylene, has a pore size of 44 μm, and is in the form of a sheet with a thickness of about 1 to 2 mm, which is rolled up and stored in the reforming material storage section as the water passage promoter 19b, and the fine particles of magnesium oxide, which is the electrolytic auxiliary 19a, are supported by the mesh of this nonwoven fabric. The reforming material of the reforming section C2 is composed of calcium citrate as the electrolytic auxiliary 19a with a particle size of about 0.7 mm, and zeolite as the water passage promoter 19b with a particle size of about 3 mm. The results are shown in Figure 15.

As can be seen from Figure 15, in both reforming section C1 and reforming section C2, the dissolved hydrogen concentration in the discharged electrolytic hydrogen water was 50 ppb or more, and the electrolysis efficiency was improved compared to the soft water state.

In addition, regarding the frequency of refilling the electrolytic auxiliary, it was considered that magnesium oxide (solubility 0.0086 g/dL) in reformer C1 would not need to be replaced for more than one year at 9000 L, and calcium citrate (solubility 0.085 g/dL) in reformer C2 would not need to be replaced for more than one month at 1400 L.

As described above, in the electrolytic water generating device according to this embodiment, water electrolyzed in an electrolytic section midway through a flow path is discharged from the downstream end of the flow path, and a substance that has a solubility in water at room temperature of 0.001 to 0.2 g/dL and can be ionized in water is disposed upstream of the electrolytic section as an electrolytic auxiliary. Therefore, even if the water to be electrolyzed is soft water, it is possible to provide an electrolytic water generating device that can improve the electrolytic efficiency for a longer period of time without requiring an excessive amount of electrolytic auxiliary to be contained in the electrolytic water generating device.

Finally, the above-mentioned explanations of each embodiment are merely examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. Therefore, even if the embodiment is different from the above-mentioned embodiments, various modifications can be made depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 flow path 11 reforming section 12 electrolytic cell 19 reforming material 19a electrolysis auxiliary 19b water flow promoter 25 water purification section 55 shower body 58 head section 62 electrolysis section 63 reforming section A1 to A3 electrolytic water generating device A4 shower head B1 to B7 reforming section C1 to C2 reforming section

Claims (3)

An electrolyzed water generating device that discharges water electrolyzed in an electrolysis section in the middle of a flow path from a downstream end of the flow path,
a reforming unit disposed upstream of the electrolysis unit for reforming water to be supplied to the electrolysis unit;
The reforming section contains a mixture of an electrolysis auxiliary having a solubility in water at room temperature of 0.001 to 0.014 g/dL, being ionizable in water , and having a particle size of 5 mm or less , and a water-permeability promoter having a different particle size from the electrolysis auxiliary;
The average particle size of the relatively larger particle is 20% or more larger than the average particle size of the relatively smaller particle.
The weight of the water permeability promoter is 60 to 140% of the weight of the electrolysis auxiliary.
The electrolytic water generating device is characterized in that the ratio of the number of particles of the electrolytic auxiliary to the water-passage promoter is 5:6 or more when the average particle size of the electrolytic auxiliary is larger than the average particle size of the water-passage promoter, and is 5:4 or less when the average particle size of the electrolytic auxiliary is smaller than the average particle size of the water- passage promoter. An electrolyzed water generating device that discharges water electrolyzed in an electrolysis section in the middle of a flow path from a downstream end of the flow path,
The electrolyzed water generating device is a shower head that includes a power storage unit that stores electricity to be supplied to the electrolysis unit and a shower body.
The flow path is formed from the connection part of the shower body, which has a stem part that is held by the user and a head part that is arranged at the tip of the stem and has a spray plate on one side, from the connection part to the spray plate, and water passes through the inside of the stem part to the water chamber of the head part and is sprayed from the spray plate,
a reforming unit disposed upstream of the electrolysis unit for reforming water to be supplied to the electrolysis unit;
The electrolytic water generating device is characterized in that the reforming unit contains an electrolytic auxiliary having a solubility in water at room temperature of 0.001 to 0.014 g/dL, which is capable of being ionized in water, and a predetermined particle size of 5 mm or less , and a water passage promoter having a different size from the electrolytic auxiliary, in a mixed state in a roll as a sheet-like nonwoven fabric that is the water passage promoter carrying fine particles of the electrolytic auxiliary . An electrolyzed water generating device that discharges water electrolyzed in an electrolysis section in the middle of a flow path from a downstream end of the flow path,
The electrolyzed water generating device is a shower head that includes a power storage unit that stores electricity to be supplied to the electrolysis unit and a shower body.
The flow path is formed from the connection part of the shower body, which has a stem part that is held by the user and a head part that is arranged at the tip of the stem and has a spray plate on one side, from the connection part to the spray plate, and water passes through the inside of the stem part to the water chamber of the head part and is sprayed from the spray plate,
a reforming unit disposed upstream of the electrolysis unit for reforming water to be supplied to the electrolysis unit;
The reforming section contains a mixture of an electrolysis auxiliary having a solubility in water at room temperature of 0.001 to 0.014 g/dL, being ionizable in water , and having a particle size of 5 mm or less , and a water-permeability promoter having a different particle size from the electrolysis auxiliary;
The average particle size of the relatively larger particle is 20% or more larger than the average particle size of the relatively smaller particle.
The weight of the water permeability promoter is 60 to 140% of the weight of the electrolysis auxiliary.
The electrolytic water generating device is characterized in that the ratio of the number of particles of the electrolytic auxiliary to the water-passage promoter is 5:6 or more when the average particle size of the electrolytic auxiliary is larger than the average particle size of the water-passage promoter, and is 5:4 or less when the average particle size of the electrolytic auxiliary is smaller than the average particle size of the water- passage promoter.

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