JPH07222978A - Electrolytic cell of ionic water maker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a small-sized high performance electrolytic cell of an ionic water maker capable of being enhanced in electrolytic efficiency by allowing tap water to flow through the gap between the electrodes in the electrolytic cell at uniform and equal flow velocity and accurately narrowing the interval between the electrodes. CONSTITUTION:A water supply nozzle 6 is attached to one end part of an electrolytic cell 1 constituted as a thin container while an acidic water drain nozzle 3 and an alkaline ionic water drain nozzle 13 are attached to the other end part thereof respectively. A pool chamber 8B is formed in communication with the water supply nozzle 6 in the electrolytic cell 1 and a plurality of drain grooves 8A, 18A narrowing the cross section of a water passage are formed at the region on the inflow water downstream side of the pool chamber 8B.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrolytic cell for an ion water generator, and more particularly to an electrolytic cell for a strongly acidic water generator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When electrolyzing tap water or the like as raw water, alkaline ionized water is produced from the cathode side of the electrolytic cell and acidic water is produced from the anode side. Water can be produced. This strongly acidic water has chlorine gas generated by the electrode reaction in the electrolytic cell dissolved in water in a gas hydrated state, and therefore has a quick and strong bactericidal action due to the oxidizing power of chlorine gas.

This strongly acidic water kills bacteria such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus and staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Attention has been paid to the fact that it is suitable for disinfecting medical staff and inpatients, and a strongly acidic water generator for generating this strongly acidic water is being installed in medical facilities such as hospitals.

Conventionally, including such a strongly acidic water generator,
Various ion water generators have been commercialized to obtain alkaline ionized water and acidic water by electrolytically treating neutral water such as tap water.

In such an ionized water generator, an electrolytic cell, an electric field electrode and a control unit are built in the main body of the apparatus. The electrolyzer forms a container for receiving inflow water from the tap water supply port, and it comprises an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by a diaphragm, and an anode is arranged in the anode chamber, while a cathode is placed in the cathode chamber. Are opposed to each other. The electrolysis power source is connected to an anode and a cathode, and a DC voltage is applied to both electrodes to electrolyze water flowing into the electrolytic cell container.

On the side of the water supply pipe of the electrolyzer, there are provided a water supply valve for supplying and stopping tap water at the start and end of electrolysis, and a flow meter for detecting the flow rate of tap water. Also, in the case of a strong acid water generator, etc., an additive solution storage tank for storing NaCl (salt water), KCl, etc. is installed in the connecting conduit between this flow meter and the electrolytic cell, and a predetermined amount is supplied from the discharge pump to the electrolytic cell. It is supposed to do. Furthermore, the anode chamber of the electrolytic cell is connected to the drainage port of acidic water, the cathode chamber is connected to the drainage port of alkaline ionized water, and the required ionized water is taken in appropriately, and unnecessary ionized water is discarded. Has become.

[0007]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, when the flow rate of tap water is increased to increase the treatment amount, the treatment amount does not increase in proportion to the inflow water. Next, the electrolysis efficiency will decrease and the tap water will be wasted. For this reason, reduce the distance between both electrodes,
There is also a method to increase the efficiency of ionization by strengthening the electrolysis with the same voltage applied to the electrodes, but the assembling accuracy of the electrodes affects the electrolysis more and more, and the electrolysis efficiency tends to decrease.

