JPH07241553A - Pot-shaped water purifier device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a pot-shaped water purifier unit preventing the propagation of various bacteria in the residual water within a filter. CONSTITUTION:This water purifier unit 30 is mounted on the upper part of a lower container 32 and a filter 40 is fitted in a case 38. An anode 42 is formed so as to come into contact with the filter 40 and a cathode 44 is formed so as to be separated from the filter 40 and voltage is applied across the anode 42 and the cathode 44 from a dry battery 52.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pot type water purifier unit in which raw water (unpurified water) such as tap water is filtered by a filter and sterilized at a low voltage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Water purifiers for removing residual chlorine and the like in tap water to produce so-called "delicious" water are becoming popular. This water purifier mainly includes a type that is attached to a faucet of a water supply and a pot type water purifier that stores purified water in a container such as a tabletop pot.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a conventional example of a pot type water purifier (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-104881), in which a water purifier unit 14 is fitted on an upper portion of a pot 12 having a grip 10. The water purifier unit 14 includes a container 16 having an opening at the center of the bottom surface, a filter case 18 attached to the bottom opening of the container 16, and the filter case 1
8 is provided with a filter element 20 and a lid 22.

When water is poured into the container 16, the water passes through the filter element 20 and is filtered by gravity filtration. The purified water collects in the pot 12. When the grip 10 of the pot 12 is grasped and tilted, the purified water flows out from the spout 24.

[0005]

In the above conventional water purifier unit, there is a problem that water adhering to the filter element 20 easily proliferates various bacteria over time (because the chlorine content is removed). there were.

[0006]

A pot-type water purifier unit according to claim 1 is a pot-type water purifier unit installed on the upper side of a lower container for accumulating purified water, and has an unpurified water inlet at its upper part. At the same time, a case having a purified water outlet at the bottom, a filter made of activated carbon fiber arranged in the case, a first electrode in contact with the filter in the case, and separated from the filter in the case And a battery for applying a voltage between these electrodes.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the pot type water purifier unit according to the first aspect, a battery casing is provided so as to project laterally from the side surface of the case, and the battery is housed in the battery casing. To do.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the pot type water purifier unit according to the first or second aspect, a water detecting sensor is installed in the case, and when the water detecting sensor detects water, the light or the light is activated for a short time. It is characterized by having a sound generator.

[0009]

In the pot type water purifier unit of the present invention,
When water is poured into the case, it is filtered by a filter made of activated carbon fiber, and purified water flows out from the lower part of the case.

A first electrode is in contact with the filter made of this activated carbon fiber, and a voltage is applied by a battery between the second electrode and the first electrode which are separated from the filter. This voltage generates an electric field in the water between the activated carbon fiber and the second electrode, and attracts bacteria to the filter by electrophoresis. When the bacteria touch the filter, the bacteria die.

That is, as a result of various studies conducted by the present inventors, bacteria that are alive and undergoing metabolism are negatively charged. Therefore, when a low voltage is applied between electrodes placed in water, Bacteria of the above are electrophoresed and finally reach the anode. And when the bacteria that reach the electrode touch the electrode,
The coenzymes involved in many enzymatic reactions in the cell are oxidized and reduced, and at the same time, intracellular anion is excreted. This revealed that the bacteria impair their metabolic function and die.

It has been found that the effect varies depending on the voltage applied at this time, and that the effective voltage varies depending on the type of bacteria. That is, it has been experimentally confirmed that the voltage at which the maximum effect is exerted is between 0.7V and 1.5V. To explain this in detail, a voltage of 0.7 V to 0.8 V is suitable for killing bacteria at the electrode, and it is suitable to apply a voltage of about 1.5 V for attracting bacteria to the electrode. Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable to apply a voltage that periodically changes from 0.5 V to 2.0 V, especially from 0.6 V to 1.5 V, between both electrodes. General bacteria can be effectively sterilized.

In the pot type water purifier unit according to the second aspect, the battery casing is provided so as to project laterally from the case. Therefore, should liquid leak from this battery,
This liquid is prevented from flowing into the lower container.

In the pot type water purifier unit according to the third aspect, when water is put into the case, light or sound is generated from the generator for a short time (for example, 1 to 20 seconds, especially 3 to 10 seconds). Is perceived by the user as being activated. Since this light or sound generator is generated for a short period of time, the operation of the generator consumes very little battery power.

[0015]

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the overall structure of a water purifier equipped with a water purifier unit according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same, the upper half of which is a plan view with a lid closed, and the lower half of which is It is a top view in the state where the lid was removed. The second
In the figure, illustration of a cap described later is omitted. Third
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the water purifier according to this embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a usage example of the water purifier.

The pot type water purifier unit 30 is installed above a lower container 32 having a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The pot type water purifier unit 30 has a substantially cylindrical case 38 having an outlet 34 on the bottom surface and an inlet 36 on the upper surface, and a filter 40 made of activated carbon fiber arranged in the case 38. An anode 42 provided so as to be in contact with the filter 40 and a cathode 44 provided so as to be separated from the filter 40.

