Ion exchange resin generator, ion exchange resin, soft water generator, and faucet

Abstract

To facilitate regeneration of ion exchange resin.SOLUTION: An ion exchange resin regenerator 30 comprises: a container 31 storing water; an anode 32 and a cathode 33 arranged in the container 31; and a pair of ion exchange membranes 34 which are arranged in the container 31 and are comprised of a cation exchange membrane 35 and an anion exchange membrane 36. The pair of ion exchange membranes 34 are arranged between the anode 32 and the cathode 33 in such a way that the cation exchange membrane 35 is arranged on the cathode 33 side and the anion exchange membrane 36 is arranged on the anode 32 side. An ion exchange resin 21 can be freely taken in and out between the cation exchange membrane 35 and the anion exchange membrane 36.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an ion exchange resin regenerator, an ion exchange resin, a soft water generator, and a water faucet. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a regenerating device for cation exchange resin. This regenerating device is equipped with an electrolytic cell that electrolyzes tap water, and a pipe that introduces the strongly acidic water generated in the electrolytic cell to a container filled with cation exchange resin. When the strongly acidic water comes into contact with the cation exchange resin, Ca at the functional group end of the cation exchange resin is converted to Ca. 2+ or Mg 2+ The cations such as H + The cation exchange resin is then regenerated with the functional group at the end being in the hydrogen form. Strong acidic water is produced by supplying an electrolyte solution (a NaCl solution) to the cathode chamber of the electrolytic cell. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-156195 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the regeneration device of Patent Document 1, strong acidic water is used to regenerate the cation exchange resin, so that an electrolyte solution needs to be supplied to the electrolytic cell, which results in the trouble of supplying the electrolyte solution every time the cation exchange resin is regenerated.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional situation, and has as its object to solve the problem of easily regenerating ion exchange resins. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The ion exchange resin regenerator of the present disclosure comprises: A container for storing water; an anode and a cathode disposed within the vessel; A pair of ion exchange membranes, each consisting of a cation exchange membrane and an anion exchange membrane, are disposed in the container; Equipped with the pair of ion exchange membranes are disposed between the anode and the cathode such that the cation exchange membrane is disposed on the cathode side and the anion exchange membrane is disposed on the anode side; An ion exchange resin can be freely inserted and removed between the cation exchange membrane and the anion exchange membrane.

[0007] The ion exchange resin of the present disclosure is regenerated using the ion exchange resin regenerator described above.

[0008] The soft water generator of the present disclosure includes the above-mentioned ion exchange resin.

[0009] The faucet of the present disclosure comprises the above-mentioned ion exchange resin. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an installation state of the soft water generator of the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the inside of the soft water generator of the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ion exchange resin regenerator of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a partially transparent perspective view of the ion exchange resin regenerator of the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal structure of the ion-exchange resin regenerator of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of regeneration treatment in the ion-exchange resin regenerator of the first embodiment, following FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of regeneration treatment in the ion-exchange resin regenerator of the first embodiment, following FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a side view of a faucet according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Next, a first embodiment of the ion exchange resin regenerator, ion exchange resin, soft water generator, and faucet of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] <Embodiment 1> 1. Water softener generator 10 The water softener 10 of the first embodiment performs a water softening process by passing water to be treated (e.g., tap water). The water softener 10 is installed in a bathroom, such as a unit bath or a shower booth. The soft water supplied from the water softener 10 is used for washing the face, etc. In the case of the first embodiment, the water softener 10 is installed on a wall W in the bathroom, as shown in FIG. 1. The water softener 10 is attached to the wall W by, for example, magnetic force. Hot and cold water is supplied to the water softener 10 from a faucet 1.

[0013] The faucet 1 is a hot and cold water mixing faucet. The faucet 1 is connected to a water supply pipe and a hot water supply pipe (not shown) in the wall W. The faucet 1 can adjust the amount of water, adjust the temperature by mixing hot and cold water, stop the water discharge, etc. In the following explanation, what is supplied from the faucet 1 will be referred to simply as water, regardless of the mixture ratio of hot and cold water. The faucet 1 supplies water to the shower head 2 and the soft water generator 10.

[0014] The shower head 2 is detachably attached to a shower hook 2A fixed to a wall W. The shower head 2 is a so-called hand shower that can be held in the user's hand when used.

