Mounting structure of filter cartridge and filter cartridge

Abstract

The mounting structure of the filter cartridge of the present application has: a cover (62) that is mounted to a rotating shaft (65) and opens and closes a receiving space (70); a support member (71) that is mounted to the rotating shaft (65) and supports the filter cartridge (12); and a pair of lifting members (72L, 72R) that are mounted to the cover (62) so as to be able to sandwich the filter cartridge (12) along the side surface of the filter cartridge (12). Grooves (73) that accommodate the protrusions (16) formed on the side surface of the filter cartridge (12) are formed on the mutually facing inner surfaces of the lifting members (72L, 72R). The grooves (73) are curved so that the bottom surface of the filter cartridge (12) moves away from the support member (71) when the protrusions (16) slide along the grooves (73) as the cover (62) rotates around the rotating shaft (65).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a mounting structure for detachably mounting a filter cartridge used in a liquid treatment device such as a pure water manufacturing device and the like and housing consumables, and a filter cartridge adapted to the mounting structure. BACKGROUND

[0002] A pure water manufacturing device that generates pure water from treated water such as tap water is configured by, for example, an activated carbon treatment device provided with activated carbon, a reverse osmosis membrane device provided with a reverse osmosis membrane, an ion exchanger device provided with an ion exchanger such as ion exchange resin, an ultraviolet oxidation device, and the like. In order to manufacture pure water, activated carbon, a reverse osmosis membrane, ion exchange resin, and the like are used, but these are consumables and need to be replaced periodically or as needed. It is required to reduce the labor required for replacement of consumables, and it is also necessary to prevent dust, contaminating substances, and the like from being brought into the interior of the pure water manufacturing device at the time of replacement of these consumables. Therefore, in the pure water manufacturing device, by storing the consumables in a filter cartridge (also referred to as a filter cartridge or a filter assembly, or the like), contamination of the interior of the pure water manufacturing device is prevented, and the pure water manufacturing device is mounted to the main body of the pure water manufacturing device in a manner that each filter cartridge is detachable. An inlet and an outlet of treated water are provided on the filter cartridge. By mounting the filter cartridge, for example, upwardly to a manifold or a cover body provided to the main body of the pure water manufacturing device, whereby the piping in the main body of the pure water manufacturing device is connected to the inlet and the outlet of treated water in the filter cartridge, respectively, it is possible to pass treated water through the filter cartridge. A filter cartridge in which activated carbon is stored is referred to as an activated carbon filter cartridge, for example, and a filter cartridge in which ion exchange resin is stored is referred to as an ion exchange resin filter cartridge, for example.

[0003] In Patent Literature 1, a mounting structure is disclosed that is provided with a shelf that is, for example, an L-shaped cross section that is able to rotate about a pivot axis so as to be able to be pulled down in a forward direction, and a cylindrical filter cartridge is placed and fixed to the shelf in the pulled down state, and thereafter, by setting the shelf to an upright state, the filter cartridge is connected to the main body of the liquid treatment device. This structure requires that the filter cartridge be fixed to the shelf by a fastening piece when the filter cartridge is placed on the shelf, and it cannot be said that the work efficiency is necessarily improved. In addition, since it is not a structure in which the connected filter cartridge is pressed against the main body of the liquid treatment device, there is a concern that liquid leakage will occur in the connection portion of the filter cartridge and the main body of the liquid treatment device. In order to prevent liquid leakage, an additional work of position adjustment is required, and the workability is reduced.

[0004] In Patent Literature 2, a constitution is disclosed in which a cup-shaped outer box member is attached to a manifold so as to be opened and closed with respect to the manifold via a hinge, a filter cartridge is stored inside the outer box member in a state in which the outer box member is opened, and then the outer box member is closed and fixed in this state, whereby the filter cartridge is connected to the manifold. The same constitution is also disclosed in Patent Literature 3. In the filter cartridge attachment structure described in Patent Literatures 2 and 3, the outer box member becomes an open state in a state in which it is hanging with respect to the manifold at the time of attachment and detachment of the filter cartridge. Also, in the operation of attaching the filter cartridge, the filter cartridge is held by hand and inserted with respect to the outer box member in the open state. If the filter cartridge is large, the mass is several kg, and the operation needs to be performed carefully so that the filter cartridge does not hit the manifold, and thus the workability of the operation is not good.

[0005] In Patent Literature 4, the following is disclosed: an attachment structure in which a cylindrical portion of a front end of a filter cartridge is fitted into a circular space of a circular manifold and the filter cartridge is attached, a linear protrusion, that is, a fixing member extending in the circumferential direction is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion of the filter cartridge, a groove-shaped sliding passage capable of accommodating the fixing member is formed on an inner wall of the circular space of the circular manifold, and the fixing member abuts and slides, whereby a difference in level is formed on the inner wall of the circular space so that the fixing member can be guided to the sliding passage. However, in the filter cartridge attachment structure described in Patent Literature 4, the front end of the filter cartridge needs to be positioned with respect to the circular space of the manifold, and an operation of twisting the filter cartridge while lifting the filter cartridge is required, and thus there is a concern that the operation is difficult to perform when the mass of the filter cartridge is large.

