JPH09234460A - Water purifying and sterilizing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably regenerate an adsorption part even when the total water passing quantity passing therethrough is increased due to use for a long period. SOLUTION: In this water purifying and sterilizing device having a bacteria control mode for impressing direct current voltage on an adsorption part 20 of electroconductive active carbon through which raw water passes or in which the raw water retains, catching bacteria, etc., in the raw water and controlling the proliferation, and a regeneration mode for impressing alternate current voltage on the adsorption part 20, heating and sterilizing bacteria, etc., stuck to the adsorption part 20, and operating the bacteria control mode and the regeneration mode at a prescribed interval, an electric heater 30 for heating the adsorption part 20 is arranged on at least one portion of the circumstance of the adsorption part 20. Thus, even though the total water passing quantity is increased by the use for a long period and the heat generation of the adsorption part 20 at the regeneration time is decreased, the decreased heat generation quantity can be supplied with the heat generation of the electric heater 30.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water purification and sterilization apparatus for purifying and sterilizing raw water such as tap water and groundwater and supplying it as drinking water for general household use and business use.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, in this type of water purifying apparatus, the applicant has proposed one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-321179.

This water purifier sterilizer has an antibacterial mode in which a direct current voltage is applied to the adsorbing part of the conductive activated carbon through which the raw water passes to capture and suppress the growth of bacteria and the like in the raw water, and an ac voltage is applied to the adsorbing part. It has a regeneration mode in which it is applied and heated to regenerate the adsorption portion, and the bacteriostatic mode and the regeneration mode are operated at predetermined intervals. According to this water purification device, while exerting the effect of suppressing the growth of bacteria etc. in the bacteriostatic mode to generate purified water, in the regeneration mode it sterilizes the microorganisms such as bacteria trapped in the adsorption part and regenerates this adsorption part. Has the effect of

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional water purification apparatus, when used for a long time, dirt components contained in water, such as organic matter (algae), sludge, iron oxides, etc., are adsorbed on the surface and inside. Therefore, the adsorption volume (pore volume) is reduced. Therefore, there is a problem that the adsorption function is gradually lowered even when the regeneration operation (regeneration mode) of the adsorption unit is performed. In addition, such dirt components,
In particular, iron oxide, etc. gradually adheres to the gap between the adsorption part and the electrode, and the residual chlorine component contained in water gradually deteriorates the adsorption part, and the electric resistance of the adsorption part changes to a higher level. Had a problem.

Such changes will be described with reference to the graphs of FIGS. 6 and 7. This FIG. 6 shows the relationship between the electric resistance of the adsorption part (activated carbon) (activated carbon size: φ50 × 100) and the total water flow rate (water: tap water with residual chlorine of 2 ppm). It can be understood that the electric resistance is small when the water purifier is used, but the electric resistance is remarkably increased when the total water flow amount is 8 × 10 ³ or more.
Further, FIG. 7 shows the relationship between the current value of the adsorption part, the time required to reach the set temperature of the adsorption part, and the total water passage amount. The total water passage amount is 8 × 10 ³ for both the current value and the arrival time.
It can be understood that when the above is the case, there is a significant decrease or delay.

Therefore, the conventional water purification apparatus has a problem that the Joule's calorific value of the adsorbing section at the time of regeneration is reduced and the desorption efficiency of the organic chlorine compound is reduced.

As a solution to such a problem, dirt components in the water are removed in advance by a filter, or the temperature of the adsorption portion is controlled by varying the applied voltage. However, in order to perform stable temperature control, it is necessary to increase the size of the power supply, and in consideration of the risk of electric shock due to a failure, there is a limit to the increase in applied voltage.

In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, an object of the present invention is to improve the total amount of water flow even if the total amount of water flow increases due to long-term use.
It is to provide a purified water sterilizer capable of stably regenerating the adsorption unit.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a bacterium, etc. in raw water by applying a DC voltage to the adsorbing part of conductive activated carbon through which raw water passes or stays. Has a bacteriostatic mode for capturing and suppressing the reproduction of bacteria, and a regeneration mode for regenerating the adsorption part by applying an AC voltage to the adsorption part to heat the adsorption part and operating the bacteriostatic mode and the regeneration mode at predetermined intervals. In the purified water sterilizing apparatus described above, an electric heater for heating the adsorption unit is provided at least at a part of the periphery of the adsorption unit.