[0015] A water passage 3 is connected to the faucet 1. Water is supplied from the faucet 1 to the water passage 3. A diverter valve 4 is provided at the downstream end of the water passage 3. The diverter valve 4 is connected to the water passage 3 as well as to water passages 5 and 6. The water passage 5 is provided between the diverter valve 4 and the shower head 2. The water passage 6 is provided between the diverter valve 4 and the soft water generator 10. The diverter valve 4 is rotated by a user to switch between a state in which water is allowed to flow from the water passage 3 to the water passage 5 and a state in which water is allowed to flow from the water passage 3 to the water passages 5 and 6. The soft water generator 10 softens the water supplied from the water passage 3 and discharges the soft water from the water discharge unit 7.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, the soft water generator 10 includes a case 11, a first storage section 12, a second storage section 13, a water purification cartridge 14, a soft water cartridge 20, and flow paths 15, 16, and 17. The case 11 includes a main body section 11A and a lid section 11B. The lid section 11B closes the opening of the main body section 11A. The first storage section 12 and the second storage section 13 are arranged inside the case 11.

[0017] The first storage section 12 is box-shaped and stores the water purification cartridge 14. The water purification cartridge 14 has, for example, activated carbon (not shown), a cylindrical nonwoven fabric (not shown) that covers the activated carbon from the outer circumferential surface side, and sealing caps (not shown) provided on both ends of the nonwoven fabric. The water purification cartridge 14 purifies water by passing the water from the outer circumferential surface side toward the center.

[0018] A flow path 15 is provided between the water passage 6 and the first storage unit 12. The water purification cartridge 14 reforms the water supplied from the flow path 15 into purified water and passes it through the flow path 16. The second storage unit 13 is connected to the downstream end of the flow path 16.

[0019] The second storage section 13 is box-shaped and stores the soft water cartridge 20. The soft water cartridge 20 has, for example, an ion exchange resin 21 (see FIG. 4), a nonwoven fabric 22, and sealing caps 23 and 24. The ion exchange resin 21 is, for example, particulate. The ion exchange resin 21 may be particulate, gel-shaped, or macroporous (a type in which the fibers have holes). The ion exchange resin 21 includes, for example, a cation exchange resin 21A and an anion exchange resin 21B. The material of the cation exchange resin 21A is not particularly limited as long as it has a function of exchanging cations. The material of the anion exchange resin 21B is not particularly limited as long as it has a function of exchanging anions. The nonwoven fabric 22 is cylindrical and covers the ion exchange resin 21 from the outer circumferential surface side. The cation exchange resin 21A and the anion exchange resin 21B are mixed in the nonwoven fabric 22. Sealing caps 23 and 24 are provided on both ends of the nonwoven fabric 22 .

[0020] A flow path 17 is provided between the second storage section 13 and the water discharge section 7. The soft water cartridge 20 modifies the purified water supplied from the flow path 16 into soft water and passes it through the flow path 17. Specifically, the purified water is converted into soft water by the calcium ions (Ca 2+ ), magnesium ion (Mg 2+ ) and other hardness components react with the hydrogen ions (H + ) and the chloride ions (Cl - ) at the end of the functional group of the anion exchange resin 21B. - ) and is discharged from the water discharger 7 connected to the downstream end of the flow path 17.

[0021] 2. Ion exchange resin regenerator 30 The ion exchange resin regenerator 30 of the first embodiment is shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. The ion exchange resin regenerator 30 regenerates the ion exchange resin 21. As shown in FIG. 4, the ion exchange resin regenerator 30 includes a container 31, an anode 32, a cathode 33, and a pair of ion exchange membranes 34. The container 31 is box-shaped. The container 31 stores, for example, water (tap water). An insertion hole 31A is provided in the upper wall (ceiling) of the container 31. The soft water cartridge 20 is inserted into the insertion hole 31A. The container 31 is provided with a supply hole (not shown) for supplying water to the inside. The container 31 is provided with a discharge hole (not shown) for discharging the water from the inside. The ion exchange resin regenerator 30 is provided with an outlet 31B to which power is supplied from an external commercial power source. The ion exchange resin regenerator 30 can be used in a place other than the bathroom as long as there is a power supply source.

[0022] The anode 32 and the cathode 33 are disposed in a container 31 as shown in Fig. 4. The anode 32 and the cathode 33 are made of, for example, platinum. The anode 32 and the cathode 33 are, for example, plate-shaped or mesh-shaped. The anode 32 and the cathode 33 are disposed at a distance from each other so that their plate surfaces face each other.