[0006] As a patent literature that solves the technical problem described in Patent Literature 4, in which the workability deteriorates when the mass of the filter cartridge is large, Patent Literature 5 discloses the following: a member (elevator) for lifting, which has a groove, is provided to the manifold, and the protrusion provided to the filter cartridge is engaged with the groove. In this attachment structure, after the filter cartridge is disposed in a position directly below the manifold, the handle is moved and the protrusion of the filter cartridge is engaged with the groove of the elevator, and further the elevator is moved by the handle and the protrusion is slid along the groove, whereby the filter cartridge is lifted by the elevator, and the connection portion of the filter cartridge abuts the manifold side.

[0007] Prior Art Documents

[0008] Patent Literature

[0009] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. S57-25695

[0010] Patent Literature 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S48-76150

[0011] Patent Literature 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-224481

[0012] Patent Literature 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-504849

[0013] Patent Literature 5: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-501832 SUMMARY

[0014] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0015] In the mounting structure of Patent Literature 5, the filter cartridge does not need to be lifted by hand toward the manifold at the time of mounting the filter cartridge, but when the filter cartridge is first positioned in a position directly below the manifold, the orientation of the filter cartridge also needs to be positioned correctly. Further, the handle and the lifter are used as levers to lift the filter cartridge, but the length of the handle also has a limit, and a force corresponding to the operation is required when the mass of the filter cartridge is large.

[0016] An object of the present application is to provide a filter cartridge mounting structure in which the workability of mounting and dismounting a filter cartridge is good, liquid leakage from a connection portion of a manifold and a filter cartridge is prevented, and a separate position adjustment work is not required, and a filter cartridge suitable for the mounting structure.

[0017] TECHNICAL SOLUTION FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0018] The filter cartridge mounting structure of the present application is a mounting structure in which a cylindrical filter cartridge used in a liquid treatment device is detachably mounted to the liquid treatment device, and the mounting structure includes: a housing space that houses the filter cartridge; a rotation shaft that is disposed along a lower end of an opening of the housing space; a cover body that is rotatably attached to the rotation shaft at one end and opens and closes the housing space; a support member that is rotatably attached to the rotation shaft, has a bottom surface support portion that holds a bottom surface of the filter cartridge and a side surface support portion that supports a side surface of the filter cartridge, and is disposed on a side of the cover body closer to the housing space; and a pair of lifting members that are attached to the cover body in parallel to each other so as to be able to sandwich the filter cartridge along the side surface of the filter cartridge, in inner surfaces of the pair of lifting members that face each other, end portions toward one side of the inside of the housing space are open end portions, and grooves that accommodate protrusions formed on the side surface of the filter cartridge are formed, the grooves are curved so that the bottom surface of the filter cartridge moves away from the bottom surface support portion when the protrusions slide along the grooves as the cover body rotates around the rotation shaft.

[0019] The filter cartridge of the present application is a cylindrical filter cartridge that is mounted to a liquid treatment device using the mounting structure of the present application, includes a connection portion that is provided on a top surface and is connectable to a manifold of the liquid treatment device, and a pair of protrusions that are provided on a side surface, and liquid is able to flow between the manifold and the inside of the filter cartridge via the connection portion.

[0020] EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0021] According to the present application, a filter cartridge mounting structure in which the workability of mounting and dismounting the filter cartridge is good, liquid leakage from the connection portion of the manifold and the filter cartridge is prevented, and no separate position adjustment work is required, and a filter cartridge suitable for the mounting structure can be obtained. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1A and Figure 1B are a perspective view and a side view, respectively, showing the appearance of a pure water manufacturing apparatus.

[0023] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the configuration of the pure water manufacturing apparatus.

[0024] Figure 3A and Figure 3B are a side view and a perspective view, respectively, showing a first filter cartridge.

[0025] Figure 4A and Figure 4B are a side view and a perspective view, respectively, showing a second filter cartridge, Figure 4C is a perspective view of the second filter cartridge, viewed from a different direction from Figure 4B .

[0026] Figure 5A and Figure 5B are a perspective view and a front view of the main part of the appearance of the pure water manufacturing apparatus, showing the state in which the front door is removed.

[0027] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the main part showing the state in which the cover is opened for mounting of the filter cartridge.

[0028] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the relationship of the cover and the support member about the rotation axis.

[0029] Figure 8 is a plan view showing the lifting member.

[0030] Figure 9A and Figure 9B are sectional views showing the state in which the cover is opened.

[0031] Figure 10 is a sectional view showing the state in which the cover is half-opened.

[0032] Figure 11 is a sectional view showing the state in which the cover is closed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Next, a specific embodiment of the present application will be described. The present application relates to a mounting structure for detachably mounting a filter cartridge used in a liquid treatment device and housing consumable items, and a filter cartridge adapted to such a mounting structure. Therefore, in the following embodiment, it is assumed that the liquid treatment device is a pure water manufacturing device, and a mounting structure for a filter cartridge used in the pure water manufacturing device will be described. Of course, the liquid treatment device to which the present application can be applied is not limited to the pure water manufacturing device.