According to the present invention, even when the total amount of water flow increases due to long-term use and the heat generation amount of the adsorbing portion in the regeneration mode decreases, this decrease can be compensated by the heat generation amount of the electric heater. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the water purification apparatus of the first aspect, since the heat insulating material is provided outside the electric heater, the heat generated from the electric heater does not leak to the outside, and the adsorbing portion is efficiently provided. It can be transmitted, and also functions as a protective cover for an electric heater, so that it is possible to avoid human burns.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adsorbing portion temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the adsorbing portion, and heat generation amount adjusting means for adjusting the heat generation amount of the electric heater on the basis of the detection signal of the adsorbing portion temperature sensor. With the voltage adjusting means for adjusting the applied AC voltage based on the detection signal of the adsorption part temperature sensor, even when the total amount of water flow increases and the Joule heat generation amount of the adsorbing part decreases, the heat generation of the electric heater and the voltage adjustment means The desired temperature can be maintained by adjusting the voltage.

According to the invention of claim 4, the temperature sensor is installed inside or outside the adsorption portion, and the control means for controlling the on / off of the electric heater based on the detection signal of the temperature sensor is provided. Even when the temperature outside the apparatus is significantly reduced due to a severe cold season, it can be heated by the electric heater, and the freezing of the adsorption portion and the like can be prevented.

[0014]

1 to 5 show one embodiment of a water purifying / sterilizing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the water purifying / sterilizing apparatus, FIG. 2 is a switching circuit diagram of an electric heater, and FIG. Three
Is a block diagram showing a drive control circuit of an electric heater and an AC power supply of the water purification apparatus, FIG. 4 is a control flowchart of the electric heater and applied AC voltage, and FIG. 5 is a control flowchart of the electric heater.

First, the structure of the purified water sterilizer according to this embodiment will be described. This water purification apparatus has a cylindrical water tank 10 for storing raw water. The water tank 10 has its upper and lower parts closed by caps 11 and 12, while the upper cap 11
Is provided with an outlet 11a communicating with a faucet (not shown),
The lower cap 12 has an inlet 12 for introducing raw water into the water tank 10.
a is provided. A water supply pipe 16 having a water supply valve 13, a purification filter 14 and a check valve 15 installed at the inlet 12a.
The water supply valve 13 allows the raw water to flow and does not flow, and the check valve 15 controls the reverse flow from the water tank 10. Thereby, water is guided to a faucet or the like through the water tank 10. Further, a drain pipe 18 having a drain valve 17 is installed at the inlet 12a, and the drain valve 17 is opened during a regeneration mode described later,
The water in the water tank 10 is discharged to the outside.

A cylindrical adsorbing portion 20 is arranged in the water tank 10. The adsorbing portion 20 is formed by using fibrous activated carbon having conductivity, the upper end of which is held by the upper cap 11 via a plate-like first electrode 21, and the lower end thereof via a plate-like second electrode 22. And is held by a holder 23. In addition, the outer surface of the adsorption unit 20 and the water tank 10
An annular passage 2 communicating with the inlet 12a between the inner surface of the
4 is formed, so that the raw water flowing from the inlet 12 a flows into the adsorbing section 20 through the passage 24. Further, the suction portion 20 is provided between the lower end thereof and the lower cap 12.
A conductive coil spring 25 is interposed between the two and biases the suction unit 20 toward the upper cap 11 with the coil spring 25, and the suction unit 20 is fixed in the water tank 10.
Furthermore, an adsorption unit temperature sensor 26 is attached to the adsorption unit 20, and the temperature of the adsorption unit 20 is detected by the temperature sensor 26.

Inside the adsorbing section 20 thus constructed, a vertically extending pouring pipe 27 is arranged, and water passing through the adsorbing section 20 through a large number of water passage holes 27a of the pouring pipe 27. Is led to the outlet 11a. here,
The pouring tube 27 is made of a conductive material and forms a third electrode.

The first electrode 21 is formed on the upper cap 11
Is connected to the terminal 21a penetrating through and protruding outward. In addition, the second electrode 22 is connected to the connection terminal 2 penetrating the holder 23.
2a, the upper conductive plate 22 fixed to the back surface of the holder 23
b, the coil spring 25, the lower conductive plate 22c fixed to the upper surface of the lower cap 12, and the terminal 22d penetrating the lower cap 12 and protruding to the outside are sequentially electrically connected. Furthermore,
The third electrode 27 is a conductive plate 27c that penetrates the upper cap 11.
And the terminals 27d protruding from the upper surface of the upper cap 11 are sequentially electrically connected. Thereby, the electrodes 21, 2
2, 27 are connected to an external DC power supply for the adsorption unit (not shown) and an AC power supply 47 for the adsorption unit described later.

