JPH09192668A - Electrolytic water generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect the breaking-off by an electrolyte in an electrolytic water generating device generating an electrolytic water by mixing the electrolyte stored in a tank in a raw water. SOLUTION: The electrolyte tank 8 is made of a resin, a reed switch 17 is arranged on the outside, a float 20 of a non-magnetic body incorporating a permanent magnet 19 is floated on the liquid surface of the electrolyte 21 in the electrolyte tank 8 and when the liquid level is lowered to equal to or below a fixed level, the reed switch 17 is closed by the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 19.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrolyzed water generator for electrolyzing water mixed with an electrolytic solution to generate acidic water and alkaline water, and more particularly to an electrolysis apparatus equipped with a means for detecting liquid electrolyte shortage. It relates to a water generator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art First, an example of the overall structure of the electrolyzed water producing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, raw water (tap water) supplied from the faucet 1 via the electromagnetic valve 2 enters the valve unit 3 and passes through a relief valve 4, a temperature sensor 5, and a flow rate sensor 6 inside the valve unit 3. At that time, if an abnormal water pressure is applied, the relief valve 4 operates to discharge the pressure. If hot water is erroneously introduced, the temperature sensor 5 detects it and the solenoid valve 2 is closed. When the water supply is detected by the flow rate sensor 6 in a normal state, the pump 7 is started, and the electrolytic solution stored in the electrolytic solution tank 8, for example, saline solution is sent through the check valve 9 to be mixed with the raw water by the mixing valve 10. It is mixed.

[0003] The water mixed with the electrolyte is supplied to the hollow fiber filter 1.
After passing through No. 1 to remove dust, rust, germs, etc., and after passing through the activated carbon filter 12 to remove odorous components, residual chlorine, trihalomethane, etc., they enter the electrolytic cell 13. The water that has entered the electrolyzer 13 is electrolyzed into strong acidic water and strong alkaline water, and the strong acidic water is taken out from the water discharge port 14 of the valve unit 3 and used, and the strong alkaline water is also discharged from the drain port 15. To be done.

[0004]

In the above-described electrolyzed water producing apparatus, the remaining amount of the electrolysis solution in the electrolysis solution tank 8 has conventionally been visually confirmed by the user through a peep window, and when the solution runs out. There was a risk of producing electrolyzed water without realizing it. If electrolysis is performed in a liquid-dead state, electrolyzed water that does not have the required functions (PH, ORP, hypochlorous acid concentration, etc.) will be generated, and the burden on the electrolytic cell 13 will also increase. on the other hand,
When it is attempted to detect the water level with a normal float switch or the like, the switch part is also immersed in the electrolytic solution, so that problems such as corrosion and rusting of the part occur. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to enable effective and appropriate monitoring of liquid shortage of an electrolytic solution in an electrolyzed water generator.

[0005]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is directed to an electrolytic water generator for mixing electrolytic solution stored in a tank with raw water to generate electrolytic water. Formed, and arranged a reed switch on the outside thereof, to float the float of a non-magnetic body having a built-in permanent magnet on the liquid surface of the electrolytic solution in the electrolytic solution tank, and when the liquid level drops below a certain level. The reed switch is closed by the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet.

According to the above means, when the electrolytic solution decreases and the liquid level decreases to a certain level, the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet contained in the descended float causes the reed switch to close and a liquid out signal is obtained. On the other hand, since the reed switch is arranged outside the electrolytic solution tank, its contact portion, terminal portion, etc. are not corroded or rusted by the electrolytic solution.

In the above electrolyzed water generating apparatus, a part of the bottom plate of the electrolytic solution tank is lifted to form a shelf-like portion, and a reed switch is installed in a recess below the shelf-like portion.
A guide wall for guiding the vertical movement of the float may be provided above the shelf. As a result, the shelf-like portion interposed between the reed switch and the float can reduce the area of the horizontal surface, so that even when the electrolytic solution component such as salt deposits and deposits on the bottom of the electrolytic solution tank, Is less likely to accumulate, and therefore the precipitation component hinders the permeation of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet to reduce variations in the operating area of the reed switch. Furthermore, since the reed switch in the recess does not protrude from the bottom surface of the electrolytic solution tank, it does not interfere with the installation of the electrolytic solution tank. Further, if the electrolysis of water is stopped by closing the reed switch, the inconvenience of continuing the generation of defective electrolyzed water while the electrolyte solution is running out is eliminated.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a perspective view in which a part of an electrolytic solution tank 8 (see FIG. 2) of an electrolyzed water producing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is cut away. In FIG. 1, the content is about 1
Liter electrolyte tank (hereinafter simply referred to as tank) 8
Is made of resin into a cubic shape having a length, width, and height of about 100 mm, and a part of its bottom plate is lifted to form a rectangular shelf 8a. Above the shelf 8a, a rectangular shelf 8a is formed. An L-shaped guide wall 8b is formed along the contour vertically and integrally with the tank side wall from a position slightly lower than the upper end surface of the tank 8 to slightly near the upper surface of the shelf 8a.