[0034] Figure 1A and Figure 1B An appearance of a pure water manufacturing device to which a mounting structure of a filter cartridge of one embodiment of the present application is applied is shown, Figure 2 A configuration of the pure water manufacturing device is shown. The pure water manufacturing device 10 is used for, for example, water sampling of pure water to a beaker, a flask, or the like in a laboratory, and is configured as a table-top device. Filter cartridges 11, 12 that house consumable items are detachably mounted to the pure water manufacturing device 10. In order to assemble the filter cartridges 11, 12 and to supply water to the filter cartridges 11, 12, a manifold 21, 22 is provided in the pure water manufacturing device 10. Here, in the example shown, the first filter cartridge 11 is a filter cartridge that houses a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane and activated carbon, and the second filter cartridge 12 is a filter cartridge that houses an ion exchange resin.

[0035] Raw water such as tap water is supplied to the pure water manufacturing device 10, and the supplied raw water 10 is supplied to the first filter cartridge 11 via a solenoid valve 31 and the manifold 21. In the first filter cartridge 11, the raw water is subjected to reverse osmosis treatment by a reverse osmosis membrane and treatment by activated carbon, and the treated water from the first filter cartridge 11 is sent to a tank 32 via the manifold 21. In the reverse osmosis treatment, water that does not pass through the reverse osmosis membrane, that is, concentrated water is generated, but the concentrated water is discharged as drain water from the manifold 21 via a pipe 41. Therefore, in the first filter cartridge 11, three openings including an inlet of the raw water, an outlet of the treated water, and an outlet of the concentrated water (drain water) are required as openings for the entry and exit of water, and the manifold 21 corresponding to the first filter cartridge 11 is configured to correspond to the three openings and connect three pipes on the main body side of the pure water manufacturing device 10.

[0036] A pump 33 for supplying water to tank 32 is connected to tank 32. A flow sensor (FI) 34 and an ultraviolet oxidation device (UV) 35 are connected to the outlet of pump 33 in this order. The outlet water of the UV oxidation device 35 is supplied to the second filter element 12 via manifold 22. The outlet water of the second filter element 12, i.e., the water that has passed through the ion exchange resin in the second filter element 12, is supplied to piping 36 via the outlet of manifold 22. A solenoid valve 37 is provided at the outlet piping 36, and a nozzle 46 for discharging pure water is provided at the front end of the outlet piping 36. The nozzle 46 is detachably mounted relative to the flow path member, i.e., the nozzle mounting part 38, which communicates with the outlet piping 36. A nozzle equipped with an end filter can also be used as the nozzle 46. For illustration, the accompanying drawings are shown. Figure 2 The diagrams shown are drawn with the nozzle 46 removed from the pure water production apparatus 10. Furthermore, in this pure water production apparatus 10, a circulation pipe 39 branches off from the upstream side of the outlet pipe 36 via a solenoid valve 37, and the front end of the circulation pipe 39 is connected to the tank 32. The circulation pipe 39 is configured to return the outlet water of the second filter element 12 to the tank 32 when no pure water is being discharged from the nozzle 46, and a solenoid valve 40 is installed on the circulation pipe 39.

[0037] The pure water production apparatus 1 also includes a control unit 51 for overall control of the pure water production apparatus 10 and an operation panel 52 electrically connected to the control unit 51. The operation panel 52 receives commands from the user regarding the pure water production apparatus 10 and inputs them into the control unit 51, which then controls the apparatus and provides prompts to the user. Specifically, the control unit 52 receives measurements from the flow sensor 34 and controls the solenoid valves 31, 37, and 40, the pump 33, and the ultraviolet oxidation device 35 based on the input to the operation panel 52.

[0038] like Figure 1A as well as Figure 1B As shown, the pure water production device 10 has a generally quadrangular prism shape with rounded corners, and its upper part on the front side protrudes forward as a protrusion 45. The control panel 52 is located on the upper surface of the pure water production device 10 in a position easily accessible to the user, specifically in… Figure 1A The nozzle mounting part 38 is disposed downward on the lower surface of the protrusion 45 of the pure water production device 10, and the nozzle 46 is mounted from the lower side. The part of the front of the pure water cleaning device 10 below the protrusion 45 is configured as a front door 60 that can be opened, closed or removed.

