Electrolytic water generator

Abstract

To provide an electrolytic water generator capable of preventing waste of a catalytic electrode with a catalytic layer in an electrolysis part with a central opening part.SOLUTION: In an electrolytic water generator having an electrolytic part in which an anode plate, an anode side mesh electrode, an ion exchange membrane, a cathode side mesh electrode, and a cathode plate, each of which is a flat plate, are stacked and arranged, and in which voltage is applied between the anode plate and cathode plate of the electrolytic part immersed in flowing water to produce electrolytic water. The electrolytic part has a catalytic electrode between the anode side mesh electrode and the ion exchange membrane and a central opening through the electrolytic part in the stacking direction, so that water flows from the periphery of the anode side mesh electrode and the cathode side mesh electrode toward or against the central opening, and the catalytic electrode has a plurality of catalytic electrode pieces held in a retainer of the same thickness as those pieces, so that the electrode was formed as a flat plate of the same shape as the ion exchange membrane.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrolyzed water generating device that generates electrolyzed water by electrolyzing water in an electrolysis section. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, electrolytic water generators that generate electrolytic water having a sterilizing effect, such as ozone water or hypochlorous acid water, have been used. The electrolytic water generator applies a voltage between an anode and a cathode to electrolyze the water flowing between the electrodes, thereby generating electrolytic water.

[0003] In order to efficiently electrolyze water, a laminated electrolysis section (electrolysis cell) is known in which an ion exchange membrane is disposed between an anode and a cathode, an anode-side mesh electrode connected to the anode is brought into contact with the ion exchange membrane, and a cathode-side mesh electrode connected to the cathode is brought into contact with the ion exchange membrane from the opposite side, as in Patent Document 1. In order to further improve the efficiency of electrolysis, it is known to form a catalyst layer on the contact surface of the mesh electrode that contacts the solid electrolyte membrane, which is the ion exchange membrane, as in Patent Document 2.

[0004] Since the ion exchange membrane is almost impermeable to water, the electrolytic water generating device equipped with the electrolytic unit has a water inlet and a water outlet on the anode side and the cathode side, respectively. This results in a large number of water pipes, which are not easy to connect. For example, as in Patent Document 3, an electrolytic unit having a laminated structure sandwiching an ion exchange membrane has a central opening penetrating in the lamination direction, and is configured to allow water to flow from the outer periphery of the electrolytic unit toward the central opening, or from the central opening toward the outer periphery of the electrolytic unit. There is one water inlet and one water outlet for the electrolytic unit, which makes it easy to connect the water pipes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4392354 [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-76576 A [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 7010529 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In order to form the electrolysis section with a central opening as in Patent Document 3, it is necessary to remove the central portion of the members such as the flat ion exchange membrane and electrodes that constitute the electrolysis section. In this case, the catalytic electrode having a catalytic layer as in Patent Document 2 is expensive because it is not easy to form the catalytic layer, but the central portion of the catalytic electrode is removed and not used, resulting in waste. Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an electrolyzed water generating device that can prevent the waste of the catalytic electrode having a catalytic layer in the electrolysis section with a central opening. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The electrolytic water generating device of the invention of claim 1 has an electrolytic unit formed by stacking an anode plate, an anode side mesh electrode, an ion exchange membrane, a cathode side mesh electrode, and a cathode plate, each of which is flat, and generates electrolytic water by applying a voltage between the anode plate and the cathode plate while the electrolytic unit is immersed in flowing water.The electrolytic water generating device has a catalytic electrode between the anode side mesh electrode and the ion exchange membrane, and is provided with a central opening that penetrates the electrolytic unit in the stacking direction, and is configured so that water flows from the outer periphery of the anode side mesh electrode and the outer periphery of the cathode side mesh electrode toward the central opening, or so that water flows from the central opening toward the outer periphery of the anode side mesh electrode and the outer periphery of the cathode side mesh electrode, and the catalytic electrode is formed into a flat plate of the same shape as the ion exchange membrane by holding a plurality of catalytic electrode pieces in a retainer of the same thickness as the catalytic electrode pieces.