A reed switch 17 is installed in the recess 16 on the lower side of the shelf 8a and fixed with a screw 18. A permanent magnet 19 is provided inside the guide wall 8b above the shelf 8a. The built-in rectangular parallelepiped float 20 is inserted in a sideways posture. Here, the reed switch 17 has a structure in which a switch body (not shown) is housed in a resin case and is sealed by filling with an epoxy resin. The float 20 has a structure in which a permanent magnet is embedded by insert molding in a resin foam that does not absorb water, for example, a rigid polyvinyl chloride foam.

When an electrolytic solution, for example, saline solution 21 is poured into such a tank 8, a float 20 made of a resin foam having a small specific gravity floats on the liquid surface of the electrolytic solution 21 as shown in the drawing, and the guide wall 8b and the tank. It is surrounded by the side wall 8 and is held at a position above the shelf 8a. When the liquid level drops, the float 20 vertically descends while being guided by the guide wall 8b, and the permanent magnet 19
Reaches the operating area of the reed switch 17, the shelf 8
The reed switch 17 is closed by the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 19 passing through the switch body and passing through the switch body, and a liquid shortage signal is sent to the control unit (not shown) through the lead wire connected to the terminal (not shown). In response to this signal, the control unit stops the pump 7 in FIG. 2 and shuts off the power supply to the electrodes in the electrolytic cell 13 to stop electrolysis.

In the illustrated embodiment, by raising the bottom plate of the tank 8 by, for example, about 15 mm to form the shelf-like portion 8a, the reed switch 17 can be just accommodated in the lower recess 16 and the height of the cross section can be increased. For example, if the reed switch 17 is closed when the lower surface of the float 20 of about 10 mm is close to the upper surface of the shelf-like portion 8a by, for example, about 5 mm, the water level is appropriately lowered from the bottom surface of the tank 8 to about 30 mm. It is possible to detect liquid shortage with sufficient margin.
Further, since the shelf-like portion 8a interposed between the reed switch 17 and the float 20 has a small horizontal upper surface area and is lifted up, the tank 8 can be formed even when an electrolytic solution component such as salt is deposited. The precipitation component is less likely to be accumulated than at the bottom of the reed switch 17, so that the precipitation component rarely causes variations in the operating region of the reed switch 17.

[0012]

According to the present invention, since the decrease in the water level of the electrolytic solution is reliably detected by the reed switch, there is no risk of overlooking the liquid shortage and producing defective electrolytic water. Since it is placed on the outside, there is no concern that the switch part will come into contact with the electrolytic solution to corrode or rust. In that case, a part of the bottom plate of the electrolytic solution tank is lifted to form a shelf-like part, and a reed switch is installed in the lower recessed part, and the reed switch is floated above the shelf-like part. In addition to the fact that the operating area of the electrode is less susceptible to the influence of the electrolytic solution components that have precipitated and settled, the reed switch does not interfere with the installation of the electrolytic solution tank.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrolytic solution tank of an electrolyzed water generator showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a piping configuration diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an electrolyzed water generator to which the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 7 Pump 8 Electrolyte Tank 8a Shelf 8b Guide Wall 10 Mixing Valve 11 Hollow Fiber Filter 12 Activated Carbon Filter 13 Electrolyzer 14 Discharge Port 15 Drainage Port 16 Recess 17 Reed Switch 19 Permanent Magnet 20 Float 21 Electrolyte

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An electrolyzed water producing apparatus for producing electrolyzed water by mixing electrolysis solution stored in a tank with raw water, wherein the electrolysis solution tank is made of resin, and a reed switch is arranged outside the electrolysis solution tank. The float of a non-magnetic material containing a permanent magnet is floated on the liquid surface of the electrolyte in the tank, and when the liquid surface falls below a certain level, the reed switch is closed by the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet. An electrolyzed water generator characterized in that. 2. A part of a bottom plate of an electrolytic solution tank is lifted to form a shelf-like portion, a reed switch is installed in a recessed portion on the lower side of the shelf-like portion, and a float is placed above and below the shelf-like portion. The electrolyzed water generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a guide wall for guiding the movement. 3. The electrolyzed water generator according to claim 1, wherein electrolysis of water is stopped by closing the reed switch.