A cylindrical portion 48 is vertically extended in the case 38 for pouring out water in the lower container 32, and the inside of the cylindrical portion 48 serves as a spout 46.

A battery casing 50 projects laterally from the side peripheral surface of the case 38, and a storage space for the dry battery 52 and a substrate 54 are provided in the battery casing 50. Reference numeral 56 is a battery lid for replacing the dry battery 52 provided in the battery casing 50. A transparent portion 58 is provided on the upper surface of the battery casing 50.
The LED 60 is installed on the lower side.

The filter 40 is housed in a filter case 62. Each of the upper surface and the lower surface of the filter case 62 is provided with an opening so that water can pass therethrough. Pick 64 from the top of the filter case 62
The filter case 62 can be put in and taken out of the case 38 by picking the knob 64.

The cathode 44 is inserted in the lower half of a small hole 62a for inserting a cathode, which is formed through the bottom surface of the filter case 62.

Reference numeral 65 is a lead wire connecting the substrate 54 and the electrodes 42, 44.

A lid 66 made of soft plastic is detachably provided on the upper surface of the case 38. The lid 66 is provided with a short cylindrical portion 68 fitted onto the cylindrical portion 48, and a cap 70 made of soft plastic capable of closing the cylindrical portion 68 is pivotally attached to the lid 66. There is.

On the inner surface of the case 38, the case 38
A pair of electrodes 72 are provided to detect the water poured therein. When water is poured into the case 38 until the electrodes 72 are submerged, the electrodes 72, 72 are brought into conduction and the LED
60 is turned on.

A method of using the pot type water purifier unit 30 thus constructed will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the lid 66 is removed from the pot type water purifier unit 30 connected to the lower container 32, and the lid 66 is placed below the faucet 74, and water is supplied from the faucet 74 to the case 38. Pour water inside. The water that has been poured into the case 38 passes through the filter 40, undergoes a filtering process, then falls into the lower container 32, and is stored in the lower container 32.

By pouring water from the faucet 74 at a water supply rate higher than the filtration rate of the filter 40, water is collected in the case 38. The water level in this case 38 is the electrode 7
When it becomes higher than 2, the electrodes 72, 72 are brought into conduction, and the LED 60 is turned on as described above. The light emitted from the LED 60 is visible to the user through the transparent portion 58, and the user can perceive that the water purifier unit 30 is operating.

After the required amount of water has accumulated in the lower container 32, water injection from the faucet 74 is stopped, and then FIG. 4 (b).
The lid 66 is put on the case 38 as shown in FIG. Further, the cap 70 is put on the cylindrical portion 68. As a result, since the lower container 32 is in a sealed state, it can be stored as it is in a refrigerator or the like. As shown in FIG. 4 (c), the water purifier unit 30 and the lower container 32 are separated,
The lid 66 may be attached directly to the lower container 32 and stored in the refrigerator in this state.

The diameter of the upper portion of the lower container 32 is equal to the diameter of the upper portion of the case 38, and the lid 66 can be attached to both the case 38 and the lower container 32.

In the present embodiment, the diameters of the case 38 and the lower container 32 are selected so that the lower portion of the case 38 fits in a watertight manner with the inner peripheral surface of the upper portion of the lower container 32. A skirt portion 38a extends from the outer peripheral surface of the case 38, and a packing 38b is provided inside the skirt portion 38a so as to be in close contact with the upper end surface of the lower container 32. Therefore, even if unpurified water overflows the case 38 when pouring water into the case 38, this water will not flow into the lower container 32.
It never flows in.

Further, the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 68 is watertightly fitted on the upper outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 48, and the cap 70 is watertightly fitted on the upper end of the cylindrical portion 68. . Therefore, even if the container 32 falls down in the state of FIG. 4 (b) or (c) stored in a refrigerator or the like, water does not flow out to the outside.

In this embodiment, the filter 40 is made of activated carbon fiber, and the anode 42 is in contact with the filter 40. Further, a cathode 44 is provided so as to be separated from the filter 40 and to come into contact with water in the filter case 62, and the anode 42 and the cathode 44 are periodically provided with a voltage of 0.5 to 2.0V. A changing voltage can be applied. Therefore, even if water remains in the filter case 62, this residual water is electrically sterilized, and even if some time elapses between the previous use and the next use, the next At the time of use, extremely hygienic water containing no or almost no germs is supplied from the filter 40 to the lower container 32.

In the present embodiment, the upper end of the cylindrical portion 48 extends above the upper end of the side peripheral surface of the case 38. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), when water is supplied from the faucet 74 into the case 38, even if the water supply rate from the faucet 74 is too high and the water overflows from the case 38, It does not go around the upper end of the cylindrical portion 48. That is, the untreated tap water overflowing from the case 38 never flows backward through the spout 46 and drops into the lower container 32.