In addition, the inflow water does not flow uniformly over the entire surface of the electrode at the same flow velocity, and there is a water flow passage or the like which locally passes between the water supply port and the discharge port in the electrolytic cell at a high flow velocity. The larger the flow rate, the greater the flow rate of water that reaches the outlet while the electrolysis is not sufficiently performed by the voltage applied between the electrodes. Thus, there is a problem in that the inflow water is not uniformly subjected to the electrolysis action of the electrode voltage, resulting in uneven electrolysis, and the pH value is not constant, which lowers the electrolysis efficiency. In order to solve this, the surface area of the electrode is increased or the number of electrodes is increased, so that the electrolytic cell has to have a large capacity, and the ion water generator has a drawback of being large in size.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art. The tap water flowing in the electrolytic cell is uniformly flowed over the entire surface of the electrode, and the interval between the electrodes is narrowed to strengthen the electric field. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a small-sized, high-performance ion water generator electrolytic cell whose electrolysis efficiency is improved by an electrolytic cell that maintains a constant distance between electrodes and prevents uneven electrolysis. Is.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an electrolytic cell of an ion water generator according to the present invention has a plurality of electrode plates and an electrically insulating material which is arranged at an outer peripheral edge portion between the electrode plates. An electrolytic cell container having a container that is airtight to an electrolytic solution due to a certain elastic member and that can apply an electrolytic voltage between the electrode plates, and an electrode plate strip sandwiching a diaphragm paper disposed between the electrode plates. It is characterized by comprising a spacer, a drainage nozzle arranged at one outer end of each of the electrode plates, and a water supply nozzle arranged at the other outer end of any one of the electrode plates. Further, the electrode plate spacer is provided with a pool chamber at a portion where inflow water flows from the water supply nozzle, the diaphragm paper is not disposed to the pool chamber, and inflow water is discharged from both sides of the diaphragm paper. A pool chamber having a flow function is provided, and further, a plurality of drainage grooves are provided at the pool chamber discharge water outlet, and the opening area of the drainage groove becomes smaller as it gets closer to the water supply nozzle.

[0011]

By configuring the electrolytic cell of the ion water generator of the present invention, the dimensional accuracy between the electrode plates can be easily and uniformly assembled and manufactured to a predetermined dimension, and each electrode plate can be assembled in the electrolytic cell. Since it is an outer container and water supply and drainage nozzles are provided there, it becomes a compact and highly efficient electrolytic cell. In addition, the water supply nozzle is provided with a pool chamber, and there is no diaphragm paper so that the inflow water flows equally to the anode chamber and the cathode chamber on both sides of the diaphragm paper. Since the opening area of the drainage channel of the water discharged from the room is made small, the water velocity coming out of the drainage channel away from the water supply nozzle, and the water velocity coming out of the drainage channel near the water supply nozzle (where there is high water pressure) Can be the same.

[0012]

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings. 1 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an embodiment of an electrolytic cell of an ion water generator according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a piece of diaphragm paper 9 of the electrolytic cell of FIG.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view (partially) of the right electrode part including FIG. 3, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view (partially) of the right electrode part including the single diaphragm paper 9 of the electrolytic cell of FIG. Therefore,
The diaphragm paper 9 in FIGS. 2 and 3 is the same, and the assembled electrolytic cell has a structure in which one diaphragm paper 9 is located at the center between the electrodes as shown in FIG.

The electrolytic cell 1 according to the present invention comprises two electrode plates 2 and 12, which constitute a container, two spacer rubbers 7 and 17, and spacer rubbers 22, 23 and 2 at the center of the electrodes.
Individual electrolytic cell spacers 8 and 18, a piece of diaphragm paper 9,
Polar plate terminals 4 and 14, screws 19 that are a plurality of fastening screws
And an insulating bush 20. The electrode plates 2 and 12 interpose spacer rubbers 7 and 17 to sandwich a piece of diaphragm paper 9,
A thin electrolytic cell container having airtightness is formed by fastening each other with fastening screws. Then, the water supply nozzle 6 is provided on one end side of the electrode plate 2, and the drainage nozzle 3 and the electrode plate terminal 4 are provided on the other end side. Further, a drain nozzle 13 and an electrode plate terminal 14 are provided on the other end side of the electrode plate 12.

