JPH11104406A - Bath water purification device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bath water purification device which can positively remove B legionella from the bath water without the necessity to scale up the size of the device. SOLUTION: This bath water purification device is equipped with a circulation pump 2 for circulating bath water, and further, with a hair catcher 1, a purification tank 3 with a porous base material for bearing an aerobic bacterium, a filter 4 with a filtration particle dia. of 10 μm and a sterilization device 5 having an ultraviolet sterilization lamp 51, arranged halfway through a bath water circulation channel. These components are arranged in the sequential order of the hair catcher 1, the purification tank 3, the filter 4 and the sterilization device 5 from the upstream side of the circulation channel.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a bathtub water purification device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a bathtub called a 24-hour bath that can take a bath all day has become widespread. In such a bathtub, as described in JP-A-9-26210, water in the bathtub is circulated by a circulation pump, sterilized by sterilization means provided in the middle of the circulation, and filtered by filtration means. A purification device for filtering is installed. In addition, there is also known one provided with a septic tank that allows aerobic bacteria to be retained on a porous substrate (pore size: several μm to 10 μm) and decomposes bath water (mainly organic matter) by the metabolic activity of the bacteria. Have been.

By the way, on the surface of the porous substrate of the septic tank,
As shown in FIG. 4, an aerobic bacterium 10 and a protozoa that prey on the aerobic bacterium (such as amoeba 20) coexist while maintaining a balance. That is, in (i), the dirt (organic matter) has not yet adhered to the pores such as the bathtub wall surface. However, if the dirt adheres to the pores as shown in (ii),
Aerobic bacteria 10 colonize and proliferate as in (iii),
Next, as shown in (iv), the amoebae 20 prey on the aerobic bacteria 10 to form a biofilm (biofilm) as shown in (v).

[0004] Legionella bacteria, which have recently become a problem,
It is believed that this amoeba is used as a host for propagation.
That is, as shown in FIG. 5, when the amoeba 20 preys on the Legionella bacterium 30, the Legionella bacterium 30 grows in the amoeba 20.
0 is released and the cycle of legionella bacteria 30 floating in the bath water is repeated until the host encounters the host and grows in the bath water. Legionella is a pathogen of Legionella pneumonia and should not be detected.However, since it is a bacterium normally present in outdoor soil and river water, it is extremely difficult to prevent it from being brought into the bathtub. Conceivable. In addition, this Legionella bacterium can be relatively easily sterilized by sterilization means using ultraviolet rays, ozone, chlorine, etc. when it exists alone, but when it is parasitic on the host, it depends on the host. It is also known to be protected and highly resistant.

[0005]

Considering these points, the prior art has the following problems. In other words, amoeba, which is a host of Legionella bacteria, has a size of about 10 to 20 μm, whereas conventionally, a filter having a filtration particle diameter of 40 to 100 μm is used as a filtering means, and thus it is parasitic on the amoeba. Legionella bacteria could not be removed by this filtration means. Moreover, as described above, since the sterilizing effect of the sterilizing means on Legionella bacteria parasitic on the host is weak, it was extremely difficult to completely remove Legionella bacteria from bath water.

When a filter having a filtration particle size of 0.5 μm or less is used as a filtering means, Legionella bacteria can be removed by filtration. However, a very large filter is required and the apparatus itself becomes large. There was a problem. This is because, as can be seen from the result of comparing the differential pressure between the filter having a filtration particle diameter of 10 μm and the filter having a filtration particle diameter of 0.5 μm with the initial performance (see FIG. 6), the filter having a filtration particle diameter of 10 μm This is because the same flow rate cannot be obtained unless the area is eight times as large as that of the filter.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bathtub water purifying apparatus capable of reliably removing Legionella bacteria from bathtub water without increasing the size.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 has a circulation pump for circulating bath water, and carries aerobic bacteria in the circulation path of the bath water. In a bath tub water purification apparatus provided with a purification tank having a porous substrate, a filtration filter, and a sterilizing means, the filtration filter has a filtration particle diameter of 8 to 13.
The invention according to claim 2 has a circulation pump for circulating bath water, and has a porous substrate for carrying aerobic bacteria in the middle of the circulation path of the bath water. Septic tank, filtration filter, sterilization means,
In the bath tub water purification device provided with a filter, the filtration filter is a filter having a filtration particle diameter of about 10 μm. In the invention according to claim 3, the purification tank and the filtration filter according to the inventions according to claims 1 and 2 are provided. The filter and the sterilizing means are arranged in the order of the septic tank, the filter, and the sterilizing means from the upstream side of the circulation path. The reason why the filtration particle diameter is set to 8 to 13 μm is that when the particle diameter is 8 μm or less, the particles are easily clogged, and when the filtration particle diameter is 13 μm or more, a small-diameter amoeba transmits. Further, approximately 10 μm is 9 to 11 μm.
m. This is the most suitable range for preventing the transmission of the amoeba.