[0008] According to the above configuration, the electrolytic water generating device has an electrolysis section in which a flat anode plate, an anode side mesh electrode, an ion exchange membrane, a cathode side mesh electrode, and a cathode plate are stacked. The electrolysis section has a catalytic electrode between the anode side mesh electrode and the ion exchange membrane, and a central opening is formed through the stacking direction. The catalytic electrode is formed in a flat shape with the same shape as the ion exchange membrane having an opening that forms the central opening, by holding a plurality of catalytic electrode pieces in a retainer having the same thickness as the catalytic electrode pieces. Since the catalytic electrode is formed by a plurality of catalytic electrode pieces, it can be formed in a flat shape with the same shape as the ion exchange membrane without disposing catalytic electrode pieces in the part that becomes the central opening. Therefore, the part that becomes the central opening is removed from the catalytic electrode, and unused waste is not generated, so the manufacturing cost of the electrolysis section can be reduced.

[0009] The electrolytic water generating device of the invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1, a catalytic layer is supported on one side of each of the multiple catalytic electrode pieces, and the catalytic electrode is fixed in a state in which the catalytic layers of the multiple catalytic electrode pieces are each in contact with the ion exchange membrane. According to the above-mentioned configuration, the manufacturing cost of the catalytic electrode can be reduced by forming the catalytic layer only on one surface of the catalytic electrode piece, and the effect of the catalytic layer can be enhanced by abutting the catalytic layer against the ion exchange membrane.

[0010] The electrolytic water generating device of the invention of claim 3 is the invention of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the electrical conductivity of the retainer is lower than that of the catalytic electrode pieces. According to the above-described configuration, since the catalytic electrode pieces have a higher electrical conductivity than the retainer, most of the current during water electrolysis flows through the catalytic electrode pieces, thereby enhancing the effect of the catalytic electrode pieces. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the electrolytic water generating device of the present invention, it is possible to prevent waste of the catalytic electrode having a catalytic layer in the electrolysis section having a central opening. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view of an electrolytic water generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a plan view of the electrolytic water generating device of FIG. 1, seen from the water inlet side. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the electrolytic water generating device of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the electrolysis unit in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another example of a catalytic electrode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, the mode for carrying out the present invention will be described based on examples. EXAMPLES

[0014] 1, 2 and 3, electrolyzed water generator 1 has electrolysis unit 10 housed in case 4 having water inlet 2 and water outlet 3, and is connected to power lines 9a, 9b for supplying power from the outside to electrolysis unit 10. Case 4 is composed of a first case 5 having water inlet 2 and a second case 6 having water outlet 3. Water pipes or hoses (not shown) are connected to water inlet 2 and water outlet 3, respectively.

[0015] In the case 4, the water introduced from the water inlet 2 flows so as to spread toward the outer periphery of the electrolysis unit 10 as shown by the arrow A1, then changes direction as shown by the arrow A2, flows so as to gather from the outer periphery of the electrolysis unit 10 toward the center, and flows out of the case 4 from the water outlet 3 as shown by the arrow A3. At this time, a part of the water flowing in the case 4 is electrolyzed in the electrolysis unit 10 to generate electrolytic water. The electrolytic water is, for example, ozone water, hypochlorous acid water, etc., and has a bactericidal effect. The water inlet 2 is equipped with a water governor 2a for keeping the water flow rate constant, and electrolytic water of a constant quality (concentration) is generated.

[0016] 3 and 4, the electrolysis unit 10 is fixed to the second case 6 having the water discharge unit 3 by a retaining plate 7 fixed with a plurality of screws 7a. The retaining plate 7 guides water introduced from the water inlet 2 of the first case 5 toward the outer periphery of the electrolysis unit 10. The first case 5 is fixed to the second case 6 to which the electrolysis unit 10 is fixed by a plurality of screws 4a with a packing 8 sandwiched therebetween.

[0017] Next, the electrolysis unit 10 will be described. The electrolysis unit 10 is formed by stacking a first electrode 11 and a second electrode 12 insulated from each other with an ion exchange membrane 13 sandwiched therebetween. In the following, a case will be described in which the first electrode 11 is an anode and the second electrode 12 is a cathode.