The tap water flowing from the water supply nozzle 6 of the electrode plate 2 passes through the inside of the electrolytic cell 1 and is electrolyzed into acidic ion water and alkaline ion water. The drainage nozzle 3 and the drainage nozzle 13 are
It is an outlet for taking out acidic ion water or alkaline ion water, and either acidic ion water or alkaline ion water is determined depending on the polarity of the voltage applied to the electrode plate terminal 4 and the electrode plate terminal 14. Electrode plate terminal 4 and electrode plate terminal 14
The polarity of the voltage applied to the can be set arbitrarily.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the spacer rubbers 7 and 17 have outer peripheral edge portions 7 whose central portions are openings 7b and 17b.
a, 17a, and electrolytic cell spacers 8, 18 of the same size or smaller than these are fitted into the openings 7b, 17b, respectively. Electrolyzer spacer 8,
18 may be equal to or smaller than the above-mentioned size, but when the size is the same, rattling is minimized. Each of the electrolytic cell spacers 8 and 18 has an opening shape at a position corresponding to the water supply nozzle 6 to form one pool chamber 8B, and further the other end of the electrolytic cell spacers 8 and 18 flows from the pool chamber 8B. A plurality of drainage grooves 8A and 18A are bored toward the water downstream side.

The drainage grooves 8A and 18A are channels for flowing the water in the pool chamber 8B to the other ends of the electrolytic cell spacers 8 and 18, and have a narrowed cross-sectional area. Moreover, the drainage grooves 8A, 18A closer to the water supply nozzle 6 have a larger opening cross-sectional area and a smaller resistance, so that the water flow between the electrodes flows at a uniform flow velocity as a whole. The electrolytic cell spacers 8 and 18 are sealed and joined with the diaphragm paper 9 sandwiched between them as will be described later.
A and 18A are provided on the opposite side of the electrolytic cell spacers 8 and 18 from the side in contact with the diaphragm paper 9. By doing so, the diaphragm paper 9 can be surely pressed by narrowing the edge of the paper on the downstream side of the drainage of the pool chamber 8B.

As mentioned above, the electrolytic cell spacers 8, 18
Sandwiches the diaphragm paper 9, but the length in the longitudinal direction of the diaphragm paper 9 is, of course, a length that does not cover one pool chamber 8B formed by the electrolytic cell spacers 8 and 18, and the widthwise length thereof. The length is longer than the length of the electrolytic cell spacers 8 and 18 in the width direction. That is, as shown in the diaphragm paper 9 of FIGS. 2 and 3, the outer peripheral portion of the diaphragm paper 9 is substantially equal to the outer peripheral portions of the rubber spacers 7 and 17, and the outer peripheral edge portion of the diaphragm paper 9 is fastened. In the pool chamber 8B, the water flowing in from the water supply nozzle 6 can be equally divided into the anode chamber and the cathode chamber and discharged.

The assembling of these is performed as follows.
First, the electrolytic cell spacers 8 and 18 are fitted into the openings 7b and 17b of the spacer rubbers 7 and 17, and then the diaphragm paper 9 is inserted.
Then, the electrode plates 2 and 12, the spacer rubbers 7 and 17, and the diaphragm paper 9 are screwed and hermetically sealed with screws which are inserted through the outer peripheral edge portions 7a and 17a of the spacer rubbers 7 and 17, respectively. Unify. In addition, spacer rubbers 22 and 23 are inserted in the central portion of the electrode to screw them.

Therefore, in the electrolytic cell 1 of this embodiment, the tap water flowing from the water supply nozzle 6 is stored in the pool chamber 8B.
Then, the diaphragm paper 9 is divided into both sides and enters the anode chamber and the cathode chamber formed between the diaphragm paper 9 and the electrode plates 2 and 12. At that time, the drainage grooves 8A and 18A from the pool chamber 8B are passed and the flow velocity is controlled to be uniform in the width direction in the electrode chambers.
Therefore, high-efficiency electrolysis is performed in which electrolysis is performed uniformly.

Here, for example, in the case of a configuration in which a positive voltage is applied to the electrode plate 2, the water that has flowed into the anode chamber formed between the diaphragm paper 9 and the anode-side electrode plate 2 is acid-ionized.
The water uniformly acidified by the above process is sent from the acidic water drainage nozzle 3 for use.