[0039] Next, the production of the pure water by the pure water production apparatus 10 will be described. Raw water such as tap water is first supplied to the first filter 11 through the electromagnetic valve 31, receives the treatment in the reverse osmosis membrane and the treatment by the activated carbon, and thereby, a substantial portion of the impurities in the raw water is removed. The outlet water from the first filter 11 is temporarily stored in the tank 32, and then, as treated water, is supplied to the ultraviolet oxidation device 35. Here, by irradiating the treated water with ultraviolet rays, the TOC (Total Organic Carbon) components in the treated water are decomposed and removed. Further, the treated water is supplied to the second filter 12 and receives the ion exchange treatment. Since the ion components in the treated water are removed by this ion exchange treatment, the pure water is obtained from the second filter 12 as outlet water. This pure water is discharged from the nozzle 46 via the supply pipe 36 and the electromagnetic valve 37. Even at the timing when the pure water is not discharged from the nozzle 46, the pump 33 is driven, and the outlet water of the second filter 12, that is, the pure water is returned to the tank 32 via the circulation pipe 40. That is, at the time when the pure water is not discharged, the pure water is circulated from the tank 32 to the tank 32 via the ultraviolet oxidation device 35, the second filter 12 which functions as an ion exchange device, and thereby, the deterioration of the quality of the pure water is prevented.

[0040] The user inputs the water collection instruction to the operation panel 52, and thereby, the discharge of the pure water from the nozzle 46 is executed. If the water collection instruction is input, the control section 51 performs the control to open the electromagnetic valve 37 and close the electromagnetic valve 40. At the time when the discharge of the pure water is stopped, the control section 51 performs the control to close the electromagnetic valve 37 and open the electromagnetic valve 40. At any time, the control section 51 maintains the pump 33 in the driven state.

[0041] In the pure water production apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, as a mode of discharge of the pure water from the nozzle 46, there are a fixed-volume water collection mode and a continuous water collection mode (a manual water collection mode), which can be selected by input to the operation panel 52. The fixed-volume water collection mode is a mode in which a volume of pure water set in advance by the operation panel 51 is discharged from the nozzle 46. In the fixed-volume water collection mode, if there is an input of a water collection instruction, the control section 51 performs control to discharge the pure water from the nozzle 46 until the cumulative value of the flow rate measured by the flow rate sensor 34 reaches the set volume, and after the cumulative value of the flow rate reaches the set volume, performs control to stop the discharge of the pure water. On the other hand, in the continuous discharge mode, the control section 51 performs control so that, for example, a button of the operation panel 52 is pressed, and after the button is released, the discharge of the pure water is started, and after the button is pressed again and released, the discharge of the pure water is stopped at that point. In the continuous water collection mode, the control section 51 can also perform control so that the pure water is discharged only during the period when, for example, a button of the operation panel 52 is pressed, and after the pressing of the button ends, the discharge of the pure water is stopped at that point. In addition, in the continuous water collection mode, the flow rate sensor 34 also measures the amount of discharge of the pure water, and the total amount of use of the pure water in the fixed-volume water collection mode and the continuous water collection mode is transmitted to a server via a communication device for IoT (Internet of Things), whereby it is also possible to manage the amount of use of the pure water on the cloud.

[0042] Next, the filter cartridges 11, 12 used in the pure water production apparatus 10 of the present embodiment will be described. The first filter cartridge 11 houses consumables, namely, a reverse osmosis membrane and activated carbon, and constitutes a reverse osmosis membrane device and an activated carbon device, and the second filter cartridge 12 houses consumables, namely, an ion exchange resin, and constitutes an ion exchange device. Both of the filter cartridges 11, 12 are to be replaced periodically or when the amount of treated water reaches a constant value. When the first filter cartridge 11 is replaced, the electromagnetic valve 31 needs to be closed to shut off the supply of raw water to the first filter cartridge 11. When the second filter cartridge 12 is replaced, the pump 33 needs to be stopped to stop the water supply to the second filter cartridge 12. The tank 32 is normally in communication with the atmosphere, for example, via an air filter, and when the second filter cartridge 12 is detached from the manifold 22, the water in the circulation piping 39 flows back to the manifold 22 side due to the head difference, and there is a concern that water will drip from the manifold 22. Therefore, when the second filter cartridge 12 is replaced, it is preferable that not only the pump 33 be stopped but also the electromagnetic valve 40 be closed so that the water in the circulation piping 39 does not flow back.

[0043] Figure 3A and Figure 3B are a side view and a perspective view of the first filter cartridge 11, respectively. Figure 4A and Figure 4B are a side view and a perspective view of the second filter cartridge 12, respectively. Figure 4C is also a perspective view of the second filter cartridge 12, but from a different direction than Figure 4Bopposite side of the viewpoint in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in these drawings, each of the first filter 11 and the second filter 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and in the illustrated example, in a circular cylindrical shape. In the following description, the top surface and the bottom surface of each filter 11, 12 refer to the top surface and the bottom surface of the cylindrical shape, and the side surface of each filter 11, 12 refers to the side surface of the cylindrical shape. The length direction of the filter 11, 12 refers to the direction connecting the center of the bottom surface and the center of the top surface. On the top surface of each filter 11, 12, a connection portion 15 is provided that connects to the manifolds 21, 22 on the main body side of the pure water producing apparatus 10. Each connection portion 15 is a tubular member that extends in the length direction of the filter 11, 12 and communicates with the inside of the filter 11, 12, and an O-ring 15A is fitted in a groove formed in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface. If the connection portion 15 is pressed toward the manifold 21, 22, the O-ring 15A is crushed and comes into close contact with the inner wall of the manifold 21, 22 by being pressed into the inside of the manifold 21, 22. As a result, liquid leakage does not occur between the connection portion 15 and the manifold 21, 22, and the flow of liquid between the main body side of the pure water producing apparatus 10 and the filter 21, 22 can be achieved. Three connection portions 15 are provided on the first filter 11, and two connection portions 15 are provided on the second filter 12.