In this embodiment, a battery casing 50 is provided so as to project from the side of the case 38.
A battery 52 is installed in the 0. The battery casing 50 is arranged at a position laterally displaced from above the lower container 32, and the lower end portion of the battery casing 50 is
It is located below the upper end of the lower container 32. Therefore, even if a liquid leaks from the dry battery 52, this liquid never enters the lower container 32.

In this embodiment, the LED 60 is turned on for a short time when water is accumulated in the case 38. This lighting time is set to 5 seconds in the present embodiment, and the life of the dry battery 52 is extremely long by shortening the lighting time. However, in addition to such a light generating means such as an LED, a means for generating a sound such as an electronic buzzer may be used.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a usage state of a pot type water purifier having a water purifier unit 30A according to a different embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the case 38A is integrally provided with the bottom cover 80. The bottom cover 80 covers the entire bottom surface of the case 38A, has a downward slope toward the end on the side opposite to the spout 46, and has a drop port 82 on the side opposite to the spout 46. I have it.

The other structure is the same as that of FIG. 1, and the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, when the cap 70 is removed from the cylindrical portion 68 and the lower container 32 is tilted, the spout 46
Although water is poured out from the bottom cover 80 at this time, the water in the lower container 32 is filtered by the bottom cover 80.
No contact with 0. Therefore, the purified water in the lower container 32 is reliably prevented from coming into contact with the filter 40 again.

This embodiment is extremely suitable, for example, when the tea bag 84 is placed in the lower container 32 and the water that has been drained is produced in the lower container 32 by the purified water filtered by the filter 40. . That is, even if the lower container 32 is tilted, the wheat tea or the like in the lower container 32 does not come into contact with the filter 40, and the filter 40 is prevented from being contaminated with the wheat tea or the like.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the essential parts of a water purifier equipped with a water purifier unit 30B according to still another embodiment of the present invention. Further, FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views of a picking portion showing an example of use thereof. In this embodiment, the filter case 62
A boss portion 90 is provided so as to project from the upper surface of A, and a rotary shaft 92 is pivotally attached to the upper end of the boss portion 90 so as to be rotatable around the vertical axis. A knob 94 is pivotally attached to the rotary shaft 92 so as to be vertically rotatable. 96 is the knob 94 and the rotary shaft 9
2 shows the pivoting pin. The knob 94 has a circular opening 98. The other structure is similar to that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and the same reference numerals indicate the same parts.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
4 is laid down horizontally and the discharge flow rate is reduced so that the water flux 100 from the faucet 74 has a thickness that passes through the opening 98, so that water can be supplied into the case 38 without overflowing. The diameter of the opening 98 is selected. That is, by squeezing the water so that the water flux 100 becomes thinner than the opening 98, the water can be poured into the case 38 without overflowing from the case 38.

In this embodiment, since the knob 94 can be rotated in the horizontal direction, it is possible to prevent the water from being applied to the filter 40 only at the same place. That is,
When the position of the knob 94 is changed as shown by 94a and 94b in FIG. 8, water comes into contact with different positions of the filter 40, and local deterioration of the filter 40 is prevented.

[0042]

As described above, in the pot type water purifier unit of the present invention, since the residual water in the case is sterilized, even if it is used after a lapse of time from the last use, it is clean and hygienic. Purified water is obtained.

According to the pot type water purifier unit of the second aspect, even if liquid leaks from the battery, the filtered water is prevented from being contaminated by this liquid.

According to the pot type water purifier unit of claim 3, the user can conveniently confirm the operation of the pot type water purifier unit by light or sound, which is convenient. In addition, the battery life is extremely long, and it does not take time to replace the battery.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall vertical cross-sectional view of a water purifier including a water purifier unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a water purifier including a water purifier unit according to an embodiment, in which an upper half is a plan view with a lid attached, and a lower half is a plan view with a lid removed.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the water purifier according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a usage example of the water purifier according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a usage state of a water purifier including a water purifier unit according to another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a main part of a water purifier including a water purifier unit according to another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of use of a knob portion of the water purifier unit of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another usage example of the knob portion.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 30, 30A, 30B Water purifier unit 32 Lower container 34 Outlet 36 Inlet 38, 38A Case 40 Filter 42 Anode 44 Cathode 50 Battery casing 52 Dry battery 60 LED 64, 94 Pick 80 Bottom cover

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A pot-type water purifier unit installed on the upper side of a lower container for storing purified water, wherein a case having an unpurified water inlet at the upper portion and a purified water outlet at the lower portion, A filter made of activated carbon fiber arranged in the case, a first electrode in contact with the filter in the case, a second electrode provided in the case apart from the filter, and between these electrodes. A pot type water purifier unit comprising a battery for applying a voltage. 2. The pot type water purifier unit according to claim 1, wherein a battery casing is provided so as to project laterally from a side surface of the case, and the battery is housed in the battery casing. 3. The water detection sensor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water detection sensor is installed in the case, and a light or sound generator that is activated for a short time when the water detection sensor detects water is provided. Characteristic pot type water purifier unit.