[0018] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the first electrode 11 is formed in a flat plate shape by stacking an anode plate 15, an anode side mesh electrode 16, and a catalytic electrode 17, each of which is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. The anode plate 15 has a rectangular through hole 15a in the center. The anode side mesh electrode 16 has a rectangular through hole 16a in the center. The catalytic electrode 17 has a rectangular through hole 17a in the center. The first electrode 11 has an opening 11a that passes through in the stacking direction, with these through holes 15a, 16a, and 17a communicating with each other.

[0019] The second electrode 12 is formed into a flat plate shape by stacking a cathode plate 18 and a cathode side mesh electrode 19, each of which is formed into a rectangular flat plate shape. The cathode plate 18 has a rectangular through hole 18a in the center. The cathode side mesh electrode 19 has a rectangular through hole 19a in the center. The second electrode 12 has an opening 12a through which the through holes 18a, 19a communicate with each other and penetrate in the stacking direction. The anode side mesh electrode 16 and the cathode side mesh electrode 19 may be formed by stacking a plurality of electrodes formed into a mesh shape.

[0020] The first electrode 11 is laminated such that the catalytic electrode 17 is in contact with the ion exchange membrane 13, and the second electrode 12 is laminated such that the cathode mesh electrode 19 is in contact with the ion exchange membrane 13. The ion exchange membrane 13 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape with a thickness of less than 1 mm, for example, and has a rectangular opening 13a at the center that penetrates the ion exchange membrane 13 in the thickness direction. The anode plate 15 has a terminal portion 15b for connection to the power line 9a. The cathode plate 18 has a terminal portion 18b for connection to the power line 9b.

[0021] 5, catalytic electrode 17 having a rectangular through hole 17a in the center is formed in a flat plate shape with multiple catalytic electrode pieces 17b held by, for example, a lattice-shaped retainer 17c having the same thickness as catalytic electrode pieces 17b. Multiple catalytic electrode pieces 17b are formed by dividing a plate-shaped or mesh-shaped electrode having a catalytic layer 17d for promoting water electrolysis formed on one side thereof into, for example, square shapes of the same size.

[0022] The retainer 17c is formed in a lattice shape from a material having a lower electrical conductivity than the catalytic electrode pieces 17b, for example, silicon or conductive resin. The retainer 17c holds a plurality of catalytic electrode pieces 17b, which are aligned so that the surface on which the catalytic layer 17d is formed is in contact with the ion exchange membrane 13, in a state in which they are fitted between the lattices except for the through holes 17a formed in the retainer 17c. In FIG. 5, eight catalytic electrode pieces 17b are arranged to surround the through holes 17a and held by the retainer 17c. Note that, as long as the catalytic electrode pieces 17b can be held, a retainer 17c with an open periphery that does not contact some of the four sides of the catalytic electrode pieces 17b, for example, the outer periphery side of the catalytic electrode 17, may be used.

[0023] 6, for example, four catalytic electrode pieces 17b formed in a rectangular shape of the same size can be arranged to surround the through-hole 17a and held by a retainer 17c. By making the multiple catalytic electrode pieces 17b the same size and shape, they can be easily divided and the catalytic electrode 17 can be easily formed, but it is also possible to form a catalytic electrode by combining multiple catalytic electrode pieces of different sizes and shapes.

[0024] The catalytic electrode 17 has a catalytic layer 17d made of, for example, a diamond catalyst formed on one side by, for example, chemical vapor deposition. Since the formation of the catalytic layer 17d is not easy, the catalytic electrode 17 is more expensive and expensive than other electrodes. If the center of the catalytic electrode 17 with the catalytic layer 17d supported on one side is removed to form the through hole 17a, the removed part is not used and is wasted. However, since the catalytic electrode 17 is formed by a plurality of catalytic electrode pieces 17b as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, no part is wasted due to the through hole 17a.

[0025] 4, the second case 6 has a positioning portion 6a for positioning the electrolysis unit 10, which is formed by a plurality of protrusions protruding inward from the case 4. When the first electrode 11, the ion exchange membrane 13, and the second electrode 12 are stacked in the second case 6, the opening 3a of the water discharge unit 3, which communicates between the inside and outside of the second case 6, is fitted into a rod-shaped portion 20a extending upward from a jig 20 installed on, for example, a workbench.