[0044] At a position near the top surface on the side surface of each filter 11, 12, a pair of protrusions 16 is provided so as to face each other with the filter 11, 12 interposed therebetween. As described later, the pair of protrusions 16 is a portion that serves as an action point when the filter 11, 12 is lifted, and thus it is preferable that the pair of protrusions 16 be provided at positions on both ends of one diameter when the filter 11, 12 is in a circular cylindrical shape. Further, as described later, at a position near the top surface on the side surface of each filter 11, 12, a first positioning portion 17 for positioning when the filter 11, 12 is placed and a second positioning portion 18 that engages with a positioning groove 77 (see FIG. 9) provided on the main body side of the pure water producing apparatus 10 when the filter 11, 12 is fitted to the pure water producing apparatus 10, extends in the up-down direction, and is formed in a ridge are provided so as to protrude with respect to the support member 71. It is preferable that the first positioning portion 17 be provided on one of the two end portions of the diameter orthogonal to the diameter on both ends of which the pair of protrusions 16 is disposed, and the second positioning portion 18 be provided on the other end portion when the filter 11, 12 is in a circular cylindrical shape. Figure 9A ) on the main body side of the pure water producing apparatus 10, extends in the up-down direction, and is formed in a ridge. It is preferable that the first positioning portion 17 be provided on one of the two end portions of the diameter orthogonal to the diameter on both ends of which the pair of protrusions 16 is disposed, and the second positioning portion 18 be provided on the other end portion when the filter 11, 12 is in a circular cylindrical shape.

[0045] Next, the configuration for mounting and dismounting the filter 11, 12 in the present embodiment will be described. When the filter 11, 12 is mounted or dismounted with respect to the pure water producing apparatus 10, the front door 60 is opened or dismounted to access the inside of the pure water producing apparatus 10. Therefore, in order to make the description easier to understand, each drawing in the following description is drawn assuming that the front door 60 is dismounted. Figure 5A and Figure 5Bare a perspective view and a front view of the main parts of the water production apparatus 10 showing a state in which the front door 60 is detached. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the main parts of the water production apparatus 10 showing a state in which the cover 62 is opened for installation of the second filter cartridge 12. In Figure 6 , the piping connected to the manifolds 22A, 22B, the display portion 52, and the like are not shown.

[0046] The filter cartridges 11, 12 are each installed in the water production apparatus 10 in an upright state so that, in a state connected to the manifolds 21, 22, the top surface becomes the upper side in the vertical direction and the bottom surface becomes the lower side in the vertical direction. In order to accommodate the filter cartridges 11, 12 thus installed, an accommodation space 70 of the filter cartridges 11, 12 is provided in the water production apparatus 10. Further, cover bodies 61, 62 capable of being opened and closed are provided so as to cover the accommodation space 70. Along the lower end of the opening of the accommodation space 70, a rotation shaft 65 is provided horizontally, and the rotation shaft 65 penetrates the cover bodies 61, 62, whereby the cover bodies 61, 62 are capable of rotating around the rotation shaft 65 and capable of closing or opening the accommodation space 70. It is also possible to provide the rotation shaft 65 for each of the cover bodies 61, 62. In Figure 5A and Figure 5B , the rotation shaft 65 is provided for each of the cover bodies 61, 62. The penetration position of the rotation shaft 65 in the cover bodies 61, 62 is the one end, i.e., the lower end side, of the cover bodies 61, 62. The cover body 61 on the left side in the drawing is a cover body that is opened at the time of installation and detachment of the first filter cartridge 11, and the cover body 62 on the right side in the drawing is a cover body that is opened at the time of installation and detachment of the second filter cartridge 11. In Figure 6 , the cover body 61 is closed and the cover body 62 is opened in order to facilitate installation of the second filter cartridge 12. At the upper end of the cover bodies 61, 62, a claw 68 capable of engaging with a hook 76 (see Figure 9A ) on the side of the water production apparatus 10 in order to fix the cover bodies 61, 62 to a latched position is provided. The claw 68 is urged to the position at which the claw 68 engages with the hook 76 by a spring not shown. Further, a handle 66 for pulling in the claw 68 when the engagement with the hook 76 is released and a recess 67 into which a finger or the like is inserted at the time of operation of the handle 66 are provided in the cover bodies 61, 62. The claw 68, the handle 66, and the spring not shown constitute a releasable latching mechanism that fixes the cover bodies 61, 62 to a position in which the accommodation space 70 is closed. When the cover bodies 61, 62 in the latched state are opened, the handle 66 is pulled in front of it. In this way, the claw 68 is released from the hook 76, and if the handle 66 is further pulled in front of it, the cover bodies 61, 62 are opened as with the cover body 62 on the right side in Figure 6 , so that the cover bodies 61, 62 are rotated around the rotation shaft 65, and thus the cover bodies 61, 62 are pulled down.