As described above, the water purification apparatus according to this embodiment has the first electrode 21, the second electrode 22 and the third electrode 27, and the direct current is applied to the adsorption unit 20 through the electrodes 21, 22 and 27. Alternatively, an AC voltage is applied.
That is, a bacteriostatic mode in which the bacteria or the like in the raw water are captured by the adsorption unit 20 to suppress the growth of the bacteria, and a regeneration mode in which the bacteria or the like captured in the adsorption unit 20 are sterilized and the adsorption unit 20 is regenerated ( It also has a sterilization mode function of sterilization), and a DC voltage is applied to the adsorption unit 20 through the second electrode 22 and the third electrode 27 in the bacteriostatic mode, while on the other hand, in the regeneration mode, the first electrode 21 and The adsorption unit 20 through the second electrode 22.
An alternating voltage is applied to the adsorbing section 20 to generate heat. Also,
The bacteriostatic mode and the reproduction mode are performed at predetermined intervals by a timer circuit (not shown).

The water flow system for producing purified water, the bacteriostatic mode, and the regeneration mode are the same as in the past. That is, when producing purified water, the raw water is the water supply valve 13 → filter 14 → check valve 15 → inlet 12a → passage 24 → adsorption part 20 → pour-out pipe 2
7 → outlet port 11a → unillustrated faucet, and the purified water in the adsorption unit 20 is supplied. In the bacteriostatic mode, the DC voltage is applied to the second and third electrodes 22 and 27 as described above with the water supply valve 13 closed. Further, in the regeneration mode, the AC voltage is applied to the first and second electrodes 21 and 22 as described above with the water supply valve 13 also closed. Here, the application of this AC voltage is turned on / off based on the detection signal of the temperature sensor 26, and the temperature of the adsorption unit 20 is maintained at the set temperature.

The feature of the present invention resides in that the adsorption portion 20
Around the outer periphery of the water tank, that is, the entire outer surface of the side wall of the water tank 10, a cord heater covered with a water-proof insulating coating, that is, the electric heater 30, is wound, and the electric heater 3 based on the temperature of the adsorption unit 20.
The point is that the heating value of 0 and the applied AC voltage are controlled, and further that the electric heater 30 is controlled to be turned on and off based on the temperature outside the adsorption section 20.

This electric heater 30 is, as shown in FIG.
It is connected to the AC power supply 31 for the heater via the changeover switch 32. Further, the changeover switch 32 can be switched between a large heater resistance mode in which the entire electric heater 30 is energized and a small heater resistance mode in which the electric heater 30 is energized halfway, so that the heat generation amount of the electric heater 30 can be changed. It is supposed to be adjusted. Further, a heat insulating material 33 is attached to the outside of the electric heater 30 to prevent the heat generated in the electric heater 30 from leaking to the outside and burn the human.

Next, a drive control circuit for the electric heater 30 and the AC power supply 31 of the water purification apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

The purified water sterilization apparatus according to this embodiment is automated by including a control device 40 such as a microcomputer. The control device 40 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 41,
It has a memory 42 for storing a control program. In addition, the control device 40 includes the adsorption unit temperature sensor 26.
And I / O ports 45 and 46 for inputting / outputting signals between the control device 40 and the control device 40 and between the control device 40 and the voltage conversion circuit 44 and the changeover switch 32.

Here, the voltage conversion circuit 45 uses a voltage converter with a built-in inverter, for example, to convert the voltage of the AC power supply 47 for the adsorption unit.

This control will be described with reference to FIG. Here, t is the adsorption unit temperature, ts is the normal set temperature of the adsorption unit 20, t1 is the voltage change set temperature of the adsorption unit 20, and the normal set temperature ts and the voltage change set temperature t1 are ts (for example, 90 ° C.). <T1 (for example, 80 ° C.).

That is, in the regeneration mode in which the AC voltage is applied to the adsorption unit 20, the adsorption unit temperature t is a temperature between the normal set temperature ts and the voltage change set temperature t1 in a predetermined time, or the adsorption unit temperature It is determined whether t is lower than the voltage change set temperature t1 (S1, S2, S3). Here, when the condition of step S2 is satisfied, that is, when the adsorption part temperature t is slightly lower than the normal set temperature, the changeover switch 32 is operated to operate in the small heater resistance mode (S4), and the voltage conversion circuit 44 is further added. The first AC voltage mode in which the AC voltage is higher than the normal applied voltage is set through (S5). On the other hand, when the condition of step S3 is satisfied,
That is, when the adsorption part temperature t is extremely low, the changeover switch 32 is also operated to operate in the heater high resistance mode (S6), and the voltage conversion circuit 44 is also operated.
The second AC voltage mode, which is higher than the first AC voltage mode, is set through (S7).