[0026] The opening 3a is formed so as to match in size and shape with the opening 11a of the first electrode 11 and the opening 13a of the ion exchange membrane 13. The shape of a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the rod-shaped portion 20a is the same as the opening 3a of the water discharger 3, but it can also be octagonal, cross-shaped, or the like, so that the second case 6 is stable and does not rotate around the rod-shaped portion 20a when the opening 3a is fitted.

[0027] The tip side of the rod-shaped portion 20a of the jig 20 into which the opening 3a of the water discharger 3 is fitted protrudes inside the second case 6. The first electrode 11, the ion exchange membrane 13, and the second electrode 12 are stacked with their respective openings 11a, 13a, and 12a fitted into this protruding rod-shaped portion 20a.

[0028] At this time, the first electrode 11, the ion exchange membrane 13, and the second electrode 12 are restrained in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction and their positions are determined by the rod-shaped portion 20a of the jig 20 and the positioning portion 6a of the second case 6. The anode plate 15, the anode-side mesh electrode 16, and the catalyst electrode 17 constituting the first electrode 11, the ion exchange membrane 13, and the cathode-side mesh electrode 19 and the cathode plate 18 constituting the second electrode 12 may be stacked by being fitted in the rod-shaped portion 20a of the jig 20 in this order.

[0029] The electrolysis unit 10 is fixed to the second case 6 by fixing the pressing plate 7, which restrains the stacked first electrode 11, ion exchange membrane 13, and second electrode 12 in the stacking direction, to the second case 6. The pressing plate 7 is positioned by its outer edge abutting against the positioning portion 6a, but may also be positioned by abutting against the tip portion of the rod-shaped portion 20a of the jig 20. The second case 6 to which the electrolysis unit 10 is fixed is removed from the jig 20, and the power lines 9a, 9b are fastened and fixed to the terminal portions 15b, 18b, and the first case 5 is fixed to the second case 6.

[0030] Since the second case 6 has been removed from the jig 20, the rod-shaped portion 20a has been removed from the openings 11a, 13a, and 12a of the first electrode 11, ion exchange membrane 13, and second electrode 12 of the electrolysis unit 10, and the opening 3a of the water discharge unit 3 are now in communication with each other. A central opening 10a that penetrates the electrolysis unit 10 in the stacking direction is formed by the openings 11a, 13a, and 12a that communicate with this opening 3a. In addition, since the positioning portion 6a of the second case 6 is formed by a plurality of protrusions that protrude inwardly of the case 4, the outer circumferential side of the electrolysis unit 10 is not blocked by the positioning portion 6a.

[0031] The anode mesh electrode 16 and the cathode mesh electrode 19 are made of metal wires made of, for example, titanium or stainless steel, and are formed into a mesh shape having fine gaps that communicate with the outside. Therefore, water introduced from the water inlet 2 into the case 4 toward the outer periphery as indicated by arrow A1 in Fig. 3 changes direction as indicated by arrow A2, and flows inside the anode mesh electrode 16 and the cathode mesh electrode 19 from the outer periphery of the electrolysis section 10 toward the central opening 10a that communicates with the central openings 11a, 13a, and 12a of the electrolysis section 10.

[0032] When the electrolysis unit 10 is immersed in the water flowing inside the case 4 and a voltage is applied between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12, a part of the flowing water is electrolyzed to generate electrolyzed water. Then, as shown by arrow A3, the electrolyzed water collected in the central opening 10a of the electrolysis unit 10 flows out of the case 4 through the opening 3a of the water discharge unit 3.