[0047] In the inside of the cover 61, 62, a support member 71 is provided which loads or supports the filter cartridges 11, 12 at the time of mounting and dismounting of the filter cartridges 11, 12. The support member 71 is arranged in the inside of the accommodation space 70 and also covers from the cover 61, 62 at the time of closing the cover 61, 62. In Figure 6 , the support member 71 for the second filter cartridge 12 is shown. In Figure 2 , the depiction is made so that one manifold 22 corresponds to two connection portions 15 of the second filter cartridge 12, but in Figure 6 , more specifically, two manifolds 22A, 22B are depicted which respectively correspond to two connection portions 15 of the second filter cartridge 12. The object of the mounting structure of the filter cartridge according to the present application is, with respect to the second filter cartridge 12, after loading in a state of being laid obliquely, to accurately position the connection portions 15 to the manifolds 22A, 22B and connect with the manifolds 22A, 22B without directly lifting the filter cartridge 12 by hand. Of course, it is necessary to be provided so that liquid leakage or the like does not occur between the connection portions 15 and the manifolds 22A, 22B. In order to achieve this object, in the cover 62, a lifting member 72L, 72R is provided which respectively corresponds to a pair of protrusions 16 of the filter cartridge 12. Details of the lifting member 72L, 72R are described later.

[0048] As shown in Figure 7 , the support member 71 is a member which is formed with a bottom surface support portion 71a which supports the bottom surface of the filter cartridge 12 and a side surface support portion 71b which supports the side surface of the filter cartridge 12. If the filter cartridge 12 is a cylindrical shape, the side surface support portion 71b is a member which is curved and extends in the length direction of the filter cartridge 12 so that the cross section becomes a semicircle, and the side surface support portion 71b is erected with respect to the bottom surface support portion 71a. In the vicinity of the position where the side surface support portion 71b is connected to the bottom surface support portion 71a, the rotation shaft 65 penetrates the bottom surface support portion 71a. By this, the support member 71 is also able to rotate around the rotation shaft 65. In the bottom surface support portion 71a, an abutting portion 71d is formed which abuts against the cover 62 at the time of rotation of the support member 71 around the rotation shaft 65. By this, as shown in Figure 7 , the angle θ which is formed by the direction a in which the cover 62 extends from the rotation shaft 65 and the direction b in which the side surface support portion 71b extends is limited to be below a constant angle value. Therefore, the support member 71 is arranged on the accommodation space 70 side of the cover 62. The support member 71 is able to rotate in the direction close to the cover 62, but the lower end of the cover 62 and the bottom surface support portion 71 are connected by the spring member 75, so, as shown in Figure 6 , at the time of opening of the cover 62, the angle θ is maintained to be constant by the spring member 75. In the upper end of the side surface support portion 71b, a notch portion 71c which accommodates the first positioning portion 17 of the filter cartridge 12 is provided (refer to Figure 9AThe notch 71c is an engagement part that engages with the first positioning part 17. The notch 71c opens at the upper end of the side support part 71b, allowing the filter element 12 to move away from the bottom support part 71a along the side support part 71b from the state where the first positioning part 17 and the notch 71c are engaged.

[0049] The lifting components 72L and 72R are plate-shaped components, installed parallel to each other at intervals equal to or slightly wider than the width of the filter element 12 (or the diameter if the filter element 12 is cylindrical), and extending inside the housing 70. Figure 8 As shown, grooves 73 are formed on the inner surfaces of the lifting members 72L and 72R to accommodate the protrusions 16 of the filter element 12. Figure 8 The inner surface of one lifting member 72L is shown, but the inner surface of the other lifting member 72R is different. Figure 8 Symmetrical formation. The groove 73 is formed by bending. More specifically, assuming that the angle θ is kept constant by the spring member 75, the filter element 12 is placed on the support member 71, forming the groove 73, such that as the angle θ decreases, a pair of protrusions 16 of the filter element 12 enter the grooves of the lifting members 72L, 72R. With the side of the filter element 12 clamped by the lifting members 72L, 72R, the protrusions 16 slide within the groove 73. That is, at the end of the receiving space 70 side of the lifting members 72L, 72R, the groove 73 is formed as an open end 73a, so that the protrusions 16 can be accommodated. The bending shape of the groove 73 is such that the distance between the groove 73 and the rotation shaft 65 is smaller at the inner end of the receiving space 70, and increases as it approaches the front side, i.e., the side where the handle 66 of the cover 62 is provided. In other words, the groove 73 is curved such that when the protrusion 16 of the filter element 12 slides along the groove 73 as the cover 62 rotates about the rotation axis 65, the bottom surface of the filter element 12 moves away from the bottom support portion 71a of the support member 71.