[0009]

In the bath water purifier of the present invention, when the bath water is circulated by the circulation pump, the bath water is removed by a purifying tank in the middle of the circulation path, and a large amount of impurities is removed by a filtration filter. Impurities such as protozoa are filtered and bacteria are sterilized by sterilization means.
In other words, amoeba, which is a host of Legionella bacteria, has a size of about 10 to 20 μm, and is thus filtered by the filtration filter. Therefore, Legionella bacteria parasitic on the amoeba can be filtered by the filtration filter, and Legionella bacteria existing alone can be sterilized by sterilization means.

Further, when the septic tank, the filtration filter and the sterilizing means are arranged in the order of the septic tank, the filtering filter and the sterilizing means from the upstream side of the circulation path, most of the impurities in the bathtub water are removed by the septic tank. Since only the fine particles that cannot be removed in the septic tank are filtered by the filter, the filter is not significantly clogged and the filter can be used for a long time. Also,
On the downstream side of the filtration filter, only bacteria and the like having a size of 10 μm or less that are not filtered by the filtration filter remain, so that the sterilizing effect by the sterilizing means is high.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First, a bathtub water purification device according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a bathtub water purification device according to an embodiment. The bathtub water purification device includes a hair catcher 1, a circulation pump 2,
It has a septic tank 3, a filtration filter 4, and a sterilizer 5,
An outlet 61 and an inlet 62 provided on the side wall of the bathtub 6 are connected via pipes 7a and 7b.

The hair catcher 1, the circulation pump 2, the septic tank 3, the filter 4, and the sterilizer 5 are also connected to the pipe 7c.
Ｆ7f, so that the bath water can be circulated by the circulation pump 2. In addition, the hair catcher 1, the circulation pump 2, the purification tank 3, the filtration filter 4, and the sterilizer 5 are arranged in the bath water circulation path in the above-described order from the upstream side.

The hair catcher 1 is formed of a net-like member, and is capable of removing large dust mainly on the hair.

The circulating pump 2 has a suction side provided with the bathtub 6.
And the discharge side is disposed on the side of the inflow port 62 of the bathtub 6 so that bathwater can be circulated at 25 liters / minute.

The septic tank 3 is constituted by filling a closed container with a porous substrate for supporting aerobic bacteria, and is capable of removing impurities having a diameter of 5 to 10 mm or more. In addition, as the porous substrate,
For example, a granular alumina-based ceramic sintered body having a diameter of 5 to 10 mm can be used.

The filtration filter 4 has a filtration particle size of 10 μm.
The sterilizer 5 has an emission wavelength of 253.7 μm.
m, 15w ultraviolet sterilizing lamp 51 is built in a sealed container 52.

That is, in the bathtub water purification apparatus of the present embodiment, when the bathtub water is circulated by the circulation pump 2, the bathtub water is
First, since the hair passes through the hair catcher 1, the hair catcher 1 removes relatively large dust mainly on the hair, and then passes through the septic tank 3, so that the septic tank 3 has a diameter of 5 to 10 mm or more. Impurities are removed. Most of the impurities in the bath water are
Although it is removed before passing through the septic tank 3, protozoa such as amoeba and minute substances such as bacteria remain in the bath water without being completely removed by the septic tank 3. However, the bath water then passes through a filtration filter 4 having a filtration particle size of 10 μm, so that impurities such as protozoa having a size of 10 μm or more are filtered by the filtration filter 4, and then the sterilizing device 5 is removed. As it passes, it is sterilized by this sterilizing device 5, the protozoa are removed and the bacteria are killed before returning to the bath 6.