[0033] The operation and effects of the electrolyzed water generating device 1 will now be described. The electrolytic water generating device 1 has an electrolysis section 10 in which a flat anode plate 15, an anode side mesh electrode 16, an ion exchange membrane 13, a cathode side mesh electrode 19, and a cathode plate 18 are laminated. The electrolysis section 10 has a catalytic electrode 17 between the anode side mesh electrode 16 and the ion exchange membrane 13. A central opening 10a is formed penetrating the electrolysis section 10 in the lamination direction. The catalytic electrode 17 is formed in a flat shape with the ion exchange membrane 13 having the opening 13a that constitutes the central opening 10a by holding a plurality of catalytic electrode pieces 17b with a retainer 17c having the same thickness as the catalytic electrode pieces 17b, and has a through hole 17a. The catalytic electrode 17 can be formed without disposing the catalytic electrode pieces 17b in the through hole 17a by the plurality of catalytic electrode pieces 17b, so that the portion that becomes the central opening 10a is removed from the expensive catalytic electrode 17, and no unused waste is generated. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the electrolysis section 10.

[0034] Further, a catalyst layer 17d is supported on one surface of each of the catalytic electrode pieces 17b, and the catalytic electrode 17 is fixed in a state in which the catalytic layers 17d of the catalytic electrode pieces 17b are in contact with the ion exchange membrane 13. By forming the catalytic layer 17d only on one surface of the catalytic electrode piece 17b, the manufacturing cost of the catalytic electrode 17 can be reduced, and by bringing the catalytic layer 17d into contact with the ion exchange membrane 13, the effect of the catalytic layer 17d can be enhanced.

[0035] The retainer 17c is made of a material having a lower electrical conductivity than the catalytic electrode piece 17b. Therefore, since the electrical conductivity of the catalytic electrode piece 17b is higher than that of the retainer 17c, most of the current during water electrolysis flows through the catalytic electrode piece 17b, thereby enhancing the effect of the catalytic layer 17d of the catalytic electrode piece 17b.

[0036] The water inlet section 2 and the water outlet section 3 can be interchanged to make the electrolytic water generator 1 have the opposite water flow direction. The electrolytic section 10, which is a rectangular flat plate having a rectangular central opening 10a in cross section perpendicular to the stacking direction, may be formed in a circular or regular polygonal flat plate shape, and may have a circular or regular polygonal central opening 10a in cross section perpendicular to the stacking direction. In addition, those skilled in the art can implement the above embodiment in various modified forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention includes such modified forms. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1: Electrolyzed water generator 2: Water entry section 3: Water outlet 4: Case 5: Case 1 6: Case 2 7: Retaining plate 8: Packing 9a,9b: Power line 10: Electrolytic section 11: 1st electrode 11a: Opening 12:Second electrode 12a: opening 13: Ion exchange membrane 13a: Opening 15: Anode plate 15a: Through hole 15b:Terminal part 16: Anode mesh electrode 16a: Through hole 17: Catalyst electrode 17a: Through hole 17b: Catalyst electrode piece 17c: Retainer 17d: Catalyst layer 18: Cathode plate 18a: Through hole 18b:Terminal part 19: Cathode mesh electrode 19a: Through hole 20: Jig 20a: Rod-shaped part

Claims

1. An electrolytic water generating device has an electrolytic section formed by stacking an anode plate, an anode-side mesh electrode, an ion exchange membrane, a cathode-side mesh electrode, and a cathode plate, each of which is flat, and generates electrolytic water by applying a voltage between the anode plate and the cathode plate while the electrolytic section is immersed in flowing water, the electrolysis unit has a catalytic electrode between the anode-side mesh electrode and the ion exchange membrane, and has a central opening penetrating the electrolysis unit in a stacking direction; The mesh electrode is configured so that water flows from an outer periphery of the anode side mesh electrode and an outer periphery of the cathode side mesh electrode toward the central opening, or from the central opening toward an outer periphery of the anode side mesh electrode and an outer periphery of the cathode side mesh electrode, The electrolytic water generating device is characterized in that the catalytic electrode is formed into a flat plate of the same shape as the ion exchange membrane by having a plurality of catalytic electrode pieces held by a retainer of the same thickness as the catalytic electrode pieces.

2. A catalyst layer is supported on one surface of each of the plurality of catalytic electrode pieces, 2. The electrolytic water generating device according to claim 1, wherein the catalytic electrode is fixed in a state in which the catalytic layers of the plurality of catalytic electrode pieces are respectively in contact with the ion exchange membrane.

3. 3. The electrolytic water generating device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical conductivity of the retainer is lower than that of the catalytic electrode pieces.

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