[0050] Next, the installation and removal of filter elements 11 and 12 in this embodiment will be explained using the installation of the second filter element 12 as an example. Figure 9A as well as Figure 9B Therefore Figure 5B A cross-sectional view of the main parts of the pure water production device 10 with the cover 62 open, observed along the XX line. Figure 9A This shows the filter element 12 not being placed on the support member 71. Figure 9B The image shows the filter element 12 mounted on the support member 71. When the second filter element 12 is to be installed, if the cover 62 is closed, as described above, by pulling the handle 66 of the cover 62 forward, the engagement of the claw 68 and hook 76 is released, and the cover 62 is pulled forward, becoming... Figure 9AThe state shown. In this state, the direction in which the cover 62 extends, clamping the rotation shaft 65, is... Figure 7 The direction of arrow a in the diagram is the same as the direction in which the side support portion 71b of the support member 71 extends, i.e. Figure 7 The angle θ formed by the direction of arrow b in the diagram is kept constant by the action of spring member 75.

[0051] Next, the second filter element 12 is placed on the support member 71, such that the first positioning part 17 of the second filter element 12 engages with the recess 71c of the support member 71. Positioning is required at this time to ensure the first positioning part 17 engages with the recess 71c. This action is easy because after temporarily placing the filter element 12 on the inclined support member 71, before it reaches the engaged state with its bottom surface supported by the bottom support part 71a and its sides supported by the side support parts 71b, it can be easily achieved by simply rotating the filter element 12 on the support member 71. By appropriately setting the spring constant of the spring member 75 beforehand, the mass of the second filter element 12 will not cause the support member 71 to sink significantly. Furthermore, at this time, the pair of protrusions 16 of the filter element 12 are located near the open ends of the grooves 73 of the lifting members 72L and 72R. Figure 9B This indicates the current state.

[0052] Next, by pressing near the handle 66 of the cover 62, the cover 62 rotates around the rotation axis 65 and moves toward the storage space 70. Due to the action of the spring member 75, the angle θ between the extension direction a of the cover 62 and the extension direction b of the side support portion 71b of the support member 71 remains constant. Therefore, the support member 71 also rotates around the rotation axis 65, and the filter element 12 placed on the support member 71 also rotates. As a result, the filter element 12 is located in the storage space 70. Shortly afterward, the filter element 12 stands upright inside the storage space 70. At this time, the filter element 12 abuts against the inner wall of the storage space 70, and the second positioning portion 18 enters the positioning groove 77 formed in the inner wall of the storage space 70. The positioning groove 77 is formed to extend in the vertical direction, and with the second positioning groove 18 in the positioning groove 77, the filter element 12 can move vertically within the storage space 70. Because the filter element 12 abuts against the inner wall of the storage space 70, the filter element 12 can no longer rotate around the rotating shaft 65, and the support member 71 can no longer rotate. Figure 10 The state is shown in the image. Figure 10 Also with Figure 5B The image shows a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the pure water production device 10 with the enclosure 62 partially open, as observed along the XX-line cross-section. In this state, there is a gap between the connection 15 of the filter element 12 and the manifolds 22A and 22B, which are correspondingly located at the top of the storage space 70 in the pure water production device 10.

[0053] If the cover 62 is further pressed near the handle 66, the support member 71 does not rotate, but the cover 62 rotates further around the rotation axis 65 against the force of the spring member 75. As a result, the pair of protrusions 16 of the filter cartridge 12 enter the slots 73 from the open end 73a side of the slots 73 formed in the pair of lifting members 72L, 72R and slide along the slots 73. As described above, the slots 73 are curved and thus the protrusions 16 slide through the slots 73, so that the filter cartridge 12 is lifted in the direction away from the bottom surface support portion 71a of the support member 71. Further, by the cover 62 being pressed in, the claw 68 of the front end of the cover 62 abuts against the hook 76 on the body side of the pure water producing apparatus 10 and is pressed in, and if the claw 68 passes through the hook 76, the claw 68 returns to the original position and engages with the hook 76. Thus, the cover 62 closes the housing space 70, and the cover 62 is no longer opened. Further, in this state, as shown in Figure 11 , the filter cartridge 13 is fixed in the housing space 70. Figure 11 , the filter cartridge 13 is fixed in the housing space 70. Figure 5B is a sectional view of the main part of the pure water producing apparatus 10 in the state where the cover 62 is closed, as viewed in the X-X line section. In the state shown in Figure 11 , the filter cartridge 12 is lifted upward by the lifting members 72L, 72R, and the connecting portion 15 of the filter cartridge 12 is pressed into the inside of the manifolds 22A, 22B. At this time, the O-ring 15A provided on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion 15 is in close contact with the inner wall of the manifolds 22A, 22B in a broken manner. As a result, the state where the filter cartridge 12 is mounted to the pure water producing apparatus 10 is achieved, and no leakage of liquid to the outside is caused between the manifolds 22A, 22B and the inside of the filter cartridge 12, and the liquid can flow.