Ameba, which is a host of Legionella bacteria, has a size of about 10 to 20 μm, and is thus filtered by the filter 4. Therefore, Legionella bacteria parasitic on the amoeba can be filtered by the filtration filter 4, and Legionella bacteria present alone can be sterilized by the sterilizer 5, so that Legionella bacteria can be removed from bath water. Can be.

Since the hair catcher 1, the purification tank 2, the filtration filter 4, and the sterilizer 5 are arranged in this order from the upstream side of the circulation path, most of the impurities in the bath water are removed in the purification tank 2. Since only the minute components that cannot be removed in the purification tank 2 are filtered by the filtration filter 4, the filtration filter 4 is not significantly clogged, and the filtration filter 4 can be used for a long time. Further, on the downstream side of the filtration filter 4, only bacteria having a size of 10 μm or less that have not been filtered by the filtration filter 4 remain, so that the sterilizing device 5 has a high sterilizing effect and reliably removes the bacteria remaining in the bathtub water. Can be killed.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the results of comparison between the case where a conventional filter having a filtration particle size of 40 μm is used and the case where a filter having a filtration particle size of 10 μm is used as in the present embodiment. It is. FIG. 2 shows the relationship between the filtration particle size and the bacteria removal rate, and FIG. 3 shows the number of Legionella bacteria in the bathtub and the septic tank.

That is, from the results shown in FIG. 2, when a filtration filter having a filtration particle size of 40 μm is used, only about 10% removal rate can be obtained for impurities having a size of 10 μm. It can be seen that the removal rate of amoeba having a size of 20 μm is also extremely low. On the other hand, when a filtration filter having a filtration particle diameter of 10 μm is used, impurities having a size of 10 μm or more, including amoeba, are 100%.
It can be seen that a% removal rate is obtained. And as a result,
Even if the number of Legionella bacteria in the septic tank is almost the same, the number of Legionella bacteria in the bathtub is lower than when a filtration filter with a filtration particle size of 40 μm is used. A significant reduction is evident from the results shown in FIG.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and a design change or the like may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Even if present, it is included in the present invention. For example,
In the embodiment, the sterilizing means using the ultraviolet sterilizing lamp is used, but instead, a sterilizing means including an ozone injector, a chlorine injector, or the like may be used. Further, in the embodiment, the circulation pump is arranged on the upstream side of the septic tank, the filtration filter, and the sterilizing means. However, the circulation pump may be arranged on the downstream side or between them.

[0023]

As described above, according to the first to third aspects of the present invention, a Legionella bacterium which is provided with a filtration filter having a filtration particle diameter of about 10 μm and a sterilizing means and which is parasitic on Ameba is eliminated. While filtering with a filtration filter,
Since Legionella bacteria existing as a single substance can be sterilized by sterilization means, there is an effect that Legionella bacteria can be reliably removed from bath water without increasing the size of the apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a bathtub water purification device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between the filtration particle size and the bacteria removal rate.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the numbers of Legionella bacteria in a bathtub and a septic tank.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a process of biofilm formation.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the process of Legionella bacterial growth.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a relationship between a flow rate of a filtration filter and a differential pressure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hair catcher 2 Circulation pump 3 Septic tank 4 Filtration filter 5 Sterilizer 6 Bath tub 7a-7f Piping

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI B01D 29/08 540A 35/02 E

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A circulating pump for circulating bath water,
In a bathtub water purification apparatus provided with a septic tank having a porous base material for supporting aerobic bacteria, a filtration filter, and a sterilizing means in the middle of the bathtub water circulation path, A bathtub water purifier characterized by being a filter having a particle diameter of 8 to 13 μm. 2. A circulating pump for circulating bath water,
In a bathtub water purification apparatus provided with a septic tank having a porous base material for supporting aerobic bacteria, a filtration filter, and a sterilizing means in the middle of the bathtub water circulation path, A bathtub water purifier characterized by being a filter having a particle diameter of about 10 μm. 3. The bathtub water purification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the septic tank, the filtration filter, and the sterilizing means are arranged in the order of a septic tank, a filtering filter, and a sterilizing means from an upstream side of a circulation path.