[0023] The pair of ion exchange membranes 34 includes a cation exchange membrane 35 and an anion exchange membrane 36. The material of the cation exchange membrane 35 is not particularly limited as long as it has a function of exchanging cations. The material of the anion exchange membrane 36 is not particularly limited as long as it has a function of exchanging anions. The cation exchange membrane 35 and the anion exchange membrane 36 are made of, for example, a hydrocarbon resin. The pair of ion exchange membranes 34 are disposed between the anode 32 and the cathode 33 such that the cation exchange membrane 35 is disposed on the cathode 33 side and the anion exchange membrane 36 is disposed on the anode 32 side.

[0024] A resin chamber 30A, an anode chamber 30B, and a cathode chamber 30C are formed in the container 31. The resin chamber 30A and the anode chamber 30B are separated by an anion exchange membrane 36. The resin chamber 30A and the cathode chamber 30C are separated by a cation exchange membrane 35. An anode 32 is disposed in the anode chamber 30B. A cathode 33 is disposed in the cathode chamber 30C.

[0025] By applying a voltage between the anode 32 and the cathode 33 so that the anode 32 has a higher potential than the cathode 33, a current flows from the anode 32 to the cathode 33 in the container 31. At this time, the anion exchange membrane 36 selectively allows anions to pass therethrough. The cation exchange membrane 35 selectively allows cations to pass therethrough.

[0026] In the ion exchange resin regenerator 30, the ion exchange resin 21 (specifically, the soft water cartridge 20) can be freely inserted and removed between the cation exchange membrane 35 and the anion exchange membrane 36 (inside the resin chamber 30A). The insertion hole 31A is provided in a portion that constitutes the resin chamber 30A in the ceiling of the container 31. With the soft water cartridge 20 inserted into the insertion hole 31A, the ion exchange resin 21, the nonwoven fabric 22, and the sealing cap 24 are disposed in the resin chamber 30A, and the sealing cap 23 is exposed to the outside.

[0027] 3. Regeneration of the ion exchange resin regenerator 30 The regeneration process of the ion exchange resin 21 using the ion exchange resin regenerator 30 will be described. First, the soft water cartridge 20 used in the water softening process (hereinafter also referred to as the used soft water cartridge 20) is removed from the case 11 (more specifically, the second storage section 13) of the soft water generator 10. Then, the soft water cartridge 20 is assembled into the ion exchange resin regenerator 30 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Specifically, the soft water cartridge 20 is inserted into the insertion hole 31A of the ion exchange resin regenerator 30. As a result, the ion exchange resin 21 is disposed in the resin chamber 30A (between the cation exchange membrane 35 and the anion exchange membrane 36) as shown in Fig. 5. Note that Fig. 5 shows only a part of the ion exchange resin 21, and does not show the nonwoven fabric 22, the sealing caps 23, 24, etc.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 5, in the used soft water cartridge 20, calcium ions (Ca 2+ ), magnesium ion (Mg 2+ ) and other hardness components are adsorbed. In addition, chloride ions (Cl - ) and other anions are adsorbed.

[0029] 6, when a voltage is applied between the anode 32 and the cathode 33, electrolysis of water occurs at the interface between the ion exchange membrane 34 and the ion exchange resin 21. For example, electrolysis of water occurs at the interface between the cation exchange membrane 35 and the cation exchange resin 21A, and at the interface between the anion exchange membrane 36 and the anion exchange resin 21B.

[0030] As shown in Figure 7, hydrogen ions (H + ) moves to the cathode 33 side so as to conduct through the multiple ion exchange resins 21. The calcium ions (Ca 2+ ), magnesium ion (Mg 2+ ) and other hardness components are hydrogen ions (H + ) is exchanged with hydroxide ions (OH - ) moves to the anode 32 side so as to conduct through the multiple ion exchange resins 21. The chloride ions (Cl - ) are anions produced by the electrolysis of water, such as hydroxide ions (OH - ) In this manner, the ion exchange resin 21 (the cation exchange resin 21A and the anion exchange resin 21B) is regenerated.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 7, calcium ions (Ca 2+ ), magnesium ion (Mg 2+ ) and other hardness components are collected in the cathode chamber 30C. In addition, chloride ions (Cl -) are collected in the anode chamber 30B.

[0032] The soft water cartridge 20 regenerated in the above manner is removed from the ion exchange resin regenerator 30 and reused in the soft water generator 10. The ion exchange resin regenerator 30 can perform the regeneration process again by replacing the water in the container 31 used for the regeneration process.