[0054] When the filter cartridge 12 is detached from the state shown in Figure 11 , the handle 66 is pulled to release the engagement state of the claw 68 with the hook 76, and the handle 66 is further pulled to the front to open the cover 62. As a result, the cover 62 moves in the direction opposite to that at the time of mounting, and the protrusions 16 of the filter cartridge 12 slide the slots 73 to the open end 73a side, and the filter cartridge 12 moves downward. If the cover 62 is kept open in the state shown in Figure 10 , the state where the connecting portion 15 of the filter cartridge 12 is away from the manifolds 22A, 22B and the bottom surface of the filter cartridge 12 abuts against the bottom surface support portion 71a of the support member 71 is achieved. By the movement of the cover 62 so far, the support member 71 does not move due to the action of the spring member 75. Thereafter, if the cover 62 is further opened, the angle θ formed by the cover 62 and the side surface support portion 71b of the support member 71 is limited to a constant value or less, and thus the support member 71 also rotates around the rotation axis 75 with the movement of the cover 62, and the filter cartridge 12 placed on the support member 71 also rotates. Further, finally, the state shown in Figure 9B is achieved, so that the filter cartridge 12 can be held and lifted by hand from the support member 71.

[0055] In the above, the mounting structure of the filter cartridges in the pure water producing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment has been described taking the second filter cartridge 12 as an example, but the first filter cartridge 11 is also mounted to the pure water producing apparatus 10 by the same mounting structure. Here, the case where the filter cartridges 11, 12 are both cylindrical has been described, but the shapes of the filter cartridges 11, 12 can not be cylindrical, and can be, for example, polygonal cylindrical shapes. The consumables housed in the filter cartridges 11, 12 are not limited to activated carbon, reverse osmosis membranes, ion exchange resins, and can be other consumables. Furthermore, the water treatment apparatus to which the present application can be applied is not limited to a pure water producing apparatus, and can be any other apparatus that performs treatment of water.

[0056] Explanation of Reference Signs

[0057] 10 Pure water producing apparatus

[0058] 11, 12 Filter cartridge

[0059] 15 Connection portion

[0060] 15A O-ring

[0061] 16 Projection

[0062] 17, 18 Positioning portion

[0063] 21, 22, 22A, 22B Manifold

[0064] 61, 62 Cover body

[0065] 65 Rotation shaft

[0066] 70 Housing space

[0067] 71 Support member

[0068] 72L, 72R Lifting member

[0069] 73 Slot

[0070] 75 Spring member

Claims

1. An installation structure for detachably installing a cylindrical filter element used in a liquid treatment apparatus onto the liquid treatment apparatus. The mounting structure includes: A storage space that houses the filter element; A rotating shaft is provided along the lower end of the opening of the storage space; The cover is rotatably mounted at one end to the rotating shaft and opens and closes the storage space. A support member, rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft, includes a bottom support portion for holding the bottom surface of the filter element and a side support portion for supporting the sides of the filter element, and is disposed on the side of the cover adjacent to the storage space; and A pair of lifting members, mounted parallel to each other on the cover, are configured to clamp the filter element along its side. On the inner surfaces of the pair of lifting members facing each other, the ends facing inward toward the receiving space become open ends, forming grooves to accommodate protrusions formed on the side of the filter element. The groove is curved such that as the protrusion slides along the groove as the cover rotates about the axis of rotation, the bottom surface of the filter element moves away from the bottom support.

2. The installation structure according to claim 1, wherein, After the filter element, which is placed on the support member, reaches a given position within the storage space as the support member rotates, the rotation of the support member is restricted.

3. The installation structure according to claim 2, wherein, The given position is the position in which the filter element stands upright within the storage space, and in this upright position, the filter element abuts against the inner wall of the storage space, thereby restricting the rotation of the support member.

4. The mounting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The support member is provided with an abutting part that abuts against the cover, such that the angle between the direction in which the rotating shaft is clamped from one end of the cover toward the front end and the direction in which the side support extends does not exceed a given value.

5. The installation structure according to claim 4, wherein, The mounting structure includes a spring member that connects the cover to the support member. The spring member maintains the angle such that the protrusion does not enter the groove.

6. The installation structure according to claim 4, wherein, A release latch mechanism is provided at the front end of the cover, which fixes the cover in a position where the storage space is closed.

7. The mounting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The side support portion is provided with a fitting portion that engages with a positioning portion formed on the side of the filter element.

8. A filter element, which is a cylindrical filter element mounted on the liquid treatment device using the mounting structure described in any one of claims 1 to 3. The filter element comprises: A connecting portion, which is disposed on the top surface and can be connected to the manifold of the liquid handling device; and A pair of protrusions are provided on the side. Liquid can flow between the manifold and the interior of the filter element via the connection.

9. A filter element, which is a cylindrical filter element installed in the liquid treatment device using the mounting structure described in claim 7. The filter element comprises: A connecting portion, which is disposed on the top surface and can be connected to the manifold of the liquid handling device; and A pair of protrusions and a positioning portion are disposed on the side. Liquid can flow between the manifold and the interior of the filter element via the connection.

10. The filter element according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The filter element is cylindrical, and protrusions are respectively provided on the side where they contact the two ends of the filter element's diameter.

Images