On the other hand, the water that has flowed into the cathode chamber formed between the diaphragm paper 9 and the cathode-side electrode plate 12 flows out from the alkaline ionized water drainage nozzle 13, which has been uniformly ionized by the above process.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, as the diaphragm paper, one which limits the mixing of acidic ions and alkaline ionized water in the anode chamber and the cathode chamber but allows the ions to permeate is used. A sheet material having pores, a non-woven fabric material, an ion exchange membrane, and the like, which are resistant to acid and alkali are suitable. Further, regarding the material of the electrode plate, it is desirable to use a corrosion resistant metal, and it is also preferable to use a spacer rubber, an electrolytic cell spacer or the like which has electrical insulation and elasticity and is acid and alkali resistant. Further, in this embodiment, since the electrode plate is configured as a container of the electrolytic cell, it is not necessary to separately dispose a pair of electrodes, and the same electrolytic efficiency can be obtained even if the electrode area is reduced. The electrolytic cell can be miniaturized, resulting in a compact and high-performance electrolytic cell.

[0023]

The electrolytic cell of the ionized water generator according to the present invention forms an electrolytic cell container by hermetically sealing the space between the electrode plates with an electrically insulating elastic member, and furthermore, the drainage nozzle is directly attached to the electrode plate. Since it is equipped with a water supply nozzle, it becomes a small and highly efficient electrolyzer, and the ion water generator that uses this electrolyzer is compact and water supply is not increased in size as compared with the conventional one even if the flow rate of tap water increases. This is an effect that the device does not waste water.

Further, the electrolytic cell of the ion water generator according to the present invention is provided with a pool chamber communicating with the water supply nozzle, and a water passage cross-sectional area is provided in the middle of the water passage at a site downstream from the pool chamber. Since a plurality of drainage channels to be narrowed are provided and the opening cross-sectional area of the drainage channels is made smaller toward the water supply nozzle to eliminate water flow resistance,
The inflowing tap water has a uniform flow velocity in the width direction of the electrolytic cell,
Moreover, since the interior of the electrolytic cell can be accurately assembled with a narrow gap between the electrodes with high precision, the electrolysis efficiency can be greatly improved. Further, the uneven electrolysis as seen in the conventional apparatus is eliminated, and acidic water and alkaline ionized water with stable pH can be taken in.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an embodiment of an electrolytic cell of an ion water generator according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view (partially) of the electrolytic cell of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view (partially) of the electrolytic cell of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Electrolyzer 2,12 Electrode Plate 3,13 Drain Nozzle 4,14 Electrode Plate Terminal 5,15 Screw 6 Water Nozzle 7,17 Spacer Rubber 8,18 Electrolyte Spacer 8A, 18A Drain 8B Pool Chamber 9 Separator Paper

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of electrode plates and an electrically insulating elastic member disposed at an outer peripheral edge portion between the electrode plates are airtight to an electrolytic solution and an electrolytic voltage is applied between the electrode plates. Electrolyzer container forming a container capable of forming, an electrode plate spacer sandwiching a diaphragm paper disposed between the electrode plates, a drainage nozzle disposed at one outer end of each of the electrode plates, and the electrode plate An electrolyzer of an ion water generator, characterized by comprising a water supply nozzle disposed at the other outer end of any one of the above. 2. The electrolytic structure of the ionized water generator according to claim 1, wherein the electrode plate spacer is provided with a pool chamber at a portion where inflow water flows from the water supply nozzle, and the diaphragm paper is the pool. The discharge of the inflow water without arranging up to the chamber is a pool chamber having a function of flowing on both sides of the diaphragm paper, and further, the drainage outlet of the pool chamber is provided with a plurality of drain grooves, and the opening area of the drain grooves is An electrolytic cell of an ion water generator, which becomes smaller as it gets closer to the water supply nozzle.