[0033] As described above, in the ion exchange resin regenerator 30 of the first embodiment, the ion exchange resin 21 can be regenerated by utilizing electrolysis of water based on a voltage applied between the anode 32 and the cathode 33. This makes it possible to regenerate the ion exchange resin 21 without supplying an electrolyte solution (NaCl) to the regenerator as in the conventional case. In addition, since the ion exchange resin regenerator 30 is configured separately from the device (soft water generator 10) in which the ion exchange resin 21 is used, the ion exchange resin regenerator 30 can be removed from the device (soft water generator 10) in which the ion exchange resin 21 is used and regenerated in another location. Therefore, the place of use is not limited to the vicinity of the soft water generator 10 (around the water) and the like. Therefore, the ion exchange resin regenerator 30 can easily regenerate the ion exchange resin 21.

[0034] As described above, since the ion exchange resin regenerator 30 is configured as a device independent of the softened water generator 10, unlike the conventional configuration in which the regenerator and the softened water generator are integrated, softened water can be generated without using electricity in the softened water generator 10. In addition, since the softened water generator 10 is independent of the ion exchange resin regenerator 30, it can be made smaller.

[0035] In the ion exchange resin regenerator 30 of the first embodiment, the ion exchange resin 21 is contained in a soft water cartridge 20 used in the soft water generator 10. The soft water cartridge 20 can be freely inserted and removed between the cation exchange membrane 35 and the anion exchange membrane 36. With this configuration, the soft water cartridge 20 is removed from the soft water generator 10 and attached to the ion exchange resin regenerator 30, whereby the ion exchange resin 21 can be easily generated.

[0036] The present disclosure is not limited to the first embodiment described above and illustrated in the drawings, and for example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present disclosure. (1) A soft water cartridge having a similar configuration to the soft water cartridge 20 of the first embodiment may be used in a faucet. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a soft water cartridge 220 having a similar configuration to the soft water cartridge 20 may be used in a faucet 210. The faucet 210 includes, for example, a water discharge portion 211 and an operating lever 212. In the faucet 210, for example, the soft water cartridge 220 is disposed on a water passage in the water discharge portion 211. Water softened by the soft water cartridge 220 is discharged from the water discharge portion 211. Such a faucet 210 is installed, for example, in a toilet space, a washroom, a kitchen, etc. (2) In the ion exchange resin regenerator 30 of the first embodiment, a pair of ion exchange membranes 34 is disposed between the anode 32 and the cathode 33, but two or more pairs of ion exchange membranes 34 may be disposed between the anode 32 and the cathode 33. In this case, the ion exchange resin regenerator 30 is configured so that a soft water cartridge 20 can be disposed between each pair of ion exchange membranes 34 (between the cation exchange membrane 35 and the anion exchange membrane 36), thereby enabling regeneration of a plurality of soft water cartridges 20. (3) In the first embodiment, the ion exchange resin 21 is configured to be contained in the soft water cartridge 20, but it may be configured not to be contained in the soft water cartridge 20. For example, the ion exchange resin 21 may be configured to be contained directly in the second container 13 of the soft water generator 10 and the resin chamber 30A of the ion exchange resin regenerator 30. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 10...soft water generator, 20...soft water cartridge, 21...ion exchange resin, 21A...cation exchange resin, 21B...anion exchange resin, 30...ion exchange resin regenerator, 31...container, 32...anode, 33...cathode, 34...ion exchange membrane, 35...cation exchange membrane, 36...anion exchange membrane, 210...faucet, 220...soft water cartridge

Claims

1. A container for storing water; an anode and a cathode disposed within the vessel; At least one pair of ion exchange membranes, each of which is a cation exchange membrane and an anion exchange membrane, is disposed in the container; Equipped with the pair of ion exchange membranes are disposed between the anode and the cathode such that the cation exchange membrane is disposed on the cathode side and the anion exchange membrane is disposed on the anode side; An ion exchange resin regenerator in which an ion exchange resin can be freely inserted and removed between the cation exchange membrane and the anion exchange membrane.

2. The ion exchange resin is contained in a soft water cartridge used in a soft water generator, 2. The ion exchange resin regenerator according to claim 1, wherein the soft water cartridge is freely inserted and removed between the cation exchange membrane and the anion exchange membrane.

3. An ion exchange resin regenerated by using the ion exchange resin regenerator according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A water softener comprising the ion exchange resin according to claim 3.

5. A faucet comprising the ion exchange resin according to claim 3.

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