Thus, the temperature rise of the adsorption section 20 is slow,
When it takes time for the adsorption unit 20 to reach the set temperature, the delay of the arrival time is compensated not only by the high applied voltage but also by the heat generation of the electric heater 30,
Without increasing the size of the AC power supply 47, the suction unit 20
Can be regenerated stably and efficiently. Further, since the heater heat generation and the applied voltage can be changed according to the temperature of the adsorption portion, it is also excellent in terms of energy saving. Needless to say, when the temperature of the adsorption portion reaches the normal set temperature, the normal voltage is applied as in the conventional example.

As described above, the adsorption portion 2 is generated by the heat generated by the heater.
Although 0 can be controlled to a temperature suitable for the regeneration mode, in the present embodiment, the heat generation of the electric heater 30 can further prevent the adsorption section 20 from freezing. This control will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Here, T indicates the temperature of the adsorption unit 20, T1 indicates the lower limit set temperature of the adsorption unit 20 (for example, 5 ° C.), and T2 indicates the upper limit set temperature of the adsorption unit 20 (for example, 10 ° C.).

That is, when the adsorption portion temperature T becomes lower than the lower limit set temperature T1, the heater resistance small mode is set (S
1, S2), on the other hand, when the adsorption part temperature T reaches the upper limit set temperature T2, the electric heater 30 is turned off (S3, S).
4). Thereby, the temperature of the adsorption unit 20 can be made higher than the freezing temperature.

Although each control is controlled stepwise in the above embodiment, it may be controlled proportionally. Further, although the voltage inside the adsorption unit 20 is controlled and the temperature inside the adsorption unit 20 is detected in the adsorption unit freezing prevention structure to control the electric heater 30, a temperature sensor (not shown) in the water tank 10 outside the adsorption unit 20 is detected. May be provided, and the electric heater 30 may be controlled based on the detection signal of the temperature sensor.

[0032]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the invention, the total amount of water flow increases due to long-term use.
Even when the heat generation amount of the adsorption unit in the regeneration mode is reduced, this reduction amount can be compensated by the heat generation amount of the electric heater.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the heat insulating material is provided outside the electric heater, the heat generated from the electric heater can be efficiently transmitted to the adsorption portion without leaking to the outside, and the electric power can be transmitted. It also functions as a protective cover for the heater and avoids human burns.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, even when the total amount of water flow increases and the amount of Joule heat generation in the adsorption unit decreases, the desired temperature can be maintained by the heat generation of the electric heater and the voltage adjustment by the voltage adjusting means.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, even when the temperature outside the apparatus is significantly reduced due to a severe cold season or the like, it can be heated by the electric heater, and the freezing of the adsorption portion and the like can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a water purification apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a switching circuit diagram of the electric heater according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a drive control circuit for an electric heater and an AC power supply of the water purification apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a control flowchart of an electric heater and an applied AC voltage.

FIG. 5 is a control flowchart of the electric heater.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the total water flow rate and the electric resistance of the adsorption section.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between total water flow rate, current value, and set temperature arrival time.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 ... Adsorption part, 26 ... Adsorption part temperature sensor, 30 ... Electric heater, 32 ... Changeover switch, 40 ... Control device.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A bacteriostatic mode in which a direct current voltage is applied to the adsorbing part of conductive activated carbon through which raw water passes or stays to capture and suppress the growth of bacteria and the like in the raw water, and an ac voltage is applied to the adsorbing part. In a purified water sterilizer having a regeneration mode for heating and regenerating the adsorbing section, and operating the bacteriostatic mode and the regenerating mode at predetermined intervals, the adsorbing section is provided in at least a part of the periphery of the adsorbing section. A purified water sterilizer equipped with an electric heater for heating. 2. The water purifier according to claim 1, further comprising a heat insulating material provided outside the electric heater. 3. An adsorption unit temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the adsorption unit, and a heat generation amount adjusting means for adjusting the heat generation amount of the electric heater based on a detection signal of the adsorption unit temperature sensor, and the adsorption unit temperature. The water purification apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a voltage adjusting unit that adjusts an applied AC voltage based on a detection signal of the sensor. 4. A temperature sensor is installed inside or outside the adsorption unit, and control means for controlling on / off of the electric heater based on a detection signal of the temperature sensor is provided. The purified water sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 3.